The Adventures of Harry Richmond — CompleteMeredith, George
General
The Adventures of Harry Richmond — Complete
Meredith, George
Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction
The gipsies had made an appointment to deliver me over to my aunt;
Farmer Eckerthy had spoken of me to my grandfather; the tramp had
fetched Mr. Rippenger on the scene. Rippenger paid the tramp, I dare
say; my grandfather paid Rippenger's bill and for Saddlebank's goose;
my aunt paid the gipsies, and I think it doubtful that they handed the
tramp a share, so he came to the end of his list of benefits from not
asking questions.
I returned to Riversley more of a man than most boys of my age, and
more of a child. A small child would not have sulked as I did at
Kiomi's behaviour; but I met my grandfather's ridiculous politeness
with a man's indifference.
'So you're back, sir, are you!'
'I am, sir.'
'Ran like a hare, 'stead of a fox, eh?'
'I didn't run like either, sir.'
'Do you ride?'
'Yes, sir; a horse.'
That was his greeting and how I took it. I had not run away from him,
so I had a quiet conscience.
He said, shortly after, 'Look here; your name is Harry Richmond in my
house—do you understand? My servants have orders to call you Master
Harry Richmond, according to your christening. You were born here, sir,
you will please to recollect. I'll have no vagabond names here'—he
puffed himself hot, muttering, 'Nor vagabond airs neither.'
I knew very well what it meant. A sore spirit on my father's behalf
kept me alive to any insult of him; and feeling that we were
immeasurably superior to the Beltham blood, I merely said, apart to old
Sewis, shrugging my shoulders, 'The squire expects me to recollect
where I was born. I'm not likely to forget his nonsense.'
Sewis, in reply, counselled me to direct a great deal of my attention
to the stables, and drink claret with the squire in the evening, things
so little difficult to do that I moralized reflectively, 'Here's a way
of gaining a relative's affection!' The squire's punctilious regard for
payments impressed me, it is true. He had saved me from the disgrace of
owing money to my detested schoolmaster; and, besides, I was under his
roof, eating of his bread. My late adventurous life taught me that I
incurred an obligation by it. Kiomi was the sole victim of my anger
that really seemed to lie down to be trampled on, as she deserved for
her unpardonable treachery.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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