Japhet, In Search Of A Father Part 1 - Frederick Marryat (polar express read aloud .txt) 📗
- Author: Frederick Marryat
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Be A Girl I Shall Have To Pay That Out Of My Fifteen Thousand Pounds Per
Annum, As Soon As I Fall Into It; If It Be A Boy, And I Am Floored, I
Shall Pocket Thirty Thousand Pounds By Way Of Consolation For The
Disappointment. They Are All Good Men."
"Yes, But They Know You Never Pay."
"They Know I Never Do Now, Because I Have No Money; But They Know I Will
Pay If I Come Into The Estate; And So I Will, Most Honourably, Besides A
Few More Thousands That I Have In My Book."
"I Congratulate You, With All My Heart, Major. How Old Is The Present
Lord B----?"
"I Have Just Been Examining The Peerage--He Is Sixtytwo; But He Is Very
Part 1 Chapter 27 Pg 130Fresh And Hearty, And May Live A Long While Yet. By-The-Bye, Newland, I
Committed A Great Error Last Night At The Club. I Played Pretty High,
And Lost A Great Deal Of Money."
"That Is Unfortunate."
"That Was Not The Error; I Actually Paid All My Losings, Newland, And It
Has Reduced The Stock Amazingly. I Lost Seven Hundred And Fifty Pounds.
I Know I Ought Not To Have Paid Away Your Money, But The Fact Was, As I
Was Hedging, It Would Not Do Not To Have Paid, As I Could Not Have Made
Up My Book As I Wished. It Is, However, Only Waiting A Few Weeks, Till
Mrs M---- Decides My Fate, And Then, Either One Way Or The Other, I
Shall Have Money Enough. If Your People Won'T Give You Any More Till You
Are Of Age, Why We Must Send To A Little Friend Of Mine, That'S All, And
You Shall Borrow For Both Of Us."
"Borrow!" Replied I, Not Much Liking The Idea; "They Will Never Lend Me
Money."
"Won'T They?" Replied The Major; "No Fear Of That. Your Signature, And
My Introduction, Will Be Quite Sufficient."
"We Had Better Try To Do Without It, Major; I Do Not Much Like It."
"Well, If We Can, We Will; But I Have Not Fifty Pounds Left In My Desk;
How Much Have You?"
"About Twenty," Replied I, In despair At This Intelligence; "But I Think
There Is A Small Sum Left At The Banker'S; I Will Go And See." I Took Up
My Hat And Set Off, To Ascertain What Funds We Might Have In Store.
Part 1 Chapter 28 Pg 131
I Am Over Head And Ears In Trouble About A Lady'S Ear-Rings; Commit
Myself Sadly, And Am Very Nearly Committed.
I Must Say, That I Was Much Annoyed At This Intelligence. The
Money-Lenders Would Not Be Satisfied Unless They Knew Where My Estates
Were, And Had Examined The Will At Doctors' Commons; Then All Would Be
Exposed To The Major, And I Should Be Considered By Him As An Impostor.
I Walked Down Pall Mall In a Very Unhappy Mood, So Deep In Thought, That
I Ran Against A Lady, Who Was Stepping Out Of Her Carriage At A
Fashionable Shop. She Turned Round, And I Was Making My Best Apologies
To A Very Handsome Woman When Her Ear-Rings Caught My Attention. They
Were Of Alternate Coral And Gold, And The Fac-Simile In Make To The
Chain Given By Nattee To Fleta. During My Last Visit, I Had Often Had
Part 1 Chapter 28 Pg 132The Chain In My Hand, And Particularly Marked The Workmanship. To Make
More Sure, I Followed Into The Shop, And Stood Behind Her, Carefully
Examining Them, As She Looked Over A Quantity Of Laces. There Could Be
No Doubt. I Waited Till The Lady Rose To Go Away, And Then Addressed The
Shopman, Asking The Lady'S Name. He Did Not Know--She Was A Stranger;
But Perhaps Mr H----, The Master, Did, And He Went Back To Answer The
Question. Mr H---- Being At That Moment Busy, The Man Stayed So Long,
That I Heard The Carriage Drive Off. Fearful Of Losing Sight Of The
Lady, I Took To My Heels, And Ran Out Of The Shop. My Sudden Flight From
The Counter, Covered With Lace, Made Them Imagine That I Had Stolen
Some, And They Cried Out, "Stop Thief," As Loud As They Could, Springing
Over The Counter, And Pursuing Me As I Pursued The Carriage, Which Was
Driven At A Rapid Pace.
A Man Perceiving Me Running, And Others, Without Their Hats, Following,
With The Cries Of "Stop Thief," Put Out His Leg, And I Fell On The
Pavement, The Blood Rushing In Torrents From My Nose. I Was Seized,
Roughly Handled, And Again Handed Over To The Police, Who Carried Me
Before The Same Magistrate In Marlborough Street.
"What Is This?" Demanded The Magistrate.
"A Shoplifter, Your Worship."
"I Am Not, Sir," Replied I; "You Know Me Well Enough, I Am Mr Newland."
"Mr Newland!" Replied The Magistrate, Suspiciously; "This Is Strange, A
Second Time To Appear Before Me Upon Such A Charge."
"And Just As Innocent As Before, Sir."
"You'Ll Excuse Me, Sir, But I Must Have My Suspicions This Time. Where
Is The Evidence?"
The People Of The Shop Then Came Forward, And Stated What Had Occurred.
"Let Him Be Searched," Said The Magistrate.
I Was Searched, But Nothing Was Found Upon Me. "Are You Satisfied Now,
Sir?" Inquired I.
"By No Means. Let The People Go Back And Look Over Their Laces, And See
If Any Are Missing; In The Meantime I Shall Detain You, For It Is Very
Easy To Get Rid Of A Small Article, Such As Lace, When You Are Caught."
The Men Went Away, And I Wrote A Note To Major Carbonnell, Requesting
His Attendance. He Arrived At The Same Time As The Shopman, And I Told
Him What Had Happened. The Shopman Declared That The Stock Was Not
Correct; As Far As They Could Judge, There Were Two Pieces Of Lace
Missing.
"If So, I Did Not Take Them," Replied I.
"Upon My Honour, Mr B----," Said The Major, To The Magistrate, "It Is
Very Hard For A Gentleman To Be Treated In This Manner. This Is The
Second Time That I Have Been Sent For To Vouch For His Respectability."
Part 1 Chapter 28 Pg 133
"Very True, Sir," Replied The Magistrate; "But Allow Me To Ask Mr
Newland, As He Calls Himself, What Induced Him To Follow A Lady Into The
Shop?"
"Her Ear-Rings," Replied I.
"Her Ear-Rings! Why, Sir, The Last Time You Were Brought Before Me, You
Said It Was After A Gentleman'S Nose--Now It Appears You Were Attracted
By A Lady'S Ears; And Pray, Sir, What Induced You To Run Out Of The
Shop?"
"Because I Wanted Particularly To Inquire About Her Ear-Rings, Sir."
"I Cannot Understand These Paltry Excuses; There Are, It Appears, Two
Pieces Of Lace Missing. I Must Remand You For Further Examination, Sir;
And You Also, Sir," Said The Magistrate, To Major Carbonnell; "For If He
Is A Swindler, You Must Be An Accomplice."
"Sir," Replied Major Carbonnell, Sneeringly, "You Are Certainly A Very
Good Judge Of A Gentleman, When You Happen By Accident To Be In His
Company. With Your Leave, I Will Send A Note To Another Confederate."
The Major Then Wrote A Note To Lord Windermear, Which He Despatched By
Timothy, Who, Hearing I Was In Trouble, Had Accompanied The Major. And
While He Was Away, The Major And I Sat Down, He Giving Himself All
Manner Of Airs, Much To The Annoyance Of The Magistrate, Who At Last
Threatened To Commit Him Immediately. "You'Ll Repent This," Replied The
Major, Who Perceived Lord Windermear Coming In.
"You Shall Repent It, Sir, By God," Cried The Magistrate, In a Great
Passion.
"Put Five Shillings In The Box For Swearing, Mr B----. You Fine Other
People," Said The Major. "Here Is My Other Confederate, Lord
Windermear."
"Carbonnell," Said Lord Windermear, "What Is All This?"
"Nothing, My Lord, Except That Our Friend Newland Is Taken Up For
Shoplifting, Because He Thought Proper To Run After A Pretty Woman'S
Carriage; And I Am Accused By His Worship Of Being His Confederate. I
Could Forgive His Suspicions Of Mr Newland In That Plight; But As For
His Taking Me For One Of The Swell Mob, It Proves A Great Deficiency Of
Judgment; Perhaps He Will Commit Your Lordship Also, As He May Not Be
Aware That Your Lordship'S Person Is Above Caption."
"I Can Assure You, Sir," Said Lord Windermear, Proudly, "That This Is My
Relative, Major Carbonnell, And The Other Is My Friend, Mr Newland. I
Will Bail Them For Any Sum You Please."
The Magistrate Felt Astonished And Annoyed, For, After All, He Had Only
Done His Duty. Before He Could Reply, A Man Came From The Shop To Say
Part 1 Chapter 28 Pg 134That The Laces Had Been Found All Right. Lord Windermear Then Took Me
Aside, And I Narrated What
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