Japhet, In Search Of A Father Part 1 - Frederick Marryat (polar express read aloud .txt) 📗

To Me That It Was Most Probable That The Chain

Had Been On Fleta'S Neck At The Time That She Was Stolen From Her

Parents,  And Might Prove The Means Of Her Being Identified. It Was No

Common Chain--Apparently Had Been Wrought By People In a State Of

Semi-Refinement. There Was Too Little Show For Its Value--Too Much

Sterling Gold For The Simple Effect Produced; And I Very Much Doubted

Whether Another Like It Could Be Found.

 

The Next Morning Fleta Was Too Much Affected At Parting With Me,  To

Enter Into Much Conversation. I Asked Whether She Had Recollected

Anything,  And She Replied,  "No; That She Had Cried All Night At The

Thoughts Of Our Separation." I Cautioned Her To Be Very Careful Of The

Chain,  And I Gave The Same Caution To The Schoolmistress; And After I

Had Left The Town,  I Regretted That I Had Not Taken It Away,  And

Deposited It In Some Place Of Security. I Resolved To Do So When I Next

Saw Fleta; In The Meantime,  She Would Be Able,  Perhaps,  By Association,

To Call Up Some Passage Of Her Infancy Connected With It.

 

I Had Inquired Of A Gentleman Who Sat Near Me On The Coach,  Which Was

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The Best Hotel For A Young Man Of Fashion. He Recommended The Piazza,  In

Covent Garden,  And To That We Accordingly Repaired. I Selected Handsome

Apartments,  And Ordered A Light Supper. When The Table Was Laid,  Timothy

Made His Appearance,  In His Livery,  And Cut A Very Smart,  Dashing

Figure. I Dismissed The Waiter,  And As Soon As We Were Alone,  I Burst

Into A Fit Of Laughter. "Really,  Timothy,  This Is A Good Farce; Come,

Sit Down,  And Help Me To Finish This Bottle Of Wine."

 

"No,  Sir," Replied Timothy; "With Your Permission,  I Prefer Doing As The

Rest Of My Fraternity. You Only Leave The Bottle On The Sideboard,  And I

Will Steal As Much As I Want; But As For Sitting Down,  That Will Be

Making Too Free,  And If We Were Seen,  Would Be,  Moreover,  Very

Dangerous. We Must Both Keep Up Our Characters. They Have Been Plying Me

With All Manner Of Questions Below,  As To Who You Were--Your Name,  &C. I

Resolved That I Would Give You A Lift In The World,  And I Stated That

You Had Just Arrived From Making A Grand Tour--Which Is Not A Fib,  After

All--And As For Your Name,  I Said That You Were At Present _Incog_."

 

"But Why Did You Make Me _Incog._?"

 

"Because It May Suit You So To Be; And It Certainly Is The Truth,  For

You Don'T Know Your Real Name."

 

We Were Here Interrupted By The Waiter Bringing In a Letter Upon A

Salver. "Here Is A Letter Addressed To 'I,  Or J.N.,  On His Return From

His Tour,' Sir," Said He; "I Presume It Is For You?"

 

"You May Leave It," Said I,  With Nonchalance.

 

The Waiter Laid The Letter On The Table,  And Retired.

 

"How Very Odd,  Timothy--This Letter Cannot Be For Me; And Yet They Are

My Initials. It Is As Much Like A J As An I. Depend Upon It,  It Is Some

Fellow Who Has Just Gained This Intelligence Below,  And Has Written To

Ask For A Subscription To His Charity List,  Imagining That I Am Flush Of

Money,  And Liberal."

 

"I Suppose So," Replied Tim; "However,  You May Just As Well See What He

Says."

 

"But If I Open It He Will Expect Something. I Had Better Refuse It."

 

"O No,  Leave That To Me; I Know How To Put People Off."

 

"After All,  It Is A Fine Thing To Be A Gentleman,  And Be Petitioned."

 

I Broke Open The Seal,  And Found That The Letter Contained An Inclosure

Addressed To Another Person. The Letter Was As Follows:--

 

     "My Dear Nephew,--['Bravo,  Sir,' Said Timothy; 'You'Ve Found An

     Uncle Already--You'Ll Soon Find A Father.'] From The Great

     Uncertainty Of The Post,  I Have Not Ventured To Do More Than Hint

     At What Has Come To Light During This Last Year,  But As It Is

     Necessary That You Should Be Acquainted With The Whole Transaction;

     And As You Had Not Decided When You Last Wrote,  Whether You Would

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     Prosecute Your Intended Three Months Trip To Sicily,  Or Return From

     Milan,  You May Probably Arrive When I Am Out Of Town; I Therefore

     Enclose You A Letter To Mr Masterton,  Directing Him To Surrender To

     You A Sealed Packet,  Lodged In His Hands,  Containing All The

     Particulars,  The Letters Which Bear Upon Them,  And What Has Been

     Proposed To Avoid Exposure; Which You May Peruse At Your Leisure,

     Should You Arrive Before My Return To Town. There Is No Doubt But

     That The Affair May Be Hushed Up,  And We Trust That You Will See

     The Prudence Of The Measure; As,  Once Known,  It Will Be Very

     Discreditable To The Family Escutcheon. ('I Always Had An Idea You

     Were Of Good Family,' Interrupted Tim.) I Wish You Had Followed My

     Advice,  And Had Not Returned; But As You Were Positive On That

     Point,  I Beg You Will Now Consider The Propriety Of Remaining

     Incognito,  As Reports Are Already Abroad,  And Your Sudden Return

     Will Cause A Great Deal Of Surmise. Your Long Absence At The

     Gottingen University,  And Your Subsequent Completion Of Your Grand

     Tour,  Will Have Effaced All Remembrance Of Your Person,  And You Can

     Easily Be Passed Off As A Particular Friend Of Mine,  And I Can

     Introduce You Everywhere As Such. Take,  Then,  Any Name You May

     Please,  Provided It Be Not Smith Or Brown,  Or Such Vulgarisms; And

     On The Receipt Of This Letter,  Write A Note,  And Send It To My

     House In Portman Square,  Just Saying,  '_So And So_ Is Arrived.'

     This Will Prevent The Servants From Obtaining Any Information By

     Their Prying Curiosity; And As I Have Directed All My Letters To Be

     Forwarded To My Seat In Worcestershire,  I Shall Come Up Immediately

     That I Receive It,  And By Your Putting The Name Which You Mean To

     Assume,  I Shall Know Whom To Ask For When I Call At The Hotel.

 

     "Your Affectionate Uncle,

 

     "Windermear."

 

"One Thing Is Very Clear,  Timothy," Said I,  Laying The Letter On The

Table,  "That It Cannot Be Intended For Me."

 

"How Do You Know,  Sir,  That This Lord Is Not Your Uncle? At All Events,

You Must Do As He Bids You."

 

"What--Go For The Papers! Most Certainly I Shall Not."

 

"Then How In The Name Of Fortune Do You Expect To Find Your Father,  When

You Will Not Take Advantage Of Such An Opportunity Of Getting Into

Society? It Is By Getting Possession Of Other People'S Secrets,  That

You Will Worm Out Your Own."

 

"But It Is Dishonest,  Timothy."

 

"A Letter Is Addressed To You,  In Which You Have Certain Directions; You

Break The Seal With Confidence,  And You Read What You Find Is Possibly

Not For You; But,  Depend Upon It,  Japhet,  That A Secret Obtained Is One

Of The Surest Roads To Promotion. Recollect Your Position; Cut Off From

The World,  You Have To Re-Unite Yourself With It,  To Recover Your

Footing,  And Create An Interest. You Have Not Those Who Love You To Help

You--You Must Not Scruple To Obtain Your Object By Fear."

 

"That Is A Melancholy Truth,  Tim," Replied I; "And I Believe I Must Put

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My Strict Morality In My Pocket."

 

"Do,  Sir,  Pray,  Until You Can Afford To Be Moral; It'S A Very Expensive

Virtue That; A Deficiency Of It Made You An Outcast From The World,  You

Must Not Scruple At A Slight Deficiency On Your Own Part,  To Regain Your

Position."

 

There Was So Much Shrewdness,  So Much Of The Wisdom Of The Serpent In

The Remarks Of Timothy,  That,  Added To My Ardent Desire To Discover My

Father,  Which Since My Quitting The Gipsy Camp Had Returned Upon Me With

Two-Fold Force,  My Scruples Were Overcome,  And I Resolved That I Would

Not Lose Such An Opportunity. Still I Hesitated,  And Went Up Into My

Room,  That I Might Reflect Upon What I Should Do. I Went To Bed,

Revolving The Matter In My Mind,  And Turning Over From One Position To

The Other,  At One Time Deciding That I Would Not Take Advantage Of The

Mistake,  At Another Quite As Resolved That I Would Not Throw Away Such

An Opening For The Prosecution Of My Search; At Last I Fell Into An

Uneasy Slumber,  And Had A Strange Dream. I Thought That I Was Standing

Upon An Isolated Rock,  With The Waters Raging Around Me; The Tide Was

Rising,  And At Last The Waves Were Roaring At My Feet. I Was In a State

Of Agony,  And Expected That,  In a Short Time,  I Should Be Swallowed Up.

The Main Land Was Not Far Off,  And I Perceived Well-Dressed People In

Crowds,  Who Were Enjoying Themselves,  Feasting,  Dancing,  And Laughing

In Merry Peals. I Held Out My Hands--I Shouted To Them--They Saw,  And

Heard Me,  But Heeded Me Not. My Horror At Being Swept Away By The Tide

Was Dreadful. I Shrieked As The Water Rose. At Last I Perceived

Something Unroll Itself From The Main Land,  And Gradually Advancing To

The Inland,  Form A Bridge By Which I Could Walk Over And Be Saved. I Was

About To Hasten Over,  When "Private,  And No Thoroughfare," Appeared At

The End Nearest Me,  In Large Letters Of Fire. I Started Back With

Amazement,  And Would Not,  Dared Not Pass Them. When All Of A Sudden,  A

Figure In White Appeared By My Side,  And Said To Me,  Pointing To The

Bridge,  "Self-Preservation Is The First Law Of Nature."

 

I Looked At The Person Who Addressed Me; Gradually The Figure Became

Darker And Darker,  Until It Changed To Mr Cophagus,  With His Stick Up To

His Nose. "Japhet,  All Nonsense--Very Good Bridge--Um--Walk Over--Find

Father--And So On." I Dashed Over The Bridge,  Which Appeared To Float On

The Water,  And To Be Composed Of Paper,  Gained The Other Side,  And Was

Received With Shouts Of Congratulation,  And The Embraces Of The Crowd. I

Perceived An Elderly Gentleman Come Forward; I Knew It Was My Father,

And I Threw Myself Into His Arms. I Awoke,  And Found