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

Again,  And Her Dress Disclaimed The Idea,  For In It There Was Much Taste

Displayed.

"Who Gave You That Name?" Said She,  After A Pause.

The Question Was Simple Enough,  But It Stirred Up A Host Of Annoying

Recollections; But Not Wishing To Make A Confidant Of Her,  I Gently

Replied,  As I Used To Do In The Foundling Hospital On Sunday

Morning--"My Godfathers And Godmothers In My Baptism,  Ma'Am."

"My Dear Sir,  I Am Very Ill," Said She,  After A Pause,  "Will You Feel My

Pulse?"

I Touched A Wrist,  And Looked At A Hand That Was Worthy Of Being

Admired. What A Pity,  Thought I,  That She Should Be Old,  Ugly,  And Half

Crazy!

"Do You Not Think That This Pulse Of Mine Exhibits Considerable Nervous

Excitement? I Reckoned It This Morning,  It Was At A Hundred And Twenty."

"It Certainly Beats Quick," Replied I,  "But Perhaps The Camphor Julep

May Prove Beneficial."

"I Thank You For Your Advice,  Mr Newland," Said She,  Laying Down A

Guinea,  "And If I Am Not Better,  I Will Call Again,  Or Send For You.

Good-Night."

She Walked Out Of The Shop,  Leaving Me In No Small Astonishment. What

Could She Mean? I Was Lost In Reverie,  When Timothy Returned. The Guinea

Remained On The Counter.

"I Met Her Going Home," Said He. "Bless Me--A Guinea--Why,  Japhet!" I

Recounted All That Had Passed. "Well,  Then,  It Has Turned Out Well For

Us Instead Of Ill,  As I Expected."

The _Us_ Reminded Me That We Shared Profits On These Occasions,  And I

Offered Timothy His Half; But Tim,  With All His _Espieglerie_ Was Not

Selfish,  And He Stoutly Refused To Take His Share. He Dubbed Me An M.D.,

And Said I Had Beat Mr Cophagus Already,  For He Had Never Taken A

Physician'S Fee.

"I Cannot Understand It,  Timothy," Said I,  After A Few Minutes' Thought.

"I Can," Replied Timothy. "She Has Looked In at The Window Until She Has

Fallen In Love With Your Handsome Face; That'S It,  Depend Upon It." As I

Could Find No Other Cause,  And Tim'S Opinion Was Backed By My Own

Vanity,  I Imagined That Such Must Be The Case. "Yes,  'Tis So," Continued

Timothy,  "As The Saying Is,  There'S Money Bid For You."

"I Wish That It Had Not Been By So Ill-Favoured A Person,  At All Events,

Tim," Replied I; "I Cannot Return Her Affection."

"Never Mind That,  So Long As You Don'T Return The Money."

The Next Evening She Made Her Appearance,  Bought,  As Before,  A Bottle Of

Camphor Julep--Sent Timothy Home With It,  And Asking My Advice,  Paid Me

Another Guinea.

"Really,  Madam," Said I,  Putting It Back Towards Her,  "I Am Not Entitled

To It."

"Yes,  You Are," Replied She. "I Know You Have No Friends,  And I Also

Know That You Deserve Them. You Must Purchase Books,  You Must Study,  Or

You Never Will Be A Great Man." She Then Sat Down,  Entered Into

Conversation,  And I Was Struck With The Fire And Vigour Of The Remarks,

Which Were Uttered In Such A Melodious Tone.

Her Visits,  During A Month,  Were Frequent,  And Every Time Did She Press

Upon Me A Fee. Although Not In Love With Her Person,  I Certainly Felt

Very Grateful,  And Moreover Was Charmed With The Superiority Of Her

Mind. We Were Now On The Most Friendly And Confiding Terms. One Evening

She Said To Me,  "Japhet,  We Have Now Been Friends Some Time. Can I Trust

You?"

"With Your Life,  If It Were Necessary," Replied I.

"I Believe It," Said She. "Then Can You Leave The Shop And Come To Me

To-Morrow Evening?"

"Yes,  If You Will Send Your Maid For Me,  Saying That You Are Not Well."

"I Will,  At Eight O'Clock. Farewell,  Then,  Till To-Morrow."

     My Vanity Receives A Desperate Wound,  But My Heart Remains

     Unscathed--An Anomaly In Woman,  One Who Despises Beauty.

The Next Evening I Left Timothy In charge,  And Repaired To Her House; It

Was Very Respectable In Outward Appearance,  As Well As Its Furniture. I

Was Not,  However,  Shown Up Into The First Floor,  But Into The Room

Below.

"Miss Judd Will Come Directly,  Sir," Said A Tall,  Meagre,

Puritanical-Looking Maid,  Shutting The Door Upon Me. In a Few Minutes,

During Which My Pulse Beat Quick (For I Could Not But Expect Some

Disclosure; Whether It Was To Be One Of Love Or Murder,  I Hardly Knew

Which),  Miss Aramathea Judd,  For Such Was Her Christian Name,  Made Her

Appearance,  And Sitting Down On The Sofa,  Requested Me To Take A Seat By

Her.

"Mr Newland," Said She,  "I Wish To--And I Think I Can Entrust You With A

Secret Most Important To Me. Why I Am Obliged To Do It,  You Will

Perfectly Comprehend When You Have Heard My Story. Tell Me,  Are You

Attached To Me?"

This Was A Home Question To A Forward Lad Of Sixteen. I Took Her By The

Hand,  And When I Looked Down On It,  I Felt As If I Was. I Looked Up Into

Her Face,  And Felt That I Was Not. And,  As I Now Was Close To Her,  I

Perceived That She Must Have Some Aromatic Drug In Her Mouth,  As It

Smelt Strongly--This Gave Me The Supposition That The Breath Which Drew

Such Melodious Tones,  Was Not Equally Sweet,  And I Felt A Certain

Increased Degree Of Disgust.

"I Am Very Grateful,  Miss Judd," Replied I; "I Hope I Shall Prove That I

Am Attached When You Confide In Me."

"Swear Then,  By All That'S Sacred,  You Will Not Reveal What I Do

Confide."

"By All That'S Sacred I Will Not," Replied I,  Kissing Her Hand With More

Fervour Than I Expected From Myself.

"Do Me Then The Favour To Excuse Me One Minute."

She Left The Room,  And In a Very Short Time,  There Returned,  In The Same

Dress,  And,  In every Other Point The Same Person,  But With A Young And

Lively Face Of Not More,  Apparently,  Than Twenty-Two Or Twenty-Three

Years Old. I Started As If I Had Seen An Apparation. "Yes," Said She,

Smiling,  "You Now See Aramathea Judd Without Disguise; And You Are The

First Who Has Seen That Face For More Than Two Years. Before I Proceed

Further,  Again I Say,  May I Trust You--Swear!"

"I Do Swear," Replied I,  And Took Her Hand For The Book,  Which This Time

I Kissed With Pleasure,  Over And Over Again. Like A Young Jackass As I

Was,  I Still Retained Her Hand,  Throwing As Much Persuasion As I

Possibly Could In My Eyes. In Fact,  I Did Enough To Have Softened The

Hearts Of Three Bonnet-Makers. I Began To Feel Most Dreadfully In Love,

And Thought Of Marriage,  And Making My Fortune,  And I Don'T Know What;

But All This Was Put An End To By One Simple Short Sentence,  Delivered

In A Very Decided But Soft Voice,  "Japhet,  Don'T Be Silly."

I Was Crushed,  And All My Hopes Crushed With Me. I Dropped Her Hand,  And

Sat Like A Fool.

"And Now Hear Me. I Am,  As You Must Have Already Found Out,  An Impostor;

That Is,  I Am What Is Called A Religious Adventuress--A New Term,  I

Grant,  And Perhaps Only Applicable To A Very Few. My Aunt Was

Considered,  By A Certain Sect,  To Be A Great Prophetess,  Which I Hardly

Need Tell You,  Was All Nonsense; Nevertheless,  There Are Hundreds Who

Believed In Her,  And Do So Now. Brought Up With My Aunt,  I Soon Found

Out What Fools And Dupes May Be Made Of Mankind By Taking Advantage Of

Their Credulity. She Had Her Religious Inspirations,  Her Trances,  And

Her Convulsions,  And I Was Always Behind The Scenes: She Confided In Me,

And I May Say That I Was Her Only Confidant. You Cannot,  Therefore,

Wonder At My Practising That Deceit To Which I Have Been Brought Up From

Almost My Infancy. In Person I Am The Exact Counterpart Of What My Aunt

Was At My Age,  Equally So In Figure,  Although My Figure Is Now Disguised

To Resemble That Of A Woman Of Her Age. I Often Had Dressed Myself In My

Aunt'S Clothes,  Put On Her Cap And Front,  And Then The Resemblance Was

Very Striking. My Aunt Fell Sick And Died,  But She Promised The

Disciples That She Would Re-Appear To Them,  And They Believed Her. I Did

Not. She Was Buried,  And By Many Her Return Was Anxiously Expected. It

Occurred To Me About A Week Afterwards That I Might Contrive To Deceive

Them. I Dressed In My Aunt'S Clothes,  I Painted And Disguised My Face As

You Have Seen,  And The Deception Was Complete,  Even To Myself,  As I

Surveyed My Countenance In The Glass. I Boldly Set Off In The Evening To

The Tabernacle,  Which I Knew They Still Frequented--Came Into The Midst

Of Them,  And They Fell Down And Worshipped Me As A Prophetess Risen From

The Dead; Deceived,  Indeed,  By My Appearance,  But Still More Deceived

By Their Own Credulity. For Two Years I Have Been Omnipotent With Them;

But There Is One Difficulty Which Shakes The Faith Of The New Converts,

And New Converts I Must Have,  Japhet,  As The Old Ones Die,  Or I Should

Not Be Able To Fee My Physician. It Is This: By Habit I Can Almost Throw

Myself Into A Stupor Or A Convulsion,  But To Do That Effectually,  To Be

Able To Carry On The Deception For So Long A Time,  And To Undergo The

Severe Fatigue Attending Such Violent Exertion,  It Is Necessary That I

Have Recourse To Stimulants--Do You Understand?"

"I Do," Replied I; "I