Part 28 (1/2)
THE LONGEST AND THE LAST
The nature of this visit had softened every heart, and saddened every countenance; and they walked in solemn silence to the other side of the church-yard, in order to regain their carriages; when, at the turning of the stile, they saw a young wo out of a poor habitation, wringing her hands in all the agony of despair
Notwithstanding the distraction in her countenance, and the ularity of features, and a delicacy of air, which did not at all correspond with the e
These exhibitions of extreme distress soon attracted the notice and compassion of our co this forlorn da aspect, asked the cause of her disorder
”Alas! dear lady,” cried the other, with all the eentleman now breathes his last within this inhospitable hovel, amidst such excess of misery as would melt the most flinty bosom What then est ties of love and conjugal affection?” ”Who is the unfortunate object?” said the physician ”He was once well known in the gay world,” replied the young woman; ”his name is Fathom” Every individual of the coan to tremble with eo in, not with a view to exult over his misery, but in order to contemplate the catastrophe of such a wicked life, that the raved on his re Countess, whose tender heart could not bear the shock of such a spectacle, retired to the coach with Madam Clement and the Jehile Renaldo, accoether void of furniture and convenience, where they beheld the wretched hero of these memoirs stretched ally in the grasp of death He orn to the bone either by famine or distemper; his face was overshadoith hair and filth; his eyes were sunk, glazed, and distorted; his nostrils dilated; his lips covered with a black slough; and his co to a yellow hue In a word, the extreence, squalor, and distress could not be ly represented
While Melvil perused this , cried, ”Behold the fate of ht hand of the unfortunate Fathom, which lay fast clenched across his breast Curious to know the contents of this paper, which the young woman said he had kept in that position for several days, he drew nearer the wretched couch, and was not a little surprised to see it addressed to the Right Honourable Renaldo Count de Melvil, to the care of Mr Joshua Manesseh, e this billet fro fe hi him, she had promised, upon oath, to communicate the contents to no person upon earth, but to carry the letter, upon her husband's decease, to the gentleman to whose care it was directed
Renaldo assured her, upon his honour, that he was the very Renaldo Count de Melvil, for who creature was so much confounded at this information, that, before she could recollect herself, Melvil had opened the billet, and read these words: ”If this paper should fall into the hands of the noble Renaldo, he will understand, that Fathom was thebenevolence, or atteenerous benefactor His whole life was a series of fraud, perfidy, and the ratitude
But, of all the cri accessory to the death of the incomparable Serafina, whose father he had also robbed, was that for which he despaired of Heaven's forgiveness, notwithstanding the dreadful co preyed upon his heart, together with the incredible one Though these sufferings and sorrows cannot atone for his enoruilt, perhaps they will excite the compassion of the humane Count de Melvil; at least, this confession, which my conscience dictates under all the terrors of death and futurity,villain, like the execrable Fathohty God have mercy”
Renaldo was deeply affected with the contents of this scroll, which denoted such horror and despair He saw there could be no dissin in this profession of penitence He beheld the condition of the writer, which put all his hu of Fathom but his present distress He could scarce ht have been justly dee desired the physician and clergyman to contribute their assistance for the benefit of that wretch's soul and body, he ran to the coach, and co a picture of the object he had seen, which brought tears into the eyes of the gentle Serafina, who earnestly entreated her lord to use his endeavours for the relief and recovery of the unhappy ht, if possible, live to enjoy the benefit of mature repentance, and not die in that dreadful despair which heto the house, found the pious clergyo stood with his right hand upon his breast, looking steadfastly upon the agonising Fatho eyes lifted up to heaven, in an ecstasy of grief and devotion The physician had run to an apothecary's shop in the neighbourhood, from whence he soon returned with an assistant, who applied a large blister to the back of the miserable patient, while the female, by the doctor's direction, moistened his mouth with a cordial which he had prescribed
These charitable steps being taken, Count de Melvil entreated the apothecary's servant to procure a tent-bed for the accoinable despatch; and, in less than an hour, one was actually pitched, and Fathom lifted into it, after he had been shi+fted, and in soence
During this transaction the ladies were conducted to a tavern not far off, where dinner was bespoke, that they ht be at hand to see the effect of their charity, which was not confined to e have already described, but extended so far, that, in a little ti creature provided with change of apparel, and money to procure the necessaries of subsistence
Notwithstanding all their care, the wretched Fathom still remained insensible, and the doctor pronounced a very unfavourable prognostic, while he ordered a pair of additional vesicatories to be laid upon his arms, and other proper medicines to be administered After dinner, the ladies ventured to visit the place, and when Serafina crossed the threshold, the weeping fe her robe, exclaiel from heaven”
The alteration in her dress had e in her appearance, so that the Countess could now look upon her without shuddering at her distress And, as Fathom was not in a condition to be disturbed, she took this opportunity of inquiring by what steps that unfortunate wretch was conveyed from the prison, in which she knew he had been confined, to the place where he now lay in such extremity; and by what occurrence he had found a wife in such an abyss of an to flow afresh ”I am ashamed,” said she, ”to reveal my own folly; yet I dare not refuse a satisfaction of this kind to a person who has laid ations”
She then proceeded to relate her story, by which it appeared, she was no other than the fair and unhappy Elenor, whom the artful Fathom had debauched upon his first arrival in town, in the manner already described in these memoirs ”Heaven,” continued she, ”was pleased to restore the use of my reason, which I had lost when I found myself abandoned by the Count; but, allentirely cut off, and every door shut against a poor creature who could procure no reconed by the physician of Bedla me to service, was an insurmountable objection to my character, I found , unless I would condescend to live the infamous and wretched life of a courtezan, an expedient rendered palatable by the terrors of want, cooperating with the reflection of the irretrievable loss I had already sustained I ask pardon for offending your chaste ears with this iuilt, which, Heaven knows, I then did, and now do look upon with abhorrence and detestation I had already forfeited my innocence, and wanted resolution to encounter misery and death
Nevertheless, before I could determine to embrace the condition of a prostitute, I was one day accosted in the Park by an elderly gentle notice of the despondence which was evident in my countenance, pressed me to make him acquainted with the nature of ood sense appeared in his deportratified his request, and he, in return for my confidence, savedme for his own appetite In this situation I lived a whole year, until I was deprived of my keeper by an apoplectic fit, and turned out of doors by his relations, who did not, however, strip me of the clothes andas yet reconciled to a vicious life, I resolved to renounce the paths of sha my effects into ready money, hired a s to earn an honest livelihood by the sale of these coether with the plain work in which I hoped to be employed so soon as my talents should be known
But this scheoods spoiled upon hbourhood, nobody would intrustthe most parsimonious economy, I ran in debt to my landlord, who seized my effects; and an hosier, from whoainst me, by virtue of which I was arrested and imprisoned in the Marshalsea, where I found my first seducer Good Heaven! what did I feel at this unexpected , overwhelmed as I was before with my own distress! I with a loud scream fainted away, and, when I recovered, found reat affliction All his prospects of gaiety had now vanished, and his heart was softened by his ownof another's woe, as well as to a due sense of his own guilt He expressed the deepest sorrow for having been the occasion of my ruin, endeavoured to comfortthe prisoners,
But surely no sinner underwent such severe re his i, I never once saw hi his countenance He nuroans, he used to start with horror fro his breast, would exclaim, 'O Elenor! I am the worst of villains!' Sometimes he seemed disordered in his brain, and raved about Renaldo and Monimia In a word, his onies were communicated to me, whom by this time he had s Wretched as he then was, I rein heart, the old impressions still remained, I saw his penitence, pitied hisdead, consented to join his fate, the cere been perforh his hard-hearted creditor had no other chance of being paid, than that of setting him at liberty, he lent a deaf ear to all our supplications; and this cruelty conspiring with the anguish of my husband's own reflection, affected his health and spirits to such a degree, that he could no longer earn the miserable pittance which had hitherto supported our lives Then our calaence and famine stared us in the face; and it ith the ut or pledging our wearing apparel, until ere left aled by an act passed for the relief of insolvent debtors This charitable lahich was intended for a consolation to the wretched, proved to us the most severe disaster; for ere turned out into the streets, utterly destitute of food, rai, at a time when Mr Fathom was so weakened by his distemper, that he could not stand alone I supported hi the coth permitted to shelter hiround, he lay three days in that deplorable condition, froh I fear too late, by your humanity and benevolence”
She shed a flood of tears at the conclusion of this mournful tale, which did not fail to affect the whole audience, especially Serafina, who assured her, that, whatever should happen to her husband, shefavour and protection, provided her conduct should correspond with her professions While this grateful creature kissed the hand of her kind benefactress, Fathouid voice called upon Elenor, who, instantly withdrawing the curtain, presented the whole company to his view He had now retrieved the use of his perception by the operation of the blisters, which began to torture hiht, and distinguishi+ng the three persons against whom the chief arrows of his fraud and treachery had been levelled, he concluded that he was now arrived at the land of departed souls, and that the shades of those whorievously injured were coht with this notion, which was confirmed by the bodily pain which he felt, and the appearance of the clergyeance, he cried in a tone replete with horror, ”Is there no mercy then for penitence? Is there no pity due to the miseries I suffered upon earth? Savewoe; hide me froive enerous Castilian O Renaldo! thou hadst once a tender heart I dare not lift my eyes to Serafina! that pattern of huuilt; yet her aspect is all mildness and compassion Hah! are not these the drops of pity?
Yes, they are the tears ofsoul! Ah, murdered innocence! wilt thou not intercede for thy betrayer at the throne of grace!”
Here he was interrupted by Melvil, ith a grave and soleuilt, unhappy Ferdinand, and great have been thy sufferings Yet we come not to insult, but to alleviate thy distress Providence hath kindly defeated thy dire intentions, which we therefore now forgive and transmit to oblivion, whether it be thy lot to yield up thy spirit ierous malady hich thou art at present overwhelmed Suffer not thyself to despair; for the mercy of Heaven is infinite; and subentleman, ill employ his skill for thy recovery, while we shall take care to furnish thee with necessary attendance As toomay be prejudicial to thy health, I dispense with thy reply, and exhort thee to co, he drew the curtain, and the co Fathom entranced onder
The next step which Renaldo took for the benefit of this wretched penitent, was to send for the apothecary, hom he left a sum of money to be expended for the convenience of Fathom and his wife; then he laid injunctions upon the physician to repeat his visits; and that gentle leave of the others till next day, the Count set out with the ladies and his father-in-law to the house where they had lodged the preceding night
The readerturned wholly upon the strange occurrence of the day, which seemed to have been concerted by supernatural prescience, in order to satisfy the vengeance, and afford rievously injured by the guilty Fathoht to live, yet all concurred in approving the offices of humanity which had been performed, and even endeavoured to find specious pretext for vindicating their coressor like hied him Madam Clement appealed to the approbation of Heaven, which had undoubtedly directed them that way, for the purpose they had fulfilled Serafina observed, that the crimes of the delinquent were obliterated by his sorrow, misery, and repentance
Renaldo honestly owned, that, exclusive of other reasons, he could not deny hi happiness to his fellow-creatures in distress; and each fervently prayed, that their charity ht not be disappointed by the death of the object