Part 18 (1/2)
Although Fathoant symptom of despair, he affected to approve of the sche in another quarter, even if this expedition should fail; for, by this time, our adventurer was half resolved to export hier restricted in his designs upon Moni resolved to try the experiment upon the children of Israel, they betook themselves to the house of a rich Jehose wealth they considered as a proof of his rapaciousness; and, being ad-house, they found him in the ination, likened him unto aschemes of misery to be executed upon the hapless sons of estions, which were not at allaspect of the Hebrew, he de ushered into another apartment, he explained his business with manifest marks of disorder and affliction Indeed, his confusion was in so to the looks of the Jeho, in the midst of this exordiuly black and bushy, so as, in appearance, totally to extinguish his visage, though he was all the ti our youth from behind those alnified his request, ”Young gentleman,” said the Israelite, with a oodness could induce you to come to me upon such an errand? Did you ever hear that I lent ers without security?” ”No,” replied Renaldo, ”nor did I believe I should profit by my application; butbeen rejected by every Christian to who the Jeho are reckoned another species of men”
Fathom, alarmed at this abrupt reply, which he supposed could not fail to disgust the y for the plain dealing of his friend, who, he said, was soured and ruffled by histhat power of eloquence which he had at command, he expostulated upon Renaldo's clais he had suffered, extolled his virtue, and drew a most pathetic picture of his distress
The Jew listened attentively for soan to rise and fall alternately; he coughed, sneezed, and winking hard, ”I'ued,” said he, ”with a salt rheu, he wiped the moisture from his face, and proceeded in these words: ”Sir, your story is plausible; and your friend is a good advocate; but before I give an answer to your de leave to ask if you can produce undeniable evidence of your being the identical person you really assume? If you are really the Count de Melvil, you will excuse ainst fraud; though I must own you have not the air of an ian to sparkle at this preliminary question; to which he replied, that he could procure the testimony of the Emperor's minister, to whom he had occasionally paid his respects since his first arrival in England
”If that be the case,” said the Jew, ”take the trouble to call here to-ht o'clock, and I will carry you in my own coach to the house of his excellency, ho to object against your character or pretensions, I will contributejustice at the Iarian was so much confounded at this unexpected reception, that he had not power to thank the merchant for his promised favour, but stood motionless and silent, while the streaht with the Jew, than the eloquent acknowledg for his friend; and he was fain to dismiss thee of that same rheum of which he had already complained
Melvil recollected all that had happened as a drea in a sort of deliriuusts of hope and fear that still agitated his bosoain disappointed by some unlucky occurrence
He did not, however, fail to be punctual to the hour of his appointment, when the Jew told hi the a day, recognised by one of the clerks who had been e his faed
”After breakfast,” continued this benevolent Israelite, ”I will give you an order upon my banker for five hundred pounds, that you may be enabled to appear at Vienna as the son and representative of Count Melvil; and you shall also be furnished with a letter of recommendation to a person of some influence at that court, whose friendshi+p and countenance aged in your interest, in consequence of the fair and unblemished character which I find you have hitherto maintained”
The reader must appeal to his own heart, to acquire a just idea of Renaldo's feelings, when every tittle of these promises was fulfilled, and theby way of pre himself with the slender security of a personal bond He was, in truth, overwhelation, and certainly disposed to believe that his benefactor was so more than human As for Fathom, his sentiments took a different turn; and he scrupled not to impute all this kindness to some deep-laid interested scheme, the scope of which he could not at present coentleman's joy had subsided, and he found hiroaned so long, his thoughts, which before were dissipated upon the various circuan to collect themselves in a body, and to resu accustomed to consider; this was no other than the forlorn Moni disencumbered of one part of the load by which it had been depressed Hecompassion, deplored her apostasy, and, while he protested that he had divorced her for ever from his heart, expressed an inclination to see her once ht in person exhort her to penitence and reformation
Our adventurer, who dreaded such an interview as the infallible means of his own ruin, resisted the proposal with the whole power of his elocution He affirmed, that Renaldo's desire was a manifest proof that he still retained part of the fatal poison which that enchantress had spread within his veins; and that the sight of her, softened by his reproaches into tears and affected contrition, would dispel his resentment, disable his manhood, and blow the ee, as would hurry him on to a reconciliation, which would debase his honour, and ruin his future peace In a word, Ferdinand described the danger that would attend the arian started with horror at the picture which he drew, and in this particular conformed with the admonition of his friend
One hundred pounds of the Jew's money was ient debts; the like sum he presented to his friend Fathoood fortune h Moniard, so ill could he bear the prospect of her distress, that he entrusted his dear companion with the half of what re to screen her from the shocks and temptations of want, as the circumstances of his future fate would allow
Fathoenerosity withhim, that she should be put in possession of his bounty i to ood fortune before that period, lest, finding his affairs in a fair way of being retrieved, she should be base enough to worshi+p his returning prosperity, and, by false professions, and artful blandishments, seek to ensnare his heart anew
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
COUNT FATHOM UNMASKS HIS BATTERY; IS REPULSED; AND VARIES HIS OPERATIONS WITHOUT EFFECT
Every necessary preparation being made, Renaldo, accompanied by our adventurer, took the road to Dover, where he e settled a correspondence with his dear Ferdinand, from whom he did not part without tears He had before solicited hiht personally enjoy the benefit of his conversation and superior sagacity; but these entreaties he strenuously opposed, on pretence of his being deterland, which he considered as his native country, and as the land in which, of all others, a e to attend his benefactor, as hi a settlement in the island of Great Britain But our hero's realwere of a very different complexion--The reader is already informed of his aim upon the fair orphan, which, at present, was the chief spring of his conduct He es of his life, as were sufficient to deter hi or Vienna But, besides these reflections, he was detained by a full persuasion that Renaldo would sink under the power and influence of his antagonist, consequently be rendered incapable to provide for his friends; and that he hiht iles and experience as he was, could not fail toa people equally rich and unthinking
Melvil, having eh bid him take care of the unfortunate Monimia, committed hiale, was in four hours safely landed on the French shore; while Fathoht, and next day, in the forenoon, went to visit the beauteous mourner, who had as yet received no intin He found her in the attitude of writing a letter to her inconstant lover, the contents of which the reader will be acquainted with in due ti the veil of ether serene and conation, and sat like PATIENCE on apaid the co o three days, in which, he said, his tie for Count Melvil, who had at last bid an eternal adieu to the island of Great Britain
At this information the hapless Monimia fell back in her chair, and continued so recovered, ”Excuse h; ”this, I hope, is the last agony I shall feel fro the tears from her lovely eyes, she retrieved her tranquillity, and desired to knohat means Renaldo had been enabled to undertake his journey into the empire Our hero, upon this occasion, assu pro her to understand, that he, in consequence of an unforeseen windfall, had defrayed the expense of the Count's equiph he observed, that it was not without reluctance he saw Renaldo h I was happy,” proceeded this artful traitor, ”in being able to discharge ations to the house of Melvil, I could not help feeling the rin, when I saw my assistance rendered subservient to the triumphs of the youth's baseness and infidelity; for he chose, as the companion of his travels, the abandoned woman for whom he had forsaken the all-perfect Monimia, whose virtue and accorateful sarcasms and unmannerly ridicule Believe me, madam, I was so shocked at his conversation on that subject, and so much incensed at his want of delicacy, thatAnd, now that my debt to his family is over-paid, I have solemnly renounced his correspondence”
When she heard that, instead of betraying the least syret or compassion for her unhappy fate, the perfidious youth had exulted over her fall, and even made her a subject for his mirth, the blood revisited her faded cheeks, and resentnancy which sorrow had before overconation; but, forcing a smile, ”Why should I repine,” said she, ”at the mortifications of a life which I despise, and from which, I hope, Heaven speedily will set me free!”
Fathoraces of her beauty, exclaimed in a rapture, ”Talk not so contemptuously of this life, which hath still a fund of happiness in store for the ah one admirer hath proved an apostate to his vows, your candour will not suffer you to condeloith passion equally pure, unalterable, and intense
For id punctilio of honour the dearest ideas of my heart I beheld your unrivalled charms, and deeply felt their power Yet, while a possibility of Melvil's reforard fortune fro a tender worthy of your acceptance, I co the pangs of hopeless love But, now that ed, and my fortune rendered independent, by the last will of a worthy nobleman, whose friendshi+p I was favoured with in France, I presume to lay myself at the feet of the adorable Monimia, as the most faithful of admirers, whose happiness or misery wholly depends upon her nod Believe allantry--I speak the genuine, though ie of my heart