Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral TalesEdgeworth, Maria
General
Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral Tales
Edgeworth, Maria
Fiction
Angelina cast upon him a look of contempt. "He no way fills my idea of a
bard!--an ancient and immortal bard!--He has no soul--fingers without a
soul!--No 'master's hand,' or 'prophet's fire!'--No 'deep sorrows!'--No
'sable garb of woe!'--No loose beard, or hoary hair, 'streaming like a
meteor to the troubled air!'--'No haggard eyes!'--Heigho!"--"It is time
for me to be going," said the harper, who began to think, by the young
lady's looks and manners, that she was not in her right understanding.
"It is time for me to be going; the gentlemen above in the Dolphin will
be ready for me."
"A mere modern harper! He is not even blind," Angelina said to herself,
as he examined the shilling which she gave him. "Begone, for Heaven's
sake!" added she, aloud, as he left the room;--and "leave me, leave
me to repose." She threw up the sash, to taste the evening air; but
scarcely had she begun to repeat a sonnet to her Araminta--scarcely had
she repeated the first two lines--
"Hail, far-famed, fairest, unknown friend,
Our sacred silent sympathy of soul,"
when a little ragged Welsh boy, who was playing with his companions, in
a field at the back of Cardifie Inn, espied her, gave the signal to his
playfellows, and immediately they all came running up to the window at
which Angelina was standing, and with one loud shrill chorus of "Gi'
me ha'penny!--Gi' me ha'penny!--Gi' me one ha'penny!" interrupted
the sonnet, Angelina threw out some money to the boys, though she was
provoked by their interruption: her donation was, in the true spirit of
a heroine, much greater than the occasion required and the consequence
was, that these urchins, by spreading the fame of her generosity through
the town of Cardiffe, collected a Lilliputian mob of petitioners, who
assailed Angelina with fresh vehemence. Not a moment's peace, not a
moment for poetry or reverie would they allow her: so that she was
impatient for her chaise to come to the door. Her Araminta's cottage
was but six miles distant from Cardiffe; and to speak in due sentimental
language, every moment that delayed her long-expected interview with her
beloved unknown friend, appeared to her an age.
"And what would you be pleased to have for supper, ma'am?" said the
landlady. "We have fine Tenby oysters, ma'am; and, if you'd like a Welsh
rabbit--"
"Tenby oysters!--Welsh rabbits!" repeated Angelina, in a disdainful
tone. "Oh, detain me not in this cruel manner!--I want no Tenby oysters,
I want no Welsh rabbits; only let me be gone--I am all impatience to
see a dear friend. Oh, if you have any feeling, any humanity, detain me
not!" cried she, clasping her hands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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