Great Britain -- Social conditions -- 19th century -- Fiction
“What! do you really think all your kindness has been wasted on me? Why,
sir, if a thousand pounds lay there I would not stretch out my hand to
take one that did not belong to me. How ungrateful you must think me,
and what a fool into the bargain after all my experience!”
“Ungrateful you are not, but you are naturally a fool--a weak, flexible
fool. A man with a tenth of your gifts would lead you by the nose into
temptation. But I warn you if you fall now conscience will prick you
as it never yet has; you will be miserable, and yet though miserable
perhaps will never rise again, for remorse is not penitence.”
Robinson was so hurt at this want of confidence that he said nothing
in reply, and then Mr. Eden felt sorry he had said so much, “for, after
all,” thought he, “these are mere misgivings; by uttering them I only
pain him. I can't make him share them. Let me think what I can do.”
That very day he wrote to Susan Merton. The letter contained the
following: “Thomas Robinson goes to Australia next week. He will get a
ticket-of-leave almost immediately on landing. I am in great anxiety; he
is full of good resolves, but his nature is unstable, yet I should not
fear to trust him anywhere if I could but choose his associates. In
this difficulty I have thought of George Fielding. You know I can read
characters, and though you never summed George up to me, his sayings and
doings reveal him to me. He is a man in whom honesty is engrained. Poor
Robinson with such a companion would be as honest as the day, and a
useful friend, for he is full of resources. Then, dear friend, will you
do a Christian act and come to our aid. I want you to write a note to
Mr. Fielding and let this poor fellow take it to him. Armed with this
my convert will not be shy of approaching the honest man, and the exile
will not hate me for this trick--will he? I send you inclosed the poor
clever fool's life written by himself and printed by my girls. Read it
and tell me are we wrong in making every effort to save such a man?”
etc.
By return of post came a reply from Susan Merton, full of pity for
Robinson and affectionate zeal to co-operate in any way with her friend.
Inclosed was a letter addressed to George Fielding, the envelope not
closed. Mr. Eden slipped in a banknote and a very small envelope and
closed it, placed it in a larger envelope, sealed that and copied the
first address on its cover.
He now gave Robinson more of his time than ever and seemed to cling to
him with almost a motherly apprehension. Robinson noticed it and felt
it very, very much, and his joy at getting out of prison oozed away more
and more as the day drew near.
That day came at last. Robinson was taken by Evans to the chaplain's
room to bid him farewell. He found him walking about the room in deep
thought. “Robinson, when you are thousands of miles from me bear this in
mind, that if you fall again you will break my heart.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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