wemustact；justletmeringthebell，andsendthemenwordthatI’llspeaktotheminthequad。’
MrHardingknewnothowtoresist，andthedisagreeableorderwasgiven。Thequad，asitwasfamiliarlycalled，wasasmallquadrangle，openononesidetotheriver，andsurroundedontheothersbythehighwallofMrHarding’sgarden，byonegableendofMrHarding’shouse，andbytheendoftherowofbuildingswhichformedtheresidencesofthebedesmen。Itwasflaggedallround，andthecentrewasstoned；smallstoneguttersranfromthefourcornersofthesquaretoagratinginthecentre；andattachedtotheendofMrHarding’shousewasaconduitwithfourcockscoveredoverfromtheweather，atwhichtheoldmengottheirwater，andverygenerallyperformedtheirmorningtoilet。Itwasaquiet，sombreplace，shadedoverbythetreesofthewarden’sgarden。Onthesidetowardstheriver，therestoodarowofstoneseats，onwhichtheoldmenwouldsitandgazeatthelittlefish，astheyflittedbyintherunningstream。Ontheothersideoftheriverwasarich，greenmeadow，runninguptoandjoiningthedeanery，andaslittleopentothepublicasthegardenofthedeanitself。Nothing，therefore，couldbemoreprivatethanthequadofthehospital；anditwastherethatthearchdeacondeterminedtoconveytothemhissenseoftheirrefractoryproceedings。
Theservantsoonbroughtinwordthatthemenwereassembledinthequad，andthearchdeacon，bigwithhispurpose，rosetoaddressthem。
’Well，warden，ofcourseyou’recoming，’saidhe，seeingthatMrHardingdidnotpreparetofollowhim。
’Iwishyou’dexcuseme，’saidMrHarding。