Part 26 (1/2)
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
THE MYSTERY UNFOLDED--ANOTHER RECOGNITION, WHICH, IT IS TO BE HOPED, THE READER COULD NOT FORESEE
The French lady then explained the whole eyns of Fathom, who seemed determined to support his false pretensions by dint of perjury and fraud, which they would have found it very difficult to elude She observed, that the physician had actually despaired of Monimia's life, and it was not till after she herself was nostic, that she wrote the letter to Renaldo, which she committed to the care of Madam Clement, with an earnest entreaty, that it should not be sent till after her decease
But that lady, believing the Count had been certainly abused by his treacherous confidant, despatched the billet without the knowledge of Moniable care of the physician, and the sage exhortations of the clergyman, by which she was reconciled to life In a word, the villany of Fathoht still be innocent; and that notion contributed not a little to her cure
The letter having so effectually answered their war back Renaldo such a pattern of constancy and love, the confederates, in consequence of his enthusiastic sorrow, had planned thistwo virtuous lovers to the aryed them with the use of the vestry, in which they noere presented with a sant collation
Melvil heard this succinct detail with equal joy and adratitude to the preservers of his happiness--”This church,” said he, ”shall henceforth possess a double share of my veneration; this holy un, by tying those bands of our happiness, which nought but death shall have power to unbind” Then turning to that object which was the star of his regard, ”Do I not overrate,” said he, ”my interest with the fair Monilance, more eloquent than all the power of rhetoric and speech
This language, which is universal in the world of love, he perfectly well understood, and, in token of that faculty, sealed the assent which she had smiled, with a kiss imprinted on her polished forehead
In order to dissipate these interesting ideas, which, by being too long indulged, ered his reason, Madam Clement entreated him to entertain the company with a detail of what had happened to him in his last journey to the e, in particular, the issue of his contest with Count Trebasi, who, she knew, had usurped the succession of his father
Thus solicited, he could not refuse to gratify their curiosity and concern He explained his obligations to the benevolent Jew; related the steps he had taken at Vienna for the recovery of his inheritance; informed them of his happy rencontre with his father-in-law; of his sister's deliverance, and er into which his life had been precipitated by the news of Monimia's death; and, lastly, of his adventure with the banditti, in favour of a gentleman, who, he afterwards understood, had been robbed in the most base and barbarous manner by Fathom He likewise, to the astonishment of all present, and of his mistress in particular, communicated some circumstances, which shall appear in due season
Moniued with the scene she had acted, and her s she had heard, after having joined the congratulations of the coed leave to retire, that she ht being pretty far spent, she was conducted by her lover to Mada, in which also the rest of the company made shi+ft to eood lady, where, after they were invited to dine, and Melvil entreated to bring Don Diego and the Jew along with them, they took leave of one another, and retired to their respective lodgings in a transport of joy and satisfaction
As for Renaldo, his rapture was still mixed with apprehension, that all he had seen and heard was no ay deliriuination While his breast underwent those violent, though blissful emotions of joy and adht in ru over his own calamities, and in a serious and severe review of his own conduct He coarian, and found hiht in the scale, that he sony of reo to despair His misfortunes flow from the villany of mankind; mine are the fruit of my own madness He laments the loss of a mistress, who fell a sacrifice to the perfidious arts of a crafty traitor She was beautiful, virtuous, accoht with sensibility and love
Doubtless his heart must have deeply suffered; his behaviour denotes the keenness of his woe; his eyes are everflowing fountains of tears; his bosoues hath he htly he visits the dreary vault where she now lies at rest; her solitary grave is his couch; he converses with darkness and the dead, until each lonely aisle re-echoes his distress What would be his penance, had hehter! Ah wretch!--ah cruel homicide!--what had those dear victientle and obedient, ever aiht?
Say, that Serafina was enaenerated from the honour of her race The inclinations are involuntary; perhaps that stranger was her equal in pedigree and worth
Had they been fairly questioned, they ht have justified, at least excused, that conduct which appeared so criminal; or had they owned the offence, and supplicated pardon--O barbarous monster that I auished in iven, if I refused to pardon the frailties of my own blood--of those who are ly in their behalf!--My heart was bursting while I dise! I was guided by that savage principle which falsely we call honour
”Accursed phantom! that assumes the specious title, and misleads our wretched nation! Is it then honourable to skulk like an assassin, and plunge the secret dagger in the heart of soroundless jealousy or suspicion, without indulging him with that opportunity which the worst criminal enjoys? Or is it honourable to poison two defenceless wohter, whom even a froould almost have destroyed?--O! this is cowardice, brutality, hell-born fury and revenge! Heaven hath not ave thee power, abandoned ruffian! over the lives of those whom God hath stationed as thy fellows of probation;--over those whom he had sent to comfort and assist thee; to sweeten all thy cares, and sh uneven paths of life? O! I a horror and reuilt, I have felt it in the extre vulture it preys uponconsort to my soul;--never, ah! never shall we part; for soon as e of treason that now hangs over it, I will devote myself to penitence and woe A cold, damp pavement shall be my bed; e for my food; the stream shall quench ht be privy to s, release me from the penance I endure Perhaps the saints whom I have murdered will intercede for rief, in which the hapless Castilian consuned hi his chaleam of wildness and rapture on his countenance, as overwhelmed him with ae unobscured oe ”Pardon this abrupt intrusion, er withhold froreat, the unexpected turn, which hath this night dispelled all my sorrows, and restored me to the fruition of ineffable joy Monimia lives!--the fair, the tender, the virtuous Moniht I retrieved her frorave I held her in these ariddy with intolerable pleasure!”
Don Diego was confounded at this declaration, which he considered as the effects of a disordered brain He never doubted that Renaldo's grief had at length overpowered his reason, and that his words were the effects of mere frenzy While he mused on this melancholy subject, the Count composed his features, and, in a succinct and well-connected detail, explained the whole mystery of his happiness, to the inexpressible astonishment of the Spaniard, who shed tears of satisfaction, and straining the Hungarian to his breast, ”O my son,” said he, ”you see what recompense Heaven hath in store for those who pursue the paths of real virtue; those paths from which I myself have been fatally misled by a faithless vapour, which hath seducedin the abyss of wretchedness Such as you describe this happy fair, was once race of mind and body which nature could bestow Had it pleased Heaven to bless her with a lover like Renaldo!
but no more, the irrevocable shaft is fled I will not taint your enjoyhs!”
Melvil assured this disconsolate father, that no pleasure, no avocation should ever so entirely engross his mind, but that he should still find an hour for sympathy and friendshi+p He communicated the invitation of Madaht have an opportunity of seeing and approving the object of his passion ”I can refuse nothing to the request of Count de Melvil,” replied the Spaniard, ”and it were ungrateful in me to decline the honour you propose I ownlady, whose perfections I have seen reflected in your sorrow; my curiosity is, entlewoenerosity sheltered such virtue in distress; butlike a daeneral festivity of your friends”
Melvil would take no denial, and having obtained his consent, repaired to the house of Joshua, whose countenance seeradually into a total expression of joy and surprise, as he learned the circu event He faithfully promised to attend the Count at the appointed hour, and, in the meantime, earnestly exhorted hiitation of his spirits, which must have been violently hurried on this occasion The advice was salutary, and Renaldo resolved to follow it
He returned to his lodgings, and laid hione, sleep refused to visit his eyelids, all his faculties being kept in ination Nevertheless, though his itation, his body was refreshed, and he arose in the forenoon with our than he had enjoyed for many months Every moment his heart throbbed with new rapture, when he found hi all that his soul held dear and aayest looks and apparel; insisted upon the Castilian's doing the same honour to the occasion; and the alteration of dress produced such an advantageous change in the appearance of Don Diego, that when Joshua arrived at the appointed hour, he could scarce recognise his features, and complimented him very politely on the improvement of his looks
True it is, the Spaniard was a personage of a very prepossessinghis native gravity, in some measure discomposed the symmetry of his countenance, he would have passed for a nomy They set out in the Jew's coach for the house of Madam Clement, and were ushered into an apartyo and the Hebreere by Melvil introduced
Before they had seated themselves, Renaldo inquired about the health of Monimia, and was directed to the next rooo thither, and conduct her to the co himself of this per his short absence, Don Diego was strangely disturbed The blood flushed and forsook his cheeks by turns; a cold vapour seeh his nerves; and at his breast he felt uncommon palpitation Madam Clement observed his discomposure, and kindly inquired into the cause; when he replied, ”I have such an interest in what concerns the Count de Melvil, and ination is so much prepossessed with the perfections of Monionised with expectation; yet never did itate my bosom”
He had scarce pronounced these words, when the door, reopening, Renaldo led in this ht of whom the Israelite's countenance was distorted into a stare of admiration But if such was the astonishment of Joshua, ere the emotions of the Castilian, when, in the beauteous orphan, he beheld the individual features of his long-lost Serafina!
His feelings are not to be described The fond parent, whose affection shoots even to a sense of pain, feels not half such transport, when he unexpectedly retrieves a darling child fro flauished His heart had been incessantly torn with anguish and re him as the murderer of Serafina His, therefore, were the additional transports of a father disburdened of the guilt of such enormous homicide His nerves were too nition, to ns He started not, nor did he lift an hand in token of surprise; hehis eyes to those of the lovely phanto with her lover, fell at his feet, and clasping his knees, exclaimed, ”May I yet call you father?”