Evan Harrington -- Volume 1

mmanding style, an apparent indifference to expense, and the inexplicable minor characteristics, such as polished boots, and a striking wristband, and so forth, which will show a creature accust

im, and made him fret for the miles to throw a thicker veil between him and them. The serious level brows of Rose haunted the poor youth; and reflecting whither he was tending, and to what sight, he had shadowy touches of the holiness there is in death, from which came a conflict between the imaged phantoms of his father and of Rose, and he sided against his love with some bitterness. His sisters, weeping for their father and holding aloof from hi

his fate; but despite the fitfully honest promptings with Rose (tempting to him because of the wondrous chivalry they argued, and at bottom false probably as the hypocrisy they affected

d man, his father, and dared the world to sneer at him. By a singular caprice of fancy, Evan had no sooner grasped

in the race that must be run. To be set too early, is to take the work out of the hands of the Sculptor who fashions men. Happily a youth is always at school, and if he was shut up and without mark two or three hours ago, he will have

n was indebted for on

light prohibits the dream of it to mounted postillions. At night the question is more human, and allows app

given him cigars. Turning round to see if haply the present inmate of t

re we?' wa

numbered the mi

anything o

ay as I

ed to stop. Ev

ll take you any f

he insinuatingly remarked, he could jog on all night, and throw sleep to the dogs. Fresh horses at

ake you any farthe

atter, sir?' urge

I-a-made no arrangement t

' yourself about that, sir. Master knows it 's tou

e belief that he was dealing with

ficient, would find a difficulty in asking how much he has

uch-what is the charge for

pay. The postillion would rather have had to do with the gentleman royal, who is above base computation; but h

you, sir. Jump along in

but limp. Out of this drowned-looking wretch the last spark of life was taken by the sum the postillion ventured to name; and if paying your utmost farthing without examination of the charge, and cheerfully stepping out to walk fifty miles, penniless, constituted a postil

walk. Good night.' And he flu

t, sir!' a

p sideways, with an assu

ate myself in th

e asked for a penny beyond what he possessed; to be seen beggared, and to be claimed a debtor-aleck! Pride was the one developed faculty of Evan's nature. The Fates who mould us, always work from the main-spring. I will not say tha

ee,' tried his waistcoat. Not too impetuously; for he was careful of betraying the horrid emptiness till he was certain that the powers who wait on gentlemen had utterly forsaken him

face, and then lifting the spit of silver for the disdain of his mistress, the moon,

goin' to give me f

rejection of the demand would have been infinitely wiser and better than this paltry

reply, 'It 's the last farthing I have,

' The postillion co

at I said,' E

deep breath, and holding o

the philosophy of the case, 'now, was we to change places, I couldn't

You rides when you can, and you walks when you mus

s. A good genius prompted Evan to avoid the silly squabble that might have e

ion, though a little staggered by th

sake, that we changed places. You would have to walk fifty

did not speak offensively; rather, it seemed, to appease his conscience for the original mistake he had

more than his due. But in the matter of his sweet self, he had been choused, as he termed it. And my gentleman had baffled him, he could not quite tell how; but he had been got the better of; his sarcasms had not stuck, and returned to rankle

nd was answered by a short assent. 'Lateish fo

stering the shrewd unpleasantness he

gentleman!' the pos

I have

it, to

you should b

le word. 'I ain't no victim, unless you was up to

he never played jokes

magistrate livin', and he'd make ye pay. It's a charge, as custom is, and he'd make ye pay. Or p'rhaps you're a goin' on my generosity, and 'll say, he gev back that sixpence! Well! I shouldn't a' thought a gentleman'd make that his defence before a magistrate. But there, my man! if it m

to smoke a pipe. To which Evan said, 'Pray, smoke, if it pleases you.' And

ord is always a great thing; and to have given my gentleman a lecture, because he shunned a dispute, also counts. And then there was the poor young fellow trudging to his father's funeral! The postillion chose to remember that now. In reality, he allowed, he had not very much to complain of, and my gentleman's courteous avoidance of provocation (the apparent fact that he, the postillion, had humbled him and got the better

postillion sang out, pursuing him. 'Come, sir! b

escape the fellow, whose bounty was worse to him than h

y and get there respectable-as far as I go. It's one to me whether you're in or out; the horses won't feel it, and I do

nvitation had not been made to him; but he was capable of appreciating what the rejection of a piece of friendliness

d trotted his bandy legs to undo the door, as to a

the sixpence now?' he said, turni

er. 'I don't want it-I'd rather not have it; but there

and, saying: 'It will fill a pipe for you. While you 're smoking it, th

: 'A sixpence kindly meant is worth any crown-piece that's

n we are taught to fancy. But it was doubtless owing to a strong emotion in his soul, as well as to the stuff he was made of, that the youth behaved as he did. We are now and then above our own actions; seldom on a level with them.

eed, and Evan shook his hand. He did so rather abruptly, for the postillion w

the solitary heaths, that swell far and wide to the moon, is, by the postillion, who has seen him, pronounced no sham. Nor do I think the opinion of any man worthless, who has had the postillion's authority for speaking. But it is, I am told, a finer test to embellish much gentleman-apparel, than to walk with dignity totally unadorned. This simply tries the soundness of our faculties: that tempts them in err