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
Material Ripton remarked that they looked like pounds on paper. The
lover roamed through his golden groves. "Lucy Feverel! that sounds
better! I wonder where Ralph is. I should like to help him. He's in
love with my cousin Clare. He'll never do anything till he marries.
No man can. I'm going to do a hundred things when it's over. We
shall travel first. I want to see the Alps. One doesn't know what
the earth is till one has seen the Alps. What a delight it will be
to her! I fancy I see her eyes gazing up at them.
'And oh, your dear blue eyes, that heavenward glance
With kindred beauty, banished humbleness,
Past weeping for mortality's distress--
Yet from your soul a tear hangs there in trance,
And fills, but does not fall;
Softly I hear it call
At heaven's gate, till Sister Seraphs press
To look on you their old love from the skies:
Those are the eyes of Seraphs bright on your blue eyes!'
Beautiful! These lines, Rip, were written by a man who was once a
friend of my father's. I intend to find him and make them friends
again. You don't care for poetry. It's no use your trying to swallow
it, Rip!"
"It sounds very nice," said Ripton, modestly shutting his mouth.
"The Alps! Italy! Rome! and then I shall go to the East," the hero
continued. "She's ready to go anywhere with me, the dear brave
heart! Oh, the glorious golden East! I dream of the desert. I dream
I'm chief of an Arab tribe, and we fly all white in the moonlight on
our mares, and hurry to the rescue of my darling! And we push the
spears, and we scatter them, and I come to the tent where she
crouches, and catch her to my saddle, and away!--Rip! what a life!"
Ripton strove to imagine he could enjoy it.
"And then we shall come home, and I shall lead Austin's life, with
her to help me. First be virtuous, Rip! and then serve your country
heart and soul. A wise man told me that. I think I shall do
something."
Sunshine and cloud, cloud and sunshine, passed over the lover. Now
life was a narrow ring; now the distances extended, were winged,
flew illimitably. An hour ago and food was hateful. Now he manfully
refreshed his nature, and joined in Algernon's encomiums on Miss
Letitia Thompson.
Meantime Beauty slept, watched by the veteran volunteer of the
hero's band. Lucy awoke from dreams which seemed reality, to the
reality which was a dream. She awoke calling for some friend,
"Margaret!" and heard one say, "My name is Bessy Berry, my love! not
Margaret." Then she asked piteously where she was, and where was
Margaret, her dear friend, and Mrs. Berry whispered, "Sure you've
got a dearer!"
"Ah!" sighed Lucy, sinking on her pillow, overwhelmed by the
strangeness of her state.
Mrs. Berry closed the frill of her nightgown and adjusted the
bedclothes quietly.
Her name was breathed.
"Yes, my love?" she said.
"Is he here?"
"He's gone, my dear."
"Gone?--Oh, where?" The young girl started up in disorder.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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