The Wanderer; or, Female Difficulties (Volume 5 of 5)Burney, Fanny
History
The Wanderer; or, Female Difficulties (Volume 5 of 5)
Burney, Fanny
France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Refugees -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Refugees -- Fiction; War stories
He took off his hat, though with a severe air, to Juliet, who, abashed,
passed on to her chamber; but stopping and bluffly accosting Ambroise,
'Harkee!' he cried, 'my lad! a word with you!--Pray, what business have
you with that girl? I have, I know, as good as promised to help you off;
but let all be fair and above board. I don't pretend to have much taste
for any person who would go out of old England when once he has got
footing into it; thoff if I had had the misfortune to be born in France,
there's no being sure that I might not have liked it myself; from
knowing no better: for which reason I think nothing narrower than
holding a man cheap for loving his country, be it ever so bad a one.
Therefore, if you have a mind, my lad, as far as yourself goes, to sheer
off; as you are neither a sailor nor a soldier, nor, moreover, a
prisoner, I will lend you a hand and welcome. But no foul play! If
there's any person of your acquaintance, that, after being born in old
England, wants to go flaunting and jiggetting to outlandish countries,
you'll do well to give her a hint to keep astern of me; for I shall
never uphold a person who behaves o' that sort.'
Ambroise, in broken English, earnestly entreated him not to withdraw his
promised protection; and Juliet, desirous to obtain his counsel for the
execution of her perilous enterprize, ventured back, and joined to
petition for instructions where she might embark most expeditiously;
endeavouring to make her peace with him, by solemnly avowing, that
necessity, not inclination, urged her to undertake this voyage; and
claiming assistance, a second time, from his tried benevolence.
The words tried benevolence, and a second time, which inadvertently
escaped her, from eagerness to interest his attention, struck him
forcibly with ire. 'Avast!' he cried, 'none of your flummery! You think,
belike, because you've got a pretty face, to make a fool of me? but
that's sooner thought than done! You'll excuse me for speaking my mind a
little plainly; for how the devil, asking your pardon for such a word,
should I do any thing for you a second time, when I have never seen or
thought of you, up to this moment, a first? Please to tell me that!'
Juliet, looking round, and seeing that no witnesses were by, gently
enquired whether he had no remembrance of a poor voyager, whom he had
had the charity to save, the preceding winter, from immediate
destruction, by admitting into a boat?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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