Read Online The Merchant of Vengeance by Simon Hawke - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Simon Hawke
Tags: Fiction, General, Historical, Thrillers, Mystery & Detective, Theater, Actors, Great Britain, Dramatists, Smythe; Symington (Fictitious Character)
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full of frost and storm and cloudiness?"
"I shall wager that he thinks what I am thinking, Tuck," said Shakespeare, with a disapproving grimace, "that you have just done poor Thomas a profound disservice. If that wench is as besotted with him as he is with her, then they shall doubtless follow your advice and run away together, and thus they will ruin both their lives."
"But why?" asked Smythe. "Why should their lives be ruined if they are both together and in lover I should think they would be happy!"
"They would, indeed, be together and in love and happy at the very first," said Shakespeare wryly, "but at the same time, they would be together and in love and poor. For a time, a short time, they could live on love, but ere long, there would doubtless be children from that love, and then they would be together and in love and poor and hungry and with children, and not long after that, they would be together and poor and hungry and with children and unhappy. And soon thereafter, they would be together and poor and hungry and with children and miserable with one another, a state commonly known to one and all as a settled marriage."
"I am well familiar with your thoughts on marriage, Will," said Smythe defensively, "but they are not shared by one and all. There are people who find happiness in being together, even if they are poor and hungry and struggling to survive, for being together in such circumstances is a far better thing than being alone."
"And what of all the years that he has spent in labouring at his apprenticeship?" asked Dickens. "If he runs off with Portia, he shall be throwing all of that away. Why, within a year, his term as an apprentice will have been completed and he would then be free to open his own shop. Already, his work has gained favour with a number of wealthy customers who would have helped his business grow and prosper. In a few years, he would have been successful on his own, perhaps even a wealthy man. And if this Portia was not deemed good enough for him right now, why, in a few years' time, there would have been a plentiful supply of eager, marriageable young wenches all vying for his favour, without regard to questions of his lineage."
"And if his heart were broken from losing the one woman that he loved!" Smythe asked. "Then what good would all those eager wenches be?"
"Forgive the lad," said Shakespeare, "he knows not whereof he speaks."
"If you believe that I was wrong in what I said to Thomas."
Smythe said, "then why do you not go after him and tell him so?"
"Because I know Thomas well enough to know that once he sets his mind on something, he cannot be dissuaded," Dickens replied. "And because, Tuck, I know all too well how foolish a young man in love can be. 'Twas only a few years ago that I was that young man, and I had set my mind upon a course that took me off to foreign wars in the mistaken notion that I would return wealthy from the spoils. As it happened, I was fortunate to have returned at all, and in one piece. Yet back then, I turned deaf ears to all the prudent counsel I received, as now Thomas turns deaf ears to mine."
"Then why does my counsel bear more weight with him than yours, a man who knows him better?" Smythe replied.
"Because you have shown him a way that he may achieve his heart's desire," Dickens said.
"Mayhap not so much his heart, methinks, as some vital organ lower down," said Shakespeare wryly.
"Oh, that was base," said Smythe. "Anyone can see that Thomas is very much in love."
"Is it Thomas that you are truly thinking of or is it not yourself?" asked Shakespeare, raising his eyebrows.
"What? What do you mean?" asked Smythe.
"Methinks that Thomas finds himself in a situation not all that much unlike your own," Shakespeare replied. "You are hopelessly moonstruck over Elizabeth Darcie, whose father, while he does not forbid your friendship, would never grant consent to proper courtship. She is much too valuable a piece of goods to waste upon the
"I shall wager that he thinks what I am thinking, Tuck," said Shakespeare, with a disapproving grimace, "that you have just done poor Thomas a profound disservice. If that wench is as besotted with him as he is with her, then they shall doubtless follow your advice and run away together, and thus they will ruin both their lives."
"But why?" asked Smythe. "Why should their lives be ruined if they are both together and in lover I should think they would be happy!"
"They would, indeed, be together and in love and happy at the very first," said Shakespeare wryly, "but at the same time, they would be together and in love and poor. For a time, a short time, they could live on love, but ere long, there would doubtless be children from that love, and then they would be together and in love and poor and hungry and with children, and not long after that, they would be together and poor and hungry and with children and unhappy. And soon thereafter, they would be together and poor and hungry and with children and miserable with one another, a state commonly known to one and all as a settled marriage."
"I am well familiar with your thoughts on marriage, Will," said Smythe defensively, "but they are not shared by one and all. There are people who find happiness in being together, even if they are poor and hungry and struggling to survive, for being together in such circumstances is a far better thing than being alone."
"And what of all the years that he has spent in labouring at his apprenticeship?" asked Dickens. "If he runs off with Portia, he shall be throwing all of that away. Why, within a year, his term as an apprentice will have been completed and he would then be free to open his own shop. Already, his work has gained favour with a number of wealthy customers who would have helped his business grow and prosper. In a few years, he would have been successful on his own, perhaps even a wealthy man. And if this Portia was not deemed good enough for him right now, why, in a few years' time, there would have been a plentiful supply of eager, marriageable young wenches all vying for his favour, without regard to questions of his lineage."
"And if his heart were broken from losing the one woman that he loved!" Smythe asked. "Then what good would all those eager wenches be?"
"Forgive the lad," said Shakespeare, "he knows not whereof he speaks."
"If you believe that I was wrong in what I said to Thomas."
Smythe said, "then why do you not go after him and tell him so?"
"Because I know Thomas well enough to know that once he sets his mind on something, he cannot be dissuaded," Dickens replied. "And because, Tuck, I know all too well how foolish a young man in love can be. 'Twas only a few years ago that I was that young man, and I had set my mind upon a course that took me off to foreign wars in the mistaken notion that I would return wealthy from the spoils. As it happened, I was fortunate to have returned at all, and in one piece. Yet back then, I turned deaf ears to all the prudent counsel I received, as now Thomas turns deaf ears to mine."
"Then why does my counsel bear more weight with him than yours, a man who knows him better?" Smythe replied.
"Because you have shown him a way that he may achieve his heart's desire," Dickens said.
"Mayhap not so much his heart, methinks, as some vital organ lower down," said Shakespeare wryly.
"Oh, that was base," said Smythe. "Anyone can see that Thomas is very much in love."
"Is it Thomas that you are truly thinking of or is it not yourself?" asked Shakespeare, raising his eyebrows.
"What? What do you mean?" asked Smythe.
"Methinks that Thomas finds himself in a situation not all that much unlike your own," Shakespeare replied. "You are hopelessly moonstruck over Elizabeth Darcie, whose father, while he does not forbid your friendship, would never grant consent to proper courtship. She is much too valuable a piece of goods to waste upon the
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