登陆注册
5220400000094

第94章

Francis Ardry-Certain sharpers-Brave and eloquent-Opposites-Flinging the bones-Strange places-Dog-fighting-Learning and letters-Batch of dogs-Redoubled application.

ONE evening I was visited by the tall young gentleman,Francis Ardry,whose acquaintance I had formed at the coffee-house.As it is necessary that the reader should know something more about this young man,who will frequently appear in the course of these pages,I will state in a few words who and what he was.He was born of an ancient Roman Catholic family in Ireland;his parents,whose only child he was,had long been dead.His father,who had survived his mother several years,had been a spendthrift,and at his death had left the family property considerably embarrassed.Happily,however,the son and the estate fell into the hands of careful guardians,near relations of the family,by whom the property was managed to the best advantage,and every means taken to educate the young man in a manner suitable to his expectations.At the age of sixteen he was taken from a celebrated school in England at which he had been placed,and sent to a small French university,in order that he might form an intimate and accurate acquaintance with the grand language of the continent.There he continued three years,at the end of which he went under the care of a French abbe to Germany and Italy.It was in this latter country that he first began to cause his guardians serious uneasiness.He was in the heyday of youth when he visited Italy,and he entered wildly into the various delights of that fascinating region,and,what was worse,falling into the hands of certain sharpers,not Italian,but English,he was fleeced of considerable sums of money.The abbe,who,it seems,was an excellent individual of the old French school,remonstrated with his pupil on his dissipation and extravagance;but,finding his remonstrances vain,very properly informed the guardians of the manner of life of his charge.They were not slow in commanding Francis Ardry home;and,as he was entirely in their power,he was forced to comply.He had been about three months in London when I met him in the coffee-room,and the two elderly gentlemen in his company were his guardians.At this time they were very solicitous that he should choose for himself a profession,offering to his choice either the army or law-he was calculated to shine in either of these professions-for,like many others of his countrymen,he was brave and eloquent;but he did not wish to shackle himself with a profession.As,however,his minority did not terminate till he was three-and-twenty,of which age he wanted nearly two years,during which he would be entirely dependent on his guardians,he deemed it expedient to conceal,to a certain degree,his sentiments,temporising with the old gentlemen,with whom,notwithstanding his many irregularities,he was a great favourite,and at whose death he expected to come into a yet greater property than that which he inherited from his parents.

Such is a brief account of Francis Ardry-of my friend Francis Ardry;for the acquaintance,commenced in the singular manner with which the reader is acquainted,speedily ripened into a friendship which endured through many long years of separation,and which still endures certainly on my part,and on his-if he lives;but it is many years since I have heard from Francis Ardry.

And yet many people would have thought it impossible for our friendship to have lasted a week-for in many respects no two people could be more dissimilar.He was an Irishman-I,an Englishman;-he,fiery,enthusiastic,and open-hearted;I,neither fiery,enthusiastic,nor open-hearted;-he,fond of pleasure and dissipation;I,of study and reflection.Yet it is of such dissimilar elements that the most lasting friendships are formed:

we do not like counterparts of ourselves.'Two great talkers will not travel far together,'is a Spanish saying;I will add,'Nor two silent people';we naturally love our opposites.

So Francis Ardry came to see me,and right glad I was to see him,for I had just flung my books and papers aside,and was wishing for a little social converse;and when we had conversed for some little time together,Francis Ardry proposed that we should go to the play to see Kean;so we went to the play,and saw-not Kean,who at that time was ashamed to show himself,but-a man who was not ashamed to show himself,and who people said was a much better man than Kean-as I have no doubt he was-though whether he was a better actor I cannot say,for I never saw Kean.

同类推荐
  • 曲江池上

    曲江池上

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 鸿猷录

    鸿猷录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说转女身经

    佛说转女身经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Fables

    Fables

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 江邻幾杂志

    江邻幾杂志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 好妈妈穷养男孩全书

    好妈妈穷养男孩全书

    本书告诉妈妈:和女孩相比,男孩将来要承担更多的社会责任和家庭责任,面临的竞争也许会更激烈。因此,无论男孩的家庭多富足,男孩也要穷着养。男孩只有经历过磨砺,才能激发出无限潜能,变得自信、自强、自立,从而担当重任。穷养不是吝啬、打骂以及惩罚,而是给他足够的磨砺以及发展空间。可以说,穷养的着眼点,是给儿子一个成功的人生。《好妈妈穷养男孩全书》是给妈妈一些教育上的建议,要根据男孩的心理特点进行教育,从而让儿子在习惯、品格、情商、社交能力等方面得到长足的发展。
  • 舞动倾城:本妃魅力无限

    舞动倾城:本妃魅力无限

    天啦,本小姐只想去“消失的地平线”走走,并不想真的消失在地平线呀。。。可是穿就穿呗!干嘛把我穿成一被人欺负到自己气死的女的身上?不行。太不公平了,本小姐要起来反抗,要改变命运,要乾坤逆转,要翻云覆雨!更要找个有钱有势的老公把自己给嫁了。现代得不到的,在古代要通通给补回来!!!【本故事纯属虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 鼎天

    鼎天

    人间三千道,魔族万重难,究竟谁是无上主宰?一位长者对龙海说:“你要记住自己的名字,龙越九天,海纳百川。”
  • 荒废的果园

    荒废的果园

    “这就去?”“这就去!”“没考虑的?”“没考虑的!”还想说点什么,可一听儿子那冰冷果断的语气,根旺只得打住话头。儿子今天穿戴打扮得令他有些目旋,单是那套笔挺的西装,就足够他瞠目结舌的。五百多块哩,要是拿来买谷子能买多少担呀?小山样的一堆。当然,票子是儿子一个汗珠儿摔八瓣挣下的,做老子的再古板也不会在穿戴的小事情上过于计较。只是,现在还远不是摆阔的时候。一切都还在人家手心里攥着,炫耀很了绝不是你的好彩头。可这样的话辉子偏偏听不进去,硬是由着自己的性子来。
  • 烟花易冷

    烟花易冷

    若人生如烟花,江淑苇也还是觉得快活,因为她开在生命里最好的那一段日子里了。那日子里,有佑书。佑书走的那个早上,以手指在染了露水的窗玻璃上写了两个字给她——再见。淑苇想,大约她等到年底,佑书就可以回来了。等到花开了又榭了,大了一岁又一岁,佑书还是没有回来。有人说,他是回不来了。后来淑苇有了家,有了女儿微微,只是微微也如烟花,开了,又落了。再后来,微微回来了。艰难、痛楚、绝望、挣扎,日子越往下走,微微越明白了母亲。爱情纵如烟花般短暂,也足够绚烂。
  • 总裁,我错了(全本)

    总裁,我错了(全本)

    二十六岁,无才无貌无色,普通公司职员员工。这是对妙安兰的所有描述。这样一个已经快要奔三的女人,整天坐在办公室里和一群三十出头四十未到的女人唧唧喳喳的讨论各色帅哥,讨论还不算,甚至将魔爪伸向了在电梯里第一次遇到的英俊小帅哥。然而晴天霹雳,怎料此帅哥居然就是顶头BOSS公司大总裁!妙安兰顿时觉得人生灰暗,世界颠倒。她拼搏了整整三年!不,应该是拼搏了整整二十六年!从她诞生开始就努力为了活着而喝奶,然后上幼儿园、上小学、上初中、上高中、上大学。毕业了之后她投了一百八十三份简历,面试了九十七次,实习了五十六回,终于在这个公司有了立足之力……但是天算不如人算,她撞到了前无古人后无来者的小总裁!方千亦。谁说总裁是很老很老的?谁说总裁是大腹便便的?!谁说总裁是满脸皱纹的?!谁说她就抽谁!没看见面前这个总裁白白嫩嫩的么?!“总裁大人!我上有老下有老,还要养一个美丽可爱活泼动人的男朋友,为了维持这个家我呕心沥血掏心掏肺,现在如果你开除我的话我就再也没有活下去的希望了!总裁大人啊,您就可怜我这么尽心尽力为公司办事的份上不要开除我吧,无论让我做什么都可以,扫地擦桌洗衣服洗厕所!无论干什么都可以啊!我以后再也不敢骚扰您,再也不敢跟您搭讪了!我坚决维护咱们公司的名誉,以效忠咱们公司作为第一准则,时时刻刻为公司奉献我年轻的生命!”撇下了所有的面子她可怜兮兮的抱着某总裁的裤管哀求……某总裁沉思了片刻,然后漂亮的小嘴一张:“好啊,无论让你做什么都可以吗?”然后,她就被这只前无古人后无来者的小总裁BOSS给牢牢抓住了……之后到底会发生怎样惨无人道的事情呢?嘿嘿嘿嘿……那一天我进电梯看到一个身材笔挺容貌绝佳的帅哥压根就没有想过他就是总裁!当然如果我知道的话就不会发生后来那么惨烈的事情!我声明,当时我是真的不知道他就是总裁,而且他看上去年纪有点小,最多二十出头的模样,我都已经二十六了,看到这样的嫩芽心里就一阵痒痒,然后满脸堆着肥肉嬉皮笑脸的攀上他的肩膀:“小朋友,你也上班呀?”
  • 盗墓修仙:道友走开,我要盗墓!

    盗墓修仙:道友走开,我要盗墓!

    二十一世纪盗墓世家楼家最有天赋,也是楼家最后一个盗墓人,楼家家主楼满风穿越了。楼满风:穿越就穿越吧,免费给我做个变性手术又是怎么回事?!摸摸喉结,看看自己的八块腹肌楼满风认命了。但是看着眼前的一众女修,楼满风只想抱着自己的洛阳铲去盗墓!嘤嘤嘤,女人太可怕,还是粽子更可爱QAQ。“道友走开,我要盗墓!”楼满风咆哮!
  • 国师请下轿

    国师请下轿

    (齁甜,双洁,双强,双宠,双黑)本文原名《公主在上,国师请下轿》,同名漫画已上线。 朔方王朝九皇子萧怜,号云极,女扮男装位至储君,乃京城的纨绔之首,旁人口中的九爷,眼中的祖宗,心中的阎王。这一世,她只想带着府中的成群妻妾,过着杀人放火、欺男霸女的奢侈糜烂生活,顺便将女儿拉扯大。可没想到竟然被那来路不明的妖魔国师给盯上了。抢她也就罢了,还敢抢她的娃!好不容易,祸世妖颜的国师大人终于滚了,东煌帝国却来了一纸国书,“吾皇太华帝君,愿倾国为聘,千里红妆,迎娶朔方王朝九公主为后。”萧怜一手拉着包子,一手捂着微微隆起的肚子,怎么办?要是被那魔头知道她敢怀着他的崽子嫁给他家亲戚,还不把这天下给拆了!
  • 范村梅谱

    范村梅谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 爱人鉴定期

    爱人鉴定期

    青梅竹马,从小学到大学都是同学,是好友,是知己,却不是情侣。几次失意,几多失落。她为弄清自己的真心,他为追随自己的真心,他们在一起了。校园却有劫难,拆散他们的不是别人,正是自己的心。几年后再重蓬,他痴心不改,她终于认清的心。只是,一个隐藏多年的秘密,令她无法跨越心头的那一道坎……