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

     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

     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

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 Myself Rolling On

The Floor,  Embracing The Bolster With All My Might. Such Was The Vivid

Impression Of This Dream,  That I Could Not Turn My Thoughts Away From

It,  And At Last I Considered That It Was A Divine Interposition. All My

Scruples Vanished,  And Before The Day Had Dawned I Determined That I

Would Follow The Advice Of Timothy. An Enthusiast Is Easily Led To

Believe What He Wishes,  And He Mistakes His Own Feelings For Warnings;

The Dreams Arising From His Daily Contemplations For The Interference Of

Heaven. He Thinks Himself Armed By Supernatural Assistance,  And

Warranted By The Almighty To Pursue His Course,  Even If That Course

Should Be Contrary To The Almighty'S Precepts. Thus Was I Led Away By My

Own Imaginings,  And Thus Was My _Monomania_ Increased To An Impetus

Which Forced Before It All Consideration Of What Was Right Or Wrong.

     _An Important Chapter--I Make Some Important Acquaintances,  Obtain

     Some Important Papers Which I Am Importunate To Read Through._

The Next Morning I Told My Dream To Timothy,  Who Laughed Very Heartily

At My Idea Of The Finger Of Providence. At Last,  Perceiving That I Was

Angry With Him,  He Pretended To Be Convinced. When I Had Finished My

Breakfast,  I Sent To Inquire The Number In The Square Of Lord

Windermear'S Town House,  And Wrote The Following Simple Note To His

Lordship,  "_Japhet Newland_ Has Arrived From His Tour At The Piazza,

Covent Garden." This Was Confided To Timothy,  And I Then Set Off With

The Other Letter To Mr Masterton,  Which Was Addressed To Lincoln'S Inn.

By Reading The Addresses Of The Several Legal Gentlemen,  I Found Out

That Mr Masterton Was Located On The First Floor. I Rang The Bell,  Which

Had The Effect Of "Open,  Sesame," As The Door Appeared To Swing To Admit

Me Without Any Assistance. I Entered An Ante-Room,  And From Thence Found

Myself In The Presence Of Mr Masterton--A Little Old Man,  With

Spectacles On His Nose,  Sitting At A Table Covered With Papers. He

Offered Me A Chair,  And I Presented The Letter.

"I See That I Am Addressing Mr Neville," Said He,  After He Had Perused

The Letter. "I Congratulate You On Your Return. You May Not,  Perhaps,

Remember Me?"

"Indeed,  Sir,  I Cannot Say That I Do,  Exactly."

"I Could Not Expect It,  My Dear Sir,  You Have Been So Long Away. You

Have Very Much Improved In Person,  I Must Say; Yet Still,  I Recollect

Your Features As A Mere Boy. Without Compliment,  I Had No Idea That You

Would Ever Have Made So Handsome A Man." I Bowed To The Compliment.

"Have You Heard From Your Uncle?"

"I Had A Few Lines From Lord Windermear,  Enclosing Your Letter."

"He Is Well,  I Hope?"

"Quite Well,  I Believe."

Mr Masterton Then Rose,  Went To An Iron Safe,  And Brought Out A Packet

Of Papers,  Which He Put Into My Hands. "You Will Read These With

Interest,  Mr Neville. I Am A Party To The Whole Transaction,  And Must

Venture To Advise You Not To Appear In england Under Your Own Name,

Until All Is Settled. Your Uncle,  I Perceive,  Has Begged