The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete
What maxims of delicacy will not the dire calls of necessity infringe!
Reduced to the alternative of applying once more to that beneficence
which had never failed him, or of seeing Monimia starve, he chose the
first, as of two evils the least, and intrusted Fathom with a letter
explaining the bitterness of his case. It was not without trepidation
that he received in the evening from his messenger an answer to this
billet; but what were his pangs when he learned the contents! The
gentleman, after having professed himself Melvil’s sincere well-wisher,
gave him to understand, that he was resolved for the future to detach
himself from every correspondence which would be inconvenient for him
to maintain; that he considered his intimacy with the Count in that
light; yet, nevertheless, if his distress was really as great as he had
described it, he would still contribute something towards his relief;
and accordingly had sent by the bearer five guineas for that purpose;
but desired him to take notice, that, in so doing, he laid himself
under some difficulty.
Renaldo’s grief and mortification at this disappointment were
unspeakable. He now saw demolished the last screen betwixt him and the
extremity of indigence and woe; he beheld the mistress of his soul
abandoned to the bleakest scenes of poverty and want; and he deeply
resented the lofty strain of the letter, by which he conceived himself
treated as a worthless spendthrift and importunate beggar. Though his
purse was exhausted to the last shilling; though he was surrounded with
necessities and demands, and knew not how to provide another meal for
his fair dependent, he, in opposition to all the suggestions and
eloquence of Fathom, despatched him with the money and another billet,
intimating, in the most respectful terms, that he approved of his
friend’s new-adopted maxim, which, for the future, he should always
take care to remember; and that he had sent back the last instance of
his bounty, as a proof how little he was disposed to incommode his
benefactor.
This letter, though sincerely meant, and written in a very serious
mood, the gentleman considered as an ungrateful piece of irony, and in
that opinion complained to several persons of the Count’s acquaintance,
who unanimously exclaimed against him as a sordid, unthankful, and
profligate knave, that abused and reviled those very people who had
generously befriended him, whenever they found it inconvenient to
nourish his extravagance with further supplies. Notwithstanding these
accumulated oppressions, he still persevered with fortitude in his
endeavours to disentangle himself from this maze of misery. To these he
was encouraged by a letter which about this time he received from his
sister, importing, that she had good reason to believe the real will of
her father had been suppressed for certain sinister views; and desiring
him to hasten his departure for Hungary, where he would still find some
friends who were both able and willing to support his cause. He had
some trinkets left; the pawnbroker’s shop was still open; and hitherto
he made shift to conceal from Monimia the extent of his affliction.
The money-broker whom he employed, after having amused him with a
variety of schemes, which served no other purpose than that of
protracting his own job, at length undertook to make him acquainted
with a set of monied men who had been very venturous in lending sums
upon personal security; he was therefore introduced to their club in
the most favourable manner, after the broker had endeavoured to
prepossess them separately, with magnificent ideas of his family and
fortune.—By means of this anticipation he was received with a manifest
relaxation of that severity which people of this class mingle in their
aspects to the world in general; and they even vied with each other in
their demonstrations of hospitality and respect; for every one in
particular looked upon him as a young heir, who would bleed freely, and
mortgage at cent. per cent.
Renaldo, buoyed up with these exterior civilities, began to flatter
himself with hopes of success, which, however, were soon checked by the
nature of the conversation; during which the chairman upbraided one of
the members in open club for having once lent forty pounds upon slight
security. The person accused alleged, in his own defence, that the
borrower was his own kinsman, whose funds he knew to be sufficient;
that he had granted his bond, and been at the expense of insuring his
life for the money; and, in conclusion, had discharged it to the day
with great punctuality. These allegations were not deemed exculpatory
by the rest of the assembly, who with one voice pronounced him guilty
of unwarrantable rashness and indiscretion, which, in time coming, must
undoubtedly operate to the prejudice of his character and credit.
This was a bitter declaration to the young Count, who nevertheless
endeavoured to improve the footing he had gained among them, by
courting their company, conforming to their manners, and attentively
listening to their discourse. When he had cultivated them with great
assiduity for the space of some weeks, dined at their houses upon
pressing invitations, and received repeated offers of service and
friendship, believing that things were now ripe for the purpose, he,
one day, at a tavern to which he had invited him to dinner, ventured to
disclose his situation to him whose countenance was the least
unpromising; and as he introduced the business with a proposal of
borrowing money, he perceived his eyes sparkle with a visible alacrity,
from which he drew a happy presage. But, alas! this was no more than a
transient gleam of sunshine, which was suddenly obumbrated by the
sequel of his explanation; insomuch, that, when the merchant understood
the nature of the security, his visage was involved in a most
disagreeable gloom, and his eyes distorted into a most hideous
obliquity of vision; indeed, he squinted so horribly, that Renaldo was
amazed and almost affrighted at his looks, until he perceived that this
distortion proceeded from concern for a silver tobacco box which he had
laid down by him on the table, after having filled his pipe. As the
youth proceeded to unfold his necessities, the other became gradually
alarmed for this utensil, to which he darted his eyes askance in this
preternatural direction, until he had slyly secured it in his pocket.
Having made this successful conveyance, he shifted his eyes alternately
from the young gentleman to the broker for a considerable pause, during
which he in silence reproached the last for introducing such a beggarly
varlet to his acquaintance; then taking the pipe from his mouth, “Sir,”
said he, addressing himself to the Count, “if I had all the inclination
in the world to comply with your proposal, it is really not in my
power. My correspondents abroad have remitted such a number of bad
bills of late, that all my running cash hath been exhausted in
supporting their credit. Mr. Ferret, sure I am, you was not ignorant of
my situation; and I’m not a little surprised that you should bring the
gentleman to me on business of this kind; but, as the wise man
observes, Bray a fool in a mortar, and he’ll never be wise.” So saying,
with a most emphatic glance directed to the broker, he rung the bell,
and called for the reckoning; when, finding that he was to be the guest
of Renaldo, he thanked him drily for his good cheer, and in an abrupt
manner took himself away.
Though baffled in this quarter, the young gentleman would not despair;
but forthwith employed Mr. Ferret in an application to another of the
society; who, after having heard the terms of his commission, desired
him to tell his principal, that he could do nothing without the
concurrence of his partner, who happened to be at that time in one of
our American plantations. A third being solicited, excused himself on
account of an oath which he had lately taken on the back of a
considerable loss. A fourth being tried, made answer, that it was not
in his way. And a fifth candidly owned, that he never lent money
without proper security.
Thus the forlorn Renaldo tried every experiment without success, and
now saw the last ray of hope extinguished. Well-nigh destitute of
present support, and encompassed with unrelenting duns, he was obliged
to keep within doors, and seek some comfort in the conversation of his
charming mistress, and his faithful friend; yet, even there, he
experienced the extremest rigour of adverse fate. Every rap at the door
alarmed him with the expectation of some noisy tradesman demanding
payment. When he endeavoured to amuse himself with drawing, some
unlucky feature of the occasional portrait recalled the image of an
obdurate creditor, and made him tremble at the work of his own hands.
When he fled for shelter to the flattering creation of fancy, some
abhorred idea always started up amidst the gay vision, and dissolved
the pleasing enchantment.—Even the seraphic voice of Monimia had no
longer power to compose the anxious tumults of his mind. Every song she
warbled, every tune she played, recalled to his remembrance some scene
of love and happiness elapsed; and overwhelmed his soul with the woful
comparison of past and present fate. He saw all that was amiable and
perfect in woman, all that he held most dear and sacred upon earth,
tottering on the brink of misery, without knowing the danger of her
situation, and found himself unable to prevent her fall, or even to
forewarn her of the peril; for as we have already observed, his soul
could not brook the thought of communicating the tidings of distress to
the tender-hearted Monimia.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
RENALDO’S DISTRESS DEEPENS, AND FATHOM’S PLOT THICKENS.
Such aggravated misfortune could not fail to affect his temper and
deportment. The continual efforts he made to conceal his vexation
produced a manifest distraction in his behaviour and discourse. He
began to be seized with horror at the sight of poor Monimia, whom he
therefore shunned as much as the circumstances of their correspondence
would allow; and every evening he went forth alone to some solitary
place, where he could, unperceived, give a loose to the transports of
his sorrow, and in silence meditate some means to lighten the burden of
his woe. His heart was sometimes so savaged with despair, which
represented mankind as his inveterate enemies, that he entertained
thoughts of denouncing war against the whole community, and supplying
his own wants with the spoils he should win. At other times he was
tempted with the desire of putting an end to his miseries and life
together. Yet these were but the transitory suggestions of temporary
madness, that soon yielded to the dictates of reason. From the
execution of the first he was restrained by his own notions of honour
and morality; and, from using the other expedient, he was deterred by
his love for Monimia, together with the motives of philosophy and
religion.
While in this manner he secretly nursed the worm of grief that preyed
upon his vitals, the alteration in his countenance and conduct did not
escape the eyes of that discerning young lady. She was alarmed at the
change, yet afraid to inquire into the source of it; for, being
ignorant of his distress, she could impute it to no cause in which her
happiness was not deeply interested. She had observed his strained
complaisance and extraordinary emotion. She had detected him in
repeated attempts to avoid her company, and taken notice of his regular
excursions in the dark. These were alarming symptoms to a lover of her
delicacy and pride. She strove in vain to put the most favourable
construction on what she saw; and, finally, imputed the effects of his
despondence to the alienation of his heart. Made miserable beyond