The Project Gutenberg EBook of Pelham, Complete, by Edward Bulwer-Lytton

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Pelham, Complete

Author: Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Last Updated: March 16, 2009
Release Date: October 20, 2006 [EBook #7623]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PELHAM, COMPLETE ***

Produced by David Widger

PELHAM

By Edward Bulwer Lytton

VOLUME I.

CHAPTER I.

Ou peut-on etre mieux qu'au sein de sa famille?--French Song. [Where
can on be better than in the bosom of one's family?]

I am an only child. My father was the younger son of one of our oldest
earls; my mother the dowerless daughter of a Scotch peer. Mr. Pelham was
a moderate whig, and gave sumptuous dinners; Lady Frances was a woman of
taste, and particularly fond of diamonds and old china.

Vulgar people know nothing of the necessaries required in good society,
and the credit they give is as short as their pedigree. Six years
after my birth, there was an execution in our house. My mother was just
setting off on a visit to the Duchess of D_____; she declared it
was impossible to go without her diamonds. The chief of the bailiffs
declared it was impossible to trust them out of his sight. The matter
was compromised--the bailiff went with my mother to C___, and was
introduced as my tutor. "A man of singular merit," whispered my mother,
"but so shy!" Fortunately, the bailiff was abashed, and by losing his
impudence he kept the secret. At the end of the week, the diamonds went
to the jeweller's, and Lady Frances wore paste.

I think it was about a month afterwards that a sixteenth cousin left
my mother twenty thousand pounds. "It will just pay off our most
importunate creditors, and equip me for Melton," said Mr. Pelham.

"It will just redeem my diamonds, and refurnish the house," said Lady
Frances.

The latter alternative was chosen. My father went down to run his last
horse at Newmarket, and my mother received nine hundred people in a
Turkish tent. Both were equally fortunate, the Greek and the Turk; my
father's horse lost, in consequence of which he pocketed five thousand
pounds; and my mother looked so charming as a Sultana, that