What Will He Do with It? — Volume 06Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
General
What Will He Do with It? — Volume 06
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
English fiction -- 19th century
coloured his language, and whether to young or old, wise or dull, made
his conversation racy and original. He was a delightful companion; and
if he had taken much instruction from those older and wiser than himself,
he so bathed that instruction in the fresh fountain of his own lively
intelligence, so warmed it at his own beating impulsive heart, that he
could make an old man's gleanings from experience seem a young man's
guesses into truth. Faults he had, of course,--chiefly the faults common
at his age; amongst them, perhaps, the most dangerous were,--firstly,
carelessness in money matters; secondly, a distaste for advice in which
prudence was visibly predominant. His tastes were not in reality
extravagant: but money slipped through his hands, leaving little to show
for it; and when his quarterly allowance became due, ample though it
was,--too ample, perhaps,--debts wholly forgotten started up to seize
hold of it. And debts as yet being manageable were not regarded with
sufficient horror. Paid or put aside, as the case might be, they were
merely looked upon as bores. Youth is in danger till it learn to look
upon them as furies. For advice, he took it with pleasure, when clothed
with elegance and art, when it addressed ambition, when it exalted the
loftier virtues. But advice, practical and prosy, went in at one ear and
out at the other. In fact, with many talents, he had yet no adequate
ballast of common-sense; and if ever he get enough to steady his bark
through life's trying voyage, the necessity of so much dull weight must
be forcibly stricken home less to his reason than his imagination or his
heart. But if, somehow or other, he get it not, I will not insure his
vessel.
I know not if Lionel Haughton had genius; he never assumed that he had:
but he had something more like genius than that prototype, RESOLVE, of
which he boasted to the artist. He had YOUTH,--real youth,--youth of
mind, youth of heart, youth of soul. Lithe and supple as he moved before
you, with the eye to which light or dew sprang at once from a nature
vibrating to every lofty, every tender thought, he seemed more than
young,--the incarnation of youth.
Darrell took to him at once. Amidst all the engagements crowded on the
important man, he contrived to see Lionel daily. And what may seem
strange, Guy Darrell felt more at home with Lionel Haughton than with any
of his own contemporaries,--than even with Alban Morley. To the last,
indeed, he opened speech with less reserve of certain portions of the
past, or of certain projects in the future. But still, even there, he
adopted a tone of half-playful, half-mournful satire, which might be in
itself disguise. Alban Morley, with all his good qualities, was a man of
the world; as a man of the world, Guy Darrell talked to him. But it was
only a very small part of Guy Darrell the Man, of which the world could
say "mine."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account