Black humor; Country life -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Scotland -- Fiction
father's wrath upon me in great abundance, and occasioned my being
banished to Scotland, along with my brother, under a very poor
allowance, without introductions, except to one steady, or call it
rusty, old Professor, and with the charge that I should not assume
the title of Lord Oakendale, but content myself with my maternal
grandfather's name of Valentine Bulmer, that of Francis Tyrrel being
pre-occupied.
"Upon this occasion, notwithstanding the fear which I entertained of
my father's passionate temper, I did venture to say, that since I
was to resign my title, I thought I had a right to keep my family
name, and that my brother might take his mother's. I wish you had
seen the look of rage with which my father regarded me when I gave
him this spirited hint. 'Thou art,' he said, and paused, as if to
find out the bitterest epithet to supply the blank--'thou art thy
mother's child, and her perfect picture'--(this seemed the severest
reproach that occurred to him.)--'Bear her name then, and bear it
with patience and in secrecy; or, I here give you my word, you shall
never bear another the whole days of your life.' This sealed my
mouth with a witness; and then, in allusion to my flirtation with
the daughter of my Tu---- aforesaid, he enlarged on the folly and
iniquity of private marriages, warned me that in the country I was
going to, the matrimonial noose often lies hid under flowers, and
that folks find it twitched round their neck when they least expect
such a cravat; assured me, that he had very particular views for
settling Francis and me in life, and that he would forgive neither
of us who should, by any such rash entanglements, render them
unavailing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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