The Ordeal of Richard Feverel: A History of a Father and SonMeredith, George
General
The Ordeal of Richard Feverel: A History of a Father and Son
Meredith, George
Domestic fiction; England -- Fiction; Fathers and sons -- Fiction
The flow of their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of
passengers at a station. Richard examined their faces with pleasure.
All faces pleased him. Human nature sat tributary at the feet of him
and his Golden Bride. As he could not well talk his thoughts before
them, he looked out at the windows, and enjoyed the changing
landscape, projecting all sorts of delights for his old friend
Ripton, and musing hazily on the wondrous things he was to do in the
world; of the great service he was to be to his fellow-creatures. In
the midst of his reveries he was landed in London. Tom Bakewell
stood at the carriage door. A glance told Richard that his squire
had something curious on his mind, and he gave Tom the word to
speak out. Tom edged his master out of hearing, and began sputtering
a laugh.
"Dash'd if I can help it, sir!" he said. "That young Tom! He've come
to town dressed that spicy! and he don't know his way about no more
than a stag. He's come to fetch somebody from another rail, and he
don't know how to get there, and he ain't sure about which rail
'tis. Look at him, Mr. Richard! There he goes."
Young Tom appeared to have the weight of all London on his beaver.
"Who has he come for?" Richard asked.
"Don't you know, sir? You don't like me to mention the name,"
mumbled Tom, bursting to be perfectly intelligible.
"Is it for her, Tom?"
"Miss Lucy, sir."
Richard turned away, and was seized by Hippias, who begged him to
get out of the noise and pother, and caught hold of his slack arm to
bear him into a conveyance; but Richard, by wheeling half to the
right, or left, always got his face round to the point where young
Tom was manoeuvring to appear at his ease. Even when they were
seated in the conveyance, Hippias could not persuade him to drive
off. He made the excuse that he did not wish to start till there was
a clear road. At last young Tom cast anchor by a policeman, and,
doubtless at the official's suggestion, bashfully took seat in a
cab, and was shot into the whirlpool of London. Richard then angrily
asked his driver what he was waiting for.
"Are you ill, my boy?" said Hippias. "Where's your colour?"
He laughed oddly, and made a random answer that he hoped the fellow
would drive fast.
"I hate slow motion after being in the railway," he said.
Hippias assured him there was something the matter with him.
"Nothing, uncle! nothing!" said Richard, looking fiercely candid.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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