Доводы рассудка
Chapter 6
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Therealcircumstancesofthispatheticpieceoffamilyhistorywere,thattheMusgroveshadhadtheillfortuneofaverytroublesome,hopelessson;andthegoodfortunetolosehimbeforehereachedhistwentiethyear;thathehadbeensenttoseabecausehewasstupidandunmanageableonshore;thathehadbeenverylittlecaredforatanytimebyhisfamily,thoughquiteasmuchashedeserved;seldomheardof,andscarcelyatallregretted,whentheintelligenceofhisdeathabroadhadworkeditswaytoUppercross,twoyearsbefore.
Hehad,infact,thoughhissisterswerenowdoingalltheycouldforhim,bycallinghim“poorRichard,”beennothingbetterthanathick-headed,unfeeling,unprofitableDickMusgrove,whohadneverdoneanythingtoentitlehimselftomorethantheabbreviationofhisname,livingordead.
Hehadbeenseveralyearsatsea,andhad,inthecourseofthoseremovalstowhichallmidshipmenareliable,andespeciallysuchmidshipmenaseverycaptainwishestogetridof,beensixmonthsonboardCaptainFrederickWentworth’sfrigate,theLaconia;andfromtheLaconiahehad,undertheinfluenceofhiscaptain,writtentheonlytwoletterswhichhisfatherandmotherhadeverreceivedfromhimduringthewholeofhisabsence;thatistosay,theonlytwodisinterestedletters;alltheresthadbeenmereapplicationsformoney.
