212520_The_Adve ... _Way_Through_The_World.pdf - OUDL Home

550 THE ADVENTURES OP PHILIP
yesterday, and the amount (monstrous extravagance !) of the washerwoman's
bill ?
"Well, the Twysden family so bespattered poor Philip with
abuse, and represented him as a monster of such hideous mien, that
no wonder the Ringwoods avoided him. Then they began to grow
utterly sick and tired of his detractors. And then Sir John, happening
to talk with his brother Member of Parliament, Tregarvan, in
the House of Commons, heard quite a different story regarding our
friend to that with which the Twysdens had regaled him, and, with
no little surprise on Sir John's part, was told by Tregarvan how
honest, rough, worthy, affectionate, and gentle this poor maligned
fellow was, how he had been sinned against by his wretch of a
father, whom he had forgiven and actually helped out of his wretched
means, and how he was making a brave battle against poverty, and
had a sweet little loving wife and child, whom every kind heart
would willingly strive to help. Because people are rich they are
not of necessity ogres. Because they are born gentlemen and ladies
of good degree, are in easy circumstances, and have a generous education,
it does not follow that they are heartless and will turn their
back on a friend. Moi qui vous parle—I have been in a great
strait of sickness near to death, and the friends who came to help
me with every comfort, succour, sympathy were actually gentlemen,
who lived in good houses, and had a good education. They didn't
turn away because I was sick, or fly from me because they thought
I was poor ; on the contrary, hand, purse, succour, sympathy were
ready, and praise be to Heaven. And so too did Philip find help
when he needed it, and succour when he was in poverty. Tregarvan,
we will own, was a pompous little man, his House of Commons
speeches were dull, and his written documents awfully slow ; but
he had a kind heart : he was touched by that picture which Laura
drew of the young man's poverty, and honesty, and simple hopefulness
in the midst of hard times : and we have seen how the
European Review was thus entrusted to Mr. Philip's management.
Then some artful friends of Philip's determined that he should be
reconciled to his relations, who were well to do in the world, and
might serve him. And I wish, dear reader, that your respectable
relatives and mine would bear this little paragraph in mind and
leave us both handsome legacies. Then Tregarvan spoke to Sir
John Ringwood, and that meeting was brought about, where, for
once at least, Mr. Philip quarrelled with nobody.
And now came another little piece of good luck, which, I
suppose, must be attributed to the same kind friend who had been
scheming for Philip's benefit, and who is never so happy as when
her little plots for her friends' benefit can be made to succeed. Yes :