It Is Never Too Late to Mend Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the It Is Never Too Late to Mend novel. A total of 164 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : It Is Never Too Late to Mend.by Charles Reade.CHAPTER I.George Fielding cultivated a sma
It Is Never Too Late to Mend.by Charles Reade.CHAPTER I.George Fielding cultivated a small farm in Berks.h.i.+re.This position is not so enviable as it was. Years ago, the farmers of England, had they been as intelligent as other traders, could have purch
- 164 "Not I. I let him lie for whoever chose to own him.""You let him lie? What, when there is a printed order from the government stuck over the whole mine that n.o.body is to leave carrion about! You go off directly and bury your carrion or yo
- 163 Then Crawley followed him, abusing and reviling him. "So this is the end of all your maneuvering! Oh, what a fool I was to side with such a bungler as you against Mr. Levi. Here am I, an innocent man, ruined through knowing a thief--ah! you don't like t
- 162 Meantime, George and Susan and Tom rose to their feet in some astonishment."There is a chentleman coming to put a question or two," said the first speaker. And, in fact, an old acquaintance of ours, Mr. Williams, came riding up, and, hooking his
- 161 "He has kept my ring!""I was there before you, Mr. Meadows--but I won't stand upon that; I don't believe there is a man in the world loves a woman in the world better than I love Susan; but still I would not give a snap of the fin
- 160 "Yes, you had when last I saw you--in the gold mine; you set ruffians to abuse me, sir.""Don't you believe that, Mr. Levi.""I saw it and felt it."The peculiarity of this situation was, that, the room being full of people
- 159 "Mrs. White," said Meadows, "if you have got a bed for me I'll sleep here, for my nag is tired and the night is darkish.""Always a bed for you, Mr. Meadows," was the gracious reply.Soon the two friends rang for bed-candl
- 158 "You are short of cash, too; come to me--after the wedding, and I'll give you fifty pounds cash.""You are very liberal, sir. I wish it was in a better cause.""Now go home, and don't be a sneak and a fool--till after the
- 157 They spoke in an Eastern dialect, which I am paraphrasing here and translating there, according to the measure of my humble abilities.Isaac sucked his pipe very fast; this news was a double blow to his feelings. "If she be indeed a Nazarite without f
- 156 "What made you come home without orders?" asked Meadows, somewhat sternly."Why, you know as well as me, sir; you have seen them?""Who?""George Fielding and his mate."Meadows started. "How should I see them?&quo
- 155 The deep Meadows never ventured on that ground again. He feared she wanted to be off the marriage, and he determined to hurry it on. He pressed her to name the day. She would not."Would she let him name it?""No."Her father came to Mead
- 154 The next evening he came he found her entertaining four or five other farmers' daughters and a couple of young men. She was playing the piano to them and talking and laughing louder and faster than ever he had heard her in his life. He sat moody a little
- 153 MR. MEADOWS did not visit Gra.s.smere for some days; the cruel one distrusted his own firmness. When he did come he came with a distinct purpose. He found Merton alone."Susan sees no one. You have heard?""What?""Her sweetheart. He is dead.""Why, ho
- 152 "Yes! I have heard a rumor.""You don't believe it, I hope.""Why should I believe it?""I'm going to trace it up to the liar that forged it, if I can."Susan suppressed her satisfaction at this resolution of Will Fielding's."Is it worth while?"
- 151 "Why, ye fool! they are half way to Sydney by now.""Half way to Sydney?" and a ghastly look pa.s.sed between the speaker and mephistopheles."Ay, lad! they rode off on Moore's two best nags at midnight.""The captain had a belt round his waist cramm
- 150 What is that figure crouching and crawling about a hundred yards to windward? It is the caitiff, Crawley, who, after peremptorily declining to have anything to do with this h.e.l.lish act, has crept furtively after them, partly to play the spy on them, fo
- 149 "Bless you, bless you!" cried he, with a violence more horrible than his curses, "you warm my heart, you _are_ a pal. What a head-piece you have got! ---- you, Smith, have you nothing to say? Isn't this a dodge out of the common?"Now for the last min
- 148 "Jacky, that man is our enemy. Could you track him by his footsteps without ever letting him see you?"Jacky smiled superior."Then follow him and see where he goes, and whom he joins--and come to the mine directly and tell me."Jacky's eyes gleamed at
- 147 * In Berks.h.i.+re, among a certain cla.s.s, this word means "a human being.""A pretty Christian," sneered Robinson."You know what I mean, Tom?""I know it is very kind of you to take all this trouble to bury my enemy," said Robinson, hurt."Don't
- 146 Thus it was. Mr. Crawley had a natural love of spirits, without a stomach strong enough to deal with them. When he got away from Mr.Meadows he indulged more and more, and for some months past he had been subject to an unpleasant phenomenon that arises now
- 145 "Well, I do. Look here, Tom! look at this great large heap of quartz bowlders, all of different sizes; they have all rolled down here out of that river of quartz.""Why, of course they have! who doubts that?""Many is the time I have sat on that green
- 144 "Captain! are you going to let them take us out of the wood before we have hunted it for that scoundrel?""Yes, I am. Look here, Jem, we are four, and he is one, but a double-barreled gun is an awkward enemy in a dark wood. No, Jem, we will
- 143 "No doubt. Then, Tom, it was not an enemy, after all!"Jacky came back with Jem, who, at sight of them alive and well, burst into extravagances. He waved his hat round his head several times and then flung it into a tree; then danced a _pas seul_
- 142 These sounds were very appalling in the ghostly wood. The men instinctively drew closer to each other; but they were no chickens; use soon hardened them even to this. They settled it that the forks they were sitting on would not give way, because there we
- 141 Kalingalunga glided from the tent. Jem followed him. The snow fell in flakes as large as a lady's hand, and the air was dark; Jem could not see where the hunter was taking him, but he strode after him and trusted to his sagacity.Five hours' hard
- 140 "No; others might, but not me. We are being hunted," said Robinson, sternly. "George, I am sick of this, let us end it. Let us show these fellows they are hunting lions and not sheep. Is your revolver loaded?""Yes.""Then
- 139 "Yes.""Tie him to it in his handcuffs. Give him food enough.""And when shall we loose him?""At noon, to-morrow.""It shall be done! but you must come and show me which of the four it is."Robinson went with
- 138 brutus, who was wanted at peep of day for the dark scheme already hinted at, got terribly battered by George Fielding, and placarded, and, what was worse, chained to a post, by Robinson and Ede. It became necessary to sound his body and spirit.One of the
- 137 COWARD.Attacked and abused an old man.>N. B.--Not hanged this time because they got a licking then and there."Let us go and see after Mr. Levi, George.""Well, Tom, I had rather not.""Why not? he ought to be very much obliged to
- 136 "If it come within my knowledge," replied the senior, with grave politeness."Which weighs the heaviest, sir, a pound of gold or a pound of feathers?" and he winked at Nathan, but looked in Isaac's face as demure as a Quakeress.&qu
- 135 "Silence! hear Judge Lynch!" Silence was not obtained for five minutes, during which the court was like a forest of wild beasts howling."I condemn him to be exposed all day, with his dust tied round his neck, and then drummed out of the cam
- 134 "I guess I was thyar," said a voice behind the judge, who s.h.i.+fted uneasily.McLaughlan went into the jury-box with a meaning look at Robinson, but without another audible word."Mercy! mercy!" cried Walker."You must not interrup
- 133 "Such as it is it cost me thirty pounds," cried Jem. "Keep it. I shall find him. My spade shall never go into the earth again till I'm quits with this one.""That is right," roared the men, "bring him to us, and the
- 132 Stevens. "'Ah!"Robinson. "Oh!"Andrew. "Come! the beggars have got hold of some of our words!"Robinson. "Silence in the court!"Andrew. "I ask pardon, captain."Stevens. "But the other pounced on it
- 131 "And much I marvel that any man or even any woman who has been in a gold mine and seen and handled virgin gold should take mica" (here he knocked the mica clean off the table) "or pyrites" (here he spanged that in another direction) &q
- 130 The man fumbled and brought out about an ounce. All the time he weighed it, the Jew's keen eye kept glancing into his face he lowered his eyes and could not conceal a certain uneasiness. When he was gone, Levi asked Robinson whether he knew that face
- 129 BLACK WILL no sooner found himself inside the tent than he took out a dark lantern and opened the slide cautiously. There lay in one corner the two men fast asleep side by side. Casting the glare around he saw at his feet a dog with a chain round him. It
- 128 "I will, Tom, I will. Thank you kindly. Ah! now I see why he came to me and kept licking my hand so the moment he got the hurt. He had more sense than we had; he knew he and I were to part that hour. And I tormented his last minutes sending him into
- 127 "That it is, for Heaven taught it him. We must try and keep all this in our hearts when we get among the broken bottles, and foul language, and gold," says George. "How sweet it all smells, sweeter than before.""That is because it
- 126 "Prejudice be hanged, this is a lovely land.""So 'tis, Tom, so 'tis. But I'll tell you what puts me out a little bit; nothing is what it sets up for here. If you see a ripe pear and go to eat it,--it is a lump of hard wood. N
- 125 Toward evening he collected his whole faction, got on the top of two cradles, made a speech, thanked them for their good-will, and told them he had now an opportunity of making them a return. He had discovered a vein of gold which he could have kept all t
- 124 "And we never shall till you take my advice, and trace the gold to its home in the high rocks. Here we are plodding for dust, and one good nugget would make us.""Well! well!" said Robinson, "the moment the dry weather goes you sha
- 123 "We are newly arrived and just going to pitch, and a digger told us we must not come within thirty yards of the captain's tent, so we are measuring the distance.""Well, measure it--and keep it."Robinson stayed by his tent till the
- 122 "How did you get your black eye?""Oh! didn't I tell you? Fighting with the blackguards for your claim."It was now Robinson's turn to be touched."You are a good fellow. You and I must be friends. Ah! if I could but get to
- 121 "Come," said Robinson, "here is a spot that looks likely to a novice; dig and cut it up all you can."George was mystified but obeyed, and soon the place looked as if men had been at work on it some time. Then Robinson took out a handfu
- 120 They ran back. They saw two dark figures melting into the night on the other side the tent. They darted in--they felt for the bag. Gone!They felt convulsively all round the tent. Gone! With trembling hands Robinson struck a light. Gone--the work of months
- 119 "They have been lucky a long time," explained the other, "and now this added--""Well, what about it?""Nothing! only I wish somebody else had it instead.""Why?""That is a secret for the present. I only
- 118 He has given us to see the northwest pa.s.sage forced, and winter bearded on his everlasting throne, by another. (Is it the hero's fault if self and snowdrop-singing poetasters cannot see this feat with the eyes of Camoens?) He has given us to see t.
- 117 "Of which you will account for fifty pounds only.""Liberal, sir; as I said before, liberal as running water.""You are going a journey.""Am I? well! Don't you turn pale for that--I'll come back to you--nothing b
- 116 Crawley winced and rubbed his hands."And your fortune is made if you help me to win her."Crawley rubbed his hands."Old Merton has promised the woman I love to this George Fielding if he comes back with a thousand pounds.""Don'
- 115 "You pa.s.s it oftener than that, sir. Excuse me, sir; I must catch the train. But one word before I go. My name must never be mentioned in this business.""Very well; it never shall transpire, upon my honor."Meadows felt pretty safe. A
- 114 "Show us what they gave you as the price of a dinner?"Meadows dug into a deep pocket, and chased into a corner, and caught, and produced a little nugget of quartz and gold worth about four pounds, also another of somewhat less value."They d
- 113 "You make the calculation," said he; "the figures are all there. Come to me when you have made it."The land had been bought twenty-seven years and some months ago. Mr.Meadows made the calculation in a turn of the hand and announced it.
- 112 "He is; we have all got our little vanity, and like to be thought worthy of confidence.""Humph!""And then I can't sleep for puzzling. Why should you stop every letter that comes here from Australia. Oh, bless me, how neglectf
- 111 Meadows did not resume his visits at Gra.s.smere without some twinges of conscience and a prudent resolve not to anchor his happiness upon Susan Merton. "That man might come here any day with his thousand pounds and take her from me," said he. &
- 110 He s.n.a.t.c.hed the spade, and giving full vent to the ardor he had so long suppressed with difficulty, plunged down a little declivity that led to the ancient stream, and drove his spade into its s.h.i.+ngle, the debris of centuries of centuries. George
- 109 "You don't say so, Tom.""This is gold was.h.i.+ng as beginners practice it in California and Mexico and Peru, and wherever gold-dust is found. They have been working with a pan, they haven't got such a thing as a cradle in this co
- 108 "I don't see him anyway, Tom.""Of course you don't, he is vanished into the bowels of the earth. I don't like gentlemen that vanish into the bowels of the earth.""How suspicious you are! Bushrangers again, I suppose
- 107 George hesitated. He felt himself so weak-handed with only Robinson, who might leave him, and a shepherd lad he had just hired. However his hands were unexpectedly strengthened.One day as the two friends were was.h.i.+ng a sheep an armed savage suddenly s
- 106 "I am afraid it is a very bad country for that.""Ay to make it in, but not to find it in.""What do you mean?""George," said the other, lowering his voice mysteriously, "in our walk to-day we pa.s.sed places tha
- 105 "Well! I didn't think to see you under a roof of mine again.""Just the welcome I expected," thought Robinson bitterly. He answered coldly: "Well, as soon as you are well you can turn me out of your house, but I should say you
- 104 The next morning at six o'clock Jenny was down to make his breakfast for him before starting. If she had said, "Don't go," it is to be feared the temptation would have been too strong, but she did not; she said sorrowfully, "You a
- 103 Robinson went away discomfited; he went doggedly down the street begging them all to have their doors beautified, and wincing at every refusal.At last he found a shopkeeper who had no objection, but doubted Robinson's capacity. "Show me what you
- 102 "The wretches!""No! you don't see--they thought he had betrayed them.""But, of course, you undeceived them," said Robinson."No! I didn't. Why, you precious greenhorn, was that our game?""Well, sir,&qu
- 101 "And did not you?""I'll tell you. At first we certainly gained on him a few yards, but after that I could not near him. But Hazy put on a tremendous spurt, and left me behind for all I could do. 'Here is a go,' thought I, �
- 100 "You have been a kind master to me.""I should think I have, too. By Jove, you won't find such another in a hurry.""No, sir, I am sure I should not, but there is an opening for me of a different sort altogether. I have a frien
- 99 By one of those freaks of mind which it is so hard to account for, every good feeling rushed upon him with far greater power than when he was in ---- Prison, and, strange to say, he now loved his reverence more and took his words deeper to heart than he h
- 98 "But I say, Bill--he is at that corner--the n.o.bs must have pa.s.sed close to him--suppose they saw him.""He is not so green as let them see him."The next question was how long they should wait to let the inmates close their peepers.
- 97 "What! half a crown for a book no thicker than a quire of paper?""Only half a crown for a thing I could be put in prison for selling. Is not my risk to be paid as well as my leaves?"This logic went home, and after a little higgling two
- 96 CHAPTER XLV.IN a low public outside the town--in a back room--with their arms on the table and their low foreheads nearly touching, sat whispering two men--types. One had the deep-sunk, colorless eyes, the protruding cheek-bones, the shapeless mouth, and
- 95 Robinson was so hurt at this want of confidence that he said nothing in reply, and then Mr. Eden felt sorry he had said so much, "for, after all," thought he, "these are mere misgivings; by uttering them I only pain him. I can't make h
- 94 "He sends his best wishes for your recovery.""Now that is very good of him.""And he would be very glad to hear from yourself how you feel.""Well, sir, you tell him I am a trifle better, and G.o.d bless him for troubling
- 93 Open this cell. A woman rises with a smile! why a smile? Because for months an open door has generally let in what is always a great boon to a separate prisoner--a human creature with a civil word. We remember when an open door meant "way for a ruffi
- 92 "I hope so, Jacky," said George very gravely, "thank you, all the same.Jacky, I haven't been not to say dry for the last ten days with me was.h.i.+ng the sheep, and I have caught a terrible chill--a chill like death; and, Jacky, I have
- 91 * Long ago.** Opossum."One more. You do him good things--he do you bad things; he know nothing with these (indicating his arms and legs as the seat of moral action), so den because you not shoot him long ago now you cry; den because you cry Jacky ang
- 90 "A 'V.' Don't ye take on," said Abner. "They couldn't have been ten minutes among ours, and there were but two. And don't you blow me up, for such a thing might happen to the carefulest shepherd that ever was."
- 89 "Black fellow stupid fellow--look too far off," and he laughed again for all the world like a jackdaw."What is it?""A little water; not much.""Where is it? Where is it? Why don't you tell me where it is?""
- 88 "Y're a guid lad," said the Scot demurely; "y're just as decent a body as ever I forgathered wi'--and I'm thinking it's a sin to let ye gang twa miles for mairchandeeze whan ye can hae it a hantle cheaper at your ai
- 87 A thousand pounds! How many men have toiled for money all their lives, have met with success, yet never reached a thousand pounds.Eight thousand servants, fed and half clothed at their master's expense, have put by for forty years, and yet not even b
- 86 "Doant ye, George! doant ye! doant ye! doant ye!" cried Edward Dodd in great agitation."Let the mare go on, Ned; she is fretting through her skin.""I'll fret her," roared the farmer, lifting his whip exactly as if it was
- 85 "The same. I have got only a fortnight to move all my things. Will you do me a kindness now, will you see them put into the new house?""Me, John! why I should be afraid something would go wrong.""Well, it isn't fair of me to
- 84 "Here, sir." Levi read it. "This action was taken on a bill of exchange.I must have that too.""Here it is, sir. Would you like an acknowledgment, Mr. Levi," said Crawley obsequiously."No! foolish man. Are not these suffi
- 83 "Now to business of more importance.""At your service, sir."But the business of more importance was interrupted by a sudden knock at the outside door of Mr. Meadows' study."Well!"A young lady to see you."A young lad
- 82 Meadows, but I think we shall have a shower or two.""Shouldn't wonder. Do you know this five-pound note?""Can't say I do.""Why it has pa.s.sed through your hands?""Has it? well a good many of them pa.s.s t
- 81 "Oh! we turn bold when a body is ill, don't we, aunt?""I am not shy for one at the best of times," remarked the latter."Under Heaven you saved my life, at least I think so, Susan, for the medicinal power of soothing influence
- 80 So these two grasped hands and pledged faith and for a while at least joined hearts. Mr. Eden thanked him with a grace and dignity all his own. Then he said with a winning sweetness, "Go now, my dear sir, and do your duty. Act for once upon an impuls
- 79 "Oh! you know, sir.""But this gentleman does not.""Well, gents, they had been at me a pretty while one way and another; they put me in the jacket till I fainted away.""Stop a minute; is the jacket very painful?"&quo
- 78 Joram.Crank not performed--bread and water.Joram.Punishment-jacket.Joram.Refractory--crank--bread and Joram. Refractory--bread and water. water.Joram.Attempted suicide; Joram. Feigned suicide; cause insensible when found. Had religious despondency--put on
- 77 "He is one of those men to whom veracity is natural. He would hardly know how to tell a falsehood. They fly about him in this place like hailstones, but I never saw one come from him.""Stay! does he side with you or with Mr. Hawes in this u
- 76 "Come, courage, my lad," rang out Mr. Eden, "your troubles are nearly over. Feel this man's hand, sir.""How he trembles! Why, he must be chicken-hearted.""No! only he is one of your men of action, not of pa.s.sive f
- 75 "I play to win. I am playing for human lives. This, sir, is the torture, marks of which you have seen on the prisoners; but your inexperience will not detect at a glance all the diabolical ingenuity and cruelty that lurks in this piece of linen and t
- 74 "Why you know you would, sir," replied the prisoner firmly and respectfully, looking him full in the face before them all.Mr. Lacy. "You don't think so, or you would not take these liberties with him now."The prisoner cast a look
- 73 Mr. Eden. "What punishments have been inflicted on you by the governor?"Prisoner. "Well, sir! the black-cell, bread and water, and none of that; took away my gas once or twice, but generally it was the punishment jacket."Mr. Lacy. &quo
- 72 "Good!" said Mr. Eden. "This is intelligent and it is just. The first gleam of either that has come into this dark hole since I have known it.I augur well from this.""This is a character, gentlemen.""To business, sir?&qu
- 71 "Will you be pleased to come to the justices' room?""Yes. Let us go there at once. Gentlemen, you shall be present if you choose.""It is right you should know the chaplain is cracked," said Mr.Williams."I should not
- 70 "Defiance! no," said Mr. Palmer innocently."Well, but, Palmer, his opposition to Mr. Hawes is opposition to us, and is so bitter that it leaves us no alternative. We must propose to the bench to remove you from your office."Mr. Eden bo
- 69 "And the bishop of the diocese?" asked Mr. Eden."What about him?""Do you think he will allow you, an ignorant, inexperienced layman, to usurp the episcopal function in his diocese.""The episcopal function? Mr. Eden."
- 68 Meantime Mr. Hawes said nothing, but fixed his eye on the rogue, and that eye said, "One word of discontent and the moment he is gone I ma.s.sacre you." Then followed in every case the old theatrical business according to each rogue's measu
- 67 Fibs mixed with truth charm us more than truth mixed with fibs.Presently an oath escaped from Mr. Hawes."Sir!""Nothing, it is only this infernal--humph!"Presently another expletive. "I'll tell you what it is, Fry, if somebody
- 66 THE inexperienced in jails would take for granted that the death of Josephs gave Mr. Hawes's system a fatal check. No such thing. He was staggered. So was Pharaoh staggered several times, yet he always recovered himself in twenty-four hours. Hawes di
- 65 "This, sir--what, sir?""This brick?""Well! why--it is a brick, sir!"Where did you get it?""I found it in the yard.""What were you going to do with it?""Oh! I wasn't going to do any ill with