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212520_The_Adve ... _Way_Through_The_World.pdf - OUDL Home

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232 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP<br />

to him (under vows of profound secrecy) was so intense that his old<br />

reason tottered on its rickety old throne. He well-nigh burst with<br />

longing to speak upon this mystery. Mr. and Mrs. Oves, the<br />

esteemed landlord and lady of the " Byng," never saw him so<br />

excited. He had a great opinion of the judgment of his friend,<br />

Mr. Ridley ; in fact, he must have gone to Bedlam, unless he had<br />

talked to somebody on this most nefarious transaction, which might<br />

make the blood of every Briton curdle with horror—as he was<br />

free to say.<br />

Old Mr. Ridley was of a much cooler temperament, and altogether<br />

a more cautious person. <strong>The</strong> Doctor rich ? He wished to<br />

tell no secrets, nor to meddle in no gentleman's affairs : but he have<br />

heard very different statements regarding Dr. Firmin's affairs.<br />

When dark hints about treason, wicked desertion, rights denied,<br />

" and a great fortune which you are kep' out of, my poor Caroline,<br />

by a rascally wolf in sheep's clothing, you are ; and I always mistrusted<br />

him, from the moment I saw him, and said to your mother,<br />

' Emily, that Brandon is a bad fellow, Brandon is ;' and bitterly<br />

bitterly I've rued ever receiving him under my roof." When<br />

speeches of this nature were made to Mrs. Caroline, strange to say,<br />

the little lady made light of them. " Oh, nonsense, pa ! Don't<br />

be bringing that sad old story up again. I have suffered enough<br />

from it already. If Mr. F. left me, he wasn't the only one who<br />

flung me away ; and I have been able to live, thank mercy,<br />

through it all."<br />

This was a hard hit, and not to be parried. <strong>The</strong> truth is, that<br />

when poor Caroline, deserted by her husband, had come back, in<br />

wretchedness, to her father's door, the man, and the wife who then<br />

ruled him, had thought fit to thrust her away. And she had<br />

forgiven them : and had been enabled to heap a rare quantity of<br />

coals on that old gentleman's head.<br />

When the Captain remarked his daughter's indifference and unwillingness<br />

to reopen this painful question of her sham marriage<br />

with Firmin, his wrath was moved, and his suspicion excited.<br />

"Ha!" says he, "have this man been a-tampering with you<br />

again?"<br />

"Nonsense, pa!" once more says Caroline. "I tell you it<br />

is this fine-talking lawyers' clerk has been tampering with you.<br />

You're made a tool of, pa ! and you've been made a tool of all<br />

your life !"<br />

"Well, now, upon my honour, my good madam," interposes<br />

Mr. Walls.<br />

" Don't talk to me, sir ! I don't want any lawyers' clerks to<br />

meddle in my business!" cries Mrs. Brandon, very briskly. "I

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