Part 4 (1/2)
CHAPTER TWELVE
HE EFFECTS A LODGMENT IN THE HOUSE OF A RICH JEWELLER
In consequence of this deter the few friends of consequence his fortune had left, and even carried his complaisance so far as to become the humble servant of their pleasures, while he attempted to extend his acquaintance in an inferior path of life, where he thought his talents would shi+ne reat, and conduce ns Nor did he find hiuine as it was He soon found eois, where every individual was charmed with his easy air and extraordinary qualifications He accoly to the humours of the whole family; smoked tobacco, sine, and discoursed of stones with the husband, as a rich jeweller; sacrificed himself to the pride and loquacity of the wife; and played upon the violin, and sung alternately, for the ahter, a buxoe
It was not long before Ferdinand had reason to congratulate hiained in this society He had expected to find, and in a little time actually discovered, that mutual jealousy and rancour which alhter and her step-dame, inflamed with all the virulence of fees served only to render the the other sex Our adventurer having deliberated upon the e, saw nohis approaches to the hearts of both, byto each in private, food for their reciprocal envy and malevolence; because he well knew that no road lies so direct and open to a wo her passions of vanity and resent particular with the ly incurred the displeasure of Mademoiselle, which, he observed, was obvious in every circu he was utterly innocent of all intention of offending her; and that he could not account for his disgrace any other way, than by supposing she took uards towards her ether involuntary, being wholly influenced by that lady's superior charms and politeness
Such a declaration was perfectly well calculated for the meridian of a dahtened pride, and an increased appetite for pleasure, had begun to find herself neglected, and even to believe that her attractions were actually on the wane She very graciously consoled our gallant for theWilhelhter's naust he ought to make no consideration; then she recountedlady, with the returns of ratitude she had made; and, lastly, enumerated all the imperfections of her person, education, and behaviour; that he ypsy pretended to vie with those who had been distinguished by the approbation and even gallantry of the best people in Vienna
Having thus established hiossip, he knew his next step of proree of her lover; and in that belief resolved to play the saame with Mademoiselle Wilhelmina, whose complexion was very much akin to that of her stepmother; indeed they resembled each other too much to live upon any terms of friendshi+p or even decorum Fatho lady, never failed to repeat his visit every afternoon, till at length he had the pleasure of finding her disengaged, the jeweller being occupied a-in
Our adventurer and the daughter had already exchanged their vows, by the expressive language of the eyes; he had even declared himself in some tender ejaculations which had been softly whispered in her ear, when he could snatch an opportunity of venting theently squeezed her fair hand, on pretence of tuning her harpsichord, and been favoured with returns of the sa her with the fearful hesitation and reserve of a timid swain, he told her, after the exercise of the doux-yeux, that he was come to confer with her upon a subject that nearly concerned her peace; and asked if she had not observed of late an evident abatement of friendshi+p in her mother's behaviour to him, whom she had formerly treated with such marks of favour and respect Mademoiselle would not pay so ill a compliment to her own discernment as to say she had not perceived the alteration; which, on the contrary, she oas extremely palpable; nor was it difficult to divine the cause of such estranged looks This relance; she s, the colour deepened on her cheeks, her breast began to heave, and her whole frareeable confusion
Ferdinand was not a arded ”Yes, char Wilhelmina!” exclaimed the politician in an affected rapture, ”the cause is as conspicuous as your attractions She hath, in spite of all my circumspection, perceived that passion which it is not in my power to conceal, and in consequence of which I now declare myself your devoted adorer; or, conscious of your superior excellence, her jealousy hath taken the alar with conjecture only, repines at the triunity may be inflamed to my prejudice, I know not Perhaps, as this is the first, itthe dearest sentiments of my heart to the fair object that inspired them; in a word, I may be for ever excluded from your presence Excuse me, then, divine creature! from the practice of those unnecessary fored with the ordinary privileges of an honourable lover; and, once for all, accept the ho with love and admiration Yes, adorable Wilhelmina! I am dazzled with your supernatural beauty; your other accomplishraces of your deportment, ravished with the charms of your conversation; and there is a certain tenderness of benevolence in that endearing aspect, which, I trust, will not fail to melt with sympathy at the e, he threw hi her plump hand, pressed it to his lips with all the violence of real transport The nymph, whose passions nature had filled to the bri an utter stranger to addresses of this kind, she understood every word of it in the literal acceptation; she believed implicitly in the truth of the encoht it reasonable he should be rewarded for the justice he had done to her qualifications, which had hitherto been alan to thaw, and her face to hang out the flag of capitulation; which was no sooner perceived by our hero, than he renewed his attack with redoubled fervour, pronouncing in a ht of my eyes, and e with the nation, for that sentence froether depend
Not with more reverence does the unhappy bashaw kiss the sultan's letter that contains his doom, than I will subelic sweetness! for never, ah! never will I rise froed to live and hope No! if you refuse to shs of a despairing lover; here shall this faithful sword do the last office to its unfortunate master, and shed the blood of the truest heart that ever felt the cruel pangs of disappointed love”
The young lady, well-nigh overcoht the tears into her eyes, ”Enough, enough,” cried she, interrupting him, ”sure you men were created for the ruin of our sex”--”Ruin!” re-echoed Fathom, ”talk not of ruin and Wilhelmina! let these terms be for ever parted, far as the east and west asunder! let ever s peace attend her steps, and love and joy still wanton in her train! Ruin, indeed, shall wait upon her enemies, if such there be, and those love-lorn wretches who pine with anguish under her disdain Grant ards to one whose love is without example, and whose constancy is unparalleled Bear witness to my constancy and faith, ye verdant hills, ye fertile plains, ye shady groves, ye purling streams; and if I prove untrue, ah! letbrook, by help of which I may be enabled to put a period to an to sob er to withstand his ently dropped into his ar of a correspondence that soon rose to a very interesting pitch; and they forthwith concerted e or suspicion of herlady, vanquished as she was, and unskilled in the ways of men, would not all at once yield at discretion; but insisted upon those terms, without which no wo to evade the proposal, assented to it in terms of uncommon satisfaction, and pro a priest upon whose discretion they could rely; nay, he certainly resolved to coood earnest, rather than forfeit the advantages which he foresaw in their union His good fortune, however, exe such a step, which at best reeable; for so many difficulties occurred in the inquiry which was set on foot, and so artfully did Fathoained over her heart, that, before her passion could obtain a legal gratification, she surrendered to his wish, without any other assurance, than his solemn profession of sincerity and truth, on which she reposed herself with the most implicit confidence and faith
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
HE IS EXPOSED TO A MOST PERILOUS INCIDENT IN THE COURSE OF HIS INTRIGUE WITH THE DAUGHTER
He was rejoiced to find her so easily satisfied in such a ue was to make her necessary to his interested views, and even, if possible, an associate in the fraudulent plans he had projected upon her father; consequently he considered this relaxation in her virtue as an happy omen of his future success All the obstacles to theirthus reed with an assignation in her own chauous to that of her stepmother, was provided with a door that opened into a coht
He did not neglect the rendezvous, but, presenting hinal they had agreed upon, and was immediately admitted by Wilhelmina, aited for hire with a lover's impatience Fathom was not deficient in those expressions of rapture that are current on those occasions; but, on the contrary, becaratulation, that his voice reached the ears of the vigilant stepave him to understand that sohter; and exhorted him to rise forthwith, and vindicate the honour of his famatic habit, and never went to bed without a full dose of the creature, which added to his constitutional drowsiness, gave no ear to his wife's intimation, until she had repeated it thrice, and used other means to rouse him from the arms of slumber Meanwhile Fathom and his inamorata overheard her information, and our hero would have h the port by which he entered, had not his intention been overruled by the re lady, who observed that the door was already fast bolted, and could not possibly be opened without creating a noise that would confirm the suspicion of her parents; and that over and above this objection he would, in sallying fro met by her father, who in all probability would present himself before it, in order to hinder our hero's escape She therefore conveyed hiht rereat tranquillity, in full confidence that she would take such measures as would effectually screen him from detection
He was fain to depend upon her assurance, and accordingly ensconced hi-table; but he could not help sweating with apprehension, and praying fervently to God for his deliverance, when he heard the jeweller thundering at the door, and calling to his daughter for admittance Wilheluished the light, pretended to be suddenly waked fro up, exclaiht, ”Jesu, Maria! what is the matter?”--”Hussy!” replied the German in a terrible accent, ”open the door this instant; there is aand thunder! I ash away the stain he has cast upon my honour with the schellum's heart's-blood”
Not at all intimidated by this boisterous threat, she admitted him without hesitation, and, with a shrillness of voice peculiar to herself, began to hold forth upon her own innocence and his unjust suspicion, ainst her , that some people were so viciously inclined by their own natures, that she did not wonder at their doubting the virtue of other people; but that these people despised the insinuations of such people, who ought to be more circumspect in their own conduct, lest they themselves should suffer reprisals from those people who uttered these flowers of rhetoric, which were calculated for the hearing of her step-da lady assumed an ironical air, and admonished her father to search every corner of her apartment She even affected to assist his inquiry; with her own hands pulled out a parcel of small drawers, in which her trinkets were contained; desired hi his exae her closet also, saying, with a sneer, that, in all probability, the dishonourer would be found in that lurking-place
The manner in which she pretended to ridicule his apprehensions made an impression upon the jeweller, as very well disposed to retreat into his own nest, when his wife, with a certain slyness in her countenance, besought hihter's request, and look into that same closet, by which means Wilhelmina's virtue would obtain a complete triumph