Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral Tales — John Shaqi
Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral TalesEdgeworth, Maria
General
Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral Tales
Edgeworth, Maria
Fiction
formerly was the object of his admiration; and he was persuaded that he
should be much happier at the gardener's cottage than he could ever be
at Dr. Campbell's house.
"I am not fit," said he to himself, "to live amongst _idle gentlemen_
and _ladies_; I should be happy if I were a useful member of society;
a gardener is a useful member of society, and I will be a gardener, and
live with gardeners."
Forester threw off the clothes which he had worn the preceding night at
the fatal ball, dressed himself in his old coat, tied up a small bundle
of linen, and took the road to the gardener's.
BREAKFAST.
When Henry found that Forester was not in his room in the morning, he
concluded that he had rambled out towards Salisbury Craigs, whither he
talked the preceding day of going to botanize.
"I am surprised," said Dr. Campbell, "that the young gentleman is out
so early, for I have a notion that he has not had much sleep since we
parted, unless he walks in his sleep, for he has been walking over my
poor head half the night."
Breakfast went on--no Forester appeared. Lady Catherine began to fear
that he had broken his neck upon Salisbury Craigs, and related all the
falls she had ever had, or had ever been near having, in carriages,
on horseback, or otherwise. She then entered into the geography of
Salisbury Craigs, and began to dispute upon the probability of his
having fallen to the east or to the west.
"My dear Lady Catherine," said Dr. Campbell, "we are not sure that he
has been upon Salisbury Craigs; whether he has fallen to the east or to
the west, we cannot, therefore, conveniently settle."
But Lady Catherine, whose prudential imagination travelled fast, went on
to inquire of Dr. Campbell, to whom the great Forester estate would
go in case of any accident having happened or happening to the young
gentleman before he should come of age.
Dr. Campbell was preparing to give her ladyship satisfaction upon this
point, when a servant put a letter into his hands. Henry looked in great
anxiety. Dr. Campbell glanced his eye over the letter, put it into
his pocket, and desired the servant to show the person who brought the
letter into his study.
"It's only a little boy," said Archibald; "I saw him as I passed through
the hall."
"Cannot a little boy go into my study?" said Dr. Campbell, coolly.
Archibald's curiosity was strongly excited, and he slipped out of the
room a few minutes afterward, resolved to speak to the boy, and to
discover the purpose of his embassy. But Dr. Campbell was behind him
before he was aware of his approach, and just as Archibald began to
cross-examine the boy in these words, "So you came from a young man who
is about my size?" Dr. Campbell put both his hands upon his shoulders,
saying, "He came from a young man who does not in the least resemble
you, believe me, Mr. Archibald Mackenzie."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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