If I Had a Father

wanted to do something for you⁠—tried hard⁠—and was foiled.⁠—I doubly deserved it. I doubted as well as neglected you. But God is good. He has shamed me, and saved you. Gervaise By your hand, father. Col. Gervaise No⁠—by his own. It would all have come right without me. I was unworthy of the honour, my boy. But I was allowed to try; and for that I am grateful.⁠—Arthur, I come to you empty-handed⁠—a beggar for your love. Gervaise How dare you say that, father?⁠—Empty-handed⁠—bringing me her and yourself⁠—all I ever longed for!⁠—my father and my Psyche! Father, thank you. The poor word must do its best. I thank you with my very soul.⁠—How shall I bear my happiness!⁠—Constance, it was my father all the time! Did you know it? Serving me like a slave!⁠—humouring all my whims!⁠—watching me night and day!⁠—and then bringing me⁠— Constance Your own little girl, Arthur. But why did you not tell me? Gervaise Tell you what, darling? Constance That⁠—that⁠—that you⁠—Oh! you know what, Arthur! Gervaise How could I, my child, with that⁠—!⁠—Shall I tell you now? Constance No, no! I am too happy to listen⁠—even to you, Arthur! But he should never have⁠—I did find him out at last. If I had but known you did not like him! Hiding her face. Gervaise Embracing his father. Father! father! I cannot hold my happiness! And it is all your doing! Col. Gervaise No, I tell you, my boy! I was but a straw on the tide of things. I will serve you yet though. I will be your father yet. Bill Aside. Fathers ain’t all bad coves! Here’s two on ’em⁠—good sort of old Jacobs⁠—both on ’em. Shouldn’t mind much if I had a father o’ my own arter all! Gervaise turns to Constance⁠—then glances at the Psyche. Col. Gervaise removes the sheet. Gervaise leads Constance to the chair on the dais⁠—turns from her to the Psyche, and begins to work on the clay, glancing from the one to the other⁠—the next moment leaves the Psyche, and seats himself on the dais at Constance’s feet, looking up in her face. Col. Gervaise stands regarding them fixedly. Slow distant music. Bill is stealing away. Curtain falls.

Colophon

If I Had a Father
was published in 1882 by
George MacDonald.

This ebook was produced for
Standard Ebooks
by
C. B. Bowman,
and is based on a transcription produced in 2005 by
Jonathan Ingram, Beth Trapaga, and Distributed Proofreaders
for
Project Gutenberg
and on digital scans from the
Internet Archive.

The cover page is adapted from
A Painter’s Studio,
a painting completed circa 1800 by
Louis-Léopold Boilly.
The cover and title pages feature the
League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy
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