But then I remembered
that the poor in the old country had more claim on me, and when I'd
got used to the idea of being a wealthy man, I found myself
recalling all sorts of fancies and wishes that used to come into my
head when I was working hard for a poor living. It took some time to
get all the lawyer's business finished, and by when it was done I
began to see a way before me. First of all I must find my son in
England, and see if he needed help. I hadn't made any change in my
way of living, and I came back from Australia as a steerage
passenger, wearing the same clothes that I'd worked in. The lawyer
laughed at me, but I'm sure I should have laughed at myself if I'd
dressed up as a gentleman and begun to play the fool in my old age.
The money wasn't to be used in that way. I'd got my ideas, and they
grew clearer during the voyage home.
'You know how I found Jane. Not long after, I put an advertisement
in the papers, asking my son, if he saw it, to communicate with Mr.
Percival--that's the lawyer I was recommended to in London. There
was no answer; Joseph was in America at that time. I hadn't much
reason to like Mrs. Peckover and her daughter, but I kept up
acquaintance with them because I thought they might hear of Jo some
day.
Pages:
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357