Japhet In Search Of A Father Part 1 by Frederick Marryat (unputdownable books TXT) 📕

Fidelity."

"How Do You Know That? I May Have My Secret Reasons Against It."

"Surely You Can Have No Interest In a Soldier'S Brat,  Melchior?"

Melchior Appeared Confused And Annoyed. "She Is No Soldier'S Brat; I

Acknowledge,  Japhet,  That The Child Was Stolen; But You Must Not,

Therefore,  Imply That The Child Was Stolen By Me Or By My Wife."

"I Never Accused You,  Or Thought You Capable Of It; And That Is The

Reason Why I Am Now Surprised At The Interest You Take In Her. If She

Prefers To Go With You,  I Have No More To Say,  But If Not,  I Claim Her;

And If She Consents,  Will Resist Your Interference."

"Japhet," Replied Melchior,  After A Pause,  "We Must Not Quarrel Now That

We Are About To Part. I Will Give You An Answer In Half An Hour."

Melchior Returned To Nattee,  And Re-Commenced A Conversation With Her,

While I Hastened To Fleta.

"Fleta,  Do You Know That The Camp Is To Be Broken Up,  And Melchior And

Nattee Leave It Together?"

"Indeed!" Replied She,  With Surprise. "Then What Is To Become Of You And

Timothy?"

"We Must Of Course Seek Our Fortunes Where We Can."

"And Of Me?" Continued She,  Looking Me Earnestly In The Face With Her

Large Blue Eyes. "Am I To Stay Here?" Continued She,  With Alarm In Her

Countenance.

"Not If You Do Not Wish It,  Fleta; As Long As I Can Support You I

Will--That Is,  If You Would Like To Live With Me In Preference To

Melchior."

"If I Would Like,  Japhet; You Must Know I Would Like--Who Has Been So

Kind To Me As You? Don'T Leave Me,  Japhet."

"I Will Not,  Fleta; But On Condition That You Promise To Be Guided By

Me,  And To Do All I Wish."

"To Do What You Wish Is The Greatest Pleasure That I Have,  Japhet--So I

May Safely Promise That. What Has Happened?"

"That I Do Not Know More Than Yourself; But Melchior Tells Me That He

And Nattee Quit The Gipsy Tents For Ever."

Fleta Looked Round To Ascertain If Any One Was Near Us,  And Then In a

Low Tone Said,  "I Understand Their Language,  Japhet,  That Is,  A Great

Deal Of It,  Although They Do Not Think So,  And I Overheard What The

Gipsy Said In Part,  Although He Was At Some Distance. He Asked For

Melchior; And When Nattee Wanted To Know What He Wanted,  He Answered

That,  '_He_ Was Dead;' Then Nattee Covered Up Her Face. I Could Not Hear

All The Rest,  But There Was Something About A _Horse_."

_He_ Was _Dead_. Had Then Melchior Committed Murder,  And Was Obliged To

Fly The Country? This Appeared To Me To Be The Most Probable,  When I

Collected The Facts In My Possession; And Yet I Could Not Believe It,

For Except That System Of Deceit Necessary To Carry On His Various

Professions,  I Never Found Anything In Melchior'S Conduct Which Could Be

Considered As Criminal. On The Contrary,  He Was Kind,  Generous,  And

Upright In His Private Dealings,  And In Many Points,  Proved That He Had

A Good Heart. He Was A Riddle Of Inconsistency It Was Certain;

Professionally He Would Cheat Anybody,  And Disregard All Truth And

Honesty; But,  In His Private Character,  He Was Scrupulously Honest,  And,

With The Exception Of The Assertion Relative To Fleta'S Birth And

Parentage,  He Had Never Told Me A Lie,  That I Could Discover. I Was

Summing Up All These Reflections In My Mind,  When Melchior Again Came Up

To Me,  And Desiring The Little Girl To Go Away,  He Said,  "Japhet,  I Have

Resolved To Grant Your Request With Respect To Fleta,  But It Must Be On

Conditions."

"Let Me Hear Them."

"First,  Then,  Japhet,  As You Always Have Been Honest And Confiding With

Me,  Tell Me Now What Are Your Intentions. Do You Mean To Follow Up The

Profession Which You Learnt Under Me,  Or What Do You Intend To Do?"

"Honestly,  Then,  Melchior,  I Do Not Intend To Follow Up That Profession,

Unless Driven To It By Necessity. I Intend To Seek My Father."

"And If Driven To It By Necessity,  Do You Intend That Fleta Shall Aid

You By Her Acquirements? In Short,  Do You Mean To Take Her With You As A

Speculation,  To Make The Most Of Her,  To Let Her Sink,  When She Arrives

At The Age Of Woman,  Into Vice And Misery?"

"I Wonder At Your Asking Me That Question,  Melchior; It Is The First Act

Of Injustice I Have Received At Your Hands. No; If Obliged To Follow Up

The Profession,  I Will Not Allow Fleta So To Do. I Would Sooner That She

Were In Her Grave. It Is To Rescue Her From That Very Vice And Misery,

To Take Her Out Of A Society In Which She Never Ought To Have Been

Placed,  That I Take Her With Me."

"And This Upon Your Honour?"

"Yes,  Upon My Honour. I Love Her As My Sister,  And Cannot Help Indulging

In The Hope That In Seeking My Father,  I May Chance To Stumble Upon

Her'S."

Melchior Bit His Lips. "There Is Another Promise I Must Exact From You,

Japhet,  Which Is,  That To A Direction Which I Will Give You,  Every Six

Months You Will Inclose An Address Where You May Be Heard Of,  And Also

Intelligence As To Fleta'S Welfare And Health."

"To That I Gave My Cheerful Promise: But,  Melchior,  You Appear To Have

Taken,  All At Once,  A Strange Interest In This Little Girl."

"I Wish You Now To Think That I Do Take An Interest In Her,  Provided You

Seek Not To Inquire The Why And The Wherefore. Will You Accept Of Funds

For Her Maintenance?"

"Not Without Necessity Compels Me; And Then I Should Be Glad To Find,

When I Can No Longer Help Her,  That You Are Still Her Friend."

"Recollect,  That You Will Always Find What Is Requisite By Writing To

The Address Which I Shall Give You Before We Part. That Point Is Now

Settled,  And On The Whole I Think The Arrangement Is Good."

Timothy Had Been Absent During The Events Of The Morning--When He

Returned,  I Communicated To Him What Had Passed,  And Was About To Take

Place.

"Well,  Japhet,  I Don'T Know--I Do Not Dislike Our Present Life,  Yet I Am

Not Sorry To Change It; But What Are We To Do?"

"That Remains To Be Considered; We Have A Good Stock Of Money,

Fortunately,  And We Must Husband It Till We Find What Can Be Done."

We Took Our Suppers All Together For The Last Time,  Melchior Telling Us

That He Had Determined To Set Off The Next Day. Nattee Looked Very

Melancholy,  But Resigned; On The Contrary,  Little Fleta Was So

Overjoyed,  That Her Face,  Generally So Mournful,  Was Illuminated With

Smiles Whenever Our Eyes Met. It Was Delightful To See Her So Happy. The

Whole Of The People In The Camp Had Retired,  And Melchior Was Busy

Making His Arrangements In The Tent. I Did Not Feel Inclined To Sleep; I

Was Thinking And Revolving In My Mind My Prospects For The Future;

Sitting,  Or Rather Lying Down,  For I Was Leaning On My Elbow,  At A Short

Distance From The Tents. The Night Was Dark But Clear,  And The Stars

Were Brilliant. I Had Been Watching Them,  And I Thought Upon Melchior'S

Ideas Of Destiny,  And Dwelling On The Futile Wish That I Could Read

Mine,  When I Perceived The Approach Of Nattee.

"Japhet," Said She,  "You Are To Take The Little Girl With You,  I

Find--Will You Be Careful Of Her? For It Would Be On My Conscience If

She Were Left To The Mercy Of The World. She Departs Rejoicing,  Let Not

Her Joy End In Tears. I Depart Sorrowing. I Leave My People,  My Kin,  My

Habits,  And Customs,  My Influence,  All--But It Must Be So,  It Is My

Destiny. She Is A Good Child,  Japhet--Promise Me That You Will Be A

Friend To Her--And Give Her This To Wear In Remembrance Of Me,  But--Not

Yet--Not Till We Are Gone--." She Hesitated. "Japhet,  Do Not Let

Melchior See It In Your Possession; He May Not Like Me Having Given It

Away." I Took The Piece Of Paper Containing The Present,  And Having

Promised All She Required,  "This Is The Last--Yes--The Very Last Time

That I May Behold This Scene," Continued Nattee,  Surveying The Common,

The Tents,  And The Animals Browsing. "Be It So; Japhet,  Good-Night,  May

You Prosper!" She Then Turned Away And Entered Her Tent; And Soon

Afterwards I Followed Her Example.

The Next Day,  Melchior Was All Ready. What He Had Packed Up Was

Contained In Two Small Bundles. He Addressed The People Belonging To The

Gang,  In Their Own Language. Nattee Did The Same,  And The Whole Of Them

Kissed Her Hand. The Tents,  Furniture,  And The Greatest Part Of His

Other Property,  Were Distributed Among Them. Jumbo And Num Were Made

Over To Two Of The Principal Men. Timothy,  Fleta,  And I,  Were Also

Ready,  And Intended To Quit At The Same Time As Melchior And His Wife.

"Japhet," Said Melchior,  "There Is Yet Some Money Due To You For Our

Last Excursion--(This Was True,)--Here It Is --You And Timothy Keep But

One Purse,  I Am Aware. Good-Bye,  And May You Prosper!"

We Shook Hands With Nattee And Melchior. Fleta Went Up To The Former,

And Crossing Her Arms,  Bent Her Head. Nattee Kissed The Child,  And Led

Her To Melchior. He Stooped Down,  Kissed Her On The Forehead,  And I

Perceived A Sign Of Strongly Suppressed Emotion As He Did So. Our

Intended Routes Lay In a Different Direction,  And When Both Parties Had