ill
get it?"--and he pointed to Billy Gazy, Spriggs, and Crumple. "Did
any of us ever do anything worth half the money? Was it to make
gentlemen of us we were brought in here, when all the world turned
against us, and we couldn't longer earn our daily bread? A'n't you
all as rich in your ways as he in his?"--and the orator pointed to
the side on which the warden lived. "A'n't you getting all you hoped
for, ay, and more than you hoped for? Wouldn't each of you have given
the dearest limb of his body to secure that which now makes you so
unthankful?"

"We wants what John Hiram left us," said Handy. "We wants what's ourn
by law; it don't matter what we expected. What's ourn by law should
be ourn, and by goles we'll have it."

"Law!" said Bunce, with all the scorn he knew how to command--"law!
Did ye ever know a poor man yet was the better for law, or for a
lawyer? Will Mr Finney ever be as good to you, Job, as that man has
been? Will he see to you when you're sick, and comfort you when
you're wretched? Will he--"

"No, nor give you port wine, old boy, on cold winter nights! he won't
do that, will he?" asked Handy; and laughing at the severity of his
own wit, he and his colleagues retired, carrying with them, however,
the now powerful petition.

There is no help for spilt milk; and Mr Bunce could only retire to
his own room, disgusted at the frailty of human nature. Job Skulpit
scratched his head;--Jonathan Crumple again remarked, that, "for
sartain, sure a hundred a year was very nice;"--and Billy Gazy again
rubbed his eyes, and lowly muttered that "he didn't know."

Chapter V

DR GRANTLY VISITS THE HOSPITAL

Though doubt and hesitation disturbed the rest of our poor warden, no
such weakness perplexed the nobler breast of his son-in-law. As the
indomitable cock preparing for the combat sharpens his spurs, shakes
his feathers, and erects his comb, so did the archdeacon arrange his
weapons for the coming war, without misgiving and without fear. That
he was fully confident of the justice of his cause let no one doubt.
Many a man can fight his battle with good courage, but with a doubting
conscience. Such was not the case with Dr Grantly. He did not
believe in the Gospel with more assurance than he did in the sacred
justice of all ecclesiastical revenues. When he put his shoulder to
the wheel to defend the income of the present and future precentors
of Barchester, he was animated by as strong a