The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete
So saying, he joined their hands, and embraced them with the most
cordial love and satisfaction, which diffused itself to every
individual of the company, who fervently invoked the Almighty Power, in
behalf of this enraptured pair. The tumult of these emotions having a
little subsided, and the Castilian being seated betwixt Renaldo and his
beauteous bride, he politely bespoke the indulgence of Madam Clement,
begging she would permit him to demand the performance of the Count’s
promise, that he might be forthwith made acquainted with those
circumstances of his own fate which he was so impatient to learn.
The lady having assured him, that she and all the company would take
pleasure in hearing the recapitulation, the Spaniard, addressing
himself to Melvil, “In the name of Heaven!” said he, “how could you
supplant that rival, who fell a sacrifice to my resentment, after he
had bewitched the heart of Serafina? for, sure, the affection he had
kindled in her breast must have long survived his death,” “That rival,”
replied the Count, “who incurred your displeasure, was no other than
Renaldo.” With these words, he applied to one eye a patch of black silk
provided for the purpose, and turning his face towards Don Diego, that
gentleman started with astonishment, crying, “Good Heaven! the very
countenance of Orlando, whom I slew! this is still more amazing!”
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
A RETROSPECTIVE LINK, NECESSARY FOR THE CONCATENATION OF THESE MEMOIRS.
“Indulge me with a patient hearing,” proceeded the Hungarian, “and all
these riddles soon will be explained. Inflamed with the desire of
seeing foreign countries, I disobeyed the will of an indulgent father,
from whose house, withdrawing privately, I set out for Italy, in
disguise, by the way of Tyrol, visited Venice, Rome, Florence, and,
embarking at Naples, in an English ship, arrived at St. Lucar, from
whence I repaired to Seville; there, in a few days, was my curiosity
engaged by the fame of the fair Serafina, who was justly deemed the
most accomplished beauty in that part of Spain. Nay, blush not, gentle
creature! for by my hopes of heaven! thy charms were even injured by
the cold applause of that report. Nevertheless, I was warmly interested
by the uncommon character, and eagerly longed to see this pattern of
perfection. As Don Diego did not train her up in that restraint to
which the Spanish ladies are subjected, I soon found an opportunity of
seeing her at church; and no person here present will, I presume, doubt
but that I was instantly captivated by her beauty and deportment. Had I
thought that Don Diego’s favour was unengaged, perhaps I should have
followed the dictates of vanity and inexperience, and presented myself
in my own character, among the crowd of her professed admirers. I knew
her father had been an officer of distinguished rank and reputation,
and did not doubt that he would have regarded a young soldier of
unexceptionable pedigree, and, I will even add, of untainted fame. Nor
did I suppose my own father could have objected against such an
advantageous match; but, by dint of industrious inquiry, I learned,
that the divine Serafina was already betrothed to Don Manuel de
Mendoza, and this information overwhelmed me with despair.
“After having revolved a thousand projects for retarding and preventing
that detested union, I resolved to avail myself of my talent for
drawing, and professed myself a master of that science, in hope of
being employed by the father of Serafina, who, I knew, let slip no
opportunity of improving his daughter’s education. Accordingly I had
the good fortune to attract his notice, was invited to his house,
honoured with his approbation, and furnished with unrestricted
opportunities of conversing with the dear object of my love. The
passion which her beauty had kindled was by the perfections of her mind
inflamed to such a degree of transport, as could not be concealed from
her penetration. She chanced to relish my conversation; I gradually
acquired her friendship; pity was the next passion that she entertained
in my favour. I then ventured to disclose myself, and the dear charmer
did not disapprove of my presumption. She and her mother had been
perplexed with some religious scruples, concerning which they appealed
to my opinion; and I was happy enough to set their minds at ease.
“This sort of intercourse naturally created a mutual confidence among
us; and, in a word, I was blessed with the daughter’s love and mother’s
approbation. Don Diego will pardon these clandestine measures, which we
took, from a full persuasion that it was impossible to render him
propitious to the views in which our hearts and hands were so deeply
interested. I did not then know how little he was addicted to
superstition.
“Without entering into a detail of the schemes we projected to delay
the happiness of Mendoza, I shall only observe, that, knowing the fatal
day was at length unalterably fixed, we determined to elude the purpose
of Don Diego by flight; and everything was actually prepared for our
escape. When the hour of appointment arrived, I repaired to the place
at which I had proposed to enter the house, and stumbled, in the dark,
over the body of a man still warm, and bleeding. Alarmed at this
occurrence, I darted myself through the window, and rushing to the
apartment of the ladies, (immortal powers!) beheld the peerless
Serafina, and her virtuous mother, stretched on a couch, and, in all
appearance, deprived of life.
“The company will easily conceive what agonies I felt at such a
spectacle! I ran towards the spot in a transport of horror! I clasped
my lovely mistress in my arms, and, finding her still breathing,
endeavoured, but in vain, to wake her from the trance Antonia was
overwhelmed with the same lethargic power. My fancy was immediately
struck with the apprehension of their being poisoned. Regardless of my
own situation, I alarmed the family, called for assistance, and
requested the servants to summon Don Diego to the dismal scene. I was
informed that their master had rode forth in manifest confusion; and
while I pondered on this surprising excursion, an apothecary in the
neighbourhood entered the chamber, and having examined the pulses of
the ladies, declared that their lives were in no danger, and advised
that they should be undressed, and conveyed to bed. While their women
were busied in this employment, I went into the court-yard, attended by
some of the servants with lights, in order to view the body of the man
which I had found at my arrival. His apparel was mean, his countenance
ferocious; a long spado was buckled to his thigh, and, in his belt,
were stuck a brace of loaded pistols; so that we concluded he was some
thief, who had waited for an opportunity, and seeing the casement open,
intended to rob the house, but was prevented, and slain by Don Diego
himself, whose retreat, however, did not a little confound our
conjecture. For my own part, I remained all night in the house,
tortured with fear, vexation, and suspense.
“My hope was altogether disappointed by this unhappy accident; and I
shuddered at the prospect of losing Serafina for ever, either by this
mysterious malady, or by her marriage with Mendoza, which I now
despaired of being able to defeat. The major-domo having waited several
hours for his lord’s return, without seeing him appear, thought proper
to despatch a messenger to Don Manuel, with an account of what had
happened; and that nobleman arriving in the morning, took possession of
the house. About four o’clock in the afternoon, Serafina began to stir,
and, at five, she and her mother were perfectly awake.
“They no sooner recovered the use of reflection, than they gave signs
of equal sorrow and amazement, and earnestly called for Isabella, who
was privy to our design, and who, after a very minute inquiry, was
found in a lone and solitary chamber, where she had been confined. Such
was the confusion of the house, that no person ever dreamed of asking
how I entered, each domestic, in all probability, supposing I had been
introduced by his fellow; so that I tarried unquestioned, on pretence
of concern for the distress of a family in which I had been so
generously entertained, and, by Isabella, sent my respects and duty to
her ladies. She was, therefore, not a little surprised, when, after
every other servant had withdrawn, she heard the lovely Serafina
exclaim, with all the violence of grief, ‘Ah! Isabella, Orlando is no
more!’ But their astonishment was still greater, when she assured them
of my being alive, and in the house. They recounted to her the
adventure of last night, which she explained, by informing them of the
letters which Don Diego had intercepted. And they immediately
concluded, that he had, in the precipitation of his wrath, killed, by
mistake, the person who was found dead in the court-yard. This
conjecture alarmed them on my account; they, by the medium of Isabella,
conjured me to leave the house, lest Don Diego should return, and
accomplish his resentment; and I was persuaded to withdraw, after I had
settled the channel of a correspondence with the confidant.
“Being now obliged to alter our measures, because our former intention
was discovered by Don Diego, I secured a retreat for Serafina and her
mother, at the house of the English consul in Seville, who was my
particular friend; and, next day, understanding from Isabella that her
lord had not yet reappeared, and that Don Manuel was very urgent in his
addresses, we concerted an assignation in the garden, and that same
evening I was fortunate enough to convey my prize to the asylum I had
prepared for their reception. Inexpressible was the rage of Mendoza,
when he heard of their elopement. He raved like one deprived of
reason—swore he would put all the servants of the family to the
rack—and, in consequence of the intelligence he obtained by threats and
promises, set on foot a very strict inquiry, in order to apprehend the
fugitives and Orlando, who had by some means or other incurred his
suspicion.
“We eluded his search by the vigilance and caution of our kind host;
and, while we remained in concealment, were extremely astonished to
hear that the unfortunate Don Diego was proclaimed a traitor, and a
price set upon his head. This information overwhelmed us all with the
utmost affliction. Antonia lamented, without ceasing, the disgrace of
her beloved lord, from whom she never would have withdrawn herself, but
with the lively hope of a reconciliation, after the first transports of
his ire should have subsided, and the real character of Orlando should
have appeared. It was not long before we had reason to believe that
Mendoza was the accuser of Don Diego—
“Nay, start not, Signior; Manuel was actually that traitor! This was
the turn of his revenge! when he found himself disappointed in the hope
of possessing the incomparable Serafina, he took a base advantage of
your absence and retreat. He posted to Madrid, impeached you to the
secretary of state of having maintained a criminal correspondence with
the enemies of Spain, included me in his accusation, as a spy for the
house of Austria, and framed such a plausible tale, from the
circumstances of your distress, that Don Diego was outlawed, and
Mendoza gratified with a grant of his estate.
“These melancholy incidents made a deep impression upon the mind of the
virtuous Antonia, who waiving every other consideration, would have
personally appeared for the vindication of her husband’s honour, had
not we dissuaded her from such a rash undertaking, by demonstrating her
inability to contend with such a powerful antagonist; and representing
that her appearance would be infallibly attended with the ruin of
Serafina, who would certainly fall into the hands of the villain to