Japhet, In Search Of A Father Part 1 by Frederick Marryat (read people like a book .TXT) 📕

But You Are Not Partial To Blondes,  I Believe?"

"Indeed,  Lady Maelstrom,  I Infinitely Prefer The Blonde To The

Brunette."

"That Proves Your Taste,  Mr Newland. The Fairfaxes Are Of A Very Old

Family--Saxon,  Mr Newland. Fair-Fax Is Saxon For Light Hair. Is It Not

Remarkable That They Should Be Blondes To This Day? Pure Blood,  Mr

Newland. You,  Of Course,  Have Heard Of General Fairfax,  In The Time Of

Cromwell. He Was Their Direct Ancestor--An Excellent Family And Highly

Connected,  Mr Newland. You Are Aware That They Are My Nieces. My Sister

Married Mr Fairfax."

I Paid The Misses Fairfax The Compliments Which I Thought They Really

Deserved,  For They Were Very Pretty Amiable Girls,  And Required No

Puffing On The Part Of Her Ladyship; And Then I Commenced. "Your

Ladyship Has Expressed Such Kind Wishes Towards Me,  That I Cannot Be

Sufficiently Grateful,  But,  Perhaps,  Your Ladyship May Think Me

Romantic,  I Am Resolved Never To Marry,  Except For Love."

"A Very Excellent Resolve,  Mr Newland; There Are Few Young Men Who Care

About Love Now-A-Days,  But I Consider That Love Is A Great Security For

Happiness In The Wedded State."

"True,  Madam,  And What Can Be More Delightful Than A First Attachment? I

Appeal To Your Ladyship,  Was Not Your First Attachment The Most

Delightful--Are Not The Reminiscences Most Lasting--Do You Not,  Even

Now,  Call To Mind Those Halcyon Days When Love Was All And Every Thing?"

"My Days Of Romance Are Long Past,  Mr Newland," Replied Her Ladyship;

"Indeed I Never Had Much Romance In My Composition. I Married Lord

Maelstrom For The Connection,  And I Loved Him Pretty Well,  That Is,

Soberly,  Mr Newland. I Mean,  I Loved Him Quite Enough To Marry Him,  And

To Obey My Parents,  That Is All."

"But,  My Dear Lady Maelstrom,  I Did Not Refer To Your Marriage With His

Lordship; I Referred To Your First Love."

"My First Love,  Mr Newland; Pray What Do You Mean?" Replied Her

Ladyship,  Looking Very Hard At Me.

"Your Ladyship Need Not Be Ashamed Of It. Our Hearts Are Not In Our Own

Keeping,  Nor Can We Always Control Our Passions. I Have But To Mention

The Name Of Warrender."

"Warrender!" Shrieked Her Ladyship. "Pray,  Mr Newland," Continued Her

Ladyship,  Recovering Herself,  "Who Gave You That Piece Of Information?"

"My Dear Lady Maelstrom,  Pray Do Not Be Displeased With Me,  But I Am

Very Particularly Interested In This Affair. Your Love For Mr Warrender,

Long Before Your Marriage,  Is Well Known To Me; And It Is To That Love,

To Which I Referred,  When I Asked You If It Was Not Most Delightful."

"Well,  Mr Newland," Replied Her Ladyship,  "How You Have Obtained The

Knowledge I Know Not,  But There Was,  I Acknowledge,  A Trifling

Flirtation With Edward Warrender And Me--But I Was Young,  Very Young At

That Time."

"I Grant It,  And Do Not,  For A Moment,  Imagine That I Intend To Blame

Your Ladyship; But,  As I Before Said,  Madam,  I Am Much Interested In The

Business."

"What Interest You Can Have With A Little Flirtation Of Mine,  Which Took

Place Before You Were Born,  I Cannot Imagine,  Mr Newland."

"It Is Because It Took Place Before I Was Born,  That I Feel So Much

Interest."

"I Cannnot Understand You,  Mr Newland,  And I Think We Had Better Change

The Subject."

"Excuse Me,  Madam,  But I Must Request To Continue It A Little Longer. Is

Mr Warrender Dead,  Or Not? Did He Die In The West Indies?"

"You Appear To Be Very Curious On This Subject,  Mr Newland; I Hardly Can

Tell. Yes,  Now I Recollect,  He Did Die Of The Yellow Fever,  I Think--But

I Have Quite Forgotten All About It--And I Shall Answer No More

Questions; If You Were Not A Favourite Of Mine,  Mr Newland,  I Should

Say That You Were Very Impertinent."

"Then,  Your Ladyship,  I Will Put But One More Question,  And That One I

Must Put,  With Your Permission."

"I Should Think,  After What I Have Said,  Mr Newland,  That You Might Drop

The Subject."

"I Will,  Your Ladyship,  Immediately; But,  Pardon Me,  The Question--"

"Well,  Mr Newland--?"

"Do Not Be Angry With Me--"

"Well?" Exclaimed Her Ladyship,  Who Appeared Alarmed.

"Nothing But The Most Important And Imperative Reasons Could Induce Me

To Ask The Question" (Her Ladyship Gasped For Breath,  And Could Not

Speak),  I Stammered,  But At Last I Brought It Out. "What Has Become

Of--Of--Of The Sweet Pledge Of Your Love,  Lady Maelstrom?"

Her Ladyship Coloured Up With Rage,  Raised Up Her Clenched Hand,  And

Then Fell Back In Violent Hysterics.

     I Repair The Damage,  And Make Things Worse--Plot And

     Counterplot--Tim Gains A Watch By Setting Watch Upon His Tongue.

I Hardly Knew How To Act--If I Called The Servants,  My Interview Would

Be At An End,  And I Was Resolved To Find Out The Truth--For The Same

Reason,  I Did Not Like To Ring For Water. Some Vases With Flowers Were

On The Table; I Took Out The Flowers,  And Threw The Water In Her Face,

But They Had Been In The Water Some Time,  And Had Discoloured It Green.

Her Ladyship'S Dress Was A High Silk Gown,  Of A Bright Slate Colour,  And

Was Immediately Spoiled; But This Was No Time To Stand Upon Trifles. I

Seized Hold Of A Glass Bottle,  Fancying,  In My Hurry,  It Was _Eau De

Cologne_,  Or Some Essence,  And Poured A Little Into Her Mouth;

Unfortunately,  It Was A Bottle Of Marking Ink,  Which Her Ladyship,  Who

Was Very Economical,  Had On The Table In disguise. I Perceived My

Error,  And Had Recourse To Another Vase Of Flowers,  Pouring A Large

Quantity Of The Green Water Down Her Throat. Whether The Unusual

Remedies Had An Effect Or Not,  I Cannot Tell,  But Her Ladyship Gradually

Revived,  And,  As She Leant Back On The Sofa,  Sobbing,  Every Now And

Then,  Convulsively,  I Poured Into Her Ear A Thousand Apologies,  Until I

Thought She Was Composed Enough To Listen To Me.

"Your Ladyship'S Maternal Feelings," Said I.

"It'S All A Calumny! A Base Lie,  Sir!" Shrieked She.

"Nay,  Nay,  Why Be Ashamed Of A Youthful Passion; Why Deny What Was In

Itself Creditable To Your Unsophisticated Mind. Does Not Your Heart,

Even Now,  Yearn To Embrace Your Son--Will Not You Bless Me,  If I Bring

Him To Your Feet--Will Not You Bless Your Son,  And Receive Him With

Delight?"

"It Was A Girl," Screamed Her Ladyship,  Forgetting Herself,  And Again

Falling Into Hysterics.

"A Girl!" Replied I,  "Then I Have Lost My Time,  And It Is No Use My

Remaining Here."

Mortified At The Intelligence Which Overthrew My Hopes And Castle

Buildings,  I Seized My Hat,  Descended The Stairs,  And Quitted The House;

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