The Caxtons: A Family Picture — Volume 11Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
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The Caxtons: A Family Picture — Volume 11
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
English fiction -- 19th century; Families -- Fiction
"Yes, yes, you are right there; and a deuced unlucky speculation it
proved too. But I was overruled by that fellow Peck. Says I to him,
says I, "Capitalist"!--pshaw! no popular interest there; it don't address
the great public! Very confined class the capitalists, better throw
ourselves boldly on the people. Yes,' said I, 'call it the "Anti-
Capitalist."' By Jove! sir, we should have carried all before us! but I
was overruled. The 'Anti-Capitalist'!--what an idea! Address the whole
reading world, there, sir: everybody hates the capitalist--everybody
would have his neighbor's money. The 'Anti-Capitalist'!--sir, we should
have gone off, in the manufacturing towns, like wildfire. But what could
I do?--"
"John Tibbets," said my father, solemnly, "Capitalist 'or' Anti-
Capitalist,' thou hadst a right to follow thine own bent in either,--but
always provided it had been with thine own money. Thou seest not the
thing, John Tibbets, in the right point of view; and a little repentance
in the face of those thou hast wronged, would not have misbecome thy
father's son and thy sister's brother!"
Never had so severe a rebuke issued from the mild lips of Austin Caxton;
and I raised my eyes with a compassionate thrill, expecting to see John
Tibbets gradually sink and disappear through the carpet.
"Repentance!" cried Uncle Jack, bounding up as if ha had been shot. "And
do you think I have a heart of stone, of pumice-stone? Do you think I
don't repent? I have done nothing but repent; I shall repent to my dying
day."
"Then there is no more to be said, Jack," cried my father, softening, and
holding out his hand.
"Yes!" cried Mr. Tibbets, seizing the hand and pressing it to the heart
he had thus defended from the suspicion of being pumice, "yes,--that I
should have trusted that dunderheaded, rascally curmudgeon Peck; that I
should have let him call it 'The Capitalist,' despite all my convictions,
when the Anti--'"
"Pshaw!" interrupted my father, drawing away his hand.
"John," said my mother, gravely, and with tears in her voice, "you forget
who delivered you from prison; you forget whom you have nearly consigned
to prison yourself; you forg--"
"Hush, hush!" said my father, "this will never do; and it is you who
forget, my dear, the obligations I owe to Jack. He has reduced my
fortune one half, it is true; but I verily think he has made the three
hearts, in which he my real treasures, twice as large as they were
before. Pisistratus, my boy, ring the bell."
"My dear Kitty," cried Jack, whimperingly, and stealing up to my mother,
"don't be so hard on me; I thought to make all your fortunes,--I did
indeed."
Here the servant entered.
"See that Mr. Tibbets's things are taken up to his room, and that there
is a good fire," said my father.
"And," continued Jack, loftily, "I will, make all your fortunes yet. I
have it here!" and he struck his head.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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