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

"Make The Best Bargain You Can,  Newland," Said Harcourt; "Accept His

Offer,  For Depend Upon It,  It Will Be A Saving In The End."

"It Certainly Deserves Consideration," Replied I; "And The Major'S

Company Must Be Allowed To Have Its Due Weight In The Scale; If

Carbonnell Will Promise To Be A Little More Economical--"

"I Will,  My Dear Fellow--I Will Act As Your Steward,  And Make Your Money

Last As Long As I Can,  For My _Own Sake_,  As Well As Yours. Is It A

Bargain? I Have Plenty Of Room For Your Servant,  And If He Will Assist

Me A Little,  I Will Discharge My Own." I Then Consented To The

Arrangement.

     The Major Teaches Me How To Play Whist,  So As Never To Lose,  Which

     Is By Playing Against Each Other,  And Into Each Other'S Hands.

The Next Day I Went To The Banker'S,  Drew Out L150,  And Set Off With

Timothy For ----. Fleta Threw Herself Into My Arms,  And Sobbed With Joy.

When I Told Her Timothy Was Outside,  And Wished To See Her,  She Asked

Why He Did Not Come In; And,  To Show How Much She Had Been Accustomed To

See,  Without Making Remarks,  When He Made His Appearance In His Livery,

She Did Not,  By Her Countenance,  Express The Least Surprise,  Nor,

Indeed,  Did She Put Any Questions To Me On The Subject. The Lady Who

Kept The School Praised Her Very Much For Docility And Attention,  And

Shortly After Left The Room. Fleta Then Took The Chain From Around Her

Neck Into Her Hand,  And Told Me That She Did Recollect Something About

It,  Which Was,  That The Lady Whom She Remembered,  Wore A Long Pair Of

Ear-Rings,  Of The Same Make And Materials. She Could Not,  However,  Call

To Mind Anything Else. I Remained With The Little Girl For Three Hours,

And Then Returned To London--Taking My Luggage From The Hotel,  And

Installed Myself Into The Apartments Of Major Carbonnell.

The Major Adhered To His Promise; We Certainly Lived Well,  For He Could

Not Live Otherwise; But In every Other Point,  He Was Very Careful Not To

Add To Expense. The Season Was Now Over,  And Everybody Of Consequence

Quitted The Metropolis. To Remain In Town Would Be To Lose Caste,  And We

Had A Conference Where We Should Proceed.

"Newland," Said The Major,  "You Have Created A Sensation This Season,

Which Has Done Great Honour To My Patronage; But I Trust,  Next Spring,

That I Shall See You Form A Good Alliance; For,  Believe Me,  Out Of The

Many Heartless Beings We Have Mingled With,  There Are Still Not Only

Daughters,  But Mothers,  Who Are Not Influenced By Base And Sordid

Views."

"Why,  Carbonnell,  I Never Heard You Venture Upon So Long A Moral Speech

Before."

"True,  Newland,  And It May Be A Long While Before I Do So Again; The

World Is My Oyster,  Which I Must Open,  That I May Live; But Recollect,  I

Am Only Trying To Recover My Own,  Which The World Has Swindled Me Out

Of. There Was A Time When I Was Even More Disinterested,  More Confiding,

And More Innocent Than You Were When I First Took You In Hand. I

Suffered,  And Was Ruined By My Good Qualities; And I Now Live And Do

Well By Having Discarded Them. We Must Fight The World With Its Own

Weapons; But Still,  As I Said Before,  There Is Some Good In It,  Some

Pure Ore Amongst The Dross; And It Is Possible To Find High Rank And

Large Fortune,  And At The Same Time An Innocent Mind. If You Do Marry,  I

Will Try Hard But You Shall Possess Both; Not That Fortune Can Be Of

Much Consequence To You."

"Depend Upon It,  Carbonnell,  I Never Will Marry Without Fortune."

"I Did Not Know That I Had Schooled You So Well; Be It So--It Is But

Fair That You Should Expect It; And It Shall Be An Item In The Match,  If

I Have Anything To Do With It."

"But Why Are You So Anxious That I Should Marry,  Carbonnell?"

"Because I Think You Will,  In all Probability,  Avoid The Gaming-Table,

Which I Should Have Taken You To Myself Had You Been In Possession Of

Your Fortune When I First Knew You,  And Have Had My Share Of Your

Plucking; But Now I Do Know You,  I Have That Affection For You That I

Think It Better You Should Not Lose Your All; For Observe,  Newland,  My

Share Of Your Spoliation Would Not Be More Than What I Have,  And May

Still Receive,  From You; And If You Marry And Settle Down,  There Will

Always Be A Good House And A Good Table For Me,  As Long As I Find Favour

With Your Wife; And,  At All Events,  A Friend In Need,  That I Feel

Convinced Of. So Now You Have My Reasons; Some Smack Of The

Disinterestedness Of Former Days,  Others Of My Present Worldliness; You

May Believe Which You Please." And The Major Laughed As He Finished His

Speech.

"Carbonnell," Replied I,  "I Will Believe That The Better Feelings

Predominate--That The World Has Made You What You Are; And That Had You

Not Been Ruined By The World,  You Would Have Been Disinterested And

Generous; Even Now,  Your Real Nature Often Gains The Ascendency,  And I

Am Sure That In all That You Have Done,  Which Is Not Defensible,  Your

Poverty,  And Not Your Will,  Has Consented. Now,  Blunted By Habit And

Time,  The Suggestion Of Conscience Do Not Often Give You Any

Uneasiness."

"You Are Very Right,  My Dear Fellow," Replied The Major; "And In Having

A Better Opinion Of Me Than The World In General,  You Do Me,  I Trust,  No

More Than Justice. I Will Not Squander Your Fortune,  When You Come To

It,  If I Can Help It; And You'Ll Allow That'S A Very Handsome Promise On

My Part."

"I'Ll Defy You To Squander My Fortune," Replied I,  Laughing.

"Nay,  Don'T Defy Me,  Newland,  For If You Do,  You'Ll Put Me On My

Mettle. Above All,  Don'T Lay Me A Bet,  For That Will Be Still More

Dangerous. We Have Only Spent About Four Hundred Of The Thousand Since

We Have Lived Together,  Which I Consider Highly Economical. What Do You

Say,  Shall We Go To Cheltenham? You Will Find Plenty Of Irish Girls,

Looking Out For Husbands,  Who Will Give You A Warm Reception."

"I Hate Your Fortune And Establishment Hunters," Replied I.

"I Grant That They Are Looking Out For A Good Match,  So Are All The

World; But Let Me Do Them Justice. Although,  If You Proposed,  In Three

Days They Would Accept You; Yet Once Married,  They Make The Very Best

Wives In The World. But Recollect We Must Go Somewhere; And I Think

Cheltenham Is As Good A Place As Any Other. I Do Not Mean For A Wife,

But--It Will Suit My Own Views."

This Last Observation Decided Me,  And In a Few Days We Were At

Cheltenham; And Having Made Our Appearance At The Rooms,  Were Soon In

The Vortex Of Society. "Newland," Said Carbonnell,  "I Dare Say You Find

Time Hang Rather Heavy In This Monotonous Place."

"Not At All," Replied I; "What With Dining Out,  Dancing,  And

Promenading,  I Do Very Well."

"But We Must Do Better. Tell Me,  Are You A Good Hand At Whist?"

"Not By Any Means. Indeed,  I Hardly Know The Game."

"It Is A Fashionable And Necessary Accomplishment. I Must Make You

Master Of It,  And Our Mornings Shall Be Dedicated To The Work."

"Agreed," Replied I; And From That Day,  Every Morning After Breakfast

Till Four O'Clock,  The Major And I Were Shut Up,  Playing Two Dummies

Under His Instruction. Adept As He Was,  I Very Soon Learnt All The

Finesse And Beauty Of The Game.

"You Will Do Now,  Newland," Said The Major One Morning,  Tossing The

Cards Away. "Recollect,  If You Are Asked To Play,  And I Have Agreed,  Do

Not Refuse; But We Must Always Play Against Each Other."

"I Don'T See What We Shall Gain By That," Replied I; "For If I Win,

You'Ll Lose."

"Never Do You Mind That; Only Follow My Injunctions,  And Play As High As

They Choose. We Only Stay Here Three Weeks Longer,  And Must Make The

Most Of Our Time."

I Confess I Was Quite Puzzled At What Might Be The Major'S Intentions;

But That Night We Sauntered Into The Club. Not Having Made Our

Appearance Before,  We Were Considered As New Hands By Those Who Did Not

Know The Major,  And Were Immediately Requested To Make Up A Game. "Upon

My Word,  Gentlemen,  In The First Place,  I Play Very Badly," Replied The

Major; "And In The Next," Continued He,  Laughing,  "If I Lose,  I Never

Shall Pay You,  For I'M Cleaned Out."

The Way In Which The Major Said This Only Excited A