The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom, Complete - Tobias Smollett
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These expostulations did not even respect the beauteous, the
accomplished, the gentle-hearted, the orphan Monimia. Although they
owned her perfections, and did not deny that it would be highly
meritorious in any man of fortune to make her happy, they disapproved of
Renaldo's attachment to the fair beggar, made light of that intimate
union of hearts which subsisted between the two lovers, and which no
human consideration could dissolve; and some among them, in the
consummation of their prudence, ventured to hint a proposal of providing
for her in the service of some lady of fashion.
Any reader of sensibility will easily conceive how these admonitions were
relished by a young gentleman whose pride was indomitable, whose notions
of honour were scrupulously rigid and romantic, whose temper was warm,
and whose love was intense. Every such suggestion was as a dagger to his
soul; and what rendered the torture more exquisite, he lay under
obligations to those very persons whose selfish and sordid sentiments he
disdained; so that he was restricted by gratitude from giving vent to his
indignation, and his forlorn circumstances would not permit him to
renounce their acquaintance. While he struggled with these
mortifications, his wants grew more and more importunate, and his
creditors became clamorous.
Fathom, to whom all his grievances were disclosed, lamented his hard hap
with all the demonstrations of sympathy which he could expect to find in
such a zealous adherent. He upbraided himself incessantly as the cause
of his patron's distress; took God to witness that he would rather have
perished in gaol than have enjoyed his liberty, had he known it would
have cost his dearest friend and benefactor one-tenth part of the anguish
he now saw him suffer; and, in conclusion, the fervency of his affection
glowed to such a degree, that he offered to beg, steal, or plunder on the
highway, for Renaldo's assistance.
Certain it is, he might have recollected a less disagreeable expedient
than any of these to alleviate the pangs of this unhappy lover; for, at
that very period he was possessed of money and moveables to the amount of
a much greater sum than that which was necessary to remove the severest
pangs of the Count's misfortune. But, whether he did not reflect upon
this resource, or was willing to let Melvil be better acquainted with
adversity, which is the great school of life, I shall leave the reader to
determine. Yet, so far was he from supplying the wants of the young
Hungarian, that he did not scruple to receive a share of the miserable
pittance which that gentleman made shift to extort from the complaisance
of 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 his
efforts to render his departure practicable, and his expedients for
raising the means of daily bread. With regard to the first, he exerted
himself among a set of merchants, some of whom knew his family and
expectations; and, for the last, he was fain to depend upon the
assistance of a few intimates, who were not in a condition to furnish him
with sums of consequence. These, however, gradually dropped off, on
pretence of friendly resentment for his indiscreet conduct; so that he
found himself naked and deserted by all his former companions, except one
gentleman, with whom he had lived in the most unreserved correspondence,
as with a person of the warmest friendship, and the most unbounded
benevolence; nay, he had actually experienced repeated proofs of his
generosity; and such were the Count's sentiments of the gratitude, love,
and esteem, which were due to the author of these obligations, that he
would have willingly laid down his own life for his interest or
advantage. He had already been at different times accommodated by this
benefactor with occasional supplies, amounting in the whole to about
forty or fifty pounds; and so fearful was he of taking any step by which
he might forfeit the goodwill of this gentleman, that he struggled with
unparelleled difficulty and vexation, before he could prevail upon
himself 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 beneficence
which had never failed him, or of seeing Monimia starve, he chose the
first, as of two evils the least, and intrusted Fathom with a letter
explaining the bitterness of his case. It was not without trepidation
that he received in the evening from his messenger an answer to this
billet; but what were his pangs when he learned the contents! The
gentleman, after having professed himself Melvil's sincere well-wisher,
gave him to understand, that he was resolved for the future to detach
himself from every correspondence which would be inconvenient for him to
maintain; that he considered his intimacy with the Count in that light;
yet, nevertheless, if his distress was really as great as he had
described it, he would still contribute something towards his relief; and
accordingly had sent by the bearer five guineas for that purpose; but
desired him to take notice, that, in so doing, he laid himself under some
difficulty.
Renaldo's grief and mortification at this disappointment were
unspeakable. He now saw demolished the last screen betwixt him and the
extremity of indigence and woe; he beheld the mistress of his soul
abandoned to the bleakest scenes of poverty and want; and he deeply
resented the lofty strain of the letter, by which he conceived himself
treated as a worthless spendthrift and importunate beggar. Though his
purse was exhausted to the last shilling; though he was surrounded with
necessities and demands, and knew not how to provide another meal for his
fair dependent, he, in opposition to all the suggestions and eloquence of
Fathom, despatched him with the money and another billet, intimating, in
the most respectful terms, that he approved of his friend's new-adopted
maxim, which, for the future, he should always take care to remember; and
that he had sent back the last instance of his bounty, as a proof how
little 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 that
opinion complained to several persons of the Count's acquaintance, who
unanimously exclaimed against him as a sordid, unthankful, and profligate
knave, that abused and reviled those very people who had generously
befriended him, whenever they found it inconvenient to nourish his
extravagance with further supplies. Notwithstanding these accumulated
oppressions, he still persevered with fortitude in his endeavours to
disentangle himself from this maze of misery. To these he was encouraged
by 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 been
suppressed for certain sinister views; and desiring him to hasten his
departure for Hungary, where he would still find some friends who were
both able and willing to support his cause. He had some trinkets left;
the pawnbroker's shop was still open; and hitherto he made shift to
conceal from Monimia the extent of his affliction.
The money-broker whom he employed, after having amused him with a variety
of schemes, which served no other purpose than that of protracting his
own job, at length undertook to make him acquainted with a set of monied
men 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, with
magnificent ideas of his family and fortune.--By means of this
anticipation he was received with a manifest relaxation of that severity
which people of this class mingle in their aspects to the world in
general; and they even vied with each other in their demonstrations of
hospitality and respect; for every one in particular looked upon him as a
young heir, who would bleed freely, and mortgage at cent. per cent.
Renaldo, buoyed up with these exterior civilities, began to flatter
himself with hopes of success, which, however, were soon checked by the
nature of the conversation; during which the chairman upbraided one of
the members in open club for having once lent forty pounds upon slight
security. The person accused alleged, in his own defence, that the
borrower was his own kinsman, whose funds he knew to be sufficient; that
he had granted his bond, and been at the expense of insuring his life for
the money; and, in conclusion, had discharged it to the day with great
punctuality. These allegations were not deemed exculpatory by the rest
of the assembly, who with one voice pronounced him guilty of
unwarrantable rashness and indiscretion, which, in time coming, must
undoubtedly operate to the prejudice of his character and credit.
This was a bitter declaration to the young Count, who nevertheless
endeavoured to improve the footing he had gained among them, by courting
their company, conforming to their manners, and attentively listening to
their discourse. When he had cultivated them with great assiduity for
the space of some weeks, dined at their houses upon pressing invitations,
and received repeated offers of service and friendship, believing that
things were now ripe for the purpose, he, one day, at a tavern to which
he had invited him to dinner, ventured to disclose his situation to him
whose countenance was the least unpromising; and as he introduced the
business with a proposal of borrowing money, he perceived his eyes
sparkle with a visible alacrity, from which he drew a happy presage.
But, alas! this was no more than a transient gleam of sunshine, which was
suddenly obumbrated by the sequel of his explanation; insomuch, that,
when the merchant understood the nature of the security, his visage was
involved in a most disagreeable gloom, and his eyes distorted into a most
hideous obliquity of vision; indeed, he squinted so horribly, that
Renaldo was amazed and almost affrighted at his looks, until he perceived
that this distortion proceeded from concern for a silver tobacco box
which he had laid down by him on the table, after having filled his pipe.
As the youth proceeded to unfold his necessities, the other became
gradually alarmed for this utensil, to which he darted his eyes askance
in this preternatural direction, until he had slyly secured it in his
pocket.
Having made this successful conveyance, he shifted his eyes alternately
from the young gentleman to the broker for a considerable pause, during
which he in silence reproached the last for introducing such a beggarly
varlet to his acquaintance; then taking the pipe from his mouth, "Sir,"
said he, addressing himself to the Count, "if I had all the inclination
in 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 of
late, that all my running cash hath been exhausted in supporting their
credit. Mr. Ferret, sure I am, you was not ignorant of my situation; and
I'm not a little surprised that you should bring the gentleman to me on
business of this kind; but, as the wise man observes, Bray a fool in a
mortar, and he'll never be wise." So saying, with a most emphatic glance
directed 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 him
drily 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 the
society; who, after having heard the terms of his commission, desired him
to tell his principal, that he could do nothing without the concurrence
of his partner, who happened to be at that time in one of our American
plantations. A third being solicited, excused himself on account of an
oath which he had lately taken on the back of a considerable loss. A
fourth being tried, made answer, that it was not in his way. And a fifth
candidly owned, that he never lent money without proper security.
Thus the forlorn Renaldo tried every experiment without success, and now
saw the last ray of hope extinguished. Well-nigh destitute of present
support, and encompassed with unrelenting duns, he was obliged to keep
within doors, and seek some comfort in the conversation of his charming
mistress, and his faithful friend; yet, even there, he experienced the
extremest rigour of adverse fate. Every rap at the door alarmed him with
the expectation of some noisy tradesman demanding payment. When he
endeavoured to amuse himself with drawing, some unlucky feature of the
occasional portrait recalled the image of an obdurate creditor, and made
him tremble at the work of his own hands. When he fled for shelter to
the flattering creation of fancy, some abhorred idea always started up
amidst the gay vision, and dissolved the pleasing enchantment.--Even the
seraphic voice of Monimia had no longer power to compose the anxious
tumults of his mind. Every song she warbled, every tune she played,
recalled to his remembrance some scene of love and happiness elapsed; and
overwhelmed 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 most
dear and sacred upon earth, tottering on the brink of misery, without
knowing the danger of her situation, and found himself unable to prevent
her fall, or even to forewarn her of the peril; for as we have already
observed, his soul could not brook the thought of communicating the
tidings 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 and
deportment. The continual efforts he made to conceal his vexation
produced a manifest distraction in his behaviour and discourse. He began
to be seized with horror at the sight of poor Monimia, whom he therefore
shunned as much as the circumstances of their correspondence would allow;
and every evening he went forth alone to some solitary place, where he
could, unperceived, give a loose to the transports of his sorrow, and in
silence meditate some means to lighten the burden of his woe. His heart
was sometimes so savaged with despair, which represented mankind as his
inveterate enemies, that he entertained thoughts of denouncing war
against the whole community, and supplying his own wants with the spoils
he should win. At other times he was tempted with the desire of putting
an end to his miseries and life together. Yet these were but the
transitory suggestions of temporary madness, that soon yielded to the
dictates of reason. From the execution of the first he was restrained by
his own notions of honour and morality; and, from using the other
expedient, he was deterred by his love for Monimia, together with the
motives of philosophy and religion.
While in this manner he secretly nursed the worm of grief that preyed
upon his vitals, the alteration in his countenance and conduct did not
escape the eyes of that discerning young lady. She was alarmed at the
change, yet afraid to inquire into the source of it; for, being ignorant
of his distress, she could impute it to no cause in which her happiness
was not deeply interested. She had observed his strained complaisance
and extraordinary emotion. She had detected him in repeated attempts to
avoid her company, and taken notice of his regular excursions in the
dark. These were alarming symptoms to a lover of her delicacy and pride.
She strove in vain to put the most favourable construction on what she
saw; and, finally, imputed the effects of his despondence to the
alienation of his heart. Made miserable beyond expression by these
suspicions, she imparted them to Fathom, who, by this time, was in full
possession of her confidence and esteem, and implored his advice touching
her conduct in such a nice conjuncture.
This artful politician, who rejoiced at the effect of her penetration, no
sooner heard himself questioned on the subject, than he gave tokens of
surprise and confusion, signifying his concern to find she had discovered
what, for the honour of his friend, he wished had never come to light.
His behaviour on this occasion confirmed her fatal conjecture; and she
conjured him, in the most pathetic manner, to tell her if he thought
Renaldo's heart had contracted any new engagement. At this question, he
started with signs of extreme agitation, and stifling an artificial sigh,
"Sure, madam," said he, "you cannot doubt the Count's constancy--I am
confident--he is certainly--I protest, madam, I am so shocked."
Here he made a full pause, as if the conflict between his integrity and
his friendship would not allow him to proceed, and summoned the moisture
into either eye--"Then are my doubts removed," cried the afflicted
Monimia; "I see your candour in the midst of your attachment to Renaldo;
and will no longer torment you with impertinent interrogations and vain
complaints." With these words, a flood of tears gushed from her
enchanting eyes, and she instantly withdrew into her own apartment, where
she indulged her sorrow to excess. Nor was her grief unanimated with
resentment. She was by birth, nature, and education inspired with that
dignity of pride which ennobles the human heart; and this, by the
circumstance of her present dependence, was rendered extremely jealous
and susceptible; insomuch that she could not brook the least shadow of
indifference, much less an injury of such a nature, from the man whom she
had honoured with her affections, and for whom she had disobliged and
deserted 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 become
an unsupportable burden, even amidst all the splendour of affluence and
pomp; and although she foresaw, that, when his protection should cease,
she must be left a wretched orphan in a foreign land, exposed to all the
miseries of want; yet, such was the loftiness of her displeasure, that
she disdained to complain, or even demand an explanation from the
supposed author of her wrongs.
While she continued undetermined in her purpose, and fluctuating on this
sea of torture, Fathom, believing that now was the season for working
upon her passions, while they were all in commotion, became, if possible,
more assiduous than ever about the fair mourner, modelled his features
into a melancholy cast, pretended to share her distress with the most
emphatic sympathy, and endeavoured to keep her resentment glowing by
cunning insinuations, which, though apparently designed to apologise for
his friend, served only to aggravate the guilt of his perfidy and
dishonour. This pretext of friendly concern is the most effectual
vehicle for the conveyance of malice and slander; and a man's reputation
is never so mortally stabbed, as when the assassin begins with the
preamble of, "For my own part, I can safely say that no man upon earth
has a greater regard for him than I have; and it is with the utmost
anguish and concern that I see him misbehave in such a manner." Then he
proceeds to mangle his character, and the good-natured hearers,
concluding he is even blacker than he is represented, on the supposition
that the most atrocious circumstances are softened or suppressed by the
tenderness or friendship of the accuser, exclaim, "Good lack! what a
wretch he must be, when his best friends will no longer attempt to defend
him!" Nay, sometimes these well-wishers undertake his defence, and
treacherously betray the cause they have espoused, by omitting the
reasons that may be urged in his vindication.
Both these methods were practised by the wily Ferdinand, according to the
predominant passion of Monimia. When her indignation prevailed, he
expatiated 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 would
willingly part with life for his advantage. He shed tears for his
apostasy; but every drop made an indelible stain upon his character; and,
in the bitterness of his grief, swore, notwithstanding his fondness for
Renaldo, which had become a part of his constitution, that the young
Hungarian deserved the most infamous destiny for having injured such
perfection. At other times, when he found her melted into silent sorrow,
he affected to excuse the conduct of his friend. He informed her, that
the young gentleman's temper had been uneven from his infancy; that
frailty was natural to man; that he might in time be reclaimed by
self-conviction; he even hinted, that she might have probably ascribed
to inconstancy, what was really the effect of some chagrin which he
industriously concealed from his participation. But, when he found her
disposed to listen to this last suggestion, he destroyed the force of it,
by recollecting the circumstances of his nocturnal rambles, which, he
owned, would admit of no favourable construction.
By these means he blew the coals of her jealousy, and enhanced the value
of his own character at the same time; for she looked upon him as a
mirror 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 he
hoped his purpose would certainly be answered.
Yet the exertion of these talents was not limited to her alone. While he
laid these trains for the hapless young lady, he was preparing snares of
another kind for her unsuspecting lover, who, for the completion of his
misery, about this time began to perceive marks of disquiet and
displeasure in the countenance and deportment of his adored Monimia. For
that young lady, in the midst of her grief, remembered her origin, and
over her vexation affected to throw a veil of tranquillity, which served
only to give an air of disgust to her internal disturbance.
Renaldo, whose patience and philosophy were barely sufficient to bear the
load of his other evils, would have been quite overwhelmed with the
additional burden of Monimia's woe, if it had not assumed this appearance
of disesteem, which, as he knew he had not deserved it, brought his
resentment to his assistance. Yet this was but a wretched cordial to
support him against the baleful reflections that assaulted him from every
quarter; it operated like those desperate remedies, which, while they
stimulate exhausted nature, help to destroy the very fundamentals of the
constitution. He reviewed his own conduct with the utmost severity, and
could not recollect one circumstance which could justly offend the idol
of his soul. The more blameless he appeared to himself in this
examination, the less excusable did her behaviour appear. He tasked his
penetration to discover the cause of this alteration; he burned with
impatience to know it; his discernment failed him, and he was afraid,
though he knew not why, to demand an explanation. His thoughts were so
circumstanced, that he durst not even unbosom himself to Fathom, though
his own virtue and friendship resisted those sentiments that began to
intrude upon his mind, with suggestions to the prejudice of our
adventurer'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 in
an abrupt address, the effect of his fear and confusion, begged to know
if he had inadvertently done anything to incur her displeasure. Monimia,
hearing herself bluntly accosted in this unusual strain, after repeated
instances of his reserve and supposed inconstancy, considered the
question as a fresh insult, and, summoning her whole pride to her
assistance, replied, with affected tranquillity, or rather with an air of
scorn, that she had no title to judge, neither did she pretend to condemn
his conduct. This answer, so wide of that tenderness and concern which
had hitherto manifested itself in the disposition of his amiable
mistress, deprived him of all power to carry on the conversation, and he
retired with a low bow, fully convinced of his having irretrievably lost
the place he had possessed in her affection; for, to his imagination,
warped and blinded by his misfortunes, her demeanour seemed fraught, not
with a transient gleam of anger, which a respectful lover would soon have
appeased, but with that contempt and indifference which denote a total
absence of affection and esteem. She, on the other hand, misconstrued
his sudden retreat; and now they beheld the actions of each other through
the false medium of prejudice and resentment. To such fatal
misunderstandings the peace and happiness of whole families often fall a
sacrifice.