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

In My Hurry And Confusion Quite Forgetting To Call The Servants To Her

Ladyship'S Assistance. Fortunately,  I Perceived The Misses Fairfax Close

To The Iron Railing Of The Garden. I Crossed The Road,  Wished Them

Good-Bye,  And Told Them That I Thought Lady Maelstrom Looked Very Ill,

And They Had Better Go In To Her. I Then Threw Myself Into The First

Hackney-Coach,  And Drove Home. I Found Timothy Had Arrived Before Me,

And I Narrated All That Had Passed.

"You Will Never Be Able To Go There Again," Observed Timothy,  "And

Depend Upon It,  She Will Be Your Enemy Through Life. I Wish You Had Not

Said Anything To Her.

"What Is Done Cannot Be Undone; But Recollect,  That If She Can Talk,  I

Can Talk Also."

"Will She Not Be Afraid?"

"Yes,  Openly,  She Will; And Open Attacks Can Be Parried."

"Very True."

"But It Will Be As Well To Pacify Her,  If I Can. I Will Write To Her." I

Sat Down And Wrote As Follows:--

     "My Dear Lady Maelstrom,--I Am So Astonished And Alarmed At The

     Situation I Put You In,  By My Impertinence And Folly,  That I Hardly

     Know How To Apologise. The Fact Is,  That Looking Over Some Of My

     Father'S Old Letters,  I Found Many From Warrender,  In Which He

     Spoke Of An Affair With A Young Lady,  And I Read The Name As Your

     Maiden Name,  And Also Discovered Where The Offspring Was To Be

     Found. On Re-Examination,  For Your Innocence Was Too Evident At Our

     Meeting To Admit Of A Doubt,  I Find That The Name,  Although

     Something Like Yours,  Is Spelt Very Differently,  And That I Must

     Have Been Led Into An Unpardonable Error. What Can I Say,  Except

     That I Throw Myself On Your Mercy? I Dare Not Appear Before You

     Again. I Leave Town To-Morrow,  But If You Can Pardon My Folly And

     Impertinence,  And Allow Me To Pay My Respects When London Is Full

     Again,  And Time Shall Have Softened Down Your Just Anger,  Write Me

     One Line To That Effect,  And You Will Relieve The Burdened

     Conscience Of

     "Yours Most Truly,

     "J. Newland."

"There,  Tim," Said I,  As I Finished Reading It Over,  "Take That As A Sop

To The Old Cerberus. She May Think It Prudent,  As I Have Talked Of

Letters,  To Believe Me And Make Friends. I Will Not Trust Her,

Nevertheless."

Tim Went Away,  And Very Soon Returned With An Answer.

     "You Are A Foolish Mad-Cap,  And I Ought To Shut My Doors Against

     You; You Have Half-Killed Me--Spoilt My Gown,  And I Am Obliged To

     Keep My Bed. Remember,  In Future,  To Be Sure Of The Right Name

     Before You Make An Assertion. As For Forgiving You,  I Shall Think

     Of It,  And When You Return To Town,  You May Call And Receive My

     Sentence. Cecilia Was Quite Frightened,  Poor Dear Girl,  What A Dear

     Affectionate Child She Is--She Is A Treasure To Me,  And I Don'T

     Think I Ever Could Part With Her. She Sends Her Regards.

     "Yours,

     "C. Maelstrom."

"Come,  Timothy,  At All Events This Is Better Than I Expected--But Now

I'Ll Tell You What I Propose To Do. Harcourt Was With Me Yesterday,  And

He Wishes Me To Go Down With Him To ----. There Will Be The Assizes,  And

The County Ball,  And A Great Deal Of Gaiety,  And I Have An Idea That It

Is Just As Well To Beat The Country As The Town. I Dine With Mr

Masterton On Friday. On Saturday I Will Go Down And See Fleta,  And On

Tuesday Or Wednesday I Will Start With Harcourt To His Father'S,  Where

He Has Promised Me A Hearty Welcome. Was There Anything At Coleman

Street?"

"Yes,  Sir; Mr Iving Said That He Had Just Received A Letter From Your

Correspondent,  And That He Wished To Know If The Little Girl Was Well; I

Told Him That She Was. Mr Iving Laid The Letter Down On The Desk,  And I

Read The Postmark,  Dublin."

"Dublin," Replied I. "I Should Like To Find Out Who Melchior Is--And So

I Will As Soon As I Can."

"Well,  Sir,  I Have Not Finished My Story. Mr Iving Said,  'My

Correspondent Wishes To Know Whether The Education Of The Little Girl Is

Attended To?' 'Yes,' Replied I,  'It Is.' 'Is She At School?' 'Yes,  She

Has Been At School Ever Since We Have Been In London.' 'Where Is She At

School?' Inquired He. Now,  Sir,  As I Never Was Asked That Question By

Him Before,  I Did Not Know Whether I Ought To Give An Answer,  So I

Replied,  'That I Did Not Know.' 'You Know Whether She Is In London Or

Not,  Do You Not?' 'How Should I?' Replied I,  'Master Had Put Her To

School Before I Put On His Liveries.' 'Does He Never Go To See Her?'

Inquired He. 'I Suppose So,' Said I. 'Then You Really Know Nothing

About It?--Then Look You,  My Lad,  I Am Anxious To Find Out Where She Is

At School,  And The Name Of The People,  And If You Will Find Out The

Direction For Me,  It Will Be Money In Your Pocket,  That'S All.' 'Um,'

Replied I,  'But How Much?' 'Why,  More Than You Think For,  My Man,  It

Will Be A Ten-Pound Note.' 'That Alters The Case,' Replied I; 'Now I

Think Again,  I Have An Idea That I Do Remember Seeing Her Address On A

Letter My Master Wrote To Her.' 'Ay,' Replied Mr Iving,  'It'S

Astonishing How Money Sharpens The Memory. I'Ll Keep To My Bargain; Give

Me The Address,  And Here'S The Ten-Pound Note.' 'I'M Afraid That My

Master Will Be Angry,' Said I,  As If I Did Not Much Like To Tell Him.

'Your Master Will Never Know Anything About It,  And You May Serve A Long

Time Before He Gives You A Ten-Pound Note Above Your Wages.' 'That'S

Very True,' Said I,  'Sarvice Is No Inheritance. Well,  Then,  Give Me The

Money,  And I'Ll Write It Down.'"

"And Did You Give It?" Interrupted I.

"Stop A Moment,  Sir,  And You Shall Hear. I Wrote Down The Address Of

That Large School At Kensington,  Which We Pass When We Go To Mr Aubrey

White'S."

"What,  That Tremendous Large Board With Yellow Letters--Mrs Let--What Is

It?"

"Mrs Lipscombe'S Seminary--I Always Read The Board Every Time I Go Up

And Down. I Gave Him The Address,  Miss Johnson,  At Mrs Lipscombe'S

Seminary,  Kensington. Well--And Here'S The Ten-Pound Note,  Sir,  Which I

Have Fairly Earned."

"Fairly Earned,  Tim?"

"Yes,  Fairly Earned; For It'S All Fair To Cheat Those Who Would Cheat

You.'

"I Cannot Altogether Agree With You On That Point,  Tim,  But It Certainly

Is No More Than They Deserve; But This Is Matter For Reflection. Why

Should Melchior Wish To Find Out Her Address Without My

Knowledge?--Depend Upon It,  There Is Something Wrong."

"That'S What I Said To Myself Coming Home; And I Made Up My Mind,  That,

For Some Reason Or Another,  He Wishes To Regain Possession Of Her."

"I Entertain The Same Idea,  Timothy,  And I Am Glad You Have

Disappointed Him. I Will Take Care That They Shall Not Find Her Out,  Now

That I Am Upon My Guard."

"But,  Sir,  I Wish To Draw One Good Moral From This Circumstance; Which

Is,  That If You Had Been Served By Any Common Footman,  Your Interest

Would,  In all Probability,  Have Been Sacrificed To The Ten-Pound Note;

And That Not Only In This Instance,  But In Many Others,  I Did A Very

Wise Thing In Taking My Present Situation."

"I Am But Too Well Aware Of That,  Tim,  My Dear Fellow," Said I,

Extending My Hand,  "And Depend Upon It,  That If I Rise,  You Do. You Know

Me Well Enough By This Time."

"Yes,  I Do,  Japhet,  And Had Rather Serve You Than The First Nobleman In

The Land. I'M Going To Purchase A Watch With This Ten-Pound Note,  And I

Never Shall Look At It Without Remembering The Advantage Of Keeping A

Watch Over My Tongue."

Publication Date: 05-19-2014

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