Her father having heard this portion
of her complaint, diminished in its heinousness as it necessarily was by
her natural modesty, appeared very angry, and swore roundly at the young
scapegrace, as he called him.
"But the truth is, Lucy," he added, "that however wrong and wicked he
may have been, and was, yet we cannot be over severe on him. He has had
no opportunities of knowing better, and of course he will mend. I intend
to lecture him severely for uttering such principles to you; but, on the
other hand, I know him to be a shrewd, keen young fellow, who promises
well, notwithstanding. In truth, I like him, scamp as he is; and I
believe that whatever is bad in him--"
"Whatever is bad in him! Why, papa, there is nothing good in him."
"Tut, Lucy; I believe, I say, that whatever is bad in him he has picked
up from the kind of society he mixed with."
"Papa," she replied, "it grieves me to hear you, sir, palliate the
conduct of such a person--to become almost the apologist of principles
so utterly fiendish.
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