Japhet In Search Of A Father Part 1 - Frederick Marryat (best summer reads of all time .txt) 📗
- Author: Frederick Marryat
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Your Ardent Wish."
"My Lord--"
"I Will Not Be Denied, Mr Newland; And If You Feel Any Delicacy On The
Subject, You May Take It As A Loan, To Be Repaid When You Find It
Convenient. Do Not, For A Moment, Consider That It Is Given To You
Because You Possess An Important Secret, For I Will Trust Entirely To
Your Honour On That Score."
"Indeed, My Lord," Replied I, "Your Kindness Overwhelms Me, And I Feel
As If, In You, I Had Already _Almost_ Found A Father. Excuse Me, My
Lord, But Did Your Lordship Ever--Ever--"
"I Know What You Would Say, My Poor Fellow: No, I Never Did. I Never Was
Blessed With Children. Had I Been, I Should Not Have Felt That I Was
Disgraced By Having One Resembling You. Allow Me To Entreat You, Mr
Newland, That You Do Not Suffer The Mystery Of Your Birth To Weigh So
Heavily On Your Mind; And Now I Wish You Good Morning, And If You Think
I Can Be Useful To You, I Beg That You Will Not Fail To Let Me Know."
"May Heaven Pour Down Blessings On Your Head," Replied I, Kissing
Respectfully His Lordship'S Hand; "And May My Father, When I Find Him,
Be As Like Unto You As Possible." I Made My Obeisance, And Quitted The
House.
Part 1 Chapter 23 Pg 118
The Major Prevents The Landlord From Imposing On Me, But I Gain
Nothing By His Interference--For Economical Reasons I Agree To Live
With Him That He May Live On Me.
Part 1 Chapter 23 Pg 119
I Returned To The Hotel, For My Mind Had Been Much Agitated, And I
Wished For Quiet, And The Friendship Of Timothy. As Soon As I Arrived I
Told Him All That Had Passed.
"Indeed," Replied Timothy, "Things Do Now Wear A Pleasant Aspect; For I
Am Afraid, That Without That Thousand, We Could Not Have Carried On For
A Fortnight Longer. The Bill Here Is Very Heavy, And I'M Sure The
Landlord Wishes To See The Colour Of His Money."
"How Much Do You Think We Have Left? It Is High Time, Timothy, That We
Now Make Up Our Accounts, And Arrange Some Plans For The Future,"
Replied I. "I Have Paid The Jeweller And The Tailor, By The Advice Of
The Major, Who Says, That You Should Always Pay Your _First Bills_ As
Soon As Possible, And All Your Subsequent Bills As Late As Possible; And
If Put Off _Sine Die_, So Much The Better. In Fact, I Owe Very Little
Now, But The Bill Here, I Will Send For It To-Night."
Here We Were Interrupted By The Entrance Of The Landlord. "O Mr Wallace,
You Are The Very Person I Wished To See; Let Me Have My Bill, If You
Please."
"It'S Not Of The Least Consequence, Sir," Replied He; "But If You Wish
It, I Have Posted Down To Yesterday," And The Landlord Left The Room.
"You Were Both Of One Mind, At All Events," Said Timothy, Laughing; "For
He Had The Bill In His Hand, And Concealed It The Moment You Asked For
It."
In About Ten Minutes The Landlord Re-Appeared, And Presenting The Bill
Upon A Salver, Made His Bow And Retired. I Looked It Over, It Amounted
To L104, Which, For Little More Than Three Weeks, Was Pretty Well.
Timothy Shrugged Up His Shoulders, While I Ran Over The Items. "I Do Not
See That There Is Anything To Complain Of, Tim," Observed I, When I Came
To The Bottom Of It; "But I Do See That Living Here, With The Major
Keeping Me An Open House, Will Never Do. Let Us See How Much Money We
Have Left."
Tim Brought The Dressing-Case In Which Our Cash Was Deposited, And We
Found, That After Paying The Waiters, And A Few Small Bills Not Yet
Liquidated, Our Whole Stock Was Reduced To Fifty Shillings.
"Merciful Heaven! What An Escape," Cried Timothy; "If It Had Not Been
For This New Supply, What Should We Have Done?"
"Very Badly, Timothy; But The Money Is Well Spent, After All. I Have Now
Entrance Into The First Circles. I Can Do Without Major Carbonnell; At
All Events, I Shall Quit This Hotel, And Take Furnished Apartments, And
Live At The Clubs. I Know How To Put Him Off."
I Laid The Money On The Salver, And Desired Timothy To Ring For The
Part 1 Chapter 23 Pg 120Landlord, When Who Should Come Up But The Major And Harcourt. "Why,
Newland! What Are You Going To Do With That Money?" Said The Major.
"I Am Paying My Bill, Major."
"Paying Your Bill, Indeed; Let Us See--L104. O This Is A Confounded
Imposition. You Mustn'T Pay This." At This Moment The Landlord Entered.
"Mr Wallace," Said The Major, "My Friend Mr Newland Was About, As You
May See, To Pay You The Whole Of Your Demand; But Allow Me To Observe,
That Being My Very Particular Friend, And The Piazza Having Been
Particularly Recommended By Me, I Do Think That Your Charges Are
Somewhat Exorbitant. I Shall Certainly Advise Mr Newland To Leave The
House To-Morrow, If You Are Not More Reasonable."
"Allow Me To Observe, Major, That My Reason For Sending For My Bill, Was
To Pay It Before I Went Into The Country, Which I Must Do To-Morrow, For
A Few Days."
"Then I Shall Certainly Recommend Mr Newland Not To Come Here When He
Returns, Mr Wallace, For I Hold Myself, To A Certain Degree, After The
Many Dinners We Have Ordered Here, And Of Which I Have Partaken, As I
May Say, _Particeps Criminis_, Or In Other Words, As Having Been A Party
To This Extortion. Indeed, Mr Wallace, Some Reduction Must Be Made, Or
You Will Greatly Hurt The Credit Of Your House."
Mr Wallace Declared, That Really He Had Made Nothing But The Usual
Charges; That He Would Look Over The Bill Again, And See What He Could
Do.
"My Dear Newland," Said The Major, "I Have Ordered Your Dinners, Allow
Me To Settle Your Bill. Now, Mr Wallace, Suppose We Take Off
_One-Third_?"
"One-_Third_, Major Carbonnell! I Should Be A Loser."
"I Am Not Exactly Of Your Opinion; But Let Me See--Now Take Your Choice.
Take Off L20, Or You Lose My Patronage, And That Of All My Friends. Yes
Or No?"
The Landlord, With Some Expostulation, At Last Consented, He Receipted
The Bill, And Leaving L20 Of The Money On The Salver, Made His Bow, And
Retired.
"Rather Fortunate That I Supped In, My Dear Newland; Now There Are L20
Saved. By-The-Bye, I'M Short Of Cash. You'Ve No Objection To Let Me Have
This? I Shall Never Pay You, You Know."
"I Do Know You _Never_ Will Pay Me, Major; Nevertheless, As I Should
Have Paid It To The Landlord Had You Not Interfered, I Will Lend It To
Part 1 Chapter 23 Pg 121You."
"You Are A Good Fellow, Newland," Said The Major, Pocketing The Money.
"If I Had Borrowed It, And You Had Thought You Would Have Had It Repaid,
I Should Not Have Thanked You; But As You Lend It Me With Your Eyes
Open, It Is Nothing More Than A Very Delicate Manner Of Obliging Me,
And I Tell You Candidly, That I Will Not Forget It. So You Really Are
Off To-Morrow?"
"Yes," Replied I, "I Must Go, For I Find That I Am Not To Make Ducks And
Drakes Of My Money, Until I Come Into Possession Of My Property."
"I See, My Dear Fellow. Executors Are The Very Devil; They Have No
Feeling. Never Mind; There'S A Way Of Getting To Windward Of Them. I
Dine With Harcourt, And He Has Come To Ask You To Join Us."
"With Pleasure."
"I Shall Expect You At Seven, Newland," Said Harcourt, As He Quitted The
Room With The Major.
"Dear Me, Sir, How Could You Let That Gentleman Walk Off With Your
Money?" Cried Timothy. "I Was Just Rubbing My Hands With The Idea That
We Were L20 Better Off Than We Thought, And Away It Went, Like Smoke."
"And Will Never Come Back Again, Tim; But Never Mind That, It Is
Important That I Make A Friend Of Him, And His Friendship Is Only To Be
Bought. I Shall Have Value Received. And Now, Tim, We Must Pack Up, For
I Leave This To-Morrow Morning. I Shall Go Down To ----, And See Little
Fleta."
I Dined With Harcourt. The Major Was Rather Curious To Know What It Was
Which Appeared To Flurry Lord Windermear, And What Had Passed Between
Us. I Told Him That His Lordship Was Displeased On Money Matters, But
That All Was Right, Only That I Must Be More Careful For The Future.
"Indeed, Major, I Think I Shall Take Lodgings. I Shall Be More
Comfortable, And Better Able To Receive My Friends."
Harcourt Agreed With Me, That It Was A Much Better Plan, When The Major
Observed, "Why, Newland, I Have A Room Quite At Your Service; Suppose
You Come And Live With Me?"
"I Am Afraid I Shall Not Save By That," Replied I, Laughing, "For You
Will Not Pay Your Share Of The Bills."
"No, Upon My Honour I Will Not; So I Give You Fair Warning; But As I
Always Dine With You When I Do Not Dine Elsewhere, It Will Be A Saving
To You--For You Will _Have Your Lodgings_, Newland; And You Know The
House Is My Own, And I Let Off The Rest Of It; So As Far As That Bill Is
Concerned, You Will Be Safe."
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