The Ordeal of Richard Feverel: A History of a Father and SonMeredith, George
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The Ordeal of Richard Feverel: A History of a Father and Son
Meredith, George
Domestic fiction; England -- Fiction; Fathers and sons -- Fiction
Now the baronet had so far compromised between the recurrence of his
softer feelings and the suggestions of his new familiar, that he had
determined to act toward Richard with justness. The world called it
magnanimity, and even Lady Blandish had some thoughts of the same
kind when she heard that he had decreed to Richard a handsome
allowance, and had scouted Mrs. Doria's proposal for him to contest
the legality of the marriage; but Sir Austin knew well he was simply
just in not withholding money from a youth so situated. And here
again the world deceived him by embellishing his conduct. For what
is it to be just to whom we love! He knew it was not magnanimous,
but the cry of the world somehow fortified him in the conceit that
in dealing perfect justice to his son he was doing all that was
possible, because so much more than common fathers would have done.
He had shut his heart.
Consequently Richard did not want money. What he wanted more, and
did not get, was a word from his father, and though he said nothing
to sadden his young bride, she felt how much it preyed upon him to
be at variance with the man whom, now that he had offended him and
gone against him, he would have fallen on his knees to; the man who
was as no other man to him. She heard him of nights when she lay by
his side, and the darkness, and the broken mutterings, of those
nights clothed the figure of the strange stern man in her mind. Not
that it affected the appetites of the pretty pair. We must not
expect that of Cupid enthroned and in condition; under the influence
of sea-air, too. The files of egg-cups laugh at such an idea. Still
the worm did gnaw them. Judge, then, of their delight when, on this
pleasant morning, as they were issuing from the garden of their
cottage to go down to the sea, they caught sight of Tom Bakewell
rushing up the road with a portmanteau on his shoulders, and, some
distance behind him, discerned Adrian.
"It's all right!" shouted Richard, and ran off to meet him, and
never left his hand till he had hauled him up, firing questions at
him all the way, to where Lucy stood.
"Lucy! this is Adrian, my cousin."--"Isn't he an angel?" his eyes
seemed to add; while Lucy's clearly answered, "That he is!"
The full-bodied angel ceremoniously bowed to her, and acted with
reserved unction the benefactor he saw in their greetings. "I think
we are not strangers," he was good enough to remark, and very
quickly let them know he had not breakfasted; on hearing which they
hurried him into the house, and Lucy put herself in motion to have
him served.
"Dear old Rady," said Richard, tugging at his hand again, "how glad
I am you've come! I don't mind telling you we've been horridly
wretched."
"Six, seven, eight, nine eggs," was Adrian's comment on a survey of
the breakfast-table.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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