Young Mr. Barter's Repentance

Young Mr. Barter's Repentance

The narrative follows a British merchant, known for his integrity and business acumen, who faces impending bankruptcy. Despite his reputation for resilience, he is overwhelmed by despair as he contemplates his financial ruin and the impact on his son, Phil, who is traveling abroad. The merchant's emotional turmoil is exacerbated by the realization that he has not only failed himself but may also burden his son with his disgrace. As he grapples with his situation, a visitor arrives—an old acquaintance from the countryside who has recently sold his land and is now in London with a substantial sum of money. The visitor, unaware of the merchant's plight, discusses his financial decisions and expresses a desire to invest his daughter's inheritance. He offers the merchant a bundle of banknotes, believing him to be the ideal person to manage the investment. The merchant, torn between his financial despair and the opportunity presented, accepts the money, setting the stage for a moral dilemma. The story explores themes of integrity, the weight of reputation, and the complexities of financial responsibility, ultimately questioning the merchant's ability to navigate his personal and professional crises.

By David Christie Murray · First published 1893 · Genre: Fiction, Drama, Mystery · 8 chapters · 33,793 words

First lines

Mr Bommaney was a British merchant of the highest rectitude and the most spotless reputation. He traded still under the name of Bommaney, Waite, and Co., though Waite had been long since dead, and the Company had gone out of existence in his father's time. The old offices, cramped and inconvenient, in which the firm had begun life eighty years before, were still good enough for Mr. Bommaney, and they had an air of solid respectability which newer and flashier places lacked. The building of which they formed a part stood in Coalporter's Alley, opposite the Church of St. Mildred, and the hum of the City's traffic scarcely sounded in that retired and quiet locality.

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Young Mr. Barter's Repentance is listed on Textopian as a novel by David Christie Murray, dated 1893 CE.

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repentance · redemption · young adult · moral conflict · personal growth · self-discovery · societal expectations · family dynamics · love · betrayal · forgiveness · inner turmoil

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