Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral TalesEdgeworth, Maria
General
Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral Tales
Edgeworth, Maria
Fiction
Angelina coloured so deeply whilst this was reading, and the description
so exactly suited with her appearance, that the farmer's wife stopped
short; the farmer fixed his eyes upon her; and Mr. Evans cleared his
throat several times with much significance.--A general silence ensued;
at last the three heads nodded to one another across the round table;
the farmer whistled and walked out of the room; his wife fidgeted at a
buffet, in which she began to arrange some cups and saucers; and, after
a few minutes, she followed her husband. Angelina took up the newspaper,
to read the remainder of the advertisement. She could not doubt that it
was meant for her, when she saw that it was dated the very day of her
arrival at the inn at Cardiffe, and signed by the landlady of the
inn, Mrs. Hoel. Mr. Evans swallowed the remainder of his ale, and then
addressed Angelina in these words:--
"Young lady, it is plain to see you know when the cap fits: now, if
you'll take my advice, you'll not make the match you have in your eye;
for, though a lord's son, he is a great gambler. I dined with one that
has dined with him not long ago. My son, who has a living near Bristol,
knows a great deal--more about you than you'd think; and 'tis my advice
to you, which I wouldn't be at the trouble of giving, if you were not as
pretty as you are, to go back to your relations; for he'll never marry
you, and marriage to be sure is your object. I have no more to say,
but only this--I shall think it my duty, as a magistrate, to let
your friends know as soon as possible where you are, coming under
my cognizance as you do; for a vagabond, in the eye of the law, is a
person--"
Angelina had not patience to listen to any more of this speech; she
interrupted Mr. Evans with a look of indignation, assured him that he
was perfectly unintelligible to her, and walked out of the room with
great dignity. Her dignity made no impression upon the farmer or his
wife, who now repented having offered her a night's lodging in their
house: in the morning they were as eager to get rid of her as she was
impatient to depart. Mr. Evans insisted upon seeing her safe home,
evidently for the purpose of discovering precisely where she lived.
Angelina saw that she could no longer remain undisturbed in her retreat,
and determined to set out immediately in quest of her unknown friend
at Bristol.--Betty Williams, who had a strong desire to have a jaunt to
Bristol, a town which she had never seen but once in her life, offered
to attend Miss Warwick, assuring her that she perfectly well knew the
house where Miss Hodges always lodged. Her offer was accepted; and what
adventures our heroine met with in Bristol, and what difficulties she
encountered before she discovered her Araminta, will be seen in the next
chapter.
CHAPTER III.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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