BARCHESTER TOWERS
much to hear and to say that he had forgotten to advertise Eleanor of the honour that awaited her, and she heard her brother-in-law's voice in the hall, while she was quite unprepared to see him.
"There's the archdeacon," she said, springing up.
"Yes, my dear. He told me to tell you that he would come and see you; but, to tell the truth, I had forgotten all about it."
Eleanor fled away, regardless of all her father's entreaties. She could not now, in the first hours of her joy, bring herself to bear all the archdeacon's retractions, apologies, and congratulations. He would have so much to say, and would be so tedious in saying it; consequently, the archdeacon, when he was shown into the drawing-room, found no one there but Mr. Harding.
"You must excuse Eleanor," said Mr. Harding.
"Is anything the matter?" asked the doctor, who at once anticipated that the whole truth about Mr. Slope had at last come out.
"Well, something is the matter. I wonder now whether you will be much surprised?"
The archdeacon saw by his father-in-law's manner that after all he had nothing to tell him about Mr. Slope. "No," said he, "certainly not—nothing will ever surprise me again." Very many men now-a-days, besides the archdeacon, adopt or affect to adopt the nil admirari doctrine; but nevertheless, to judge from their appearance, they are just as subject to sudden emotions as their grandfathers and grandmothers were before them.
"What do you think Mr. Arabin has done?"
"Mr. Arabin! It's nothing about that daughter of Stanhope's, I hope?"
"No, not that woman," said Mr. Harding, enjoying his joke in his sleeve.
"Not that woman! Is he going to do anything about any woman? Why can't you speak out if you have anything to say? There is nothing I hate so much as these sort of mysteries."
"There shall be no mystery with you, archdeacon; though, of course, it must go no further at present."
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