The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom, Complete - Tobias Smollett
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She then invoked the assistance of the servants, who, being waked for the
purpose, lifted up their master, and tumbled him into bed, while
Ferdinand hied him home in an universal sweat, blessing himself from any
future achievement of that sort in a house where he had been twice in
such imminent danger of life and reputation. Nevertheless, he did not
fail to honour the assignation, and avail himself of the disposition his
mistress manifested to make him all the recompense in her power for the
disappointment and chagrin which he had undergone.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
BUT AT LENGTH SUCCEEDS IN HIS ATTEMPT UPON BOTH.
Having thus gained a complete victory over the affections of these two
ladies, he began to convert his good fortune to the purposes of that
principle, from which his view was never, no, not for a moment, detached.
In other words, he used them as ministers and purveyors to his avarice
and fraud. As for the mother-in-law, she was of herself so liberal as to
anticipate the wishes of any moderate adventurer, and presented him with
sundry valuable jewels, as memorials of her esteem; nor was the daughter
backward in such expressions of regard; she already considered his
interest as her own, and took frequent opportunities of secreting for his
benefit certain stray trinkets that she happened to pick up in her
excursions within doors.
All these gratifications he received with demonstrations of infinite
constraint and reluctance, and, in the midst of his rapacious extortion,
acted so cunningly as to impose himself upon both for a miracle of
disinterested integrity. Yet, not contented with what he thus could
earn, and despairing of being able to steer the bark of his fortune for
any length of time between two such dangerous quicksands, he resolved to
profit by the occasion while it lasted, and strike some considerable
stroke at once. A plan was formed in consequence of this determination,
and, at an appointment with the mother in the house of their female
friend, our adventurer appeared with an air of dejection, which he veiled
with a thin cover of forced pleasantry, that his mistress might suppose
he endeavoured to conceal some mortal chagrin that preyed upon his heart.
The stratagem succeeded to his wish. She observed his countenance
between whiles overcast, took notice of the involuntary sighs he heaved;
and, with the most tender expressions of sympathy, conjured him to make
her acquainted with the cause of his affliction. Instead of gratifying
her request immediately, he evaded her questions with a respectful
reserve, implying, that his love would not suffer him to make her a
partner in his sorrow; and this delicacy on his part whetted her
impatience and concern to such a degree, that, rather than keep her in
such an agony of doubt and apprehension, he was prevailed upon to tell
her, that he had been, the preceding night, engaged with a company of his
fellow-students, where he had made too free with the champagne, so that
his caution forsook him, and he had been decoyed into play by a Tyrolese
gamester, who stripped him of all his ready money, and obtained from him
an obligation for two hundred florins, which he could not possibly pay
without having recourse to his relation the Count de Melvil, who would
have just cause to be incensed at his extravagance.
This information he concluded, by declaring that, cost what it would, he
was resolved to make a candid confession of the truth, and throw himself
entirely upon the generosity of his patron, who could inflict no other
punishment than that of discarding him from his favour and protection,--a
misfortune which, how grievous soever it might be, he should be able to
sustain with fortitude, could he fall upon some method of satisfying the
Tyrolese, who was very importunate and savage in his demand. His kind
mistress no sooner found out the source of his inquietude, than she
promised to dry it up, assuring him that next day, at the same hour, she
would enable him to discharge the debt; so that he might set his heart at
ease, and recollect that gaiety which was the soul of her enjoyment.
He expressed the utmost astonishment at this generous proffer, which,
however, he declined, with an affected earnestness of refusal,
protesting, that he should be extremely mortified, if he thought she
looked upon him as one of those mercenary gallants who could make such a
sordid use of a lady's affection. "No, madam," cried our politician in a
pathetic strain, "whatever happens, I shall never part with that internal
consolation, that conscious honour never fails to yield in the deepest
scenes of solitary distress. The attachment I have the honour to profess
for your amiable person, is not founded on such inglorious motives, but
is the genuine result of that generous passion which none but the
noble-minded feel, and the only circumstance of this misfortune that I
dread to encounter, is the necessity of withdrawing myself for ever from
the presence of her whose genial smiles could animate my soul against all
the persecution of adverse fortune."
This declamation, accompanied with a profound sigh, served only to
inflame her desire of extricating him from the difficulty in which he was
involved. She exhausted all her eloquence in attempting to persuade him
that his refusal was an outrage against her affection. He pretended to
refute her arguments, and remained unshaken by all the power of her
solicitations, until she had recourse to the most passionate
remonstrances of love, and fell at his feet in the posture of a forlorn
shepherdess. What he refused to her reason, he granted to her tears,
because his heart was melted by her affliction, and next day condescended
to accept of her money, out of pure regard to her happiness and peace.
Encouraged by the success of this achievement, he resolved to practise
the same experiment upon Wilhelmina, in hope of extracting an equal share
of profit from her simplicity and attachment, and, at their very next
nocturnal rendezvous in her chamber, reacted the farce already rehearsed,
with a small variation, which he thought necessary to stimulate the young
lady in his behalf. He rightly concluded, that she was by no means
mistress of such a considerable sum as he had already extorted from her
mother, and therefore thought proper to represent himself in the most
urgent predicament, that her apprehension, on his account, might be so
alarmed as to engage her in some enterprise for his advantage, which
otherwise she would never have dreamed of undertaking. With this view,
after having described his own calamitous situation, in consequence of
her pressing entreaties, which he affected to evade, he gave her to
understand, that there was no person upon earth to whom he would have
recourse in this emergency; for which reason he was determined to rid
himself of all his cares at once, upon the friendly point of his own
faithful sword.
Such a dreadful resolution could not fail to operate upon the tender
passions of his Dulcinea; she was instantly seized with an agony of fear
and distraction. Her grief manifested itself in a flood of tears, while
she hung round his neck, conjuring him in the most melting terms, by
their mutual love, in which they had been so happy, to lay aside that
fatal determination, which would infallibly involve her in the same fate;
for, she took Heaven to witness, that she would not one moment survive
the knowledge of his death.
He was not deficient in expressions of reciprocal regard. He extolled
her love and tenderness with a most extravagant eulogium, and seemed
wrung with mortal anguish at the prospect of parting for ever from his
lovely Wilhelmina; but his honour was a stern and rigid creditor, that
could not be appeased, except with his blood; and all the boon she could
obtain, by dint of the most woful supplication, was a promise to defer
the execution of his baleful purpose for the space of four-and-twenty
hours, during which she hoped Heaven would compassionate her sufferings,
and inspire her with some contrivance for their mutual relief. Thus he
yielded to her fervent request, rather with a view to calm the present
transports of her sorrow, than with any expectation of seeing himself
redeemed from his fate by her interposition; such at least were his
professions when he took his leave, assuring her, that he would not quit
his being before he should have devoted a few hours to another interview
with the dear object of his love.
Having thus kindled the train, he did not doubt that the mine of his
craft would take effect, and repaired to his own lodging, in full
persuasion of seeing his aim accomplished, before the time fixed for
their last assignation. His prognostic was next morning verified by the
arrival of a messenger, who brought to him a small parcel, to which was
cemented, with sealing wax, the following epistle:--
"JEWEL OF MY SOUL!--Scarce had you, last night, quitted my disconsolate
arms, when I happily recollected that there was in my possession a gold
chain, of value more than sufficient to answer the exigence of your
present occasions. It was pledged to my grandfather for two hundred
crowns by a knight of Malta, who soon after perished in a sea engagement
with the enemies of our faith, so that it became the property of our
house, and was bequeathed to me by the old gentleman, as a memorial of
his particular affection. Upon whom can I more properly bestow it, than
him who is already master of my heart! Receive it, therefore, from the
bearer of this billet, and convert it, without scruple, to that use which
shall be most conducive to your ease and satisfaction; nor seek, from a
true romantic notion of honour, which I know you entertain, to excuse
yourself from accepting this testimony of my affection. For I have
already sworn before an image of our blessed Lady, that I will no longer
own you as the sovereign of my heart, nor even indulge you with another
interview, if you reject this mark of tenderness and concern from your
ever faithful WILHELMINA."
The heart of our adventurer began to bound with joy when he surveyed the
contents of this letter; and his eyes sparkled with transport at sight of
the chain, which he immediately perceived to be worth twice the sum she
had mentioned. Nevertheless, he would not avail himself, without further
question, of her generosity; but, that same night, repairing to her
apartment at the usual hour of meeting, he prostrated himself before her,
and counterfeiting extreme agitation of spirit, begged, in the most
urgent terms, not even unaccompanied with tears, that she would take back
the present, which he tendered for her acceptance, and spare him the most
insufferable mortification of thinking himself exposed to the imputation
of being mercenary in his love. Such, he said, was the delicacy of his
passion, that he could not possibly exist under the apprehension of
incurring a censure so unworthy of his sentiments; and he would a
thousand times sooner undergo the persecution of his rancorous creditor,
than bear the thought of being in the smallest consideration lessened in
her esteem; nay, so far did he carry his pretensions to punctilio, as to
protest, that, should she refuse to quiet the scruples of his honour on
this score, her unyielding beneficence would serve only to hasten the
execution of his determined purpose, to withdraw himself at once from a
life of vanity and misfortune.
The more pathetically he pleaded for her compliance, the more strenuously
did she resist his remonstrances. She advanced all the arguments her
reason, love, and terror could suggest, reminded him of her oath, from
which he could not suppose she would recede, whatever the consequence
might be; and in conclusion vowed to Heaven, with great solemnity and
devotion, that she would not survive the news of his death. Thus the
alternative she offered was either to retain the chain and be happy in
her affection, or forfeit all title to her love, and die in the
conviction of having brought his innocent mistress to an untimely grave.
His fortitude was not proof against this last consideration. "My savage
honour," said he, "would enable me to endure the pangs of eternal
separation in the confidence of being endowed with the power of ending
these tortures by the energy of my own hand; but the prospect of
Wilhelmina's death, and that too occasioned by my inflexibility, disarms
my soul of all her resolution, swallows up the dictates of my jealous
pride, and fills my bosom with such a gush of tenderness and sorrow, as
overwhelms the whole economy of my purpose! Yes, enchanting creature! I
sacrifice my glory to that irresistible reflection; and, rather than know
myself the cruel instrument of robbing the world of such perfection,
consent to retain the fatal testimony of your love."
So saying, he pocketed the chain, with an air of ineffable mortification,
and was rewarded for his compliance with the most endearing caresses of
his Dulcinea, who, amidst the tumults of her joy, ejaculated a thousand
acknowledgments to Heaven for having blessed her with the affection of
such a man, whose honour was unrivalled by anything but his love.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
HIS SUCCESS BEGETS A BLIND SECURITY, BY WHICH HE IS ONCE AGAIN WELL-NIGH
ENTRAPPED IN HIS DULCINEA'S APARTMENT.
In this manner did the crafty Fathom turn to account those ingratiating
qualifications he inherited from nature, and maintain, with incredible
assiduity and circumspection, an amorous correspondence with two domestic
rivals, who watched the conduct of each other with the most indefatigable
virulence of envious suspicion, until an accident happened, which had
well-nigh overturned the bark of his policy, and induced him to alter the
course, that he might not be shipwrecked on the rocks that began to
multiply in the prosecution of his present voyage.
The jeweller, who, as a German, wanted neither pride nor ostentation,
never failed to celebrate the anniversary of his birth by an annual feast
granted to his neighbours and friends; and on these occasions was
accustomed to wear that chain which, though bequeathed to his daughter,
he considered as an ornament appertaining to the family, whereof he
himself was head. Accordingly, when the time of this festival revolved,
he, as usual, ordered Wilhelmina to surrender it for the day. This
injunction, the reader will perceive, our young lady was in no condition
to obey; she had, however, foreseen the demand, and contrived a scheme of
behaviour for the occasion, which she forthwith put in execution.
With an air of uncommon cheerfulness, purposely assumed, she retired to
her closet, on pretence of complying with his desire, and, having
employed a few minutes in rummaging her drawers and disordering her
moveables, uttered a loud shriek, that brought her father instantly into
the apartment, where he found his daughter tossing about her clothes and
trinkets with violent demonstrations of disorder and affright, and heard
her, in a lamentable strain, declare that she was robbed of her chain,
and for ever undone. This was so far from being an agreeable intimation
to the jeweller, that he was struck dumb with astonishment and vexation,
and it was not till after a long pause that he pronounced the word
Sacrament! with an emphasis denoting the most mortifying surprise.
Soon as that exclamation escaped from his lips, he flew to the escritoire
as if instinctively, and, joining Wilhelmina in her occupation, tumbled
its whole contents upon the floor in a trice.
While he was thus employed, in the most expressive silence, the wife of
his bosom chanced to pass that way, and seeing them both occupied with
such violence and trepidation, believed at first that they were certainly
actuated by the spirit of frenzy; but, when she interposed, by asking,
with great earnestness, the cause of such transports and distracted
behaviour, and heard her husband reply, with an accent of despair, "The
chain! the chain of my forefathers is no more!" she immediately justified
his emotion, by undergoing the same alarm, and, without further
hesitation, engaged herself in the search, beginning with a song, which
might be compared to the hymn of battle among the Greeks, or rather more
aptly to that which the Spartan females sung round the altar of Diana,
surnamed Orthian; for it was attended with strange gesticulations, and,
in the course of utterance, became so loud and shrill, that the guests,
who were by this time partly assembled, being confounded at the clamour,
rushed towards the place from whence it seemed to proceed, and found
their landlord, with his wife and daughter, in the attitudes of
distraction and despair.
When they understood the nature of the case, they condoled the family on
their misfortune, and would have retired, on the supposition that it
would defeat the mirthful intent of their meeting; but the jeweller,
mustering up his whole temper and hospitality, entreated them to excuse
his disorder, and favour him with their company, which, he observed, was
now more than ever wanted, to dispel the melancholy ideas inspired by his
loss. Notwithstanding this apology, and the efforts he made in the
sequel to entertain his friends with jollity and good-humour, his heart
was so linked to the chain, that he could not detach himself from the
thoughts of it, which invaded him at short intervals in such qualms as
effectually spoiled his appetite, and hindered his digestion.
He revolved within himself the circumstances of his disaster, and, in
canvassing all the probable means by which the chain would be stolen,
concluded that the deed must have been done by some person in the family,
who, in consequence of having access to his daughter's chamber, had
either found the drawer left open by her carelessness and neglect, or
found means to obtain a false key, by some waxen impression; for the
locks of the escritoire were safe and uninjured. His suspicion being
thus confined within his own house, sometimes pitched upon his workmen,
and sometimes upon his wife, who, he thought, was the more likely to
practise such finesse, as she considered Wilhelmina in the light of a
daughter-in-law, whose interest interfered with her own, and who had
often harangued to him in private on the folly of leaving this very chain
in the young lady's possession.
The more he considered this subject, he thought he saw the more reason to
attribute the damage he had sustained to the machinations of his spouse,
who, he did not doubt, was disposed to feather her own nest, at the
expense of him and his heirs, and who, with the same honest intention,
had already secreted, for her private use, those inconsiderable jewels
which of late had at different times been missing. Aroused by these
sentiments, he resolved to retaliate her own schemes, by contriving means
to visit her cabinet in secret, and, if possible, to rob the robber of
the spoils she had gathered to his prejudice, without coming to any
explanation, which might end in domestic turmoils and eternal disquiet.
While the husband exercised his reflection in this manner, his innocent
mate did not allow the powers of her imagination to rest in idleness and
sloth. Her observations touching the loss of the chain were such as a
suspicious woman, biassed by hatred and envy, would naturally make. To
her it seemed highly improbable, that a thing of such value, so carefully
deposited, should vanish without the connivance of its keeper, and
without much expense of conjecture, divined the true manner in which it
was conveyed. The sole difficulty that occurred in the researches of her
sagacity, was to know the gallant who had been favoured with such a
pledge of Wilhelmina's affection; for, as the reader will easily imagine,
she never dreamed of viewing Ferdinand in that odious perspective. In
order to satisfy her curiosity, discover this happy favourite, and be
revenged on her petulant rival, she prevailed upon the jeweller to employ
a scout, who should watch all night upon the stair, without the knowledge
of any other person in the family, alleging, that in all likelihood, the
housemaid gave private admittance to some lover who was the author of all
the losses they had lately suffered, and that they might possibly detect
him in his nocturnal adventures; and observing that it would be imprudent
to intimate their design to Wilhelmina, lest, through the heedlessness
and indiscretion of youth, she might chance to divulge the secret, so as
to frustrate their aim.
A Swiss, in whose honesty the German could confide, being hired for this
purpose, was posted in a dark corner of the staircase, within a few paces
of the door, which he was directed to watch, and actually stood sentinel
three nights, without perceiving the least object of suspicion; but, on
the fourth, the evil stars of our adventurer conducted him to the spot,
on his voyage to the apartment of his Dulcinea, with whom he had
preconcerted the assignation. Having made the signal, which consisted of
two gentle taps on her door, he was immediately admitted; and the Swiss
no sooner saw him fairly housed, than he crept softly to the other door,
that was left open for the purpose, and gave immediate intimation of what
he had perceived. This intelligence, however, he could not convey so
secretly, but the lovers, who were always vigilant upon these occasions,
overheard a sort of commotion in the jeweller's chamber, the cause of
which their apprehension was ingenious enough to comprehend.
We have formerly observed that our adventurer could not make his retreat
by the door, without running a very great risk of being detected, and the
expedient of the chimney he had no inclination to repeat; so that he
found himself in a very uncomfortable dilemma, and was utterly abandoned
by all his invention and address, when his mistress, in a whisper,
desired him to begin a dialogue, aloud, in an apology, importing, that he
had mistaken the door, and that his intention was to visit her father,
touching a ring belonging to the young Count Melvil, which she knew
Fathom had put into his hands, in order to be altered.
Ferdinand, seizing the hint, availed himself of it without delay, and,
unbolting the door, pronounced in an audible voice, "Upon my honour,
Mademoiselle, you wrong my intention, if you imagine I came hither with
any disrespectful or dishonourable motive. I have business with your
father, which cannot be delayed till to-morrow, without manifest
prejudice to my friend and myself; therefore I took the liberty of
visiting him at these untimely hours, and it has been my misfortune to
mistake the door in the dark. I beg pardon for my involuntary intrusion,
and again assure you, that nothing was farther from my thoughts than any
design to violate that respect which I have always entertained for you
and your father's family."
To this remonstrance, which was distinctly heard by the German and his
wife, who by this time stood listening at the door, the young lady
replied, in a shrill accent of displeasure, "Sir, I am bound to believe
that all your actions are conducted by honour; but you must give me leave
to tell you, that your mistake is a little extraordinary, and your visit,
even to my father, at this time of the night, altogether unseasonable, if
not mysterious. As for the interruption I have suffered in my repose, I
impute it to my own forgetfulness, in leaving my door unlocked, and blame
myself so severely for the omission, that I shall, to-morrow, put it out
of my own power to be guilty of the like for the future, by ordering the
passage to be nailed up; meanwhile, if you would persuade me of your
well-meaning, you will instantly withdraw, lest my reputation should
suffer by your continuance in my apartment."
"Madam," answered our hero, "I will not give you an opportunity to repeat
the command, which I shall forthwith obey, after having entreated you
once more to forgive the disturbance I have given." So saying, he gently
opened the door, and, at sight of the German and his wife, who, he well
knew, waited for his exit, started back, and gave tokens of confusion,
which was partly real and partly affected. The jeweller, fully satisfied
with Fathom's declaration to his daughter, received him with a
complaisant look, and, in order to alleviate his concern, gave him to
understand, that he already knew the reason of his being in that
apartment, and desired to be informed of what had procured him the honour
to see him at such a juncture.
"My dear friend," said our adventurer, pretending to recollect himself
with difficulty, "I am utterly ashamed and confounded to be discovered in
this situation; but, as you have overheard what passed between
Mademoiselle and me, I know you will do justice to my intention, and
forgive my mistake. After begging pardon for having intruded upon your
family at these hours, I must now tell you that my cousin, Count Melvil,
was some time ago so much misrepresented to his mother by certain
malicious informers, who delight in sowing discord in private families,
that she actually believed her son an extravagant spendthrift, who had
not only consumed his remittances in the most riotous scenes of disorder,
but also indulged a pernicious appetite for gaming, to such a degree,
that he had lost all his clothes and jewels at play. In consequence of
such false information, she expostulated with him in a severe letter, and
desired he would transmit to her that ring which is in your custody, it
being a family stone, for which she expressed an inestimable value. The
young gentleman, in his answer to her reproof, endeavoured to vindicate
himself from the aspersions which had been cast upon his character, and,
with regard to the ring, told her it was at present in the hands of a
jeweller, in order to be new set according to her own directions, and
that, whenever it should be altered, he would send it home to her by some
safe conveyance. This account the good lady took for an evasion, and
upon that supposition has again written to him, in such a provoking
style, that, although the letter arrived but half an hour ago, he is
determined to despatch a courier before morning with the mischievous
ring, for which, in compliance with the impetuosity of his temper, I have
taken the freedom to disturb you at this unseasonable hour."