The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete
and theory of music, possessed a large fund of learning and taste, and
was a person remarkable for his agreeable conversation. This traitor,
who like you had lost one eye, I not only admitted into my house for
the improvement of my daughter, but even distinguished with particular
marks of confidence and favour, little thinking he had either
inclination or capacity to debauch the sentiments of my child. I was
rejoiced beyond measure to see with what alacrity she received his
lessons, with what avidity she listened to his discourse, which was
always equally moral, instructing, and entertaining.
Antonia seemed to vie with me in expressions of regard for this
accomplished stranger, whom she could not help supposing to be a person
of rank and family, reduced to his present situation by some
unfortunate vicissitude of fate. I was disposed to concur with this
opinion, and actually conjured him to make me his confidant, with such
protestations as left him no room to doubt my honour and beneficence;
but he still persisted in declaring himself the son of an obscure
mechanic in Bohemia; an origin to which surely no man would pretend who
had the least claim to nobility of birth. While I was thus undeceived
in my conjecture touching his birth and quality, I was confirmed in an
opinion of his integrity and moderation, and looked upon him as a man
of honour, in despite of the lowness of his pedigree. Nevertheless, he
was at bottom a most perfidious wretch, and all this modesty and
self-denial were the effects of the most villanous dissimulation, a
cloak under which he, unsuspected, robbed me of my honour and my peace.
Not to trouble you with particulars, the recital of which would tear my
heart-strings with indignation and remorse, I shall only observe, that,
by the power of his infernal insinuation, he fascinated the heart of
Serafina, brought over Antonia herself to the interests of his passion,
and at once detached them both from their duty and religion. Heaven and
earth! how dangerous, how irresistible is the power of infatuation!
While I remained in the midst of this blind security, waiting for the
nuptials of my daughter, and indulging myself with the vain prospect of
her approaching felicity, Antonia found means to protract the
negotiations of the marriage, by representing that it would be a pity
to deprive Serafina of the opportunity she then had of profiting by the
German’s instructions; and, upon that account, I prevailed upon Don
Manuel to bridle the impatience of his love.
During this interval, as I one evening enjoyed the cool air in my own
garden, I was accosted by an old duenna, who had been my nurse and
lived in the family since the time of my childhood.—“My duty,” said
she, “will no longer permit me to wink in silence at the wrongs I see
you daily suffer. Dismiss that German from your house without delay, if
you respect the glory of your name, and the rights of our holy
religion; the stranger is an abominable heretic; and, grant Heaven! he
may not have already poisoned the minds of those you hold most dear.” I
had been extremely alarmed at the beginning of this address; but,
finding the imputation limited to the article of religion, in which,
thank God, I am no bigot, I recovered my serenity of disposition,
thanked the old woman for her zeal, commended her piety, and encouraged
her to persevere in making observations on such subjects as should
concern my honour and my quiet.
We live in such a world of wickedness and fraud, that a man cannot be
too vigilant in his own defence: had I employed such spies from the
beginning, I should in all probability have been at this day in
possession of every comfort that renders life agreeable. The duenna,
thus authorised, employed her sagacity with such success, that I had
reason to suspect the German of a design upon the heart of Serafina;
but, as the presumptions did not amount to conviction, I contented
myself with exiling him from my house, under the pretext of having
discovered that he was an enemy to the Catholic church; and forthwith
appointed a day for the celebration of my daughter’s marriage with Don
Manuel de Mendoza. I could easily perceive a cloud of melancholy
overspread the faces of Serafina and her mother, when I declared these
my resolutions; but, as they made no objection to what I proposed, I
did not at that time enter into an explanation of the true motives that
influenced my conduct. Both parties were probably afraid of such
expostulation.
Meanwhile, preparations were made for the espousals of Serafina; and,
notwithstanding the anxiety I had undergone, on account of her
connexion with the German, I began to think that her duty, her glory,
had triumphed over all such low-born considerations, if ever they had
been entertained; because she, and even Antonia, seemed to expect the
ceremony with resignation, though the features of both still retained
evident marks of concern, which I willingly imputed to the mutual
prospect of their separation. This, however, was but a faithless calm,
that soon, ah! too soon, brought forth a tempest which hath wrecked my
hopes.
Two days before the appointed union of Don Manuel and Serafina, I was
informed by the duenna, that, while she accompanied Antonia’s
waiting-maid at church, she had seen her receive a billet from an old
woman, who, kneeling at her side, had conveyed it in such a mysterious
manner, as awakened the duenna’s apprehensions about her young lady;
she had therefore hastened home to communicate this piece of
intelligence, that I might have an opportunity of examining the
messenger before she could have time to deposit her trust. I could not
help shivering with fearful presages upon this occasion, and even
abhorring the person to whose duty and zeal I was beholden for the
intelligence, even while I endeavoured to persuade myself that the
inquiry would end in the detection of some paltry intrigue between the
maid and her own gallant. I intercepted her in returning from church,
and, commanding her to follow me to a convenient place, extorted from
her, by dint of threats, the fatal letter, which I read to this
effect:—
“The whole business of my life, O divine Serafina! will be to repay
that affection I have been so happy as to engage. With what transport
then shall I obey your summons, in performing that enterprise, which
will rescue you from the bed of a detested rival, and put myself in
full possession of a jewel which I value infinitely more than life!
Yes, adorable creature! I have provided everything for our escape, and
at midnight will attend you in your own apartment, from whence you
shall be conveyed into a land of liberty and peace, where you will,
unmolested, enjoy the purity of that religion you have espoused, and in
full security bless the arms of your ever faithful, ORLANDO.”
Were you a fond parent, a tender husband, and a noble Castilian, I
should not need to mention the unutterable horrors that took possession
of my bosom, when I perused this accursed letter, by which I learned
the apostasy, disobedience, and degeneracy of my idolised Serafina, who
had overthrown and destroyed the whole plan of felicity which I had
erected, and blasted all the glories of my name; and when the wretched
messenger, terrified by my menaces and agitation, confessed that
Antonia herself was privy to the guilt of her daughter, whom she had
solemnly betrothed to that vile German, in the sight of Heaven, and
that by her connivance this plebeian intended, that very night, to
bereave me of my child, I was for some moments stupefied with grief and
amazement, that gave way to an ecstasy of rage, which had well-nigh
terminated in despair and distraction.
I now tremble, and my head grows giddy with the remembrance of that
dreadful occasion. Behold how the drops trickle down my forehead; this
agony is a fierce and familiar visitant; I shall banish it anon. I
summoned my pride, my resentment, to my assistance; these are the
cordials that support me against all other reflections; those were the
auxiliaries that enabled me, in the day of trial, to perform that
sacrifice which my honour demanded, in a strain so loud as to drown the
cries of nature, love, and compassion. Yes, they espoused that glory
which humanity would have betrayed, and my revenge was noble, though
unnatural.
My scheme was soon laid, my resolution soon taken; I privately confined
the wretch who had been the industrious slave of this infamous
conspiracy, that she might take no step to frustrate or interrupt the
execution of my design. Then repairing to the house of an apothecary
who was devoted to my service, communicated my intention, which he
durst not condemn, and could not reveal, without breaking the oath of
secrecy I had imposed; and he furnished me with two vials of poison for
the dismal catastrophe I had planned. Thus provided, I, on pretence of
sudden business at Seville, carefully avoided the dear, the wretched
pair, whom I had devoted to death, that my heart might not relent, by
means of those tender ideas which the sight of them would have
infallibly inspired; and, when daylight vanished, took my station near
that part of the house through which the villain must have entered on
his hellish purpose. There I stood, in a state of horrid expectation,
my soul ravaged with the different passions that assailed it, until the
fatal moment arrived; when I perceived the traitor approach the window
of a lower apartment, which led into that of Serafina, and gently
lifting the casement, which was purposely left unsecured, insinuated
half of his body into the house. Then rushing upon him, in a transport
of fury, I plunged my sword into his heart, crying, “Villain! receive
the reward of thy treachery and presumption.”
The steel was so well aimed as to render a repetition of the stroke
unnecessary; he uttered one groan, and fell breathless at my feet.
Exulting with this first success of my revenge, I penetrated into the
chamber where the robber of my peace was expected by the unhappy
Serafina and her mother, who, seeing me enter with a most savage
aspect, and a sword reeking with the vengeance I had taken, seemed
almost petrified with fear. “Behold,” said I, “the blood of that base
plebeian, who made an attempt upon the honour of my house; your
conspiracy against the unfortunate Don Diego de Zelos is now
discovered; that presumptuous slave, the favoured Orlando, is now no
more.”
Scarce had I pronounced these words, when a loud scream was uttered by
both the unhappy victims. “If Orlando is slain,” cried the infatuated
Serafina, “what have I to do with life? O my dear lord! my husband, and
my lover! how are our promised joys at once cut off! here, strike, my
father! complete your barbarous sacrifice! the spirit of the murdered
Orlando still hovers for his wife.” These frantic exclamations, in
which she was joined by Antonia, kept up the fury of my resentment,
which by meekness and submission might have been weakened and rendered
ineffectual. “Yes, hapless wretches,” I replied, “ye shall enjoy your
wish: the honour of my name requires that both shall die; yet I will
not mangle the breast of Antonia, on which I have so often reposed; I
will not shed the blood of Zelos, nor disfigure the beauteous form of
Serafina, on which I have so often gazed with wonder and unspeakable
delight. Here is an elixir, to which I trust the consummation of my
revenge.”
So saying, I emptied the vials into separate cups, and, presenting one
in each hand, the miserable, the fair offenders instantly received the
destined draughts, which they drank without hesitation; then praying to
heaven for the wretched Don Diego, sunk upon the same couch, and
expired without a groan. O well-contrived beverage! O happy