Pelham — CompleteLytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
History
Pelham — Complete
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
Adventure stories; English fiction -- 19th century; Great Britain -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
“The morning after the night you saw me, I left my abode. I went to
London, and attempted to methodize my plans of vengeance. The first
thing to discover was Tyrrell’s present residence. By accident I heard
he was at Paris, and, within two hours of receiving the intelligence, I
set off for that city. On arriving there, the habits of the gambler
soon discovered him to my search. I saw him one night at a hell. He was
evidently in distressed circumstances, and the fortune of the table
was against him. Unperceived by him, I feasted my eyes on his changing
countenance, as those deadly and wearing transitions of feeling, only to
be produced by the gaming-table, passed over it. While I gazed upon him,
a thought of more exquisite and refined revenge than had yet occurred to
me flashed upon my mind. Occupied with the ideas it gave rise to, I went
into the adjoining room, which was quite empty. There I seated myself,
and endeavoured to develop more fully the rude and imperfect outline of
my scheme.
“The arch tempter favoured me with a trusty coadjutor in my designs. I
was lost in a revery, when I heard myself accosted by name. I looked
up, and beheld a man whom I had often seen with Tyrrell, both at Spa and
(the watering place, where, with Gertrude, I had met Tyrrell). He was a
person of low birth and character; but esteemed, from his love of
coarse humour and vulgar enterprise, a man of infinite parts--a sort
of Yorick--by the set most congenial to Tyrrell’s tastes. By this undue
reputation, and the levelling habit of gaming, to which he was addicted,
he was raised, in certain societies, much above his proper rank: need I
say that this man was Thornton? I was but slightly acquainted with
him; however, he accosted me cordially, and endeavoured to draw me into
conversation.
“‘Have you seen Tyrrell?’ said he, ‘he is at it again; what’s bred in
the bone, you know, etc.’ I turned pale with the mention of Tyrrell’s
name, and replied very laconically, to what purpose I forget. ‘Ah! ah!’
rejoined Thornton, eying me with an air of impertinent familiarity,
‘I see you have not forgiven him; he played you but a shabby trick at
------; seduced your mistress, or something of that sort; he told me all
about it: pray, how is the poor girl now?’
“I made no reply; I sank down and gasped for breath. All I had suffered
seemed nothing to the indignity I then endured. She--she--who had once
been my pride--my honour--life--to be thus spoken of--and--. I could not
pursue the idea. I rose hastily, looked at Thornton with a glance which
might have abashed a man less shameless and callous than himself, and
left the room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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