THE ADVENTURES OF FERDINAND COUNT FATHOM

by Tobias Smollett

COMPLETE IN TWO PARTS

PART II. 

With the Author's Preface, and an Introduction by G. H. Maynadier, Ph. D. Department of English, Harvard University. 

CONTENTS

 CHAPTER XXXIX Our Adventurer is made acquainted with a new Scene of Life XL He contemplates Majesty and its Satellites in Eclipse XLI One Quarrel is compromised, and another decided by unusual Arms XLII An unexpected Rencontre, and a happy Revolution in the Affairs of our Adventurer XLIII Fathom justifies the Proverb, "What's bred in the Bone will never come out of the Flesh" XLIV Anecdotes of Poverty, and Experiments for the Benefit of those whom it may concern XLV Renaldo's Distress deepens, and Fathom's Plot thickens XLVI Our Adventurer becomes absolute in his Power over the Passions of his Friend, and effects one half of his Aim XLVII The Art of Borrowing further explained, and an Account of a Strange Phenomenon XLVIII Count Fathom unmasks his Battery; is repulsed; and varies his Operations without effect XLIX Monimia's Honour is protected by the Interposition of Heaven L Fathom shifts the Scene, and appears in a new Character LI Triumphs over a Medical Rival LII Repairs to the Metropolis, and enrols himself among the Sons of Paean LIII Acquires Employment in consequence of a lucky Miscarriage LIV His Eclipse, and gradual Declination LV After divers unsuccessful Efforts, he has recourse to the Matrimonial Noose LVI In which his Fortune is effectually strangled LVII Fathom being safely housed, the Reader is entertained with a Retrospect LVIII Renaldo abridges the Proceedings at Law, and approves himself the Son of his Father LIX He is the Messenger of Happiness to his Sister, who removes the film which had long obstructed his Penetration, with regard to Count Fathom LX He recompenses the Attachment of his Friend; and receives a Letter that reduces him to the Verge of Death and Distraction LXI Renaldo meets with a living Monument of Justice, and encounters a Personage of some Note in these Memoirs LXII His Return to England, and Midnight Pilgrimage to Monimia's Tomb LXIII He renews the Rites of Sorrow, and is entranced LXIV The Mystery unfolded--Another Recognition, which, it is to be hoped, the Reader could not foresee LXV A retrospective Link, necessary for the Concatenation of these Memoirs LXVI The History draws near a Period LXVII The Longest and the Last

THE ADVENTURES OF FERDINAND COUNT FATHOM

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

OUR ADVENTURER IS MADE ACQUAINTED WITH A NEW SCENE OF LIFE. 

Just as he entered these mansions of misery, his ears were invaded with ahoarse and dreadful voice, exclaiming, "You, Bess Beetle, score a coupleof fresh eggs, a pennyworth of butter, and half a pint of mountain to theking; and stop credit till the bill is paid:--He is now debtor forfifteen shillings and sixpence, and d--n me if I trust him one farthingmore, if he was the best king in Christendom. And, d'ye hear, sendRagged-head with five pounds of potatoes for Major Macleaver's supper, and let him have what drink he wants; the fat widow gentlewoman fromPimlico has promised to quit his score. Sir Mungo Barebones may havesome hasty pudding and small beer, though I don't expect to see his coin, no more than to receive the eighteen pence I laid out for a pair ofbreeches to his backside--what then? he's a quiet sort of a body, and agreat scholar, and it was a scandal to the place to see him going aboutin that naked condition. As for the mad Frenchman with the beard, if yougive him so much as a cheese-paring, you b--ch, I'll send you back to thehole, among your old companions; an impudent dog! I'll teach him to drawhis sword upon the governor of an English county jail. What! I supposehe thought he had to do with a French hang-tang-dang, rabbit him! heshall eat his white feather, before I give him credit for a morsel ofbread. "

Although our adventurer was very little disposed, at this juncture, tomake observations foreign to his own affairs, he could not help takingnotice of these extraordinary injunctions; especially those concerningthe person who was entitled king, whom, however, he supposed to be someprisoner elected as the magistrate by the joint suffrage of his fellows. Having taken possession of his chamber, which he rented at five shillingsa week, and being ill at ease in his own thoughts, he forthwith securedhis door, undressed, and went to bed, in which, though it was none of themost elegant or inviting couches, he enjoyed profound repose after theaccumulated fatigues and mortifications of the day. Next morning, afterbreakfast, the keeper entered his apartment, and gave him to understand, that the gentlemen under his care, having heard of the Count's arrival, had deputed one of their number to wait upon him with the compliments ofcondolence suitable to the occasion, and invite him to become a member oftheir society. Our hero could not politely dispense with this instanceof civility, and their ambassador being instantly introduced by the nameof Captain Minikin, saluted him with great solemnity. 

This was a person equally remarkable for his extraordinary figure andaddress; his age seemed to border upon forty, his stature amounted tofive feet, his visage was long, meagre, and weather-beaten, and hisaspect, though not quite rueful, exhibited a certain formality, which wasthe result of care and conscious importance. He was very littleencumbered with flesh and blood; yet what body he had was wellproportioned, his limbs were elegantly turned, and by his carriage he waswell entitled to that compliment which we pay to any person when we sayhe has very much the air of a gentleman. There was also an evidentsingularity in his dress, which, though intended as an improvement, appeared to be an extravagant exaggeration of the mode, and at onceevinced him an original to the discerning eyes of our adventurer, whoreceived him with his usual complaisance, and made a very eloquentacknowledgment of the honour and satisfaction he received from the visitof the representative, and the hospitality of his constituents. Thecaptain's peculiarities were not confined to his external appearance; forhis voice resembled the sound of a bassoon, or the aggregate hum of awhole bee-hive, and his discourse was almost nothing else than a seriesof quotations from the English poets, interlarded with French phrases, which he retained for their significance, on the recommendation of hisfriends, being himself unacquainted with that or any other outlandishtongue. 

Fathom, finding this gentleman of a very communicative disposition, thought he could not have a fairer opportunity of learning the history ofhis fellow-prisoners; and, turning the conversation on that subject, wasnot disappointed in his expectation. "I don't doubt, sir, " said he, withthe utmost solemnity of declamation, "but you look with horror upon everyobject that surrounds you in this uncomfortable place; but, nevertheless, here are some, who, as my friend Shakespeare has it, have seen betterdays, and have with holy bell been knolled to church; and sat at goodmen's feasts, and wiped their eyes of drops that sacred pity hathengendered. You must know, sir, that, exclusive of the canaille, or theprofanum vulgus, as they are styled by Horace, there are several smallcommunities in the jail, consisting of people who are attracted by themanners and dispositions of each other; for this place, sir, is quite amicrocosm, and as the great world, so is this, a stage, and all the menand women merely players. For my own part, sir, I have always made it amaxim to associate with the best of company I can find. Not that Ipretend to boast of my family or extraction; because, you know, as thepoet says, Vix ea nostra voco. My father, 'tis true, was a man thatpiqued himself upon his pedigree, as well as upon his politesse andpersonal merit; for he had been a very old officer in the army, and Imyself may say I was born with a spontoon in my hand. Sir, I have hadthe honour to serve his Majesty these twenty years, and have been bandiedabout in the course of duty through all the British plantations, and yousee the recompense of all my service. But this is a disagreeablesubject, and therefore I shall waive it; however, as Butler observes:

 My only comfort is, that now My dubbolt fortune is so low, That either it must quickly end, Or turn about again and mend. 

"And now, to return from this digression, you will perhaps be surprisedto hear that the head or chairman of our club is really a sovereignprince; no less, I'll assure you, than the celebrated Theodore king ofCorsica, who lies in prison for a debt of a few hundred pounds. Heu!quantum mutatus ab illo. It is not my business to censure the conduct ofmy superiors; but I always speak my mind in a cavalier manner, and as, according to the Spectator, talking to a friend is no more than thinkingaloud, entre nous, his Corsican majesty has been scurvily treated by acertain administration. Be that as it will, he is a personage of a veryportly appearance, and is quite master of the bienseance. Besides, theywill find it their interest to have recourse again to his alliance; andin that case some of us may expect to profit by his restoration. But fewwords are best. 

"He that maintains the second rank in our assembly is one MajorMacleaver, an Irish gentleman, who has served abroad; a soldier offortune, sir, a man of unquestionable honour and courage, but a littleoverbearing, in consequence of his knowledge and experience. He is aperson of good address, --to be sure, and quite free of the mauvaisehonte, and he may have seen a good deal of service. But what then? otherpeople may be as good as he, though they have not had such opportunities;if he speaks five or six languages, he does not pretend to any taste inthe liberal arts, which are the criterion of an accomplished gentleman. 

"The next is Sir Mungo Barebones, the representative of a very ancientfamily in the north; his affairs are very much deranged, but he is agentleman of great probity and learning, and at present engaged in a verygrand scheme, which, if he can bring it to bear, will render him famousto all posterity; no less than the conversion of the Jews and theGentiles. The project, I own, looks chimerical to one who has notconversed with the author; but, in my opinion, he has clearlydemonstrated, from an anagrammatical analysis of a certain Hebrew word, that his present Majesty, whom God preserve, is the person pointed at inScripture as the temporal Messiah of the Jews; and, if he could onceraise by subscription such a trifling sum as twelve hundred thousandpounds, I make no doubt but he would accomplish his aim, vast andromantic as it seems to be. 

"Besides these, we have another messmate, who is a French chevalier, anodd sort of a man, a kind of Lazarillo de Tormes, a caricatura; he wearsa long beard, pretends to be a great poet, and makes a d---ed fracas withhis verses. The king has been obliged to exert his authority over himmore than once, by ordering him into close confinement, for which he wasso rash as to send his majesty a challenge; but he afterwards made hissubmission, and was again taken into favour. The truth is, I believe hisbrain is a little disordered, and, he being a stranger, we overlook hisextravagancies. 

"Sir, we shall think ourselves happy in your accession to our society. You will be under no sort of restraint; for, though we dine at one table, every individual calls and pays for his own mess. Our conversation, suchas it is, will not, I hope, be disagreeable; and though we have notopportunities of breathing the pure Arcadian air, and cannot, 'under theshade of melancholy boughs, lose and neglect the creeping hours of time, 'we may enjoy ourselves over a glass of punch or a dish of tea. Nor arewe destitute of friends, who visit us in these shades of distress. Themajor has a numerous acquaintance of both sexes; among others, a firstcousin of good fortune, who, with her daughters, often cheer oursolitude; she is a very sensible ladylike gentlewoman, and the youngladies have a certain degagee air, that plainly shows they have seen thebest company. Besides, I will venture to recommend Mrs. Minikin as awoman of tolerable breeding and capacity, who, I hope, will not be foundaltogether deficient in the accomplishments of the sex. So that we findmeans to make little parties, in which the time glides away insensibly. Then I have a small collection of books which are at your service. Youmay amuse yourself with Shakespeare, or Milton, or Don Quixote, or any ofour modern authors that are worth reading, such as the Adventures ofLoveill, Lady Frail, George Edwards, Joe Thompson, Bampfylde Moore Carew, Young Scarron, and Miss Betsy Thoughtless; and if you have a taste fordrawing, I can entertain you with a parcel of prints by the bestmasters. "

A man of our hero's politeness could not help expressing himself in thewarmest terms of gratitude for this courteous declaration. He thankedthe captain in particular for his obliging offers, and begged he would beso good as to present his respects to the society, of which he longed tobe a member. It was determined, therefore, that Minikin should return inan hour, when the Count would be dressed, in order to conduct him intothe presence of his majesty; and he had already taken his leave for thepresent, when all of a sudden he came back, and taking hold of awaistcoat that lay upon a chair, "Sir, " said he, "give me leave to lookat that fringe; I think it is the most elegant knitting I ever saw. Butpray, sir, are not these quite out of fashion? I thought plain silk, such as this that I wear, had been the mode, with the pockets very low. "Before Fathom had time to make any sort of reply, he took notice of hishat and pumps; the first of which, he said, was too narrow in the brims, and the last an inch too low in the heels. Indeed, they formed aremarkable contrast with his own; for, exclusive of the fashion of thecock, which resembled the form of a Roman galley, the brim of his hat, ifproperly spread, would have projected a shade sufficient to shelter awhole file of musketeers from the heat of a summer's sun; and the heelsof his shoes were so high as to raise his feet three inches at least fromthe surface of the earth. 

Having made these observations, for the credit of his taste, he retired, and returning at the time appointed, accompanied Ferdinand to theapartment of the king, at the doors of which their ears were invaded witha strange sound, being that of a human voice imitating the noise of adrum. The captain, hearing this alarm, made a full stop, and, giving theCount to understand that his majesty was busy, begged he would not takeit amiss, if the introduction should be delayed for a few moments. Fathom, curious to know the meaning of what he had heard, applied to hisguide for information, and learned that the king and the major, whom hehad nominated to the post of his general-in-chief, were employed inlanding troops upon the Genoese territory; that is, that they weresettling beforehand the manner of their disembarkation. 

He then, by the direction of his conductor, reconnoitred them through thekeyhole, and perceived the sovereign and his minister sitting on oppositesides of a deal board table, covered with a large chart or map, uponwhich he saw a great number of mussel and oyster shells ranged in acertain order, and, at a little distance, several regular squares andcolumns made of cards cut in small pieces. The prince himself, whoseeyes were reinforced by spectacles, surveyed this armament with greatattention, while the general put the whole in action, and conducted theirmotions by beat of drum. The mussel-shells, according to Minikin'sexplanation, represented the transports, the oyster-shells wereconsidered as the men-of-war that covered the troops in landing, and thepieces of card exhibited the different bodies into which the army wasformed upon its disembarkation. 

As an affair of such consequence could not be transacted withoutopposition, they had provided divers ambuscades, consisting of the enemy, whom they represented by grey peas; and accordingly General Macleaver, perceiving the said grey peas marching along shore to attack his forcesbefore they could be drawn up in battalia, thus addressed himself to theoyster-shells, in an audible voice:--"You men-of-war, don't you see thefront of the enemy advancing, and the rest of the detachment followingout of sight? Arrah! the devil burn you, why don't you come ashore andopen your batteries?" So saying, he pushed the shells towards thebreach, performed the cannonading with his voice, the grey peas were soonput in confusion, the general was beat, the cards marched forwards inorder of battle, and the enemy having retreated with great precipitation, they took possession of their ground without farther difficulty. 

CHAPTER FORTY

HE CONTEMPLATES MAJESTY AND ITS SATELLITES IN ECLIPSE. 

This expedition being happily finished, General Macleaver put the wholearmy, navy, transports, and scene of action into a canvas bag, the princeunsaddled his nose, and Captain Minikin being admitted, our hero wasintroduced in form. Very gracious was the reception he met with from hismajesty, who, with a most princely demeanour, welcomed him to court, andeven seated him on his right hand, in token of particular regard. Trueit is, this presence-chamber was not so superb, nor the appearance of theking so magnificent, as to render such an honour intoxicating to anyperson of our hero's coolness and discretion. In lieu of tapestry, theapartment was hung with halfpenny ballads, a truckle-bed without curtainssupplied the place of a canopy, and instead of a crown his majesty wore awoollen night-cap. Yet, in spite of these disadvantages, there was anair of dignity in his deportment, and a nice physiognomist would haveperceived something majestic in the features of his countenance. 

He was certainly a personage of very prepossessing mien; his manners wereengaging, his conversation agreeable, and any man whose heart was subjectto the meltings of humanity would have deplored his distress, and lookedupon him as a most pathetic instance of that miserable reverse to whichall human grandeur is exposed. His fall was even greater than that ofBelisarius, who, after having obtained many glorious victories over theenemies of his country, is said to have been reduced to such extremity ofindigence, that, in his old age, when he was deprived of his eyesight, hesat upon the highway like a common mendicant, imploring the charity ofpassengers in the piteous exclamation of Date obolum Belisario; that is, "Spare a farthing to your poor old soldier Belisarius. " I say, thisgeneral's disgrace was not so remarkable as that of Theodore, because hewas the servant of Justinian, consequently his fortune depended upon thenod of that emperor; whereas the other actually possessed the throne ofsovereignty by the best of all titles, namely, the unanimous election ofthe people over whom he reigned; and attracted the eyes of all Europe, bythe efforts he made in breaking the bands of oppression, and vindicatingthat liberty which is the birthright of man. 

The English of former days, alike renowned for generosity and valour, treated those hostile princes, whose fate it was to wear their chains, with such delicacy of benevolence, as even dispelled the horrors ofcaptivity; but their posterity of this refined age feel no compunction atseeing an unfortunate monarch, their former friend, ally, and partisan, languish amidst the miseries of a loathsome jail, for a paltry debtcontracted in their own service. But, moralising apart, our hero had notlong conversed with this extraordinary debtor, who in his presentcondition assumed no other title than that of Baron, than he perceived inhim a spirit of Quixotism, which all his experience, together with thevicissitudes of his fortune, had not been able to overcome. Not that hisideas soared to such a pitch of extravagant hope as that which tookpossession of his messmates, who frequently quarrelled one with anotherabout the degrees of favour to which they should be entitled after theking's restoration; but he firmly believed that affairs would speedilytake such a turn in Italy, as would point out to the English court theexpediency of employing him again; and his persuasion seemed to supporthim against every species of poverty and mortification. 

While they were busy in trimming the balance of power on the other sideof the Alps, their deliberations were interrupted by the arrival of ascullion, who came to receive their orders touching the bill of fare fordinner, and his majesty found much more difficulty in settling thisimportant concern, than in compromising all the differences between theEmperor and the Queen of Spain. At length, however, General Macleaverundertook the office of purveyor for his prince; Captain Minikin insistedupon treating the Count; and in a little time the table was covered witha cloth, which, for the sake of my delicate readers, I will not attemptto describe. 

At this period they were joined by Sir Mungo Barebones, who, having foundmeans to purchase a couple of mutton chops, had cooked a mess of broth, which he now brought in a saucepan to the general rendezvous. This wasthe most remarkable object which had hitherto presented itself to theeyes of Fathom. Being naturally of a meagre habit, he was, by indigenceand hard study, wore almost to the bone, and so bended towards the earth, that in walking his body described at least 150 degrees of a circle. Thewant of stockings and shoes he supplied with a jockey straight boot andan half jack. His thighs and middle were cased in a monstrous pair ofbrown trunk breeches, which the keeper bought for his use from theexecutor of a Dutch seaman who had lately died in the jail. His shirtretained no signs of its original colour, his body was shrouded in an oldgreasy tattered plaid nightgown; a blue and white handkerchief surroundedhis head, and his looks betokened that immense load of care which he hadvoluntarily incurred for the eternal salvation of sinners. Yet thisfigure, uncouth as it was, made his compliments to our adventurer interms of the most elegant address, and, in the course of conversation, disclosed a great fund of valuable knowledge. He had appeared in thegreat world, and borne divers offices of dignity and trust with universalapplause. His courage was undoubted, his morals were unimpeached, andhis person held in great veneration and esteem; when his evil geniusengaged him in the study of Hebrew, and the mysteries of the Jewishreligion, which fairly disordered his brain, and rendered him incapableof managing his temporal affairs. When he ought to have been employed inthe functions of his post, he was always wrapt in visionary conferenceswith Moses on the Mount; rather than regulate the economy of hishousehold, he chose to exert his endeavours in settling the precisemeaning of the word Elohim; and having discovered that now the period wascome, when the Jews and Gentiles would be converted, he postponed everyother consideration, in order to facilitate that great and gloriousevent. 

By this time Ferdinand had seen every member of the club, except theFrench chevalier, who seemed to be quite neglected by the society; forhis name was not once mentioned during this communication, and they satdown to dinner, without asking whether he was dead or alive. The kingregaled himself with a plate of ox-cheek; the major, who complained thathis appetite had forsaken him, amused himself with some forty hard eggs, malaxed with salt butter; the knight indulged upon his soup and bouilli, and the captain entertained our adventurer with a neck of veal roastedwith potatoes; but before Fathom could make use of his knife and fork, hewas summoned to the door, where he found the chevalier in greatagitation, his eyes sparkling like coals of fire. 

Our hero was not a little surprised at this apparition, who, having askedpardon for the freedom he had used, observed, that, understanding theCount was a foreigner, he could not dispense with appealing to himconcerning an outrage he had suffered from the keeper, who, without anyregard to his rank or misfortunes, had been base enough to refuse himcredit for a few necessaries, until he could have a remittance from hissteward in France; he therefore conjured Count Fathom, as a stranger andnobleman like himself, to be the messenger of defiance, which he resolvedto send to that brutal jailor, that, for the future, he might learn tomake proper distinctions in the exercise of his function. 

Fathom, who had no inclination to offend this choleric Frenchman, assuredhim that he might depend upon his friendship; and, in the meantime, prevailed upon him to accept of a small supply, in consequence of whichhe procured a pound of sausages, and joined the rest of the companywithout delay; making a very suitable addition to such an assemblage ofrarities. Though his age did not exceed thirty years, his beard, whichwas of a brindled hue, flowed down, like Aaron's, to his middle. Uponhis legs he wore red stockings rolled up over the joint of the knee, hisbreeches were of blue drab, with vellum button-holes, and garters of goldlace, his waistcoat of scarlet, his coat of rusty black cloth, his hair, twisted into a ramilie, hung down to his rump, of the colour of jet, andhis hat was adorned with a white feather. 

This original had formed many ingenious schemes to increase the glory andgrandeur of France, but was discouraged by Cardinal Fleury, who, in allappearance, jealous of his great talents, not only rejected his projects, but even sent him to prison, on pretence of being offended at hisimpertinence. Perceiving that, like the prophet, he had no honour in hisown country, he no sooner obtained his release, than he retired toEngland, where he was prompted by his philanthropy to propose anexpedient to our ministry, which would have saved a vast effusion ofblood and treasure; this was an agreement between the Queen of Hungaryand the late Emperor, to decide their pretensions by a single combat; inwhich case he offered himself as the Bavarian champion; but in thisendeavour he also proved unsuccessful. Then turning his attention to thedelights of poetry, he became so enamoured of the muse, that he neglectedevery other consideration, and she as usual gradually conducted him tothe author's never-failing goal--a place of rest appointed for all thosesinners whom the profane love of poesy hath led astray. 

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

ONE QUARREL IS COMPROMISED, AND ANOTHER DECIDED BY UNUSUAL ARMS. 

Among other topics of conversation that were discussed at this genialmeeting, Sir Mungo's scheme was brought upon the carpet by his majesty, who was graciously pleased to ask how his subscription filled? To thisinterrogation the knight answered, that he met with great opposition froma spirit of levity and self-conceit, which seemed to prevail in thisgeneration, but that no difficulties should discourage him frompersevering in his duty; and he trusted in God, that, in a very littletime, he should be able to confute and overthrow the false philosophy ofthe moderns, and to restore the writings of Moses to that pre-eminenceand veneration which is due to an inspired author. He spoke of theimmortal Newton with infinite contempt, and undertook to extract from thePentateuch a system of chronology which would ascertain the progress oftime since the fourth day of the creation to the present hour, with suchexactness, that not one vibration of a pendulum should be lost; nay, heaffirmed that the perfection of all arts and sciences might be attainedby studying these secret memoirs, and that he himself did not despair oflearning from them the art of transmuting baser metals into gold. 

The chevalier, though he did not pretend to contradict these assertions, was too much attached to his own religion to acquiesce in the knight'sproject of converting the Jews and the Gentiles to the Protestant heresy, which, he said, God Almighty would never suffer to triumph over theinterests of his own Holy Catholic Church. This objection producedabundance of altercation between two very unequal disputants; and theFrenchman, finding himself puzzled by the learning of his antagonist, hadrecourse to the argumentum ad hominem, by laying his hand upon his sword, and declaring that he was ready to lose the last drop of his blood inopposition to such a damnable scheme. 

Sir Mungo, though in all appearance reduced to the last stage of animalexistence, no sooner heard this epithet applied to his plan, than hiseyes gleamed like lightning, he sprung from his seat with the agility ofa grasshopper, and, darting himself out at the door like an arrow from abow, reappeared in a moment with a long rusty weapon, which might havebeen shown among a collection of rarities as the sword of Guy Earl ofWarwick. This implement he brandished over the chevalier's head with thedexterity of an old prize-fighter, exclaiming, in the French language, "Thou art a profane wretch marked out for the vengeance of Heaven, whoseunworthy minister I am, and here thou shalt fall by the sword of the Lordand of Gideon. "

The chevalier, unterrified by this dreadful salutation, desired he wouldaccompany him to a more convenient place; and the world might have beendeprived of one or both these knights-errant, had not General Macleaver, at the desire of his majesty, interposed, and found means to bringmatters to an accommodation. 

In the afternoon the society was visited by the major's cousin and herdaughters, who no sooner appeared than they were recognised by ouradventurer, and his acquaintance with them renewed in such a manner asalarmed the delicacy of Captain Minikin, who in the evening repaired tothe Count's apartment, and with a formal physiognomy, accosted him inthese words: "Sir, I beg pardon for this intrusion, but I come to consultyou about an affair in which my honour is concerned; and a soldierwithout honour, you know, is no better than a body without a soul. Ihave always admired that speech of Hotspur in the first part of Henry theFourth:

 By Heaven, methinks it were an easy leap, To pluck bright honour from the pale-fac'd moon; Or dive into the bottom of the deep, Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, And pluck up drowned honour by the locks--

"There is a boldness and ease in the expression, and the images are verypicturesque. But, without any further preamble, pray, sir, give me leaveto ask how long you have been acquainted with those ladies who drank teawith us this afternoon. You'll forgive the question, sir, when I tellyou that Major Macleaver introduced Mrs. Minikin to them as to ladies ofcharacter, and, I don't know how, sir, I have a sort of presentiment thatmy wife has been imposed upon. Perhaps I may be mistaken, and God grantI may. But there was a je ne sais quoi in their behaviour to-day, whichbegins to alarm my suspicion. Sir, I have nothing but my reputation todepend upon, and I hope you will excuse me, when I earnestly beg to knowwhat rank they maintain in life. "

Fathom, without minding the consequence, told him, with a simper, that heknew them to be very good-natured ladies, who devoted themselves to thehappiness of mankind. This explanation had no sooner escaped from hislips, than the captain's face began to glow with indignation, his eyesseemed bursting from their spheres, he swelled to twice his naturaldimensions, and, raising himself on his tiptoes, pronounced, in a strainthat emulated thunder, "Blood! sir, you seem to make very light of thematter, but it is no joke to me, I'll assure you, and Macleaver shall seethat I am not to be affronted with impunity. Sir, I shall take it as asingular favour if you will be the bearer of a billet to him, which Ishall write in three words; nay, sir, you must give me leave to insistupon it, as you are the only gentleman of our mess whom I can intrustwith an affair of this nature. "

Fathom, rather than run the risk of disobliging such a punctiliouswarrior, after having in vain attempted to dissuade him from his purpose, undertook to carry the challenge, which was immediately penned in thesewords:

"SIR, --You have violated my honour in imposing upon Mrs. Minikin yourpretended cousins as ladies of virtue and reputation. I therefore demandsuch satisfaction as a soldier ought to receive, and expect you willadjust with my friend Count Fathom the terms upon which you shall be metby the much injured GOLIAH MINIKIN. "

This morceau being sealed and directed, was forthwith carried by ouradventurer to the lodgings of the major, who had by this time retired torest, but hearing the Count's voice, he got up and opened the door incuerpo, to the astonishment of Ferdinand, who had never before seen suchan Herculean figure. He made an apology for receiving the Count in hisbirthday suit, to which he said he was reduced by the heat of hisconstitution, though he might have assigned a more adequate cause, byowning that his shirt was in the hands of his washerwoman; then shroudinghimself in a blanket, desired to know what had procured him the honour ofsuch an extraordinary visit. He read the letter with great composure, like a man accustomed to such intercourse; then addressing himself to thebearer, "I will be after diverting the gentleman, " said he, "in anymanner he shall think proper; but, by Jesus, this is no place for suchamusements, because, as you well know, my dear Count, if both should bekilled by the chance of war, neither of us will be able to escape, andafter the breath is out of his body, he will make but a sorry excuse tohis family and friends. But that is no concern of mine, and therefore Iam ready to please him in his own way. "

Fathom approved of his remarks, which he reinforced with sundryconsiderations, to the same purpose, and begged the assistance of themajor's advice, in finding some expedient to terminate the affair withoutbloodshed, that no troublesome consequences might ensue either to him orto his antagonist, who, in spite of this overstraining formality, seemedto be a person of worth and good-nature. "With all my heart, " said thegenerous Hibernian, "I have a great regard for the little man, and my owncharacter is not to seek at this time of day. I have served a longapprenticeship to fighting, as this same carcase can testify, and if hecompels me to run him through the body, by my shoul, I shall do it in afriendly manner. "

So saying, he threw aside the blanket, and displayed scars and seamsinnumerable upon his body, which appeared like an old patched leatherndoublet. "I remember, " proceeded this champion, "when I was a slave atAlgiers, Murphy Macmorris and I happened to have some difference in thebagnio, upon which he bade me turn out. 'Arra, for what?' said I; 'hereare no weapons that a gentleman can use, and you would not be such anegro as to box like an English carman. ' After he had puzzled himselffor some time, he proposed that we should retire into a corner, and funkone another with brimstone, till one of us should give out. Accordinglywe crammed half a dozen tobacco pipes with sulphur, and, setting foot tofoot, began to smoke, and kept a constant fire, until Macmorris droppeddown; then I threw away my pipe, and taking poor Murphy in my arms, 'What, are you dead?' said I; 'if you are dead, speak. ' 'No, by Jesus!'cried he, 'I an't dead, but I'm speechless. ' So he owned I had obtainedthe victory, and we were as good friends as ever. Now, if Mr. Minikinthinks proper to put the affair upon the same issue, I will smoke a pipeof brimstone with him to-morrow morning, and if I cry out first, I willbe after asking pardon for this supposed affront. "

Fathom could not help laughing at the proposal, to which, however, heobjected on account of Minikin's delicate constitution, which mightsuffer more detriment from breathing in an atmosphere of sulphur thanfrom the discharge of a pistol, or the thrust of a small sword. Hetherefore suggested another expedient in lieu of the sulphur, namely, thegum called assafatida, which, though abundantly nauseous, could have noeffect upon the infirm texture of the lieutenant's lungs. This hintbeing relished by the major, our adventurer returned to his principal, and having repeated the other's arguments against the use of mortalinstruments, described the succedaneum which he had concerted withMacleaver. The captain at first believed the scheme was calculated forsubjecting him to the ridicule of his fellow-prisoners, and began tostorm with great violence; but, by the assurances and address of Fathom, he was at length reconciled to the plan, and preparations were made oneach side for this duel, which was actually smoked next day, about noon, in a small closet, detached from the challenger's apartment, and withinhearing of his majesty, and all his court, assembled as witnesses andumpires of the contest. 

The combatants, being locked up together, began to ply their engines withgreat fury, and it was not long before Captain Minikin perceived he had amanifest advantage over his antagonist. For his organs were familiarisedto the effluvia of this drug, which he had frequently used in the courseof an hypochondriac disorder; whereas Macleaver, who was a stranger toall sorts of medicine, by his wry faces and attempts to puke, expressedthe utmost abhorrence of the smell that invaded his nostrils. Nevertheless, resolved to hold out to the last extremity, he continued inaction until the closet was filled with such an intolerable vapour asdiscomposed the whole economy of his entrails, and compelled him todisgorge his breakfast in the face of his opponent, whose nerves were sodisconcerted by this disagreeable and unforeseen discharge, that he fellback into his chair in a swoon, and the major bellowed aloud forassistance. The door being opened, he ran directly to the window, toinhale the fresh air, while the captain, recovering from his fit, complained of Macleaver's unfair proceeding, and demanded justice of thearbitrators, who decided in his favour; and the major being prevailedupon to ask pardon for having introduced Mrs. Minikin to women of rottenreputation, the parties were reconciled to each other, and peace andconcord re-established in the mess. 

Fathom acquired universal applause for his discreet and humane conductupon this occasion; and that same afternoon had an opportunity of seeingthe lady in whose cause he had exerted himself. He was presented to heras the husband's particular friend, and when she understood how much shewas indebted to his care and concern for the captain's safety, shetreated him with uncommon marks of distinction; and he found her agenteel, well-bred woman, not without a good deal of personal charms, anda well-cultivated understanding. 

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

AN UNEXPECTED RENCONTRE, AND A HAPPY REVOLUTION IN THE AFFAIRS OF OURADVENTURER. 

As she did not lodge within the precincts of this garrison, she was oneday, after tea, conducted to the gate by the captain and the Count, andjust as they approached the turnkey's lodge, our hero's eyes were struckwith the apparition of his old companion Renaldo, son of his benefactorand patron, the Count de Melvil. What were the emotions of his soul, when he saw that young gentleman enter the prison, and advance towardshim, after having spoke to the jailor! He never doubted that, beinginformed of his confinement, he was come to upbraid him with his villanyand ingratitude, and he in vain endeavoured to recollect himself fromthat terror and guilty confusion which his appearance had inspired; whenthe stranger, lifting up his eyes, started back with signs of extremeamazement, and, after a considerable pause, exclaimed, "Heaven and earth!Sure my eyes do not deceive me! is not your name Fathom? It is, it mustbe my old friend and companion, the loss of whom I have so longregretted!" With these words he ran towards our adventurer, and, whilehe clasped him in his arms with all the eagerness of affection, protestedthat this was one of the happiest days he had ever seen. 

Ferdinand, who, from this salutation, concluded himself still inpossession of Renaldo's good opinion, was not deficient in expressions oftenderness and joy; he returned his embraces with equal ardour, the tearstrickled down his cheeks, and that perturbation which proceeded fromconscious perfidy and fear, was mistaken by the unsuspecting Hungarianfor the sheer effects of love, gratitude, and surprise. These firsttransports having subsided, they adjourned to the lodgings of Fathom, whosoon recollected his spirits and invention so well as to amuse the otherwith a feigned tale of his having been taken by the French, sent prisonerinto Champagne, from whence he had written many letters to Count Melviland his son, of whom he could hear no tidings; of his having contractedan intimacy with a young nobleman of France, who died in the flower ofhis age, after having, in token of his friendship, bequeathed to him aconsiderable legacy; by this he had been enabled to visit the land of hisforefathers in the character of a gentleman, which he had supported withsome figure, until he was betrayed into a misfortune that exhausted hisfunds, and drove him to the spot where he was now found. And he solemnlydeclared, that, far from forgetting the obligation he owed to CountMelvil, or renouncing the friendship of Renaldo, he had actually resolvedto set out for Germany on his return to the house of his patron in thebeginning of the week posterior to that in which he had been arrested. 

Young Melvil, whose own heart had never known the instigations of fraud, implicitly believed the story and protestations of Fathom; and though hewould not justify that part of his conduct by which the term of his goodfortune was abridged, he could not help excusing an indiscretion intowhich he had been hurried by the precipitancy of youth, and theallurements of an artful woman. Nay, with the utmost warmth offriendship, he undertook to wait upon Trapwell, and endeavour to softenhim into some reasonable terms of composition. 

Fathom seemed to be quite overwhelmed with a deep sense of all thisgoodness, and affected the most eager impatience to know the particularsof Renaldo's fate, since their unhappy separation, more especially hiserrand to this uncomfortable place, which he should henceforth revere asthe providential scene of their reunion. Nor did he forget to inquire, in the most affectionate and dutiful manner, about the situation of hisnoble parents and amiable sister. 

At mention of these names, Renaldo, fetching a deep sigh, "Alas! myfriend, " said he, "the Count is no more; and, what aggravates myaffliction for the loss of such a father, it was my misfortune to beunder his displeasure at the time of his death. Had I been present onthat melancholy occasion, so well I knew his generosity and paternaltenderness, that, sure I am, he would in his last moments have forgivenan only son, whose life had been a continual effort to render himselfworthy of such a parent, and whose crime was no other than an honourablepassion for the most meritorious of her sex. But I was removed at afatal distance from him, and doubtless my conduct must have beeninvidiously misrepresented. Be that as it will, my mother has againgiven her hand in wedlock to Count Trebasi; by whom I have themortification to be informed that I am totally excluded from my father'ssuccession; and I learn from other quarters, that my sister isbarbarously treated by this inhuman father-in-law. Grant, Heaven, I maysoon have an opportunity of expostulating with the tyrant upon thatsubject. "

So saying, his cheeks glowed, and his eyes lightened with resentment. Then he thus proceeded: "My coming hither to-day was with a view to visita poor female relation, from whom I yesterday received a letter, describing her most deplorable situation, and soliciting my assistance;but the turnkey affirms that there is no such person in the jail, and Iwas on my way to consult the keeper, when I was agreeably surprised withthe sight of my dear Fathom. "

Our adventurer having wiped from his eyes the tears which were producedby the news of his worthy patron's death, desired to know the name ofthat afflicted prisoner, in whose behalf he interested himself so much, and Renaldo produced the letter, subscribed, "Your unfortunate cousin, Helen Melvil. " This pretended relation, after having explained thedegree of consanguinity which she and the Count stood in to each other, and occasionally mentioned some anecdotes of the family in Scotland, gavehim to understand that she had married a merchant of London, who, byrepeated losses in trade, had been reduced to indigence, and afterwardsconfined to prison, where he then lay a breathless corpse, having lefther in the utmost extremity of wretchedness and want, with two youngchildren in the smallpox, and an incurable cancer in one of her ownbreasts. Indeed, the picture she drew was so moving, and her expressionsso sensibly pathetic, that no person, whose heart was not altogethercallous, could peruse it without emotion. Renaldo had sent two guineasby the messenger, whom she had represented as a trusty servant, whosefidelity had been proof against all the distress of her mistress; and hewas now arrived in order to reinforce his bounty. 

Fathom, in the consciousness of his own practices, immediatelycomprehended the scheme of this letter, and confidently assured him thatno such person resided in the prison or in any other place. And when hisfriend applied for information to the keeper, these assurances wereconfirmed; and that stern janitor told him he had been imposed upon by astale trick, which was often practised upon strangers by a set ofsharpers, who make it their business to pick up hints of intelligencerelating to private families, upon which they build such superstructuresof fraud and imposition. 

However piqued the young Hungarian might be to find himself duped in thismanner, he rejoiced at the occasion which had thrown Fathom in his way;and, after having made him a tender of his purse, took his leave, onpurpose to wait upon Trapwell, who was not quite so untractable as anenraged cuckold commonly is; for, by this time, he had accomplished thebest part of his aim, which was to be divorced from his wife, and wasfully convinced that the defendant was no more than a needy adventurer, who, in all probability, would be released by an act of parliament forthe benefit of insolvent debtors; in which case, he, the plaintiff, wouldreap no solid advantage from his imprisonment. 

He, therefore, listened to the remonstrances of the mediator, and, aftermuch canvassing, agreed to discharge the defendant, in consideration oftwo hundred pounds, which were immediately paid by Count Melvil, who, bythis deduction, was reduced to somewhat less than thirty. 

Nevertheless, he cheerfully beggared himself in behalf of his friend, forwhose release he forthwith obtained an order; and, next day, ouradventurer, having bid a formal adieu to his fellows in distress, and, inparticular, to his majesty, for whose restoration his prayers werepreferred, he quitted the jail, and accompanied his deliverer, with allthe outward marks of unutterable gratitude and esteem. 

Surely, if his heart had been made of penetrable stuff, it would havebeen touched by the circumstances of this redemption; but had not hissoul been invincible to all such attacks, these memoirs would possiblynever have seen the light. 

When they arrived at Renaldo's lodgings, that young gentleman honouredhim with other proofs of confidence and friendship, by giving him acircumstantial detail of all the adventures in which he had been engagedafter Fathom's desertion from the imperial camp. He told him, that, immediately after the war was finished, his father had pressed him to avery advantageous match, with which he would have complied, though hisheart was not at all concerned, had not he been inflamed with the desireof seeing the world before he could take any step towards a settlementfor life. That he had signified his sentiments on this head to theCount, who opposed them with unusual obstinacy, as productive of a delaywhich might be fatal to his proposal; for which reason he had retiredincognito from his family, and travelled through sundry states andcountries, in a disguise by which he eluded the inquiries of his parents. 

That, in the course of these peregrinations, he was captivated by theirresistible charms of a young lady, on whose heart he had the goodfortune to make a tender impression. That their mutual love hadsubjected both to many dangers and difficulties, during which theysuffered a cruel separation; after the torments of which, he had happilyfound her in England, where she now lived entirely cut off from hernative country and connexions, and destitute of every other resource buthis honour, love, and protection. And, finally, that he was determinedto combat his own desires, how violent soever they might be, until heshould have made some suitable provision for the consequences of astricter union with the mistress of his soul, that he might not, by aprecipitate marriage, ruin the person whom he adored. 

This end he proposed to attain, by an application to the court of Vienna, which he did not doubt would have some regard to his own service, andthat of his father; and thither he resolved to repair, with the firstopportunity, now that he had found a friend with whom he could intrustthe inestimable jewel of his heart. 

He likewise gave our hero to understand, that he had been eight months inEngland, during which he had lived in a frugal manner, that he might notunnecessarily exhaust the money he had been able to raise upon his owncredit; that, hitherto, he had been obliged to defer his departure forGermany on account of his attendance upon the mother of his mistress, whowas lately dead of sorrow and chagrin; and that, since he resided inLondon, he had often heard of the celebrated Count Fathom, though henever imagined that his friend Ferdinand could be distinguished by thatappellation. 

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

FATHOM JUSTIFIES THE PROVERB, "WHAT'S BRED IN THE BONE WILL NEVER COMEOUT OF THE FLESH. "

Some circumstances of this conversation made a deep impression upon themind of our adventurer, who nevertheless concealed his emotions from theknowledge of his friend, and was next day introduced to that hiddentreasure of which Renaldo had spoken with such rapture and adoration. Itwas not without reason he had expatiated upon the personal attractions ofthis young lady, whom, for the present, we shall call Monimia, a namethat implies her orphan situation. When she entered the room, evenFathom, whose eyes had been sated with beauty, was struck dumb withadmiration, and could scarce recollect himself so far as to perform theceremony of his introduction. 

She seemed to be about the age of eighteen. Her stature was tall; hermotion graceful. A knot of artificial flowers restrained the luxuriancyof her fine black hair, that flowed in shining ringlets adown her snowyneck. The contour of her face was oval; her forehead remarkably high;her complexion clean and delicate, though not florid; and her eyes wereso piercing, as to strike the soul of every beholder. Yet, upon thisoccasion, one half of their vivacity was eclipsed by a languishing air ofmelancholy concern; which, while it in a manner sheathed the edge of herbeauty, added a most engaging sweetness to her looks. In short, everyfeature was elegantly perfect; and the harmony of the whole ravishing anddelightful. 

It was easy to perceive the mutual sentiments of the two lovers atmeeting, by the pleasure that sensibly diffused itself in thecountenances of both. Fathom was received by her as the intimate friendof her admirer, whom she had often heard of in terms of the most sincereaffection; and the conversation was carried on in the Italian language, because she was a foreigner who had not as yet made great proficiency inthe knowledge of the English tongue. Her understanding was such as, instead of diminishing, reinforced the prepossession which was inspiredby her appearance; and if the sum-total of her charms could not melt theheart, it at least excited the appetite of Fathom to such a degree, thathe gazed upon her with such violence of desire, as had never transportedhim before; and he instantly began to harbour thoughts, not onlydestructive to the peace of his generous patron, but also to theprudential maxims he had adopted on his first entrance into life. 

We have already recorded divers instances of his conduct to prove thatthere was an intemperance in his blood, which often interfered with hiscaution; and although he had found means to render this heat sometimessubservient to his interest, yet, in all probability, Heaven mingled theingredient in his constitution, on purpose to counteract his consummatecraft, defeat the villany of his intention, and at least expose him tothe justice of the law, and the contempt of his fellow-creatures. 

Stimulated as he was by the beauty of the incomparable Monimia, heforesaw that the conquest of her heart would cost him a thousand timesmore labour and address than all the victories he had ever achieved; for, besides her superior understanding, her sentiments of honour, virtue, gratitude, religion, and pride of birth, her heart was already engaged bythe tenderest ties of love and obligation, to a man whose person andacquired accomplishments at least equalled his own; and whose connexionwith him was of such a nature as raised an almost insurmountable bar tohis design; because, with what face could he commence rival to the personwhose family had raised him from want and servility, and whose owngenerosity had rescued him from the miseries of a dreary gaol?

Notwithstanding these reflections, he would not lay aside an idea whichso agreeably flattered his imagination. He, like every other projectorin the same circumstances, was so partial to his own qualifications, asto think the lady would soon perceive a difference between him andRenaldo that could not fail to turn to his advantage in her opinion. Hedepended a good deal on the levity and inconstancy of the sex; and didnot doubt that, in the course of their acquaintance, he should profit bythat languor which often creeps upon and flattens the intercourse oflovers cloyed with the sight and conversation of each other. 

This way of arguing was very natural to a man who had never known othermotives than those of sensuality and convenience; and perhaps, upon thesemaxims, he might have succeeded with nine-tenths of the fair sex. But, for once, he erred in his calculation; Monimia's soul was perfect, hervirtue impregnable. His first approaches were, as usual, performed bythe method of insinuation, which succeeded so well, that in a few days heactually acquired a very distinguished share of her favour and esteem. To this he had been recommended, in the warmest strain of exaggeratingfriendship, by her dear Renaldo; so that, placing the most unreservedconfidence in his honour and integrity, and being almost quite destituteof acquaintance, she made no scruple of owning herself pleased with hiscompany and conversation; and therefore he was never abridged in point ofopportunity. She had too much discernment to overlook his uncommontalents and agreeable address, and too much susceptibility to observethem with indifference. She not only regarded him as the confidant ofher lover, but admired him as a person whose attachment did honour toCount Melvil's choice. She found his discourse remarkably entertaining, his politeness dignified with an air of uncommon sincerity, and she wasravished with his skill in music, an art of which she was deeplyenamoured. 

While he thus ingratiated himself with the fair Monimia, Renaldo rejoicedat their intimacy, being extremely happy in the thought of having found afriend who could amuse and protect the dear creature in his absence. That she might be the better prepared for the temporary separation whichhe meditated, he began to be less frequent in his visits, or rather tointerrupt, by gradual intermissions, the constant attendance he hadbestowed upon her since her mother's death. This alteration she wasenabled to bear by the assiduities of Fathom, when she understood thather lover was indispensably employed in negotiating a sum of money forthe purposes of his intended voyage. This was really the case; for, asthe reader hath been already informed, the provision he had made for thatemergency was expended in behalf of our adventurer; and the persons ofwhom he had borrowed it, far from approving of the use to which it wasput, and accommodating him with a fresh supply, reproached him with hisbenevolence as an act of dishonesty to them; and, instead of favouringthis second application, threatened to distress him for what he hadalready received. While he endeavoured to surmount these difficulties, his small reversion was quite exhausted, and he saw himself on the brinkof wanting the common necessaries of life. 

There was no difficulty which he could not have encountered withfortitude, had he alone been concerned. But his affection and regard forMonimia were of such a delicate nature, that, far from being able to bearthe prospect of her wanting the least convenience, he could not endurethat she should suspect her situation cost him a moment's perplexity;because he foresaw it would wring her gentle heart with unspeakableanguish and vexation. This, therefore, he endeavoured to anticipate byexpressions of confidence in the Emperor's equity, and frequentdeclarations touching the goodness and security of that credit from whichhe derived his present subsistence. 

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

ANECDOTES OF POVERTY, AND EXPERIMENTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHOM ITMAY CONCERN. 

His affairs being thus circumstanced, it is not to be supposed that hepassed his time in tranquillity. Every day ushered in new demands andfresh anxiety; for though his economy was frugal, it could not besupported without money; and now not only his funds were drained, butalso his private friends tired of relieving his domestic necessities;nay, they began to relinquish his company, which formerly they hadcoveted; and those who still favoured him with their company embitteredthat favour with disagreeable advice, mingled with impertinent reproof. They loudly exclaimed against the last instance of his friendship forFathom, as a piece of wrong-headed extravagance, which neither hisfortune could afford nor his conscience excuse; and alleged that suchspecimens of generosity are vicious in any man, let his finances be neverso opulent, if he has any relations of his own who need his assistance;but altogether scandalous, not to say unjust, in a person who depends forhis own support on the favour of his friends. 

These expostulations did not even respect the beauteous, theaccomplished, the gentle-hearted, the orphan Monimia. Although theyowned her perfections, and did not deny that it would be highlymeritorious in any man of fortune to make her happy, they disapproved ofRenaldo's attachment to the fair beggar, made light of that intimateunion of hearts which subsisted between the two lovers, and which nohuman consideration could dissolve; and some among them, in theconsummation of their prudence, ventured to hint a proposal of providingfor her in the service of some lady of fashion. 

Any reader of sensibility will easily conceive how these admonitions wererelished by a young gentleman whose pride was indomitable, whose notionsof honour were scrupulously rigid and romantic, whose temper was warm, and whose love was intense. Every such suggestion was as a dagger to hissoul; and what rendered the torture more exquisite, he lay underobligations to those very persons whose selfish and sordid sentiments hedisdained; so that he was restricted by gratitude from giving vent to hisindignation, and his forlorn circumstances would not permit him torenounce their acquaintance. While he struggled with thesemortifications, his wants grew more and more importunate, and hiscreditors became clamorous. 

Fathom, to whom all his grievances were disclosed, lamented his hard hapwith all the demonstrations of sympathy which he could expect to find insuch a zealous adherent. He upbraided himself incessantly as the causeof his patron's distress; took God to witness that he would rather haveperished in gaol than have enjoyed his liberty, had he known it wouldhave cost his dearest friend and benefactor one-tenth part of the anguishhe now saw him suffer; and, in conclusion, the fervency of his affectionglowed to such a degree, that he offered to beg, steal, or plunder on thehighway, for Renaldo's assistance. 

Certain it is, he might have recollected a less disagreeable expedientthan any of these to alleviate the pangs of this unhappy lover; for, atthat very period he was possessed of money and moveables to the amount ofa much greater sum than that which was necessary to remove the severestpangs of the Count's misfortune. But, whether he did not reflect uponthis resource, or was willing to let Melvil be better acquainted withadversity, which is the great school of life, I shall leave the reader todetermine. Yet, so far was he from supplying the wants of the youngHungarian, that he did not scruple to receive a share of the miserablepittance which that gentleman made shift to extort from the complaisanceof a few companions, whose countenance he still enjoyed. 

Renaldo's life was now become a sacrifice to the most poignant distress. Almost his whole time was engrossed by a double scheme, comprehending hisefforts to render his departure practicable, and his expedients forraising the means of daily bread. With regard to the first, he exertedhimself among a set of merchants, some of whom knew his family andexpectations; and, for the last, he was fain to depend upon theassistance of a few intimates, who were not in a condition to furnish himwith sums of consequence. These, however, gradually dropped off, onpretence of friendly resentment for his indiscreet conduct; so that hefound himself naked and deserted by all his former companions, except onegentleman, with whom he had lived in the most unreserved correspondence, as with a person of the warmest friendship, and the most unboundedbenevolence; nay, he had actually experienced repeated proofs of hisgenerosity; and such were the Count's sentiments of the gratitude, love, and esteem, which were due to the author of these obligations, that hewould have willingly laid down his own life for his interest oradvantage. He had already been at different times accommodated by thisbenefactor with occasional supplies, amounting in the whole to aboutforty or fifty pounds; and so fearful was he of taking any step by whichhe might forfeit the goodwill of this gentleman, that he struggled withunparelleled difficulty and vexation, before he could prevail uponhimself to put his liberality to another proof. 

What maxims of delicacy will not the dire calls of necessity infringe!Reduced to the alternative of applying once more to that beneficencewhich had never failed him, or of seeing Monimia starve, he chose thefirst, as of two evils the least, and intrusted Fathom with a letterexplaining the bitterness of his case. It was not without trepidationthat he received in the evening from his messenger an answer to thisbillet; but what were his pangs when he learned the contents! Thegentleman, after having professed himself Melvil's sincere well-wisher, gave him to understand, that he was resolved for the future to detachhimself from every correspondence which would be inconvenient for him tomaintain; that he considered his intimacy with the Count in that light;yet, nevertheless, if his distress was really as great as he haddescribed it, he would still contribute something towards his relief; andaccordingly had sent by the bearer five guineas for that purpose; butdesired him to take notice, that, in so doing, he laid himself under somedifficulty. 

Renaldo's grief and mortification at this disappointment wereunspeakable. He now saw demolished the last screen betwixt him and theextremity of indigence and woe; he beheld the mistress of his soulabandoned to the bleakest scenes of poverty and want; and he deeplyresented the lofty strain of the letter, by which he conceived himselftreated as a worthless spendthrift and importunate beggar. Though hispurse was exhausted to the last shilling; though he was surrounded withnecessities and demands, and knew not how to provide another meal for hisfair dependent, he, in opposition to all the suggestions and eloquence ofFathom, despatched him with the money and another billet, intimating, inthe most respectful terms, that he approved of his friend's new-adoptedmaxim, which, for the future, he should always take care to remember; andthat he had sent back the last instance of his bounty, as a proof howlittle he was disposed to incommode his benefactor. 

This letter, though sincerely meant, and written in a very serious mood, the gentleman considered as an ungrateful piece of irony, and in thatopinion complained to several persons of the Count's acquaintance, whounanimously exclaimed against him as a sordid, unthankful, and profligateknave, that abused and reviled those very people who had generouslybefriended him, whenever they found it inconvenient to nourish hisextravagance with further supplies. Notwithstanding these accumulatedoppressions, he still persevered with fortitude in his endeavours todisentangle himself from this maze of misery. To these he was encouragedby a letter which about this time he received from his sister, importing, that she had good reason to believe the real will of her father had beensuppressed for certain sinister views; and desiring him to hasten hisdeparture for Hungary, where he would still find some friends who wereboth able and willing to support his cause. He had some trinkets left;the pawnbroker's shop was still open; and hitherto he made shift toconceal from Monimia the extent of his affliction. 

The money-broker whom he employed, after having amused him with a varietyof schemes, which served no other purpose than that of protracting hisown job, at length undertook to make him acquainted with a set of moniedmen who had been very venturous in lending sums upon personal security;he was therefore introduced to their club in the most favourable manner, after the broker had endeavoured to prepossess them separately, withmagnificent ideas of his family and fortune. --By means of thisanticipation he was received with a manifest relaxation of that severitywhich people of this class mingle in their aspects to the world ingeneral; and they even vied with each other in their demonstrations ofhospitality and respect; for every one in particular looked upon him as ayoung heir, who would bleed freely, and mortgage at cent. Per cent. 

Renaldo, buoyed up with these exterior civilities, began to flatterhimself with hopes of success, which, however, were soon checked by thenature of the conversation; during which the chairman upbraided one ofthe members in open club for having once lent forty pounds upon slightsecurity. The person accused alleged, in his own defence, that theborrower was his own kinsman, whose funds he knew to be sufficient; thathe had granted his bond, and been at the expense of insuring his life forthe money; and, in conclusion, had discharged it to the day with greatpunctuality. These allegations were not deemed exculpatory by the restof the assembly, who with one voice pronounced him guilty ofunwarrantable rashness and indiscretion, which, in time coming, mustundoubtedly operate to the prejudice of his character and credit. 

This was a bitter declaration to the young Count, who neverthelessendeavoured to improve the footing he had gained among them, by courtingtheir company, conforming to their manners, and attentively listening totheir discourse. When he had cultivated them with great assiduity forthe space of some weeks, dined at their houses upon pressing invitations, and received repeated offers of service and friendship, believing thatthings were now ripe for the purpose, he, one day, at a tavern to whichhe had invited him to dinner, ventured to disclose his situation to himwhose countenance was the least unpromising; and as he introduced thebusiness with a proposal of borrowing money, he perceived his eyessparkle with a visible alacrity, from which he drew a happy presage. But, alas! this was no more than a transient gleam of sunshine, which wassuddenly obumbrated by the sequel of his explanation; insomuch, that, when the merchant understood the nature of the security, his visage wasinvolved in a most disagreeable gloom, and his eyes distorted into a mosthideous obliquity of vision; indeed, he squinted so horribly, thatRenaldo was amazed and almost affrighted at his looks, until he perceivedthat this distortion proceeded from concern for a silver tobacco boxwhich he had laid down by him on the table, after having filled his pipe. As the youth proceeded to unfold his necessities, the other becamegradually alarmed for this utensil, to which he darted his eyes askancein this preternatural direction, until he had slyly secured it in hispocket. 

Having made this successful conveyance, he shifted his eyes alternatelyfrom the young gentleman to the broker for a considerable pause, duringwhich he in silence reproached the last for introducing such a beggarlyvarlet to his acquaintance; then taking the pipe from his mouth, "Sir, "said he, addressing himself to the Count, "if I had all the inclinationin the world to comply with your proposal, it is really not in my power. My correspondents abroad have remitted such a number of bad bills oflate, that all my running cash hath been exhausted in supporting theircredit. Mr. Ferret, sure I am, you was not ignorant of my situation; andI'm not a little surprised that you should bring the gentleman to me onbusiness of this kind; but, as the wise man observes, Bray a fool in amortar, and he'll never be wise. " So saying, with a most emphatic glancedirected to the broker, he rung the bell, and called for the reckoning;when, finding that he was to be the guest of Renaldo, he thanked himdrily for his good cheer, and in an abrupt manner took himself away. 

Though baffled in this quarter, the young gentleman would not despair;but forthwith employed Mr. Ferret in an application to another of thesociety; who, after having heard the terms of his commission, desired himto tell his principal, that he could do nothing without the concurrenceof his partner, who happened to be at that time in one of our Americanplantations. A third being solicited, excused himself on account of anoath which he had lately taken on the back of a considerable loss. Afourth being tried, made answer, that it was not in his way. And a fifthcandidly owned, that he never lent money without proper security. 

Thus the forlorn Renaldo tried every experiment without success, and nowsaw the last ray of hope extinguished. Well-nigh destitute of presentsupport, and encompassed with unrelenting duns, he was obliged to keepwithin doors, and seek some comfort in the conversation of his charmingmistress, and his faithful friend; yet, even there, he experienced theextremest rigour of adverse fate. Every rap at the door alarmed him withthe expectation of some noisy tradesman demanding payment. When heendeavoured to amuse himself with drawing, some unlucky feature of theoccasional portrait recalled the image of an obdurate creditor, and madehim tremble at the work of his own hands. When he fled for shelter tothe flattering creation of fancy, some abhorred idea always started upamidst the gay vision, and dissolved the pleasing enchantment. --Even theseraphic voice of Monimia had no longer power to compose the anxioustumults of his mind. Every song she warbled, every tune she played, recalled to his remembrance some scene of love and happiness elapsed; andoverwhelmed his soul with the woful comparison of past and present fate. He saw all that was amiable and perfect in woman, all that he held mostdear and sacred upon earth, tottering on the brink of misery, withoutknowing the danger of her situation, and found himself unable to preventher fall, or even to forewarn her of the peril; for as we have alreadyobserved, his soul could not brook the thought of communicating thetidings of distress to the tender-hearted Monimia. 

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

RENALDO'S DISTRESS DEEPENS, AND FATHOM'S PLOT THICKENS. 

Such aggravated misfortune could not fail to affect his temper anddeportment. The continual efforts he made to conceal his vexationproduced a manifest distraction in his behaviour and discourse. He beganto be seized with horror at the sight of poor Monimia, whom he thereforeshunned as much as the circumstances of their correspondence would allow;and every evening he went forth alone to some solitary place, where hecould, unperceived, give a loose to the transports of his sorrow, and insilence meditate some means to lighten the burden of his woe. His heartwas sometimes so savaged with despair, which represented mankind as hisinveterate enemies, that he entertained thoughts of denouncing waragainst the whole community, and supplying his own wants with the spoilshe should win. At other times he was tempted with the desire of puttingan end to his miseries and life together. Yet these were but thetransitory suggestions of temporary madness, that soon yielded to thedictates of reason. From the execution of the first he was restrained byhis own notions of honour and morality; and, from using the otherexpedient, he was deterred by his love for Monimia, together with themotives of philosophy and religion. 

While in this manner he secretly nursed the worm of grief that preyedupon his vitals, the alteration in his countenance and conduct did notescape the eyes of that discerning young lady. She was alarmed at thechange, yet afraid to inquire into the source of it; for, being ignorantof his distress, she could impute it to no cause in which her happinesswas not deeply interested. She had observed his strained complaisanceand extraordinary emotion. She had detected him in repeated attempts toavoid her company, and taken notice of his regular excursions in thedark. These were alarming symptoms to a lover of her delicacy and pride. She strove in vain to put the most favourable construction on what shesaw; and, finally, imputed the effects of his despondence to thealienation of his heart. Made miserable beyond expression by thesesuspicions, she imparted them to Fathom, who, by this time, was in fullpossession of her confidence and esteem, and implored his advice touchingher conduct in such a nice conjuncture. 

This artful politician, who rejoiced at the effect of her penetration, nosooner heard himself questioned on the subject, than he gave tokens ofsurprise and confusion, signifying his concern to find she had discoveredwhat, for the honour of his friend, he wished had never come to light. His behaviour on this occasion confirmed her fatal conjecture; and sheconjured him, in the most pathetic manner, to tell her if he thoughtRenaldo's heart had contracted any new engagement. At this question, hestarted with signs of extreme agitation, and stifling an artificial sigh, "Sure, madam, " said he, "you cannot doubt the Count's constancy--I amconfident--he is certainly--I protest, madam, I am so shocked. "

Here he made a full pause, as if the conflict between his integrity andhis friendship would not allow him to proceed, and summoned the moistureinto either eye--"Then are my doubts removed, " cried the afflictedMonimia; "I see your candour in the midst of your attachment to Renaldo;and will no longer torment you with impertinent interrogations and vaincomplaints. " With these words, a flood of tears gushed from herenchanting eyes, and she instantly withdrew into her own apartment, whereshe indulged her sorrow to excess. Nor was her grief unanimated withresentment. She was by birth, nature, and education inspired with thatdignity of pride which ennobles the human heart; and this, by thecircumstance of her present dependence, was rendered extremely jealousand susceptible; insomuch that she could not brook the least shadow ofindifference, much less an injury of such a nature, from the man whom shehad honoured with her affections, and for whom she had disobliged anddeserted her family and friends. 

Though her love was so unalterably fixed on this unhappy youth, that, without the continuation of reciprocal regard, her life would have becomean unsupportable burden, even amidst all the splendour of affluence andpomp; and although she foresaw, that, when his protection should cease, she must be left a wretched orphan in a foreign land, exposed to all themiseries of want; yet, such was the loftiness of her displeasure, thatshe disdained to complain, or even demand an explanation from thesupposed author of her wrongs. 

While she continued undetermined in her purpose, and fluctuating on thissea of torture, Fathom, believing that now was the season for workingupon her passions, while they were all in commotion, became, if possible, more assiduous than ever about the fair mourner, modelled his featuresinto a melancholy cast, pretended to share her distress with the mostemphatic sympathy, and endeavoured to keep her resentment glowing bycunning insinuations, which, though apparently designed to apologise forhis friend, served only to aggravate the guilt of his perfidy anddishonour. This pretext of friendly concern is the most effectualvehicle for the conveyance of malice and slander; and a man's reputationis never so mortally stabbed, as when the assassin begins with thepreamble of, "For my own part, I can safely say that no man upon earthhas a greater regard for him than I have; and it is with the utmostanguish and concern that I see him misbehave in such a manner. " Then heproceeds to mangle his character, and the good-natured hearers, concluding he is even blacker than he is represented, on the suppositionthat the most atrocious circumstances are softened or suppressed by thetenderness or friendship of the accuser, exclaim, "Good lack! what awretch he must be, when his best friends will no longer attempt to defendhim!" Nay, sometimes these well-wishers undertake his defence, andtreacherously betray the cause they have espoused, by omitting thereasons that may be urged in his vindication. 

Both these methods were practised by the wily Ferdinand, according to thepredominant passion of Monimia. When her indignation prevailed, heexpatiated upon his love and sincere regard for Renaldo, which, he said, had grown up from the cradle, to such a degree of fervour, that he wouldwillingly part with life for his advantage. He shed tears for hisapostasy; but every drop made an indelible stain upon his character; and, in the bitterness of his grief, swore, notwithstanding his fondness forRenaldo, which had become a part of his constitution, that the youngHungarian deserved the most infamous destiny for having injured suchperfection. At other times, when he found her melted into silent sorrow, he affected to excuse the conduct of his friend. He informed her, thatthe young gentleman's temper had been uneven from his infancy; thatfrailty was natural to man; that he might in time be reclaimed byself-conviction; he even hinted, that she might have probably ascribedto inconstancy, what was really the effect of some chagrin which heindustriously concealed from his participation. But, when he found herdisposed to listen to this last suggestion, he destroyed the force of it, by recollecting the circumstances of his nocturnal rambles, which, heowned, would admit of no favourable construction. 

By these means he blew the coals of her jealousy, and enhanced the valueof his own character at the same time; for she looked upon him as amirror of faith and integrity, and the mind being overcharged with woe, naturally seeks some confidant, upon whose sympathy it can repose itself. Indeed, his great aim was to make himself necessary to her affliction, and settle a gossiping correspondence, in the familiarity of which hehoped his purpose would certainly be answered. 

Yet the exertion of these talents was not limited to her alone. While helaid these trains for the hapless young lady, he was preparing snares ofanother kind for her unsuspecting lover, who, for the completion of hismisery, about this time began to perceive marks of disquiet anddispleasure in the countenance and deportment of his adored Monimia. Forthat young lady, in the midst of her grief, remembered her origin, andover her vexation affected to throw a veil of tranquillity, which servedonly to give an air of disgust to her internal disturbance. 

Renaldo, whose patience and philosophy were barely sufficient to bear theload of his other evils, would have been quite overwhelmed with theadditional burden of Monimia's woe, if it had not assumed this appearanceof disesteem, which, as he knew he had not deserved it, brought hisresentment to his assistance. Yet this was but a wretched cordial tosupport him against the baleful reflections that assaulted him from everyquarter; it operated like those desperate remedies, which, while theystimulate exhausted nature, help to destroy the very fundamentals of theconstitution. He reviewed his own conduct with the utmost severity, andcould not recollect one circumstance which could justly offend the idolof his soul. The more blameless he appeared to himself in thisexamination, the less excusable did her behaviour appear. He tasked hispenetration to discover the cause of this alteration; he burned withimpatience to know it; his discernment failed him, and he was afraid, though he knew not why, to demand an explanation. His thoughts were socircumstanced, that he durst not even unbosom himself to Fathom, thoughhis own virtue and friendship resisted those sentiments that began tointrude upon his mind, with suggestions to the prejudice of ouradventurer's fidelity. 

Nevertheless, unable to endure the torments of such interesting suspense, he at length made an effort to expostulate with the fair orphan; and inan abrupt address, the effect of his fear and confusion, begged to knowif he had inadvertently done anything to incur her displeasure. Monimia, hearing herself bluntly accosted in this unusual strain, after repeatedinstances of his reserve and supposed inconstancy, considered thequestion as a fresh insult, and, summoning her whole pride to herassistance, replied, with affected tranquillity, or rather with an air ofscorn, that she had no title to judge, neither did she pretend to condemnhis conduct. This answer, so wide of that tenderness and concern whichhad hitherto manifested itself in the disposition of his amiablemistress, deprived him of all power to carry on the conversation, and heretired with a low bow, fully convinced of his having irretrievably lostthe place he had possessed in her affection; for, to his imagination, warped and blinded by his misfortunes, her demeanour seemed fraught, notwith a transient gleam of anger, which a respectful lover would soon haveappeased, but with that contempt and indifference which denote a totalabsence of affection and esteem. She, on the other hand, misconstruedhis sudden retreat; and now they beheld the actions of each other throughthe false medium of prejudice and resentment. To such fatalmisunderstandings the peace and happiness of whole families often fall asacrifice. 

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

OUR ADVENTURER BECOMES ABSOLUTE IN HIS POWER OVER THE PASSIONS OF HISFRIEND, AND EFFECTS ONE HALF OF HIS AIM. 

Influenced by this dire mistake, the breast of those unhappy loversbegan to be invaded with the horrors of jealousy. The tender-heartedMonimia endeavoured to devour her griefs in silence; she in secretbemoaned her forlorn fate without ceasing; her tears flowed withoutintermission from night to morn, and from morn to night. She sought notto know the object for which she was forsaken; she meant not to upbraidher undoer; her aim was to find a sequestered corner, in which she couldindulge her sorrow; where she could brood over the melancholy remembranceof her former felicity; where she could recollect those happy scenes shehad enjoyed under the wings of her indulgent parents, when her whole lifewas a revolution of pleasures, and she was surrounded with affluence, pomp, and admiration; where she could, unmolested, dwell upon thewretched comparison between her past and present condition, and paintevery circumstance of her misery in the most aggravating colours, thatthey might make the deeper impression upon her mind, and the morespeedily contribute to that dissolution for which she ardently wished, asa total release from woe. 

Amidst these pinings, she began to loathe all sustenance; her cheeks grewwan, her bright eyes lost their splendour, the roses vanished from herlips, and her delicate limbs could hardly support their burden; in aword, her sole consolation was limited to the prospect of depositing hersorrows in the grave; and her only wish was to procure a retreat in whichshe might wait with resignation for that happy period. Yet thismelancholy comfort she could not obtain without the advice and mediationof Fathom, whom she therefore still continued to see and consult. Whilethese consultations were held, Renaldo's bosom was ravaged with tempestsof rage and distraction. He believed himself superseded in the affectionof his mistress, by some favoured rival, whose success rankled at hissoul; and though he scarce durst communicate the suspicion to his ownheart, his observation continually whispered to him that he wassupplanted by his friend Fathom; for Monimia was totally detached fromthe conversation of every other man, and he had of late noted theirintercourse with distempered eyes. 

These considerations sometimes transported him to such a degree offrenzy, that he was tempted to sacrifice them both as traitors togratitude, friendship, and love; but such deliriums soon vanished beforehis honour and humanity. He would not allow himself to think amiss ofFerdinand, until some undoubted mark of his guilt should appear; and thiswas so far from being the case, that hitherto there was scarce apresumption. "On the contrary, " said he to himself, "I am hourlyreceiving proofs of his sympathy and attachment. Not but that he may bethe innocent cause of my mishap. His superior qualifications may haveattracted the eye, and engaged the heart of that inconstant fair, withouthis being sensible of the victory he has won; or, perhaps, shocked at theconquest he hath unwillingly made, he discourages her advances, tries toreason down her unjustifiable passion, and in the meantime conceals fromme the particulars, out of regard to my happiness and quiet. "

Under cover of these favourable conjectures, our adventurer securelyprosecuted his scheme upon the unfortunate Monimia. He dedicated himselfwholly to her service and conversation, except at those times when hiscompany was requested by Renaldo, who now very seldom exacted hisattendance. In his ministry about the person of the beauteous orphan, this cunning incendiary mingled such awful regard, such meltingcompassion, as effectually screened him from the suspicion of treachery, while he widened the fatal breach between her and her lover by the mostdiabolical insinuations. He represented his friend as a voluptuary, whogratified his own appetite without the least regard to honour orconscience; and, with a show of infinite reluctance, imparted someanecdotes of his sensuality, which he had feigned for the purpose; thenhe would exclaim in an affected transport, "Gracious Heaven! is itpossible for any man who has the least title to perception or humanity toinjure such innocence and perfection! for my own part, had I been soundeservedly happy--Heaven and earth! forgive my transports, madam, Icannot help seeing and admiring such divine attractions. I cannot helpresenting your wrongs; it is the cause of virtue I espouse; it ought tobe the cause of every honest man. "

He had often repeated such apostrophes as these, which she ascribed tonothing else than sheer benevolence and virtuous indignation, andactually began to think he had made some impression upon her heart, notthat he now entertained the hope of an immediate triumph over herchastity. The more he contemplated her character, the more difficult theconquest seemed to be: he therefore altered his plan, and resolved tocarry on his operations under the shelter of honourable proposals, foreseeing that a wife of her qualifications, if properly managed, wouldturn greatly to the account of the husband, or, if her virtue shouldprove refractory, that he could at any time rid himself of theencumbrance, by decamping without beat of drum, after he should be cloyedwith possession. 

Elevated by these expectations, he one day, in the midst of apreconcerted rhapsody, importing that he could no longer conceal the firethat preyed upon his heart, threw himself on his knees before the lovelymourner, and imprinted a kiss on her fair hand. Though he did notpresume to take this liberty till after such preparation as he thoughthad altogether extinguished her regard for Melvil, and paved the way forhis own reception in room of that discarded lover, he had so far overshothis mark, that Monimia, instead of favouring his declaration, started up, and retired in silence, her cheeks glowing with shame, and her eyesgleaming with indignation. 

Ferdinand no sooner recovered from the confusion produced by thisunexpected repulse, than he saw the necessity of coming to a speedydetermination, lest the offended fair one should appeal to Renaldo, inwhich case they might be mutually undeceived, to his utter shame andconfusion; he therefore resolved to deprecate her anger by humblesupplications, and by protesting, that, whatever tortures he might sufferby suppressing his sentiments, she should never again be offended with adeclaration of his passion. 

Having thus appeased the gentle Monimia, and discovered that, in spite ofher resentment, his friend still kept possession of her heart, hedetermined to work an effectual separation, so as that the young lady, being utterly deserted by Melvil, should be left altogether in his power. With this Christian intention, he began to sadden his visage with adouble shade of pensive melancholy, in the presence of Renaldo, to stiflea succession of involuntary sighs, to answer from the purpose, to beincoherent in his discourse, and, in a word, to act the part of a personwrapt up in sorrowful cogitation. 

Count Melvil, soon as he perceived these symptoms, very kindly inquiredinto the cause of them, and was not a little alarmed to hear the artfuland evasive answers of Ferdinand, who, without disclosing the source ofhis disquiet, earnestly begged leave to retire into some other corner ofthe world. Roused by this entreaty, the Hungarian's jealousy awoke, andwith violent agitation, he exclaimed, "Then are my fears too true, mydear Fathom: I comprehend the meaning of your request. I have for sometime perceived an host of horrors approaching from that quarter. I knowyour worth and honour. I depend upon your friendship, and conjure you, by all the ties of it, to free me at once from the most miserablesuspense, by owning you have involuntarily captivated the heart of thatunhappy maiden. "

To this solemn interrogation he made no reply, but shedding a flood oftears, of which he had always a magazine at command, he repeated hisdesire of withdrawing, and took God to witness, that what he proposed wassolely for the quiet of his honoured patron and beloved friend. "Enough, " cried the unfortunate Renaldo, "the measure of my woes is nowfilled up. " So saying, he fell backwards in a swoon, from which he waswith difficulty recovered to the sensation of the most exquisitetorments. During this paroxysm, our adventurer nursed him with infinitecare and tenderness, he exhorted him to summon all his fortitude to hisassistance, to remember his forefathers, and exert himself in theimitation of their virtues, to fly from those bewitching charms which hadenslaved his better part, to retrieve his peace of mind by reflecting onthe inconstancy and ingratitude of woman, and amuse his imagination inthe pursuit of honour and glory. 

After these admonitions he abused his ears with a forged detail of thegradual advances made to him by Monimia, and the steps he had taken todiscourage her addresses, and re-establish her virtue, poisoning the mindof that credulous youth to such a degree, that, in all probability, hewould have put a fatal period to his own existence, had not Fathom foundmeans to allay the rage of his ecstasy, by the cunning arrangement ofopposite considerations. He set his pride against his love, he opposedhis resentment to his sorrow, and his ambition to his despair. Notwithstanding the balance of power so settled among these antagonists, so violent were the shocks of their successive conflicts, that his bosomfared like a wretched province, harassed, depopulated, and laid waste, bytwo fierce contending armies. From this moment his life was nothing butan alternation of starts and reveries; he wept and raved by turns, according to the prevailing gust of passion; food became a stranger tohis lips, and sleep to his eyelids; he could not support the presence ofMonimia, her absence increased the torture of his pangs; and, when he mether by accident, he started back with horror, like a traveller whochances to tread upon a snake. 

The poor afflicted orphan, worn to a shadow with self-consuming anguish, eager to find some lowly retreat, where she could breath out her soul inpeace, and terrified at the frantic behaviour of Renaldo, communicated toFathom her desire of removing, and begged that he would take a smallpicture of her father, decorated with diamonds, and convert them intomoney, for the expense of her subsistence. This was the last pledge ofher family, which she had received from her mother, who had preserved itin the midst of numberless distresses, and no other species of misery butthat which she groaned under could have prevailed upon the daughter topart with it; but, exclusive of other motives, the very image itself, byrecalling to her mind the honours of her name, upbraided her with livingin dependence upon a man who had treated her with such indignity andingratitude; besides, she flattered herself with the hope that she shouldnot long survive the loss of this testimonial. 

Our adventurer, with many professions of sorrow and mortification at hisown want of capacity to prevent such an alienation, undertook to disposeof it to the best advantage, and to provide her with a cheap and retiredapartment, to which he would conduct her in safety, though at the hazardof his life. In the meantime, however, he repaired to his friendRenaldo, and, after having admonished him to arm his soul with patienceand philosophy, declared that Monimia's guilty passion for himself couldno longer be kept within bounds, that she had conjured him, in the mostpressing manner, to assist her in escaping from an house which sheconsidered as the worst of dungeons, because she was in it daily exposedto the sight and company of a man whom she detested, and that she hadbribed him to compliance with her request, not only with repeatedpromises of eternal love and submission, but also with the picture of herfather set with diamonds, which she had hitherto reserved as the last andgreatest testimony of her affection and esteem. 

With these words he presented the fatal pledge to the eyes of theastonished youth, upon whom it operated like the poisonous sight of thebasilisk, for in an instant, the whole passions of his soul were in themost violent agitation. "What!" cried he, in an ecstasy of rage, "is sheso abandoned to perfidy, so lost to shame, so damned to constancy, togratitude, and virtuous love, as to meditate the means of leaving mewithout decency, without remorse! to forsake me in my adversity, when myhapless fortune can no longer flatter the pride and vanity of herexpectation! O woman! woman! woman! what simile shall I find toillustrate the character of the sex? But I will not have recourse tovain complaints and feeble exclamations. By Heaven! she shall not'scape, she shall not triumph in her levity, she shall not exult in mydistress; no! I will rather sacrifice her to my just resentment, to theinjured powers of love and friendship. I will act the avenging ministerof Heaven! I will mangle that fair bosom, which contains so false aheart! I will tear her to pieces, and scatter those beauteous limbs as aprey to the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air!"

Fathom, who expected this storm, far from attempting to oppose itsprogress, waited with patience until its first violence was overblown;then, assuming an air of condolence, animated with that resolution whicha friend ought to maintain on such occasions, "My dear Count, " said he, "I am not at all surprised at your emotion, because I know what an heart, susceptible as yours, must feel from the apostasy of one who has reignedso long the object of your love, admiration, and esteem. Your endeavoursto drive her from your thoughts must create an agony much more severethan that which divorces the soul from the body. Nevertheless, I am soconfident of your virtue and your manhood, as to foresee, that you willallow the fair Monimia to execute that resolution which she hath sounwisely taken, to withdraw herself from your love and protection. Believe me, my best friend and benefactor, this is a step, in consequenceof which you will infallibly retrieve your peace of mind. It may costyou many bitter pangs, it may probe your wounds to the quick; but thosepangs will be soothed by the gentle and salutary wing of time, and thatprobing will rouse you to a due sense of your own dignity and importance, which will enable you to convert your attention to objects far moreworthy of your contemplation. All the hopes of happiness you hadcherished in the possession of Monimia are now irrecoverably blasted; herheart is now debased beneath your consideration; her love is, without alldoubt, extinguished, and her honour irretrievably lost; insomuch, that, were she to profess sorrow for her indiscretion, and implore yourforgiveness, with the most solemn promises of regarding you for thefuture with unalterable fidelity and affection, you ought not to restoreher to that place in your heart which she hath so meanly forfeited, because you could not at the same time reinstate her in the possession ofthat delicate esteem without which there is no harmony, no rapture, notrue enjoyment in love. 

"No, my dear Renaldo, expel the unworthy tenant from your bosom; allowher to fill up the measure of her ingratitude, by deserting her lover, friend, and benefactor. Your glory demands her dismission; the worldwill applaud your generosity, and your own heart approve of your conduct. So disencumbered, let us exert ourselves once more in promoting yourdeparture from this island, that you may revisit your father's house, dojustice to yourself and amiable sister, and take vengeance on the authorof your wrongs; then dedicate yourself to glory, in imitation of yourrenowned ancestors, and flourish in the favour of your imperial patron. "

These remonstrances had such an effect upon the Hungarian, that his facewas lighted up with a transient gleam of satisfaction. He embracedFerdinand with great ardour, calling him his pride, his Mentor, his goodgenius, and entreated him to gratify the inclination of that ficklecreature so far as to convey her to another lodging, without loss oftime, while he would, by absenting himself, favour their retreat. 

Our hero having obtained this permission, went immediately to the skirtsof the town, where he had previously bespoke a small, though neatapartment, at the house of an old woman, widow of a French refugee. Hehad already reconnoitred the ground, by sounding his landlady, from whosepoverty and complaisance he found reason to expect all sorts of freedomand opportunity for the accomplishment of his aim upon Monimia's person. The room being prepared for her reception, he returned to thatdisconsolate beauty, to whom he presented ten guineas, which he pretendedto have raised by pledging the picture, though he himself acted as thepawnbroker on this occasion, for a very plain and obvious reason. 

The fair orphan was overjoyed to find her wish so speedily accomplished. She forthwith packed up her necessaries in a trunk; and a hackney-coachwas called in the dusk of the evening, in which she embarked with herbaggage and conductor. 

Yet she did not leave the habitation of Renaldo without regret. In theinstant of parting, the idea of that unfortunate youth was associatedwith every well-known object that presented itself to her eyes; not as aninconstant, ungenerous, and perjured swain, but as the accomplished, thevirtuous, the melting lover, who had captivated her virgin heart. AsFathom led her to the door, she was met by Renaldo's dog, which had longbeen her favourite; and the poor animal fawning upon her as she passed, her heart was overwhelmed with such a gush of tenderness, that a flood oftears streamed down her cheeks, and she had well-nigh sunk upon thefloor. 

Ferdinand, considering this emotion as the last tribute she would pay toRenaldo, hurried her into the coach, where she soon recovered hercomposure; and in a little time he ushered her into the house of Madam laMer, by whom she was received with great cordiality, and conducted to herapartment, with which she found no other fault than that of its being toogood for one in her forlorn situation. Here, while the tear of gratitudestarted in either eye, she thanked our adventurer for his benevolence andkind concern, assuring him, that she would not fail duly to beseech theMost High to shower down blessings upon him, as the orphan's friend andprotector. 

Fathom was not deficient in those expressions that were best adapted toher present turn of mind. He observed, that what he had done was inobedience to the dictates of common humanity, which would have promptedhim to assist any fellow-creature in distress; but that her peculiarvirtue and qualifications were such as challenged the utmost exertion ofhis faculties in her service. He said, that surely Heaven had notcreated such perfection in vain; that she was destined to receive as wellas to communicate happiness; and that the Providence, which she sopiously adored, would not fail, in due season, to raise her from distressand affliction, to that honour and felicity for which she was certainlyordained. In the meantime, he entreated her to depend upon his serviceand fidelity, and the article of her board being settled, he left her tothe company and consolation of her discreet hostess, who soon insinuatedherself into the good opinion of her beauteous lodger. 

While our hero was employed in this transaction, Renaldo sallied forth ina sort of intoxication, which Fathom's admonitions had inspired; and, repairing to a certain noted coffee-house, engaged at chess with an oldFrench refugee, that his attention, by being otherwise employed, mightnot stray towards that fatal object which he ardently wished to forget. But, unluckily for him, he had scarce performed three moves of the game, when his ears were exposed to a dialogue between two young gentlemen, oneof whom asked the other if he would go and see the "Orphan" acted at oneof the theatres; observing, as a farther inducement, that the part ofMonimia would be performed by a young gentlewoman who had never appearedon the stage. At mention of that name, Renaldo started; for though itdid not properly belong to his orphan, it was the appellation by whichshe had been distinguished ever since her separation from her father'shouse, and therefore it recalled her to his imagination in the mostinteresting point of view. Though he endeavoured to expel the image, bya closer application to his play, every now and then it intruded upon hisfancy, and at each return made a stronger impression; so that he foundhimself in the situation of an unfortunate bark stranded upon some hiddenrock, which, when the wind begins to blow, feels every succeeding wavemore boisterous than the former, until, with irresistible fury, theysurmount her deck, sweep everything before them, and dash her all topieces. 

The refugee had observed his first emotion, which he attributed to anunforeseen advantage he himself had gained over the Hungarian; but seeinghim, in the sequel, bite his lip, roll his eyes, groan, writhe his body, ejaculate incoherent curses, and neglect his game, the Huguenot concludedthat he was mad, and being seized with terror and dismay, got up andscampered off, without ceremony or hesitation. 

Melvil, thus left to the horrors of his own thought, which tortured himwith the apprehension of losing Monimia for ever, could no longer combatthat suggestion, but ran homewards with all the speed he could exert, inorder to prevent her retreat. When he crossed the threshold, he wasstruck with such a damp of presaging fear, that he durst not in personapproach her apartment, nor even, by questioning the servant, informhimself of the particulars he wanted to know. Yet his suspense becomingmore insupportable than his fear, he rushed from room to room in quest ofthat which was not to be found; and, seeing Monimia's chamber door open, entered the deserted temple in a state of distraction, calling aloud uponher name. All was silent, solitary, and woful. "She is gone, " he cried, shedding a flood of tears, "she is for ever lost; and all my hopes ofhappiness are fled!"

So saying, he sunk upon that couch on which Monimia had oft reposed, andabandoned himself to all the excess of grief and despondence. In thisdeplorable condition he was found by our adventurer, who gently chid himfor his want of resolution, and again repelled his sorrow, by arousinghis resentment against the innocent cause of his disquiet, havingbeforehand forged the particulars of provocation. 

"Is it possible, " said he, "that Renaldo can still retain the leastsentiment of regard for a fickle woman, by whom he has been soungratefully forsaken and so unjustly scorned? Is it possible he can beso disturbed by the loss of a creature who is herself lost to all virtueand decorum?--Time and reflection, my worthy friend, will cure you ofthat inglorious malady. And the future misconduct of that imprudentdamsel will, doubtless, contribute to the recovery of your peace. Herbehaviour, at leaving the house where she had received so many marks ofthe most delicate affection, was in all respects so opposite to honourand decency, that I could scarce refrain from telling her I was shockedat her deportment, even while she loaded me with protestations of love. When a woman's heart is once depraved, she bids adieu to all restraint;--she preserves no measures. It was not simply contempt which sheexpressed for Renaldo; she seems to resent his being able to live underher disdain; and that resentment stoops to objects unworthy ofindignation. Even your dog was not exempted from the effects of herdispleasure. For, in her passage to the door, she kicked the poor animalas one of your dependents; and, in our way to the apartment I hadprovided for her, she entertained me with a ludicrous comment upon themanner in which you first made her acquainted with your passion. Allthat modesty of carriage, all that chastity of conversation, all thatdignity of grief, which she knew so well how to affect, is now entirelylaid aside, and, when I quitted her, she seemed the most gay, giddy, andimpertinent of her sex. "

"Gracious powers!" exclaimed Renaldo, starting from the couch, "am Iunder the delusion of a dream; or are these things really so, as myfriend has represented them? Such a total and sudden degeneracy isamazing! is monstrous and unnatural!"

"Such, my dear Count, " replied our hero, "is the caprice of a femaleheart, fickle as the wind, uncertain as a calm at sea, fixed to noprinciple, but swayed by every fantastic gust of passion, or of whim. Congratulate yourself, therefore, my friend, upon your happy deliverancefrom such a domestic plague--upon the voluntary exile of a traitor fromyour bosom. --Recollect the dictates of your duty, your discretion, andyour glory, and think upon the honours and elevated enjoyment for whichyou are certainly ordained. To-night let us over a cheerful bottleanticipate your success; and to-morrow I will accompany you to the houseof an usurer, who, I am informed, fears no risk, provided twenty per centbe given, and the borrower's life insured. "

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

THE ART OF BORROWING FURTHER EXPLAINED, AND AN ACCOUNT OF A STRANGEPHENOMENON. 

In this manner did the artful incendiary work upon the passions of thecredulous unsuspecting Hungarian, who pressed him to his breast with themost cordial expressions of friendship, calling him his guardian, hissaviour, his second father, and gave himself up wholly to his advice. 

Next morning, according to the plan they had laid overnight, theyrepaired to a tavern in the neighbourhood of the person to whom ouradventurer had been directed, and were fortunate enough to find him inthe house, transacting a money affair with a young gentleman who treatedhim with his morning's whet. 

That affair being negotiated, he adjourned into another room with Renaldoand his companion, who were not a little surprised to see this ministerof Plutus in the shape of a young sprightly beau, trimmed up in all thefoppery of the fashion; for they had hitherto always associated with theidea of an usurer old age and rusty apparel. After divers modishcongees, he begged to know to what he should attribute the honour oftheir message; when Ferdinand, who acted the orator, told him, that hisfriend Count Melvil, having occasion for a sum of money, had beendirected to a gentleman of his name, "and, I suppose, " added he, "you arethe son of the person with whom the affair is to be negotiated. "

"Sir, " said this petit-maitre, with a smile, "I perceive you aresurprised to see one of my profession in the appearance of a gentleman;and perhaps your wonder will not cease, when I tell you, that myeducation was liberal, and that I once had the honour to bear acommission in the British army. I was indeed a first lieutenant ofmarines, and will venture to say, that no officer in the service was moredelicate than myself in observing all the punctilios of honour. Ientertained the utmost contempt for all the trading part of the nation, and suffered myself to be run through the body in a duel, rather thanroll with a brother-lieutenant, who was a broker's son. But, thankHeaven! I have long ago conquered all those ridiculous prejudices. Isoon observed, that without money there was no respect, honour, orconvenience to be acquired in life; that wealth amply supplied the wantof wit, merit, and pedigree, having influence and pleasure ever atcommand; and that the world never failed to worship the flood ofaffluence, without examining the dirty channels through which it commonlyflowed. 

"At the end of the war, finding my appointments reduced to two shillingsand fourpence per day, and being addicted to pleasures which I could notpossibly purchase from such a fund, I sold my half-pay for two hundredpounds, which I lent upon bond to a young officer of the same regiment, on condition that he should insure his life, and restore one-fourth partof the sum by way of premium. I happened to be lucky in this firstessay; for the borrower, having in six weeks expended the money, made anexcursion on the highway, was apprehended, tried, convicted of felony, and cut his own throat, to prevent the shame of a public execution; sothat his bond was discharged by the insurers. 

"In short, gentlemen, when I engaged in this business, I determined tocarry it on with such spirit, as would either make my fortune, orentirely ruin me in a little time; and hitherto my endeavours have beentolerably successful. Nor do I think my proceedings a whit more criminalor unjust than those of other merchants, who strive to turn their moneyto the best account. The commodity I deal in is cash; and it is mybusiness to sell it to the best advantage. A London factor sends a cargoof goods to market, and if he gets two hundred per cent upon the sale, heis commended for industry and address. If I sell money for one-fourthpart of that profit, certain persons will be so unjust as to cry, Shameupon me, for taking such advantage of my neighbour's distress; notconsidering, that the trader took four times the same advantage of thosepeople who bought his cargo, though his risk was not half so great asmine, and although the money I sold perhaps retrieved the borrower fromthe very jaws of destruction. For example, it was but yesterday I saveda worthy man from being arrested for a sum of money, for which he hadbailed a friend who treacherously left him in the lurch. As he did notforesee what would happen, he had made no provision for the demand, andhis sphere of life secluding him from all sorts of monied intercourse, hecould not raise the cash by his credit in the usual way of borrowing; sothat, without my assistance, he must have gone to jail; a disgrace whichwould have proved fatal to the peace of his family, and utterly ruinedhis reputation. --Nay, that very young gentleman, from whom I am just nowparted, will, in all probability, be indebted to me for a very genteellivelihood. He had obtained the absolute promise of being provided forby a great man, who sits at the helm of affairs in a neighbouringkingdom; but, being destitute of all other resources, he could not haveequipped himself for the voyage, in order to profit by his lordship'sintention, unless I had enabled him to pursue his good fortune. "

Renaldo was not a little pleased to hear this harangue, to which Fathomreplied with many florid encomiums upon the usurer's good sense andhumane disposition; then he explained the errand of his friend, which wasto borrow three hundred pounds, in order to retrieve his inheritance, ofwhich he had been defrauded in his absence. 

"Sir, " said the lender, addressing himself to Count Melvil, "I pretend tohave acquired by experience some skill in physiognomy; and though thereare some faces so deeply disguised as to baffle all the penetration ofour art, there are others, in which the heart appears with such nakednessof integrity, as at once to recommend it to our goodwill. I own yourcountenance prepossesses me in your favour; and you shall beaccommodated, upon those terms from which I never deviate, provided youcan find proper security, that you shall not quit the British dominions;for that, with me, is a condition sine qua non. "

This was a very disagreeable declaration to Renaldo, who candidly owned, that, as his concerns lay upon the Continent, his purpose was to leaveEngland without delay. The usurer professed himself sorry that it wasnot in his power to oblige him; and, in order to prevent any furtherimportunity, assured them, he had laid it down as a maxim, from which hewould never swerve, to avoid all dealings with people whom, if needshould be, he could not sue by the laws of this realm. 

Thus the intervention of one unlucky and unforeseen circumstance blastedin an instant the budding hopes of Melvil, who, while his visageexhibited the most sorrowful disappointment, begged to know, if there wasany person of his acquaintance who might be less scrupulous in thatparticular. 

The young gentleman directed them to another member of his profession, and wishing them success, took his leave with great form andcomplaisance. This instance of politeness was, however, no more than ashift to disengage himself the more easily from their entreaties; for, when the case was opened to the second usurer, he blessed himself fromsuch customers, and dismissed them with the most mortifying and boorishrefusal. Notwithstanding these repulses, Renaldo resolved to make onedesperate push; and, without allowing himself the least respite, solicited, one by one, not fewer than fifteen persons who dealt in thiskind of traffic, and his proposals were rejected by each. At last, fatigued by the toil, and exasperated at the ill success of hisexpedition, and half mad with the recollection of his finances, whichwere now drained to half-a-crown, "Since we have nothing to expect, "cried he, "from the favour of Christians, let us have recourse to thedescendants of Judah. Though they lie under the general reproach ofnations, as a people dead to virtue and benevolence, and wholly devotedto avarice, fraud, and extortion, the most savage of their tribe cannottreat me with more barbarity of indifference, than I have experiencedamong those who are the authors of their reproach. "

Although Fathom looked upon this proposal as an extravagant symptom ofdespair, he affected to approve of the scheme, and encouraged Renaldowith the hope of succeeding in another quarter, even if this expeditionshould fail; for, by this time, our adventurer was half resolved toexport him at his own charge, rather than he should be much longerrestricted in his designs upon Monimia. 

Meanwhile, being resolved to try the experiment upon the children ofIsrael, they betook themselves to the house of a rich Jew, whose wealththey considered as a proof of his rapaciousness; and, being admitted intohis counting-house, they found him in the midst of half a dozen clerks, when Renaldo, in his imagination, likened him unto a minister of darknesssurrounded by his familiars, and planning schemes of misery to beexecuted upon the hapless sons of men. In spite of these suggestions, which were not at all mitigated by the forbidding aspect of the Hebrew, he demanded a private audience; and, being ushered into anotherapartment, he explained his business with manifest marks of disorder andaffliction. Indeed, his confusion was in some measure owing to the looksof the Jew, who, in the midst of this exordium, pulled down his eyebrows, which were surprisingly black and bushy, so as, in appearance, totally toextinguish his visage, though he was all the time observing our youthfrom behind those almost impenetrable thickets. 

Melvil, having signified his request, "Young gentleman, " said theIsraelite, with a most discordant voice, "what in the name of goodnesscould induce you to come to me upon such an errand? Did you ever hearthat I lent money to strangers without security?" "No, " replied Renaldo, "nor did I believe I should profit by my application; but my affairs aredesperate; and my proposals having been rejected by every Christian towhom they were offered, I was resolved to try my fate among the Jews, whoare reckoned another species of men. "

Fathom, alarmed at this abrupt reply, which he supposed could not fail todisgust the merchant, interposed in the conversation, by making anapology for the plain dealing of his friend, who, he said, was soured andruffled by his misfortunes; then exerting that power of eloquence whichhe had at command, he expostulated upon Renaldo's claim and expectations, described the wrongs he had suffered, extolled his virtue, and drew amost pathetic picture of his distress. 

The Jew listened attentively for some time; then his eyebrows began torise and fall alternately; he coughed, sneezed, and winking hard, "I'mplagued, " said he, "with a salt rheum that trickles from my eyes withoutintermission. " So saying, he wiped the moisture from his face, andproceeded in these words: "Sir, your story is plausible; and your friendis a good advocate; but before I give an answer to your demand, I mustbeg leave to ask if you can produce undeniable evidence of your being theidentical person you really assume? If you are really the Count deMelvil, you will excuse my caution. We cannot be too much on our guardagainst fraud; though I must own you have not the air of an impostor. "

Renaldo's eyes began to sparkle at this preliminary question; to which hereplied, that he could procure the testimony of the Emperor's minister, to whom he had occasionally paid his respects since his first arrival inEngland. 

"If that be the case, " said the Jew, "take the trouble to call hereto-morrow morning, at eight o'clock, and I will carry you in my owncoach to the house of his excellency, with whom I have the honour to beacquainted; and, if he has nothing to object against your character orpretensions, I will contribute my assistance towards your obtainingjustice at the Imperial court. "

The Hungarian was so much confounded at this unexpected reception, thathe had not power to thank the merchant for his promised favour, but stoodmotionless and silent, while the streams of emotion of the heart was ofmore weight with the Jew, than the eloquent acknowledgment whichFerdinand took the opportunity of making for his friend; and he was fainto dismiss them a little abruptly, in order to prevent a second dischargeof that same rheum of which he had already complained. 

Melvil recollected all that had happened as a dream, which had nofoundation in truth, and was all day long in a sort of delirium, producedby the alternate gusts of hope and fear that still agitated his bosom;for he was not yet without apprehension of being again disappointed bysome unlucky occurrence. 

He did not, however, fail to be punctual to the hour of his appointment, when the Jew told him, there would be no occasion for visiting theambassador, because Renaldo had been, the preceding day, recognised byone of the clerks who had been employed as a purveyor in the Imperialarmy; and who, knowing his family, confirmed everything he had alleged. "After breakfast, " continued this benevolent Israelite, "I will give youan order upon my banker for five hundred pounds, that you may be enabledto appear at Vienna as the son and representative of Count Melvil; andyou shall also be furnished with a letter of recommendation to a personof some influence at that court, whose friendship and countenance may beof some service to your suit; for I am now heartily engaged in yourinterest, in consequence of the fair and unblemished character which Ifind you have hitherto maintained. "

The reader must appeal to his own heart, to acquire a just idea ofRenaldo's feelings, when every tittle of these promises was fulfilled, and the merchant refused to take one farthing by way of premium, contenting himself with the slender security of a personal bond. He was, in truth, overwhelmed with the obligation, and certainly disposed tobelieve that his benefactor was something more than human. As forFathom, his sentiments took a different turn; and he scrupled not toimpute all this kindness to some deep-laid interested scheme, the scopeof which he could not at present comprehend. 

After the tumults of the young gentleman's joy had subsided, and he foundhimself eased of that burdensome poverty under which he had groaned solong, his thoughts, which before were dissipated upon the variouscircumstances of distress, began to collect themselves in a body, and toresume their deliberations upon a subject which they had been longaccustomed to consider; this was no other than the forlorn Monimia, whoseidea now emerged in his bosom, being disencumbered of one part of theload by which it had been depressed. He mentioned her name to Fathomwith marks of the most melting compassion, deplored her apostasy, and, while he protested that he had divorced her for ever from his heart, expressed an inclination to see her once more before his departure, thathe might in person exhort her to penitence and reformation. 

Our adventurer, who dreaded such an interview as the infallible means ofhis own ruin, resisted the proposal with the whole power of hiselocution. He affirmed, that Renaldo's desire was a manifest proof thathe still retained part of the fatal poison which that enchantress hadspread within his veins; and that the sight of her, softened by hisreproaches into tears and affected contrition, would dispel hisresentment, disable his manhood, and blow the embers of his formerpassion to such a rage, as would hurry him on to a reconciliation, whichwould debase his honour, and ruin his future peace. In a word, Ferdinanddescribed the danger that would attend the meeting in such emphaticterms, that the Hungarian started with horror at the picture which hedrew, and in this particular conformed with the admonition of his friend. 

One hundred pounds of the Jew's money was immediately appropriated forthe payment of his most urgent debts; the like sum he presented to hisfriend Fathom, with a solemn promise of sharing with him whatever goodfortune might await him in Germany. And though Monimia had forfeited alltitle to his regard, so ill could he bear the prospect of her distress, that he entrusted his dear companion with the half of what remained, tobe expended for her use, fully resolving to screen her from the shocksand temptations of want, as the circumstances of his future fate wouldallow. 

Fathom, far from opposing, applauded his generosity with marks of extremewonder and admiration, assuring him, that she should be put in possessionof his bounty immediately after his departure, he being unwilling to makeher acquainted with her good fortune before that period, lest, findinghis affairs in a fair way of being retrieved, she should be base enoughto worship his returning prosperity, and, by false professions, andartful blandishments, seek to ensnare his heart anew. 

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

COUNT FATHOM UNMASKS HIS BATTERY; IS REPULSED; AND VARIES HIS OPERATIONSWITHOUT EFFECT. 

Every necessary preparation being made, Renaldo, accompanied by ouradventurer, took the road to Dover, where he embarked in a packet-boatfor Calais, after having settled a correspondence with his dearFerdinand, from whom he did not part without tears. He had beforesolicited him to be his fellow-traveller, that he might personally enjoythe benefit of his conversation and superior sagacity; but theseentreaties he strenuously opposed, on pretence of his being determined topush his fortune in England, which he considered as his native country, and as the land in which, of all others, a man of merit has the bestencouragement. Such were the reasons he alleged for refusing to attendhis benefactor, who was himself eagerly desirous of attaining asettlement in the island of Great Britain. But our hero's real motivesfor staying were of a very different complexion. --The reader is alreadyinformed of his aim upon the fair orphan, which, at present, was thechief spring of his conduct. He may also recollect such passages of hislife, as were sufficient to deter him from reappearing at Presburg orVienna. But, besides these reflections, he was detained by a fullpersuasion that Renaldo would sink under the power and influence of hisantagonist, consequently be rendered incapable to provide for hisfriends; and that he himself, fraught with wiles and experience as hewas, could not fail to make himself amends for what he had suffered amonga people equally rich and unthinking. 

Melvil, having embraced our adventurer, and with a deep sigh bid him takecare of the unfortunate Monimia, committed himself to the sea, and, bythe assistance of a favourable gale, was in four hours safely landed onthe French shore; while Fathom took post-horses for London, where hearrived that same night, and next day, in the forenoon, went to visit thebeauteous mourner, who had as yet received no intimation of Renaldo'sdeparture or design. He found her in the attitude of writing a letter toher inconstant lover, the contents of which the reader will be acquaintedwith in due time. Her countenance, notwithstanding the veil ofmelancholy by which it was overcast, seemed altogether serene andcomposed; she was the picture of pious resignation, and sat like PATIENCEon a monument, smiling at grief. After having paid the compliment of themorning, Fathom begged pardon for having omitted to visit her duringthree days, in which, he said, his time had been wholly engrossed inprocuring a proper equipage for Count Melvil, who had at last bid aneternal adieu to the island of Great Britain. 

At this information the hapless Monimia fell back in her chair, andcontinued some minutes in a swoon; from which being recovered, "Excuseme, Mr. Fathom, " cried she with a deep sigh; "this, I hope, is the lastagony I shall feel from my unhappy passion. "--Then wiping the tears fromher lovely eyes, she retrieved her tranquillity, and desired to know bywhat means Renaldo had been enabled to undertake his journey into theempire. Our hero, upon this occasion, assumed the whole merit of havingpromoted the interest of his friend, by giving her to understand, thathe, in consequence of an unforeseen windfall, had defrayed the expense ofthe Count's equipment; though he observed, that it was not withoutreluctance he saw Renaldo make a wrong use of his friendship. 

"Although I was happy, " proceeded this artful traitor, "in being able todischarge my obligations to the house of Melvil, I could not help feelingthe most sensible chagrin, when I saw my assistance rendered subservientto the triumphs of the youth's baseness and infidelity; for he chose, asthe companion of his travels, the abandoned woman for whom he hadforsaken the all-perfect Monimia, whose virtue and accomplishments didnot preserve her sacred from his ungrateful sarcasms and unmannerlyridicule. Believe me, madam, I was so shocked at his conversation onthat subject, and so much incensed at his want of delicacy, that mytemper was scarce sufficient for the ceremony of parting. And, now thatmy debt to his family is over-paid, I have solemnly renounced hiscorrespondence. "

When she heard that, instead of betraying the least symptom of regret orcompassion for her unhappy fate, the perfidious youth had exulted overher fall, and even made her a subject for his mirth, the blood revisitedher faded cheeks, and resentment restored to her eyes that poignancywhich sorrow had before overcome. Yet she scorned to give speech to herindignation; but, forcing a smile, "Why should I repine, " said she, "atthe mortifications of a life which I despise, and from which, I hope, Heaven speedily will set me free!"

Fathom, fired by her emotion, which had recalled all the graces of herbeauty, exclaimed in a rapture, "Talk not so contemptuously of this life, which hath still a fund of happiness in store for the amiable, the divineMonimia. Though one admirer hath proved an apostate to his vows, yourcandour will not suffer you to condemn the whole sex. Some there are, whose bosoms glow with passion equally pure, unalterable, and intense. For my own part, I have sacrificed to a rigid punctilio of honour thedearest ideas of my heart. I beheld your unrivalled charms, and deeplyfelt their power. Yet, while a possibility of Melvil's reformationremained, and while I was restrained by my niggard fortune from making atender worthy of your acceptance, I combated with my inclinations, andbore without repining the pangs of hopeless love. But, now that myhonour is disengaged, and my fortune rendered independent, by the lastwill of a worthy nobleman, whose friendship I was favoured with inFrance, I presume to lay myself at the feet of the adorable Monimia, asthe most faithful of admirers, whose happiness or misery wholly dependsupon her nod. Believe me, madam, these are not the professions of idlegallantry--I speak the genuine, though imperfect, language of my heart. Words, even the most pathetic, cannot do justice to my love. I gaze uponyour beauty with ravishment; but I contemplate the graces of your soulwith such awful veneration, that I tremble while I approach you, as if myvows were addressed to some superior being. "

During this declaration, which was pronounced in the most emphaticmanner, Monimia was successively agitated with shame, anger, and grief;nevertheless, she summoned her whole philosophy to her aid, and, with atranquil, though determined air, begged he would not diminish theobligations he had already conferred, by disturbing with suchunseasonable addresses a poor unhappy maid, who had detached all herthoughts from earthly objects, and waited impatiently for thatdissolution which alone could put a period to her misfortunes. 

Fathom, imagining that these were no other than the suggestions of atemporary disappointment and despondence, which it was his business tooppose with all his eloquence and art, renewed his theme with redoubledardour, and, at last, became so importunate in his desires, that Monimia, provoked beyond the power of concealing her resentment, said, she washeartily sorry to find herself under the necessity of telling him, that, in the midst of her misfortunes, she could not help remembering what shehad been. Then, rising from her seat, with all the dignity ofdispleasure, "Perhaps, " added she, "you have forgot who was the father ofthe once happy Monimia. "

With these words she retired into another chamber, leaving our adventurerconfounded by the repulse he had sustained. Not that he was discouragedfrom prosecuting his aim--on the contrary, this rebuff seemed to addfresh vigour to his operations. He now thought it high time to bringover Madam la Mer to his interest; and, to facilitate her conversion, took an opportunity of bribing her with some inconsiderable presents, after having amused her with a plausible tale of his passion for Monimia, with whom she undertook the office of his mediatrix, on the suppositionthat his intentions were honourable, and highly advantageous to herlodger. 

She was, first of all, invested with the office of obtaining pardon forthe offence he had given; and, in this negotiation she succeeded so well, as to become an advocate for his suit; accordingly, she took alloccasions of magnifying his praise. His agreeable person was often thesubject of her discourse to the fair mourner. Her admiration dwelt uponhis politeness, good sense, and winning deportment; and she every dayretailed little stories of his benevolence and greatness of soul. Thedefect in his birth she represented as a circumstance altogether foreignfrom the consideration of his merit; especially in a nation where suchdistinctions are as little respected as they will be in a future state. She mentioned several persons of note, who basked in the sunshine ofpower and fortune, without having enjoyed the least hereditary assistancefrom their forefathers. One, she said, sprung from the loins of anobscure attorney; another was the grandson of a valet-de-chambre; a thirdwas the issue of an accountant; and a fourth the offspring of awoollen draper. All these were the children of their own good works, andhad raised themselves upon their personal virtues and address; afoundation certainly more solid and honourable than a vague inheritancederived from ancestors, in whose deserts they could not be supposed tohave borne the least share. 

Monimia listened to all these arguments with great patience andaffability, though she at once dived into the source from which all suchinsinuations flowed. She joined in the commendations of Fathom, andowned herself a particular instance of that benevolence which the oldlady had so justly extolled; but, once for all, to prevent thesupplication which Madam la Mer was about to make, she solemnly protestedthat her heart was altogether shut against any other earthly engagement, and that her thoughts were altogether employed upon her eternalsalvation. 

The assiduous landlady, perceiving the steadiness of her disposition, thought proper to alter her method of proceeding, and, for the present, suspended that theme by which she found her fair lodger disobliged. Resolved to reconcile Monimia to life, before she would again recommendFerdinand to her love, she endeavoured to amuse her imagination, byrecounting the occasional incidents of the day, hoping gradually to decoyher attention to those sublunary objects from which it had beenindustriously weaned. She seasoned her conversation with agreeablesallies; enlarged upon the different scenes of pleasure and diversionappertaining to this great metropolis; practised upon her palate with thedelicacies of eating; endeavoured to shake her temperance with repeatedproffers and recommendations of certain cordials and restoratives, whichshe alleged were necessary for the recovery of her health; and pressedher to make little excursions into the fields that skirt the town, forthe benefit of air and exercise. 

While this auxiliary plied the disconsolate Monimia on one hand, Fathomwas not remiss on the other. He now seemed to have sacrificed hispassion to her quiet; his discourse turned upon more indifferentsubjects. He endeavoured to dispel her melancholy with arguments drawnfrom philosophy and religion. On some occasions, he displayed all hisfund of good humour, with a view to beguile her sorrow; he importuned herto give him the pleasure of squiring her to some place of innocententertainment; and, finally, insisted upon her accepting a pecuniaryreinforcement to her finances, which he knew to be in a most consumptivecondition. 

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

MONIMIA'S HONOUR IS PROTECTED BY THE INTERPOSITION OF HEAVEN. 

With that complacency and fortitude which were peculiar to herself, thishapless stranger resisted all those artful temptations. Her sustenancewas barely such as exempted her from the guilt of being accessory to herown death; her drink was the simple element. She encouraged no discoursebut that which turned upon the concerns of her immortal part. She neverwent abroad, except in visits to a French chapel in the neighbourhood;she refused the proffered assistance of our adventurer with equalobstinacy and politeness, and with pleasure saw herself wasting towardsthat period of mortality which was the consummation of her wish. Yet hercharms, far from melting away with her constitution, seemed to triumphover the decays of nature. Her shape and features still retained thatharmony for which they had always been distinguished. A mixture ofmajesty and sweetness diffused itself in her looks, and her feeblenessadded to that soft and feminine grace which attracts the sympathy, andengages the protection of every humane beholder. The associates thusbaffled in their attempts to excite her ideas of pleasure, again shiftedtheir plan, and resolved to attack this forlorn beauty on the side offear and mortification. 

Our adventurer became less frequent in his visits, and more indifferentin his language and deportment; while Madam la Mer gradually relaxed inthat complacency and respect with which she had hitherto behaved towardsher fair lodger. She even began to drop hints of disapprobation andreproach against this pattern of innocence and beauty, and at length grewbold enough to tell her, that her misfortunes could be attributed tonothing but her own obstinacy and pride; that she had been at great painsto disoblige the only person who was able and willing to raise her abovedependence; and that, if his protection should be withdrawn, she must beexposed to the utmost extremity of distress. 

These insinuations, instead of producing the desired effect, inflamed theindignation of Monimia, who, in a most dignified style of rebuke, chidher for her indelicacy and presumption, observing, that she could have notitle to take such freedoms with lodgers, whose punctuality and regulardeportment left her no room to complain. Notwithstanding this animatedreply, she underwent the most deplorable anguish, when she reflected uponthe insolence of this woman, from whose barbarity she had no resource;and, seeing no other possibility of redress than that of appealing to thegood offices of Fathom, she conquered her reluctance so far, as tocomplain to him of Madam la Mer's incivility. 

Pleased with this application, he gave her to understand, with verylittle ceremony or preamble, that it wholly depended upon herself whethershe should continue to be wretched, or be delivered at once from all hercares and perplexity; that, notwithstanding the disdain with which shehad treated his addresses, he was still ready to lay himself and hisfortune at her feet; and that, if she should again reject thedisinterested proposal, the whole world and her own conscience wouldcharge upon herself whatever calamities she might be subjected to in thesequel. Interpreting into a favourable hesitation her silence, which wasthe result of wrath and amazement, he proceeded to throw himself at herfeet, and utter a romantic rhapsody, in the course of which, laying asideall that restraint which he had hitherto preserved, he seized herdelicate hand, and pressed it to his lips; nay, so far did he forgethimself on this occasion, that he caught the fair creature in his arms, and rudely ravished a kiss from those lips which he had beforecontemplated with the most distant reverence of desire. 

Having thus broken down the fences of decorum, and being heated withtransport, he, in all probability, would have acted the part of youngTarquin, and violated by force that sacred shrine of honour, beauty, andunblemished truth, had not the wrath kindled by such an unexpectedoutrage inspired her with strength and spirits sufficient to protect hervirtue, and intimidate the ruffian who could offer violence to suchperfection. She broke from his detested embrace with surprising agility, and called aloud to her landlady for assistance; but that discreet matronwas resolved to hear nothing, and Fathom's appetite being whetted to amost brutal degree of eagerness, "Madam, " said he, "all opposition isvain. What you have refused to my entreaties, you shall yield to mypower; and I am determined to force you to your own advantage. "

So saying, he sprung towards her, with the most savage and impiousintent, when this amiable heroine snatching up his sword, which lay upona by-table, and unsheathing it instantaneously, presented the point tohis breast, and, while her eyes glanced with intolerable keenness, "Villain!" cried she, "the spirit of my father animates my bosom, and thevengeance of Heaven shall not be frustrated. " He was not so muchaffected by his bodily danger, as awestruck at the manner of her address, and the appearance of her aspect, which seemed to shine with somethingsupernatural, and actually disordered his whole faculties, insomuch thathe retreated without attempting to make the least reply; and she, havingsecured the door after his departure, sat down to ponder upon thisshocking event. 

Words are wanting to describe the accumulated horrors that tookpossession of her mind, when she thus beheld all her presaging fearsrealised, and found herself at the mercy of two wretches, who had nowpulled off the mask, after having lost all sentiments of humanity. Common affliction was an agreeable reverie to what she suffered, deprivedof her parents, exiled from her friends and country, reduced to the brinkof wanting the most indispensable necessaries of life, in a foreign land, where she knew not one person to whose protection she could haverecourse, from the inexpressible woes that environed her. She complainedto Heaven that her life was protracted, for the augmentation of thatmisery which was already too severe to be endured; for she shuddered atthe prospect of being utterly abandoned in the last stage of mortality, without one friend to close her eyes, or do the last offices of humanityto her breathless corse. These were dreadful reflections to a young ladywho had been born to affluence and splendour, trained up in all theelegance of education, by nature fraught with that sensibility whichrefines the sentiment and taste, and so tenderly cherished by herindulgent parents, that they suffered not the winds of Heaven to visither face too roughly. 

Having passed the night in such agony, she rose at daybreak, and, hearingthe chapel bell toll for morning prayers, resolved to go to this place ofworship, in order to implore the assistance of Heaven. She no sooneropened her chamber door, with this intent, than she was met by Madam laMer, who, after having professed her concern for what had happenedovernight, and imputed Mr. Fathom's rudeness to the spirit ofintoxication, by which she had never before seen him possessed, sheendeavoured to dissuade Monimia from her purpose, by observing, that herhealth would be prejudiced by the cold morning air; but finding herdetermined, she insisted upon accompanying her to chapel, on pretence ofrespect, though, in reality, with a view to prevent the escape of herbeauteous lodger. Thus attended, the hapless mourner entered the place, and, according to the laudable hospitality of England, which is the onlycountry in Christendom where a stranger is not made welcome to the houseof God, this amiable creature, emaciated and enfeebled as she was, musthave stood in a common passage during the whole service, had not she beenperceived by a humane gentlewoman, who, struck with her beauty anddignified air, and melted with sympathy at the ineffable sorrow which wasvisible in her countenance, opened the pew in which she sat, andaccommodated Monimia and her attendant. If she was captivated by herfirst appearance, she was not less affected by the deportment of her fairguest, which was the pattern of genuine devotion. 

In a word, this good lady, who was a merchant's widow in opulentcircumstances, was inflamed with a longing desire to know and befriendthe amiable stranger, who, after service, turning about to thank her forher civility, Madam Clement, with that frankness which is the result oftrue benevolence, told her, she was too much prepossessed in her favourto let slip this opportunity of craving her acquaintance, and ofexpressing her inclination to alleviate, if possible, that afflictionwhich was manifest in her looks. 

Monimia, overwhelmed with gratitude and surprise at this unexpectedaddress, gazed upon the lady in silence, and when she repeated hertenders of service, could make no other reply to her goodness, than bybursting into a flood of tears. This was a species of eloquence whichdid not pass unregarded by Madam Clement, who, while her own eyes werebedewed with the drops of sympathy and compassion, took the lovely orphanby the hand, and led her, without further ceremony, to her own coach, that stood waiting at the door, whither they were followed by Mrs. LaMer, who was so much confounded at the adventure, that she made noobjections to the proposal of the lady, who handed her lodger into thecarriage; but retired, with all possible despatch, to make Fathomacquainted with this unforeseen event. 

Meanwhile the agitation of Monimia, at this providential deliverance, wassuch as had well-nigh destroyed her tender frame. The blood flushed andforsook her cheeks by turns; she trembled from head to foot, notwithstanding the consolatory assurances of Madam Clement, and, withoutbeing able to utter one word, was conducted to the house of that kindbenefactress, where the violence of her transports overpowered herconstitution, and she sunk down upon a couch in a swoon, from which shewas not easily recovered. This affecting circumstance augmented thepity, and interested the curiosity of Madam Clement, who concluded therewas something very extraordinary in the case of the stranger, to producethese agonies; and grew impatient to hear the particulars of her story. 

Monimia no sooner retrieved the use of her faculties, than lookingaround, and observing with what humane concern her new hostess wasemployed in effecting her recovery, "Is this, " said she, "a flatteringillusion of the brain? or am I really under the protection of somebeneficent being, whom Heaven hath inspired with generosity to rescue anhapless stranger from the most forlorn state of misery and woe?" Hervoice was at all times ravishingly sweet; and this exclamation waspronounced with such pathetic fervour, that Madam Clement clasped her inher arms, and kissing her with all the eagerness of maternal affection, "Yes, " cried she, "fair creature, Heaven hath bestowed upon me an heartto compassionate, and power, I hope, to lighten the burden of yoursorrows. "

She then prevailed upon her to take some nourishment, and afterwards torecount the particulars of her fate; a task she performed with suchaccuracy and candour, that Madam Clement, far from suspecting hersincerity, saw truth and conviction in every circumstance of her tale;and, having condoled her misfortunes, entreated her to forget them, or atleast look upon herself as one sheltered under the care and tuition of aperson whose study it would be to supply her want of natural parents. This would have been an happy vicissitude of fortune, had it not arrivedtoo late; but such a sudden and unlooked-for transition not onlydisordered the faculties of poor Monimia's mind, but also overpowered theorgans of her body, already fatigued and enfeebled by the distresses shehad undergone; so that she was taken ill of a fever that same night, andbecame delirious before morning, when a physician was called to herassistance. 

While this gentleman was in the house, Madam Clement was visited byFathom, who, after having complained, in the most insinuating manner thatshe had encouraged his wife to abandon her duty, told her a plausiblestory of his first acquaintance with Monimia, and his marriage at theFleet, which, he said, he was ready to prove by the evidence of theclergyman who joined them, and that of Mrs. La Mer, who was present atthe ceremony. The good lady, although a little staggered at the genteelappearance and engaging address of this stranger, could not prevail uponherself to believe that she had been imposed upon by her fair lodger, whoby this time had given too convincing a proof of her sincerity;nevertheless, in order to prevent any dispute that might be prejudicialto the health or recovery of Monimia, she gave him to understand, thatshe would not at present enter upon the merits of the cause, but onlyassure him, that the young lady was actually bereft of her senses, and inimminent danger of her life; for the truth of which assertions she wouldappeal to his own observation, and the opinion of the physician, who wasthen employed in writing a prescription for the cure of her disease. 

So saying, she conducted him into the chamber, where he beheld thehapless virgin stretched upon a sick-bed, panting under the violence of adistemper too mighty for her weakly frame, her hair dishevelled, anddiscomposure in her looks; all the roses of her youth were faded, yet allthe graces of her beauty were not fled. She retained that sweetness andsymmetry, which death itself could not destroy; and though her discoursewas incoherent, her voice was still musical, resembling those featheredsongsters who warble their native wood-notes wild. 

Fathom, as upon all other occasions, so on this, did behave like aninimitable actor; he ran to the bedside, with all the trepidation of adistracted lover; he fell upon his knees, and, while the tears rolleddown his cheeks, imprinted a thousand kisses on the soft hand of Monimia, who regarding him with a lack-lustre and undistinguishing eye, "Alas!Renaldo, " said she, "we were born to be unhappy. " "Would to Heaven, "cried Ferdinand, in a transport of grief, "the wretch Renaldo had neverbeen born! that is the villain who seduced the affection of thisunfortunate woman. I admitted the traitor into my friendship andconfidence, relieved him in his necessities; and, like the ungratefulviper, he hath stung the very bosom that cherished him in his distress. "Then he proceeded to inform Madam Clement how he had delivered that sameRenaldo from prison, maintained him afterwards at a great expense, and atlength furnished him with a sum of money and proper credentials tosupport his interest at the Court of Vienna. 

Having finished this detail, he asked the physician's sentiments of hiswife's distemper, and being told that her life was in extreme jeopardy, begged he would use his utmost endeavours in her behalf, and even madehim a tender of an extraordinary fee, which was refused. He also thankedMadam Clement for her charity and benevolence towards a stranger, andtook his leave with many polite professions of gratitude and esteem. Hehad no sooner quitted the house, than the physician, who was a humaneman, and a foreigner, began to caution the lady against his insinuations, observing, that some circumstances of the story concerning Renaldo were, to his particular knowledge, contrary to truth; for that he himself hadbeen applied to for letters of recommendation in behalf of Count Melvil, by a Jew merchant of his acquaintance, who had supplied the younggentleman with money sufficient for his occasions, in consequence of aminute inquiry he had made into the character of Renaldo, who was, by allreports, a youth of strict honour and untainted morals. 

Madam Clement, thus cautioned, entered into deliberation with her ownthoughts, and, comparing the particulars of this account with those ofMonimia's own story, she concluded that Fathom was the very traitor hehimself had described; and that he had, by abusing the confidence ofboth, effected a fatal breach between two innocent and deserving lovers. She accordingly looked upon him with horror and detestation; butnevertheless resolved to treat him with civility in the meantime, thatthe poor young lady might not be disturbed in her last moments; for shehad now lost all hopes of her recovery. Yet the fever abated, and in twodays she retrieved the use of her reason; though the distemper hadaffected her lungs, and she was in all appearance doomed to linger a fewweeks longer in a consumption. 

Fathom was punctual in his visitation, though never admitted into herpresence after the delirium vanished; and he had the opportunity ofseeing her conveyed in a chariot to Kensington Gravel Pits, a place whichmay be termed the last stage of many a mortal peregrination. He nowimplicitly believed that death would in a few days baffle all his designsupon the unfortunate Monimia; and foreseeing that, as he had ownedhimself her husband, he might be obliged to defray the expenses incurredby her sickness and burial, he very prudently intermitted in his visits, and had recourse to the intelligence of his auxiliary. 

As for Monimia, she approached the goal of life, not simply withresignation, but with rapture. She enjoyed in tranquillity theconversation of her kind benefactress, who never stirred from herapartment; she was blessed with the spiritual consolation of a worthyclergyman, who removed all her religious scruples; and she congratulatedherself on the near prospect of that land of peace where sorrow is notknown. 

At length Mrs. La Mer gave notice to our adventurer of this amiable younglady's decease, and the time fixed for the interment. Upon which thesetwo virtuous associates took possession of a place from whence theycould, unperceived, behold the funeral. He must have a hard heart, who, without an emotion of pity, can see the last offices performed to a youngcreature cut off in the flower of youth and beauty, even though he knowsnot her name, and is an utter stranger to her virtues. How callous thenmust the soul of that wretch have been, who, without a symptom of remorseor concern, saw the sable hearse adorned with white plumes, as emblems ofMonimia's purity, pass before him, while her incomparable merit stoodfull in his remembrance, and he knew himself the wicked cause of heruntimely fate!

Perfidious wretch! thy crimes turn out so atrocious, that I half repentme of having undertaken to record thy memoirs; yet such monsters ought tobe exhibited to public view, that mankind may be upon their guard againstimposture; that the world may see how fraud is apt to overshoot itself;and that, as virtue, though it may suffer for a while, will triumph inthe end; so iniquity, though it may prosper for a season, will at last beovertaken by that punishment and disgrace which are its due. 

CHAPTER FIFTY

FATHOM SHIFTS THE SCENE, AND APPEARS IN A NEW CHARACTER. 

Fathom's expectations with respect to the fair orphan having thus provedabortive, he lost no time in bewailing his miscarriage, but had immediaterecourse to other means of improving his small fortune, which, at thisperiod, amounted to near two hundred pounds. Whatever inclination he hadto resume the character he had formerly borne in the polite world, hedurst not venture to launch out again into the expense necessary tomaintain that station, because his former resources were now stopped, andall the people of fashion by this time convinced of his being a needyadventurer. Nevertheless, he resolved to sound the sentiments of his oldfriends at a distance, and judge, from the reception he should meet with, how far he might presume upon their countenance and favour. For herightly supposed, that if he could in any shape contribute to theirinterest or amusement, they would easily forgive his former pretensionsto quality, arrogant as they were, and still entertain him on the footingof a necessary acquaintance. 

With this view, he one day presented himself at court in a very gay suitof clothes, and bowed, at a distance, to many of his old fashionablefriends of both sexes, not one of whom favoured him with any othernotice, than that of a quarter curtsey, or slight inclination of thehead. For, by this time, the few that remembered him knew from whatretirement he now emerged, and avoided him accordingly as the jailinfection. But the greater part of those who had cultivated him in thezenith of his fortune were now utter strangers to his person, which theyhad actually forgot, amidst the succession of novelties that surroundedthem; or, if they did recollect his name, it was remembered as an oldfashion which had been many months out of date. 

Notwithstanding these mortifying discouragements, our hero, that sameevening, effected a lodgment in a certain gaming-house not far from St. James's; and, as he played pretty high, and made a parade of his readymoney, he was soon recognised by divers persons of consequence, whocordially welcomed him to England, on pretence of believing he had beenabroad, and with great complacency repeated their former professions offriendship. Though this was a certain way of retaining the favour ofthose worthies, while his finances continued to flourish, and hispayments were prompt, he knew the weakness of his funds too well, tothink they could bear the vicissitudes of play; and the remembrance ofthe two British knights who had spoiled him at Paris, hung over hisimagination with the most frightful presages. Besides, he perceived thatgaming was now managed in such a manner, as rendered skill and dexterityof no advantage. For the spirit of play having overspread the land, likea pestilence, raged to such a degree of madness and desperation, that theunhappy people who were infected, laid aside all thoughts of amusement, economy, or caution, and risked their fortunes upon issues equallyextravagant, childish, and absurd. 

The whole mystery of the art was reduced to the simple exercise oftossing up a guinea, and the lust of laying wagers, which they indulgedto a surprising pitch of ridiculous intemperance. In one corner of theroom might be heard a pair of lordlings running their grandmothersagainst each other, that is, betting sums on the longest liver; inanother the success of the wager depended upon the sex of the landlady'snext child; and one of the waiters happening to drop down in anapoplectic fit, a certain noble peer exclaimed, "Dead for a thousandpounds. " The challenge was immediately accepted; and when the master ofthe house sent for a surgeon to attempt the cure, the nobleman, who setthe price upon the patient's head, insisted upon his being left to theefforts of nature alone, otherwise the wager should be void. Nay, whenthe landlord harped upon the loss he should sustain by the death of atrusty servant, his lordship obviated the objection, by desiring that thefellow might be charged in the bill. 

In short, the rage of gaming seemed to have devoured all their otherfaculties, and to have equalled the rash enthusiasm of the inhabitants ofMalacca in the East Indies, who are so possessed with that perniciousspirit, that they sacrifice to it not only their fortunes, but also theirwives and children; and then letting their hair down upon theirshoulders, in imitation of the ancient Lacedaemonians when they devotedthemselves to death, those wretches unsheathe their daggers, and murderevery living creature in their way. In this, however, they differ fromthe gamesters of our country, who never find their senses, until theyhave lost their fortunes, and beggared their families; whereas the Malaysnever run amuck, but in consequence of misery and despair. 

Such are the amusements, or rather such is the continual employment ofthose hopeful youths who are destined by birth to be the judges of ourproperty, and pillars of our constitution. Such are the heirs andrepresentatives of those patriots who planned, and those heroes whomaintained, the laws and freedom of their country; who were the patronsof merit, the fathers of the poor, the terror of vice and immorality, andat once the ornaments and support of a happy nation. 

Our adventurer considered all these circumstances with his wontedsagacity, and, seeing upon what precarious footing he must stand, shouldhe rank himself with such society, he wisely came to the resolution ofdescending one step in the degrees of life, and of taking upon him thetitle of physician, under which he did not despair of insinuating himselfinto the pockets of his patients, and into the secrets of privatefamilies, so as to acquire a comfortable share of practice, or captivatethe heart of some heiress or rich widow, whose fortune would at oncerender him independent and happy. 

After this determination, his next care was to concert measures for hisfirst appearance in this new character; well knowing, that the success ofa physician, in a great measure, depends upon the external equipage inwhich he first declares himself an adept in the healing art. He first ofall procured a few books on the subject of medicine, which he studiedwith great attention during the remaining part of the winter and spring, and repaired to Tunbridge with the first of the season, where he appearedin the uniform of Aesculapius, namely, a plain suit, full trimmed, with avoluminous tie-periwig; believing that in this place he might glide, asit were, imperceptibly into the functions of his new employment, andgradually accustom himself to the method and form of prescription. 

A man so well known in the gay world could not be supposed to effect sucha transformation without being observed; and therefore, in order toanticipate the censure and ridicule of those who might be tempted to makethemselves merry at his expense, he, on his arrival at the wells, repaired to the shop of an apothecary, and calling for pen, ink, andpaper, wrote a prescription, which he desired might be immediately madeup. While this was doing by the servant, he was invited into a parlourby the master, with whom he entered into conversation touching theproperties of the Tunbridge water, which seemed to have been hisparticular study; and indeed he had perused Rouzee's treatise on thatsubject with indefatigable assiduity. From this theme, he madedigressions into other parts of medicine, upon which he spoke with suchplausible elocution, that the apothecary, whose knowledge in that art wasnot very profound, looked upon him as a physician of great learning andexperience, and hinted a desire of knowing his name and situation. 

Fathom accordingly gave him to understand, that he had studied physic, and taken his degrees at Padua, rather for his amusement, than with anyview of exercising medicine, as he then could not possibly foresee themisfortunes which had since happened to his family, and by which he wasnow compelled to have recourse to a profession that was very much beneaththe expectations of his birth. Yet he bore his disappointments withresignation, and even good-humour, and blessed his stars for havinginclined him to the study of any branch of knowledge by which he might beenabled to laugh at the vicissitudes of fortune. He then observed, thathe had practised with some applause at the hot well near Bristol, beforehe thought he should be ever reduced to the necessity of taking a fee, and that, in all probability, his metamorphosis, when known, wouldfurnish matter of surprise and merriment to some of his old acquaintance. 

The apothecary was equally struck with his polite address, and pleasedwith his agreeable discourse. He consoled him for the misfortunes of hisfamily, by assuring him, that in England nothing could be morehonourable, or indeed profitable, than the character of a physician, provided he could once wriggle himself into practice; and insinuated, that, although he was restricted by certain engagements with otherpersons of the faculty, he should be glad of an opportunity to show hisregard for Doctor Fathom. This was a very effectual method which ourhero took to intimate his new character to the public. By the industryand communicative disposition of the apothecary, it was circulated inhalf a day through every family in the place; and, next morning, whenFerdinand appeared, the company forthwith assembled in separate groups, and from each knot he heard his name reverberated in a whisper. 

Having thus announced himself to all whom it might concern, and allowedthe ladies two days to discuss the merit of his transfiguration, togetherwith the novelty of the case, he ventured to salute, at a distance, alady and her daughter, who had been his patients at the hot well; and, although they honoured his bow with the return of a slight curtsey, theygave him not the least encouragement to make a nearer approach. Notwithstanding this rebuff, he concluded, that, should the health ofeither come in question, they would renew their application to his skill, and what was refused by their pride would be granted by theirapprehension. Here, however, he happened to be mistaken in hisconjecture. 

The young lady being seized with a violent headache and palpitation, hermother desired the apothecary to recommend a physician; and the personwith whom he was contracted being at that time absent, he proposed DoctorFathom as a man of great ability and discretion. But the good ladyrejected the proposal with disdain, because she had formerly known him inthe character of a Count--though that very character was the chief reasonthat had then induced her to crave his advice. 

Such is the caprice of the world in general, that whatever bears the faceof novelty captivates, or rather bewitches, the imagination, andconfounds the ideas of reason and common sense. If, for example, ascullion, from the clinking of pewter, shall conceive a taste for theclinking of rhyme, and make shift to bring together twenty syllables, soas that the tenth and last shall have the like ending, the composition isimmediately extolled as a miracle; and what appeals to the admiration isnot the wit, the elegance, or poetry of the work, but the uncultivatedtalent and humble station of the author. A reader does not exclaim, "What a delicate sentiment! what a beautiful simile! what easy andmusical versification!"--but cries in rapture, "Heavens! what a prodigy apoet from the scullery! a muse in livery! or, Apollo with a trowel!"--Thepublic is astonished into liberality--the scullion eats from thosetrenchers he scoured before--the footman is admitted into the coachbehind which he was wont to stand--and the bricklayer, instead ofplastering walls, bedaubs his illustrious partner with the mortar of hispraise. Thus, lifted into a higher sphere, their talents receivecultivation; they become professed bards, and though their subsequentworks bear evident marks of improvement, they are neglected among therest of their brethren, because that novelty, which recommended them inthe beginning, no longer remains. 

So it fared with our adventurer in his new occupation. There wassomething so extraordinary in a nobleman's understanding medicine, and souncommon in a physician's prescribing gratis, that the curiosity andadmiration of the company at Bristol were engaged, and they followed hisadvice, as the direction of some supernatural intelligence. But, nowthat he professed himself one of the faculty, and might be supposed tohave refreshed his memory, and reinforced his knowledge for the occasion, he was as much overlooked as any other physician unsupported by interestor cabal; or, at least, the notice he attracted was not at all to theadvantage of his character, because it wholly regarded the decline of hisfortune, which is a never-failing fund of disgrace. 

These mortifications did not overcome the patience and perseverance ofFathom, who foresaw, that the soothing hand of time would cast a veil ofoblivion over those scenes which were remembered to his prejudice; andthat, in the meantime, though he was excluded from the private parties ofthe fair sex, in which his main hope of success was placed, he should beable to insinuate himself into some degree of favour and practice amongthe male patients; and some lucky cure, properly displayed, might be themeans of propagating his fame, and banishing that reserve which atpresent interfered with his purpose. Accordingly, it was not long beforehe found means to break that spell of universal prejudice that hedged himin. At the ordinary which he frequented, his polite carriage, facetiousremarks, and agreeable stories soon conciliated the regard of hisfellow-guests, among whom he sometimes rallied his own transformationwith singular good-humour and success. He was even witty upon his wantof employment, and used to observe, that a physician without practicehad one comfort to which his brethren were strangers, namely, that theseldomer he had occasion to prescribe, the less he had upon hisconscience on account of being accessory to the death of hisfellow-creatures. 

Nothing so effectually blunts the shafts of ridicule, and defeats theaims of slander, as this method of anticipation. In spite of the arrowsthat were levelled against his reputation from every tea-table atTunbridge, he made his party good among almost all the gay younggentlemen that frequented the place. Far from avoiding his company, theybegan to court his conversation, and he was commonly seen in the walkssurrounded with a group of admirers. 

Having thus paved the way for a total removal of the invidiousprepossession that obstructed his views, he, one night, while everyperson was lulled in the arms of repose, and universal silence prevailed, tuned his violin, and began to play some masterly airs, in a tone souncommonly expressive, and with such ravishing dexterity of execution, that a certain lady, who lodged in the same house, being waked by themusic, and ignorant of the source from which it flowed, listened withrapture, as to the harp of an angel, and, wrapping herself in a loosegown, rose and opened her chamber door, in order to discover in whatapartment the musician resided. She no sooner entered the passage, thanshe found her fellow-lodgers already assembled on the same occasion; andthere they remained during the best part of the night, transported by theharmony which our hero produced. 

Doctor Fathom was immediately known to be the author of thisentertainment; and thus retrieved the benefit of that admiration which hehad forfeited by appearing in the shape of a physician. For, as peoplehad formerly wondered to see a count skilled in medicine, they were nowamazed to find a physician such a master in music. 

The good effects of this stratagem were almost instantaneous. Hisperformance became the topic of discourse among all the fashionablecompany. His male friends complimented him from the information of theother sex; and that lady whom he had regaled, instead of that shyness anddisdain with which she used to receive his salutation, at their very nextmeeting in the thoroughfare, returned his bow with marks of profoundrespect. Nay, at midnight, she, with the rest, took post in the sameplace where they had been stationed before; and, by frequent tittering, and repeated whispers, gave intimation to Fathom, that they would be gladof a second serenade. But he was too well acquainted with the humanpassions to indulge this their desire. It was his interest to inflametheir impatience, rather than to gratify their expectation; and thereforehe tantalised them for some hours, by tuning his violin, and playing someflourishes, which, however, produced nothing to fulfil their wishes. 

At the ordinary, he was accosted by a gentleman, a lodger in the samehouse, who assured him, that the ladies would take it as a great favourif he would let them know when he intended to amuse himself again withhis instrument, that they might not, by falling asleep beforehand, deprive themselves of the pleasure of hearing his music. To this messagehe replied, with an air of consequence and reserve, that, though musicwas not the art he professed, he should be always complaisant enough toentertain the ladies to the utmost of his power, when their commands weresignified to him in a manner suited to his character; but that he wouldnever put himself on the footing of an itinerate harper, whose music istolerated through the medium of a board partition. The gentleman havingreported this answer to his constituents, they empowered him to inviteDoctor Fathom to breakfast, and he was next morning introduced with theusual ceremony, and treated with uncommon regard by all the females ofthe house, assembled for his reception. 

Having thus broken the ice of their aversion in one part, so as that thebeams of his personal accomplishments had room to operate, he sooneffected a general thaw in his favour, and found himself growing oncemore into request amongst the most amiable part of the creation. Hiscompany was coveted, and his taste consulted in their balls, concerts, and private assemblies; and he recompensed the regard they paid to himwith an incessant exertion of his agreeable talents, politeness, andgood-humour. 

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

TRIUMPHS OVER A MEDICAL RIVAL. 

Yet, in the midst of all this attention, his medical capacity seemed tobe quite forgot. They respected his good breeding, were charmed with hisvoice, and admired the fine touches of his hand upon the violin; but incultivating the fiddler, they utterly neglected the physician; and invain did he attempt to divide their regard, by taking all opportunitiesto turn the conversation into a more interesting channel. It was tolittle purpose he endeavoured to arouse the wonder of his audience withfrequent descriptions of portentous maladies and amazing cures he hadseen and performed in the course of his study and practice abroad; and tono effect did he publicly busy himself in making experiments on themineral water, in which he pretended to have made several new andimportant discoveries. These efforts did not make a lasting impressionupon the minds of the company; because they saw nothing surprising in aphysician's being acquainted with all the mysteries of his art; and, astheir custom was already bespoke for others of the profession, whom itwas their interest to employ, our adventurer might have starved amidstthe caresses of his acquaintance, had not he derived considerableadvantage from a lucky accident in the course of his expectancy. 

A gentlewoman's daughter, of a weakly constitution, by drinking thewaters, had so far recovered her health and complexion, as to allure theaffection of a young squire in the neighbourhood, who amused her for sometime with his addresses, until his heart was seduced by the charms ofanother young lady lately arrived at the wells. The forsaken nymph, shocked at this disgrace and mortification, relapsed into her formerlanguishing disorder; and was by her mother put under the management andprescription of a physician, who had been an industrious enemy of Fathomfrom his first appearance at Tunbridge. The patient, though violentlychagrined at the levity of her quondam admirer, was not altogetherwithout hope, that the very same inconstancy which had prompted him toleave her, might in time induce him to return, after the novelty of hisnew passion should be wore off; and this hope served to support her underthe sorrow and disgrace of her disappointment. At length, however, thesquire and his new mistress disappeared; and some busybody was officiousenough to communicate this piece of news to the forlorn shepherdess, withthis additional circumstance, that they were gone to a neighbouringparish to be joined in the bands of wedlock. 

These fatal tidings were no sooner imparted to the abandoned Phillis, than she was seized with an hysteric fit; and, what rendered the accidentmore unfortunate, her physician had been called to the country, and wasnot expected at Tunbridge till next day. The apothecary was immediatelysummoned; and, being either puzzled by the symptoms, or afraid ofencroaching upon the province of his superiors, advised the old lady tosend for Doctor Fathom without delay. She had no other objection to thisexpedient, but the enmity which she knew subsisted between the twoleeches; yet, hearing that her own doctor would not consult with Fathomupon his return but, perhaps renounce the patient, by which means herdaughter's health might be endangered, she would not solicit our hero'sassistance, until the young lady had remained seven hours speechless andinsensible; when, her fear prevailing over every other consideration, sheimplored the advice of our adventurer, who, having made the necessaryinterrogations, and felt the patient's pulse, which was regular anddistinct, found reason to conclude that the fit would not last muchlonger, and, after having observed that she was in a very dangerous way, prescribed some medicines for external application; and, to enhance theiropinion of his diligence and humanity, resolved to stay in the room andobserve their effect. 

His judgment did not fail him on this occasion. In less than half anhour after his embrocations had been applied, she recovered the use ofher tongue, opened her eyes, and having, in delirious exclamations, upbraided her perfidious lover, became quite sensible and composed, though she continued extremely low and dejected. To remedy thesesinkings, certain cordials were immediately administered, according tothe prescription of Doctor Fathom, upon whom extraordinary encomiums werebestowed by all present, who believed he had actually rescued her fromthe jaws of death; and as he was by this time let into the secrets of thefamily, he found himself in a fair way of being an egregious favourite ofthe old gentlewoman; when, unluckily, his brother, having dismissed hiscountry patient with uncommon despatch, entered the apartment, and eyedhis rival with looks of inexpressible rage; then, surveying the patient, and the phials that stood upon the table, by turns, "What, in the name ofGod!" cried he, "is the meaning of all this trash!"

"Really, doctor, " replied the mother, a little confounded at being thustaken by surprise, "Biddy has been taken dangerously ill, and lain sevenor eight hours in a severe fit, from which I am confident she would neverhave recovered without the help of a physician; and as you were absent, we had recourse to this gentleman, whose prescription hath had a happyand surprising effect. " "Effect!" cried this offended member of thefaculty, "pshaw!--stuff!--who made you judge of effects or causes?" Thenadvancing to the patient, "What has been the matter, Miss Biddy, that youcould not wait till my return?"

Here Fathom interposing, "Sir, " said he, "if you will step into the nextroom, I will communicate my sentiments of the case, together with themethod upon which I have proceeded, that we may deliberate upon the nextstep that is to be taken. " Instead of complying with this proposal, heseated himself in a chair, with his back to our adventurer, and, while heexamined Miss Biddy's pulse, gave him to understand, that he should notconsult with him about the matter. 

Fathom, not in the least disconcerted at this uncivil answer, walkedround his antagonist, and, placing himself in his front, desired to knowhis reason for treating him with such supercilious contempt. "I amresolved, " said the other, "never to consult with any physician who hasnot taken his degrees at either of the English universities. " "Upon thesupposition, " replied our adventurer, "that no person can be properlyeducated for the profession at any other school. " "You are in theright, " answered Doctor Looby; "that is one of many reasons I have todecline the consultation. "

"How far you are in the right, " retorted Fathom, "I leave the world tojudge, after I have observed, that, in your English universities, thereis no opportunity of studying the art; no, not so much as a lecture givenon the subject. Nor is there one physician of note in this kingdom whohas not derived the greatest part of his medical knowledge from theinstructions of foreigners. "

Looby, incensed at this asseveration, which he was not prepared torefute, exclaimed, in a most infuriate accent, "Who are you?--whence cameyou?--where was you bred? You are one of those, I believe, who graduatethemselves, and commence doctors, the Lord knows how; an interloper, who, without licence or authority, comes hither to take the bread out of themouths of gentlemen who have been trained to the business in a regularmanner, and bestowed great pains and expense to qualify themselves forthe profession. For my own part, my education cost me fifteen hundredpounds. "

"Never was money laid out to less purpose, " said Ferdinand; "for it doesnot appear that you have learned so much as the basis of medicalrequirements, namely, that decorum and urbanity which ought todistinguish the deportment of every physician. You have even debased thenoblest and most beneficial art that ever engaged the study of mankind, which cannot be too much cultivated, and too little restrained, inseeking to limit the practice of it to a set of narrow-minded, illiberalwretches, who, like the lowest handicraftsmen, claim the exclusiveprivileges of a corporation. Had you doubted my ability, you ought tohave satisfied yourself in a manner consistent with decency and candour;but your behaviour on this occasion is such a malicious outrage upon goodmanners and humanity, that, were it not for my regard to these ladies, Iwould chastise you for your insolence on the spot. Meanwhile, madam, "addressing himself to the mother, "you must give me leave to insist uponyour dismissing either that gentleman, or me, without hesitation. "

This peremptory language had an instantaneous effect upon the hearers. Looby's face grew pale, and his nether lip began to tremble. The patientwas dismayed, and the old gentlewoman concerned and perplexed. Sheearnestly besought the gentlemen to be reconciled to each other, andenter into a friendly consultation upon her daughter's distemper; but, finding both equally averse to accommodation, and Fathom becoming moreand more importunate in his demand, she presented him with a double fee;and giving him to understand that Doctor Looby had long attended thefamily, and was intimately acquainted with her own and Biddy'sconstitution, said, she hoped he would not take it amiss if she retainedher old physician. 

Though our hero was much mortified at this triumph of his rival, he madea virtue of necessity, and retired with great complaisance, wishing thatMiss Biddy might never again be the subject of such a disagreeabledispute. Whether the patient was frighted at this altercation, ordispleased with her mother's decision against an agreeable young fellow, who had, as it were, recalled her from the grave, and made himself masterof the secret that rankled at her heart, or the disease had wound up hernerves for another paroxysm, certain it is, she all of a sudden brokeforth into a violent peal of laughter, which was succeeded by the mostdoleful cries, and other expressions of grief; then she relapsed into afit, attended with strong convulsions, to the unspeakable terror of theold gentlewoman, who entreated Doctor Looby to be expeditious in hisprescription. Accordingly he seized the pen with great confidence, and awhole magazine of antihysteric medicines were, in different forms, externally and internally applied. 

Nevertheless, either nature was disturbed in her own efforts by theseapplications, or the patient was resolved to disgrace the doctor. Forthe more remedies that were administered, her convulsions became the moreviolent; and in spite of all his endeavours, he could not overcome theobstinacy of the distemper. Such a miscarriage, upon the back of hisrival's success, could not fail to overwhelm him with confusion;especially as the mother baited him with repeated entreaties to dosomething for the recovery of her daughter. At length, after havingexercised her patience in vain for several hours, this affectionateparent could no longer suppress the suggestions of her concern, but, inan incoherent strain, told him that her duty would not suffer her to belonger silent in an affair on which depended the life of her dear child. That she had seen enough to believe he had mistaken the case of poorBiddy, and he could not justly blame her for recalling Doctor Fathom, whose prescription had operated in a miraculous manner. 

Looby, shocked at this proposal, protested against it with greatvehemence, as an expedient highly injurious to himself. "My remedies, "said he, "are just beginning to take effect, and, in all probability, thefit will not last much longer; so that, by calling in another person atthis juncture, you will defraud me of that credit which is my due, anddeck my adversary with trophies to which he has no pretension. " She wasprevailed upon, by this remonstrance, to wait another half hour, whenperceiving, as yet, no alteration for the better, and being distractedwith her fears, which reproached her with want of natural affection, shesent a message to Doctor Fathom, desiring to see him with all possibledespatch. 

He was not slow in obeying the call, but hastening to the scene ofaction, was not a little surprised to find Looby still in the apartment. This gentleman, since better might not be, resolved to sacrifice hispride to his interest, and, rather than lose his patient altogether, andrun the risk of forfeiting his reputation at the same time, stayed withintention to compromise his difference with Fathom, that he might not bewholly excluded from the honour of the cure, in case it could beeffected. But he had reckoned without his host in his calculation of theCount's placability; for, when he put on his capitulating face, and, after a slight apology for his late behaviour, proposed that allanimosity should subside in favour of the young lady, whose life was atstake, our hero rejected his advances with infinite disdain, and assuredthe mother, in a very solemn tone, that, far from consulting with a manwho had treated him so unworthily, he would not stay another minute inthe house, unless he should see him discarded; a satisfaction barelysufficient to atone for the affront he himself had suffered by the unjustpreference she had before given to his rival. 

There was no remedy. Looby was obliged to retreat in his turn; then ouradventurer, approaching the bedside, reconnoitred the patient, examinedthe medicines which had been administered, and lifting up his eyes inexpressive silence, detached the footman with a new order to theapothecary. It was well the messenger used expedition, otherwise DoctorFathom would have been anticipated by the operation of nature; for, thefit having almost run its career, Miss Biddy was on the point ofretrieving her senses, when the frontal prescribed by Fathom was applied;to the efficacy of this, therefore, was ascribed her recovery, when sheopened her eyes, and began to pour forth unconnected ejaculations; and ina few moments after, she was persuaded to swallow a draught prepared forthe purpose, her perception returned, and Ferdinand gained the reputationof having performed a second miracle. 

But he was furnished with a piece of intelligence, of much more energythan all she had taken, and so soon as he concluded she was capable tobear the news without any dangerous emotion, he, among other articles ofchit-chat culled for her amusement, took the opportunity of telling thecompany, that Squire Stub (the cause of Miss Biddy's disorder) had, inhis way to matrimony, been robbed of his bride, by a gentleman to whomshe had been formerly engaged. He had waited for her on purpose at aninn on the road, where he found means to appease her displeasure, whichhe had, it seems, incurred, and to supersede her new lover, whom shequitted without ceremony; upon which the squire had returned toTunbridge, cursing her levity, yet blessing his good stars for having soseasonably prevented his ruin, which would have infallibly been theconsequence of his marrying such an adventurer. 

It would be superfluous to observe, that these tidings operated like anadmirable specific on the spirits of the young lady, who, while sheaffected to pity the squire, was so much overjoyed at his disappointment, that her eyes began to sparkle with uncommon vivacity, and in less thantwo hours after the last of those terrible attacks, she was restored to abetter state of health than she had enjoyed for many weeks. Fathom wasnot forgot amidst the rejoicings of the family. Besides an handsomegratuity for the effects of his extraordinary skill, the old ladyfavoured him with a general invitation to her house, and the daughter notonly considered him as the restorer of her health, and angel of her goodfortune, but also began to discover an uncommon relish for hisconversation; so that he was struck with the prospect of succeedingSquire Stub in her affection. A conquest which, if sanctioned by theapprobation of the mother, would console him for all the disappointmentshe had sustained; for Miss Biddy was entitled to a fortune of tenthousand pounds, provided she should marry with the consent of herparent, who was the sole executrix of the father's will. 

Animated with the hope of such an advantageous match, our adventurermissed no opportunity of improving the lodgment he had made, while thetwo ladies failed not to extol his medical capacity among all theirfemale acquaintances. By means of this circulation, his advice wasdemanded in several other cases, which he managed with such an imposingair of sagacity and importance, that his fame began to spread, and beforethe end of the season, he had ravished more than one half of the businessfrom his competitor. Notwithstanding these fortunate events, he foresaw, that he should find great difficulty in transplanting his reputation, soas to take root in London, which was the only soil in which he couldpropose to rise to any degree of prosperity and independence; and thisreflection was grounded upon a maxim which universally prevails among theEnglish people, namely, to overlook and wholly neglect, on their returnto the metropolis, all the connexions they may have chanced to acquireduring their residence at any of the medical wells. And this socialdisposition is so scrupulously maintained, that two persons who livedin the most intimate correspondence at Bath or Tunbridge, shall infour-and-twenty hours so totally forget their friendship, as to meet inSt. James's Park, without betraying the least token of recognition; sothat one would imagine these mineral waters were so many streams issuingfrom the river Lethe, so famed of old for washing away all traces ofmemory and recollection. 

Aware of this oblivious principle, Doctor Fathom collected all hisqualifications, in order to make such an impression upon the heart ofMiss Biddy, as would resist all her endeavours to shake him from herremembrance; and his efforts succeeded so well, that Squire Stub'sadvances to a reconciliation were treated with manifest indifference. Inall probability our hero would have made a very advantageous campaign, had not his good fortune been retarded by an obstruction, which, as hedid not perceive it, he could not possibly surmount. In displaying hisaccomplishments to captivate the daughter, he had unwittingly made anabsolute conquest of the mother, who superintended the conduct of MissBiddy with such jealous vigilance, that he could find no opportunity ofprofiting by the progress he had made in her heart; for the carefulmatron would never lose sight of her, no, not for one moment. 

Had the old lady given the least intimation to our adventurer, of thesentiments she entertained in his behalf, his complaisance was of such apliable texture, that he would have quitted his other pursuit, and madeher the sole object of his attention. But she either depended upon theeffect of his own good taste and discernment, or was too proud todisclose a passion which he had hitherto overlooked. 

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

REPAIRS TO THE METROPOLIS, AND ENROLS HIMSELF AMONG THE SONS OF PAEAN. 

Before this affair could be brought to a proper explanation, the seasonbeing almost ended, the ladies departed from Tunbridge, and in a littletime Doctor Fathom followed them to London, having previously obtainedpermission to visit them in that metropolis. He had solicited the samefavour of some other families, in which he hoped to take root, though heknew they were pre-engaged to different physicians; and resolving to makehis first medical appearance in London with some eclat, he not onlypurchased an old chariot, which was new painted for the purpose, butlikewise hired a footman, whom he clothed in laced livery, in order todistinguish himself from the common run of his brethren. 

This equipage, though much more expensive than his finances could bear, he found absolutely necessary to give him a chance for employment; asevery shabby retainer to physic, in this capital, had provided himselfwith a vehicle, which was altogether used by way of a travellingsign-post, to draw in customers; so that a walking physician wasconsidered as an obscure pedlar, trudging from street to street, withhis pack of knowledge on his shoulders, and selling his remnants ofadvice by retail. A chariot was not now set up for the convenience of aman sinking under the fatigue of extensive practice, but as a piece offurniture every way as necessary as a large periwig with three tails; anda physician, let his merit, in other respects, be never so conspicuous, can no more expect to become considerable in business, without theassistance of this implement, than he can hope to live without food, orbreathe without a windpipe. 

This requisite is so well understood, that, exclusive of those whoprofess themselves doctors, every raw surgeon, every idle apothecary, whocan make interest with some foolhardy coachmaker, may be seen dancing thebays in all places of public resort, and grinning to one another fromtheir respective carriages. Hence proceed many of those cruel accidentswhich are recorded in the daily papers. An apothecary's horses takefright, and run away with his chariot, which is heard of no more. Aneminent surgeon being overturned, is so terrified at the thoughts ofmutilation, that he resolves to walk on foot all the days of his life;and the coachman of a physician of great practice, having the misfortuneto be disabled by a fall from the box, his master can never find anotherto supply his place. 

None of these observations escaped the penetrating eye of Fathom, who, before he pretended to seat himself in this machine, had made properinquiry into all the other methods practised, with a view to keep thewheels in motion. In his researches, he found that the great world waswholly engrossed by a few practitioners who had arrived at the summit ofreputation, consequently were no longer obliged to cultivate those artsby which they rose; and that the rest of the business was parcelled outinto small enclosures, occupied by different groups of personages, maleand female, who stood in rings, and tossed the ball from one to another, there being in each department two sets, the individuals of whichrelieved one another occasionally. Every knot was composed of awaiting-woman, nurse, apothecary, surgeon, and physician, and sometimesa midwife was admitted into the party; and in this manner the farce wascommonly performed. 

A fine lady, fatigued with idleness, complains of the vapours, isdeprived of her rest, though not so sick as to have recourse to medicine. Her favourite maid, tired with giving her attendance in the night, thinksproper, for the benefit of her own repose, to complain of a violentheadache, and recommends to her mistress a nurse of approved tendernessand discretion; at whose house, in all likelihood, the said chambermaidhath oft given the rendezvous to a male friend. The nurse, well skilledin the mysteries of her occupation, persuades the patient, that hermalady, far from being slight or chimerical, may proceed to a verydangerous degree of the hysterical affection, unless it be nipt in thebud by some very effectual remedy. Then she recounts a surprising cureperformed by a certain apothecary, and appeals to the testimony of thewaiting-woman, who being the gossip of his wife, confirms the evidence, and corroborates the proposal. The apothecary being summoned, finds herladyship in such a delicate situation, that he declines prescribing, andadvises her to send for a physician without delay. The nomination ofcourse falls to him, and the doctor being called, declares the necessityof immediate venesection, which is accordingly performed by a surgeon ofthe association. 

This is one way of beginning the game. Though the commencement oftenvaries, and sometimes the apothecary and sometimes the physician opensthe scene; but, be that as it will, they always appear in a string, likea flight of wild geese, and each confederacy maintains a correspondencewith one particular undertaker. Fathom, upon these considerations, setup his rest in the first floor of an apothecary in the neighbourhood ofCharing Cross, to whom he was introduced by a letter from a friend atTunbridge, and who being made acquainted with his ability and scheme, promised to let slip no opportunity of serving him; and, indeed, seemedto espouse his interest with great alacrity. He introduced him to someof his patients, on the strength of a gratis visit, sounded forth hispraise among all the good women of his acquaintance; and even prevailedupon him to publish advertisements, importing that he would every day, ata certain time and place, give his advice to the poor for nothing; hopingthat, by means of some lucky cure, his fame might be extended, and hispractice grow into request. 

In the meantime his chariot rolled along through all the most frequentedstreets, during the whole forenoon, and, at the usual hour, he neverfailed to make his appearance at the medical coffee-house, with all thatsolemnity of feature and address, by which the modern sons of Paean aredistinguished; not but that he was often puzzled about the decision ofhis diurnal route. For the method of driving up one street and downanother, without halting, was become such a stale expedient, that thevery 'prentices used to stand at the shop doors, and ridicule the vainparade. At length, however, he perused the map of London with greatdiligence, and, having acquired a distinct idea of its topography, usedto alight at the end of long narrow thoroughfares and paved courts, wherethe chariot was ordered to wait till his return; and, walking with greatgravity through the different turnings of these alleys, regain hiscarriage by another passage, and resume his seat with an air of vastimportance. With a view to protract the time of his supposed visits, he would, at one place, turn aside to a wall; at another, cheapen anurinal; at a third corner, read a quack advertisement, or lounge a fewminutes in some bookseller's shop; and, lastly, glide into some obscurecoffee-house, and treat himself with a dram of usquebaugh. 

The other means used to force a trade, such as ordering himself to becalled from church, alarming the neighbourhood with knocking at his doorin the night, receiving sudden messages in places of resort, andinserting his cures by way of news in the daily papers, had been soinjudiciously hackneyed by every desperate sculler in physic, that theyhad lost their effect upon the public, and therefore were excluded fromthe plan of our adventurer, whose scheme, for the present, was to exerthimself in winning the favour of those sage Sibyls, who keep, as it were, the temple of medicine, and admit the young priest to the service of thealtar; but this he considered as a temporary project only, until heshould have acquired interest enough to erect an hospital, lock, orinfirmary, by the voluntary subscription of his friends, a scheme whichhad succeeded to a miracle with many of the profession, who had raisedthemselves into notice upon the carcases of the poor. 

Yet even this branch was already overstocked, insomuch that almost everystreet was furnished with one of these charitable receptacles, which, instead of diminishing the taxes for the maintenance of the poor, encouraged the vulgar to be idle and dissolute, by opening an asylum tothem and their families, from the diseases of poverty and intemperance. For it remains to be proved, that the parish rates are decreased, thebills of mortality lessened, the people more numerous, or the streetsless infested with beggars, notwithstanding the immense sums yearlygranted by individuals for the relief of the indigent. 

But, waiving these reflections, Doctor Fathom hoped, that his landlordwould be a most useful implement for extending his influence, and, forthat reason, admitted him into a degree of partnership, after being fullyconvinced that he was not under articles to any other physician. Nevertheless, he was very much mistaken in reckoning on the importance ofhis new ally, who was, like himself, a needy adventurer, settled uponcredit, and altogether unemployed, except among the very refuse of thepeople, whom no other person would take the trouble to attend. So thatour hero got little else than experience and trouble, excepting a fewguineas which he made shift to glean among sojourners, with whom hebecame occasionally acquainted, or young people, who had been unfortunatein their amours. 

In the midst of these endeavours, he did not omit his duty to the oldgentlewoman, whose daughter he had cured at Tunbridge; and was alwaysreceived with particular complacency, which, perhaps, he, in somemeasure, owed to his genteel equipage, that gave credit to every doorbefore which it was seen; yet, Miss Biddy was as inaccessible as ever, while the mother became more and more warm in her civilities, till atlength, after having prepared him with some extraordinary compliments, she gave him to understand, that Biddy was no better than a giddy-headedgirl, far from being unexceptionable in her moral character, andparticularly deficient in duty and gratitude to her, who had been alwaysa tender and indulgent parent; she was therefore determined to punish theyoung minx for her levity and want of natural affection, by altering herown condition, could she find a worthy and agreeable man, on whom shecould bestow her hand and fortune without a blush. 

The film was instantly removed from Fathom's eyes by this declaration, which she uttered with such a significancy of look, as thrilled to hissoul with joyful presage, while he replied, it would, indeed, be adifficult task to find a man who merited such happiness and honour; but, surely, some there were, who would task their faculties to the uttermost, in manifesting their gratitude, and desire of rendering themselves worthyof such distinction. Though this answer was pronounced in such a manneras gave her to understand he had taken the hint, she would not cheapenher condescension so much as to explain herself further at that juncture, and he was very well contented to woo her on her own terms; accordinglyhe began to season his behaviour with a spice of gallantry, when he hadopportunities of being particular with this new inamorata, and, inproportion to the returns she made, he gradually detached himself fromMiss Biddy, by intermitting, and, at last, discontinuing those ardentexpressions of love and admiration, which he had made shift to convey inprivate looks and stolen whispers, during the rancorous inspection of hermother. 

Such alteration could not long escape the jealous eyes of the young lady, no more than the cause of this alienation, which, in a moment, convertedall her love into irreconcilable hate, and filled her whole soul with themost eager desire of vengeance. For she now not only considered him as amercenary wretch, who had slighted her attractions for the sordidgratifications of avarice, but also as an interloper, who wanted tointercept her fortune, in the odious character of a father-in-law. But, before she could bring her aim to any ripeness of contrivance, hermother, having caught cold at church, was seized with a rheumatic fever, became delirious in less than three days, and, notwithstanding all theprescriptions and care of her admirer, gave up the ghost, without havingretrieved the use of her senses, or been able to manifest, by will, thesentiments she entertained in favour of her physician, who, as the readerwill easily perceive, had more reasons than one to be mortally chagrinedat this event. 

Miss Biddy being thus put in possession of the whole inheritance, notonly renounced all correspondence with Doctor Fathom, by forbidding himthe house, but likewise took all opportunities of prejudicing hischaracter, by hinting, that her dear mamma had fallen a sacrifice to hisignorance and presumption. 

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

ACQUIRES EMPLOYMENT IN CONSEQUENCE OF A LUCKY MISCARRIAGE. 

These ill offices, however, far from answering her purpose, had a quitecontrary effect. For, in consequence of her invectives, he was, in a fewdays, called to the wife of a merchant, who piously hoped, that hispractice would not give Miss Biddy the lie. The patient had longlingered under a complication of distempers, and being in no immediatedanger of her life, Doctor Fathom was in no hurry to strike a decisivestroke; till the husband growing impatient of delay, and so explicit inhis hints, that it was impossible to misapprehend his meaning, ouradventurer resolved to do something effectual for his satisfaction, andprescribed a medicine of such rough operation, as he thought must eitheroblige his employer, or produce a change in the lady's constitution, thatwould make a noise in the world, and bring a new accession to his fame. 

Proceeding upon these maxims, he could not be disappointed. The remedyplayed its part with such violence, as reduced the patient to extremity, and the merchant had actually bespoke an undertaker; when, after a seriesof swoonings and convulsions, nature so far prevailed, as to expel, atonce, the prescription and the disease; yet the good-natured husband wasso much affected with the agonies to which he saw the wife of his bosomexposed by this specific, that, although the effect of it was her perfectrecovery, he could never bear the sight of Fathom for the future, noreven hear his name mentioned, without giving signs of horror andindignation. Nay, he did not scruple to affirm, that, had our adventurerbeen endowed with the least tincture of humanity, he would have sufferedthe poor woman to depart in peace, rather than restore her to health, atthe expense of such anxiety and torture. 

On the other hand, this extraordinary cure was blazoned abroad by thegood lady and her gossips, with such exaggerations as roused theastonishment of the public, and concurred with the report of his lastmiscarriage to bring him upon the carpet, as the universal subject ofdiscourse. When a physician becomes the town talk, he generallyconcludes his business more than half done, even though his fame shouldwholly turn upon his malpractice; insomuch that some members of thefaculty have been heard to complain, that they never had the good fortuneto be publicly accused of homicide; and it is well known, that a certainfamous empiric, of our day, never flourished to any degree of wealth andreputation till after he had been attacked in print, and fairly convictedof having destroyed a good number of the human species. Success raisedupon such a foundation would, by a disciple of Plato, and some modernmoralists, be ascribed to the innate virtue and generosity of the humanheart, which naturally espouses the cause that needs protection. But I, whose notions of human excellence are not quite so sublime, am apt tobelieve it is owing to that spirit of self-conceit and contradiction, which is, at least, as universal, if not as natural, as the moral senseso warmly contended for by those ideal philosophers. 

The most infamous wretch often finds his account in these principles ofmalevolence and self-love. For wheresoever his character falls underdiscussion there is generally some person present, who, either from anaffectation of singularity, or envy to the accusers, undertakes hisdefence, and endeavours to invalidate the articles of his impeachment, until he is heated by altercation, and hurried into more effectualmeasures for his advantage. If such benefits accrue to those who have noreal merit to depend upon, surely our hero could not but reap somethingextraordinary from the debates to which he now gave rise; as, by themiraculous cure he had affected, all his patient's friends, all theenemies of her husband, all those who envied his other adversary, wereinterested in his behalf, exclusive of such admirers as surprise andcuriosity might engage in his cause. 

Thus wafted upon the wings of applause, his fame soon diffused itselfinto all the corners of this great capital. The newspapers teemed withhis praise; and in order to keep up the attention of the public, hisemissaries, male and female, separated into different coffee-houses, companies, and clubs, where they did not fail to comment upon thesearticles of intelligence. Such a favourable incident is, of itself, sufficient to float the bark of a man's fortune. He was, in a few days, called to another lady, labouring under the same disorder he had sosuccessfully dispelled, and she thought herself benefited by his advice. His acquaintance naturally extended itself among the visitants and alliesof his patients; he was recommended from family to family; the fees beganto multiply; a variety of footmen appeared every day at his door; hediscontinued his sham circuit, and looking upon the present conjuncture, as that tide in his affairs, which, according to Shakespeare, when takenat the full, leads on to fortune, he resolved that the opportunity shouldnot be lost, and applied himself with such assiduity to his practice, that, in all likelihood, he would have carried the palm from all hiscontemporaries, had he not split upon the same rock which had shipwreckedhis hopes before. 

We have formerly descanted upon that venereal appetite which glowed inthe constitution of our adventurer, and with all his philosophy andcaution could hardly keep within bounds. The reader, therefore, will notbe much surprised to learn, that, in the exercise of his profession, hecontracted an intimacy with a clergyman's wife, whom he attended as aphysician, and whose conjugal virtue he subdued by a long and diligentexertion of his delusive arts, while her mind was enervated by sickness, and her husband abroad upon his necessary occasions. This unhappypatient, who was a woman of an agreeable person and lively conversation, fell a sacrifice to her own security and self-conceit; her want of healthhad confined her to a sedentary life, and her imagination being activeand restless, she had spent those hours in reading which other youngwomen devote to company and diversion, but, as her studies were notsuperintended by any person of taste, she had indulged her own fancywithout method or propriety. The Spectator taught her to be a critic andphilosopher; from plays she learned poetry and wit, and derived herknowledge of life from books of history and adventures. Fraught withthese acquisitions, and furnished by nature with uncommon vivacity, shedespised her own sex, and courted the society of men, among whom shethought her talents might be more honourably displayed, fully confidentof her own virtue and sagacity, which enabled her to set all their artsat defiance. 

Thus qualified, she, in an evil hour, had recourse to the advice of ouradventurer, for some ailment under which she had long laboured, and foundsuch relief from his skill as very much prepossessed her in his favour. She was no less pleased with his obliging manners than with his physic, and found much entertainment in his conversation, so that theacquaintance proceeded to a degree of intimacy, during which he perceivedher weak side, and being enamoured of her person, flattered her out ofall her caution. The privilege of his character furnished him withopportunities to lay snares for her virtue, and, taking advantage of thatlistlessness, languor, and indolence of the spirits, by which all thevigilance of the soul is relaxed, he, after a long course of attentionand perseverance, found means to make shipwreck of her peace. 

Though he mastered her chastity, he could not quiet her conscience, whichincessantly upbraided her with breach of the marriage vow; nor did herundoer escape without a share of the reproaches suggested by herpenitence and remorse. This internal anxiety co-operating with herdisease, and perhaps with the medicines he prescribed, reduced her to thebrink of the grave; when her husband returned from a neighbouringkingdom, in consequence of her earnest request, joined to the informationof her friends, who had written to him an account of the extremity inwhich she was. The good man was afflicted beyond measure when he sawhimself upon the verge of losing a wife whom he had always tenderlyloved; but what were his emotions, when she, taking the first opportunityof his being alone with her, accosted him to this effect:

"I am now hastening towards that dissolution from which no mortal isexempted, and though the prospect of futurity is altogether clouded anduncertain, my conscience will not allow me to plunge into eternitywithout unburdening my mind, and, by an ingenuous confession, making allthe atonement in my power for the ingratitude I have been guilty of, andthe wrongs I have committed against a virtuous husband, who never gave mecause of complaint. You stand amazed at this preamble, but alas! howwill you be shocked when I own that I have betrayed you in your absence, that I have trespassed against God and my marriage vow, and fallen fromthe pride and confidence of virtue to the most abject state of vice; yes, I have been unfaithful to your bed, having fallen a victim to theinfernal insinuations of a villain, who took advantage of my weak andunguarded moments. Fathom is the wretch who hath thus injured yourhonour, and ruined my unsuspecting innocence. I have nothing to plead inalleviation of my crime but the most sincere contrition of heart, andthough, at any other juncture, I could not expect your forgiveness, yet, as I now touch the goal of life, I trust in your humanity and benevolencefor that pardon which will lighten the sorrows of my soul, and thoseprayers which I hope will entitle me to favour at the throne of grace. "

The poor husband was so much overwhelmed with grief and confusion at thisunexpected address that he could not recollect himself till after a pauseof several minutes, when uttering a hollow groan, "I will not, " said he, "aggravate your sufferings, by reproaching you with my wrongs, thoughyour conduct hath been but an ill return for all my tenderness andesteem. I look upon it as a trial of my Christian patience, and bear mymisfortune with resignation; meanwhile, I forgive you from my heart, andfervently pray that your repentance may be acceptable to the Father ofMercy. " So saying, he approached her bedside, and embraced her in tokenof his sincerity. Whether this generous condescension diffused such acomposure upon her spirits as tended to the ease and refreshment ofnature, which had been almost exhausted by disease and vexation, certainit is, that from this day she began to struggle with her malady insurprising efforts, and hourly gained ground, until her health was prettywell re-established. 

This recovery was so far beyond the husband's expectation, that he beganto make very serious reflections on the event, and even to wish he hadnot been quite so precipitate in pardoning the backslidings of his wife;for, though he could not withhold his compassion from a dying penitent, he did not at all relish the thoughts of cohabiting, as usual, with awife self-convicted of the violation of the matrimonial contract; hetherefore considered his declaration as no more than a provisionalpardon, to take place on condition of her immediate death, and, in alittle time, not only communicated to her his sentiments on this subject, but also separated himself from her company, secured the evidence ofher maid, who had been confidant in her amour with Fathom, andimmediately set on foot a prosecution against our adventurer, whosebehaviour to his wife he did not fail to promulgate, with all itsaggravating circumstances. By these means the doctor's name became sonotorious that every man was afraid of admitting him into his house, andevery woman ashamed of soliciting his advice. 

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

HIS ECLIPSE, AND GRADUAL DECLINATION. 

Misfortunes seldom come single; upon the back of this hue and cry heunluckily prescribed phlebotomy to a gentleman of some rank, who chancedto expire during the operation, and quarrelled with his landlord theapothecary, who charged him with having forgot the good offices he haddone him in the beginning of his career, and desired he would providehimself with another lodging. 

All these mishaps, treading upon the heels of one another, had a verymortifying effect upon his practice. At every tea-table his name wasoccasionally put to the torture, with that of the vile creature whom hehad seduced, though it was generally taken for granted by all thosefemale casuists, that she must have made the first advances, for it couldnot be supposed that any man would take much trouble in laying schemesfor the ruin of a person whose attractions were so slender, especiallyconsidering the ill state of her health, a circumstance that seldom addsto a woman's beauty or good-humour; besides, she was always a pert minx, that affected singularity, and a masculine manner of speaking, and manyof them had foreseen that she would, some time or other, bring herselfinto such a premunire. At all gossipings, where the apothecary or hiswife assisted, Fathom's pride, ingratitude, and malpractice werecanvassed; in all clubs of married men he was mentioned with marks ofabhorrence and detestation, and every medical coffee-house rung with hisreproach. Instances of his ignorance and presumption were quoted, andmany particulars feigned for the purpose of defamation, so that our herowas exactly in the situation of a horseman, who, in riding at full speedfor the plate, is thrown from the saddle in the middle of the race, andleft without sense or motion upon the plain. 

His progress, though rapid, had been so short, that he could not besupposed to have laid up store against such a day of trouble, and as hestill cherished hopes of surmounting those obstacles which had sosuddenly started up in his way, he would not resign his equipage norretrench his expenses, but appeared as usual in all public places withthat serenity and confidence of feature which he had never deposited, andmaintained his external pomp upon the little he had reserved in the daysof his prosperity, and the credit he had acquired by the punctuality ofhis former payments. Both these funds, however, failed in a very littletime, his lawsuit was a gulf that swallowed up all his ready money, andthe gleanings of his practice were scarce sufficient to answer his pocketexpenses, which now increased in proportion to the decrease of business, for, as he had more idle time, and was less admitted into privatefamilies, so he thought he had more occasion to enlarge his acquaintanceamong his own sex, who alone were able to support him in his disgracewith the other. He accordingly listed himself in several clubs, andendeavoured to monopolise the venereal branch of trade, though this wasbut an indifferent resource, for almost all his patients of this classwere such as either could not, or would not, properly recompense thephysician. 

For some time he lingered in this situation, without going upwards ordownwards, floating like a wisp of straw at the turning of the tide, until he could no longer amuse the person of whom he had hired hiscoach-horses, or postpone the other demands, which multiplied upon himevery day. Then was his chariot overturned with a hideous crash, and hisface so much wounded with the shivers of the glass, which went to piecesin the fall, that he appeared in the coffee-house with half a dozen blackpatches upon his countenance, gave a most circumstantial detail of therisk he had run, and declared, that he did not believe he should everhazard himself again in any sort of wheel carriage. 

Soon after this accident, he took an opportunity of telling his friends, in the same public place, that he had turned away his footman on accountof his drunkenness, and was resolved, for the future, to keep none butmaids in his service, because the menservants are generally impudent, lazy, debauched, or dishonest; and after all, neither so neat, handy, oragreeable as the other sex. In the rear of this resolution, he shiftedhis lodgings into a private court, being distracted with the din ofcarriages, that disturb the inhabitants who live towards the open street;and gave his acquaintance to understand, that he had a medical work uponthe anvil, which he could not finish without being indulged in silenceand tranquillity. In effect, he gradually put on the exteriors of anauthor. His watch, with an horizontal movement by Graham, which he hadoften mentioned, and shown as a very curious piece of workmanship, began, about this time, to be very much out of order, and was committed to thecare of a mender, who was in no hurry to restore it. His tie-wigdegenerated into a major; he sometimes appeared without a sword, and waseven observed in public with a second day's shirt. At last, his clothesbecame rusty; and when he walked about the streets, his head turned roundin a surprising manner, by an involuntary motion in his neck, which hehad contracted by a habit of reconnoitring the ground, that he mightavoid all dangerous or disagreeable encounters. 

Fathom, finding himself descending the hill of fortune with an acquiredgravitation, strove to catch at every twig, in order to stop or retardhis descent. He now regretted the opportunities he had neglected, ofmarrying one of several women of moderate fortune, who had made advancesto him in the zenith of his reputation; and endeavoured, by forcinghimself into a lower path of life than any he had hitherto trod, to keephimself afloat, with the portion of some tradesman's daughter, whom hemeant to espouse. While he exerted himself in this pursuit, he happened, in returning from a place about thirty miles from London, to becomeacquainted, in the stage-coach, with a young woman of a very homelyappearance, whom, from the driver's information, he understood to be theniece of a country justice, and daughter of a soap-boiler, who had livedand died in London, and left her, in her infancy, sole heiress of hiseffects, which amounted to four thousand pounds. The uncle, who was herguardian, had kept her sacred from the knowledge of the world, resolvingto effect a match betwixt her and his own son; and it was with muchdifficulty he had consented to this journey, which she had undertaken asa visit to her own mother, who had married a second husband in town. 

Fraught with these anecdotes, Fathom began to put forth his gallantry andgood-humour, and, in a word, was admitted by the lady to the privilege ofan acquaintance, in which capacity he visited her during the term of herresidence in London; and, as there was no time to be lost, declared hishonourable intentions. He had such a manifest advantage, in point ofpersonal accomplishments, over the young gentleman who was destined forher husband, that she did not disdain his proposals; and, before she setout for the country, he had made such progress in her heart, that the daywas actually fixed for their nuptials, on which he faithfully promised tocarry her off in a coach and six. How to raise money for this expeditionwas all the difficulty that remained; for, by this time, his financeswere utterly dried up, and his credit altogether exhausted. Upon a verypressing occasion, he had formerly applied himself to a certain wealthyquack, who had relieved his necessities by lending him a small sum ofmoney, in return for having communicated to him a secret medicine, whichhe affirmed to be the most admirable specific that ever was invented. The nostrum had been used, and, luckily for him, succeeded in the trial;so that the empiric, in the midst of his satisfaction, began to reflect, that this same Fathom, who pretended to be in possession of a great manyremedies, equally efficacious, would certainly become a formidable rivalto him in his business, should he ever be able to extricate himself fromhis present difficulties. 

In consequence of these suggestions, he resolved to keep our adventurer'shead under water, by maintaining him in the most abject dependence. Accordingly he had, from time to time, accommodated him with smalltrifles, which barely served to support his existence, and even for thesehad taken notes of hand, that he might have a scourge over his head, incase he should prove insolent or refractory. To this benefactor Fathomapplied for a reinforcement of twenty guineas, which he solicited withthe more confidence, as that sum would certainly enable him to repay allother obligations. The quack would advance the money upon no othercondition, than that of knowing the scheme, which being explained, hecomplied with Ferdinand's request; but, at the same time, privatelydespatched an express to the young lady's uncle, with a full account ofthe whole conspiracy; so that, when the doctor arrived at the inn, according to appointment, he was received by his worship in person, whogave him to understand, that his niece had changed her mind, and gonefifty miles farther into the country to visit a relation. This was agrievous disappointment to Fathom, who really believed his mistress hadforsaken him through mere levity and caprice, and was not undeceived tillseveral months after her marriage with her cousin, when, at an accidentalmeeting in London, she explained the story of the secret intelligence, and excused her marriage, as the effect of rigorous usage and compulsion. 

Had our hero been really enamoured of her person, he might have probablyaccomplished his wishes, notwithstanding the steps she had taken. Butthis was not the case. His passion was of a different nature, and theobject of it effectually without his reach. With regard to his appetitefor women, as it was an infirmity of his constitution, which he could notovercome, and as he was in no condition to gratify it at a great expense, he had of late chosen a housekeeper from the hundreds of Drury, and, toavoid scandal, allowed her to assume his name. As to the intimationwhich had been sent to the country justice, he immediately imputed it tothe true author, whom he marked for his vengeance accordingly; but, inthe meantime, suppressed his resentment, because he in some measuredepended upon him for subsistence. On the other hand, the quack, dreading the forwardness and plausibility of our hero, which might, onetime or other, render him independent, put a stop to those supplies, onpretence of finding them inconvenient; but, out of his friendship andgoodwill to Fathom, undertook to procure for him such letters ofrecommendation as would infallibly make his fortune in the West Indies, and even to set him out in a genteel manner for the voyage. Ferdinandperceived his drift, and thanked him for his generous offer, which hewould not fail to consider with all due deliberation; though he wasdetermined against the proposal, but obliged to temporise, that he mightnot incur the displeasure of this man, at whose mercy he lay. Meanwhilethe prosecution against him in Doctors' Commons drew near a period, andthe lawyers were clamorous for money, without which, he foresaw he shouldlose the advantage which his cause had lately acquired by the death ofhis antagonist's chief evidence; he therefore, seeing every other channelshut up, began to doubt, whether the risk of being apprehended or slainin the character of a highwayman, was not overbalanced by the prospect ofbeing acquitted of a charge which had ruined his reputation and fortune, and actually entertained thoughts of taking the air on Hounslow Heath, when he was diverted from this expedient by a very singular adventure. 

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

AFTER DIVERS UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS, HE HAS RECOURSE TO THE MATRIMONIALNOOSE. 

Chancing to meet with one of his acquaintance at a certain coffee-house, the discourse turned upon the characters of mankind, when, among otheroddities, his friend brought upon the carpet a certain old gentlewoman ofsuch a rapacious disposition, that, like a jackdaw, she never beheld anymetalline substance, without an inclination, and even an effort tosecrete it for her own use and contemplation. Nor was this infirmityoriginally produced from indigence, inasmuch as her circumstances hadbeen always affluent, and she was now possessed of a considerable sum ofmoney in the funds; notwithstanding which, the avarice of her naturetempted her to let lodgings, though few people could live under the sameroof with such an original, who, rather than be idle, had often filchedpieces of her own plate, and charged her servants with the theft, orhinted suspicion of her lodgers. Fathom, struck with the description, soon perceived how this woman's disease might be converted to hisadvantage; and after having obtained sufficient intelligence, on pretenceof satisfying his curiosity, he visited the widow, in consequence of abill at her door, and actually hired an apartment in her house, whitherhe forthwith repaired with his inamorata. 

It was not long before he perceived that his landlady's character had notbeen misrepresented. He fed her distemper with divers inconsiderabletrinkets, such as copper medals, corkscrews, odd buckles, and a paltryseal set in silver, which were, at different times, laid as baits for herinfirmity, and always conveyed away with remarkable eagerness, which heand his Dulcinea took pleasure in observing from an unsuspected place. Thus confirmed in his opinion, he, at length, took an opportunity ofexposing a metal watch that belonged to his mistress, and saw it seizedwith great satisfaction, in the absence of his helpmate, who had goneabroad on purpose. According to instruction, she soon returned, andbegan to raise a terrible clamour about the loss of her watch; upon whichshe was condoled by her landlady, who seemed to doubt the integrity ofthe maid, and even proposed that Mrs. Fathom should apply to some justiceof the peace for a warrant to search the servant's trunk. The ladythanked her for the good advice, in compliance with which she hadimmediate recourse to a magistrate, who granted a search warrant, notagainst the maid, but the mistress; and she, in a little time, returnedwith the constable at her back. 

These precautions being taken, Doctor Fathom desired a private conferencewith the old gentlewoman, in which he gave her to understand, that he hadundoubted proofs of her having secreted, not only the watch, but alsoseveral other odd things of less consequence, which he lost since hisresidence in her house. He then showed the warrant he had obtainedagainst her, and asked if she had anything to offer why the constableshould not do his duty? Inexpressible were the anguish and confusion ofthe defendant, when she found herself thus entrapped, and reflected, thatshe was on the point of being detected of felony; for she at onceconcluded, that the snare was laid for her, and knew that the officer ofjustice would certainly find the unlucky watch in one of the drawers ofher scrutoire. 

Tortured with these suggestions, afraid of public disgrace, and dreadingthe consequence of legal conviction, she fell on her knees before theinjured Fathom, and, after having imputed her crime to the temptations ofnecessity, implored his compassion, promised to restore the watch, andeverything she had taken, and begged he would dismiss the constable, thather reputation might not suffer in the eye of the world. 

Ferdinand, with a severity of countenance purposely assumed, observedthat, were she really indigent, he had charity enough to forgive what shehad done; but, as he knew her circumstances were opulent, he looked uponthis excuse as an aggravation of her guilt, which was certainly theeffect of a vicious inclination; and he was therefore determined toprosecute her with the utmost severity of the law, as an example andterror to others, who might be infected with the same evil disposition. Finding him deaf to all her tears and entreaties, she changed her note, and offered him one hundred guineas, if he would compromise the affair, and drop the prosecution, so as that her character should sustain nodamage. After much argumentation, he consented to accept of double thesum, which being instantly paid in East India bonds, Doctor Fathom toldthe constable, that the watch was found; and for once her reputation waspatched up. This seasonable supply enabled our hero to stand trial withhis adversary, who was nonsuited, and also to mend his externalappearance, which of late had not been extremely magnificent. 

Soon after this gleam of good fortune, a tradesman, to whom he wasconsiderably indebted, seeing no other probable means to recover hismoney, introduced Fathom to the acquaintance of a young widow who lodgedat his house, and was said to be in possession of a considerable fortune. Considering the steps that were taken, it would have been almostimpossible for him to miscarry in his addresses. The lady had been bredin the country, was unacquainted with the world, and of a very sanguinedisposition, which her short trial of matrimony had not served to cool. Our adventurer was instructed to call at the tradesman's house, as ifby accident, at an appointed time, when the widow was drinking tea withher landlady. On these occasions he always behaved to admiration. Sheliked his person, and praised his politeness, good-humour, and goodsense; his confederates extolled him as a prodigy of learning, taste, and good-nature; they likewise represented him as a person on the eve ofeclipsing all his competitors in physic. An acquaintance and intimacysoon ensued, nor was he restricted in point of opportunity. In a word, he succeeded in his endeavours, and, one evening, on pretence ofattending her to the play, he accompanied her to the Fleet, where theywere married, in presence of the tradesman and his wife, who were of theparty. 

This grand affair being accomplished to his satisfaction, he, next day, visited her brother, who was a counsellor of the Temple, to make himacquainted with the step his sister had taken; and though the lawyer wasnot a little mortified to find that she had made such a clandestinematch, he behaved civilly to his new brother-in-law, and gave him tounderstand, that his wife's fortune consisted of a jointure of onehundred and fifty pounds a year, and fifteen hundred pounds bequeathed toher during her widowhood, by her own father, who had taken the precautionof settling it in the hands of trustees, in such a manner as that anyhusband she might afterwards espouse should be restricted fromencroaching upon the capital, which was reserved for the benefit of herheirs. This intimation was far from being agreeable to our hero, who hadbeen informed, that this sum was absolutely at the lady's disposal, andhad actually destined the greatest part of it for the payment of hisdebts, for defraying the expense of furnishing an elegant house, andsetting up a new equipage. 

Notwithstanding this disappointment, he resolved to carry on his planupon the credit of his marriage, which was published in a very pompousarticle of the newspapers; a chariot was bespoke, a ready furnished houseimmediately taken, and Doctor Fathom began to reappear in all his formersplendour. 

His good friend the empiric, alarmed at this event, which not only raisedour adventurer into the sphere of a dangerous rival, but also furnishedhim with means to revenge the ill office he had sustained at his hands onthe adventure of the former match--for, by this time, Fathom had givenhim some hints, importing, that he was not ignorant of his treacherousbehaviour--roused, I say, by these considerations, he employed one of hisemissaries, who had some knowledge of Fathom's brother-in-law, toprejudice him against our adventurer, whom he represented as a needysharper, not only overwhelmed with debt and disgrace, but likewisepreviously married to a poor woman, who was prevented by nothing but wantfrom seeking redress at law. To confirm these assertions, he gave him adetail of Fathom's encumbrances, which he had learned for the purpose, and even brought the counsellor into company with the person who hadlived with our hero before marriage, and who was so much incensed at herabrupt dismission, that she did not scruple to corroborate theseallegations of the informer. 

The lawyer, startled at this intelligence, set on foot a minute inquiryinto the life and conversation of the doctor, which turned out so littleto the advantage of his character and circumstances, that he resolved, ifpossible, to disunite him from his family; and, as a previous step, repeated to his sister all that he had heard to the prejudice of herhusband, not forgetting to produce the evidence of his mistress, who laidclaim to him by a prior title, which, she pretended, could be proved bythe testimony of the clergyman who joined them. Such an explanationcould not fail to inflame the resentment of the injured wife, who, at thevery first opportunity, giving a loose to the impetuosity of her temper, upbraided our hero with the most bitter invectives for his perfidiousdealing. 

Ferdinand, conscious of his own innocence, which he had not always toplead, far from attempting to soothe her indignation, assumed theauthority and prerogative of a husband, and sharply reprehended her forher credulity and indecent warmth. This rebuke, instead of silencing, gave new spirit and volubility to her reproaches, in the course of whichshe plainly taxed him with want of honesty and affection, and said that, though his pretence was love, his aim was no other than a base designupon her fortune. 

Fathom, stung with these accusations, which he really did not deserve, replied with uncommon heat, and charged her in his turn with want ofsincerity and candour, in the false account she had given of that samefortune before marriage. He even magnified his own condescension, insurrendering his liberty to a woman who had so little to recommend her tothe addresses of the other sex; a reflection which provoked this mildcreature to such a degree of animosity, that, forgetting her duty andallegiance, she lent him a box on the ear with such energy as made hiseyes water; and he, for the honour of manhood and sovereignty, havingwashed her face with a dish of tea, withdrew abruptly to a coffee-housein the neighbourhood, where he had not long remained, when his passionsubsided, and he then saw the expediency of an immediate reconciliation, which he resolved to purchase, even at the expense of a submission. 

It was pity that such a salutary resolution had not been sooner taken. For, when he returned to his own house, he understood, that Mrs. Fathomhad gone abroad in a hackney-coach; and, upon examining her apartment, inlieu of her clothes and trinkets, which she had removed with admirabledexterity and despatch, he found this billet in one of the drawers of herbureau:--"Sir, being convinced that you are a cheat and an impostor, Ihave withdrawn myself from your cruelty and machinations, with a view tosolicit the protection of the law; and I doubt not but I shall soon beable to prove, that you have no just title to, or demand upon, the personor effects of the unfortunate Sarah Muddy. "

The time had been when Mr. Fathom would have allowed Mrs. Muddy to refineat her leisure, and blessed God for his happy deliverance; but at presentthe case was quite altered. Smarting as he was from the expense oflawsuits, he dreaded a prosecution for bigamy, which, though he hadjustice on his side, he knew he could not of himself support. Besides, all his other schemes of life were frustrated by this unlucky elopement. He therefore speedily determined to anticipate, as much as in him lay, the malice of his enemies, and to obtain, without delay, authenticdocuments of his marriage. With this view, he hastened to the house ofthe tradesman, who, with his wife, had been witness to the ceremony andconsummation; and, in order to interest them the more warmly in hiscause, made a pathetic recital of this unhappy breach, in which he hadsuffered such injury and insult. But all his rhetoric would not avail. Mrs. Muddy had been beforehand with him, and had proved the better oratorof the two; for she had assailed this honest couple with such tropes andfigures of eloquence, as were altogether irresistible. 

Nevertheless, they heard our hero to an end, with great patience. Thenthe wife, who was the common mouth upon all such occasions, contractingher features into a very formal disposition, "I'll assure you, " said she, "Doctor Fathom, my husband and I have been in a very great terrificationand numplush, to hear such bad things of a person, whom, as one may say, we thought a worthy gentleman, and were ready to serve at all times, byday and by night, as the saying is. And besides, for all that, you know, and God knows, as we are dustrious people, and work hard for what we get, and we have served gentlemen to our own harm, whereby my husband was lastTuesday served with a siserary, being that he was bound for an officerthat ran away. And I said to my husband, Timothy, says I, 'tis a veryhard thing for one to ruin one's self for stranger people--There's DoctorFathom, says I, his account comes to nine-and-forty pounds sevenshillings and fourpence halfpenny; and you know, doctor, that was beforeyour last bill began. But, howsomever, little did I think, as how agentleman of your learning would go to deceive a poor gentlewoman, whenyou had another wife alive. "

In vain did our adventurer endeavour to vindicate himself from thisaspersion; the good woman, like a great many modern disputants, proceededwith her declamation, without seeming to hear what was said on the otherside of the question; and the husband was altogether neutral. At length, Ferdinand, finding all his protestations ineffectual, "Well, " said he, "though you are resolved, I see, to discredit all that I can say inopposition to that scandalous slander, of which I can easily acquitmyself in a court of justice, surely you will not refuse to grant me acertificate, signifying that you were present at the ceremony of mymarriage with this unhappy woman. " "You shall excuse us, " replied thefemale orator; "people cannot be too wary in signing their names in thiswicked world; many a one has been brought to ruination by signing hisname, and my husband shall not, with my goodwill, draw himself into sucha primmineery. "

Fathom, alarmed at this refusal, earnestly argued against the inhumanityand injustice of it, appealing to their own consciences for thereasonableness of his proposal; but, from the evasive answers of thewife, he had reason to believe, that, long before the time of trial, theywould take care to have forgotten the whole transaction. 

Though he was equally confounded and incensed at this instance of theirperfidy, he durst not manifest his indignation, conscious of theadvantage they had over him in divers respects; but repaired, withoutloss of time, to the lodging of the clergyman who had noosed him, resolved to consult his register, and secure his evidence. Here too hisevil genius had got the start of him; for the worthy ecclesiastic notonly could not recollect his features, or find his name in the register, but, when importuned by his pressing remonstrances, took umbrage at thefreedom of his behaviour, and threatened, if he would not immediatelytake himself away, to raise the posse of the Fleet, for the safety of hisown person. 

Rather than put the pastor to the trouble of alarming his flock, heretreated with a heavy heart, and went in quest of his mistress, whom hehad dismissed at his marriage, in hopes of effecting a reconciliation, and preventing her from joining in the conspiracy against him. But, alas! he met with such a reception as he had reason to expect from aslighted woman, who had never felt any real attachment for his person. She did not upbraid him with his cruelty in leaving her as a mistress, but, with a species of effrontery never enough to be admired, reproachedhim with his villany, in abandoning her, who was his true and lawfulwife, to go and ruin a poor gentlewoman, by whose fortune he had beenallured. 

When he attempted to expostulate with this virago, upon the barbarity ofthis assertion, she very prudently declined engaging in privateconversation with such an artful and wicked man; and, calling up thepeople of the house, insisted upon his being conducted to the door. 

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

IN WHICH HIS FORTUNE IS EFFECTUALLY STRANGLED. 

The last resource, and that upon which he least depended, was the adviceand assistance of his old friend the empiric, with whom he stillmaintained a slight correspondence; and to whose house he steered hiscourse, in great perplexity and tribulation. That gentleman, instead ofconsoling him with assurances of friendship and protection, faithfullyrecapitulated all the instances of his indiscretion and misconduct, taxedhim with want of sincerity in the West India affair, as well as with wantof honesty in this last marriage, while his former wife was alive; and, finally, reminded him of his notes, which he desired might be immediatelytaken up, as he (the quack) had present occasion for a sum of money. 

Ferdinand, seeing it would be impracticable to derive any succour fromthis quarter, sneaked homewards, in order to hold a consultation with hisown thoughts; and the first object that presented itself to his eyes whenhe entered his apartment, was a letter from the tradesman, with hisaccount inclosed, amounting to forty-five pounds, which the writerdesired might be paid without delay. Before he had time to peruse thearticles, he received a summons, in consequence of a bill of indictmentfor bigamy, found against him in Hicks' Hall, by Sarah Muddy, widow; and, while he was revolving measures to avert these storms, another billetarrived from a certain attorney, giving him to understand, that he hadorders from Doctor Buffalo, the quack, to sue him for the payment ofseveral notes, unless he would take them up in three days from the dateof this letter. 

Such a concurrence of sinister events made a deep impression upon themind of our adventurer. All his fortitude was insufficient to bear himup against this torrent of misfortunes; his resources were all dried up, his invention failed, and his reflection began to take a new turn. "Towhat purpose, " said he to himself, "have I deserted the paths ofintegrity and truth, and exhausted a fruitful imagination, in contrivingschemes to betray my fellow-creatures, if, instead of acquiring asplendid fortune, which was my aim, I have suffered such a series ofmortifications, and at last brought myself to the brink of inevitabledestruction? By a virtuous exertion of those talents I inherit fromnature and education, I might, long before this time, have renderedmyself independent, and, perhaps, conspicuous in life. I might havegrown up like a young oak, which, being firmly rooted in its kindredsoil, gradually raises up its lofty head, expands its leafy arms, projects a noble shade, and towers the glory of the plain. I should havepaid the debt of gratitude to my benefactors, and made their hearts singwith joy for the happy effects of their benevolence. I should have beena bulwark to my friends, a shelter to my neighbours in distress. Ishould have run the race of honour, seen my fame diffused like asweet-smelling odour, and felt the ineffable pleasure of doing good. Whereas I am, after a vicissitude of disappointments, dangers, andfatigues, reduced to misery and shame, aggravated by a conscience loadedwith treachery and guilt. I have abused the confidence and generosity ofmy patron; I have defrauded his family, under the mask of sincerity andattachment; I have taken the most cruel and base advantages of virtue indistress; I have seduced unsuspecting innocence to ruin and despair; Ihave violated the most sacred trust reposed in me by my friend andbenefactor; I have betrayed his love, torn his noble heart asunder, bymeans of the most perfidious slander and false insinuations; and, finally, brought to an untimely grave the fairest pattern of human beautyand perfection. Shall the author of these crimes pass with impunity?Shall he hope to prosper in the midst of such enormous guilt? It were animputation upon Providence to suppose it! Ah, no! I begin to feel myselfovertaken by the eternal justice of Heaven! I totter on the edge ofwretchedness and woe, without one friendly hand to save me from theterrible abyss!"

These reflections, which, perhaps, the misery of his fellow-creatureswould never have inspired, had he himself remained without the verge ofmisfortune, were now produced from the sensation of his own calamities;and, for the first time, his cheeks were bedewed with the drops ofpenitence and sorrow. "Contraries, " saith Plato, "are productive of eachother. " Reformation is oftentimes generated from unsuccessful vice; andour adventurer was, at this juncture, very well disposed to turn over anew leaf in consequence of those salutary suggestions; though he was farfrom being cured beyond the possibility of a relapse. On the contrary, all the faculties of his soul were so well adapted, and had been so longhabituated to deceit, that, in order to extricate himself from the evilsthat environed him, he would not, in all probability, have scrupled topractise it upon his own father, had a convenient opportunity occurred. 

Be that as it may, he certainly, after a tedious and fruitless exerciseof his invention, resolved to effect a clandestine retreat from thatconfederacy of enemies which he could not withstand, and once more joinhis fortune to that of Renaldo, whom he proposed to serve, for thefuture, with fidelity and affection, thereby endeavouring to atone forthe treachery of his former conduct. Thus determined, he packed up hisnecessaries in a portmanteau, attempted to amuse his creditors withpromises of speedy payment, and, venturing to come forth in the dark, took a place in the Canterbury stage-coach, after having converted hissuperfluities into ready money. These steps were not taken with suchprivacy as to elude the vigilance of his adversaries; for, although hehad been cautious enough to transport himself and his baggage to the innon Sunday evening, and never doubted that the vehicle, which set out atfour o'clock on Monday morning, would convey him out of the reach of hiscreditors, before they could possibly obtain a writ for securing hisperson, they had actually taken such precautions as frustrated all hisfinesse; and the coach being stopped in the borough of Southwark, DoctorFathom was seized by virtue of a warrant obtained on a criminalindictment, and was forthwith conducted to the prison of the King'sBench; yet, not before he had, by his pathetic remonstrances, excited thecompassion, and even drawn tears from the eyes of his fellow-passengers. 

He no sooner recollected himself from the shock which must have beenoccasioned by this sinister incident, than he despatched a letter to hisbrother-in-law, the counsellor, requesting an immediate conference, inwhich he promised to make such a proposal as would save him all theexpense of a lawsuit and trial, and, at the same time, effectually answerall the purposes of both. He was accordingly favoured with a visit fromthe lawyer, to whom, after the most solemn protestations of his owninnocence, he declared, that, finding himself unable to wage war againstsuch powerful antagonists, he had resolved even to abandon hisindubitable right, and retire into another country, in order to screenhimself from persecution, and remove all cause of disquiet from theprosecutrix, when he was, unfortunately, prevented by the warrant whichhad been executed against him. He said he was still willing, for thesake of his liberty, to sign a formal renunciation of his pretensions toMrs. Fathom and her fortune, provided the deeds could be executed, andthe warrant withdrawn, before he should be detained by his othercreditors; and, lastly, he conjured the barrister to spare himself theguilt and the charge of suborning evidence for the destruction of anunhappy man, whose misfortune was his only fault. 

The lawyer felt the force of his expostulations; and though he would byno means suppose him innocent of the charge of bigamy, yet, under thepretext of humanity and commiseration, he undertook to persuade hissister to accept of a proper release, which, he observed, would not bebinding, if executed during the confinement of Fathom; he therefore tookhis leave, in order to prepare the papers, withdraw the action, and takesuch other measures as would hinder the prisoner from giving him theslip. Next day, he returned with an order to release our hero, who, being formally discharged, was conducted by the lawyer to a tavern in theneighbourhood, where the releases were exchanged, and everythingconcluded with amity and concord. This business being happilytransacted, Fathom stept into a hackney-coach, with his baggage, and wasfollowed by a bailiff, who told him, with great composure, that he wasagain a prisoner, at the suit of Doctor Buffalo, and desired the coachmanto reconduct him to the lodging he had so lately discharged. 

Fathom, whose fortitude had been hitherto of the pagan temper, was nowfain to reinforce it with the philosophy of Christian resignation, thoughhe had not as yet arrived to such a pitch of self-denial as to forgivethe counsellor, to whose double dealing he imputed this new calamity. After having received the compliments of the jailer on his recommitment, he took pen, ink, and paper, and composed an artful and affecting epistleto the empiric, imploring his mercy, flattering his weakness, anddemonstrating the bad policy of cooping up an unhappy man in a jail, where he could never have an opportunity of doing justice to hiscreditors; nor did he forget to declare his intention of retiring intoanother country, where he might have some chance of earning asubsistence, which he had so long toiled for to no purpose in England. This last declaration he made in consequence of the jealous dispositionof the quack, who he knew had long looked upon him in the odious light ofan interloping rival. However, he reaped no benefit from thissupplication, which served only to gratify the pride of Buffalo, whoproduced the extravagant encomiums which Fathom had bestowed upon him, asso many testimonials of his foe's bearing witness to his virtue. 

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

FATHOM BEING SAFELY HOUSED, THE READER IS ENTERTAINED WITH A RETROSPECT. 

But now it is high time to leave our adventurer to chew the cud ofreflection and remorse in this solitary mansion, that we may traceRenaldo in the several steps he took to assert his right, and do justiceto his family. Never man indulged a more melancholy train of ideas thanthat which accompanied him in his journey to the Imperial court. For, notwithstanding the manifold reasons he had to expect a happy issue tohis aim, his imagination was incessantly infected with something thatchilled his nerves and saddened his heart, recurring, with quicksuccession, like the unwearied wave that beats upon the bleak, inhospitable Greenland shore. This, the reader will easily suppose, wasno other than the remembrance of the forlorn Monimia, whose imageappeared to his fancy in different attitudes, according to the prevalenceof the passions which raged in his bosom. Sometimes he viewed her in thelight of apostasy, and then his soul was maddened with indignation anddespair. But these transitory blasts were not able to efface theimpressions she had formerly made upon his heart; impressions which hehad so often and so long contemplated with inconceivable rapture. Thesepictures still remained, representing her fair as the most perfect ideaof beauty, soft and tender as an angel of mercy and compassion, warmedwith every virtue of the heart, and adorned with every accomplishment ofhuman nature. Yet the alarming contrast came still in the rear of thisrecollection; so that his soul was by turns agitated by the tempests ofhorror, and overwhelmed by the floods of grief. 

He recalled the moment on which he first beheld her, with that pleasingregret which attends the memory of a dear deceased friend. Then hebitterly cursed it, as the source of all his misfortunes and affliction. He thanked Heaven for having blessed him with a friend to detect herperfidy and ingratitude; and then ardently wished he had still continuedunder the influence of her delusion. In a word, the loneliness of hissituation aggravated every horror of his reflection; for, as he foundhimself without company, his imagination was never solicited, or hisattention diverted from these subjects of woe; and he travelled toBrussels in a reverie, fraught with such torments as must have entirelywrecked his reason, had not Providence interposed in his behalf. He was, by his postillion, conducted to one of the best inns of the place, wherehe understood the cloth was already laid for supper; and as the ordinaryis open to strangers in all these houses of entertainment, he introducedhimself into the company, with a view to alleviate, in some measure, hissorrow and chagrin, by the conversation of his fellow-guests. Yet he wasso ill prepared to obtain the relief which he courted, that he enteredthe apartment, and sat down to table, without distinguishing either thenumber or countenances of those who were present, though he himself didnot long remain so unregarded. His mien and deportment produced aprepossession in his favour; and the air of affliction, so remarkable inhis visage, did not fail to attract their sympathy and observation. 

Among the rest, was an Irish officer in the Austrian service, who havingeyed Renaldo attentively, "Sir, " said he, rising, "if my eyes and memorydo not deceive me, you are the Count de Melvil, with whom I had thehonour to serve upon the Rhine during the last war. " The youth, hearinghis own name mentioned, lifted up his eyes, and at once recognising theother to be a gentleman who had been a captain in his father's regiment, ran forwards, and embraced him with great affection. 

This was, in divers respects, a fortunate rencontre for young Melvil; asthe officer was not only perfectly well acquainted with the situation ofthe Count's family, but also resolved, in a few days, to set out forVienna, whither he promised to accompany Renaldo, as soon as heunderstood his route lay the same way. Before the day fixed for theirdeparture arrived, this gentleman found means to insinuate himself so farinto the confidence of the Count, as to learn the cause of that distresswhich he had observed in his features at their first meeting; and being agentleman of uncommon vivacity, as well as sincerely attached to thefamily of Melvil, to which he had owed his promotion, he exerted all hisgood-humour and good sense in amusing the fancy, and reasoning down themortification of the afflicted Hungarian. He in particular endeavouredto wean his attention from the lost Monimia, by engaging it upon hisdomestic affairs, and upon the wrongs of his mother and sister, who, hegave him to understand, were languishing under the tyranny of hisfather-in-law. 

This was a note that effectually roused him from the lethargy of hissorrow; and the desire of taking vengeance on the oppressor, who hadruined his fortune, and made his nearest relations miserable, so entirelyengrossed his thoughts, as to leave no room for other considerations. During their journey to Austria, Major Farrel, (that was the name of hisfellow-traveller, ) informed him of many circumstances touching hisfather's house, to which himself was an utter stranger. 

"The conduct of your mother, " said he, "in marrying Count Trebasi, wasnot at all agreeable either to the friends of the Count de Melvil, or toher own relations, who knew her second husband to be a man of a violenttemper, and rapacious disposition, which the nature of his education andemployment had served rather to inflame than allay; for you well know hewas a partisan during the whole course of the late war. They were, moreover, equally surprised and chagrined, when they found she took nostep to prevent his seizing upon that inheritance which of right belongedto you, and which, by the laws of Hungary, is unalienable from the heirof blood. Nevertheless, they are now fully convinced, that she hath morethan sufficiently atoned for her indiscretion, by the barbarity of herhusband, who hath not only secluded her from all communication with herfriends and acquaintance, but even confined her to the west tower of yourfather's house, where she is said to be kept close prisoner, andsubjected to all sorts of inconvenience and mortification. This severityshe is believed to have incurred in consequence of having expostulated tohim upon his unjust behaviour to you and Mademoiselle, whom he hathactually shut up in some convent in Vienna, which your relations have notas yet been able to discover. But the memory of your noble father is sodear to all those who were favoured with his friendship, and thesufferings of the Countess and Mademoiselle have raised such a spirit ofresentment against her cruel jailor, that nothing is wanted but yourpresence to begin the prosecution, and give a sanction to the measures ofyour friends, which will in a little time restore your family to thefruition of its rights and fortune. For my own part, my dear Count, Iconsider myself as one wholly indebted to your house for the rank andexpectation I now enjoy; and my finances, interest, and person, such asthey are, I dedicate to your service. "

Renaldo was not slow in making his acknowledgments to this generousHibernian, whom he informed of his scheme, recounting to him his uncommontransaction with the benevolent Jew, and communicating the letters ofrecommendation he had received by his means to some of the first noblemenat the Imperial court. Meanwhile, he burned with impatience to chastiseCount Trebasi for his perfidious conduct to the widow and the fatherless, and would have taken the road to Presburg, without touching at Vienna, inorder to call him to a severe account, had not he been strenuouslyopposed by Major Farrel, who represented the imprudence of taking such astep before he had secured a proper protection from the consequences withwhich it might be attended. 

"It is not, " said he, "your own life and fortune only which depend uponyour behaviour in this emergency, but also the quiet and happiness ofthose who are most dear to your affection. Not you alone, but likewiseyour mother and sister, would infallibly suffer by your temerity andprecipitation. First of all, deliver your credentials at court, and letus join our endeavours to raise an interest strong enough tocounterbalance that of Trebasi. If we succeed, there will be nonecessity for having recourse to personal measures. He will be compelledto yield up your inheritance which he unjustly detains, and to restoreyour sister to your arms; and if he afterwards refuses to do justice tothe Countess, you will always have it in your power to evince yourselfthe son of the brave Count de Melvil. "

These just and salutary representations had a due effect upon Renaldo, who no sooner arrived at the capital of Austria, than he waited upon acertain prince of distinction, to whose patronage he was commended; andfrom whom he met with a very cordial reception, not only on account ofhis credentials, but also for the sake of his father, who was well knownto his highness. He heard his complaints with great patience andaffability, assured him of his assistance and protection, and evenundertook to introduce him to the empress-queen, who would not suffer theweakest of her subjects to be oppressed, much less disregard the cause ofan injured young nobleman, who, by his own services, and those of hisfamily, was peculiarly entitled to her favour. 

Nor was he the only person whose countenance and patronage Melvilsolicited upon this occasion; he visited all the friends of his father, and all his mother's relations, who were easily interested in his behalf;while Major Farrel contributed all his efforts in strengthening theassociation. So that a lawsuit was immediately commenced against CountTrebasi, who on his side was not idle, but prepared with incredibleindustry for the assault, resolving to maintain with his whole power theacquisition he had made. 

The laws of Hungary, like those of some other countries I could name, afford so many subterfuges for the purposes of perfidy and fraud, that itis no wonder our youth began to complain of the slow progress of hisaffair; especially as he glowed with the most eager desire of redressingthe grievances of his parent and sister, whose sufferings he did notdoubt were doubled since the institution of his process against theirtormentor. He imparted his sentiments on this head to his friend; and, as his apprehensions every moment increased, plainly told him he could nolonger live without making some effort to see those with whom he was sonearly connected in point of blood and affection. He therefore resolvedto repair immediately to Presburg; and, according to the intelligence heshould procure, essay to see and converse with his mother, though at thehazard of his life. 

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

RENALDO ABRIDGES THE PROCEEDINGS AT LAW, AND APPROVES HIMSELF THE SON OFHIS FATHER. 

The Major, finding him determined, insisted upon attending him in thisexpedition, and they set out together for Presburg, where they privatelyarrived in the dark, resolving to keep themselves concealed at the houseof a friend, until they should have formed some plan for their futureoperations. Here they were informed that Count Trebasi's castle wasaltogether inaccessible; that all the servants who were supposed to havethe least veneration or compassion for the Countess were dismissed; andthat, since Renaldo was known to be in Germany, the vigilance and cautionof that cruel husband was redoubled to such a degree, that nobody knewwhether his unfortunate lady was actually alive or dead. 

Farrel perceiving Melvil exceedingly affected with this intimation, andhearing him declare that he would never quit Presburg until he shouldhave entered the house, and removed his doubts on that interestingsubject, not only argued with great vehemence against such an attempt, asequally dangerous and indiscreet, but solemnly swore he would prevent hispurpose, by discovering his design to the family, unless he would promiseto listen to a more moderate and feasible expedient. He then proposedthat he himself should appear in the equipage of one of the travellingSavoyards who stroll about Europe, amusing ignorant people with theeffects of a magic lanthorn, and in that disguise endeavour to obtainadmittance from the servants of Trebasi, among whom he might make suchinquiries as would deliver Melvil from his present uneasy suspense. 

This proposal was embraced, though reluctantly, by Renaldo, who wasunwilling to expose his friend to the least danger or disgrace; and theMajor being next day provided with the habit and implements of his newprofession, together with a ragged attendant who preceded him, extortingmusic from a paltry viol, approached the castle gate, and proclaimed hisshow so naturally in a yell, partaking of the scream of Savoy and thehowl of Ireland, that one would have imagined he had been conductor toMadam Catherina from his cradle. So far his stratagem succeeded; he hadnot long stood in waiting before he was invited into the court-yard, where the servants formed a ring, and danced to the efforts of hiscompanion's skill; then he was conducted into the buttery, where heexhibited his figures on the wall, and his princess on the floor; andwhile they regaled him in this manner with scraps and sour wine, he tookoccasion to inquire about the old lady and her daughter, before whom hesaid he had performed in his last peregrination. Though this questionwas asked with all that air of simplicity which is peculiar to thesepeople, one of the domestics took the alarm, being infected with thesuspicions of his master, and plainly taxed the Major with being a spy, threatening at the same time that he should be stripped and searched. 

This would have been a very dangerous experiment for the Hibernian, whohad actually in his pocket a letter to the Countess from her son, whichhe hoped fortune might have furnished him with an opportunity to deliver. When he therefore found himself in this dilemma, he was not at all easyin his own mind. However, instead of protesting his innocence in anhumble and beseeching strain, in order to acquit himself of the charge, he resolved to elude the suspicion by provoking the wrath of his accuser, and, putting on the air of vulgar integrity affronted, began to reproachthe servant in very insolent terms for his unfair supposition, andundressed himself in a moment to the skin, threw his tattered garments inthe face of his adversary, telling him he would find nothing there whichhe would not be very glad to part with; at the same time raising hisvoice, he, in the gibberish of the clan he represented, scolded andcursed with great fluency, so that the whole house resounded with thenoise. The valet's jealousy, like a smaller fire, was in a triceswallowed up in the greater flame of his rage enkindled by this abruptaddress. In consequence of which, Farrel was kicked out at the gate, naked as he was to the waist, after his lanthorn had been broke to pieceson his head; and there he was joined by his domestic, who had not beenable to recover his apparel and effect a retreat, without incurring marksof the same sort of distinction. 

The Major, considering the risk he must have run in being detected, thought himself cheaply quit for this moderate discipline, though he wasreally concerned for his friend Renaldo, who, understanding theparticulars of the adventure, determined, as the last effort, to rideround the castle in the open day, on pretence of taking the air, when, peradventure, the Countess would see him from the place of herconfinement, and favour him with some mark or token of her being alive. 

Though his companion did not much relish this plan, which he foresawwould expose him to the insults of Trebasi, yet, as he could not contrivea better, he acquiesced in Renaldo's invention, with the proviso that hewould defer the execution of it until his father-in-law should be absentin the chase, which was a diversion he every day enjoyed. 

Accordingly they set a proper watch, and lay concealed until they wereinformed of Trebasi's having gone forth; when they mounted their horses, and rode into the neighbourhood of the castle. Having made a smallexcursion in the adjoining fields, they drew nearer the walls, and at aneasy pace had twice circled them, when Farrel descried, at the top of atower, a white handkerchief waved by a woman's hand through the iron barsthat secured the window. This signal being pointed out to Renaldo, hisheart began to throb with great violence; he made a respectful obeisancetowards the part in which it appeared, and perceiving the hand beckoninghim to approach, advanced to the very buttress of the turret; upon which, seeing something drop, he alighted with great expedition, and took up apicture of his father in miniature, the features of which he no soonerdistinguished, than the tears ran down his cheeks; he pressed the littleimage to his lips with the most filial fervour; then conveying it to hisbosom, looked up to the hand, which waved in such a manner as gave him tounderstand it was high time to retire. Being by this time highlypersuaded that his kind monitor was no other than the Countess herself, he pointed to his heart, in token of his filial affection, and laying hishand on his sword, to denote his resolution of doing her justice, he tookhis leave with another profound bow, and suffered himself to bereconducted to his lodging. 

Every circumstance of this transaction was observed by the servants ofCount Trebasi, who immediately despatched a messenger to their lord, withan account of what had happened. Alarmed at this information, from whichhe immediately concluded that the stranger was young Melvil, he forthwithquitted the chase, and returning to the castle by a private postern, ordered his horse to be kept ready saddled, in hope that his son-in-lawwould repeat the visit to his mother. This precaution would have been tono purpose, had Renaldo followed the advice of Farrel, who representedthe danger of returning to a place where the alarm was undoubtedly givenby his first appearance; and exhorted him to return to Vienna for theprosecution of his suit, now that he was satisfied of his mother's beingalive. In order to strengthen this admonition, he bade him recollect thesignal for withdrawing, which was doubtless the effect of maternalconcern, inspired by the knowledge of the Count's vigilance andvindictive disposition. 

Notwithstanding these suggestions, Melvil persisted in his resolution ofappearing once more below the tower, on the supposition that his mother, in expectation of his return, had prepared a billet for his acceptance, from which he might obtain important intelligence. The Major, seeing himlend a deaf ear to his remonstrances, was contented to attend him in hissecond expedition, which he pressed him to undertake that same afternoon, as Trebasi had taken care to circulate a report of his having gone todine at the seat of a nobleman in the neighbourhood. Our knight-errantand his squire, deceived by this finesse, presented themselves againunder the prison of the Countess, who no sooner beheld her son return, than she earnestly entreated him to be gone, by the same sign which shehad before used; and he, taking it for granted that she was debarred theuse of pen, ink, and paper, and that she had nothing more to expect, consented to retire, and had already moved to some distance from thehouse, when, in crossing a small plantation that belonged to the castle, they were met by Count Trebasi and another person on horseback. 

At sight of this apparition, the blood mounted into Renaldo's cheeks, andhis eyes began to lighten with eagerness and indignation; which was notat all diminished by the ferocious address of the Count, who advancing toMelvil, with a menacing air. "Before you proceed, " said he, "I must knowwith what view you have been twice to-day patroling round my enclosures, and reconnoitring the different avenues of my house. You likewise carryon a clandestine correspondence with some person in the family, of whichmy honour obliges me to demand an explanation. "

"Had your actions been always regulated by the dictates of honour, "replied Renaldo, "I should never have been questioned for riding roundthat castle, which you know is my rightful inheritance; or excluded fromthe sight of a parent who suffers under your tyranny and oppression. Itis my part, therefore, to expostulate; and, since fortune hath favouredme with an opportunity of revenging our wrongs in person, we shall notpart until you have learned that the family of the Count de Melvil is notto be injured with impunity. Here is no advantage on either side, inpoint of arms or number; you are better mounted than I am, and shall havethe choice of the ground on which our difference ought to be brought to aspeedy determination. "

Trebasi, whose courage was not of the sentimental kind, but purely owingto his natural insensibility of danger, instead of concerting measurescoolly for the engagement, or making any verbal reply to this defiance, drew a pistol, without the least hesitation, and fired it at the face ofRenaldo, part of whose left eyebrow was carried off by the ball. Melvilwas not slow in returning the compliment, which, as it was deliberate, proved the more decisive. For the shot entering the Count's rightbreast, made its way to the backbone with such a shock, as struck him tothe ground; upon which the other alighted, in order to improve theadvantage he had gained. 

During this transaction, Farrel had well-nigh lost his life by the savagebehaviour of Trebasi's attendant, who had been a hussar officer, and who, thinking it was his duty to imitate the example of his patron on thisoccasion, discharged a pistol at the Major, before he had the leastintimation of his design. The Hibernian's horse being a common hireling, and unaccustomed to stand fire, no sooner saw the flash of Trebasi'spistol, than, starting aside, he happened to plunge into a hole, and wasoverturned at the very instant when the hussar's piece went off, so thatno damage ensued to his rider, who, pitching on his feet, flew with greatnimbleness to his adversary, then, laying hold on one leg, dismounted himin a twinkling, and, seizing his throat as he lay, would have soondespatched him without the use of firearms, had he not been prevented byhis friend Renaldo, who desired him to desist, observing that hisvengeance was already satisfied, as the Count seemed to be in the agoniesof death. The Major was loth to quit his prey, as he thought hisaggressor had acted in a treacherous manner; but recollecting that therewas no time to lose, because, in all probability, the firing had alarmedthe castle, he took his leave of the vanquished hussar, with a couple ofhearty kicks, and, mounting his horse, followed Melvil to the house of agentleman in the neighbourhood, who was kinsman to the Countess, and verywell disposed to grant him a secure retreat, until the troublesomeconsequences of this rencontre should be overblown. 

Trebasi, though to the young gentleman he seemed speechless andinsensible, had neither lost the use of his reason nor of his tongue, butaffected that extremity, in order to avoid any further conversation withthe victor. He was one of those people who never think of death until heknocks at the door, and then earnestly entreat him to excuse them for thepresent, and be so good as to call another time. The Count had so oftenescaped unhurt, in the course of his campaigns, that he looked uponhimself as invulnerable, and set all danger at defiance. Though he hadhitherto taken no care of the concerns of his soul, he had a large fundof superstition at bottom; and, when the surgeon, who examined his wound, declared it was mortal, all the terrors of futurity took hold on hisimagination, all the misdemeanours of his life presented themselves inaggravated colours to his recollection. 

He implored the spiritual assistance of a good priest in theneighbourhood, who, in the discharge of his own conscience, gave himto understand that he had little mercy to expect, unless he would, as much as lay in his power, redress the injuries he had done to hisfellow-creatures. As nothing lay heavier upon his soul than the crueltyand fraud he had practised upon the family of Count Melvil, he earnestlybesought this charitable clergyman to mediate his pardon with theCountess, and at the same time desired to see Renaldo before his death, that he might put him in possession of his paternal estate, and solicithis forgiveness for the offence he had given. 

His lady, far from waiting for the priest's intercession, no soonerunderstood the lamentable situation of her husband, and found herself atliberty, than she hastened to his apartment, expressed the utmost concernfor his misfortune, and tended him with truly conjugal tenderness andfidelity. Her son gladly obeyed the summons, and was received with greatcivility and satisfaction by his father-in-law, who, in presence of thejudge and divers gentlemen assembled for that purpose, renounced allright and title to the fortune he had so unjustly usurped; disclosed thename of the convent to which Mademoiselle de Melvil had been conveyed, dismissed all the agents of his iniquity, and being reconciled to hisson-in-law, began to prepare himself in tranquillity for his latter end. 

The Countess was overwhelmed with an excess of joy, while she embracedher long-lost son, who had proved himself so worthy of his father. Yetthis joy was embittered, by reflecting that she was made a widow by thehands of that darling son. For, though she knew his honour demanded thesacrifice, she could not lay aside that regard and veneration which isattached to the name of husband; and therefore resolved to retire into amonastery, where she could spend the remainder of her life in devotion, without being exposed to any intercourse which might interfere with thedelicacy of her sentiments on that subject. 

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

HE IS THE MESSENGER OF HAPPINESS TO HIS SISTER, WHO REMOVES THE FILMWHICH HAD LONG OBSTRUCTED HIS PENETRATION, WITH REGARD TO COUNT FATHOM. 

As the most endearing affection had always subsisted between Renaldo andhis sister, he would not one moment deny himself the pleasure of flyingto her embrace, and of being the glad messenger of her deliverance. Soon, therefore, as he understood the place of her retreat, and hadobtained a proper order to the abbess, signed by Count Trebasi, he setout post for Vienna, still accompanied by his faithful Hibernian, and, arriving at the convent, found the abbess and the whole house soengrossed in making preparations for the ceremony of giving the veil nextday to a young woman who had fulfilled the term of her probation, that hecould not possibly see his sister with that leisure and satisfactionwhich he had flattered himself with enjoying at this meeting; andtherefore he was fain to bridle his impatience for two days, and keep hiscredentials until the hurry should be over, that Mademoiselle might haveno intimation of her good fortune, except from his own mouth. 

In order to fill up this tedious interval, he visited his friends atcourt, who were rejoiced to hear the happy issue of his excursion toPresburg; the prince, who was his particular patron, desired he wouldmake himself perfectly easy with regard to the death of Count Trebasi, for he would take care to represent him in such a light to theempress-queen, as would screen him from any danger or prosecution onthat account. His highness, moreover, appointed the following day forperforming the promise he had made of presenting him to that augustprincess, and in the meantime prepossessed her so much in his favour, that when he approached her presence, and was announced by his nobleintroductor, she eyed him with a look of peculiar complacency, saying, "I am glad to see you returned to my dominions. Your father was agallant officer, who served our house with equal courage and fidelity;and as I understand you tread in his footsteps, you may depend upon myfavour and protection. "

He was so much overwhelmed with this gracious reception, that, while hebowed in silence, the drops of gratitude trickled from his eyes; and herimperial majesty was so well pleased with this manifestation of hisheart, that she immediately gave directions for promoting him to thecommand of a troop of horse. Thus fortune seemed willing, and indeedeager to discharge the debt she owed him for the different calamities hehad undergone. And as he looked upon the generous Hebrew to be the solesource of his success, he did not fail to make him acquainted with thehappy effects of his recommendation and friendship, and to express, inthe warmest terms, the deep sense he had of his uncommon benevolence, which, by the bye, was still greater, with regard to Renaldo, than thereader as yet imagines; for he not only furnished him with money for hispresent occasions, but also gave him an unlimited credit on a banker inVienna, to whom one of his letters was directed. 

The ceremony of the nun's admission being now performed, and the conventrestored to its former quiet, Melvil hastened thither on the wings ofbrotherly affection, and presented his letter to the abbess, who havingperused the contents, by which she learned that the family disquiets ofCount Trebasi no longer subsisted, and that the bearer was the brother ofMademoiselle, she received him with great politeness, congratulated himon this happy event, and, begging he would excuse her staying with him inthe parlour, on pretence of business, withdrew, saying, she wouldimmediately send in a young lady who would console him for her absence. In a few minutes he was joined by his sister, who, expecting nothing lessthan to see Renaldo, no sooner distinguished his features, than sheshrieked aloud with surprise, and would have sunk upon the floor, had nothe supported her in his embrace. 

Such a sudden apparition of her brother at any time, or in any place, after their long separation, would have strongly affected this sensibleyoung lady; but to find him so abruptly in a place where she thoughtherself buried from the knowledge of all her relations, occasioned suchcommotions in her spirits as had well-nigh endangered her reason. For itwas not till after a considerable pause, that she could talk to him withconnexion or coherence. However, as those transports subsided, theyentered into a more deliberate and agreeable conversation; in the courseof which, he gradually informed her of what had passed at the castle; andinexpressible was the pleasure she felt in learning that her mother wasreleased from captivity, herself restored to freedom, and her brother tothe possession of his inheritance, by the only means to which she hadalways prayed these blessings might be owing. 

As she had been treated with uncommon humanity by the abbess, she wouldnot consent to leave the convent until he should be ready to set out forPresburg; so that they dined together with that good lady, and passed theafternoon in that mutual communication with which a brother and sistermay be supposed to entertain themselves on such an occasion. She gavehim a detail of the insults and mortifications she had suffered from thebrutality of her father-in-law, and told him, that her confinement inthis monastery was owing to Trebasi having intercepted a letter to herfrom Renaldo, signifying his intention to return to the empire, in orderto assert his own right, and redress his grievances. Then turning thediscourse upon the incidents of his peregrinations, she in a particularmanner inquired about that exquisite beauty who had been the innocentsource of all his distresses, and upon whose perfections he had often, inhis letters to his sister, expatiated with indications of rapture anddelight. 

This inquiry in a moment blew up that scorching flame which had beenwell-nigh stifled by other necessary avocations. His eyes gleamed, hischeeks glowed and grew pale alternately, and his whole frame underwent animmediate agitation; which being perceived by Mademoiselle, she concludedthat some new calamity was annexed to the name of Monimia, and, dreadingto rip up a wound which she saw was so ineffectually closed, she for thepresent suppressed her curiosity and concern, and industriouslyendeavoured to introduce some less affecting subject of conversation. Hesaw her aim, approved of her discretion, and, joining her endeavours, expressed his surprise at her having omitted to signify the leastremembrance of her old favourite, Fathom, whom he had left in England. He had no sooner pronounced this name, than she suffered some confusionin her turn; from which, however, recollecting herself, "Brother, " saidshe, "you must endeavour to forget that wretch, who is altogetherunworthy of retaining the smallest share of your regard. "

Astonished, and indeed angry, at this expression, which he considered asthe effect of malicious misrepresentation, he gently chid her for hercredulity in believing the envious aspersion of some person, who repinedat the superior virtue of Fathom, whom he affirmed to be an honour to thehuman species. 

"Nothing is more easy, " replied the young lady, "than to impose upon aperson, who, being himself unconscious of guile, suspects no deceit. Youhave been a dupe, dear brother, not to the finesse of Fathom, but to thesincerity of your own heart. For my own part, I assume no honour to myown penetration in having comprehended the villany of that impostor, which was discovered, in more than one instance, by accidents I could notpossibly foresee. 

"You must know, that Teresa, who attended me from my childhood, and inwhose honesty I reposed such confidence, having disobliged some of theinferior servants, was so narrowly watched in all her transactions, as tobe at last detected in the very act of conveying a piece of plate, whichwas actually found concealed among her clothes. 

"You may guess how much I was astonished when I understood thiscircumstance. I could not trust to the evidence of my own senses, andshould have still believed her innocent, in spite of oculardemonstration, had not she, in the terrors of being tried for felony, promised to make a very material discovery to the Countess, provided shewould take such measures as would save her life. 

"This request being complied with, she, in my hearing, opened up such anamazing scene of iniquity, baseness, and ingratitude, which had beenacted by her and Fathom, in order to defraud the family to which theywere so much indebted, that I could not have believed the human mindcapable of such degeneracy, or that traitor endowed with such perniciouscunning and dissimulation, had not her tale been congruous, consistent, and distinct, and fraught with circumstances that left no room to doubtthe least article of her confession; on consideration of which she waspermitted to go into voluntary exile. "

She then explained their combination in all the particulars, as we havealready recounted them in their proper place, and finally observed, thatthe opinion she had hence conceived of Fathom's character, was confirmedby what she had since learned of his perfidious conduct towards that verynun who had lately taken the veil. 

Perceiving her brother struck dumb with astonishment, and gaping with themost eager attention, she proceeded to relate the incidents of his doubleintrigue with the jeweller's wife and daughter, as they were communicatedto her by the nun, who was no other than the individual Wilhelmina. After those rivals had been forsaken by their gallant, their mutualanimosities and chagrin served to whet the attention and invention ofeach; so that in a little time the whole mystery stood disclosed to both. The mother had discovered the daughter's correspondence with Fathom, aswe have formerly observed, by means of that unfortunate letter which heunwittingly committed to the charge of the old beldame; and, as soon asshe understood he was without the reach of all solicitation orprosecution, imparted this billet to her husband, whose fury was soungovernable, that he had almost sacrificed Wilhelmina with his ownhands, especially when, terrified by his threats and imprecations, sheowned that she had bestowed the chain on this perfidious lover. However, this dreadful purpose was prevented, partly by the interposition of hiswife, whose aim was not the death but immurement of his daughter, andpartly by the tears and supplication of the young gentlewoman herself, who protested, that, although the ceremony of the church had not beenperformed, she was contracted to Fathom by the most solemn vows, towitness which he invoked all the saints in heaven. 

The jeweller, upon cooler consideration, was unwilling to lose the lastspark of hope that glittered among the ruins of his despair, and resistedall the importunities of his wife, who pressed him to consult the welfareof his daughter's soul, in the fond expectation of finding some expedientto lure back the chain and its possessor. In the meantime Wilhelmina wasdaily and hourly exposed to the mortifying animadversions of her mamma, who, with all the insolence of virtue, incessantly upbraided her with thebackslidings of her vicious life, and exhorted her to reformation andrepentance. This continual triumph lasted for many months, till atlength, a quarrel happening between the mother and the gossip at whosehouse she used to give the rendezvous to her admirers, that incensedconfidante, in the precipitation of her anger, promulgated the history ofthose secret meetings; and, among the rest, her interviews with Fathomwere brought to light. 

The first people who hear news of this sort are generally those to whomthey are most unwelcome. The German was soon apprised of his wife'sfrailty, and considered the two females of his house as a couple ofdevils incarnate, sent from hell to exercise his patience. Yet, in themidst of his displeasure, he found matter of consolation, in beingfurnished with a sufficient reason for parting with his helpmate, who hadfor many years kept his family in disquiet. He therefore, withouthazarding a personal conference, sent proposals to her by a friend, whichshe did not think proper to reject; and seeing himself restored to thedominion of his own house, exerted his sway so tyrannically, thatWilhelmina became weary of her life, and had recourse to the comforts ofreligion, of which she soon became enamoured, and begged her father'spermission to dedicate the rest of her life to the duties of devotion. She was accordingly received in this convent, the regulations of whichwere so much to her liking, that she performed the task of probation withpleasure, and voluntarily excluded herself from the vanities of thislife. It was here she had contracted an acquaintance with Mademoisellede Melvil, to whom she communicated her complaints of Fathom, on thesupposition that he was related to the Count, as he himself had oftendeclared. 

While the young lady rehearsed the particulars of this detail, Renaldosustained a strange vicissitude of different passions. Surprise, sorrow, fear, hope, and indignation raised a most tumultuous conflict in hisbosom. Monimia rushed upon his imagination in the character of innocencebetrayed by the insinuations of treachery. He with horror viewed her atthe mercy of a villain, who had broken all the ties of gratitude andhonour. 

Affrighted at the prospect, he started from his seat, exclaiming, in themost unconnected strain of distraction and despair, "Have I thennourished a serpent in my bosom! Have I listened to the voice of atraitor, who hath murdered my peace! who hath torn my heart-stringsasunder, and perhaps ruined the pattern of all earthly perfection. Itcannot be. Heaven would not suffer such infernal artifice to takeeffect. The thunder would be levelled against the head of the accursedprojector. "

From this transport, compared with his agitation when he mentionedMonimia, his sister judged that Fathom had been the occasion of a breachbetween the two lovers; and this conjecture being confirmed by thedisjointed answers he made to her interrogations upon the affair, sheendeavoured to calm his apprehensions, by representing that he would soonhave an opportunity of returning to England, where the misunderstandingmight be easily cleared up; and that, in the meantime, he had nothing tofear on account of the person of his mistress, in a country whereindividuals were so well protected by the laws and constitution of therealm. At length he suffered himself to be flattered with the fond hopeof seeing Monimia's character triumph in the inquiry, of retrieving thatlost jewel, and of renewing that ravishing intercourse and exaltedexpectation which had been so cruelly cut off. He now wished to findFathom as black as he had been exhibited, that Monimia's apostasy mightbe numbered among the misrepresentations of his treachery and fraud. 

His love, which was alike generous and ardent, espoused the cause, and heno longer doubted her constancy and virtue. But when he reflected howher tender heart must have been wrung with anguish at his unkindness andcruelty, in leaving her destitute in a foreign land; how her sensibilitymust have been tortured in finding herself altogether dependent upon aruffian, who certainly harboured the most baleful designs upon herhonour; how her life must be endangered both by his barbarity and her owndespair--I say, when he reflected on these circumstances, he shudderedwith horror and dismay; and that very night despatched a letter to hisfriend the Jew, entreating him, in the most pressing manner, to employall his intelligence in learning the situation of the fair orphan, thatshe might be protected from the villany of Fathom, until his return toEngland. 

CHAPTER SIXTY

HE RECOMPENSES THE ATTACHMENT OF HIS FRIEND; AND RECEIVES A LETTER THATREDUCES HIM TO THE VERGE OF DEATH AND DISTRACTION. 

This step being taken, his mind in some measure retrieved its formertranquillity. He soothed himself with the prospect of a happyreconciliation with the divine Monimia, and his fancy was decoyed fromevery disagreeable presage by the entertaining conversation of hissister, with whom in two days he set out for Presburg, attended by hisfriend the Major, who had never quitted him since their meeting atBrussels. Here they found Count Trebasi entirely rid of the fever whichhad been occasioned by his wound, and in a fair way of doing well; acircumstance that afforded unspeakable pleasure to Melvil, whose mannerof thinking was such, as would have made him unhappy, could he havecharged himself with the death of his mother's husband, howsoevercriminal he might have been. 

The Count's ferocity did not return with his health. His eyes wereopened by the danger he had incurred, and his sentiments turned in a newchannel. He heartily asked pardon of Mademoiselle for the rigorous usageshe had suffered from the violence of his temper; thanked Renaldo for theseasonable lesson he had administered to him; and not only insisted uponbeing removed from the castle to a house of his own in Presburg, butproffered to make immediate restitution of all the rents which he hadunjustly converted to his own use. 

These things being settled in the most amicable manner, to the entiresatisfaction of the parties concerned, as well as of the neighbouringnoblesse, among whom the house of Melvil was in universal esteem, Renaldoresolved to solicit leave at the Imperial court to return to England, inorder to investigate that affair of Monimia, which was more interestingthan all the points he had hitherto adjusted. But, before he quittedPresburg, his friend Farrel taking him aside one day, "Count, " said he, "will you give me leave to ask, if, by my zeal and attachment for you, Ihave had the good fortune to acquire your esteem?" "To doubt thatesteem, " replied Renaldo, "were to suspect my gratitude and honour, ofwhich I must be utterly destitute before I lose the sense of thoseobligations I owe to your gallantry and friendship--obligations which Ilong for a proper occasion to repay. "

"Well then, " resumed the Major, "I will deal with you like a downrightSwiss, and point out a method by which you may shift the load ofobligation from your own shoulders to mine. You know my birth, rank, andexpectations in the service; but perhaps you do not know, that, as myexpense has always unavoidably exceeded my income, I find myself a littleout at elbows in my circumstances, and want to piece them up bymatrimony. Of those ladies with whom I think I have any chance ofsucceeding, Mademoiselle de Melvil seems the best qualified to render mysituation happy in all respects. Her fortune is more than sufficient todisembarrass my affairs; her good sense will be a seasonable check uponmy vivacity; her agreeable accomplishments will engage a continuation ofaffection and regard. I know my own disposition well enough to think Ishall become a most dutiful and tractable husband; and shall deem myselfhighly honoured in being more closely united to my dear Count de Melvil, the son and representative of that worthy officer under whom my youth wasformed. If you will therefore sanction my claim, I will forthwith beginmy approaches, and doubt not, under your auspices, to bring the place toa capitulation. "

Renaldo was pleased with the frankness of this declaration, approved ofhis demand, and desired him to depend upon his good offices with hissister, whom he sounded that same evening upon the subject, recommendingthe Major to her favour, as a gentleman well worthy of her choice. Mademoiselle, who had never been exercised in the coquetries of her sex, and was now arrived at those years when the vanity of youth ought toyield to discretion, considered the proposal as a philosopher, and afterdue deliberation candidly owned she had no objection to the match. Farrel was accordingly introduced in the character of a lover, after thepermission of the Countess had been obtained; and he carried on hisaddresses in the usual form, so much to the satisfaction of all concernedin the event, that a day was appointed for the celebration of hisnuptials, when he entered into peaceable possession of his prize. 

A few days after this joyful occasion, while Renaldo was at Vienna, wherehe had been indulged with leave of absence for six months, and employedin making preparations for his journey to Britain, he was one eveningpresented by his servant with a package from London, which he no sooneropened, than he found enclosed a letter directed to him, in thehandwriting of Monimia. He was so much affected at sight of thosewell-known characters, that he stood motionless as a statue, eager toknow the contents, yet afraid to peruse the billet. While he hesitatedin this suspense, he chanced to cast his eye on the inside of the cover, and perceived the name of his Jewish friend at the bottom of a few lines, importing, that the enclosed was delivered to him by a physician of hisacquaintance, who had recommended it in a particular manner to his care. This intimation served only to increase the mystery, and whet hisimpatience; and as he had the explanation in his hand, he summoned allhis resolution to his aid, and, breaking the seal, began to read thesewords: "Renaldo will not suppose that this address proceeds frominterested motives, when he learns, that, before it can be presented tohis view, the unfortunate Monimia will be no more. "

Here the light forsook Renaldo's eyes, his knees knocked together, and hefell at full length insensible on the floor. His valet, hearing thenoise, ran into the apartment, lifted him upon a couch, and despatched amessenger for proper assistance, while he himself endeavoured to recallhis spirits by such applications as chance afforded. But before theCount exhibited any signs of life, his brother-in-law entered his chamberby accident, and as soon as he recollected himself from the extremeconfusion and concern produced by this melancholy spectacle, he perceivedthe fatal epistle, which Melvil, though insensible, still kept within hisgrasp; justly suspecting this to be the cause of that severe paroxysm, hedrew near the couch, and with difficulty read what is above rehearsed, and the sequel, to this effect:--

"Yes, I have taken such measures as will prevent it from falling intoyour hands, until after I shall have been released from a beingembittered with inexpressible misery and anguish. It is not myintention, once loved, and ah! still too fondly remembered youth, toupbraid you as the source of that unceasing woe which hath been so longthe sole inhabitant of my lonely bosom. I will not call you inconstantor unkind. I dare not think you base or dishonourable; yet I wasabruptly sacrificed to a triumphant rival, before I had learned to bearsuch mortification; before I had overcome the prejudices which I hadimbibed in my father's house. I was all at once abandoned to despair, toindigence, and distress, to the vile practices of a villain, who, I fear, hath betrayed us both. What have not I suffered from the insults andvicious designs of that wretch, whom you cherished in your bosom! Yetto these I owe this near approach to that goal of peace, where thecanker-worm of sorrow will expire. Beware of that artful traitor; and, oh! endeavour to overcome that levity of disposition, which, if indulged, will not only stain your reputation, but also debauch the good qualitiesof your heart. I release you, in the sight of Heaven, from allobligations. If I have been injured, let not my wrongs be visited on thehead of Renaldo, for whom shall be offered up the last fervent prayers ofthe hapless Monimia. "

This letter was a clue to the labyrinth of Melvil's distress. Though theMajor had never heard him mention the name of this beauty, he hadreceived such hints from his own wife, as enabled him to comprehend thewhole of the Count's disaster. By the administration of stimulatingmedicines, Renaldo recovered his perception; but this was a cruelalternative, considering the situation of his thoughts. The first wordhe pronounced was Monimia, with all the emphasis of the most violentdespair. He perused the letter, and poured forth incoherent execrationsagainst Fathom and himself. He exclaimed, in a frantic tone, "She islost for ever! murdered by my unkindness! We are both undone by theinfernal arts of Fathom! execrable monster! Restore her to my arms. Ifthou art not a fiend in reality, I will tear out thy false heart. "

So saying, he sprung upon his valet, who would have fallen a sacrifice tohis undistinguishing fury, had not he been saved by the interposition ofFarrel and the family, who disengaged him from his master's gripe by dintof force; yet, notwithstanding their joint endeavours, he broke from thisrestraint, leaped upon the floor, and seizing his sword, attempted toplunge it in his own breast. When he was once more overcome by numbers, he cursed himself, and all those who withheld him; swore he would notsurvive the fair victim who had perished by his credulity andindiscretion; and the agitation of his spirits increased to such adegree, that he was seized with strong convulsions, which nature wasscarce able to sustain. Every medical expedient was used to quiet hisperturbation, which at length yielded so far as to subside into acontinual fever and confirmed delirium, during which he ceased not topour forth the most pathetic complaints, touching his ruined love, and torave about the ill-starred Monimia. The Major, half distracted by thecalamity of his friend, would have concealed it from the knowledge of hisfamily, had not the physician, by despairing of his life, laid him underthe necessity of making them acquainted with his condition. 

The Countess and Mrs. Farrel were no sooner informed of his case thanthey hastened to the melancholy scene, where they found Renaldo deprivedof his senses, panting under the rage of an exasperated disease. Theysaw his face distorted, and his eyes glaring with frenzy; they heard himinvoke the name of Monimia with a tenderness of accent which even theimpulse of madness could not destroy. Then, with a sudden transition oftone and gesture, he denounced vengeance against her betrayer, and calledupon the north wind to cool the fervour of his brain. His hair hung indishevelled parcels, his cheeks were wan, his looks ghastly, his vigourwas fled, and all the glory of his youth faded; the physician hung hishead in silence, the attendants wrung their hands in despair, and thecountenance of his friend was bathed in tears. 

Such a picture would have moved the most obdurate heart; what impressionthen must it have made upon a parent and sister, melting with all theenthusiasm of affection! The mother was struck dumb, and stupefied withgrief; the sister threw herself on the bed in a transport of sorrow, caught her loved Renaldo in her arms, and was, with great difficulty, torn from his embrace. Such was the dismal reverse that overtook thelate so happy family of Melvil; such was the extremity to which thetreachery of Fathom had reduced his best benefactor!

Three days did nature struggle with surprising efforts, and then theconstitution seemed to sink under the victorious fever; yet, as hisstrength diminished, his delirium abated, and on the fifth morning helooked round, and recognised his weeping friends. Though now exhaustedto the lowest ebb of life, he retained the perfect use of speech, and hisreason being quite unclouded, spoke to each with equal kindness andcomposure; he congratulated himself upon the sight of shore after thehorrors of such a tempest; called upon the Countess and his sister, whowere not permitted to see him at such a conjuncture; and being apprisedby the Major of his reason for excluding them from his presence, heapplauded his concern, bequeathed them to his future care, and took leaveof that gentleman with a cordial embrace. Then he desired to be left inprivate with a certain clergyman, who regulated the concerns of his soul, and he being dismissed, turned his face from the light, in expectation ofhis final discharge. In a few minutes all was still and dreary, he wasno longer heard to breathe, no more the stream of life was perceived tocirculate, he was supposed to be absolved from all his cares, and anuniversal groan from the bystanders announced the decease of the gallant, generous, and tender-hearted Renaldo. 

"Come hither, ye whom the pride of youth and health, of birth andaffluence inflames, who tread the flowery maze of pleasure, trusting tothe fruition of ever-circling joys; ye who glory in your accomplishments, who indulge the views of ambition, and lay schemes for future happinessand grandeur, contemplate here the vanity of life! behold how low thisexcellent young man is laid! mowed down even in the blossom of his youth, when fortune seemed to open all her treasures to his worth!"

Such were the reflections of the generous Farrel, who, while he performedthe last office of friendship, in closing the eyes of the much-lamentedMelvil, perceived a warmth on the skin, which the hand of death seldomleaves unextinguished. This uncommon sensation he reported to thephysician, who, though he could feel no pulsation of the heart orarteries, conjectured that life still lingered in some of its interiorhaunts, and immediately ordered such applications to the extremities andsurface of the body, as might help to concentrate and reinforce thenatural heat. 

By these prescriptions, which for some time produced no sensible effect, the embers were, in all probability, kept glowing, and the vital powerrevived, for, after a considerable pause, respiration was graduallyrenewed at long intervals, a languid motion was perceived at the heart, a few feeble and irregular pulsations were felt at the wrist, theclay-coloured livery of death began to vanish from his face, thecirculation acquired new force, and he opened his eyes with a sigh, which proclaimed his return from the shades of death. 

When he recovered the faculty of swallowing, a cordial was administered, and whether the fever abated, in consequence of the blood's being cooledand condensed during the recess of action in the solids, or nature, inthat agony, had prepared a proper channel for the expulsion of thedisease, certain it is, he was from this moment rid of all bodily pain;he retrieved the animal functions, and nothing remained of his malady butan extreme weakness and languor, the effect of nature's being fatigued inthe battle she had won. 

Unutterable was the joy that took possession of his mother and sisterwhen Farrel flew into her apartment to intimate this happy turn. Scarcecould they be restrained from pouring forth their transports in thepresence of Renaldo, who was still too feeble to endure suchcommunication; indeed, he was extremely mortified and dejected at thisevent, which had diffused such pleasure and satisfaction among hisfriends, for though his distemper was mastered, the fatal cause of itstill rankled at his heart, and he considered this respite from death asa protraction of his misery. 

When he was congratulated by the Major on the triumph of hisconstitution, he replied, with a groan, "I would to heaven it had beenotherwise, for I am reserved for all the horrors of the most poignantsorrow and remorse. O Monimia! Monimia! I hoped by this time to haveconvinced thy gentle shade, that I was, at least intentionally, innocentof that ruthless barbarity which hath brought thee to an untimely grave. Heaven and earth! do I still survive the consciousness of that direcatastrophe! and lives the atrocious villain who hath blasted all ourhopes!"

With these last words the fire darted from his eyes, and his brother, snatching this occasional handle for reconciling him to life, joined inhis exclamations against the treacherous Fathom, and observed, that heshould not, in point of honour, wish to die, until he should havesacrificed that traitor to the manes of the beauteous Monimia. Thisincitement acted as a spur upon exhausted nature, causing the blood tocirculate with fresh vigour, and encouraging him to take such sustenanceas would recruit his strength, and repair the damage which his health hadsustained. 

His sister assiduously attended him in his recovery, flattering hisappetite, and amusing his sorrow at the same time; the clergymanassailed his despondence with religious weapons, as well as witharguments drawn from philosophy; and the fury of his passions beingalready expended, he became so tractable as to listen to hisremonstrances. But notwithstanding the joint endeavours of all hisfriends, a deep fixed melancholy remained after every consequence of hisdisease had vanished. In vain they essayed to elude his grief by gaietyand diversions, in vain they tried to decoy his heart into some newengagement. 

These kind attempts served only to feed and nourish that melancholy whichpined within his bosom. Monimia still haunted him in the midst of theseamusements, while his reflection whispered to him, "Pleasures like theseI might have relished with her participation. " That darling idea mingledin all the female assemblies at which he was present, eclipsing theirattractions, and enhancing the bitterness of his loss; for absence, enthusiasm, and even his despair had heightened the charms of the fairorphan into something supernatural and divine. 

Time, that commonly weakens the traces of remembrance, seemed to deepenits impressions in his breast; nightly, in his dreams, did he conversewith his dear Monimia, sometimes on the verdant bank of a delightfulstream, where he breathed, in soft murmurs, the dictates of his love andadmiration; sometimes reclined within the tufted grove, his arm encircledand sustained her snowy neck, whilst she, with looks of love ineffable, gazed on his face, invoking Heaven to bless her husband and her lord. Yet, even in these illusions was his fancy oft alarmed for the ill-fatedfair. Sometimes he viewed her tottering on the brink of a steepprecipice, far distant from his helping hand; at other times she seemedto sail along the boisterous tide, imploring his assistance, then wouldhe start with horror from his sleep, and feel his sorrows more thanrealised; he deserted his couch, he avoided the society of mankind, hecourted sequestered shades where he could indulge his melancholy; therehis mind brooded over his calamity until his imagination became familiarwith all the ravages of death; it contemplated the gradual decline ofMonimia's health, her tears, her distress, her despair at his imaginedcruelty; he saw, through that perspective, every blossom of her beautywither, every sparkle vanish from her eyes; he beheld her faded lips, herpale cheek, and her inanimated features, the symmetry of which not deathitself was able to destroy. His fancy conveyed her breathless corse tothe cold grave, o'er which, perhaps, no tear humane was shed, where herdelicate limbs were consigned to dust, where she was dished out adelicious banquet to the unsparing worm. 

Over these pictures he dwelt with a sort of pleasing anguish, until hebecame so enamoured of her tomb, that he could no longer resist thedesire that compelled him to make a pilgrimage to the dear hallowed spot, where all his once gay hopes lay buried; that he might nightly visit thesilent habitation of his ruined love, embrace the sacred earth with whichshe was now compounded, moisten it with his tears, and bid the turf lieeasy on her breast. Besides the prospect of this gloomy enjoyment, hewas urged to return to England, by an eager desire of taking vengeance onthe perfidious Fathom, as well as of acquitting himself of theobligations he owed in that kingdom, to those who had assisted him in hisdistress. He therefore communicated his intention to Farrel, who wouldhave insisted upon attending him in the journey, had not he been conjuredto stay and manage Renaldo's affairs in his absence. Every previous stepbeing taken, he took leave of the Countess and his sister, who had, withall their interest and elocution, opposed his design, the execution ofwhich, they justly feared, would, instead of dissipating, augment hischagrin; and now, seeing him determined, they shed a flood of tears athis departure, and he set out from Vienna in a post-chaise, accompaniedby a trusty valet-de-chambre on horseback. 

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

RENALDO MEETS WITH A LIVING MONUMENT OF JUSTICE, AND ENCOUNTERS APERSONAGE OF SOME NOTE IN THESE MEMOIRS. 

As this domestic was very well qualified for making all the properdispositions, and adjusting every necessary article on the road, Renaldototally abstracted himself from earthly considerations, and mused withoutceasing on that theme which was the constant subject of hiscontemplation. He was blind to the objects that surrounded him; hescarce ever felt the importunities of nature; and had not they beenreinforced by the pressing entreaties of his attendant, he would haveproceeded without refreshment or repose. In this absence of mind did hetraverse a great part of Germany, in his way to the Austrian Netherlands, and arrived at the fortress of Luxemburg, where he was obliged to tarry awhole day on account of an accident which had happened to his chaise. Here he went to view the fortifications; and as he walked along theramparts, his ears were saluted with these words: "Heaven bless the nobleCount de Melvil! will not he turn the eyes of compassion on an oldfellow-soldier reduced to misfortune and disgrace?"

Surprised at this address, which was attended with the clanking ofchains, Renaldo lifted up his eyes, and perceived the person who spoketo be one of two malefactors shackled together, who had been sentencedfor some crime to work as labourers on the fortifications. His face wasso covered with hair, and his whole appearance so disguised by thesqualid habit which he wore, that the Count could not recollect hisfeatures, until he gave him to understand that his name was Ratchcali. Melvil immediately recognised his fellow-student at Vienna, and hisbrother-volunteer upon the Rhine, and expressed equal surprise andconcern at seeing him in such a deplorable situation. 

Nothing renders the soul so callous and insensible as the searing brandsof infamy and disgrace. Without betraying the least symptoms of shame orconfusion, "Count, " says he, "this is the fate of war, at least of thewar in which I have been engaged, ever since I took leave of the Imperialarmy, and retreated with your old companion Fathom. Long life to thatoriginal genius! If he is not unhappily eclipsed by some unfortunateinterposition, before his terrene parts are purified, I foresee that hewill shine a star of the first magnitude in the world of adventure. "

At mention of this detested name, Renaldo's heart began to throb withindignation; yet he suppressed the emotion, and desired to know themeaning of that splendid encomium which he had bestowed upon hisconfederate. "It would be quite unnecessary, " replied Ratchcali, "for aman in my present situation to equivocate or disguise the truth. Thenature of my disgrace is perfectly well known. I am condemned to hardlabour for life; and unless some lucky accident, which I cannot nowforesee, shall intervene, all I can expect is some alleviation of my hardlot from the generosity of such gentlemen as you, who compassionate thesufferings of your fellow-creatures. In order to engage your benevolencethe more in my behalf, I shall, if you will give me the hearing, faithfully inform you of some particulars, which it may import you toknow, concerning my old acquaintance Ferdinand Count Fathom, whose realcharacter hath perhaps hitherto escaped your notice. "

Then he proceeded to give a regular detail of all the strokes of finessewhich he, in conjunction with our adventurer, had practised upon Melviland others, during their residence at Vienna, and the campaigns they hadmade upon the Rhine. He explained the nature of the robbery which wassupposed to have been done by the Count's valet, together with the mannerof their desertion. He described his separation from Fathom, theirmeeting at London, the traffic they carried on in copartnership; and themisfortune that reduced Ferdinand to the condition in which he was foundby Melvil. 

"After having gratified the honest lawyer, " said he, "with a share ofthe unfortunate Fathom's spoils, and packed up all my own valuableeffects, my new auxiliary Maurice and I posted to Harwich, embarked inthe packet-boat, and next day arrived at Helvoetsluys; from thence werepaired to the Hague, in order to mingle in the gaieties of the place, and exercise our talents at play, which is there cultivated withuniversal eagerness. But, chancing to meet with an old acquaintance, whom I did not at all desire to see, I found it convenient to withdrawsoftly to Rotterdam; from whence we set out for Antwerp; and, having madea tour of the Austrian Netherlands, set up our rest at Brussels, andconcerted a plan for laying the Flemings under contribution. 

"From our appearance we procured admission into the most politeassemblies, and succeeded to a wonder in all our operations; until ourcareer was unfortunately checked by the indiscretion of my ally, who, being detected in the very act of conveying a card, was immediatelyintroduced to a magistrate. And this minister of justice was so curious, inquisitive, and clear-sighted, that Count Maurice, finding it impossibleto elude his penetration, was fain to stipulate for his own safety, bygiving up his friend to the cognisance of the law. I was accordinglyapprehended, before I knew the cause of my arrest; and being unhappilyknown by some soldiers of the Prince's guard, my character turned out solittle to the approbation of the inquisitors, that all my effects wereconfiscated for the benefit of the state, and I was by a formal sentencecondemned to labour on the fortifications all the days of my life; whileMaurice escaped at the expense of five hundred stripes, which he receivedin public from the hands of the common executioner. 

"Thus have I, without evasion or mental reservation, given a faithfulaccount of the steps by which I have arrived at this barrier, which islikely to be the ne plus ultra of my peregrinations, unless the generousCount de Melvil will deign to interpose his interest in behalf of an oldfellow-soldier, who may yet live to justify his mediation. "

Renaldo had no reason to doubt the truth of this story, everycircumstance of which tended to corroborate the intelligence he hadalready received touching the character of Fathom, whom he now consideredwith a double portion of abhorrence, as the most abandoned miscreant thatnature had ever produced. Though Ratchcali did not possess a much higherplace in his opinion, he favoured him with marks of his bounty, andexhorted him, if possible, to reform his heart; but he would by no meanspromise to interpose his credit in favour of a wretch self-convicted ofsuch enormous villany and fraud. He could not help moralising upon thisrencontre, which inspired him with great contempt for human nature. Andnext day he proceeded on his journey with a heavy heart, ruminating onthe perfidy of mankind, and, between whiles, transported with theprospect of revenging all his calamities upon the accursed author. 

While he was wrapped up in these reveries, his carriage rolled along, andhad already entered a wood between Mons and Tournay, when his dream wassuddenly interrupted by the explosion of several pistols that were firedamong the thickets at a little distance from the road. Roused at thisalarm, he snatched his sword that stood by him, and springing from thechaise, ran directly towards the spot, being close followed by his valet, who had alighted and armed himself with a pistol in each hand. Aboutforty yards from the highway, they arrived in a little glade or opening, where they saw a single man standing at bay against five banditti, afterhaving killed one of their companions, and lost his own horse, that laydead upon the ground. 

Melvil seeing this odds, and immediately guessing their design, rushedamong them without hesitation, and in an instant ran his sword throughthe heart of one whose hand was raised to smite the gentleman behind, while he was engaged with the rest in front. At the same time the valetdisabled another by a shot in the shoulder; so that the number being nowequal on both sides, a furious combat ensued, every man being paired withan antagonist, and each having recourse to swords, as all their pieceshad been discharged. Renaldo's adversary, finding himself pressed withequal fury and skill, retreated gradually among the trees, until hevanished altogether into the thickest of the wood; and his two companionsfollowed his example with great ease, the valet-de-chambre being hurt inthe leg, and the stranger so much exhausted by the wounds he had receivedbefore Renaldo's interposition, that, when the young gentleman approachedto congratulate him on the defeat of the robbers, he, in advancing toembrace his deliverer, dropped down motionless on the grass. 

The Count, with that warmth of sympathy and benevolence which was naturalto his heart, lifted up the wounded cavalier in his arms, and carried himto the chaise, in which he was deposited, while the valet-de-chambrereloaded his pistols, and prepared for a second attack, as they did notdoubt that the banditti would return with a reinforcement. However, before they reappeared, Renaldo's driver disengaged him from the wood, and in less than a quarter of an hour they arrived at a village, wherethey halted for assistance to the stranger, who, though still alive, hadnot recovered the use of his senses. 

After he was undressed, and laid in a warm bed, a surgeon examined hisbody, and found a wound in his neck by a sword, and another in his rightside, occasioned by a pistol-shot; so that his prognostic was verydubious. Meanwhile, he applied proper dressings to both; and, in half anhour after this administration, the gentleman gave some tokens ofperception. He looked around him with a wildness of fury in his aspect, as if he had thought himself in the hands of the robbers by whom he hadbeen attacked. But, when he saw the assiduity with which the bystandersexerted themselves in his behalf, one raising his head from the pillow, while another exhorted him to swallow a little wine which was warmed forthe purpose; when he beheld the sympathising looks of all present, andheard himself accosted in the most cordial terms by the person whom herecollected as his deliverer, all the severity vanished from hiscountenance; he took Renaldo's hand, and pressed it to his lips; and, while the tears gushed from his eyes, "Praised be God, " said he, "thatvirtue and generosity are still to be found among the sons of men. "

Everybody in the apartment was affected by this exclamation; and Melvil, above all the rest, felt such emotions as he could scarcely restrain. Heentreated the gentleman to believe himself in the midst of such friendsas would effectually secure him from all violence and mortification; heconjured him to compose the perturbation of his spirits, and quiet theapprehensions of his mind with that reflection; and protested, that hehimself would not quit the house while his attendance should be deemednecessary for the stranger's cure, or his conversation conducive to hisamusement. 

These assurances, considered with the heroic part which the youngHungarian had already acted in his behalf, inspired the cavalier withsuch a sublime idea of Melvil, that he gazed upon him with silentastonishment, as an angel sent from heaven for his succour; and, in thetransport of his gratitude, could not help exclaiming, "Sure Providencehath still something in reserve for this unfortunate wretch, in whosefavour such a miracle of courage and generosity hath interposed!"

Being accommodated with proper care and attendance, his constitution in alittle time overcame the fever; and, at the third dressing, the surgeondeclared him out of all danger from his wounds. Then was Renaldoindulged with opportunities of conversing with the patient, and ofinquiring into the particulars of his fortune and designs in life, with aview to manifest the inclination he felt to serve him in his futureoccasions. 

The more this stranger contemplated the character of the Count, the morehis amazement increased, on account of his extraordinary benevolence infavour of a person whose merit he could not possibly know; he evenexpressed his surprise on this subject to Renaldo, who at length toldhim, that, although his best offices should always be ready for theoccasions of any gentleman in distress, his particular attachment andregard to him was improved by an additional consideration. "I am nostranger, " said he, "to the virtues and honour of the gallant Don Diegode Zelos. "

"Heaven and earth!" cried the stranger, starting from his seat withextreme emotion, "do I then live to hear myself addressed by thatlong-lost appellation! my heart glows at the expression! my spirits arekindled with a flame that thrills through every nerve! Say, younggentleman, if you are really an inhabitant of earth, by what means areyou acquainted with the unhappy name of Zelos?"

In answer to this eager interrogation, Renaldo gave him to understand, that in the course of his travels, he had resided a short time atSeville, where he had frequently seen Don Diego, and often heard hischaracter mentioned with uncommon esteem and veneration. "Alas!" repliedthe Castilian, "that justice is no longer done to the wretched Zelos; hishonours are blasted, and his reputation canker-bitten by the venomoustooth of slander. "

He then proceeded to unfold his misfortunes, as they have already beenexplained in the former part of these memoirs; at the recapitulation ofwhich, the heart of Melvil, being intendered by his own calamities, wasso deeply affected, that he re-echoed the groans of Don Diego, and weptover his sufferings with the most filial sympathy. When he repeated thestory of that cruel fraud which was practised upon him by the faithlessFadini, Melvil, whose mind and imagination teemed with the villanies ofFathom, was immediately struck with the conjecture of his being theknave; because, indeed, he could not believe that any other person was soabandoned by principle and humanity as to take such a barbarous advantageof a gentleman in distress. 

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

HIS RETURN TO ENGLAND, AND MIDNIGHT PILGRIMAGE TO MONIMIA'S TOMB. 

He considered the date of that unparalleled transaction, which agreedwith his conjecture, and from the inquiries he made concerning the personof the traitor, gathered reasons sufficient to confirm his supposition. Thus certified, "That is the villain, " cried the Count, "whose infernalarts have overwhelmed me with such misery as Heaven itself hath made noremedy to dispel! To revenge my wrongs on that perfidious miscreant, isone of the chief reasons for which I deign to drag about an hatefulbeing. O Don Diego! what is life, when all its enjoyments are so easilypoisoned by the machinations of such a worm!" So saying, he smote hisbreast in all the agony of woe, and besought the Spaniard to relate thesteps he took in consequence of this disaster. 

The Castilian's cheeks reddened at this information, which enforced hisown resentment, and casting up his eyes to heaven, "Sacred powers!" criedhe, "let him not perish, before you bring him within my reach. You askme, noble cavalier, what measures I took in this abyss of misery? Forthe first day, I was tortured with apprehensions for the friendly Fadini, fearing that he had been robbed and murdered for the jewels which he had, perhaps, too unwarily exposed to sale. But this terror soon vanishedbefore the true presages of my fate, when, on the morrow, I found thewhole family in tears and confusion, and heard my landlord pour forth themost bitter imprecations against the fugitive, who had deflowered hisdaughter, and even robbed the house. You will ask, which of the passionsof my heart were interested on this occasion? they were shame andindignation. All my grief flowed in another channel; I blushed to findmy judgment deceived; I scorned to complain; but, in my heart, denouncedvengeance against my base betrayer. I silently retired to my apartment, in order to commune with my own thoughts. 

"I had borne greater calamities without being driven to despair; Isummoned all my fortitude to my assistance, and resolved to live in spiteof affliction. Thus determined, I betook myself to the house of ageneral officer, whose character was fair in the world; and havingobtained admission in consequence of my Oriental appearance, 'To a man ofhonour, ' said I, 'the unfortunate need no introduction. My habitproclaims me a Persian; this passport from the States of Holland willconfirm that supposition. I have been robbed of jewels to a considerablevalue, by a wretch whom I favoured with my confidence; and now, reducedto extreme indigence, I come to offer myself as a soldier in the armiesof France. I have health and strength sufficient to discharge that duty. Nor am I unacquainted with a military life, which was once my glory andoccupation. I therefore sue for your protection, that I may be received, though in the lowest order of them that serve the King; and that yourfuture favour may depend upon my behaviour in that capacity. '

"The general, surprised at my declaration, surveyed me with uncommonattention; he perused my certificate; asked divers questions concerningthe art of war, to which I returned such answers as convinced him that Iwas not wholly ignorant in that particular. In short, I was enlisted asa volunteer in his own regiment, and soon after promoted to the rank of asubaltern, and the office of equerry to his own son, who, at that time, had attained to the degree of colonel, though his age did not exceedeighteen years. 

"This young man was naturally of a ferocious disposition, which had beenrendered quite untractable by the pride of birth and fortune, togetherwith the licence of his education. As he did not know the respect due toa gentleman, so he could not possibly pay it to those who were, unfortunately, under his command. Divers mortifications I sustained withthat fortitude which became a Castilian who lay under obligations to thefather; till, at length, laying aside all decorum, he smote me. SacredHeaven! he smote Don Diego de Zelos, in presence of his whole household. 

"Had my sword been endowed with sensation, it would of itself havestarted from its scabbard at this indignity offered to its master. Iunsheathed it without deliberation, saying, 'Know, insolent boy, heis a gentleman whom thou hast outraged; and thou hast thus cancelled theties which have hitherto restrained my indignation. ' His servants wouldhave interposed, but he commanded them to retire; and, flushed with thatconfidence which the impetuosity of his temper inspired, he drew, in histurn, and attacked me with redoubled rage; but his dexterity being veryunequal to his courage, he was soon disarmed, and overthrown; when, pointing my sword to his breast, 'In consideration of thy youth andignorance, ' said I, 'I spare that life which thou hast forfeited by thyungenerous presumption. '

"With these words, I put up my weapon, retired through the midst of hisdomestics, who, seeing their master safe, did not think proper to opposemy passage, and, mounting my horse, in less than two hours entered theAustrian dominions, resolving to proceed as far as Holland, that I mightembark in the first ship for Spain, in order to wash away, with my ownblood, or that of my enemies, the cruel stain which hath so long defiledmy reputation. 

"This was the grievance that still corroded my heart, and renderedineffectual the inhuman sacrifice I had made to my injured honour. Thiswas the consideration that incessantly prompted, and still importunes meto run every risk of life and fortune, rather than leave my fame undersuch an ignominious aspersion. I purpose to obey this internal call. Iam apt to believe it is the voice of Heaven--of that Providence whichmanifested its care by sending such a generous auxiliary to my aid, whenI was overpowered by banditti, on the very first day of my expedition. "

Having in this manner gratified the curiosity of his deliverer, heexpressed a desire of knowing the quality of him to whom he was sosignally obliged; and Renaldo did not scruple to make the Castilianacquainted with his name and family. He likewise communicated the storyof his unfortunate love, with all the symptoms of unutterable woe, whichdrew tears from the noble-hearted Spaniard, while, with a groan, thatannounced the load which overwhelmed his soul, "I had a daughter, " saidhe, "such as you describe the peerless Monimia; had Heaven decreed herfor the arms of such a lover, I, who am now the most wretched, shouldhave been the most happy parent upon earth. "

Thus did these new friends alternately indulge their mutual sorrow, andconcert measures for their future operations. Melvil earnestly solicitedthe Castilian to favour him with his company to England, where, in allprobability, both would enjoy the gloomy satisfaction of being revengedupon their common betrayer, Fathom; and, as a farther inducement, heassured him, that, as soon as he should have accomplished the melancholypurposes of his voyage, he would accompany Don Diego to Spain, and employhis whole interest and fortune in his service. The Spaniard, thunderstruck at the extravagant generosity of this proposal, couldscarce believe the evidence of his own senses; and, after some pause, replied, "My duty would teach me to obey any command you should thinkproper to impose; but here my inclination and interest are so agreeablyflattered, that I should be equally ungrateful and unwise, in pretendingto comply with reluctance. "

This point being settled, they moved forwards to Mons, as soon as DonDiego was in a condition to bear the shock of such a removal, and thereremaining until his wounds were perfectly cured, they hired a post-chaisefor Ostend, embarked in a vessel at that port, reached the opposite shoreof England, after a short and easy passage, and arrived in London withouthaving met with any sinister accident on the road. 

As they approached this capital, Renaldo's grief seemed to regurgitatewith redoubled violence. His memory was waked to the most minute andpainful exertion of its faculties; his imagination teemed with the mostafflicting images, and his impatience became so ardent, that never loverpanted more eagerly for the consummation of his wishes, than Melvil, foran opportunity of stretching himself upon the grave of the lost Monimia. The Castilian was astonished, as well as affected, at the poignancy ofhis grief, which, as a proof of his susceptibility and virtue, endearedhim still more to his affection; and though his own misfortunes hadrendered him very unfit for the office of a comforter, he endeavoured, bysoothing discourse, to moderate the excess of his friend's affliction. 

Though it was dark when they alighted at the inn, Melvil ordered a coachto be called; and, being attended by the Spaniard, who would not bepersuaded to quit him upon such an occasion, he repaired to the houseof the generous Jew, whose rheum distilled very plentifully at hisapproach. The Count had already acquitted himself in point of pecuniaryobligations to this benevolent Hebrew; and now, after having made suchacknowledgments as might be expected from a youth of his disposition, hebegged to know by what channel he had received that letter which he hadbeen so kind as to forward to Vienna. 

Joshua, who was ignorant of the contents of that epistle, and saw theyoung gentleman extremely moved, would have eluded his inquiry, bypretending he had forgot the circumstance; but when he understood thenature of the case which was not explained without the manifestation ofthe utmost inquietude, he heartily condoled the desponding lover, tellinghim he had in vain employed all his intelligence about that unfortunatebeauty, in consequence of Melvil's letter to him on that subject; andthen directed him to the house of the physician, who had brought thefatal billet which had made him miserable. 

No sooner did he receive this information than he took his leaveabruptly, with promise of returning next day, and hied him to thelodgings of that gentleman, whom he was lucky enough to find at home. Being favoured with a private audience, "When I tell you, " said he, "thatmy name is Renaldo Count de Melvil, you will know me to be the mostunfortunate of men. By that letter, which you committed to the charge ofmy worthy friend Joshua, the fatal veil was removed from my eyes, whichhad been so long darkened by the artifices of incredible deceit, and myown incurable misery fully presented to my view. If you were acquaintedwith the unhappy fair, who hath fallen a victim to my mistake, you willhave some idea of the insufferable pangs which I now feel in recollectingher fate. If you have compassion for these pangs, you will not refuse toconduct me to the spot where the dear remains of Monimia are deposited;there let me enjoy a full banquet of woe; there let me feast that worm ofsorrow that preys upon my heart. For such entertainment have I revisitedthis (to me) ill-omened isle; for this satisfaction I intrude upon yourcondescension at these unseasonable hours; for to such a degree ofimpatience is my affliction whetted, that no slumber shall assail mineeyelids, no peace reside within my bosom, until I shall have adored thatearthly shrine where my Monimia lies! Yet would I know the circumstancesof her fate. Did Heaven ordain no angel to minister to her distress?were her last moments comfortless? ha! was not she abandoned toindigence, to insults; left in the power of that inhuman villain whobetrayed us both? Sacred Heaven! why did Providence wink at the triumphof such consummate perfidy?"

The physician, having listened with complacency to this effusion, replied, "It is my profession, it is my nature to sympathise with theafflicted. I am a judge of your feelings, because I know the value ofyour loss. I attended the incomparable Monimia in her last illness, andam well enough acquainted with her story to conclude that she fell asacrifice to an unhappy misunderstanding, effected and fomented by thattraitor who abused your mutual confidence. "

He then proceeded to inform him of all the particulars which we havealready recorded, touching the destiny of the beauteous orphan, andconcluded with telling him he was ready to yield him any othersatisfaction which it was in his power to grant. The circumstances ofthe tale had put Renaldo's spirits into such commotion, that he couldutter nothing but interjections and unconnected words. When Fathom'sbehaviour was described, he trembled with fierce agitation, started fromhis chair, pronouncing, "Monster! fiend! but we shall one day meet. "

When he was made acquainted with the benevolence of the French lady, heexclaimed, "O heaven-born charity and compassion! sure that must be somespirit of grace sent hither to mitigate the tortures of life! where shallI find her, to offer up my thanks and adoration?" Having heard theconclusion of the detail, he embraced the relater, as the kind benefactorof Monimia, shed a flood of tears in his bosom, and pressed him to crownthe obligation, by conducting him to the solitary place where now sherested from all her cares. 

The gentleman perceiving the transports of his grief were such as couldnot be opposed, complied with his request, attended him in the vehicle, and directed the coachman to drive to a sequestered field, at somedistance from the city, where stood the church, within whose awful aislethis scene was to be acted. The sexton being summoned from his bed, produced the keys, in consequence of a gratification, after the physicianhad communed with him apart, and explained the intention of Renaldo'svisit. 

During this pause the soul of Melvil was wound up to the highest pitch ofenthusiastic sorrow. The uncommon darkness of the night, the solemnsilence, and lonely situation of the place, conspired with the occasionof his coming, and the dismal images of his fancy, to produce a realrapture of gloomy expectation, which the whole world would not havepersuaded him to disappoint. The clock struck twelve, the owl screechedfrom the ruined battlement, the door was opened by the sexton, who, bythe light of a glimmering taper, conducted the despairing lover to adreary aisle, and stamped upon the ground with his foot, saying, "Herethe young lady lies interred. "

Melvil no sooner received this intimation, than falling on his knees, andpressing his lips to the hallowed earth, "Peace, " cried he, "to thegentle tenant of this silent habitation. " Then turning to thebystanders, with a bloodshot eye, said, "Leave me to the full enjoymentof this occasion; my grief is too delicate to admit the company even ofmy friends. The rites to be performed require privacy; adieu, then, heremust I pass the night alone. "

The doctor, alarmed at this declaration, which he was afraid importedsome resolution fatal to his own life, began to repent of having beenaccessory to the visit, attempted to dissuade him from his purpose, andfinding him obstinately determined, called in the assistance of thesexton and coachman, and solicited the aid of Don Diego, to force Renaldofrom the execution of his design. 

The Castilian knowing his friend was then very unfit for commonaltercation, interposed in the dispute, saying, "You need not be afraidthat he will obey the dictates of despair; his religion, his honour willbaffle such temptations; he hath promised to reserve his life for theoccasions of his friend; and he shall not be disappointed in his presentaim. " In order to corroborate this peremptory address, which wasdelivered in the French language, he unsheathed his sword, and the othersretreating at sight of his weapon, "Count, " said he, "enjoy your grief infull transport; I will screen you from interruption, though at the hazardof my life; and while you give a loose to sorrow, within the ghastlyvault, I will watch till morning in the porch, and meditate upon the ruinof my own family and peace. "

He accordingly prevailed upon the physician to retire, after he hadsatisfied the sexton, and ordered the coachman to return by break of day. 

Renaldo, thus left alone, prostrated himself upon the grave, and pouredforth such lamentations as would have drawn tears from the most savagehearer. He called aloud upon Monimia's name, "Are these the nuptial joysto which our fate hath doomed us? Is this the fruit of those endearinghopes, that intercourse divine, that raptured admiration, in which somany hours insensibly elapsed? where now are those attractions to which Iyielded up my captive heart? quenched are those genial eyes thatgladdened each beholder, and shone the planets of my happiness and peace!cold! cold and withered are those lips that swelled with love, and faroutblushed the damask rose! and ah! forever silenced is that tongue, whose eloquence had power to lull the pangs of misery and care! no moreshall my attention be ravished with the music of that voice, which usedto thrill in soft vibrations to my soul! O sainted spirit! O unspottedshade of her whom I adored; of her whose memory I shall still revere withever-bleeding sorrow and regret; of her whose image will be the last ideathat forsakes this hapless bosom! now art thou conscious of my integrityand love; now dost thou behold the anguish that I feel. If the pureessence of thy nature will permit, wilt thou, ah! wilt thou indulge thiswretched youth with some kind signal of thy notice, with some token ofthy approbation? wilt thou assume a medium of embodied air, in semblanceof that lovely form which now lies mouldering in this dreary tomb, andspeak the words of peace to my distempered soul! Return, Monimia, appear, though but for one short moment, to my longing eyes! vouchsafeone smile! Renaldo will be satisfied; Renaldo's heart will be at rest;his grief no more will overflow its banks, but glide with equal currentto his latest hour! Alas! these are the raving of my delirious sorrow!Monimia hears not my complaints; her soul, sublimed far, far above allsublunary cares, enjoys that felicity of which she was debarred on earth. In vain I stretch these eyes, environed with darkness undistinguishingand void. No object meets my view; no sound salutes mine ear, except thenoisy wind that whistles through these vaulted caves of death. "

In this kind of exclamation did Renaldo pass the night, not without acertain species of woful enjoyment, which the soul is often able toconjure up from the depths of distress; insomuch that, when the morningintruded on his privacy, he could scarce believe it was the light of day, so fast had fleeted the minutes of his devotion. 

His heart being thus disburdened, and his impatience gratified, he becameso calm and composed, that Don Diego was equally pleased and astonishedat the air of serenity with which he came forth, and embraced him withwarm acknowledgments of his goodness and attachment. He frankly owned, that his mind was now more at ease than he had ever found it, since hefirst received the fatal intimation of his loss; that a few such feastswould entirely moderate the keen appetite of his sorrow, which he wouldafterwards feed with less precipitation. 

He also imparted to the Castilian the plan of a monument, which he haddesigned for the incomparable Monimia; and Don Diego was so much struckwith the description, that he solicited his advice in projecting another, of a different nature, to be erected to the memory of his own ill-fatedwife and daughter, should he ever be able to re-establish himself inSpain. 

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

HE RENEWS THE RITES OF SORROW, AND IS ENTRANCED. 

While they amused themselves with this sort of conversation, thephysician returned with the coach, and accompanied them back to theirinn, where he left them to their repose, after having promised to callagain at noon, and conduct Renaldo to the house of Madam Clement, thebenefactress of Monimia, to whom he eagerly desired to be introduced. 

The appointment was observed with all imaginable punctuality on bothsides. Melvil had arrayed himself in a suit of deep mourning, and hefound the good lady in the like habit, assumed upon the same occasion. The goodness of her heart was manifest in her countenance; thesensibility of the youth discovered itself in a flood of tears, which heshed at her appearance. His sensations were too full for utterance; norwas she, for some time, able to give him welcome. While she led him bythe hand to a seat, the drops of sympathy rushed into either eye; and atlength she broke silence, saying, "Count, we must acquiesce in thedispensations of Providence; and quiet the transports of our grief, witha full assurance that Monimia is happy. "

This name was the key that unlocked the faculty of his speech. "I muststrive, " said he, "to ease the anguish of my heart with that consolation. But say, humane, benevolent lady, to whose compassion and generosity thathapless orphan was indebted for the last peaceful moment she enjoyed uponearth; say, in all your acquaintance with human nature, in all yourintercourse with the daughters of men, in all the exercise of yourcharity and beneficence, did you ever observe such sweetness, purity, andtruth; such beauty, sense, and perfection, as that which was theinheritance of her whose fate I shall for ever deplore?"--"She was, indeed, " replied the lady, "the best and fairest of our sex. "

This was the beginning of a conversation touching that lovely victim, inthe course of which he explained those wicked arts which Fathom practisedto alienate his affections from the adorable Monimia; and she describedthe cunning hints and false insinuations by which that traitor hadaspersed the unsuspecting lover, and soiled his character in the opinionof the virtuous orphan. The intelligence he obtained on this occasionadded indignation to his grief. The whole mystery of Monimia'sbehaviour, which he could not before explain, now stood disclosed beforehim. He saw the gradual progress of that infernal plan which had beenlaid for their mutual ruin; and his soul was inflamed with such desire ofvengeance, that he would have taken his leave abruptly, in order to seton foot an immediate inquiry about the perfidious author of his wrongs, that he might exterminate such a monster of iniquity from the face of theearth. But he was restrained by Madam Clement, who gave him tounderstand, that Fathom was already overtaken by the vengeance of Heaven;for she had traced him in all the course of his fortune, from his firstappearance in the medical sphere to his total eclipse. She representedthe villain as a wretch altogether unworthy of his attention. She said, he was so covered with infamy, that no person could enter the listsagainst him, without bearing away some stain of dishonour; that he was, at present, peculiarly protected by the law, and sheltered from theresentment of Renaldo, in the cavern of his disgrace. 

Melvil, glowing with rage, replied, that he was a venomous serpent, whichit was incumbent on every foot to crush; that it was the duty of everyman to contribute his whole power in freeing society from such apernicious hypocrite; and that, if such instances of perfidy andingratitude were suffered to pass with impunity, virtue and plain-dealingwould soon be expelled from the habitations of men. "Over and abovethese motives, " said he, "I own myself so vitiated with the alloy ofhuman passion and infirmity, that I desire--I eagerly pant for anoccasion of meeting him hand to hand, where I may upbraid him with histreachery, and shower down vengeance and destruction on his perfidioushead. "

Then he recounted the anecdotes of our adventurer which he had learned inGermany and Flanders, and concluded with declaring his unalterableresolution of releasing him from jail, that he might have an opportunityof sacrificing him, with his own hand, to the manes of Monimia. Thediscreet lady, perceiving the perturbation of his mind, would not furthercombat the impetuosity of his passion; contenting herself with exacting apromise, that he would not execute his purpose, until he should havedeliberated three days upon the consequences by which a step of that kindmight be attended. Before the expiration of that term, she thoughtmeasures might be taken to prevent the young gentleman from exposing hislife or reputation to unnecessary hazard. 

Having complied with her request in this particular, he took his leave, after he had, by repeated entreaties, prevailed upon her to accept ajewel, in token of his veneration for the kind benefactress of thedeceased Monimia; nor could his generous heart be satisfied, until he hadforced a considerable present on the humane physician who had attendedher in her last moments, and now discovered a particular sympathy andconcern for her desponding lover. This gentleman attended him to thehouse of the benevolent Joshua, where they dined, and where Don Diego wasrecommended, in the most fervid terms of friendship, to the good officesof their host. Not that this duty was performed in presence of thestranger--Renaldo's delicacy would not expose his friend to such asituation. While the physician, before dinner, entertained that strangerin one apartment, Melvil withdrew into another, with the Jew, to whom hedisclosed the affair of the Castilian, with certain circumstances, whichshall, in due time, be revealed. 

Joshua's curiosity being whetted by this information, he could not helpeyeing the Spaniard at table with such a particular stare, that Don Diegoperceived his attention, and took umbrage at the freedom of his regard. Being unable to conceal his displeasure, he addressed himself to theHebrew, with great solemnity, in the Spanish tongue, saving, "Signior, isthere any singularity in my appearance? or, do you recollect the featuresof Don Diego de Zelos?"

"Signior Don Diego, " replied the other in pure Castilian, "I crave yourpardon for the rudeness of my curiosity, which prompted me to survey anobleman, whose character I revere, and to whose misfortunes I am nostranger. Indeed, were curiosity alone concerned, I should be withoutexcuse; but as I am heartily inclined to serve you, as far as my weakabilities extend, I hope your generosity will not impute any littleinvoluntary trespass of punctilio to my want of cordiality or esteem. "

The Spaniard was not only appeased by this apology, but also affectedwith the compliment, and the language in which it was conveyed. Hethanked the Jew for his kind declaration, entreated him to bear, with thepeevishness of a disposition sore with the galling hand of affliction;and, turning up his eyes to Heaven, "Were it possible, " cried he, "forfate to reconcile contradictions, and recall the irremediable current ofevents, I would now believe that there was happiness still in reserve forthe forlorn Zelos, now that I tread the land of freedom and humanity, nowthat I find myself befriended by the most generous of men. Alas! I asknot happiness! If, by the kind endeavours of the gallant Count deMelvil, to whom I am already indebted for my life, and by the efforts ofhis friends, the honour of my name shall be purified and cleared from thepoisonous stains of malice by which it is at present spotted, I shallthen enjoy all that satisfaction which destiny can bestow upon a wretchwhose woes are incurable. "

Renaldo comforted him with the assurance of his being on the eve oftriumphing over his adversaries; and Joshua confirmed the consolation, bygiving him to understand, that he had correspondents in Spain of someinfluence in the state; that he had already written to them on thesubject of Don Diego, in consequence of a letter which he had receivedfrom Melvil while he tarried at Mons, and that he, every post, expected afavourable answer on that subject. 

After dinner, the physician took his leave, though not before he hadpromised to meet Renaldo at night, and accompany him in the repetition ofhis midnight visit to Monimia's tomb; for this pilgrimage the unfortunateyouth resolved nightly to perform during the whole time of his residencein England. It was, indeed, a sort of pleasure, the prospect of whichenabled him to bear the toil of living through the day, though hispatience was almost quite exhausted before the hour of assignationarrived. 

When the doctor appeared with the coach, he leaped into it with greateagerness, after he had, with much difficulty, prevailed with Don Diegoto stay at home, on account of his health, which was not yet perfectlyestablished. The Castilian, however, would not comply with his request, until he had obtained the Count's promise, that he should be permitted toaccompany him next night, and take that duty alternately with thephysician. 

About midnight, they reached the place, where they found the sexton inwaiting, according to the orders he had received. The door was opened, the mourner conducted to the tomb, and left, as before, to the gloom ofhis own meditations. Again he laid himself on the cold ground; again herenewed his lamentable strain; his imagination began to be heated into anecstasy of enthusiasm, during which he again fervently invoked the spiritof his deceased Monimia. 

In the midst of these invocations, his ear was suddenly invaded with thesound of some few solemn notes issuing from the organ, which seemed tofeel the impulse of an invisible hand. 

At this awful salutation, Melvil was roused to the keenest sense ofsurprise and attention. Reason shrunk before the thronging ideas of hisfancy, which represented this music as the prelude to something strangeand supernatural; and, while he waited for the sequel, the place wassuddenly illuminated, and each surrounding object brought under thecognisance of his eye. 

What passed within his mind on this occasion is not easy to be described. All his faculties were swallowed up by those of seeing and hearing. Hehad mechanically raised himself upon one knee, with his body advancingforwards; and in this attitude he gazed with a look through which hissoul seemed eager to escape. To his view, thus strained upon vacantspace, in a few minutes appeared the figure of a woman arrayed in white, with a veil that covered her face, and flowed down upon her back andshoulders. The phantom approached him with an easy step, and, lifting upher veil, discovered (believe it, O reader!) the individual countenanceof Monimia. 

At sight of these well-known features, seemingly improved with newcelestial graces, the youth became a statue, expressing amazement, love, and awful adoration. He saw the apparition smile with meek benevolence, divine compassion, warm and intendered by that fond pure flame whichdeath could not extinguish. He heard the voice of his Monimia callRenaldo! Thrice he essayed to answer; as oft his tongue denied itsoffice. His hair stood upright, and a cold vapour seemed to thrillthrough every nerve. This was not fear, but the infirmity of humannature, oppressed by the presence of a superior being. 

At length his agony was overcome. He recollected all his resolution, and, in a strain of awestruck rapture, thus addressed the heavenlyvisitant: "Hast thou then heard, pure spirit! the wailings of my grief?hast thou descended from the realms of bliss, in pity to my woe? and artthou come to speak the words of peace to my desponding soul? To bid thewretched smile, to lift the load of misery and care from the afflictedbreast; to fill thy lover's heart with joy and pleasing hope, was stillthe darling task of my Monimia, ere yet refined to that perfection whichmortality can never attain. No wonder then, blessed shade, that now, when reunited to thy native heaven, thou art still kind, propitious, andbeneficent to us, who groan in this inhospitable vale of sorrow thou hastleft. Tell me, ah! tell me, dost thou still remember those fond hours wepassed together? Doth that enlightened bosom feel a pang of soft regret, when thou recallest our fatal separation? Sure that meekened glancebespeaks thy sympathy! Ah! how that tender look o'erpowers me! SacredHeaven! the pearly drops of pity trickle down thy cheeks! Such are thetears that angels shed o'er man's distress!--Turn not away--Thoubeckonest me to follow. Yes, I will follow thee, ethereal spirit, as faras these weak limbs, encumbered with mortality, will bear my weight; and, would to Heaven! I could, with ease, put off these vile corporealshackles, and attend thy flight. "

So saying, he started from the ground, and, in a transport of eagerexpectation, at awful distance, traced the footsteps of the apparition, which, entering a detached apartment, sunk down upon a chair, and with asigh exclaimed, "Indeed, this is too much!" What was the disorder ofRenaldo's mind, when he perceived this phenomenon! Before reflectioncould perform its office, moved by a sudden impulse, he sprung forwards, crying, "If it be death to touch thee, let me die!" and caught in hisarms, not the shadow, but the warm substance of the all-accomplishedMonimia. "Mysterious powers of Providence! this is no phantom! this isno shade! this is the life! the panting bosom of her whom I have so long, so bitterly deplored! I fold her in my arms! I press her glowing breastto mine! I see her blush with virtuous pleasure and ingenuous love! Shesmiles upon me with enchanting tenderness! O let me gaze on thattranscendent beauty, which, the more I view it, ravishes the more! Thesecharms are too intense; I sicken while I gaze! Merciful Heaven! is notthis a mere illusion of the brain? Was she not fled for ever? Had notthe cold hand of death divorced her from my hope? This must be someflattering vision of my distempered fancy! perhaps some soothing dream--If such it be, grant, O ye heavenly powers! that I may never wake. "

"O gentle youth!" replied the beauteous orphan, still clasped in hisembrace, "what joy now fills the bosom of Monimia, at this triumph of thyvirtue and thy love? When I see these transports of thy affection, whenI find thee restored to that place in my esteem and admiration, whichthou hadst lost by the arts of calumny and malice--this is a meetingwhich my most sanguine hopes durst not presage!"

So entirely were the faculties of Renaldo engrossed in the contemplationof his restored Monimia, that he saw not the rest of the company, whowept with transport over this affecting scene. He was therefore amazedat the interposition of Madam Clement, who, while the shower ofsympathetic pleasure bedewed her cheeks, congratulated the lovers uponthis happy event, crying, "These are the joys which virtue calls herown. " They also received the compliments of a reverend clergyman, whotold Monimia, she had reaped, at last, the fruits of that piousresignation to the will of Heaven, which she had so devoutly practisedduring the term of her affliction. And, lastly, they were accosted bythe physician, who was not quite so hackneyed in the ways of death, or socallous to the finer sensations of the soul, but that he blubberedplentifully, wile he petitioned Heaven in behalf of such an accomplishedand deserving pair. 

Monimia taking Madam Clement by the hand, "Whatever joy, " said she, "Renaldo derives from this occasion, is owing to the bounty, thecompassion, and maternal care of this incomparable lady, together withthe kind admonitions and humanity of those two worthy gentlemen. "

Melvil, whose passions were still in agitation, and whose mind could notyet digest the incidents that occurred, embraced them all by turns; but, like the faithful needle, which, though shaken for an instant from itspoise, immediately regains its true direction, and points invariably tothe pole, he soon returned to his Monimia; again he held her in his arms, again he drank enchantment from her eyes, and thus poured forth theeffusions of his soul:--"Can I then trust the evidence of sense? And artthou really to my wish restored? Never, O never did thy beauty shinewith such bewitching grace, as that which now confounds and captivates myview! Sure there is something more than mortal in thy looks!--Where hastthou lived?--where borrowed this perfection?--whence art thou nowdescended?--Oh! I am all amazement, joy, and fear!--Thou wilt not leaveme!--No! we must not part again. By this warm kiss! a thousand timesmore sweet than all the fragrance of the East! we nevermore will part. O! this is rapture, ecstasy, and what no language can explain!"

In the midst of these ejaculations, he ravished a banquet from herglowing lips, that kindled in his heart a flame which rushed throughevery vein, and glided to his marrow. This was a privilege he had neverclaimed before, and now permitted as a recompense for all the penance hehad suffered. Nevertheless, the cheeks of Monimia, who was altogetherunaccustomed to such familiarities, underwent a total suffusion; andMadam Clement discreetly relieved her from the anxiety of her situation, by interfering in the discourse, and rallying the Count upon hisendeavours to monopolise such a branch of happiness. 

"O my dear lady!" replied Renaldo, who by this time had, in some measure, recovered his recollection, "forgive the wild transports of a fond lover, who hath so unexpectedly retrieved the jewel of his soul! Yet, far fromwishing to hoard up his treasure, he means to communicate and diffuse hishappiness to all his friends. O my Monimia! how will the pleasure ofthis hour be propagated! As yet thou knowest not all the bliss that isreserved for thy enjoyment!--Meanwhile, I long to learn by whatcontrivance this happy interview hath been effected. Still am I ignoranthow I was transported into this apartment, from the lonely vault in whichI mourned over my supposed misfortune!"

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

THE MYSTERY UNFOLDED--ANOTHER RECOGNITION, WHICH, IT IS TO BE HOPED, THEREADER COULD NOT FORESEE. 

The French lady then explained the whole mystery of Monimia's death, as astratagem she had concerted with the clergyman and doctor, in order todefeat the pernicious designs of Fathom, who seemed determined to supporthis false pretensions by dint of perjury and fraud, which they would havefound it very difficult to elude. She observed, that the physician hadactually despaired of Monimia's life, and it was not till after sheherself was made acquainted with the prognostic, that she wrote theletter to Renaldo, which she committed to the care of Madam Clement, withan earnest entreaty, that it should not be sent till after her decease. But that lady, believing the Count had been certainly abused by histreacherous confidant, despatched the billet without the knowledge ofMonimia, whose health was restored by the indefatigable care of thephysician, and the sage exhortations of the clergyman, by which she wasreconciled to life. In a word, the villany of Fathom had inspired herwith some faint hope that Renaldo might still be innocent; and thatnotion contributed not a little to her cure. 

The letter having so effectually answered their warmest hopes, inbringing back Renaldo such a pattern of constancy and love, theconfederates, in consequence of his enthusiastic sorrow, had planned thismeeting, as the most interesting way of restoring two virtuous lovers tothe arms of each other; for which purpose the good clergyman had pitchedupon his own church, and indulged them with the use of the vestry, inwhich they now were presented with a small but elegant collation. 

Melvil heard this succinct detail with equal joy and admiration. Hepoured forth the dictates of his gratitude to the preservers of hishappiness. --"This church, " said he, "shall henceforth possess a doubleshare of my veneration; this holy man will, I hope, finish the charitablework he has begun, by tying those bands of our happiness, which noughtbut death shall have power to unbind. " Then turning to that object whichwas the star of his regard, "Do I not overrate, " said he, "my interestwith the fair Monimia?" She made no verbal reply; but answered by anemphatic glance, more eloquent than all the power of rhetoric and speech. This language, which is universal in the world of love, he perfectly wellunderstood, and, in token of that faculty, sealed the assent which shehad smiled, with a kiss imprinted on her polished forehead. 

In order to dissipate these interesting ideas, which, by being too longindulged, might have endangered his reason, Madam Clement entreated himto entertain the company with a detail of what had happened to him in hislast journey to the empire, and Monimia expressed a desire of knowing, inparticular, the issue of his contest with Count Trebasi, who, she knew, had usurped the succession of his father. 

Thus solicited, he could not refuse to gratify their curiosity andconcern. He explained his obligations to the benevolent Jew; related thesteps he had taken at Vienna for the recovery of his inheritance;informed them of his happy rencontre with his father-in-law; of hissister's deliverance, and marriage; of the danger into which his life hadbeen precipitated by the news of Monimia's death; and, lastly, of hisadventure with the banditti, in favour of a gentleman, who, he afterwardsunderstood, had been robbed in the most base and barbarous manner byFathom. He likewise, to the astonishment of all present, and of hismistress in particular, communicated some circumstances, which shallappear in due season. 

Monimia's tender frame being quite fatigued with the scene she had acted, and her mind overwhelmed with the prosperous tidings she had heard, afterhaving joined the congratulations of the company, on the good fortune ofher Renaldo, begged leave to retire, that she might by repose recruit herexhausted spirits; and the night being pretty far spent, she wasconducted by her lover to Madam Clement's coach, that stood in waiting, in which also the rest of the company made shift to embark, and werecarried to the house of that good lady, where, after they were invited todine, and Melvil entreated to bring Don Diego and the Jew along withthem, they took leave of one another, and retired to their respectivelodgings in a transport of joy and satisfaction. 

As for Renaldo, his rapture was still mixed with apprehension, that allhe had seen and heard was no more than an unsubstantial vision, raised bysome gay delirium of a disordered imagination. While his breastunderwent those violent, though blissful emotions of joy and admiration, his friend the Castilian spent the night in ruminating over his owncalamities, and in a serious and severe review of his own conduct. Hecompared his own behaviour with that of the young Hungarian, and foundhimself so light in the scale, that he smote his breast with violence, exclaiming in an agony of remorse:

"Count Melvil has reason to grieve; Don Diego to despair. Hismisfortunes flow from the villany of mankind; mine are the fruit of myown madness. He laments the loss of a mistress, who fell a sacrifice tothe perfidious arts of a crafty traitor. She was beautiful, virtuous, accomplished, and affectionate; he was fraught with sensibility and love. Doubtless his heart must have deeply suffered; his behaviour denotes thekeenness of his woe; his eyes are everflowing fountains of tears; hisbosom the habitation of sighs; five hundred leagues hath he measured in apilgrimage to her tomb; nightly he visits the dreary vault where she nowlies at rest; her solitary grave is his couch; he converses with darknessand the dead, until each lonely aisle re-echoes his distress. What wouldbe his penance, had he my cause! were he conscious of having murdered abeloved wife and darling daughter! Ah wretch!--ah cruel homicide!--whathad those dear victims done to merit such a fate? Were they not evergentle and obedient, ever aiming to give thee satisfaction and delight?Say, that Serafina was enamoured of a peasant; say, that she haddegenerated from the honour of her race. The inclinations areinvoluntary; perhaps that stranger was her equal in pedigree and worth. Had they been fairly questioned, they might have justified, at leastexcused, that conduct which appeared so criminal; or had they owned theoffence, and supplicated pardon--O barbarous monster that I am! was allthe husband--was all the father extinguished in my heart? How shall myown errors be forgiven, if I refused to pardon the frailties of my ownblood--of those who are most dear to my affection? Yet nature pleadedstrongly in their behalf!--My heart was bursting while I dismissed themto the shades of death. I was maddened with revenge! I was guided bythat savage principle which falsely we call honour. 

"Accursed phantom! that assumes the specious title, and misleads ourwretched nation! Is it then honourable to skulk like an assassin, andplunge the secret dagger in the heart of some unhappy man, who hathincurred my groundless jealousy or suspicion, without indulging him withthat opportunity which the worst criminal enjoys? Or is it honourable topoison two defenceless women, a tender wife, an amiable daughter, whomeven a frown would almost have destroyed?--O! this is cowardice, brutality, hell-born fury and revenge! Heaven hath not mercy to forgivesuch execrable guilt. Who gave thee power, abandoned ruffian! over thelives of those whom God hath stationed as thy fellows of probation;--overthose whom he had sent to comfort and assist thee; to sweeten all thycares, and smooth the rough uneven paths of life? O! I am doomed tonever-ceasing horror and remorse! If misery can atone for such enormousguilt, I have felt it in the extreme. Like an undying vulture it preysupon my heart;--to sorrow I am wedded; I hug that teeming consort to mysoul;--never, ah! never shall we part; for soon as my fame shall shineunclouded by the charge of treason that now hangs over it, I will devotemyself to penitence and woe. A cold, damp pavement shall be my bed; myraiment shall be sackcloth; the fields shall furnish herbage for my food;the stream shall quench my thirst; the minutes shall be numbered by mygroans; the night be privy to my strains of sorrow, till Heaven, in pityto my sufferings, release me from the penance I endure. Perhaps thesaints whom I have murdered will intercede for my remission. "

Such was the exercise of grief, in which the hapless Castilian consumedthe night; he had not yet consigned himself to rest, when Renaldoentering his chamber, displayed such a gleam of wildness and rapture onhis countenance, as overwhelmed him with amazement; for, till thatmoment, he had never seen his visage unobscured with woe. "Pardon thisabrupt intrusion, my friend, " cried Melvil, "I could no longer withholdfrom your participation, the great, the unexpected turn, which hath thisnight dispelled all my sorrows, and restored me to the fruition ofineffable joy. Monimia lives!--the fair, the tender, the virtuousMonimia lives, and smiles upon my vows! This night I retrieved her fromthe grave. I held her in these arms; I pressed her warm delicious lipsto mine! Oh, I am giddy with intolerable pleasure!"

Don Diego was confounded at this declaration, which he considered as theeffects of a disordered brain. He never doubted that Renaldo's grief hadat length overpowered his reason, and that his words were the effects ofmere frenzy. While he mused on this melancholy subject, the Countcomposed his features, and, in a succinct and well-connected detail, explained the whole mystery of his happiness, to the inexpressibleastonishment of the Spaniard, who shed tears of satisfaction, andstraining the Hungarian to his breast, "O my son, " said he, "you see whatrecompense Heaven hath in store for those who pursue the paths of realvirtue; those paths from which I myself have been fatally misled by afaithless vapour, which hath seduced my steps, and left me darkling inthe abyss of wretchedness. Such as you describe this happy fair, wasonce my Serafina, rich in every grace of mind and body which nature couldbestow. Had it pleased Heaven to bless her with a lover like Renaldo!but no more, the irrevocable shaft is fled. I will not taint yourenjoyment with my unavailing sighs!"

Melvil assured this disconsolate father, that no pleasure, no avocationshould ever so entirely engross his mind, but that he should still findan hour for sympathy and friendship. He communicated the invitation ofMadam Clement, and insisted upon his compliance, that he might have anopportunity of seeing and approving the object of his passion. "I canrefuse nothing to the request of Count de Melvil, " replied the Spaniard, "and it were ungrateful in me to decline the honour you propose. I ownmyself inflamed with a desire of beholding a young lady, whoseperfections I have seen reflected in your sorrow; my curiosity is, moreover, interested on account of that humane gentlewoman, whoseuncommon generosity sheltered such virtue in distress; but my dispositionis infectious, and will, I am afraid, hang like a damp upon the generalfestivity of your friends. "

Melvil would take no denial, and having obtained his consent, repaired tothe house of Joshua, whose countenance seemed to unbend gradually into atotal expression of joy and surprise, as he learned the circumstances ofthis amazing event. He faithfully promised to attend the Count at theappointed hour, and, in the meantime, earnestly exhorted him to take somerepose, in order to quiet the agitation of his spirits, which must havebeen violently hurried on this occasion. The advice was salutary, andRenaldo resolved to follow it. 

He returned to his lodgings, and laid himself down; but, notwithstandingthe fatigue he had undergone, sleep refused to visit his eyelids, all hisfaculties being kept in motion by the ideas that crowded so fast upon hisimagination. Nevertheless, though his mind continued in agitation, hisbody was refreshed, and he arose in the forenoon with more serenity andvigour than he had enjoyed for many months. Every moment his heartthrobbed with new rapture, when he found himself on the brink ofpossessing all that his soul held dear and amiable; he put on his gayestlooks and apparel; insisted upon the Castilian's doing the same honour tothe occasion; and the alteration of dress produced such an advantageouschange in the appearance of Don Diego, that when Joshua arrived at theappointed hour, he could scarce recognise his features, and complimentedhim very politely on the improvement of his looks. 

True it is, the Spaniard was a personage of a very prepossessing mien andnoble deportment; and had not grief, by increasing his native gravity, insome measure discomposed the symmetry of his countenance, he would havepassed for a man of a very amiable and engaging physiognomy. They setout in the Jew's coach for the house of Madam Clement, and were usheredinto an apartment, where they found the clergyman and physician with thatlady, to whom Don Diego and the Hebrew were by Melvil introduced. 

Before they had seated themselves, Renaldo inquired about the health ofMonimia, and was directed to the next room by Madam Clement, whopermitted him to go thither, and conduct her to the company. He was notslow of availing himself of this permission. He disappeared in aninstant, and, during his short absence, Don Diego was strangely disturbedThe blood flushed and forsook his cheeks by turns; a cold vapour seemedto shiver through his nerves; and at his breast he felt uncommonpalpitation. Madam Clement observed his discomposure, and kindlyinquired into the cause; when he replied, "I have such an interest inwhat concerns the Count de Melvil, and my imagination is so muchprepossessed with the perfections of Monimia, that I am, as it were, agonised with expectation; yet never did my curiosity before raise suchtumults as those that now agitate my bosom. "

He had scarce pronounced these words, when the door, reopening, Renaldoled in this mirror of elegance and beauty, at sight of whom theIsraelite's countenance was distorted into a stare of admiration. But ifsuch was the astonishment of Joshua, what were the emotions of theCastilian, when, in the beauteous orphan, he beheld the individualfeatures of his long-lost Serafina!

His feelings are not to be described. The fond parent, whose affectionshoots even to a sense of pain, feels not half such transport, when heunexpectedly retrieves a darling child from the engulfing billows ordevouring flame. The hope of Zelos had been totally extinguished. Hisheart had been incessantly torn with anguish and remorse, upbraiding himas the murderer of Serafina. His, therefore, were the additionaltransports of a father disburdened of the guilt of such enormoushomicide. His nerves were too much overpowered by this suddenrecognition, to manifest the sensation of his soul by external signs. Hestarted not, nor did he lift an hand in token of surprise; he moved notfrom the spot on which he stood; but, riveting his eyes to those of thelovely phantom, remained without motion, until she, approaching with herlover, fell at his feet, and clasping his knees, exclaimed, "May I yetcall you father?"

This powerful shock aroused his faculties; a cold sweat bedewed hisforehead; his knees began to totter; he dropped upon the floor, andthrowing his arms around her, cried, "O nature! O Serafina! MercifulProvidence! thy ways are past finding out. " So saying, he fell upon herneck, and wept aloud. The tears of sympathetic joy trickled down hersnowy bosom, that heaved with rapture inexpressible. Renaldo's eyespoured forth the briny stream. The cheeks of Madam Clement were not dryin this conjuncture; she kneeled by Serafina, kissed her with all theeagerness of maternal affection, and with uplifted hands adored the Powerthat preordained this blessed event. The clergyman and doctor intimatelyshared the general transport; and as for Joshua, the drops of truebenevolence flowed from his eyes, like the oil on Aaron's beard, while heskipped about the room in an awkward ecstasy, and in a voice resemblingthe hoarse notes of the long-eared tribe, cried, "O father Abraham! sucha moving scene hath not been acted since Joseph disclosed himself untohis brethren in Egypt. "

Don Diego having found utterance to his passion, proceeded in thisstrain: "O my dear child! to find thee thus again, after our last unhappyparting, is wonderful! miraculous! Blessed be the all-good, myconscience. I am not then the dire assassin, who sacrificed his wife anddaughter to an infernal motive, falsely titled honour? though I am moreand more involved in a mystery, which I long to hear explained. "

"That shall be my task, " cried Renaldo, "but first permit me to imploreyour sanction to my passion for the incomparable Serafina. You alreadyknow our mutual sentiments; and though I own the possession of suchinestimable worth and beauty would be a recompense that infinitelytranscends the merit I can plead, yet, as it hath been my good fortune toinspire her with a mutual flame, I hope to reap from your indulgencehere, what I could not expect from my own desert; and we presentourselves, in hope of your paternal assent and benediction. "

"Were she more fair and good and gentle than she is, " answered theCastilian, "and to my partial observation nought e'er appeared on earthmore beauteous and engaging, I would approve your title to her heart, andrecommend you to her smiles, with all a father's influence and power. Yes, my daughter! my joy on this occasion is infinitely augmented by theknowledge of those tender ties of love that bind thee to this amiableyouth; a youth to whose uncommon courage and generosity I owe my life andmy subsistence, together with the inexpressible delight that now revelsin my bosom. Enjoy, my children, the happy fruits of your reciprocalattachment. May Heaven, which hath graciously conducted you through alabyrinth of perplexity and woe, to this transporting view of blissfuldays, indulge you with that uninterrupted stream of pure felicity, whichis the hope, and ought to be the boon of virtue, such as yours!"

So saying, he joined their hands, and embraced them with the most cordiallove and satisfaction, which diffused itself to every individual of thecompany, who fervently invoked the Almighty Power, in behalf of thisenraptured pair. The tumult of these emotions having a little subsided, and the Castilian being seated betwixt Renaldo and his beauteous bride, he politely bespoke the indulgence of Madam Clement, begging she wouldpermit him to demand the performance of the Count's promise, that hemight be forthwith made acquainted with those circumstances of his ownfate which he was so impatient to learn. 

The lady having assured him, that she and all the company would takepleasure in hearing the recapitulation, the Spaniard, addressing himselfto Melvil, "In the name of Heaven!" said he, "how could you supplant thatrival, who fell a sacrifice to my resentment, after he had bewitched theheart of Serafina? for, sure, the affection he had kindled in her breastmust have long survived his death, " "That rival, " replied the Count, "who incurred your displeasure, was no other than Renaldo. " With thesewords, he applied to one eye a patch of black silk provided for thepurpose, and turning his face towards Don Diego, that gentleman startedwith astonishment, crying, "Good Heaven! the very countenance of Orlando, whom I slew! this is still more amazing!"

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

A RETROSPECTIVE LINK, NECESSARY FOR THE CONCATENATION OF THESE MEMOIRS. 

"Indulge me with a patient hearing, " proceeded the Hungarian, "and allthese riddles soon will be explained. Inflamed with the desire of seeingforeign countries, I disobeyed the will of an indulgent father, fromwhose house, withdrawing privately, I set out for Italy, in disguise, bythe way of Tyrol, visited Venice, Rome, Florence, and, embarking atNaples, in an English ship, arrived at St. Lucar, from whence I repairedto Seville; there, in a few days, was my curiosity engaged by the fame ofthe fair Serafina, who was justly deemed the most accomplished beauty inthat part of Spain. Nay, blush not, gentle creature! for by my hopes ofheaven! thy charms were even injured by the cold applause of that report. Nevertheless, I was warmly interested by the uncommon character, andeagerly longed to see this pattern of perfection. As Don Diego did nottrain her up in that restraint to which the Spanish ladies are subjected, I soon found an opportunity of seeing her at church; and no person herepresent will, I presume, doubt but that I was instantly captivated by herbeauty and deportment. Had I thought that Don Diego's favour wasunengaged, perhaps I should have followed the dictates of vanity andinexperience, and presented myself in my own character, among the crowdof her professed admirers. I knew her father had been an officer ofdistinguished rank and reputation, and did not doubt that he would haveregarded a young soldier of unexceptionable pedigree, and, I will evenadd, of untainted fame. Nor did I suppose my own father could haveobjected against such an advantageous match; but, by dint of industriousinquiry, I learned, that the divine Serafina was already betrothed to DonManuel de Mendoza, and this information overwhelmed me with despair. 

"After having revolved a thousand projects for retarding and preventingthat detested union, I resolved to avail myself of my talent for drawing, and professed myself a master of that science, in hope of being employedby the father of Serafina, who, I knew, let slip no opportunity ofimproving his daughter's education. Accordingly I had the good fortuneto attract his notice, was invited to his house, honoured with hisapprobation, and furnished with unrestricted opportunities of conversingwith the dear object of my love. The passion which her beauty hadkindled was by the perfections of her mind inflamed to such a degree oftransport, as could not be concealed from her penetration. She chancedto relish my conversation; I gradually acquired her friendship; pity wasthe next passion that she entertained in my favour. I then ventured todisclose myself, and the dear charmer did not disapprove of mypresumption. She and her mother had been perplexed with some religiousscruples, concerning which they appealed to my opinion; and I was happyenough to set their minds at ease. 

"This sort of intercourse naturally created a mutual confidence among us;and, in a word, I was blessed with the daughter's love and mother'sapprobation. Don Diego will pardon these clandestine measures, which wetook, from a full persuasion that it was impossible to render himpropitious to the views in which our hearts and hands were so deeplyinterested. I did not then know how little he was addicted tosuperstition. 

"Without entering into a detail of the schemes we projected to delay thehappiness of Mendoza, I shall only observe, that, knowing the fatal daywas at length unalterably fixed, we determined to elude the purpose ofDon Diego by flight; and everything was actually prepared for our escape. When the hour of appointment arrived, I repaired to the place at which Ihad proposed to enter the house, and stumbled, in the dark, over the bodyof a man still warm, and bleeding. Alarmed at this occurrence, I dartedmyself through the window, and rushing to the apartment of the ladies, (immortal powers!) beheld the peerless Serafina, and her virtuous mother, stretched on a couch, and, in all appearance, deprived of life. 

"The company will easily conceive what agonies I felt at such aspectacle! I ran towards the spot in a transport of horror! I claspedmy lovely mistress in my arms, and, finding her still breathing, endeavoured, but in vain, to wake her from the trance Antonia wasoverwhelmed with the same lethargic power. My fancy was immediatelystruck with the apprehension of their being poisoned. Regardless of myown situation, I alarmed the family, called for assistance, and requestedthe servants to summon Don Diego to the dismal scene. I was informedthat their master had rode forth in manifest confusion; and while Ipondered on this surprising excursion, an apothecary in the neighbourhoodentered the chamber, and having examined the pulses of the ladies, declared that their lives were in no danger, and advised that they shouldbe undressed, and conveyed to bed. While their women were busied in thisemployment, I went into the court-yard, attended by some of the servantswith lights, in order to view the body of the man which I had found at myarrival. His apparel was mean, his countenance ferocious; a long spadowas buckled to his thigh, and, in his belt, were stuck a brace of loadedpistols; so that we concluded he was some thief, who had waited for anopportunity, and seeing the casement open, intended to rob the house, butwas prevented, and slain by Don Diego himself, whose retreat, however, did not a little confound our conjecture. For my own part, I remainedall night in the house, tortured with fear, vexation, and suspense. 

"My hope was altogether disappointed by this unhappy accident; and Ishuddered at the prospect of losing Serafina for ever, either by thismysterious malady, or by her marriage with Mendoza, which I now despairedof being able to defeat. The major-domo having waited several hours forhis lord's return, without seeing him appear, thought proper to despatcha messenger to Don Manuel, with an account of what had happened; and thatnobleman arriving in the morning, took possession of the house. Aboutfour o'clock in the afternoon, Serafina began to stir, and, at five, sheand her mother were perfectly awake. 

"They no sooner recovered the use of reflection, than they gave signs ofequal sorrow and amazement, and earnestly called for Isabella, who wasprivy to our design, and who, after a very minute inquiry, was found in alone and solitary chamber, where she had been confined. Such was theconfusion of the house, that no person ever dreamed of asking how Ientered, each domestic, in all probability, supposing I had beenintroduced by his fellow; so that I tarried unquestioned, on pretence ofconcern for the distress of a family in which I had been so generouslyentertained, and, by Isabella, sent my respects and duty to her ladies. She was, therefore, not a little surprised, when, after every otherservant had withdrawn, she heard the lovely Serafina exclaim, with allthe violence of grief, 'Ah! Isabella, Orlando is no more!' But theirastonishment was still greater, when she assured them of my being alive, and in the house. They recounted to her the adventure of last night, which she explained, by informing them of the letters which Don Diego hadintercepted. And they immediately concluded, that he had, in theprecipitation of his wrath, killed, by mistake, the person who was founddead in the court-yard. This conjecture alarmed them on my account;they, by the medium of Isabella, conjured me to leave the house, lest DonDiego should return, and accomplish his resentment; and I was persuadedto withdraw, after I had settled the channel of a correspondence with theconfidant. 

"Being now obliged to alter our measures, because our former intentionwas discovered by Don Diego, I secured a retreat for Serafina and hermother, at the house of the English consul in Seville, who was myparticular friend; and, next day, understanding from Isabella that herlord had not yet reappeared, and that Don Manuel was very urgent in hisaddresses, we concerted an assignation in the garden, and that sameevening I was fortunate enough to convey my prize to the asylum I hadprepared for their reception. Inexpressible was the rage of Mendoza, when he heard of their elopement. He raved like one deprived of reason--swore he would put all the servants of the family to the rack--and, inconsequence of the intelligence he obtained by threats and promises, seton foot a very strict inquiry, in order to apprehend the fugitives andOrlando, who had by some means or other incurred his suspicion. 

"We eluded his search by the vigilance and caution of our kind host; and, while we remained in concealment, were extremely astonished to hear thatthe unfortunate Don Diego was proclaimed a traitor, and a price set uponhis head. This information overwhelmed us all with the utmostaffliction. Antonia lamented, without ceasing, the disgrace of herbeloved lord, from whom she never would have withdrawn herself, but withthe lively hope of a reconciliation, after the first transports of hisire should have subsided, and the real character of Orlando should haveappeared. It was not long before we had reason to believe that Mendozawas the accuser of Don Diego--

"Nay, start not, Signior; Manuel was actually that traitor! This was theturn of his revenge! when he found himself disappointed in the hope ofpossessing the incomparable Serafina, he took a base advantage of yourabsence and retreat. He posted to Madrid, impeached you to the secretaryof state of having maintained a criminal correspondence with the enemiesof Spain, included me in his accusation, as a spy for the house ofAustria, and framed such a plausible tale, from the circumstances of yourdistress, that Don Diego was outlawed, and Mendoza gratified with a grantof his estate. 

"These melancholy incidents made a deep impression upon the mind of thevirtuous Antonia, who waiving every other consideration, would havepersonally appeared for the vindication of her husband's honour, had notwe dissuaded her from such a rash undertaking, by demonstrating herinability to contend with such a powerful antagonist; and representingthat her appearance would be infallibly attended with the ruin ofSerafina, who would certainly fall into the hands of the villain to whomshe had been contracted. We exhorted her to wait patiently for somehappy revolution of fortune, and encouraged her with the hope of DonDiego's exerting himself effectually in his own defence. 

"Meanwhile our worthy landlord was suddenly cut off by death; and hiswidow being resolved to retire into her own country, we secretly embarkedin the same ship, and arrived in England about eighteen months ago. Antonia still continued to pine over the ruin of her house; as she couldhear no tidings of Don Diego, she concluded he was dead, and mourned withunabating sorrow. In vain I assured her, that, soon as my own affairsshould be adjusted, I would exert my whole endeavours to find and succourhim. She could not imagine that a man of his spirit and dispositionwould live so long in obscurity. And her affliction derived new forcefrom the death of the consul's widow, with whom she had lived in the mostunbounded intimacy and friendship. From that day, her health evidentlydeclined. She foresaw her dissolution, and comforted herself with thehope of seeing her husband and her friend in a place where no treacheryis felt, and no sorrow is known; confident of my integrity, and thepurity of my love, she, in the most pathetic terms, recommended Serafinato my care. 

"Ha! weepest thou, fair excellence, at the remembrance of that tenderscene, when the good Antonia, on the bed of death, joined thy soft handto mine, and said, 'Renaldo, I bequeath this orphan to your love; it is asacred pledge, which, if you cherish with due honour and regard, internalpeace and happiness will ever smile within your bosom; but if you treatit with indifference, dishonour, or neglect, just Heaven will punish yourbreach of trust with everlasting disappointments and disquiet. '

"Signior Don Diego, I see you are moved, and therefore will not dwell onsuch distressful circumstances. The excellent Antonia exchanged thislife for a more happy state; and so exquisite was the sorrow of thetender-hearted Serafina, as to torture me with the apprehension that shewould not long survive her pious mother. How I obeyed the injunctions ofthat departing saint, Monimia (for that name she now assumed) cantestify, until that artful serpent Fathom glided into our mutualconfidence, abused our ears, poisoned our unsuspected faith, and effectedthat fatal breach, productive of all the misery and vexation which wehave suffered, and which is now so happily expelled. "

"Heaven, " said the Castilian, "hath visited me for the sins and errors ofmy youth; yet, such mercy hath been mingled with its chastisements, Idare not murmur or repine. The tears of penitence and sorrow shall watermy Antonia's grave; as for Mendoza, I rejoice at his treachery, by whichthe obligation of my promise is cancelled, and my honour fully acquitted. He shall not triumph in his guilt. My services, my character, andinnocence shall soon confront his perfidy, and, I hope, defeat hisinterest. The King is just and gracious, nor is my family and nameunknown. "

Here the Jew interposing, presented to him a letter from a person ofconsequence at Madrid, whom Joshua had interested in the cause of DonDiego; that nobleman had already found means to represent the case ofZelos to his Majesty, who had actually ordered Don Manuel to be confined, until the injured person should appear to justify himself, and prosecutehis accuser according to the terms of law. At the same time Don Diegowas summoned to present himself before the King within a limited time, toanswer to the charge which Mendoza had brought against him. 

The Spaniard's heart overflowed with gratitude and joy, when he read thisintimation; he embraced the Jew, who, before Zelos could give utteranceto his thoughts, told him that the Spanish Ambassador at London, havingbeen prepossessed in his favour, craved the honour of seeing Don Diego;and that he, Joshua, was ready to conduct him to the house. 

"Then is my heart at rest!" cried the Castilian; "the house of Zelos oncemore shall lift up its head. I shall again revisit my native countrywith honour, and abase the villain who hath soiled my fame! O mychildren! this day is replete with such joy and satisfaction, as I didnot think had been in the power of Heaven to grant, without theinterposition of a miracle! To you, Renaldo, to you illustrious lady, and to these worthy gentlemen, am I indebted for the restoration of thatfor which alone I wish to live; and when my heart ceases to retain theobligation, may I forfeit the name of a Castilian, and scorn anddishonour be my portion. "

Perhaps all Europe could not produce another company so happy as thatwhich now sat down to dinner in the house of Madam Clement, whose ownbenevolent heart was peculiarly adapted for such enjoyment. The loversfeasted their eyes more than their appetite, by a tender intercourse ofglances, which needed not the slow interpretation of speech; while theSpaniard regarded them alternately with looks of wonder and paternal joy, and every individual surveyed the all-deserving pair with admiration andesteem. 

Serafina taking the advantage of this general satisfaction, when theheart, softened into complacency, deposits every violent thought: "I mustnow, " said she, "try my interest with Renaldo. The good company shallbear witness to my triumph or repulse. I do not ask you to forgive, butto withhold your vengeance from the wretched Fathom. His fraud, ingratitude, and villany are, I believe, unrivalled; yet his base designshave been defeated; and Heaven perhaps hath made him the involuntaryinstrument for bringing our constancy and virtue to the test; besides, his perfidy is already punished with the last degree of human misery anddisgrace. The doctor, who has traced him in all his conduct andvicissitudes of fortune, will draw a picture of his present wretchedness, which, I doubt not, will move your compassion, as it hath already excitedmine. "

The generous hostess was ready to enforce this charitable proposal withall her eloquence, when Melvil, with a look that well expressed hismagnanimity of love, replied, "Such a boon becomes the gentle Serafina!O! every moment furnishes me with fresh matter to admire the virtues ofthy soul. If thou, whose tender heart hath been so rent with misery andanguish, canst intercede for thy tormentor, who now suffers in his turn, shall I refuse to pardon the miserable wretch! No, let me glory inimitating the great example, and solicit Don Diego in behalf of the samemiscreant whose perfidious barbarity cost him such intolerable woe. ""Enough, " cried the Castilian, "I have disclaimed the vindictiveprinciples of a Spaniard; and leave the miserable object to the sting ofhis own conscience, which, soon or late, will not fail to avenge thewrongs we have sustained from his deceit. "

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

THE HISTORY DRAWS NEAR A PERIOD. 

Universal was the applause which they acquired by this noble sacrifice oftheir resentment. The afternoon was spent in the utmost harmony andgood-humour; and at the earnest solicitation of Renaldo, whose fancystill harboured the apprehensions of another separation, Don Diegoconsented that the indissoluble knot should be tied between that younggentleman and Serafina in two days, and the place appointed for theceremony was the very church where they had been restored to the arms ofeach other. 

The lovely bride, with a silent blush that set her lover's heart on fire, submitted to this determination, in consequence of which the company wasbespoke for that auspicious hour, and the evening being pretty faradvanced, they took leave of the ladies, and retired to their respectivehomes; Don Diego and his future son-in-law being reconducted to theirlodgings, in the coach of the Jew, who, taking an opportunity of beingalone with Melvil, observed that it would be necessary on this occasionto supply the Castilian with a sum of money, in order to support hisdignity and independence, in furnishing Serafina with everything suitableto her rank and merit; and that he would willingly accommodate him, provided he knew how to propose it so as to give no offence to hispunctilious disposition. 

Renaldo, thanking him for this generous anticipation, advised him tosolicit the Spaniard's correspondence in the way of business, and to putthe whole on the footing of his own interest; by which means Don Diego'sdelicacy could sustain no affront. Fraught with this instruction, theIsraelite desired a private audience of the Castilian, in which, after anapology for the freedom of his demand, "Signior Don Diego, " said he, "asyour fortune hath been so long embezzled by your adversary in Spain, andyour correspondence with that country entirely cut off, it is not to besupposed that your finances are at present in such a condition as tomaintain the splendour of your family. Count de Melvil's whole fortuneis at your command; and had not he been afraid of giving umbrage to thepeculiar delicacy of your sentiments, he would have pressed you to use itfor your convenience. For my own part, over and above the inclination Ihave to serve Don Diego, I consult my own private advantage in desiringyou to accept my service on this occasion. Money is the chief commodityin which I deal, and, if you honour me with your commands, I shall be againer by my obedience. "

Don Diego replied, with a smile that denoted how well he understood themeaning of this address, "Surely, Signior, I am bound by the strongestties to exert my utmost endeavours for your advantage; and I pray Godthis your proposal may have that issue. I am well acquainted with theCount's generosity and refined notions of honour; and too much obliged byhim already, to hesitate with punctilious reserve in accepting his futureassistance. Nevertheless, since you have contrived a scheme for removingall scruples of that sort, I shall execute it with pleasure; and, in theform of business, you shall have all the security I can give for whatshall be necessary to answer my present occasions. "

The preliminaries being thus settled, Joshua advanced for his use athousand pounds, for which he would take neither bond, note, nor receipt, desiring only that the Castilian would mark it in his own pocket-book, that the debt might appear, in case any accident should befall theborrower. Although the Spaniard had been accustomed to the uncommongenerosity of Melvil, he could not help wondering at this nobleness ofbehaviour, so little to be expected from any merchant, much less from aJewish broker. 

While this affair was on the anvil, Renaldo, who could no longer withholdthe communication of his happiness from his sister and relations inGermany, took up the pen, and, in a letter to his brother-in-law, recounted all the circumstances of the surprising turn of fate which hehad experienced since his arrival in England. He likewise related thestory of Don Diego, informed them of the day appointed for his nuptials, and entreated the Major to make a journey to London with his wife; or, ifthat should be impracticable, to come as far as Brussels, where theyshould be met by him and his Serafina. There was now but one day betweenhim and the accomplishment of his dearest wish, and that was spent inprocuring a licence, and adjusting the preparations for the grandfestival. Don Diego in the forenoon visited Madam Clement, to whom herepeated his warm acknowledgments of her bounty and maternal affection tohis daughter, and presented to Serafina bank notes to the amount of fivehundred pounds, to defray the necessary expense for her weddingornaments. 

All the previous steps being taken for the solemnisation of thisinteresting event, and the hour of appointment arrived, the bridegroom, accompanied by his father-in-law, hastened to the place of rendezvous, which was the vestry-room of the church we have already described; wherethey were received by the good clergyman in his canonicals; and here theyhad not waited many minutes, when they were joined by Madam Clement andthe amiable bride, escorted by the friendly physician, who had all alongborne such a share in their concerns. Serafina was dressed in a sack ofwhite satin, and the ornaments of her head were adjusted in the Spanishfashion, which gave a peculiar air to her appearance, and an additionalspirit to those attractions which engaged the heart of each beholder. There was nothing remarkable in the habit of Renaldo, who had copied theplainness and elegance of his mistress; but, when she entered the place, his features were animated with a double proportion of vivacity, andtheir eyes meeting, seemed to kindle a blaze which diffused warmth andjoy through the countenances of all present. 

After a short pause, her father led her to the altar, and gave her awayto the transported Renaldo, before the priest who performed the ceremony, and bestowed the nuptial benediction on this enraptured pair. Thesanction of the church being thus obtained, they withdrew into thevestry, where Melvil sealed his title on her rosy lips, and presented hiswife to the company, who embraced her in their turns, with fervent wishesfor their mutual happiness. 

Though the scene of this transaction was remote from any inhabitedneighbourhood, the church was surrounded by a crowd of people, who, withuncommon demonstration of surprise and admiration, petitioned Heaven tobless so fair a couple. Such indeed was their eagerness to see them, that some lives were endangered by the pressure of the crowd, whichattended them with loud acclamations to the coach, after the bridegroomhad deposited in the hands of the minister one hundred pounds for thebenefit of the poor of that parish, and thrown several handfuls ofmoney among the multitude. Serafina re-embarked in Madam Clement'sconvenience, with that good lady and Don Diego, while Renaldo, withthe clergyman and doctor, followed in Joshua's coach, to a pleasantcountry-house upon the Thames, at a distance of a few miles from London. This the Jew had borrowed from the owner for a few days, and there theywere received by that honest Hebrew, who had provided a very elegantentertainment for the occasion. He had also bespoke a small butexcellent band of music, which regaled their ears while they sat atdinner; and the afternoon being calm and serene, he prevailed on them totake the air on the river, in a barge which he had prepared for thepurpose. 

But, notwithstanding this diversity of amusement, Renaldo would havefound it the longest day he had ever passed, had not his imaginationbeen diverted by an incident which employed his attention during theremaining part of the evening. They had drunk tea, and engaged in aparty at whist, when they were surprised with a noise of contention froma public-house, that fronted the windows of the apartment in which theysat. Alarmed at this uproar, they forsook their cards, and, throwing upthe casement, beheld a hearse surrounded by four men on horseback, whohad stopped the carriage, and violently pulled the driver from his seat. This uncommon arrest had engaged the curiosity of the publican's family, who stood at the door to observe the consequence, when all of a suddenappeared a person in canonicals, well mounted, who, riding up to thosewho maltreated the driver, bestowed upon one of them such a blow with thebutt-end of his whip, as laid him sprawling on the ground; and, springingfrom his saddle upon the box, took the reins into his own hand, swearingwith great vehemence, that he would murder every man who should attemptto obstruct the hearse. 

The good priest who had married Renaldo was not a little scandalised atthis ferocious behaviour in a clergyman, and could not help saying aloud, he was a disgrace to the cloth when the horseman looking up to thewindow, replied, "Sir, may I be d--n'd, if any man in England has agreater respect for the cloth than I have; but at present I am quitedistracted. " So saying, he whipped up the horses, and had actuallydisentangled the hearse from those who surrounded it, when he was opposedby another troop, one of whom alighted with great expedition, and cut theharness so as that he could not possibly proceed. Finding himself thusdriven to bay, he leaped upon the ground, and exercised his weapon withsuch amazing strength and agility, that several of his antagonists wereleft motionless on the field, before he was overpowered and disarmed bydint of numbers, who assailed him on all sides. 

The mad parson being thus taken prisoner, an elderly person, of a veryprepossessing appearance, went up to the hearse, and, unbolting the door, a young lady sprung out, and shrieking, ran directly to the public-house, to the infinite astonishment and affright of the whole family, whobelieved it was the spirit of the deceased person, whose body lay in thecarriage. Renaldo, who was with difficulty restrained from interposingin behalf of the clergyman against such odds, no sooner perceived thisapparition, than, supposing her to be some distressed damsel, hisQuixotism awoke, he descended in an instant, and rushed into the house, among those that pursued the fair phantom. Don Diego and the physiciantook the same road, while the real clergyman and Joshua tarried with theladies, who were, by this time, very much interested in the event. 

Melvil found the young lady in the hands of the old gentleman, who hadreleased her from the hearse, and who now bitterly upbraided her for herfolly and disobedience; while she protested with great vivacity, thatwhatever she might suffer from his severity, she would never submit tothe hateful match he had proposed, nor break the promise she had alreadymade to the gentleman who now attempted to rescue her from the tyranny ofa cruel father. This declaration was followed by a plentiful shower oftears, which the father could not behold with unmoistened eyes, althoughhe reviled her with marks of uncommon displeasure; and turning to theCount, "I appeal to you, sir, " said he, "whether I have not reason tocurse the undutiful obstinacy of that pert baggage, and renounce her forever as an alien to my blood. She has, for some months, been solicitedin marriage by an honest citizen, a thirty thousand pound man; andinstead of listening to such an advantageous proposal, she hath bestowedher heart upon a young fellow not worth a groat. Ah! you degeneratehussy, this comes of your plays and romances. If thy mother were not awoman of an unexceptionable life and conversation, I should verilybelieve thou art no child of mine. Run away with a beggar! for shame!"

"I suppose, " replied Renaldo, "the person to whom your daughter'saffection inclines, is that clergyman who exerted himself so manfully atthe door?" "Clergyman!" cried the other, "adad! he has more of the devilthan the church about him. A ruffian! he has, for aught I know, murderedthe worthy gentleman whom I intended for my son-in-law; and the rogue, ifI had not kept out of his way, would, I suppose, have served me with thesame sauce. Me! who have been his master for many years, and hadresolved to make a man of him. Sir, he was my own clerk, and this is thereturn I have met with from the serpent which I cherished in my bosom. "

Here he was interrupted by the arrival of the citizen for whom he hadexpressed such concern; that gentleman had received a contusion upon oneeye, by which the sight was altogether obstructed, so that he concludedhe should never retrieve the use of that organ, and with great clamourtook all the spectators to witness the injury he had sustained; heentered the room with manifest perturbation, demanded satisfaction of thefather, and peremptorily declared it should not be a lost eye to him ifthere was law in England. This unseasonable demand, and the boisterousmanner in which it was made, did not at all suit the present humour ofthe old gentleman, who told him peevishly he owed him no eye, and badehim go and ask reparation of the person who had done him wrong. 

The young lady snatching this favourable occasion, earnestly entreatedMelvil and his company to intercede with her father in behalf of herlover, who, she assured them, was a young gentleman of a good family, anduncommon merit; and in compliance with her request they invited him andhis daughter to the house in which they lodged, where they would bedisencumbered of the crowd which this dispute had gathered together, andmore at leisure to consult about the measures necessary to be taken. Theold gentleman thanked them for their courtesy, which he did not thinkproper to refuse, and while he led, or rather hauled Mademoiselle overthe way, under the auspices of the Castilian, Renaldo set the lover atliberty, made him a tender of his good offices, and advised him to waitat the public-house for an happy issue of their negotiation. 

The pseudo-parson was very much affected by this generous proffer, forwhich he made suitable acknowledgments, and protested before God he woulddie a thousand deaths rather than part with his dear Charlotte. Herfather no sooner entered the apartment, than he was known by Joshua to bea considerable trader in the city of London, and the merchant was glad tofind himself among his acquaintance. He was so full of the story whichhad brought him thither, that he had scarce sat down when he began tocomplain of his hard fate, in having an only child who was so mean, stubborn, and contumacious; and every sentence was concluded with anapostrophe of reproaches to the delinquent. 

The Jew having allowed him to ring out his alarm, condoled hismisfortune, and gravely counselled the young lady to wean her affectionsfrom such an unworthy object, for he supposed her favourite was a man ofno principle, or liberal endowments, otherwise her father would notexclaim so bitterly against her conduct. Charlotte, who wanted neitherbeauty nor understanding, assured him that her lover's character was, inall respects, unblemished, for the truth of which assertion she appealedto her papa, who owned, with reluctance, that the young man was agentleman by birth, that he had served him with remarkable diligence andintegrity, and that his accomplishments were far superior to his stationin life. "But then, " said he, "the fellow has not a shilling of his own, and would you have me give away my daughter to a beggar?"

"God forbid!" cried the Jew, "I always understood you possessed an amplefortune, and am sorry to find it otherwise. " "Otherwise!" cried thecitizen, with some acrimony, "take care what you say, sir; a merchant'scredit is not to be tampered with. " "I beg your pardon, " answered theHebrew, "I concluded that your circumstances were bad, because youobjected to the poverty of the young man after you had owned he waspossessed of every other qualification to make your daughter happy; forit is not to be imagined that you would thwart her inclinations, or seekto render an only child miserable on account of an obstacle which youyourself could easily remove. Let us suppose you can afford to give withyour daughter ten thousand pounds, which would enable this young man tolive with credit and reputation, and engage advantageously in trade, forwhich you say he is well qualified, the alternative then will be, whetheryou would rather see her in the arms of a deserving youth whom she loves, enjoying all the comforts of life with a moderate fortune, which it willalways be in your own power to improve, or tied for life to a monied manwhom she detests, cursing her hard fate, and despising that superfluityof wealth, in spite of which she finds herself so truly wretched. "

The old gentleman seemed to be startled at this observation, which wasreinforced by Renaldo's saying, that he would, moreover, enjoy theunutterable pleasure of giving happiness to a worthy man, whose gratitudewould co-operate with his love, in approving himself a dutiful son, aswell as an affectionate husband. He then represented the familydisquiets and dismal tragedies produced from such mercenary andcompulsive matches, and, in conclusion related the story of Don Diego andhis daughter, which when the merchant heard, he started up with marks ofterror in his countenance, and, throwing up the casement, called uponValentine with great vociferation. This was the name of his daughter'sadmirer, who no sooner heard the summons than he flew to the spot fromwhence it came, and the merchant, without any further preamble, seizinghis hand, joined it with that of Charlotte, saying, with greattrepidation, "Here, take her, in the name of God, and thank thishonourable company for your good fortune. "

The lovers were transported with exquisite joy at this suddendetermination in their favour. Valentine, having kissed the hand of hismistress with all the eagerness of rapture, and acknowledged themerchant's generosity, paid his respects to the ladies with a very politeaddress, and with demonstrations of uncommon gratitude and sensibility, thanked the gentlemen, and the Count in particular, for their goodoffices, to which he attributed the happiness he now enjoyed. WhileSerafina and Madam Clement caressed the amiable Charlotte, the rest ofthe company congratulated her admirer upon his choice and success, thoughthe clergyman could not help reprehending him for profaning thesacerdotal habit. 

Valentine heartily asked pardon for having given such cause of offence, and hoped he should be forgiven, as it was a disguise which he thoughtabsolutely necessary for the execution of a scheme upon which hishappiness depended. He then, at the request of Renaldo, unfolded themystery of the hearse, by giving them to understand that Charlotte'sfather having got inkling of their mutual passion, had dismissed hisclerk, and conveyed his daughter to a country-house in the neighbourhoodof London, in order to cut off their correspondence; notwithstandingthese precautions they had found means to communicate with each other byletters, which were managed by a third person; and his rival being veryimportunate in his solicitations, they had concerted the expedient of thehearse, which he provided and conducted through a road contiguous to theend of the merchant's garden, where Charlotte, being apprised of thedesign, waited for its approach, and embarked in it without hesitation. Valentine thought himself sufficiently screened from discovery by hisdisguise, but he was unfortunately met by a servant of the family, whorecollected his features, and immediately gave the alarm, upon which thefather and his friends took horse, and pursued them by two differentroads, until they were overtaken at this place. 

He had scarce finished this short relation, when his rival, bluntlyentering the apartment, with an handkerchief tied round his eye, committed Valentine to the charge of a constable, who attended him, by awarrant from a justice of the peace in that neighbourhood, and threatenedto prosecute the merchant on an action of damages for the loss of an eye, which he said he had sustained in his service. The company endeavouredto appease this citizen, by representing that his misfortune was no otherthan a common inflammation, nor was it owing to malice aforethought, butentirely to the precipitate passion of an incensed young man, who, by thebye, acted in his own defence. At the same time the merchant promised tomake any reasonable satisfaction, upon which the other demanded anobligation, importing that he would, in ten days from the date, bestowupon him his daughter in marriage, with a portion of fifteen thousandpounds, or, in case of failure, pay him double the sum. 

The merchant, exasperated at this extravagant demand, told him flatly hehad already disposed of his daughter to Valentine, who, he believed, wasa much more deserving man, and that he was ready to wait upon themagistrate who had granted the warrant, in order to give bail for hisfuture son-in-law. This was a mortifying declaration to the plaintiff, though he condoled himself with the hope of being a gainer by the loss ofhis eye, and now the pain was over would have been very sorry to find hissight retrieved. The old gentleman, Joshua, and Renaldo accompanied theprisoner to the house of the justice, where he was immediately admittedto bail. Upon their return Valentine shifted his dress, and they suppedtogether with great cordiality and mirth, maintained at the expense ofthe discarded lover. 

After supper Don Diego walked a minuet with Madam Clement; for whom, bythis time, he had contracted an extraordinary degree of affection. Valentine had the honour to dance with the incomparable Serafina, whosebeauty and attractions dazzled the eyes of the new-comers, and struck herbashful partner with awe and confusion; and Melvil presented his hand tothe agreeable Charlotte, who performed so much to the satisfaction of herfather, that he could not help expressing his joy and pride. He praisedGod for throwing him in the way of our company, and engaged the clergymanto unite the young couple, after having appointed a day for the ceremony, and invited all present to the wedding. The evening having beeninsensibly consumed in these avocations, and the night pretty faradvanced, the ladies withdrew without ceremony; and the retreat ofSerafina filled Renaldo's breast with tumult and emotion; his blood beganto flow in impetuous tides, his heart to beat with redoubled vigour andvelocity, while his eyes seemed to flash with more than human splendour. Now his imagination began to anticipate with the enthusiastic rage of aninspired sibyl; he was instantaneously transported from the conversation, and every nerve was braced to such a degree of impatience, that humannature could not long endure the tension. 

He, therefore, having withstood the impulse about a quarter of an hour, at length gave way to his impetuosity, and, springing from his friends, found himself in a dark passage, at the farther end of which he perceivedMadam Clement coming out of a chamber with a light, which, at sight ofhim, she set down, and vanished in a moment. This was the star thatpointed to his paradise; he hailed the signal, entered the apartment, and, like a lion, rushing on his prey, approached the nuptial bed, whereSerafina, surrounded by all the graces of beauty, softness, sentiment, and truth, lay trembling as a victim at the altar, and strove to hide herblushes from his view--the door was shut, the light extinguished--heowned his lot was more than mortal man could claim. 

Here let me draw the decent veil that ought to shade the secret mysteriesof Hymen. Away, unhallowed scoffers, who profane, with idle pleasantryor immodest hint, these holy rites; and leave those happy lovers toenjoy, in one another's arms, unutterable bliss, the well-earned palm ofvirtue and of constancy, which had undergone the most severe refinement. A more deserving pair night's curtain shrouds not in its dark extent. 

The thoughts of Renaldo's felicity threw a damp on the spirits ofValentine, who saw the term of his probation protracted a few dayslonger, and could not help wishing in his heart that he had achieved theadventure which would have abridged his expectation, though at theexpense of the old gentleman's displeasure. He filled a bumper to thehealth of the bride and bridegroom, and throwing up his eyes with marksof admiration, exclaimed, "How happy is the Count! alas! five days longermust I rein my impatience!" "It is but reasonable, you rogue, that yourbetters should have the start of you, " said the merchant, who did himjustice in the glass, and counselled him to drown his impatience withgood claret. The youth followed his advice, and it was late before thecompany retired to rest. 

These citizens, however, resolved to seize an opportunity of rallying thenew-married couple, according to custom, and with that view arose earlyin the morning, on the supposition of finding them still asleep; but theywere not a little surprised, when they entered the breakfasting room, tosee Renaldo, and his amiable bed-fellow, already dressed, and awaiting todo the honours of the house. The old gentleman would fain have cracked ajoke upon their extraordinary despatch, but he was so much overawed bythe dignity and tamed by the sweetness of Serafina's carriage, that hedurst not give utterance to his conception; and Valentine stood silentand abashed, as in the presence of a superior being. After breakfastthese gentlemen and Charlotte again expressed their sense of theobligations they owed to this happy family, repeated their invitation, and, taking leave, returned to London in a coach that was providedovernight. 

Our friends being thus left to themselves, Don Diego turned towardsMelvil: "Now, " said he, "that I have yielded to the impatience of yourlove, as well as to the eagerness of my own desire to make you happy, Imust beg leave to interrupt, for a little while, the stream of yourmutual pleasure, and propose a melancholy excursion, which, however, willnot be wholly void of enjoyment. I have too long delayed the performanceof my duty at Antonia's grave--let us spend the forenoon in that piouspilgrimage--I will drop a few tears to the memory of that excellentwoman, and never afterwards shall my friends be troubled with my grief. "

The proposal being universally approved, they set out for the place, which had oft been visited by the gentle Serafina, who conducted herfather to a black marble stone, which Renaldo had ordered to be laid overthe grave; and, as he kneeled to kiss the monument, he perceived thisplain inscription in the Spanish tongue:--Antonia de Zelos primera entodo lo que es ser bueno, y sin segundo en todo lo que fue serdesdichado, quedad con Dios! that is, Antonia de Zelos, unmatched invirtue, and unequalled in misfortune, adieu! "O faithful record!" criedthe Castilian, smiting his breast, while his tears distilled upon themarble, "thy goodness was the gift of Heaven, but thy misfortunes werederived from the guilt of Don Diego; yet his sorrow shall expiate hisoffence, and his penitence find favour in the sight of Heaven! Rest, rest, ill-fated virtue!--eternal peace shall guard thy tomb, and angelsminister to thy unspotted shade; nor shall thine ashes lie in darkobscurity here will I raise a monument, more suited to thy excellence andname. " Serafina melted with filial tenderness; nor were the rest unmovedat this affecting scene, which Don Diego did not quit without reluctance. 

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

THE LONGEST AND THE LAST. 

The nature of this visit had softened every heart, and saddened everycountenance; and they walked in solemn silence to the other side of thechurch-yard, in order to regain their carriages; when, at the turning ofthe stile, they saw a young woman, in wretched attire, running out of apoor habitation, wringing her hands in all the agony of despair. Notwithstanding the distraction in her countenance, and the meanness ofher apparel, she discovered a regularity of features, and a delicacy ofair, which did not at all correspond with the misery of her equipage. These exhibitions of extreme distress soon attracted the notice andcompassion of our company, and Melvil's beauteous help-mate, accostingthis forlorn damsel with a pity-breathing aspect, asked the cause of herdisorder. 

"Alas! dear lady, " cried the other, with all the emphasis of woe, "anunhappy gentleman now breathes his last within this inhospitable hovel, amidst such excess of misery as would melt the most flinty bosom. Whatthen must I feel, who am connected with him by the strongest ties of loveand conjugal affection?" "Who is the unfortunate object?" said thephysician. "He was once well known in the gay world, " replied the youngwoman; "his name is Fathom. " Every individual of the company started atmention of that detested name. Serafina began to tremble with emotion;and Renaldo, after a short pause, declared he would go in, not with aview to exult over his misery, but in order to contemplate thecatastrophe of such a wicked life, that the moral might be the moredeeply engraved on his remembrance. The young Countess, whose tenderheart could not bear the shock of such a spectacle, retired to the coachwith Madam Clement and the Jew, while Renaldo, accompanied by the rest, entered a dismal apartment, altogether void of furniture and convenience, where they beheld the wretched hero of these memoirs stretched almostnaked upon straw, insensible, convulsed, and seemingly in the grasp ofdeath. He was worn to the bone either by famine or distemper; his facewas overshadowed with hair and filth; his eyes were sunk, glazed, anddistorted; his nostrils dilated; his lips covered with a black slough;and his complexion faded into a pale clay-colour, tending to a yellowhue. In a word, the extremity of indigence, squalor, and distress couldnot be more feelingly represented. 

While Melvil perused this melancholy lesson, and groaning, cried, "Beholdthe fate of man!" he perceived a letter in the right hand of theunfortunate Fathom, which lay fast clenched across his breast. Curiousto know the contents of this paper, which the young woman said he hadkept in that position for several days, he drew nearer the wretchedcouch, and was not a little surprised to see it addressed to the RightHonourable Renaldo Count de Melvil, to the care of Mr. Joshua Manesseh, merchant in London. When he attempted to disengage this billet from theauthor's hand, the sorrowing female fell upon her knees, entreating himto desist, and telling him, she had promised, upon oath, to communicatethe contents to no person upon earth, but to carry the letter, upon herhusband's decease, to the gentleman to whose care it was directed. 

Renaldo assured her, upon his honour, that he was the very Renaldo Countde Melvil, for whom it was intended; and the young creature was so muchconfounded at this information, that, before she could recollect herself, Melvil had opened the billet, and read these words: "If this paper shouldfall into the hands of the noble Renaldo, he will understand, that Fathomwas the most execrable traitor that ever imposed upon unsuspectingbenevolence, or attempted to betray a generous benefactor. His wholelife was a series of fraud, perfidy, and the most abominable ingratitude. But, of all the crimes that lay heavy upon his soul, his being accessoryto the death of the incomparable Serafina, whose father he had alsorobbed, was that for which he despaired of Heaven's forgiveness, notwithstanding the dreadful compunction and remorse which have longpreyed upon his heart, together with the incredible misery and deplorabledeath which by this time he hath undergone. Though these sufferings andsorrows cannot atone for his enormous guilt, perhaps they will excite thecompassion of the humane Count de Melvil; at least, this confession, which my conscience dictates under all the terrors of death and futurity, may be a warning for him to avoid henceforth a smiling villain, like theexecrable Fathom, upon whose miserable soul Almighty God have mercy. "

Renaldo was deeply affected with the contents of this scroll, whichdenoted such horror and despair. He saw there could be no dissimulationor sinister design in this profession of penitence. He beheld thecondition of the writer, which put all his humane passions in commotion;so that he remembered nothing of Fathom but his present distress. Hecould scarce maintain those indications which might have been justlydeemed the effect of weakness and infirmity; and having desired thephysician and clergyman to contribute their assistance for the benefit ofthat wretch's soul and body, he ran to the coach, and communicated theletter to the ladies; at the same time drawing a picture of the object hehad seen, which brought tears into the eyes of the gentle Serafina, whoearnestly entreated her lord to use his endeavours for the relief andrecovery of the unhappy man, that he might, if possible, live to enjoythe benefit of mature repentance, and not die in that dreadful despairwhich he manifested in the letter. 

Renaldo, returning to the house, found the pious clergyman readingprayers with great fervency, while Don Diego stood with his right handupon his breast, looking steadfastly upon the agonising Fathom, and theyoung woman kneeled, with her streaming eyes lifted up to heaven, in anecstasy of grief and devotion. The physician had run to an apothecary'sshop in the neighbourhood, from whence he soon returned with anassistant, who applied a large blister to the back of the miserablepatient, while the female, by the doctor's direction, moistened his mouthwith a cordial which he had prescribed. 

These charitable steps being taken, Count de Melvil entreated theapothecary's servant to procure a tent-bed for the accommodation of thesick person with all imaginable despatch; and, in less than an hour, onewas actually pitched, and Fathom lifted into it, after he had beenshifted, and in some measure purified from the dregs of his indigence. During this transaction the ladies were conducted to a tavern not faroff, where dinner was bespoke, that they might be at hand to see theeffect of their charity, which was not confined to what we have alreadydescribed, but extended so far, that, in a little time, the apartment wascomfortably furnished, and the young creature provided with change ofapparel, and money to procure the necessaries of subsistence. 

Notwithstanding all their care, the wretched Fathom still remainedinsensible, and the doctor pronounced a very unfavourable prognostic, while he ordered a pair of additional vesicatories to be laid upon hisarms, and other proper medicines to be administered. After dinner, theladies ventured to visit the place, and when Serafina crossed thethreshold, the weeping female fell at her feet, and, kissing her robe, exclaimed, "Sure you are an angel from heaven. "

The alteration in her dress had made a very agreeable change in herappearance, so that the Countess could now look upon her withoutshuddering at her distress. And, as Fathom was not in a condition to bedisturbed, she took this opportunity of inquiring by what steps thatunfortunate wretch was conveyed from the prison, in which she knew he hadbeen confined, to the place where he now lay in such extremity; and bywhat occurrence he had found a wife in such an abyss of misfortune. Herethe other's tears began to flow afresh. "I am ashamed, " said she, "toreveal my own folly; yet I dare not refuse a satisfaction of this kind toa person who has laid me under such signal obligations. "

She then proceeded to relate her story, by which it appeared, she was noother than the fair and unhappy Elenor, whom the artful Fathom haddebauched upon his first arrival in town, in the manner already describedin these memoirs. "Heaven, " continued she, "was pleased to restore theuse of my reason, which I had lost when I found myself abandoned by theCount; but, all my connexion with my own family being entirely cut off, and every door shut against a poor creature who could procure norecommendation, except the certificate signed by the physician of Bedlam, which, instead of introducing me to service, was an insurmountableobjection to my character, I found myself destitute of all means ofsubsisting, unless I would condescend to live the infamous and wretchedlife of a courtezan, an expedient rendered palatable by the terrors ofwant, cooperating with the reflection of the irretrievable loss I hadalready sustained. I ask pardon for offending your chaste ears with thisimpure confession of my guilt, which, Heaven knows, I then did, and nowdo look upon with abhorrence and detestation. I had already forfeited myinnocence, and wanted resolution to encounter misery and death. Nevertheless, before I could determine to embrace the condition of aprostitute, I was one day accosted in the Park by an elderly gentlemanwho sat down by me upon a bench, and, taking notice of the despondencewhich was evident in my countenance, pressed me to make him acquaintedwith the nature of my misfortune. So much sympathy and good senseappeared in his deportment and conversation, that I gratified hisrequest, and he, in return for my confidence, saved me from the mosthorrible part of my prospect, by taking me into his protection, andreserving me for his own appetite. In this situation I lived a wholeyear, until I was deprived of my keeper by an apoplectic fit, and turnedout of doors by his relations, who did not, however, strip me of theclothes and moveables which I owed to his bounty. Far from being as yetreconciled to a vicious life, I resolved to renounce the paths of shame, and, converting my effects into ready money, hired a small shop, andfurnished it with haberdashery ware, intending to earn an honestlivelihood by the sale of these commodities, together with the plain workin which I hoped to be employed so soon as my talents should be known. But this scheme did not answer my expectation. The goods spoiled upon myhands, and, as I was a stranger in the neighbourhood, nobody wouldintrust me with any other business. So that, notwithstanding the mostparsimonious economy, I ran in debt to my landlord, who seized myeffects; and an hosier, from whom I had received some parcels uponcredit, took out a writ against me, by virtue of which I was arrested andimprisoned in the Marshalsea, where I found my first seducer. GoodHeaven! what did I feel at this unexpected meeting, overwhelmed as I wasbefore with my own distress! I with a loud scream fainted away, and, when I recovered, found myself in the arms of Mr. Fathom, who wept overme with great affliction. All his prospects of gaiety had now vanished, and his heart was softened by his own misfortunes, to a feeling ofanother's woe, as well as to a due sense of his own guilt. He expressedthe deepest sorrow for having been the occasion of my ruin, endeavouredto comfort me with a promise of assistance, and indeed, by practisingmedicine among the prisoners, made shift to keep us both from starving. But surely no sinner underwent such severe remorse as that which hesuffered during his imprisonment. From the day of our meeting, I neveronce saw him smile; a melancholy cloud continually overhung hiscountenance. He numbered the minutes by his groans, he used to startwith horror from his sleep, and, striking his breast, would exclaim, 'OElenor! I am the worst of villains!' Sometimes he seemed disordered inhis brain, and raved about Renaldo and Monimia. In a word, his mind wasin a dreadful situation, and all his agonies were communicated to me, whom by this time he had married, in order to make some atonement for mywrongs. Wretched as he then was, I remembered the accomplished youthwho had captivated my virgin heart, the old impressions still remained, Isaw his penitence, pitied his misfortune, and his wife being dead, consented to join his fate, the ceremony having been performed by afellow-prisoner, who was in orders. Though his hard-hearted creditor hadno other chance of being paid, than that of setting him at liberty, helent a deaf ear to all our supplications; and this cruelty conspiringwith the anguish of my husband's own reflection, affected his health andspirits to such a degree, that he could no longer earn the miserablepittance which had hitherto supported our lives. Then our calamitiesbegan to multiply. Indigence and famine stared us in the face; and itwas with the utmost difficulty that we resisted their attacks, by sellingor pledging our wearing apparel, until we were left almost quite naked, when we found ourselves discharged by an act passed for the relief ofinsolvent debtors. This charitable law, which was intended for aconsolation to the wretched, proved to us the most severe disaster; forwe were turned out into the streets, utterly destitute of food, raiment, and lodging, at a time when Mr. Fathom was so weakened by his distemper, that he could not stand alone. I supported him from door to door, imploring the compassion of charitable Christians, and was at lengthpermitted to shelter him in this miserable place, where his diseasegaining ground, he lay three days in that deplorable condition, fromwhich he hath now been rescued, though I fear too late, by your humanityand benevolence. "

She shed a flood of tears at the conclusion of this mournful tale, whichdid not fail to affect the whole audience, especially Serafina, whoassured her, that, whatever should happen to her husband, she mightdepend upon finding favour and protection, provided her conduct shouldcorrespond with her professions. While this grateful creature kissed thehand of her kind benefactress, Fathom uttered a groan, began to stir inthe bed, and with a languid voice called upon Elenor, who, instantlywithdrawing the curtain, presented the whole company to his view. He hadnow retrieved the use of his perception by the operation of the blisters, which began to torture him severely; he looked around him with amazementand affright, and distinguishing the three persons against whom the chiefarrows of his fraud and treachery had been levelled, he concluded that hewas now arrived at the land of departed souls, and that the shades ofthose whom he had so grievously injured were come to see him tormentedaccording to his demerits. 

Fraught with this notion, which was confirmed by the bodily pain which hefelt, and the appearance of the clergyman and Joshua, whom he mistook forthe ministers of vengeance, he cried in a tone replete with horror, "Isthere no mercy then for penitence? Is there no pity due to the miseriesI suffered upon earth? Save me, O bountiful Heaven! from the terrors ofeverlasting woe; hide me from these dreadful executioners, whose looksare torture. Forgive me, generous Castilian. O Renaldo! thou hadst oncea tender heart. I dare not lift my eyes to Serafina! that pattern ofhuman excellence, who fell a victim to my atrocious guilt; yet her aspectis all mildness and compassion. Hah! are not these the drops of pity?Yes, they are the tears of mercy. They fall like refreshing showers uponmy drooping soul! Ah, murdered innocence! wilt thou not intercede forthy betrayer at the throne of grace!"

Here he was interrupted by Melvil, who with a grave and solemn airpronounced, "Great hath been thy guilt, unhappy Ferdinand, and great havebeen thy sufferings. Yet we come not to insult, but to alleviate thydistress. Providence hath kindly defeated thy dire intentions, which wetherefore now forgive and transmit to oblivion, whether it be thy lot toyield up thy spirit immediately, or to survive the dangerous malady withwhich thou art at present overwhelmed. Suffer not thyself to despair;for the mercy of Heaven is infinite; and submit to the directions of thisworthy gentleman, who will employ his skill for thy recovery, while weshall take care to furnish thee with necessary attendance. As too muchspeaking may be prejudicial to thy health, I dispense with thy reply, andexhort thee to compose thyself to rest. " So saying, he drew the curtain, and the company retired, leaving Fathom entranced with wonder. 

The next step which Renaldo took for the benefit of this wretchedpenitent, was to send for the apothecary, with whom he left a sum ofmoney to be expended for the convenience of Fathom and his wife; then helaid injunctions upon the physician to repeat his visits; and thatgentleman, together with the clergyman and Joshua, taking leave ofthe others till next day, the Count set out with the ladies and hisfather-in-law to the house where they had lodged the preceding night. 

The reader may well imagine the conversation of the evening turned whollyupon the strange occurrence of the day, which seemed to have beenconcerted by supernatural prescience, in order to satisfy the vengeance, and afford matter of triumph to the generosity of those who had been sogrievously injured by the guilty Fathom. Though not one of them wouldsay that such a miscreant ought to live, yet all concurred in approvingthe offices of humanity which had been performed, and even endeavoured tofind specious pretext for vindicating their compassion. Don Diego said, it would ill become a transgressor like him to withhold his forgivenessfrom a sinner who had wronged him. Madam Clement appealed to theapprobation of Heaven, which had undoubtedly directed them that way, forthe purpose they had fulfilled. Serafina observed, that the crimes ofthe delinquent were obliterated by his sorrow, misery, and repentance. Renaldo honestly owned, that, exclusive of other reasons, he could notdeny himself the luxurious enjoyment of communicating happiness to hisfellow-creatures in distress; and each fervently prayed, that theircharity might not be disappointed by the death of the object. 

While they amused themselves in these discussions, Fathom, after havinglain some hours silent, in consequence of Renaldo's advice, could nolonger suppress the astonishment of his mind, but, addressing himself tohis wife, "O Elenor!" said he, "my delirium is now past; though I stillremember the phantasies of my distempered brain. Among other reveries, my imagination was regaled with a vision so perfect and distinct, as toemulate truth and reality. Methought Count de Melvil, Don Diego deZelos, and the divine Serafina, the very persons who are now cryingbefore the throne of Heaven for vengeance against the guilty Fathom, stood by my bedside, with looks of pity and forgiveness; and that Renaldospoke peace to my despairing soul. I heard the words distinctly. Iretain them in my memory. I saw the tears trickle from Serafina's eyes. I heard her father utter a compassionate sigh; and should actuallybelieve that they were personally present, had not I long ago seen withmy own eyes the funeral procession of that young lady, whose wrongs Godpardon; and were I not convinced that such a meeting could not beeffected without the immediate and miraculous interposition of Heaven. Yet everything I now see corresponds with the words of Renaldo, whichstill sound in my ears. When my perception forsook me, I lay in the mostabject misery, among straw; and thou, poor injured innocence, wast nakedand forlorn. Now, I find myself reposed in a warm, easy, comfortablebed. I see around me the marks of human charity and care, and thefavourable change in thy appearance glads my poor dejected heart. Say, whence this happy alteration? Do I really awake from that dream ofmisery in which we have continued so long? or do I still utter theextravagant ravings of a distempered brain?"

Elenor was afraid of imparting at once all the particulars of the happychange he had undergone, lest they might leave a dangerous impressionupon his fancy, which was not yet duly composed. She contented herself, therefore, with telling him, that he had been obliged to the humanity ofa gentleman and lady, who chanced to pass that way by accident, and who, understanding his deplorable case, had furnished him with theconveniences which he now enjoyed. She then presented to him what thedoctor had directed her to administer, and, admonishing him to commit hishead to the pillow, he was favoured with a breathing sweat, fell fastasleep, and in a few hours waked again altogether cool and undisturbed. 

It was upon this occasion that his wife explained the circumstances ofthat visit which had redeemed him from extremity of wretchedness and thejaws of death; upon which he started up, and throwing himself upon hisknees, exclaimed, "All-gracious Power! this was the work of thy ownbounteous hand; the voice of my sorrow and repentance hath been heard. Thou hast inspired my benefactors with more than mortal goodness in mybehalf; how shall I praise thy name! how shall I requite theirgenerosity! Oh, I am bankrupt to both! yet let me not perish until Ishall have convinced them of my reformation, and seen them enjoying thatfelicity which ought to be reserved for such consummate virtue. "

Next day, in the forenoon, he was visited by the physician, whom he nowrecollected to have seen at the house of Madam Clement; and, after havingthanked that gentleman for his humanity and care, he earnestly begged toknow by what means Serafina had been preserved. When he was satisfied inthis particular, and given to understand that she was now happy in thearms of Renaldo, "Blessed be God!" he cried, "for having defeated thevillany of him who sought to part such lovers. Dear sir, will you addone circumstance to your charity, and bear to that happy couple, and thenoble Don Diego, the respects and the remorse of a sincere penitent, whomtheir compassion hath raised to life? I have been such a traitor tothem, that my words deserve no regard. I will not therefore useprofessions. I dare not hope to be admitted into their presence. I amindeed ashamed to see the light of the sun. How then could I bear thelooks of that injured family? ah, no! let me hide myself in some obscureretreat, where I may work out my salvation with fear and trembling, andpray incessantly to Heaven for their prosperity. "

The physician promised to represent his contrition to the Count and hislady, and accordingly proceeded to their habitation, where he repeatedthese expressions, and pronounced his patient out of danger. So thattheir thoughts were now employed in concerting a scheme for his futuresubsistence, that he might not be exposed by indigence to a relapse inpoint of morals. Renaldo being still averse to any personal intercoursewith such a wretch, until he should give some undoubted proofs ofamendment, and, as yet afraid of intrusting him with any office thatrequired integrity, resolved, with the approbation of all present, tosettle him in a cheap county in the north of England, where he and hiswife could live comfortably on an annuity of sixty pounds, until hisbehaviour should entitle him to a better provision. 

This resolution was just taken, when Joshua arrived with a gentleman whomhe introduced to Don Diego as the secretary of the Spanish ambassador. After the first compliments, the stranger told the Castilian, that hewaited upon him at the desire of his Excellency, who would have come inperson, had he not been confined by the gout. Then he put into his handa letter from the court of Madrid, written by a nobleman of Diego'sacquaintance, who informed him, that Don Manuel de Mendoza having madeaway with himself by poison, in order to avoid the disgrace of a legalconviction, his Catholic Majesty was now convinced of Don Diego'sinnocence, and granted him leave to return and take possession of hishonours and estate. This information was confirmed by the secretary, whoassured him that the ambassador had orders to make him acquainted withthis favourable decision of the King. The Castilian having firstacquitted himself in the most polite terms to the secretary and the Jew, who, he said, had always been a messenger of glad tidings, communicatedhis happiness to the company; and this evening concluded the third day oftheir rejoicing. 

Next morning Don Diego went to visit the ambassador, accompanied byJoshua and the secretary; while the physician, repairing to thehabitation of Fathom, signified, by Renaldo's direction, the resolutionwhich had been taken in his behalf; and the patient no sooner heard hisdoom, than, lifting up his hands, he cried, "I am unworthy of suchtenderness and benevolence. " While Elenor shed a flood of tears insilence, unable to give utterance to her grateful thought; Melvil'sbounty having so far transcended her most sanguine hope. 

The Spaniard having paid his devoirs to his Excellency, returned beforedinner; and, in the afternoon, desiring a private conference withSerafina, they retired into another apartment, and he expressed himselfto this effect: "You have contracted, my dear child, an habit of callingMadam Clement your mother, and doubtless, by her maternal tenderness andregard, she hath acquired a just title to the appellation. Yet I own Iwould fain strengthen it by a legal claim. I no sooner retrieved mydaughter than I gave her away to the most deserving youth that eversighed with love. --I rejoice in the gift which secured your happiness. But I left myself in a solitary situation, which even the return of mygood fortune cannot render easy and supportable. When I revisit theCastle of Zelos, every well-known object will recall the memory of myAntonia, and I shall want a companion to fill her place, and tosympathise with me in that sorrow which will be derived from myremembrance. Who is there so worthy to succeed your mother in theaffection of Don Diego, as she who interests her love for Serafina, andresembles her so strongly in every virtue of the sex? Similarattractions will produce similar effects. My heart is already attachedto that good lady; and, provided Serafina shall approve of my choice, Iwill lay myself and fortune at her feet. "

The fair Countess replied, with an enchanting smile, that, before thisdeclaration, she had with pleasure perceived the progress which MadamClement had made in his heart; and that she did not believe there was aperson upon earth better qualified to repair the loss he had sustained;though she foresaw one obstacle to his happiness, which she was afraidwould not be easily surmounted. "You mean, " answered the Castilian, "thedifference of religion, which I am resolved to remove by adopting theProtestant faith; though I am fully satisfied that real goodness is of noparticular persuasion, and that salvation cannot depend upon belief, overwhich the will has no influence. I invest you, therefore, with thecharge of declaring my passion and proposal, and empower you to satisfyher scruples with regard to the religion which I now profess, and which Ishall not openly relinquish, until I shall have secured, in this country, effects sufficient to screen me from the ill consequences of my King'sdispleasure. "

Serafina undertook this office with pleasure, because she had reason tothink his addresses would not be disagreeable to Madam Clement; and thatsame night made the Count acquainted with the nature of her commission. Nor was her expectation disappointed. The French lady, with thatfrankness which is peculiar to virtue and good breeding, confessed thatDon Diego was not indifferent to her choice, and did not hesitate inreceiving him upon the footing of a lover. --As we have already dweltcircumstantially on the passion of love, so as perhaps even to have tiredour readers, we shall not repeat the dialogue that passed, when theSpaniard was indulged with an opportunity to explain his sentiments. Suffice it to observe, that the lady's days of coquetry were now over, and that she was too wise to trifle with the time, which every momentbecame more and more precious. It was agreed then, that Don Diego shouldsettle his affairs in Spain, and return to England, in order to espouseMadam Clement, with a view to fix his residence in this island, whereRenaldo likewise proposed to enjoy the sweets of his fortune, provided hecould draw hither his interests and connexions. 

Meanwhile, having for some days enjoyed his bliss with all the fulness ofrapture amidst this small but agreeable society, he shifted the scene, and conducted his dear partner to a ready-furnished house in town, which, together with an occasional equipage, his friend Joshua had hired for theaccommodation of him and his father-in-law, who, during his stay inEngland, failed not to cultivate the mistress of his heart with the mostpunctual assiduity. Hitherto Serafina had been as a precious jewellocked up in a casket, which the owner alone had an opportunity tocontemplate. But now the Count, who was proud of such a prize, resolvedto let her shine forth to the admiration of the whole world. With thisview he bespoke such ornaments as befitted her quality, and, while themantua-makers were employed in her service, made a tour among his formeracquaintance, and discharged the obligations under which he lay to somewho had assisted him in his distress. He did not, however, introducethem to his charming Serafina; because not one of them had formerlytreated her with that delicacy of regard which he thought her due; andsome of them were much mortified at their neglect, when they saw what adazzling figure she made in the beau monde. 

She was visited by the Spanish and Imperial ambassadors, and divers otherforeigners of distinction, to whom Melvil had letters of recommendation. But her first public appearance was in a box at the opera, accompanied byMadam Clement, the Count, and Don Diego. The entertainment was alreadybegun, so that her entrance had the greater effect upon the audience, whose attention was soon detached from the performance, and riveted uponthis amiable apparition, which seemed to be some bright being of anotherworld dropped from the clouds among them. Then did the spirit ofcuriosity play its part. A thousand whispers circulated; as many glasseswere exalted to reconnoitre this box of foreigners; for such theyconcluded them to be from their appearance. Every male spectatoracknowledged Serafina to be the paragon of beauty; and every femaleconfessed, that Melvil was the model of a fine gentleman. The charms ofthe young Countess did not escape the eye and approbation of royaltyitself; and when her rank was known, from the information of theambassadors and other people of condition who were seen saluting her at adistance, that same evening a thousand bumpers were swallowed in honourof the Countess de Melvil. The fame of her beauty was immediatelyextended over this immense metropolis, and different schemes wereconcerted for bringing her into life. These, however, she resisted withunwearied obstinacy. Her happiness centred in Renaldo, and thecultivation of a few friends within the shade of domestic quiet. She didnot even forget the concerns of the wretched Fathom and his faithfulElenor, who daily enjoyed fresh instances of her humanity and care. Whenhis fever forsook him, he was supplied with nourishing food for therecovery of his health; and as soon as he found himself in a condition totravel, he gave notice to his benefactor, who desired Joshua to settlewith him the manner in which he was to receive his allowance, and to paythe first half-year's salary per advance. 

This affair being adjusted, and the place of his retreat signified, theJew told Elenor, that she might wait upon the Countess before theirdeparture; and she did not fail to make use of this permission. Afterthey had made the necessary preparations for their journey, and takenplaces in the York stage-coach, Mrs. Fathom, clothing herself in decentapparel, went to the house of Count Melvil, and was immediately admittedto the presence of Serafina, who received her with her usual complacency, enriched her with salutary advice, comforted her with the hope of betterthings, provided her conduct and that of her husband should henceforth befound irreproachable; and, wishing her peace and happiness, presented herwith a box of linen, and twenty guineas in a purse. Such excessivegoodness overpowered this sensible young woman to such a degree, that shestood before her in speechless awe and veneration; and the Countess, inorder to relieve her from the confusion under which she suffered, quittedthe room, leaving her to the care of her woman. It was not long, however, before her gratitude broke out in loud exclamations and aviolent passion of tears, which all her efforts could not, for a while, overcome. By this time the coach was brought up to the gate for thereception of Serafina, who took an airing every day at the same hour;when Renaldo, leading her to the vehicle, beheld a man plainly dressedstanding within the court, with his head and body bent towards the earth, so that his countenance could not be perceived. 

Melvil, who supposed him to be some unfortunate man come to implore hischarity, turned towards him, and asked with a humane accent, if he wantedto speak with any person in the house? To this interrogation thestranger replied, without lifting up his head, "Overwhelmed as I am withCount Melvil's generosity, together with a consciousness of my ownunworthiness, it ill becomes a wretch like me to importune him forfurther favour; yet I could not bear the thought of withdrawing, perhapsfor ever, from the presence of my benefactor, without soliciting hispermission to see his face in mercy, to acknowledge my atrocious crimes, to hear my pardon confirmed by his voice, and that of his accomplishedCountess, whom I dare not even at a distance behold; and to express myfervent wish for their prosperity. "

Melvil, whose heart was but too tender, could not hear this addresswithout emotion. He recognised the companion of his infancy and youth;he remembered the happy scenes he had enjoyed with Fathom, whose voicehad always such an effect upon his ear, as to excite the ideas offriendship and esteem; and he was disturbed by this unexpected meeting, which also discomposed the beauteous Serafina. Renaldo having paused alittle, "It is with pain, " said he, "I recollect anything to theprejudice of Fathom, whose future behaviour will, I hope, erase thememory of his offences, and justify what other steps I may take in hisfavour. Meanwhile, I heartily forgive what is past; and, in token of mysincerity, present my hand;" which our adventurer bathed with his tears. The Countess, whose mind was in unison with her husband, repeated herassurances of pardon and protection; at which the penitent rejoiced insilence, while he raised his head and took a parting view of those charmswhich had formerly enslaved his heart. 

Having thus obeyed the dictates of his duty and inclination, he nextmorning embarked in the stage-coach, with his faithful Elenor, and in sixdays arrived at the place of his retreat, which he found extremely welladapted to the circumstances of his mind and fortune. For all his viceand ambition was now quite mortified within him, and his whole attentionengrossed in atoning for his former crimes, by a sober and penitent life, by which alone he could deserve the uncommon generosity of his patrons. 

While he thus accommodated himself to his new system, Renaldo receivedletters of congratulation from his sister, who with the Major had come toBrussels, in order to meet her brother and Serafina, according to hisproposal. This intimation being communicated to Don Diego, he resolvedto accompany them to Flanders, on his way to Spain. Preparations weremade for their departure; the clergyman and physician were honoured withvaluable marks of friendship and esteem from the Countess, Renaldo, andthe Castilian, who were convoyed to Deal by Madam Clement, to whom, atparting, Don Diego presented a diamond ring, as a pledge of hisinviolable love. 

Here the travellers hired a vessel for Ostend, which they reached in afew hours; in two days more they arrived at Brussels, where Mrs. Farreland her husband were struck with admiration at the surprising beauty andaccomplishment of their sister-in-law, whom they caressed with equaltenderness and joy. --In a word, all parties were as happy as good fortunecould make them; and Don Diego set out for Spain, after they had agreedto reside in the Low Countries till his return. 

THE END.