by T. Smollett
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.
