Part 6 (2/2)

Accordingly, the inclination of this confederate was sounded by distant hints, and being found apt, our herowithout beat of dru the ht retire with as much delicacy as the nature of such a step would permit Divers consultations were held upon this subject, before they adhered to the resolution oftheir escape fro; because, in that case, they would have frequent opportunities of going abroad on foraging parties, and, during one of these excursions, ht retire in such a manner as to persuade their coreeable to this determination, the caan to make preparations for their march, and had already taken all the previous measures for their departure, when an accident happened, which our hero did not fail to convert to his own advantage This was no other than the desertion of Renaldo's valet, who, in consequence of a gentle chastiseht proper to disappear, after having plundered his master's portmanteau, which he had forced open for the purpose Ferdinand, as the first person that discovered the theft, i it for granted that the delinquent would never return, resolved to finish what the fugitive had i favoured with the unreserved confidence of the young Count, he instantly had recourse to his bureau, the locks of which he founda private drawer, contrived with great art to conceal Renaldo's jewels and cash, made hi open his cloak-bag, and strewing the tent with his linen and clothes, began to raise his voice, and produce such a clareat many officers into the tent

He on this, as on all other occasions, perfor confusion and concern so naturally in his gestures and exclamation, that no ree of finesse did his cunning amount, that when his friend and patron entered, in consequence of an intimation he soon received of his loss, our adventurer exhibited undoubted signs of distraction and deliriu upon Renaldo with all the frantic fury of a bedlamite, ”Villain,” cried he, ”restore the effects you have stole from your master, or you shall be immediately committed to the care of the prevot” However ht be at his own misfortune, the condition of his friend seemed to touch him more nearly; he undervalued his own loss as a trifle that could be easily repaired; said everything which he thought would tend to soothe and coitation of Ferdinand; and finally prevailed upon him to retire to rest

The calamity holly attributed to the deserter; and Renaldo, far fro the true author, took occasion, froency, to adrity and attachns, that almost every instance of his fraud furnishedthus profitably exercised his genius, this subtle politician thought it high ti all his valuable acquisitions about his own person, rode out with his understrapper, in the e While the troopers were e up their trusses, the two adventurers advanced towards the skirt of a wood, on pretence of reconnoitring, and the Tyrolese, who undertook to be our hero's guide, directing hi, they suddenly vanished fro the report of several pistols, which the confederates purposely fired, conjectured that they had fallen in with a party of French, by whom they were made prisoners of war

The Tyrolese had overrated his own knowledge when he took upon hi our hero; for upon their arrival at a certain place, where two roads crossed each other, he chanced to follow that which not only frustrated their intention, but even led theht, they fell in upon one of the outguards before they were aware of their ht undergo, when they heard themselves questioned by the sentinel on the advanced post, certain it is, they betrayed no symptoms of fear or disorder; but while Ferdinand endeavoured to recollect himself, his fellow-traveller, with the appearance of admirable intrepidity and presence of entlemen of fa sustained so in any other way, and that they were coeneral, to whose quarters they desired to be immediately conveyed

The sentinel, to whom such an instance of desertion was neither rare, nor indeed uncommon, directed them without scruple to the next post, where they found a serjeant's party, from which, at their request, they were transuard, and by hiny, who very politely received theh this translation was not at all to our hero's liking, he was forced to acquiesce in his fate, glad to find himself, on these terms, in possession of his effects, of which he would otherwise have been infallibly rifled

This careeable period of his whole life; because the manner in which he had entered into the service subjected him to the particular observation and notice of the French officers; so that he was obliged to be very alert in his duty, and summon all his fortitude to maintain the character he had assumed What rendered his situation still more unpalatable, was the activity of both ar which, over and above sundry fatiguing ed in the affair of Halleh, which was very obstinate; where, being in the skirts of the detachment, he was actually wounded in the face by the sword of an hussar; but this was, luckily for him, the last ti his military prowess, for a cessation of arms was proclaimed before he was cured of his wound, and peace concluded about the end of the ca his sojourn in the French ca disgusted at some supercilious treatment he had met with in the Ger arms under the banners of France, took the opportunity of retreating by stealth from his friends, accompanied only by one hom he could intrust his intention In this capacity he had e, that many French officers of rank were very well disposed to contribute their interest in his behalf, had his inclination verged towards proht proper to conceal his real design, under the specious pretext of longing to see the metropolis of France, that centre of pleasure and politeness, in which he proposed to spend so

These were motives too laudable to be opposed by his new patrons, some of whom furnished him with letters of recommendation to certain noblemen of the first rank at the court of Versailles, for which place he and his companion set out from the banks of the Rhine, very well satisfied with the honourable diser, and alarm

CHAPTER TWENTY

HE PREPARES A STRATAGEM BUT FINDS HIMSELF COUNTERMINED--PROCEEDS ON HIS JOURNEY, AND IS OVERTAKEN BY A TERRIBLE TEMPEST

In the course of this journey, Ferdinand, as never deficient in his political capacity, held a secret conclave with his own thoughts, not only touching the plan of his own future conduct, but also concerning his associate, of whose fidelity and adherence he began to entertain such doubts as discouraged hin in which the Tyrolese had been at first included; for he had lately observed hi the French officers, with such rapacity and want of caution, as indicated a dangerous te, which ht be some time or other satiated upon his own friends In other words, our adventurer was afraid that his accoe of the road and countries through which they travelled, and, after having made free with his most valuable effects, in consequence of the fa without the ceremony of a formal adieu

Aroused by this suspicion, he resolved to anticipate the supposed intention of the Tyrolese, by taking his own departure in the same abrupt manner; and this scheme he actually put in execution, upon their arrival in Bar-le-duc, where it was agreed they should spend a day to repose and refresh the Ferdinand, therefore, taking the advantage of his companion's absence--for the Tyrolese had walked abroad to view the town--found h a by-road as far as Chalons, and with his guide he accordingly set out on horseback, after having discharged the bill, left a blank paper sealed up in form of a letter, directed to his friend, and secured behind his own saddle a pair of leathern bags, in which his jewels and cash were usually contained

So eager was our hero to leave the Tyrolese at a considerable distance behind, that he rode all night at a round pace without halting, and next ues from any part of the route which he and his co himself safely delivered from the cause of all his apprehension, he deterht run no risk of an accidentalupon the road with the person whose coly took possession of an apartuide to wake hi enjoyed a very cos under his pillow, he was su to his direction, and ate a very hearty reat tranquillity and internal satisfaction In the afternoon he aes and ideal prospects of his future fortune, and, in the inary banquets, was seized with an inclination of realising his bliss, and regaling his eyesight with the fruits of that success which had hitherto attended his endeavours Thus inflamed, he opened the repository, and, O reader! ere his reflections, when, in lieu of Madeolden chain, divers jewels of considerable value, the spoils of sundry dupes, and about two hundred ducats in ready money, he found neither more nor less than a parcel of rusty nails, disposed in such a ht and bulk the moveables he had lost

It is not to be supposed our adventurer made this discovery without emotion If the eternal salvation of mankind could have been purchased for the tenth part of his treasure, he would have left the whole species in a state of reprobation, rather than redeeain soe to his own concerns

One nation he bore the loss of the whole, and saw himself reduced fro upon about twenty ducats, and some loose silver, which he carried in his pocket, for his expense upon the road

However bitter this pill , he so far race His own penetration at once pointed out the canal through which this misfortune had flowed upon him; he forthwith placed the cala that he had retired with the booty across the Rhine, into some place to which he knew Fathom would not follow his footsteps, he for with all despatch his journey to Paris, that he ht, with all convenient expedition, indemnify hiard to his confederate, his conjecture was perfectly right; that adventurer, though infinitely inferior to our hero in point of genius and invention, had e and experience; he was no stranger to Fathom's qualifications, the happy exertion of which he had often seen He knew hial order, consequently concluded his finances orthy of examination; and, upon the true principles of a sharper, eased hiranted, that, in so doing, he only precluded Ferdinand froedy upon him, should ever opportunity concur with his inclination He had therefore concerted his measures with the dexterity of an experienced conveyancer, and, snatching the occasion, while our hero, travel-tainted, lay sunk in the arms of profound repose, he ripped up the seams of the leather depository, withdrew the contents, introduced the parcel of nails, which he had reat deliberation

Had Fathoenius pro, the Tyrolese, in all probability, would have maintained his acquisition by force of are was rather more determined than that of our adventurer, and he was conscious of his own ascendency in this particular; but his good fortune prevented such explanation Ie, and, betaking himself to a remote part of the town, set out in a post-chaise for Luneville, while our hero washis own escape

Fathom's conception was sufficient to corin would give his sagacity fair play; nor would he allow his resolution to sink under the trial; on the contrary, he departed froe that same afternoon, under the auspices of his conductor, and found hihted in the midst of a forest, far froht, the silence and solitude of the place, the indistinct i their extravagant arloom,”

conspired, with the dejection of spirits occasioned by his loss, to disturb his fancy, and raise strange phantoination