Japhet, In Search Of A Father Part 1, Frederick Marryat [best non fiction books of all time .txt] 📗
- Author: Frederick Marryat
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And Bosom Friend, That I Really Believe, Partial As He Was To Me, He
Wished My Father At The Devil.
Our Shop Was Well Appointed With All That Glare And Glitter With Which
We Decorate The "_House Of Call_" Of Disease And Death. Being Situated
In Such A Thoroughfare, Passengers Would Stop To Look In, And
Ragged-Vested, And In Other Garments Still More Ragged, Little Boys
Would Stand To Stare At The Variety Of Colours, And The 'Pottecary
Gentleman, Your Humble Servant, Who Presided Over So Many
Labelled-In-Gold Phalanxes Which Decorated The Sides Of The Shop.
Among Those Who Always Stopped And Gazed As She Passed By, Which Was
Generally Three Or Four Times A Day, Was A Well-Dressed Female,
Apparently About Forty Years Of Age, Straight As An Arrow, With An
Elasticity Of Step, And A Decision In Her Manner Of Walking, Which Was
Almost Masculine, Although Her Form, Notwithstanding That It Was Tall
And Thin, Was Extremely Feminine And Graceful. Sometimes She Would Fix
Her Eyes Upon Me, And There Was A Wildness In Her Looks, Which Certainly
Gave A Painful Impression, And At The Same Time So Fascinated Me, That
When I Met Her Gaze, The Paper Which Contained The Powder Remained
Unfolded, And The Arm Which Was Pouring Out The Liquid Suspended.
She Was Often Remarked By Timothy, As Well As Me; And We Further
Observed, That Her Step Was Not Equal Throughout The Day. In Her Latter
Peregrinations, Towards The Evening, Her Gait Was More Vigorous, But
Unequal, At The Same Time That Her Gaze Was More Stedfast. She Usually
Passed The Shop For The Last Time Each Day, About Five O'Clock In The
Afternoon.
One Evening, After We Had Watched Her Past, As We Supposed, To Return No
More Till The Ensuing Morning, For This Peeping In, On Her Part, Had
Become An Expected Occurrence, And Afforded Much Amusement To Timothy,
Who Designated Her As The "Mad Woman," To Our Great Surprise, And To The
Alarm Of Timothy, Who Sprang Over The Counter, And Took A Position By My
Side, She Walked Into The Shop. Her Eye Appeared Wild, As Usual, But I
Could Not Make Out That It Was Insanity. I Recovered My
Self-Possession, And Desired Timothy To Hand The Lady A Chair, Begging
To Know In What Way I Could Be Useful. Timothy Walked Round By The End
Of The Counter, Pushed A Chair Near To Her, And Then Made A Hasty
Retreat To His Former Position. She Declined The Chair With A Motion Of
Her Hand, In Which There Was Much Dignity, As Well As Grace, And Placing
Upon The Counter Her Hands, Which Were Small And Beautifully White, She
Bent Forwards Towards Me, And Said, In a Sweet, Low Voice, Which
Actually Startled Me By Its Depth Of Melody, "I Am Very Ill."
My Astonishment Increased. Why, I Know Not, Because The Exceptions Are
Certainly As Many As The General Rule, We Always Form An Estimate Of The
Voice Before We Hear It, From The Outward Appearance Of The Speaker; And
Part 1 Chapter 4 Pg 17When I Looked Up In Her Face, Which Was Now Exposed To The Glare Of The
Argand Lamp, And Witnessed The Cadaverous, Pale, Chalky Expression On
It, And The Crow'S Feet Near The Eyes, And Wrinkles On Her Forehead, I
Should Have Sooner Expected To Have Heard A Burst Of Heavenly Symphony
From A Thunder-Cloud, Than Such Music As Issued From Her Parted Lips.
"Good Heavens, Madam!" Said I Eagerly And Respectfully, "Allow Me To
Send For Mr Cophagus."
"By No Means," Replied She. "I Come To You. I Am Aware," Continued She
In An Undertone, "That You Dispense Medicines, Give Advice, And Receive
Money Yourself."
I Felt Very Much Agitated, And The Blush Of Detection Mounted Up To My
Forehead. Timothy, Who Heard What She Said, Showed His Uneasiness In a
Variety Of Grotesque Ways. He Drew Up His Legs Alternately, As If He
Were Dancing On Hot Plates; He Slapped His Pockets, Grinned, Clenched
His Fists, Ground His Teeth, And Bit His Lips Till He Made The Blood
Come. At Last He Sidled Up To Me, "She Has Been Peeping And Screwing
Those Eyes Of Her'S Into This Shop For Something. It'S All Up With Both
Of Us, Unless You Can Buy Her Off."
"I Have, Madam," Said I, At Last, "Ventured To Prescribe In Some Trivial
Cases, And, As You Say, Received Money When My Master Is Not Here; But I
Am Entrusted With The Till."
"I Know--I Know--You Need Not Fear Me. You Are Too Modest. What I Would
Request Is, That You Would Prescribe For Me, As I Have No Great Opinion
Of Your Master'S Talents."
"If You Wish It, Madam," Said I, Bowing Respectfully.
"You Have Camphor Julep Ready Made Up, Have You Not?"
"Yes, Madam," Replied I.
"Then Do Me The Favour To Send The Boy With A Bottle To My House
Directly." I Handed Down The Bottle, She Paid For It, And Putting It
Into Timothy'S Hands, Desired Him To Take It To The Direction Which She
Gave Him. Timothy Put On His Hat, Cocked His Eye At Me, And Left Us
Alone.
"What Is Your Name?" Said She, In The Same Melodious Voice.
"Japhet Newland, Madam," Replied I.
"Japhet--It Is A Good, A Scriptural Name," Said The Lady, Musirg In Half
Soliloquy. "Newland--That Sounds Of Mammon."
"This Mystery Is Unravelled," Thought I, And I Was Right In My
Conjectures. "She Is Some Fanatical Methodist;" But I Looked At Her
Again, And Her Dress Disclaimed The Idea, For In It There Was Much Taste
Displayed.
Part 1 Chapter 4 Pg 18
"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
Part 1 Chapter 4 Pg 19Camphor 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."
Part 1 Chapter 5 Pg 20
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
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