Part 2 (1/2)

So little are the coe the capacities of those who are under their tutelage and care, that Fatho arts, made shi+ft to pass upon the schoolmaster as a lad of quick parts, in despite of a natural inaptitude to retain his lessons, which all his industry could never overcome In order to re, he had always recourse to the friendshi+p of the young Count, who freely permitted him to transcribe his exercises, until a sh put a stop to these instances of his generosity--The adventure, inconsiderable as it is, we shall record, as the first overt act of Ferdinand's true character, as well as an illustration of the opinion we have advanced touching the blind and injudicious decisions of a right pedagogue

A other tasks imposed by the pedant upon the for ordered to translate a chapter of Caesar's Co Count went to work, and perforance and despatch Fathoht inso much hurried for want of tilected to insert a few variations fro the terms on which he was allowed to use it; so that it was verbatiinal

As those exercises were always delivered in a heap, subscribed with the several naed, the schoolmaster chanced to peruse the version of Ferdinand, before he looked into any of the rest, and could not help bestowing upon it particular marks of approbation The next that fell under his exa Count, when he i it to the true cause, upbraided hi copied the exercise of our adventurer, and insisted upon chastising him upon the spot for his want of application

Had not the young gentleht his honour was concerned, he would have sub; but he inherited, fro overwhelht to have redounded to his glory, he could not brook the indignity, and boldly affirinal, to whom Ferdinand was beholden for his performance The schoolment, resolved that the Count should have no cause to exult in the discovery he had er, actually whipped hi allowed Fatho his own penetration, he took an opportunity of questioning Ferdinand in private concerning the circu his drift, gave hiuous answers, as persuaded hiiary, and that the other had been restrained fro himself justice, by the consideration of his own dependence

This profound director did not fail, in honour of his own discernment, to whisper about theCount's insolence, and Fatho the servants, especially theto the fa behaviour; and at length it reached the ears of his patron, who, incensed at his son's presumption and inhospitality, called hientleation, and appealed to the evidence of Fatholy sued to declare the truth, with an assurance of his constant protection; upon which Ferdinand very wisely fell upon his knees, and, while the tears gushed fro Count of the imputation, and expressed his apprehension, that the report had been spread by some of his enemies, anted to prejudice hientlerity by this declaration; being naturally of a generous disposition, highly prepossessed in favour of the poor orphan, and chagrined at the unpro appearance of his heir, he suspected that Fatho offence, and that, notwithstanding what he had said, the case really stood as it had been represented In this persuasion, he earnestly exhorted his son to resist and co to selfishness, fraud, or ie every sentiment of candour and benevolence, and to behave with moderation and affability to all his fellow-creatures He laid upon hi injunctions, not without a mixture of threats, to consider Fathoard; to respect hier, and, above all, an helpless orphan, to whohts of hospitality were doubly due

Such adh husk of his personal exhibition, possessed a large share of generous sensibility Without any forovern hi the least spark of aniainst Fathom, he looked upon the poor boy as the innocent cause of his disgrace, and redoubled his kindness towards hiain be called in question, upon the sa is enerosity; one half of the world mistake the motive, from want of ideas to conceive an instance of beneficence that soars so high above the level of their own senti sinister or selfish, froestions of their own sordid and vicious inclinations The young Count subjected hi those who observed the increased warmth of civility and complaisance in his behaviour to Ferdinand They ascribed it to his desire of still profiting by our adventurer's superior talents, by which alone they supposed hiree of reputation at school; or to the fear of being convicted by hiuilty These suspicions were not effaced by the conduct of Ferdinand, hen exaed his answers in such a manner, as confirmed their conjectures, while he pretended to refute them, and at the same time acquired to himself credit for his extraordinary discretion and self-denial

If he exhibited such a proof of sagacity in the twelfth year of his age, what ht not be expected from his finesse in the maturity of his faculties and experience? Thus secured in the good graces of the whole fa in the reeable elapse of caresses and aed into the strea on the surface, imbibed a small tincture of those different sciences which his rant ss that ski to wet one feather in their wings, except in the accidental pursuit of an inconsiderable fly

Yet, though his capacity or inclination was unsuited for studies of this kind, he did not fail to enius in the acquisition of other more profitable arts Over and above the accomplishments of address, for which he hath been already celebrated, he excelled all his fellows in his dexterity at fives and billiards; was altogether unrivalled in his skill at draughts and backgaan, even at these years, to understand the moves and schemes of chess; and made himself a mere adept in the mystery of cards, which he learned in the course of his assiduities and attention to the females of the house

CHAPTER SIX

HE MEDITATES SCHEMES OF IMPORTANCE

It was in these parties that he attracted the notice and friendshi+p of his patron's daughter, a girl by two years older than himself, as not insensible to his qualifications, and looked upon him with the most favourable eyes of prepossession Whether or not he at this period of his life began to project plans for availing himself of her susceptibility, is uncertain; but, without all doubt, he cultivated her esteem with as obsequious and subn, which, in his advanced age, he attempted to put in execution

Divers circu lady; the greenness of his years secured hied in frequent opportunities of conversing with his young ed this co the language of her father Such connexions naturally produce intireeable, his talents calculated for the , that there would have been no just subject for wonder, had he made an impression upon the tender unexperienced heart of Mademoiselle de Melvil, whose beauty was not so attractive as to extinguish his hope, in raising up a nuh her expectations of fortune were such as commonly lend additional lustre to personal merit

All these considerations were so many steps towards the success of Ferdinand's pretensions; and though he cannot be supposed to have perceived them at first, he in the sequel seees, and used the that she delighted in music, he betook himself to the study of that art, and, by dint of application and a tolerable ear, learned of hi and played upon the harpsichord The Count, seeing his inclination, and the progress he had made, resolved that his capacity should not be lost for want of cultivation; and accordingly provided him with a master, by whom he was instructed in the principles of the art, and soon beca upon the violin

In the practice of these i lect, he attained to the age of sixteen, without feeling the least abateenerosity of those upon who every day fresh ard He had before this ti a conquest of the young lady's heart, and foresawson-in-law to Count Melvil, who, he never doubted, would soon be reconciled to the e Although he thought he had great reason to believe that Mademoiselle looked upon him with an eye of peculiar favour, his disposition was happily teredient of caution, that hindered hi with precipitation; and he had discerned in the young lady's deportment certain indications of loftiness and pride, which kept hiilance and circumspection; for he knew, that, by a pre all the advantages he had gained, and blasting those expectations that now blossoaily in his heart

Restricted by these reflections, he acted at a wary distance, and deter all his artifice and attractions to his aid, employed them under the insidious cover of profound respect, in order to underhtiness or discretion, which otherwise ht have rendered his approaches to her impracticable With a view to enhance the value of his company, and sound her sentiments at the saaged in her parties of music and cards; yet, in the midst of his reserve, he never failed in those deard, which he knew perfectly well how to express, but devised such excuses for his absence, as she could not help ad In consequence of this affected shyness, she lect and indifference, observing, with an ironical air, that he was now too much of a man to be entertained with such effeminate diversions; but her reproofs were pronounced with too reeable to our hero, who desired to see her ruffled and chagrined at his absence, and to hear hiry affectation of disdain This effort, therefore, he reinforced with the e he could assuly bestowed upon hisstories he could learn or invent, particularly such as he thought would justify and reco power of love, that knows no distinctions of fortune He sung nothing but tender airs and passionate co swains; and, to render his performances of this kind the hs, while the tears, which he had ever at command, stood collected in either eye

It was impossible for her to overlook such studied e lost his heart, rallied the excess of his passion, and in a merry strain undertook to be an advocate for his love Her behaviour was still wide of his wish and expectation He thought she would, in consequence of her discovery, have betrayed soone soue would have faltered, her breast heaved, and her whole deportitation and disorder, in which case, he meant to profit by the happy impression, and declare himself, before she could possibly recollect the dictates of her pride--Baffled however in his endeavours, by the serenity of the young lady, which he still deemed equivocal, he had recourse to another experiment, by which he believed he should make a discovery of her sentiments beyond all possibility of doubt One day, while he accompanied Mademoiselle in her exercise of music, he pretended all of a sudden to be taken ill, and counterfeited a swoon in her apartment Surprised at this accident, she screa to his assistance, with the transports and distraction of a lover, she ordered her maid, as present, to support his head, and went in person to call for ly re to be still ed the farce, and lay groaning under the pretence of a severe fever

The whole family was alarmed upon this occasion; for, as we have already observed, he was an universal favourite He was immediately visited by the old Count and his lady, who expressed the utmost concern at his distemper, ordered him to be carefully attended, and sent for a physician without loss of tientleman would scarce stir from his bedside, where he ministered unto him with all the demonstrations of brotherly affection; and Miss exhorted him to keep up his spirits, with ard Nevertheless, he saw nothing in her behaviour but what ht be naturally expected from common friendshi+p, and a compassionate disposition, and was very much e actually affected his constitution, or the doctor happened to be nostics, we shall not pretend to determine; but the patient was certainly treated secundum artem, and all his complaints in a little tiraduate, had an eye to the apothecary in his prescriptions; and such was the concern and scrupulous care hich our hero was attended, that the orders of the faculty were perfored, and blistered, in the usual forenerally as well skilled in the arts of their occupation as any other leeches under the sun), and sed a whole dispensary of bolusses, draughts, and apozems, by which means he became fairly delirious in three days, and so untractable, that he could be no longerto rule; otherwise, in all likelihood, the world would never have enjoyed the benefit of these adventures In short, his constitution, though unable to cope with two such foronists as the doctor and the disease he had conjured up, was no sooner rid of the one, than it easily got the better of the other; and though Ferdinand, after all, found his grand aim unaccomplished, his h he had not foreseen it, he did not fail to convert to his own use and advantage

CHAPTER SEVEN

ENGAGES IN PARTNERshi+P WITH A FEMALE assOCIATE, IN ORDER TO PUT HIS TALENTS IN ACTION

While he displayed his qualifications in order to entrap the heart of his young ly enslaved the affections of herlady, and, though her senior by two or three good years at least, unquestionably her superior in point of personal beauty; sheand discernment, and was furnished by nature with a very a premised, the reader will not be surprised to find her smitten by those unco Fathohed in secret, under the powerful influence of his charms, and practised upon him all those little arts, by which a woman strives to attract the admiration, and ensnare the heart of a man she loves; but all his faculties were employed upon the plan which he had already projected; that was the goal of his whole attention, to which all his measures tended; and whether or not he perceived the iave her the least reason to believe he was conscious of his victory, until he found hin upon the heart of her mistress--She therefore persevered in her distant attempts to allure him, with the usual coquetries of dress and address, and, in the sweet hope of profiting by his susceptibility, s, and keep her passion within bounds, until his supposed danger alarmed her fears, and raised such a tuer conceal her love, but gave a loose to her sorrow in the uish and affliction, and, while his deliriu shepherdess