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

Remarkable," Replied I.

"You Appear To Be Able To Deceive Everybody But Me,  My Good Fellow. I

Know That You Were Examining The Lady Herself." I Left The Major In His

Error,  By Making No Reply.

     I Borrow Money Upon My Estate,  And Upon Very Favourable Terms.

When I Came Down To Breakfast The Next Morning,  The Major Said,  "My Dear

Newland,  I Have Taken The Liberty Of Requesting A Very Old Friend Of

Mine To Come And Meet You This Morning. I Will Not Disguise From You

That It Is Emmanuel,  The Money-Lender. Money You Must Have Until My

Affairs Are Decided,  One Way Or The Other; And,  In This Instance,  I Will

Most Faithfully Repay The Sum Borrowed,  As Soon As I Receive The Amount

Of My Bets,  Or Am Certain Of Succeeding To The Title,  Which Is One And

The Same Thing."

I Bit My Lips,  For I Was Not A Little Annoyed; But What Could Be Done? I

Must Have Either Confessed My Real Situation To The Major,  Or Have

Appeared To Raise Scruples,  Which,  As The Supposed Heir To A Large

Fortune,  Would Have Appeared To Him To Be Very Frivolous. I Thought It

Better To Let The Affair Take Its Chance. "Well," Replied I,  "If It Must

Be,  It Must Be: But It Shall Be On My Own Terms."

"Nay," Observed The Major,  "There Is No Fear But That He Will Consent,

And Without Any Trouble."

After A Moment'S Reflection I Went Up Stairs And Rang For Timothy.

"Tim," Said I,  "Hear Me; I Now Make You A Solemn Promise,  On My Honour

As A Gentleman,  That I Will Never Borrow Money Upon Interest,  And Until

You Release Me From It,  I Shall Adhere To My Word."

"Very Well,  Sir," Replied Timothy; "I Guess Your Reason For So Doing,

And I Expect You Will Keep Your Word. Is That All?"

"Yes; Now You May Take Up The Urn."

We Had Finished Our Breakfast,  When Timothy Announced Mr Emmanuel,  Who

Followed Him Into The Room.

"Well,  Old Cent Per Cent,  How Are You?" Said The Major. "Allow Me To

Introduce My Most Particular Friend,  Mr Newland."

"Auh! Master Major," Replied The Descendant Of Abraham,  A Little Puny

Creature,  Bent Double With Infirmity,  And Carrying One Hand Behind His

Back,  As If To Counterbalance The Projection Of His Head And Shoulders.

"You Vash Please To Call Me Shent Per Shent. I Wish I Vash Able To Make

De Monies Pay That. Mr Newland,  Can I Be Of Any Little Shervice To You?"

"Sit Down,  Sit Down,  Emmanuel. You Have My Warrant For Mr Newland'S

Respectability,  And The Sooner We Get Over The Business The Better."

"Auh,  Mr Major,  It Ish True,  You Was Recommend Many Good--No,  Not Always

Good--Customers To Me,  And I Was Very Much Obliged. Vat Can I Do For

Your Handsome Young Friend? De Young Gentlemen Always Vant Money; And

It Is De Youth Which Is De Time For De Pleasure And Enjoyment."

"He Wants A Thousand Pounds,  Emmanuel."

"Dat Is A Large Sum--One Tousand Pounds' He Does Not Vant Any More?"

"No," Replied I,  "That Will Be Sufficient."

"Vel,  Den,  I Have De Monish In My Pocket. I Will Just Beg De Young

Gentleman To Sign A Little Memorandum,  Dat I May Von Day Receive My

Monish."

"But What Is That To Be?" Interrupted I.

"It Will Be To Promise To Pay Me My Monish And Only Fifteen Per Shent,

When You Come Into Your Own."

"That Will Not Do," Replied I; "I Have Pledged My Solemn Word Of Honour,

That I Will Not Borrow Money On Interest."

"And You Have Given De Pledge,  But You Did Not Swear Upon De Book?"

"No,  But My Word Has Been Given,  And That Is Enough; If I Would Forfeit

My Word With Those To Whom I Have Given It,  I Would Also Forfeit My Word

With You. My Keeping My Promise,  Ought To Be A Pledge To You That I Will

Keep My Promise To You."

"Dat Is Veil Said--Very Veil Said; But Den We Must Manage Some Oder Way.

Suppose--Let Me Shee--How Old Are You,  My Young Sir?"

"Past Twenty."

"Auh,  Dat Is A Very Pleasant Age,  Dat Twenty. Veil,  Den,  You Shall Shign

A Leetle Bit Of Paper,  That You Pay Me L2000 Ven You Come Into Your

Properties,  On Condition Dat I Pay Now One Tousand. Dat Is Very

Fair--Ish It Not,  Mr Major?"

"Rather Too Hard,  Emmanuel."

"But De Rishque--De Rishque,  Mr Major."

"I Will Not Agree To Those Terms," Replied I; "You Must Take Your Money

Away,  Mr Emmanuel."

"Veil,  Den--Vat Vill You Pay Me?"

"I Will Sign An Agreement To Pay You L1500 For The Thousand,  If You

Please; If That Will Not Suit You,  I Will Try Elsewhere."

"Dat Is Very Bad Bargain. How Old,  You Shay?"

"Twenty."

"Vell,  I Shuppose I Must Oblige You,  And My Very Goot Friend,  De Major."

Mr Emmanuel Drew Out His Spectacles,  Pen,  And Inkhorn,  Filled Up A Bond,

And Handed It To Me To Sign. I Read It Carefully Over,  And Signed It; He

Then Paid Down The Money,  And Took His Leave.

It May Appear Strange To The Reader That The Money Was Obtained So

Easily,  But He Must Remember That The Major Was Considered A Person Who

Universally Attached Himself To Young Men Of Large Fortune; He Had

Already Been The Means Of Throwing Many Profitable Speculations Into The

Hands Of Emmanuel,  And The Latter Put Implicit Confidence In Him. The

Money-Lenders Also Are Always On The Look Out For Young Men With Large

Fortunes,  And Have Their Names Registered. Emmanuel Had Long Expected Me

To Come To Him,  And Although It Was His Intention To Have Examined More

Particularly,  And Not To Have Had The Money Prepared,  Yet My Refusal To

Sign The Bond,  Bearing Interest,  And My Disputing The Terms Of The

Second Proposal,  Blinded Him Completely,  And Put Him Off His Usual

Guard.

"Upon My Word,  Newland,  You Obtained Better Terms Than I Could Have

Expected From The Old Hunks."

"Much Better Than I Expected Also,  Major," Replied I; "But Now,  How Much

Of The Money Would You Like To Have?"

"My Dear Fellow,  This Is Very Handsome Of You; But,  I Thank Heaven,  I

Shall Be Soon Able To Repay It: But What Pleases Me,  Newland,  Is Your

Perfect Confidence In One Whom The Rest Of The World Would Not Trust

With A Shilling. I Will Accept Your Offer As Freely As It Is Made,  And

Take L500,  Just To Make A Show For The Few Weeks That I Am In Suspense,

And Then You Will Find,  That With All My Faults,  I Am Rot Deficient In

Gratitude." I Divided The Money With The Major,  And He Shortly

Afterwards Went Out.

"Well,  Sir," Said Timothy,  Entering,  Full Of Curiosity,  "What Have You

Done?"

"I Have Borrowed A Thousand To Pay Fifteen Hundred When I Come Into My

Property."

"You Are Safe Then. Excellent,  And The Jew Will Be Bit."

"No,  Timothy,  I Intend To Repay It As Soon As I Can."

"I Should Like To Know When That Will Be."

"So Should I,  Tim,  For It Must Depend Upon My Finding Out My Parentage."

Heigho,  Thought I,  When Shall I Ever Find Out Who Is My Father?

     The Major Is Very Fortunate And Very Unfortunate--He Receives A

     Large Sum In Gold And One Ounce Of Lead.

I Dressed And Went Out,  Met Harcourt,  Dined With Him,  And On My Return

The Major Had Not Come Home. It Was Then Past Midnight,  And Feeling

Little Inclination To Sleep,  I Remained In The Drawing-Room,  Waiting For

His Arrival. About Three O'Clock He Came In,  Flushed In The Face,  And

Apparently In High Good Humour.

"Newland," Said He,  Throwing His Pocket-Book On The Table,  "Just Open

That,  And Then You Will Open Your Eyes."

I Obeyed Him,  And To My Surprise Took Out