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

Then

They Cut Off The Entail Between Them,  And He Entailed The Mortgaged

Estate On His Other Son,  And His Grandson (That Was Me),  And On My

Heir-At-Law. Richard's Father Squandered His Thirty Thousand Pounds

Before He Died; My Father Husbanded The Estates,  Got Into Parliament,

And They Put A Tail To His Name."

 

Sir Charles Delivered This Version Of The Facts With A Languid

Composure That Contrasted Deliciously With Richard's Heat In Telling

The Story His Way (To Be Sure,  Sir Charles Had Got Huntercombe And

Bassett,  And It Is Easier To Be Philosophical On The Right Side Of The

Boundary Hedge),  And Wound Up With A Sort Of Corollary: "Dick Bassett

Suffers By His Father's Vices,  And I Profit By Mine's Virtues. Where's

The Injustice?"

 

"Nowhere,  And The Sooner You Are Reconciled The Better."

 

Sir Charles Demurred. "Oh,  I Don't Want To Quarrel With The Fellow: But

He Is A Regular Thorn In My Side,  With His Little Trumpery Estate,  All

In Broken Patches. He Shoots My Pheasants In The Unfairest Way." Here

The Landed Proprietor Showed Real Irritation,  But Only For A Moment. He

Concluded Calmly,  "The Fact Is,  He Is Not Quite A Gentleman. Fancy His

Coming And Whining To You About Our Family Affairs,  And Then Telling

You A Falsehood!"

 

"No,  No; Be Did Not Mean. It Was His Way Of Looking At Things. You Can

Afford To Forgive Him."

 

"Yes,  But Not If He Sets You Against Me."

 

"But He Cannot Do That. The More Any One Was To Speak Against You,  The

More I--Of Course."

 

This Admission Fired Sir Charles; He Drew Nearer,  And,  Thanks To His

Cousin's Interference,  Spoke The Language Of Love More Warmly And

Directly Than He Had Ever Done Before.

 

The Lady Blushed,  And Defended Herself Feebly. Sir Charles Grew Warmer,

And At Last Elicited From Her A Timid But Tender Avowal,  That Made Him

Supremely Happy.

 

When He Left Her This Brief Ecstasy Was Succeeded By Regrets On Account

Of The Years He Had Wasted In Follies And Intrigues.

 

He Smoked Five Cigars,  And Pondered The Difference Between The Pure

Creature Who Now Honored Him With Her Virgin Affections And Beauties Of

A Different Character Who Had Played Their Parts In His Luxurious Life.

 

After Profound Deliberation He Sent For His Solicitor. They Lighted The

Inevitable Cigars,  And The Following Observations Struggled Feebly Out

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Along With The Smoke.

 

"Mr. Oldfield,  I'm Going To Be Married."

 

"Glad To Hear It,  Sir Charles." (Vision Of Settlements.) "It Is A High

Time You Were." (Puff-Puff.)

 

"Want Your Advice And Assistance First."

 

"Certainly."

 

"Must Put Down My Pony-Carriage Now,  You Know."

 

"A Very Proper Retrenchment; But You Can Do That Without My Assistance,

 

"There Would Be Sure To Be A Row If I Did. I Dare Say There Will Be As

It Is. At Any Rate,  I Want To Do The Thing Like A Gentleman."

 

"Send 'Em To Tattersall's." (Puff.)

 

"And The Girl That Drives Them In The Park,  And Draws All The Duchesses

And Countesses At Her Tail--Am I To Send Her To Tattersall's?" (Puff.)

 

"Oh,  It Is _Her_ You Want To Put Down,  Then?"

 

"Why,  Of Course."

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Sir Charles And Mr. Oldfield Settled That Lady's Retiring Pension,  And

Mr. Oldfield Took The Memoranda Home,  With Instructions To Prepare A

Draft Deed For Miss Somerset's Approval.

 

Meantime Sir Charles Visited Miss Bruce Every Day. Her Affections For

Him Grew Visibly,  For Being Engaged Gave Her The Courage To Love.

 

Mr. Bassett Called Pretty Often; But One Day He Met Sir Charles On The

Stairs,  And Scowled.

 

That Scowl Cost Him Dear,  For Sir Charles Thereupon Represented To

Bella That A Man With A Grievance Is A Bore To The Very Eye,  And Asked

Her To Receive No More Visits From His Scowling Cousin. The Lady

Smiled,  And Said,  With Soft Complacency,  "I Obey."

 

Sir Charles's Gallantry Was Shocked.

 

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"No,  Don't Say 'Obey.' It Is A Little Favor I Ventured To Ask."

 

"It Is Like You To Ask What You Have A Right To Command. I Shall Be Out

To Him In Future,  And To Every One Who Is Disagreeable To You. What!

Does 'Obey' Frighten You From My Lips? To Me It Is The Sweetest In The

Language. Oh,  Please Let Me 'Obey' You! _May_ I?"

 

Upon This,  As Vanity Is Seldom Out Of Call,  Sir Charles Swelled Like A

Turkey-Cock,  And Loftily Consented To Indulge Bella Bruce's Strange

Propensity. From That Hour She Was Never At Home To Mr. Bassett.

 

He Began To Suspect; And One Day,  After He Had Been Kept Out With The

Loud,  Stolid "Not At Home" Of Practiced Mendacity,  He Watched,  And Saw

Sir Charles Admitted.

 

He Divined It All In A Moment,  And Turned To Wormwood. What! Was He To

Be Robbed Of The Lady He Loved--And Her Fifteen Thousand Pounds--By The

Very Man Who Had Robbed Him Of His Ancestral Fields? He Dwelt On The

Double Grievance Till It Nearly Frenzied Him. But He Could Do Nothing:

It Was His Fate. His Only Hope Was That Sir Charles,  The Arrant Flirt,

Would Desert This Beauty After A Time,  As He Had The Others.

 

But One Afternoon,  In The Smoking-Room Of His Club,  A Gentleman Said To

Him,  "So Your Cousin Charles Is Engaged To The Yorkshire Beauty,  Bell

Bruce?"

 

"He Is Flirting With Her,  I Believe," Said Richard.

 

"No,  No," Said The Other; "They Are Engaged. I Know It For A Fact. They

Are To Be Married Next Month."

 

Mr. Richard Bassett Digested This Fresh Pill In Moody Silence,  While

The Gentlemen Of The Club Discussed The Engagement With Easy Levity.

They Soon Passed To A Topic Of Wider Interest,  Viz.,  Who Was To Succeed

Sir Charles With La Somerset. Bassett Began To Listen Attentively,  And

Learned For The First Time Sir Charles Bassett's Connection With That

Lady,  And Also That She Was A Woman Of A Daring Nature And Furious

Temper. At First He Was Merely Surprised; But Soon Hatred And Jealousy

Whispered In His Ear That With These Materials It Must Be Possible To

Wound Those Who Had Wounded Him.

 

Mr. Marsh,  A Young Gentleman With A Receding Chin,  And A Mustache

Between Hay And Straw,  Had Taken Great Care To Let Them All Know He Was

Acquainted With Miss Somerset. So Richard Got Marsh Alone,  And Sounded

Him. Could He Call Upon The Lady Without Ceremony?

 

"You Won't Get In. Her Street Door Is Jolly Well Guarded,  I Can Tell

You."

 

"I Am Very Curious To See Her In Her Own House."

 

"So Are A Good Many Fellows."

 

"Could You Not Give Me An Introduction?"

Part 3 Chapter 2 Pg 9

 

Marsh Shook His Head Sapiently For A Considerable Time,  And With All

This Shaking,  As It Appeared,  Out Fell Words Of Wisdom. "Don't See It.

I'm Awfully Spooney On Her Myself; And,  You Know,  When A Fellow

Introduces Another Fellow,  That Fellow Always Cuts The Other Out."

Then,  Descending From The Words Of The Wise And Their Dark Sayings To A

Petty But Pertinent Fact,  He Added,  _"Besides,_ I'm Only Let In Myself

About Once In Five Times."

 

"She Gives Herself Wonderful Airs,  It Seems," Said Bassett,  Rather

Bitterly.

 

Marsh Fired Up. "So Would Any Woman That Was As Beautiful,  And As Witty

And As Much Run After As She Is. Why She Is A Leader Of Fashion. Look

At All The Ladies Following Her Round The Park. They Used To Drive On

The North Side Of The Serpentine. She Just Held Up Her Finger,  And Now

They Have Cut The Serpentine,  And Followed Her To The South Drive."

 

"Oh,  Indeed!" Said Bassett. "Ah Then This Is A Great Lady; A Poor

Country Squire Must Not Venture Into Her August Presence." He Turned

Savagely On His Heel,  And Marsh Went And Made Sickly Mirth At His

Expense.

 

By This Means The Matter Soon Came To The Ears Of Old Mr. Woodgate,  The

Father Of That Club,  And A Genial Gossip. He Got Hold Of Bassett In The

Dinner-Room And Examined Him. "So You Want An Introduction To La

Somerset,  And Marsh Refuses--Marsh,  Hitherto Celebrated For His Weak

Head Rather Than His Hard Heart?"

 

Richard Bassett Nodded Rather Sullenly. He Had Not Bargained For This

Rapid Publicity.

 

The Venerable Chief Resumed: "We All Consider Marsh's Conduct

Unclubable And A Thing To Be Combined Against. Wanted--An

Anti-Dog-In-The-Manger League. I'll Introduce You To The Somerset."

 

"What! Do _You_ Visit Her?" Asked Bassett,  In Some Astonishment.

 

The Old Gentleman Held Up His Hands In Droll Disclaimer,  And Chuckled

Merrily "No,  No; I Enjoy From The Shore The Disasters Of My Youthful

Friends--That Sacred Pleasure Is Left Me. Do You See That Elegant

Creature With The Little Auburn Beard And Mustache,  Waiting Sweetly For

His Dinner. He Launched The Somerset."

 

"Launched Her?"

 

"Yes; But For Him She Might Have Wasted Her Time Breaking Hearts And

Slapping Faces In Some Country Village. He It Was Set Her Devastating

Society; And With His Aid She Shall Devastate You.--Vandeleur,  Will You

Join Bassett And Me?"

 

Mr. Vandeleur,  With Ready Grace,  Said He Should Be Delighted,  And They

Dined Together Accordingly.

 

Part 3 Chapter 2 Pg 10