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

Husbanding My Unexpected Resources,  I Shall Now Be Able."

"You Have The Credit,  In The Fashionable World,  Of Possessing A Large

Fortune."

"That Is Not My Fault,  My Lord: It Is Through Major Carbonnell'S Mistake

That The World Is Deceived. Still I Must Acknowledge Myself So Far

Participator,  That I Have Never Contradicted The Report."

"Meaning,  I Presume,  By Some Good Match,  To Reap The Advantage Of The

Supposition."

"Not So,  My Lord,  I Assure You. People May Deceive Themselves,  But I

Will Not Deceive Them."

"Nor Undeceive Them,  Mr Newland?"

"Undeceive Them I Will Not; Nay,  If I Did Make The Attempt,  I Should

Not Be Believed. They Never Would Believe It Possible That I Could Have

Lived So Long With Your Relative,  Without Having Had A Large Supply Of

Money. They Might Believe That I Had Run Through My Money,  But Not That

I Never Had Any."

"There Is A Knowledge Of The World In That Remark," Replied His

Lordship; "But I Interrupted You,  So Proceed."

"I Mean To Observe,  My Lord,  And You,  By Your Knowledge Of My Previous

History,  Can Best Judge How Far I Am Warranted In Saying So; That I Have

As Yet Steered The Middle Course Between That Which Is Dishonest And

Honest. If The World Deceives Itself,  You Would Say That,  In Strict

Honesty,  I Ought To Undeceive It. So I Would,  My Lord,  If It Were Not

For My Peculiar Situation; But At The Same Time I Never Will,  If

Possible,  Be Guilty Of Direct Deceit; That Is To Say,  I Would Not Take

Advantage Of My Supposed Wealth,  To Marry A Young Person Of Large

Fortune. I Would State Myself A Beggar,  And Gain Her Affections As A

Beggar. A Woman Can Have Little Confidence In a Man Who Deceives Her

Before Marriage."

"Your Secret Will Always Be Safe With Me,  Mr Newland; You Have A Right

To Demand It. I Am Glad To Hear The Sentiments Which You Have Expressed;

They Are Not Founded,  Perhaps,  Upon The Strictest Code Of Morality; But

There Are Many Who Profess More Who Do Not Act Up To So Much. Still,  I

Wish You Would Think In What Way I May Be Able To Serve You,  For Your

Life At Present Is Useless And Unprofitable,  And May Tend To Warp Still

More,  Ideas Which Are Not Quite So Strict As They Ought To Be."

"My Lord,  I Have But One Object In allowing The World To Continue In

Their Error Relative To My Means,  Which Is,  That It Procures For Me An

Entrance Into That Society In Which I Have A Moral Conviction That I

Shall Find My Father. I Have But One Pursuit,  One End To Attain,  Which

Is,  To Succeed In That Search. I Return You A Thousand Thanks For Your

Kind Expressions And Good-Will; But I Cannot,  At Present,  Avail Myself

Of Them. I Beg Your Lordship'S Pardon,  But Did You Ever Meet The Lady

With The Ear-Rings?"

Lord Windermear Smiled. "Really,  Mr Newland,  You Are A Very Strange

Person; Not Content With Finding Out Your Own Parents,  You Must Also Be

Searching After Other People'S; Not That I Do Not Commend Your Conduct

In This Instance; But I'M Afraid,  In Running After Shadows,  You Are Too

Indifferent To The Substance."

"Ah,  My Lord! It Is Very Well For You To Argue Who Have Had A Father And

Mother,  And Never Felt The Want Of Them; But If You Knew How My Heart

Yearns After My Parents,  You Would Not Be Surprised At My Perseverance."

"I Am Surprised At Nothing In This World,  Mr Newland; Every One Pursues

Happiness In His Own Way; Your Happiness Appears To Be Centred In One

Feeling,  And You Are Only Acting As The World Does In General; But

Recollect That The Search After Happiness Ends In disappointment."

"I Grant It But Too Often Does,  My Lord; But There Is Pleasure In The

Chase," Replied I.

"Well,  Go,  And May You Prosper. All I Can Say Is This,  Mr Newland,  Do

Not Have That False Pride Not To Apply To Me When You Need Assistance.

Recollect,  It Is Much Better To Be Under An Obligation,  If Such You Will

Consider It,  Than To Do That Which Is Wrong; And That It Is A Very False

Pride Which Would Blush To Accept A Favour,  And Yet Not Blush To Do What

It Ought To Be Ashamed Of. Promise Me,  Mr Newland,  That Upon Any Reverse

Or Exigence,  You Will Apply To Me."

"I Candidly Acknowledge To Your Lordship,  That I Would Rather Be Under

An Obligation To Anyone But You; And I Trust You Will Clearly Appreciate

My Feelings. I Have Taken The Liberty Of Refunding The One Thousand

Pounds You Were So Kind As To Place At My Disposal As A Loan. At The

Same Time I Will Promise,  That,  If At Any Time I Should Require Your

Assistance,  I Will Again Request Leave To Become Your Debtor." I Rose

Again To Depart.

"Farewell,  Newland; When I Thought You Had Behaved Ill,  And I Offered To

Better You,  You Only Demanded My Good Opinion; You Have It,  And Have It

So Firmly,  That It Will Not Easily Be Shaken." His Lordship Then Shook

Hands With Me,  And I Took My Leave.

On My Return I Found Emmanuel,  The Money-Lender,  Who Had Accompanied

Timothy,  Fancying That I Was In Want Of More Assistance,  And But Too

Willing To Give It. His Surprise Was Very Great When I Told Him That I

Wished To Repay The Money I Had Borrowed.

"Vell,  Dis Is Very Strange! I Have Lent My Monish A Tousand Times,  And

Never Once They Did Offer It Me Back. Vell,  I Will Take It,  Sar."

"But How Much Must I Give You,  Mr Emmanuel,  For The Ten Days' Loan?"

"How Moch--Vy You Remember,  You Vill Give De Bond Money--De Fifteen

Hundred."

"What! Five Hundred Pounds Interest For Ten Days,  Mr Emmanuel; No,  No,

That'S Rather Too Bad. I Will,  If You Please,  Pay You Back Eleven

Hundred Pounds,  And That I Think Is Very Handsome."

"I Don'T Want My Monish,  My Good Sar. I Lend You One Tousand Pounds,  On

De Condition That You Pay Me Fifteen Hundred When You Come Into Your

Properties,  Which Will Be In Very Short Time. You Send For Me,  And Tell

Me You Vish To Pay Back De Monish Directly; I Never Refuse Monish--If

You Wish To Pay,  I Will Take,  But I Will Not Take Von Farding Less Dan

De Monish On De Bond."

"Very Well,  Mr Emmanuel,  Just As You Please; I Offer You Your Money

Back,  In Presence Of My Servant,  And One Hundred Pounds For The Loan Of

It For Ten Days. Refuse It If You Choose,  But I Earnestly Recommend You

To Take It."

"I Will Not Have De Monish,  Sar; Dis Is De Child'S Play," Replied The

Jew. "I Must Have My Fifteen Hundred--All In Goot Time,  Sar--I Am In No

Hurry--I Vish You A Very Good Morning,  Mr Newland. Ven You Vish For More

Monish To Borrow,  I Shall Be Happy To Pay My Respects." So Saying,  The

Jew Walked Out Of The Room,  With His Arm Behind His Back As Usual.

     _I Decide Upon Honesty As The Best Policy,  And What Is More

     Strange,  Receive Legal Advice Upon This Important Point_.

Timothy And I Burst Into Laughter. "Really,  Timothy," Observed I,  "It

Appears That Very Little Art Is Necessary To Deceive The World,  For In

Every Instance They Will Deceive Themselves. The Jew Is Off My

Conscience,  At All Events,  And Now He Never Will Be Paid,  Until--"

"Until When,  Japhet?"

"Until I Find Out My Father," Replied I.

"Everything Is Put Off Till That Time Arrives,  I Observe," Said Timothy.

"Other People Will Soon Be As Interested In The Search As Yourself."

"I Wish They Were,  Unfortunately It Is A Secret,  Which Cannot Be

Divulged."

A Ring At The Bell Called Timothy Down Stairs; He Returned With A

Letter,  It Was From Lord Windermear,  And Ran As Follows:--

     "My Dear Newland,--I Have Been Thinking About You Ever Since You

     Left Me This Morning,  And As You Appear Resolved To Prosecute Your

     Search,  It Has Occurred To Me That You Should Go About It In a More

     Systematic Way. I Do Not Mean To Say That What I Now Propose Will

     Prove Of Any Advantage To You,  But Still It May,  As You Will Have A

     Very Old,  And Very Clever Head To Advise With. I Refer To Mr

     Masterton,  My Legal Adviser,  From Whom You Had The Papers Which Led

     To Our First Acquaintance. He Is Aware That You Were