Part 5 (1/2)
All these gratifications he received with demonstrations of infinite constraint and reluctance, and, in the ly as to irity Yet, not contented hat he thus could earn, and despairing of being able to steer the bark of his fortune for any length of tierous 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 ht suppose he endeavoured to conceal sorin that preyed upon his heart
The stratagem succeeded to his wish She observed his countenance bethiles 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, i, that his love would not suffer him to make her a partner in his sorrow; and this delicacy on his part whetted her iree, 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 ne, so that his caution forsook hiamester, who stripped hiation for two hundred florins, which he could not possibly pay without having recourse to his relation the Count de Melvil, ould have just cause to be incensed at his extravagance
This infor that, cost what it would, he was resolved to make a candid confession of the truth, and throw hienerosity of his patron, who could inflict no other punish hirievous soever it ht be, he should be able to sustain with fortitude, could he fall upon so the Tyrolese, as very ie in his demand His kind mistress no sooner found out the source of his inquietude, than she pro him that next day, at the sae the debt; so that he aiety which was the soul of her enjoyenerous proffer, which, however, he declined, with an affected earnestness of refusal, protesting, that he should be extreht she looked upon hiallants 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 alorious enerous 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 enial sainst all the persecution of adverse fortune”
This declah, served only to infla him from the difficulty in which he was involved She exhausted all her eloquence in atteainst 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 ard to her happiness and peace
Encouraged by the success of this achievement, he resolved to practise the sa 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 sht necessary to stihtly concluded, that she was by no means mistress of such a considerable sum as he had already extorted froht proper to represent hient predicaht be so alare, which otherwise she would never have drea described his own cala entreaties, which he affected to evade, he gave her to understand, that there was no person upon earth to whoency; 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 griefround his neck, conjuring hi 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 e of his death
He was not deficient in expressions of reciprocal regard He extolled her love and tenderness with a uish at the prospect of parting for ever froid 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 cos, 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 intervieith 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 aination His prognostic was next ht to hi 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 old chain, of value ence of your present occasions It was pledged to ht 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 entleman, 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 fro this testie of our blessed Lady, that I will no longer own you as the sovereign of e 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 hienerosity; but, that sa to her apart, he prostrated hiitation of spirit, begged, in the ent terms, not even unaccompanied with tears, that she would take back the present, which he tendered for her acceptance, and spare hi hi 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 sentio 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 reuest, reminded him of her oath, from which he could not suppose she would recede, whatever the consequence reat 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 rave
His fortitude was not proof against this last consideration ”My savage honour,” said he, ”would enable s of eternal separation in the confidence of being endoith 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, ss up the dictates of ush of tenderness and sorrow, as overwhel creature! I sacrifice lory to that irresistible reflection; and, rather than knowthe world of such perfection, consent to retain the fatal testi, he pocketed the chain, with an air of ineffable mortification, and was rewarded for his co caresses of his Dulcinea, who, amidst the tu blessed her with the affection of such abut 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 ratiating qualifications he inherited from nature, and maintain, with incredible assiduity and circumspection, an amorous correspondence with two domestic rivals, atched the conduct of each other with the able virulence of envious suspicion, until an accident happened, which had well-nigh overturned the bark of his policy, and induced hiht not be shi+pwrecked on the rocks that began to e
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 accustohter, he considered as an orna to the faly, 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 assu with his desire, and, having e her ht her father instantly into the apart about her clothes and trinkets with violent deht, and heard her, in a lamentable strain, declare that she was robbed of her chain, and for ever undone This was so far froreeable intimation to the jeweller, that he was struck dumb with astonish pause that he pronounced the word Sacra 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 boso 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 nothe saed herself in the search, beginning with a song, whichthe Greeks, or ratherround the altar of Diana, surnaesticulations, and, in the course of utterance, becauests, ere by this ti 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 theup 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 thethis apology, and the efforts he ood-humour, his heart was so linked to the chain, that he could not detach hihts of it, which invaded him at short intervals in such qualestion
He revolved within himself the circu all the probable means by which the chain would be stolen, concluded that the deed must have been done by so 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 workht, was the more likely to practise such finesse, as she considered Wilhelhter-in-lahose interest interfered with her own, and who had often harangued to hi this very chain in the young lady's possession