Anna Dean - Gentleman of Fortune
Here you can read online Anna Dean - Gentleman of Fortune full text of the book (entire story) in english for free. Download pdf and epub, get meaning, cover and reviews about this ebook. year: 2009, publisher: Allison & Busby, genre: Art. Description of the work, (preface) as well as reviews are available. Best literature library LitArk.com created for fans of good reading and offers a wide selection of genres:
Romance novel
Science fiction
Adventure
Detective
Science
History
Home and family
Prose
Art
Politics
Computer
Non-fiction
Religion
Business
Children
Humor
Choose a favorite category and find really read worthwhile books. Enjoy immersion in the world of imagination, feel the emotions of the characters or learn something new for yourself, make an fascinating discovery.
Gentleman of Fortune: summary, description and annotation
We offer to read an annotation, description, summary or preface (depends on what the author of the book "Gentleman of Fortune" wrote himself). If you haven't found the necessary information about the book — write in the comments, we will try to find it.
Gentleman of Fortune — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work
Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "Gentleman of Fortune" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.
Font size:
Interval:
Bookmark:
A NNA D EAN
For Mum, with love
Richmond, Wednesday 27 th May 1806
My Dear Eliza
The great Mrs Lansdale is no more.
She was carried off on Tuesday night by a sudden seizure. It is a very heavy loss, for now the neighbourhood can no longer discuss the alarming symptoms of her nervous complaints, nor can it exclaim over every rumoured disagreement between the lady and her nephew.
However, it seems we are not done with Mrs Lansdale; she may yet provide a subject of conversation for there is already an alarming rumour begun about her death.
Besides that half-pleasurable sorrow which is always felt at the death of a fine lady one hardly knows, there is a great distrust of the nephew. For it has not passed without notice that he has lost a remarkably tyrannical relation and gained a very fine inheritance.
Miss Dido Kent lifted her pen from the page and gazed beyond the little pool of light thrown by her candle, to the open window and the warm darkness beyond. She knew that she should not continue. What she was about to write was hardly proper. A letter should contain news but never gossip, and the great rule was to mention no person or event which could not be written about with charity.
But then, Dido mused with a smile, if the rule were adhered to too faithfully, letters would become so exceedingly dull that they would not be worth getting. They would scarcely justify their cost to the receiver.
And, besides, she had a very good reason for communicating this particular piece of gossip to her sister.
It is the odious Mrs Midgely who has begun this rumour. She has the gravest doubts about Mrs Lansdales death. Mrs Midgely considers it as being altogether too convenient for the nephew. In short, she believes that he took steps to hurry his poor aunt out of this world
There! It was said. And very shocking it seemed now that it was written down.
Please do not blame me for repeating this slander, Eliza. If you will only keep from throwing my letter aside in disgust and will but continue reading to the end I hope you will understand why I must write to you upon this subject.
You see, it all came out yesterday during Floras exploring party to the river.
And a very pleasant party it would have been, but for Mrs Midgely and her venomous conversation. Everyone was punctual, the sun shone upon us and there was an abundance of walking about, sitting down, fine views, pigeon pie and cold lamb.
Sir Joshua Carrisbrook was returned from town in time to join us which pleased Flora greatly. And, by the by, it seems that what we had heard of Sir Joshua is true he is to be married again, and very soon. And you may tell all his friends at Belsfield that he seems vastly contented and in a great hurry to get to church! For, by his own account, the lady only gave her consent a week ago, but he is determined to be married before the end of another week and has got himself a special licence for that purpose. I suppose he does not wish to wear out what youth he may suppose remains to him in waiting a full three weeks for the banns to be called.
It is extraordinary to see a man of his advanced years so very much in love! And I could not but pity him; for he was so wanting to tell us all of how he was soon to become the very happiest of men and to enumerate the many virtues and talents of his lady; and he had scarcely begun to describe her musical genius and had not spoken one word about whose music she chiefly plays, when his happiness was quite hurried out of the way by Mrs Midgely who was wanting to be talking herself.
So I confess that I remain in ignorance upon the important issue of whether the future Lady Carrisbrook delights most in concertos or in folk airs and I cannot even tell you what her maiden name may be
But, to return to Mrs Midgely and her suspicions. By her account, Mr Vane, the apothecary, is uneasy about Mrs Lansdales death. He says that, there was nothing in Mrs Lansdales general condition to make him expect such a seizure as carried her off! Which, says Mrs Midgely, looking about at us all, with a very red face and a satisfied manner, which, I think you will all agree, seems very odd indeed, does it not?
Oh, but I do not know that it is so very odd!
This mild protest came from little Miss Prentice Mrs Midgelys boarder who seems to rent from Mrs Midgely not only her back parlour but also a share in her right to spy upon all the grand people of the neighbourhood.
If I must give my opinion, says Miss Prentice though no one there had asked for her opinion I do not think it is so very odd at all. It does sometimes happen that a person can be taken with a sudden attack such as they have never had before. For it happened to poor Lord
But Mrs Midgely had no patience to let her go on. For once Miss Prentice is begun upon lords and sirs there is no end of it.
Mr Vane, says Mrs Midgely, speaking very loud, is very much puzzled by the ladys death. And, in my opinion, he ought to take the appropriate steps. And she lowered her voice to a suitably portentous whisper. I have told him that he must speak to the magistrates.
And then we had all to listen to a great many accounts of what I had heard many times since coming to Richmond: of how Mrs Lansdale had demanded a great deal of attention from her nephew on account of her many illnesses that he had often wanted to pursue his own pleasures in town, but had been restrained by her poor health and nervous disposition which would not permit her to be left alone. Mrs M was very eloquent upon these subjects and no less so upon the subject of how young men these days do not like to have their pleasures curtailed.
Well, Eliza, what I have not told you of yet, is how very distressed poor Flora was looking all the while that this was carrying on. For, you see, Mr Henry Lansdale, the nephew this very gentleman that Mrs M was slandering is a great favourite with our cousin. She and her husband met the Lansdales at Ramsgate last autumn and, though I have not yet been introduced to the young man, I have observed that she always speaks very highly of him.
I do not think Mrs Midgely knows of Floras connection with the Lansdales and believes them to be strangers to her, as they are to everyone else here in Richmond. At least I sincerely hope that she knows nothing of the friendship or else she was being unpardonably rude to be talking so of her hostesss acquaintances! (Though, in truth, I do not put anything beyond the licence that woman allows her tongue!)
However, I think that, maybe, Mrs Midgelys ward, young Mary Bevan, was quick-witted enough to suspect the truth, from her gentle efforts to smooth things over. She pointed out, in her quiet precise way, that, Mr Vane had been attending upon Mrs Lansdale for little more than a month, and suggested that, he might not have a very accurate knowledge of all the poor ladys disorders and symptoms.
This did little to stop the abuse; but one must admire the real elegance of mind which prompted it; and one cannot help but wonder how such a pleasant, sensible girl can have been brought up by the dreadful Mrs M.
But, to return to Flora. She was close to tears by the time the carriages came, and she broke down completely in our journey home.
I cannot understand, she said again and again, why Mrs Midgely should say such things! Why should she wish to malign poor Mr Lansdale? And why should she wish to persuade the apothecary to cause trouble for him? I have never known her be so very unkind before.
And, in all honesty, neither can I understand it, Eliza. It is a level of interference and trouble-making far beyond the usual malice of gossip.
Font size:
Interval:
Bookmark:
Similar books «Gentleman of Fortune»
Look at similar books to Gentleman of Fortune. We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.
Discussion, reviews of the book Gentleman of Fortune and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.