Reverend Septimus Harding

Mr. Harding is a kind, mild priest of the Church of England. He has two daughters, one who is married to Dr. Grantly. Mr. Harding is the precentor of the parish, and also the warden at Hiram's Hospital. He loves playing his violoncello, and whenever he is thinking, he likes to play an imaginary violoncello. Although Mr. Harding doesn't try terribly hard in his priestly duties, he is a man of integrity, who listens earnestly to his own conscience. When most of his superior clergy urge him to remain warden, and squelch the lawsuit, Mr. Harding instead worries about whether he is stealing bread from the poor. Although he has submitted to bullying most of his life, he decides to take a stand and abandon his comfortable position, just because he thinks it is the right thing to do. He is willing to face poverty in...