would not live in the deanery, she said, unless her
father lived there also. Mr. Arabin would not be dean, unless Mr.
Harding would be co-dean with him. The archdeacon declared that his
father-in-law should not have his own way in everything, and Mrs.
Grantly carried him off to Plumstead, that he might remain there
till Mr. and Mrs. Arabin were in a state to receive him in their own
mansion.

Pressed by such arguments as these, what could a weak old man do but
yield?

But there was yet another task which it behoved Mr. Harding to do
before he could allow himself to be at rest. Little has been said in
these pages of the state of those remaining old men who had lived
under his sway at the hospital. But not on this account must it be
presumed that he had forgotten them, or that in their state of anarchy
and in their want of due government he had omitted to visit them. He
visited them constantly, and had latterly given them to understand
that they would soon be required to subscribe their adherence to a
new master. There were now but five of them, one of them having been
but quite lately carried to his rest--but five of the full number,
which had hitherto been twelve, and which was now to be raised to
twenty-four, including women. Of these, old Bunce, who for many years
had been the favourite of the late warden, was one; and Abel Handy,
who had been the humble means of driving that warden from his home,
was another.

Mr. Harding now resolved that he himself would introduce the new
warden to the hospital. He felt that many circumstances might conspire
to make the men receive Mr. Quiverful with aversion and disrespect;
he felt also that Mr. Quiverful might himself feel some qualms of
conscience if he entered the hospital with an idea that he did so in
hostility to his predecessor. Mr. Harding therefore determined to walk
in, arm in arm with Mr. Quiverful, and to ask from these men their
respectful obedience to their new master.

On returning to Barchester, he found that Mr. Quiverful had not
yet slept in the hospital house, or entered on his new duties.
He accordingly made known to that gentleman his wishes, and his
proposition was not rejected.

It was a bright, clear morning, though in November, that Mr. Harding
and Mr. Quiverful, arm in arm, walked through the hospital gate. It
was one trait in our old friend's character that he did nothing with
parade. He omitted, even in the more important doings of his life,
tha