A Terrible Temptation (Fiscle Part 3) - Charles Reade (recommended ebook reader txt) 📗

Old Admiral,  Firmly; "Turn It How You Will,  It Is Too

Ugly; The Bloom Of The Thing Is Gone. Why Should My Daughter Take That

Woman's Leavings? Why Should I Give Her Pure Heart To A Man About

Town?"

 

"Because You Will Break It Else," Said Miss Somerset,  With Affected

Politeness.

 

"Give Her Credit For More Dignity,  Madam,  If You Please," Replied

Admiral Bruce,  With Equal Politeness.

 

"Oh,  Bother Dignity!" Cried The Somerset.

 

At This Free Phrase From So Well-Dressed A Lady Admiral Bruce Opened

His Eyes,  And Inquired Of Oldfield,  Rather Satirically,  Who Was This

Lady That Did Him The Honor To Interfere In His Family Affairs.

 

Oldfield Looked Confused; But Somerset,  Full Of Mother-Wit,  Was Not To

Be Caught Napping. "I'm A By-Stander; And They Always See Clearer Than

The Folk Themselves. You Are A Man Of Honor,  Sir,  And You Are Very

Part 3 Chapter 8 Pg 50

Clever At Sea,  No Doubt,  And A Fighter,  And All That; But You Are No

Match For Land-Sharks. You Are Being Made A Dupe And A Tool Of. Who Do

You Think Wrote That Anonymous Letter To Your Daughter? A Friend Of

Truth? A Friend Of Injured Innocence? Nothing Of The Sort. One Richard

Bassett--Sir Charles's Cousin. Here,  Mr. Oldfield,  Please Compare These

Two Handwritings Closely,  And You Will See I Am Right." She Put Down

The Anonymous Letter And Richard Bassett's Letter To Herself; But She

Could Not Wait For Mr. Oldfield To Compare The Documents,  Now Her

Tongue Was Set Going. "Yes,  Gentlemen,  This Is New To You; But You'll

Find That Little Scheming Rascal Wrote Them Both,  And With As Base A

Motive And As Black A Heart As Any Other Anonymous Coward's. His Game

Is To Make Sir Charles Bassett Die Childless,  And So Then This Dirty

Fellow Would Inherit The Estate; And Owing To You Being So Green,  And

Swallowing An Anonymous Letter Like Pure Water From The Spring,  He Very

Nearly Got His Way. Sir Charles Has Been At Death's Door Along Of All

This."

 

"Hush,  Madam! Not So Loud,  Please," Whispered Admiral Bruce,  Looking

Uneasily Toward The Folding,  Doors.

 

"Why Not?" Bawled The Somerset. "The Truth May Be Blamed,  But It Can't

Be Shamed. I Tell You That Your Precious Letter Brought Sir Charles

Bassett To The Brink Of The Grave. Soon As Ever He Got It He Came

Tearing In His Cab To Miss Somerset's House,  And Accused Her Of Telling

The Lie To Keep Him--And He Might Have Known Better,  For The Jade Never

Did A Sneaking Thing In Her Life. But,  Any Way,  He Thought It Must Be

Her Doing,  Miscalled Her Like A Dog,  And Raged At Her Dreadful,  And At

Last--What With Love And Fury And Despair--He Had The Terriblest Fit

You Ever Saw. He Fell Down As Black As Your Hat,  And His Eyes Rolled,

And His Teeth Gnashed,  And He Foamed At The Mouth,  And Took Four To

Hold Him; And Presently As White As A Ghost,  And Given Up For Dead. No

Pulse For Hours; And When His Life Came Back His Reason Was Gone."

 

"Good Heavens,  Madam!"

 

"For A Time It Was. How He Did Rave! And 'Bella' The Only Name On His

Lips. And Now He Lies In His Own House As Weak As Water. Come,  Old

Gentleman,  Don't You Be Too Hard; You Are Not A Child,  Like Your

Daughter; Take The World As It Is. Do You Think You Will Ever Find A

Man Of Fortune Who Has Not Had A Lady Friend? Why,  Every Single

Gentleman In London That Can Afford To Keep A Saddle-Horse Has An

Article Of That Sort In Some Corner Or Other; And If He Parts With Her

As Soon As His Banns Are Cried,  That Is All You Can Expect. Do You

Think Any Mother In Belgravia Would Make A Row About That? They Are

Downier Than You Are; They Would Shrug Their Aristocratic Shoulders,

And Decline To Listen To The _Past_ Lives Of Their Sons-In-Law--Unless

It Was All In The Newspapers,  Mind You."

 

"If Belgravian Mothers Have Mercenary Minds,  That Is No Reason Why I

Should,  Whose Cheeks Have Bronzed In The Service Of A Virtuous Queen,

And Whose Hairs Have Whitened In Honor."

 

On Receiving This Broadside The Somerset Altered Her Tone Directly,  And

Said,  Obsequiously: "That Is True,  Sir,  And I Beg Your Pardon For

Part 3 Chapter 8 Pg 51

Comparing You To The Trash. But Brave Men Are Pitiful,  You Know. Then

Show Your Pity Here. Pity A Gentleman That Repented His Faults As Soon

As Your Daughter Showed Him There Was A Better Love Within Reach,  And

Now Lies Stung By An Anonymous Viper,  And Almost Dying Of Love And

Mortification; And Pity Your Own Girl,  That Will Soon Lose Her Health,

And Perhaps Her Life,  If You Don't Give In."

 

"She Is Not So Weak,  Madam. She Is In Better Spirits Already."

 

"Ay,  But Then She Didn't Know What He Had Suffered For _Her._ She Does

Now,  For I Heard Her Moan; And She Will Die For Him Now,  Or Else She

Will Give You Twice As Many Kisses As Usual Some Day,  And Cry A

Bucketful Over You,  And Then Run Away With Her Lover. I Know Women

Better Than You Do; I Am One Of The Precious Lot."

 

The Admiral Replied Only With A Look Of Superlative Scorn. This

Incensed The Somerset; And That Daring Woman,  Whose Ear Was Nearer To

The Door,  And Had Caught Sounds That Escaped The Men,  Actually Turned

The Handle,  And While Her Eye Flashed Defiance,  Her Vigorous Foot

Spurned The Folding-Doors Wide Open In Half A Moment.

 

Bella Bruce Lay With Her Head Sidewise On The Table,  And Her Hands

Extended,  Moaning And Sobbing Piteously For Poor Sir Charles.

 

"For Shame,  Madam,  To Expose My Child," Cried The Admiral,  Bursting

With Indignation And Grief. He Rushed To Her And Took Her In His Arms.

 

She Scarcely Noticed Him,  For The Moment He Turned Her She Caught Sight

Of Miss Somerset,  And Recognized Her Face In A Moment. "Ah! The Sister

Of Charity!" She Cried,  And Stretched Out Her Hands To Her,  With A Look

And A Gesture So Innocent,  Confiding,  And Imploring,  That The Somerset,

Already Much Excited By Her Own Eloquence,  Took A Turn Not Uncommon

With Termagants,  And Began To Cry Herself.

 

But She Soon Stopped That,  For She Saw Her Time Was Come To Go,  And

Avoid Unpleasant Explanations. She Made A Dart And Secured The Two

Letters. "Settle It Among Yourselves," Said She,  Wheeling Round And

Bestowing This Advice On The Whole Party; Then Shot A Sharp Arrow At

The Admiral As She Fled: "If You Must Be A Tool Of Richard Bassett,

Don't Be A Tool And A Dupe By Halves. _He_ Is In Love With Her Too.

Marry Her To The Blackguard,  And Then You Will Be Sure To Kill Sir

Charles." Having Delivered This With Such Volubility That The Words

Pattered Out Like A Roll Of Musketry,  She Flounced Out,  With Red Cheeks

And Wet Eyes,  Rushed Down The Stairs,  And Sprang Into Her Carriage,

Whipped The Ponies,  And Away At A Pace That Made The Spectators Stare.

 

Mr. Oldfield Muttered Some Excuses,  And Retired More Sedately.

 

All This Set Bella Bruce Trembling And Weeping,  And Her Father Was Some

Time Before He Could Bring Her To Anything Like Composure. Her First

Words,  When She Could Find Breath,  Were,  "He Is Innocent; He Is

Unhappy. Oh,  That I Could Fly To Him!"

 

Part 3 Chapter 8 Pg 52

"Innocent! What Proof?"

 

"That Brave Lady Said So."

 

"Brave Lady! A Bold Hussy. Most Likely A Friend Of The Woman Somerset,

And A Bird Of The Same Feather. Sir Charles Has Done Himself No Good

With Me By Sending Such An Emissary."

 

"No,  Papa; It Was The Lawyer Brought Her,  And Then Her Own Good Heart

_Made Her Burst Out._ Ah! She Is Not Like Me: She Has Courage. What A

Noble Thing Courage Is,  Especially In A Woman!"

 

"Pray Did You Hear The Language Of This Noble Lady?"

 

"Every Word Nearly; And I Shall Never Forget Them. They Were Diamonds

And Pearls."

 

"Of The Sort You Can Pick Up At Billingsgate."

 

"Ah,  Papa,  She Pleaded For _Him_ As I Cannot Plead,  And Yet I Love Him.

It Was True Eloquence. Oh,  How She Made Me Shudder! Only Think: He Had

A Fit,  And Lost His Reason,  And All For Me. What Shall I Do? What Shall

I Do?"

 

This Brought On A Fit Of Weeping.

 

Her Father Pitied Her,  And Gave Her A Crumb Of Sympathy: Said He Was

Sorry For Sir Charles.

 

"But," Said He,  Recovering His Resolution,  "It Cannot Be Helped. He

Must Expiate His Vices,  Like Other Men. Do,  Pray,  Pluck Up A Little

Spirit And Sense. Now Try And Keep To The Point. This Woman Came From

Him; And You Say You Heard Her Language,  And Admire It. Quote Me Some

Of It."

 

"She Said He Fell Down As Black As His Hat,  And His Eyes Rolled,  And

His Poor Teeth Gnashed,  And--Oh,  My Darling! My Darling! Oh! Oh! Oh!"

 

"There--There--I Mean About Other Things."

 

Bella Complied,  But With A Running Accompaniment Of The Sweetest Little

Sobs.

 

"She Said I Must Be Very Green,  To Swallow An Anonymous Letter Like

Spring Water. Oh! Oh!"

 

"Green? There Was A Word!"

 

"Oh! Oh! But It Is The Right Word. You Can't Mend It. Try,  And You Will

See You Can't. Of Course I Was Green. Oh! And She Said Every Gentleman

Who Can Afford To Keep A Saddle-Horse Has A Female Friend,  Till His

Banns Are Called In Church. Oh! Oh!"

 

Part 3 Chapter 8 Pg 53

"A Pretty Statement To Come To Your Ears!"

 

"But If It Is The Truth! 'The Truth May Be Blamed,  But It