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518 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
C
CHAPTER XXXIV
IN WHICH 1 OWN THAT PHILIP TELLS AN UNTRUTH
HARLOTTE (and the usual little procession of nurse, baby,
&c.) once made their appearance at our house in Queen
Square, where they were ever welcomed by the lady of the
mansion. The young woman was in a great state of elation, and
when we came to hear the cause of her delight, her friends too
opened the eyes of wonder. She actually announced that Dr.
Firmin had sent over a bill of forty pounds (I may be incorrect as
to the sum) from New York. It had arrived that morning, and she
had seen the bill, and Philip had told her that his father had sent
it ; and was it not a comfort to think that poor Dr. Firmin was
endeavouring to repair some of the evil which he had done ; and
that he was repenting, and, perhaps, was going to become quite
honest and good ? This was indeed an astounding piece of intelligence
; and the two women felt joy at the thought of that sinner
repenting, and some one else was accused of cynicism, scepticism,
and so forth, for doubting the correctness of the information. " You
believe in no one, sir. You are always incredulous about good,"
&c. &c. &c, was the accusation brought against the reader's very
humble servant. Well, about the contrition of this sinner I confess
I still continued to have doubts; and thought a present of forty
pounds to a son, to whom he owed thousands, was no great proof
of the Doctor's amendment.
And oh ! how vexed some people were when the real story came
out at last! Not for the money's sake—not because they were
wrong in argument, and I turned out to be right. Oh no ! But
because it was proved that this unhappy Doctor had no present
intention of repenting at all. This brand would not come out of
the burning, whatever we might hope, and the Doctor's supporters
were obliged to admit as much when they came to know the real
story. " Oh, Philip," cries Mrs. Laura, when next she saw Mr.
Firmin. " How pleased I was to hear of that letter !"
" What letter ?" asks the gentleman.
" That letter from your father at New York," says the lady.
" Oh," says the gentleman addressed, with a red face.