![Light Novel -?=$public_r['add_site_name']?>](/static/content/img/logo.png){kind=logo}
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
- 1 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
- 2 "The world is wide enough for us both, good sir--""It is!" was the prompt reply. "And it lies before you, Isaac. Go where you like, for the little town of Farnborough is not wide enough for me and any man that works my business for his own pocket--"
- 3 "Well, but the money--the 80 pounds, Will?"William looked sulkily down."I haven't got it, George! There's your draft again, the bank wouldn't take it."A keen pang shot across George's face, as much for the affront as the disappointment."They woul
- 4 "Heaven forbid! Matters are not so bad as that, uncle.""You are too much of a man, I hope," continued Merton, "to eat a woman's bread; and if you are not, I am man enough to keep the girl from it.""These are hard words to bear," gasped George. "
- 5 "He spoke saucy words about you."Susan, smiling inwardly, made her face as repulsive outside as lay in her power."I don't believe it," said Susan; "your time was come round to fight and be a ruffian, and so it was to-day, no doubt.""Ah!" said Geo
- 6 "_And_ a carpet a foot thick."_And_ a piano-forte in every blessed room in the house. But this island is the Dead Sea to a poor man."He then, diverging from the rhetorical to the metropolitan style, proposed to his friend "to open one eye. That will s
- 7 "What, do you come here to insult over me? I must be a long way lower than I am, before I shall be as low as you were when my mother took you up and made a man of you.""George, George!" cried Susan in dismay; "stop, for pity's sake, before you say w
- 8 "George!" whined the culprit, who, strange to say, had become attached to the honest young farmer. "Did ever I take t.i.the of you? You have got a silver candle cup, a heavenly old coffee-pot, no end of spoons double the weight those rogues the silvers
- 9 He could not but feel that he was a great match for any farmer's daughter; whereas "poor young Fielding," said he compa.s.sionately, "is more likely to break as a bachelor than to support a wife and children upon 'The Grove.'"He next allowed his mi
- 10 "No!!" said Isaac Levi in the midst. "No!!" repeated he to John Meadows.Meadows understood perfectly what "No" meant; a veto upon all his plans, hopes and wishes."Young man," said Isaac to George, "you shall not wander forth from the home of your
- 11 The poor sulky fellow's head was seen to rise inch by inch till he held it as erect as a king's."Never!" he cried, half shouting, half weeping. "Never, s'help me G.o.d!She's my sister from this hour--no more, no less. And may the red blight fall on
- 12 While we are young we do not see how true this ancient homely saying is.That wonderful dramatic prologue, the first chapter of Job, is but a great condensation of the sorrows that fall like hail upon many a mortal house. Job's black day, like the day of
- 13 "I dare say--you may fetch--my cloak and bonnet. Why, if the wench hasn't got them on her arm. What, you made up your mind that I should go, then?""That I did," replied Hannah. "Your warm shawl is in the cart, Mrs.Meadows.""Oh! you did, did you. Y
- 14 "That is news, John.""Yes. I shall go into the mining district for six months or a year, perhaps.""Well! go, John! you want a change. I think you can't do better than go.""I will, and no later than to-morrow.""That is sudden.""If I was to give
- 15 Meadows, by a great histrionic effort, brightened up, too, and poured out a flood of really interesting facts and anecdotes about this marvelous land.Then, in the middle of a narrative, which enchained both his hearers, he suddenly looked at his watch, an
- 16 "Me! what have I to do with father's visitors?""Miss," replied Jane mysteriously, "it is a parson, and you are so fond of them, I could not think to let him go away without getting a word with anybody; and he has such a face. La, miss, you never saw
- 17 "You wish to see some of the folk in the village, sir?""Yes.""Where shall I take you first, sir?""Where I ought to go first."Susan looked puzzled.Mr. Eden stopped dead short."Come, guess," said he, with a radiant smile, "and don't look so scar
- 18 "I will come. I am much obliged to you, sir, and to your daughter."He mounted his horse and bade the farmer good morning. Susan came out and stood on the steps and curtsied low--rustic fas.h.i.+on--but with a grace of her own. He took off his hat to her
- 19 SUSAN MERTON had two unfavored lovers; it is well to observe how differently these two behaved. William Fielding stayed at home, threw his whole soul into his farm, and seldom went near the woman he loved but had no right to love. Meadows dangled about th
- 20 "Nothing else?" sneered the unlucky William.Susan gave him such a look."And that interests me more than anything you can say to me--if you won't be offended," snapped Susan.William bit his lip."Well, then, I won't come this evening, eh! Susan?""N
- 21 "Didn't you, sir? Ah! well, if 'tis your duty I know I may as well hold my tongue. And then, such as you are not like other folk; you come like suns.h.i.+ne to some dark place, and when you have warmed it and lighted it a bit, Heaven, that sent you, wi
- 22 Blinds up, Mr. Meadows out.White blind down, Mr. Meadows in.Blue blind down, Mr. Meadows in, but not alone.The same key that opened the garden-door opened a door at the back of the house which led direct to the pa.s.sage above-mentioned. On the window-sea
- 23 A deal table the size of a pocket-handkerchief; also a deal tripod. A waterspout so ingeniously contrived that, turned to the right it sends a small stream into a copper basin, and to the left into a bottomless close stool at some distance. A small gas-pi
- 24 "Indeed, sir, I think it would; I am very much depressed in spirits.""You will be worse before you are better.""Heaven forbid! I think if you don't give me something to do I shall go out of my mind soon, sir.""That is what they all say! You will b
- 25 The next day, as Robinson was working in the corridor, the governor came in with a gentleman whom he treated with unusual and marked respect.This gentleman was the chairman of the quarter-sessions, and one of those magistrates who had favored the adoption
- 26 "Why?" said the governor."More air.""Nonsense, there is plenty of air here. There is a constant stream of air comes in through this," and he pointed to a revolving cylinder in the window constructed for that purpose. "You give him the right stuff,
- 27 The turnkeys heard and revered their chief. No. 19 looked him full in the face with an eye glittering like a saber, but said no word."Sulky brute!" cried the governor, "lock him up" (oath). And that evening, as a warder was rolling the prisoners' sup
- 28 "Well, give him twenty lashes. Eh: Palmer?"Mr. Palmer a.s.sented by a nod."I beg your pardon, sir," said Hawes, "but will you allow me to make a remark?""Certainly, Mr. Hawes, certainly!""I find twenty lashes all at once rather too much for a lad
- 29 "I want you to look into our punishments; they are far more numerous and severe than they used to be.""On the contrary I find them less numerous.""Why, there is one punished every day.""I have been carefully over the books, and I a.s.sure you there
- 30 Soon after this up came Hawes with a cheerful countenance."Well, parson, are you to manage the prisoners and I to preach to them, or are we to go on as we are?""Things are to go on as they are, Mr. Hawes; but that is nothing to me, I have discharged my
- 31 With these words ringing in his ears, little Gillies was locked up for the night at six o'clock. His companions darkness and unrest-for a prisoner's bed is the most comfortable thing he has, and the change from it to a stone floor is as great to him as
- 32 Such was his resolve, made with clinched teeth and nails. And he curled himself up like a snake and turned his back upon mankind, and his face to the wall. Robinson had begun his career in this place full of hopes.He hoped by good conduct to alleviate his
- 33 They compared notes, and agreed that no system but the separate and silent had a leg to stand on; and as they returned together from visiting the ground-floor cells, Mr. Lepel had the honor of giving a new light to Hawes himself."If I could have my way t
- 34 well-disposed. In ill health. Says he has been overworked The surgeon should be consulted and punished for inability. Shall about him. intercede with the governor for him.Mem. Pale and hollow-eyed; pulse feeble.Strutt, No. -- Sullen, impenitent Strutt.--
- 35 "I want to ask you one question: What had you done that they should use you like that?"No answer."It is not from idle curiosity I ask you, but that I may be able to advise you, or intercede for you if the punishment should appear too severe for the off
- 36 "What is it like, sir? haw! haw!""It is as you described it, _on_comfortable; but the knowledge I have gained in it is invaluable. You shall share it.""With all my heart, sir; you can tell me what it is like.""Oh, no! such knowledge can never be im
- 37 "Humph! You have the governor's own orders?""Yes, sir.""How long is he to be so?""Till fresh orders.""I will see the effect of this punishment on the prisoner and note it down for my report." And he took out his note-book and leaned his back ag
- 38 "And some have broke prison a shorter way than that," said the man very gloomily.The chaplain groaned--and looked at the speaker with an expression of terror. Evans noticed it and said gravely: "You should not have come to such place as this, sir; you
- 39 This answer disappointed the chaplain sadly; for Mr. Jones had left the town, and was not expected to return for some days. The hostile spirit of the governor was evident in this reply. The chaplain felt he was at war, and his was an energetic but peace-l
- 40 Hawes eyed him sneeringly."He is down upon his luck," thought Hawes; "his own fault for interfering with me. I liked the man well enough, and showed it, if he hadn't been a fool and put his nose into my business."Half an hour had scarce elapsed when
- 41 "What were you doing?" "What was I doing? Oh! dont ask me--I was going mad--where are you?" "Here!" (rap). "And I am here close opposite; you wont go away yet a while?" "Not till you bid me--compose yourself--do you hear me?--calm yourself, compo
- 42 Have you nothing to say to me, sir?""I have many things to say to you; but this is not the time. I want you to sleep.""Why, sir?""Sleep is the balm of mind and body--you need sleep.""And you, sir?""I shall sit here.""You will take your death o
- 43 "The best ever I had, or ever shall.""Then tell me.""I'll try; but it is a long story, and the door is so thick.""Ah! but I hear you better now. I have got used to your voice."Well, sir; but I've no words to speak to you as I ought. Why did I us
- 44 He might as well have suspended a dog from a branch by the hind leg and told him he mustn't howl.This sight drove a knife through Mr. Eden's heart. He stood among them white as a sheet. He could not speak; but his pale face was a silent protest against
- 49 And his reverence turned his back on the moral butchers, and crept away to his own room. There he sank into a chair and laid his brow upon the table with his hands stretched out before him and his whole frame trembling most piteously.Eden and Hawes are no
- 50 "Cut it?""Turn your back on the whole ignorant lot, and save yourself for better things. Why, you will win many a battle yet, your reverence, if you don't fling yourself away this time," said Evans in tones of homely cheerfulness and encouragement.Th
- 51 "I don't know.""What if he keeps a book and enters everything in it?""But if he had, shouldn't we have caught a glimpse of it?""Humph! A man does not take notes constantly and destroy them. Fry, too, is an enthusiast in his way. I am sure he keep
- 52 "In that case, ladies," said he, "I consecrate to you my entire second floor, three rooms," and he rang the bell and said to the servant, "Take your orders from these ladies, and show them the second floor."While his visitors were examining their ap
- 53 "What letter? what letter?""The long one. I found it on the table.""You don't mean you posted that letter?""Why, it was to go, wasn't it?""Yes, it was to go, but it was wonderfully intelligent of you.""La! Mr. Eden, don't talk so; you make m
- 54 "I have never been hard upon you. You ought to be here every day, but the pay is small and I have never insisted on it, because I said he can't afford to leave patients that pay.""No, Mr. Hawes, and I am much obliged to you.""Are you? Then tell me--
- 45 "'Forgive me my sins as I forgive Mr. Hawes his cruelty to me.'""Now ponder over those words. Keep them before your eye here, and try at least and bow your stubborn heart to them. Fall on them and be broken, or they will fall on you and grind you to
- 46 Then, in a moment, by the magic of eloquence, the great day of retribution was no longer faint and distant, but upon them in all its terrors; and they who in the morning had leaned forward eagerly to catch the message of mercy now shrank and cowered from
- 47 "And if she takes you for a madman?""I shall appeal to the people. Oh! Mr. Hawes, I give you my honor this great question whether or not the law can penetrate a prison shall be sifted to the bottom. Pending my appeals to the Home Office, the sovereign
- 48 "Try and be more than mere dependents on men," was his axiom. "Don't _talk_ that you are his equal, and then open that eloquent mouth to be fed by his hand--do something! It is by doing fifty useful and therefore lucrative things to your one that man
- 55 Then, seeing by his face that her new acquaintance thought her a madwoman, she added: "That is, yes! I think I should like to see it a little--a very little--but if I do you must keep close by me, Mr. Fry.""Why of course I shall keep with you," replie
- 56 "No, I test their repentance first with a little liberty."How? Why fly them with a string before I let them fly free!"Occupation provided outside the prison-gates; instead of ticket-of-leave let the candidate work there on parole and come into the pris
- 57 "Tell him that there is a cold dew upon my forehead."Tell him that you found me by the side of the river Jordan, looking across the cold river to the heavenly land, where they who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb walk in white garments, and see
- 58 "Humph! have you got any salt?""Salt!" roared Hawes, "what is the use of salt? Oh! ay, I see! run and get a pound, and look sharp with it."They brought the salt."Now, will you hold your noise?--then, give it him."The scientific operator watched hi
- 59 "The day you have no more hope, Robinson; that day has come to me this fortnight and more. He tells me every day he will make my life h.e.l.l to me, and I am sure it has been nothing else ever since I came here.""Keep up your heart, boy; he hasn't lon
- 60 Mr. Jones was one of those who sprinkle a burning mountain with a teaspoonful of milk and water, and then go away and make sure they have put it out. When he was gone with this impression, Evans took down the boy's bed and said: "Don't ye cry now like
- 61 "My mother will fret--but I can't help it. Oh dear! oh dear! oh dear! I hope some one will tell her what I went through first; and then she will say, 'Better so than for my body to be abused worse than a dog every day of my life.' I can't help it! an
- 62 "La! bless you, no. He was harder worked and worse fed than any man in the jail.""At work last night! Then at what hour did he die? He is stiff and cold.This is a very sudden death. Did any one see this boy die?"The men gave no answer, but the last wo
- 63 "That is polite! Well, sir, the governor is somebody in most jails, but it seems he is to be n.o.body here so long as you are in it, and that won't be long. Come, Fry, we have other duties to attend to." So saying he and his lieutenant went out of the
- 64 As he recovered, his anxiety to be back among his prisoners increased daily, but neither Susan nor the myrmidon would hear of it. They acted in concert, and stuck at nothing to cure their patient. They a.s.sured him all was going on well in the prison. Th
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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."
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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?""
- 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."
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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