Part 26 (1/2)

And here it is necessary I should inform the reader of a secret, of which I was norant Belmont, the man who had purposely thrown himself in my way, industriously made himself my intimate, informed me as I supposed of his private affairs and motives of action, inquired ive that related to nedly attached me to him by intellectual efforts of no hted me, and they were fa person, a winning aspect, and an address that, though studied with the deepest art, appeared to be open, unpreuise, this Belmont was no other than the hated Wakefield! Yes, it was Wakefield hiem which drove me half le with triumph, had thus circuuineas from me, by the aid of which he robbed me of five hundred; and then returned to observe how I endured the goad, laugh at my restive antics, and revel in the plunder which he had purloined with so much facility from foolish Trevor, and his still more foolish mother!

But this was not the only trick he had to play ht have been occupied in pursuits worthy of his powers, his perverted philosophy taught hiratification of passions which he thought it folly to control, and to exult over men whose sordid selfishness he despised, and whose li was the subject of his derision He professed himself the disciple of La Rochefoucault and Mandeville, and his practice did not belie his principles

From the tenor of his discourse, I a his maxims, he would have unbosomed himself freely, have initiatedme the associate of his projects, have induced er As it was, he reserved himself to act with me as with the rest of mankind; to watch circumstances, and turn them to his own purposes whenever opportunity should offer

This was the man as the hero of the letter I had just received!

A letter that I could neither read nor recollect without being stung alet nor forbear to peruse!

During two hours I traversed uish A feeeks ago, when I had received acy of the lawyer, I seemed to be encumbered ealth Reflection and the expence at which I now lived, to the visible and quick consuht ary I had no profession, nor any means of subsistence till a profession could be secured; at least no adequatemyself to the society of the illiterate, the boorish, and the brutal, bethose habits and eniality

The very day before, Olivia, ecstatic vision, had risen in full view ofdistance which ht her mine The recollection of her noas ht occurred, I was hastening to go and communicate the accursed news to Miss Wilmot; but an idea started which, after a moment's reflection, induced ain be revived

Olivia toomy silly mother, which, selfishness out of the question, uments at that time: I had not then the same moral aversion to secrecy that I now possess

I could not however any longer endure the present scene, and to get rid of it hurried away to the billiard table, where, as usual, I found the then supposed Bel Impatient to unburthen my heart, for as far as my own affairs were concerned I had now no secrets for hiame was ended

The moment we came into the park, I shewed him my letter, and desired him to read While he perused it, I saas h

'Well!' said he, returning it and restraining his titillation, 'is this all?'

'All!' answered I 'What more would you have? Could the maleficent devil himself do more to drive a man aze! I saw eet vent His opposing efforts were ineffectual; he could contain hihter!

Astonished at mirth so ill placed and offensive, I asked what it , and recalled his attention 'Pshaw! Trevor,' replied he, with a glance of half conte of your troubles Your over weening fondness for thedotards, or artful knaves who onlytheain, if you do not prey upon the world, the world will prey upon you There is no alternative What! be bubbled out of your fortune by a whining old woman? I am ashamed of you!'

'But that woman is my mother!'

'Yes! and a set of very pretty motherly tricks she has played you! Not that in the first instance it was so much your fault, ere but a boy, as that of your old fool of a grandfather It is now high tirandfather? Say rather it was the scoundrel Wakefield!'

'You seery with this Wakefield! And why? He appears to me to be a fellow of plot, wit, and spirit Instead of resentlad to become acquainted with the man who so well perceives the stupidity and folly of the anihs at their apish antics, and with so e'

'Acquainted! Intuitive rascal! I would cut off his ears! Drag him to the pillory with e'

'Pshaw! Ridiculous! What did your ratification of her paltry passions? which were but the dregs and lees of goatish inclination; for with her the pervading headlong torrent of desire was passed Did she think of h spirits of Wakefield to her own salacious doating Why should not he too have his wishes? Were his the most criminal; or the least fitted for the faculties of enjoyment?'

'You have not heardlady I for Miss Wilmot] deserves the execration of every man!'

'That is, as she tells the story Women, poor simple creatures, are always to be pitied, never blamed! But a little more experience, Trevor, will tell you the devil hi! Men are universally their dupes; nay their slaves, though called their tyrants Do not men consume their lives in toils to please theators to what you call vice and folly? Who are the mischief makers of the world? Who incite us to plunder, rob, and cut each other's throats? Who but woman? And is not a little retaliation to be expected? Poor dear souls! Cunning as serpents, Trevor; but, though fond of cooing, not harmless as doves Crocodiles; that only weep to catch their prey I once was told of one that died broken hearted; a great beauty, and much bewept by all the rief was a handsome felloho of course was a cruel perjured villain The tale had great pathos, and would have been very tragical, had it but been true Ages before that in which Jove laughed at them, lover's perjuries were the common topic of scandal, and so continue to be I have often been reproached in the say; for which, as it will suit all true lovers, all true lovers are bound to thank me Here it is'

I

Men's vows are false, Annette, I own: The proofs are but too flagrant grown