The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete
uttered a piteous groan; then softly retired to his bed, in full
confidence of seeing next day the effect of this operation. Nor did his
arrow miss the mark. Poor Celinda’s countenance gave such indications
of melancholy and dismay, that he could not omit asking the cause of
her disquiet, and she, at his earnest request, was prevailed upon to
communicate the dreadful salutation of the preceding night, which she
considered as an omen of death to some person of the family, in all
probability to herself, as the groan seemed to issue from one corner of
her own apartment. Our adventurer argued against this supposition, as
contradictory to the common observation of those supernatural warnings
which are not usually imparted to the person who is doomed to die, but
to some faithful friend, or trusty servant, particularly interested in
the event. He therefore supposed, that the groans foreboded the death
of my lady, who seemed to be in a drooping state of health, and were,
by her genius, conveyed to the organs of Celinda, who was the chief
sufferer by her jealous and barbarous disposition; he likewise
expressed an earnest desire to be an ear-witness of such solemn
communication, and, alleging that it was highly improper for a young
lady of her delicate feelings to expose herself alone to such another
dismal visitation, begged he might be allowed to watch all night in her
chamber, in order to defend her from the shocking impressions of fear.
Though no person ever stood more in need of a companion or guard, and
her heart throbbed with transports of dismay at the prospect of night,
she rejected his proposal with due acknowledgment, and resolved to
trust solely to the protection of Heaven. Not that she thought her
innocence or reputation could suffer by her compliance with his
request; for, hitherto, her heart was a stranger to those young desires
which haunt the fancy, and warm the breast of youth; so that, being
ignorant of her danger, she saw not the necessity of avoiding
temptation; but she refused to admit a man into her bedchamber, merely
because it was a step altogether opposite to the forms and decorum of
life. Nevertheless, far from being discouraged by this repulse, he knew
her fears would multiply and reduce that reluctance, which, in order to
weaken, he had recourse to another piece of machinery, that operated
powerfully in behalf of his design.
Some years ago, a twelve-stringed instrument was contrived by a very
ingenious musician, by whom it was aptly entitled the “Harp of Aeolus,”
because, being properly applied to a stream of air, it produces a wild
irregular variety of harmonious sounds, that seem to be the effect of
enchantment, and wonderfully dispose the mind for the most romantic
situations. Fathom, who was really a virtuoso in music, had brought one
of those new-fashioned guitars into the country, and as the effect of
it was still unknown in the family, he that night converted it to the
purposes of his amour, by fixing it in the casement of a window
belonging to the gallery, exposed to the west wind, which then blew in
a gentle breeze. The strings no sooner felt the impression of the balmy
zephyr, than they began to pour forth a stream of melody more
ravishingly delightful than the song of Philomel, the warbling brook,
and all the concert of the wood. The soft and tender notes of peace and
love were swelled up with the most delicate and insensible transition
into a loud hymn of triumph and exultation, joined by the deep-toned
organ, and a full choir of voices, which gradually decayed upon the
ear, until it died away in distant sound, as if a flight of angels had
raised the song in their ascent to heaven. Yet the chords hardly ceased
to vibrate after the expiration of this overture, which ushered in a
composition in the same pathetic style; and this again was succeeded by
a third, almost without pause or intermission, as if the artist’s hand
had been indefatigable, and the theme never to be exhausted.
His heart must be quite callous, and his ear lost to all distinction,
who could hear such harmony without emotion; how deeply, then, must it
have affected the delicate Celinda, whose sensations, naturally acute,
were whetted to a most painful keenness by her apprehension; who could
have no previous idea of such entertainment, and was credulous enough
to believe the most improbable tale of superstition! She was
overwhelmed with awful terror, and, never doubting that the sounds were
more than mortal, recommended herself to the care of Providence in a
succession of pious ejaculations.
Our adventurer, having allowed some time for the effect of this
contrivance, repaired to her chamber door, and, in a whisper, conveyed
through the keyhole, asked if she was awake, begged pardon for such an
unseasonable visit, and desired to know her opinion of the strange
music which he then heard. In spite of her notions of decency, she was
glad of his intrusion, and, being in no condition to observe
punctilios, slipped on a wrapper, opened the door, and, with a
faltering voice, owned herself frightened almost to distraction. He
pretended to console her with reflections, importing, that she was in
the hands of a benevolent Being, who would not impose upon his
creatures any task which they could not bear; he insisted upon her
returning to bed, and assured her he would not stir from her chamber
till day. Thus comforted, she betook herself again to rest, while he
sat down in an elbow-chair at some distance from the bedside, and, in a
soft voice, began the conversation with her on the subject of those
visitations from above, which, though undertaken on pretence of
dissipating her fear and anxiety, was, in reality, calculated for the
purpose of augmenting both.
“That sweet air,” said he, “seems designed for soothing the bodily
anguish of some saint in his last moments. Hark! how it rises into a
more sprightly and elevated strain, as if it were an inspiriting
invitation to the realms of bliss! Sure, he is now absolved from all
the misery of this life! That full and glorious concert of voices and
celestial harps betoken his reception among the heavenly choir, who now
waft his soul to paradisian joys! This is altogether great, solemn, and
amazing! The clock strikes one, the symphony hath ceased!”
This was actually the case; for he had ordered Maurice to remove the
instrument at that hour, lest the sound of it should become too
familiar, and excite the curiosity of some undaunted domestic, who
might frustrate his scheme by discovering the apparatus. As for poor
Celinda, her fancy was, by his music and discourse, worked up to the
highest pitch of enthusiastic terrors; the whole bed shook with her
trepidation, the awful silence that succeeded the supernatural music
threw an additional damp upon her spirits, and the artful Fathom
affecting to snore at the same time, she could no longer contain her
horror, but called upon his name with a fearful accent, and, having
owned her present situation insupportable, entreated him to draw near
her bedside, that he might be within touch on any emergency.
This was a welcome request to our adventurer, who, asking pardon for
his drowsiness, and taking his station on the side of her bed, exhorted
her to compose herself; then locking her hand fast in his own, was
again seized with such an inclination to sleep, that he gradually sunk
down by her side, and seemed to enjoy his repose in that attitude.
Meanwhile, his tender-hearted mistress, that he might not suffer in his
health by his humanity and complaisance, covered him with the
counterpane as he slept, and suffered him to take his rest without
interruption, till he thought proper to start up suddenly with an
exclamation of, “Heaven watch over us!” and then asked, with symptoms
of astonishment, if she had heard nothing. Such an abrupt address upon
such an occasion, did not fail to amaze and affright the gentle
Celinda, who, unable to speak, sprung towards her treacherous
protector; and he, catching her in his arms, bade her fear nothing, for
he would, at the expense of his life, defend her from all danger.
Having thus, by tampering with her weakness, conquered the first and
chief obstacles to his design, he, with great art and perseverance,
improved the intercourse to such a degree of intimacy, as could not but
be productive of all the consequences which he had foreseen. The groans
and music were occasionally repeated, so as to alarm the whole family,
and inspire a thousand various conjectures. He failed not to continue
his nocturnal visits and ghastly discourse, until his attendance became
so necessary to this unhappy maiden, that she durst not stay in her own
chamber without his company, nor even sleep, except in contact with her
betrayer.
Such a commerce between two such persons of a different sex could not
possibly be long carried on, without degenerating from the Platonic
system of sentimental love. In her paroxysms of dismay, he did not
forget to breathe the soft inspirations of his passion, to which she
listened with more pleasure, as they diverted the gloomy ideas of her
fear; and by this time his extraordinary accomplishments had made a
conquest of her heart. What therefore could be a more interesting
transition than that from the most uneasy to the most agreeable
sensation of the human breast?
This being the case, the reader will not wonder that a consummate
traitor, like Fathom, should triumph over the virtue of an artless,
innocent young creature, whose passions he had entirely under his
command. The gradations towards vice are almost imperceptible, and an
experienced seducer can strew them with such enticing and agreeable
flowers, as will lead the young sinner on insensibly, even to the most
profligate stages of guilt. All therefore that can be done by virtue,
unassisted with experience, is to avoid every trial with such a
formidable foe, by declining and discouraging the first advances
towards a particular correspondence with perfidious man, howsoever
agreeable it may seem to be. For here is no security but in conscious
weakness.
Fathom, though possessed of the spoils of poor Celinda’s honour, did
not enjoy his success with tranquillity. Reflection and remorse often
invaded her in the midst of their guilty pleasures, and embittered all
those moments they had dedicated to mutual bliss. For the seeds of
virtue are seldom destroyed at once. Even amidst the rank productions
of vice, they regerminate to a sort of imperfect vegetation, like some
scattered hyacinths shooting up among the weeds of a ruined garden,
that testify the former culture and amenity of the soil. She sighed at
the sad remembrance of that virgin dignity which she had lost; she wept
at the prospect of that disgrace, mortification, and misery she should
undergo, when abandoned by this transient lover, and severely
reproached him for the arts he had used to shipwreck her innocence and
peace.
Such expostulations are extremely unseasonable, when addressed to a man
well-nigh sated with the effects of his conquest. They act like strong
blasts of wind applied to embers almost extinguished, which, instead of
reviving the flame, scatter and destroy every remaining particle of
fire. Our adventurer, in the midst of his peculiarities, had
inconstancy in common with the rest of his sex. More than half cloyed
with the possession of Celinda, he could not fail to be disgusted with
her upbraidings; and had she not been the daughter of a gentleman whose
friendship he did not think it his interest to forfeit, he would have
dropped this correspondence, without reluctance or hesitation. But, as
he had measures to keep with a family of such consequence, he
constrained his inclinations, so far as to counterfeit those raptures