The Works Of George Meredith - Vol I (Paperback)

THE WORKS OF GEORGE MEREDITH VOLUME I - 1896 - I THE ORDEAL OF RICHARD FEVEREL A HISTORY OF A FATHER AND SON VOLUME I Originally published 3 vols. London 1859 CONTENTS Page I. The Inmates of Raynham Abbey, . 1 11. Showing how the Fates selected the Fourteenth Birthday to try the Strength of the System, . 11 111. The Magian Conflict, . . 21 IV. Arson, . 27 V. Adrian plies his Hook, 40 VI. Juvenile Stratagems, 46 VII. Daphnes Bower, . . . 55 VIII. The Bitter Cup, . 0 . 62 IX. A Fine Distinction, . . 72 X. Richard passes through his Preliminary ordeal and is the occasion of an Aphorism, . . . 80 b ix CONTENTS Page XI. In which the last Act of the Balrewell Comedy is closed in a Letter, . . XII. The Blossoming Season, . . XIII. The Magnetic Age, . XIV. An Attraction, . . XV. Ferdinand and Miranda, . XVI. Unmasking of Master Ripton Thompson, XVII. Good Wine and Good Blood, XVIII. The System encounters the Wild Oats Special Plea, . XIX. A Diversion played on a Penny Whistle, XX. Celebrates the time-honoured treatment of a Dragon by the Hero, XXI. Richard is summoned to Town to hear a Sermon, XXII. Indicates the approaches of Fever, XXIII. Crisis in the Apple-Disease, XXIV. Of the Spring Primrose and the Autumnal, CONTENTS Iagt XXV. In which the Hero takes a Step, 238 XXVI. Records the rapid development of the Hero, . 262 XXVII. Contains an intercession for the Heroine, 281 XXVIII. Relates how preparations for action were conducted under the April of Lovers, . . 285 THE ORDEAL OF RICHARD FEVEREL CHAPTER I The Inmates of Raynham Abbey Some years ago a book was published under the title of The Pilgrims Scrip. It consisted of a selection of original aphorisms by an anonymous gentleman, who inthis bashful manner gave a bruised heart to the world. He made no pretension to novelty. Our new thoughts have thrilled dead bosoms, he wrote by l which avowal it may be seen that youth had manifestly gone from him, since he had ceased to be jealous t of the ancients. There was a half-sigh floating through his pages for those days of intellectual coxcombry, when ideas come to us affecting the embraces of virgins, and swear to us they are ours alone, and no one else have they ever visited and we believe them. For an example of his ideas of the sex he said L I expect that Woman will be the last thing civilized by Man. Some excitement was produced in the bosoms of ladies by so monstrous a scorn of them. One adventurous person betook herself to the Heralds College, and there ascertained that a Griffin between two Wheatsheaves, which stood on the title-page of the book, formed the crest of Sir Austin Absworthy Bearne Feverel, Baronet, of Rapham l-A 1 THE ORDEAL OF RICHARD FEVEREL C UPTER Abbey, in a certain Western county folding Thames a I The Inmates man of wealth and honour, and a somewhat lamentable ofRqnham history. Abbey The outline of the baronets story was by no means new. He had a wife, and he had a friend. His marriage was for love his wife was a beauty his friend was a sort of poet. His wife had his whole heart, and his friend all his confidence. When he selected Denzil Somers from among his college chums, it was not on account of any similarity of disposition between them, but from his intense worship of genius, which made him overlook the absence of principle in his associate for the sake of such brilliant promise...