A Terrible Temptation (Fiscle Part 3) by Charles Reade (motivational books for men TXT) 📖
- Author: Charles Reade
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They Cut Off The Entail Between Them, And He Entailed The Mortgaged
Estate On His Other Son, And His Grandson (That Was Me), And On My
Heir-At-Law. Richard's Father Squandered His Thirty Thousand Pounds
Before He Died; My Father Husbanded The Estates, Got Into Parliament,
And They Put A Tail To His Name."
Sir Charles Delivered This Version Of The Facts With A Languid
Composure That Contrasted Deliciously With Richard's Heat In Telling
The Story His Way (To Be Sure, Sir Charles Had Got Huntercombe And
Bassett, And It Is Easier To Be Philosophical On The Right Side Of The
Boundary Hedge), And Wound Up With A Sort Of Corollary: "Dick Bassett
Suffers By His Father's Vices, And I Profit By Mine's Virtues. Where's
The Injustice?"
"Nowhere, And The Sooner You Are Reconciled The Better."
Sir Charles Demurred. "Oh, I Don't Want To Quarrel With The Fellow: But
He Is A Regular Thorn In My Side, With His Little Trumpery Estate, All
In Broken Patches. He Shoots My Pheasants In The Unfairest Way." Here
The Landed Proprietor Showed Real Irritation, But Only For A Moment. He
Concluded Calmly, "The Fact Is, He Is Not Quite A Gentleman. Fancy His
Coming And Whining To You About Our Family Affairs, And Then Telling
You A Falsehood!"
"No, No; Be Did Not Mean. It Was His Way Of Looking At Things. You Can
Afford To Forgive Him."
"Yes, But Not If He Sets You Against Me."
"But He Cannot Do That. The More Any One Was To Speak Against You, The
More I--Of Course."
This Admission Fired Sir Charles; He Drew Nearer, And, Thanks To His
Cousin's Interference, Spoke The Language Of Love More Warmly And
Directly Than He Had Ever Done Before.
The Lady Blushed, And Defended Herself Feebly. Sir Charles Grew Warmer,
And At Last Elicited From Her A Timid But Tender Avowal, That Made Him
Supremely Happy.
When He Left Her This Brief Ecstasy Was Succeeded By Regrets On Account
Of The Years He Had Wasted In Follies And Intrigues.
He Smoked Five Cigars, And Pondered The Difference Between The Pure
Creature Who Now Honored Him With Her Virgin Affections And Beauties Of
A Different Character Who Had Played Their Parts In His Luxurious Life.
After Profound Deliberation He Sent For His Solicitor. They Lighted The
Inevitable Cigars, And The Following Observations Struggled Feebly Out
Part 3 Chapter 1 Pg 6Along With The Smoke.
"Mr. Oldfield, I'm Going To Be Married."
"Glad To Hear It, Sir Charles." (Vision Of Settlements.) "It Is A High
Time You Were." (Puff-Puff.)
"Want Your Advice And Assistance First."
"Certainly."
"Must Put Down My Pony-Carriage Now, You Know."
"A Very Proper Retrenchment; But You Can Do That Without My Assistance,
"There Would Be Sure To Be A Row If I Did. I Dare Say There Will Be As
It Is. At Any Rate, I Want To Do The Thing Like A Gentleman."
"Send 'Em To Tattersall's." (Puff.)
"And The Girl That Drives Them In The Park, And Draws All The Duchesses
And Countesses At Her Tail--Am I To Send Her To Tattersall's?" (Puff.)
"Oh, It Is _Her_ You Want To Put Down, Then?"
"Why, Of Course."
Part 3 Chapter 2 Pg 7Sir Charles And Mr. Oldfield Settled That Lady's Retiring Pension, And
Mr. Oldfield Took The Memoranda Home, With Instructions To Prepare A
Draft Deed For Miss Somerset's Approval.
Meantime Sir Charles Visited Miss Bruce Every Day. Her Affections For
Him Grew Visibly, For Being Engaged Gave Her The Courage To Love.
Mr. Bassett Called Pretty Often; But One Day He Met Sir Charles On The
Stairs, And Scowled.
That Scowl Cost Him Dear, For Sir Charles Thereupon Represented To
Bella That A Man With A Grievance Is A Bore To The Very Eye, And Asked
Her To Receive No More Visits From His Scowling Cousin. The Lady
Smiled, And Said, With Soft Complacency, "I Obey."
Sir Charles's Gallantry Was Shocked.
Part 3 Chapter 2 Pg 8
"No, Don't Say 'Obey.' It Is A Little Favor I Ventured To Ask."
"It Is Like You To Ask What You Have A Right To Command. I Shall Be Out
To Him In Future, And To Every One Who Is Disagreeable To You. What!
Does 'Obey' Frighten You From My Lips? To Me It Is The Sweetest In The
Language. Oh, Please Let Me 'Obey' You! _May_ I?"
Upon This, As Vanity Is Seldom Out Of Call, Sir Charles Swelled Like A
Turkey-Cock, And Loftily Consented To Indulge Bella Bruce's Strange
Propensity. From That Hour She Was Never At Home To Mr. Bassett.
He Began To Suspect; And One Day, After He Had Been Kept Out With The
Loud, Stolid "Not At Home" Of Practiced Mendacity, He Watched, And Saw
Sir Charles Admitted.
He Divined It All In A Moment, And Turned To Wormwood. What! Was He To
Be Robbed Of The Lady He Loved--And Her Fifteen Thousand Pounds--By The
Very Man Who Had Robbed Him Of His Ancestral Fields? He Dwelt On The
Double Grievance Till It Nearly Frenzied Him. But He Could Do Nothing:
It Was His Fate. His Only Hope Was That Sir Charles, The Arrant Flirt,
Would Desert This Beauty After A Time, As He Had The Others.
But One Afternoon, In The Smoking-Room Of His Club, A Gentleman Said To
Him, "So Your Cousin Charles Is Engaged To The Yorkshire Beauty, Bell
Bruce?"
"He Is Flirting With Her, I Believe," Said Richard.
"No, No," Said The Other; "They Are Engaged. I Know It For A Fact. They
Are To Be Married Next Month."
Mr. Richard Bassett Digested This Fresh Pill In Moody Silence, While
The Gentlemen Of The Club Discussed The Engagement With Easy Levity.
They Soon Passed To A Topic Of Wider Interest, Viz., Who Was To Succeed
Sir Charles With La Somerset. Bassett Began To Listen Attentively, And
Learned For The First Time Sir Charles Bassett's Connection With That
Lady, And Also That She Was A Woman Of A Daring Nature And Furious
Temper. At First He Was Merely Surprised; But Soon Hatred And Jealousy
Whispered In His Ear That With These Materials It Must Be Possible To
Wound Those Who Had Wounded Him.
Mr. Marsh, A Young Gentleman With A Receding Chin, And A Mustache
Between Hay And Straw, Had Taken Great Care To Let Them All Know He Was
Acquainted With Miss Somerset. So Richard Got Marsh Alone, And Sounded
Him. Could He Call Upon The Lady Without Ceremony?
"You Won't Get In. Her Street Door Is Jolly Well Guarded, I Can Tell
You."
"I Am Very Curious To See Her In Her Own House."
"So Are A Good Many Fellows."
"Could You Not Give Me An Introduction?"
Part 3 Chapter 2 Pg 9
Marsh Shook His Head Sapiently For A Considerable Time, And With All
This Shaking, As It Appeared, Out Fell Words Of Wisdom. "Don't See It.
I'm Awfully Spooney On Her Myself; And, You Know, When A Fellow
Introduces Another Fellow, That Fellow Always Cuts The Other Out."
Then, Descending From The Words Of The Wise And Their Dark Sayings To A
Petty But Pertinent Fact, He Added, _"Besides,_ I'm Only Let In Myself
About Once In Five Times."
"She Gives Herself Wonderful Airs, It Seems," Said Bassett, Rather
Bitterly.
Marsh Fired Up. "So Would Any Woman That Was As Beautiful, And As Witty
And As Much Run After As She Is. Why She Is A Leader Of Fashion. Look
At All The Ladies Following Her Round The Park. They Used To Drive On
The North Side Of The Serpentine. She Just Held Up Her Finger, And Now
They Have Cut The Serpentine, And Followed Her To The South Drive."
"Oh, Indeed!" Said Bassett. "Ah Then This Is A Great Lady; A Poor
Country Squire Must Not Venture Into Her August Presence." He Turned
Savagely On His Heel, And Marsh Went And Made Sickly Mirth At His
Expense.
By This Means The Matter Soon Came To The Ears Of Old Mr. Woodgate, The
Father Of That Club, And A Genial Gossip. He Got Hold Of Bassett In The
Dinner-Room And Examined Him. "So You Want An Introduction To La
Somerset, And Marsh Refuses--Marsh, Hitherto Celebrated For His Weak
Head Rather Than His Hard Heart?"
Richard Bassett Nodded Rather Sullenly. He Had Not Bargained For This
Rapid Publicity.
The Venerable Chief Resumed: "We All Consider Marsh's Conduct
Unclubable And A Thing To Be Combined Against. Wanted--An
Anti-Dog-In-The-Manger League. I'll Introduce You To The Somerset."
"What! Do _You_ Visit Her?" Asked Bassett, In Some Astonishment.
The Old Gentleman Held Up His Hands In Droll Disclaimer, And Chuckled
Merrily "No, No; I Enjoy From The Shore The Disasters Of My Youthful
Friends--That Sacred Pleasure Is Left Me. Do You See That Elegant
Creature With The Little Auburn Beard And Mustache, Waiting Sweetly For
His Dinner. He Launched The Somerset."
"Launched Her?"
"Yes; But For Him She Might Have Wasted Her Time Breaking Hearts And
Slapping Faces In Some Country Village. He It Was Set Her Devastating
Society; And With His Aid She Shall Devastate You.--Vandeleur, Will You
Join Bassett And Me?"
Mr. Vandeleur, With Ready Grace, Said He Should Be Delighted, And They
Dined Together Accordingly.
Part 3 Chapter 2 Pg 10
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