The Adventures of Roderick Random
of heaven and earth, I printed a burning kiss upon her lips; my father
embraced her tenderly, my uncle hugged her with great affection, and I
presented her to my friend Banter, who saluted her in a very polite
manner; Miss Williams hung round her neck, and went plentifully; while
Strap fell upon his knees, and begged to kiss his lady’s hand, which
she presented with great affability. I shall not pretend to describe my
own feelings at this juncture; let it suffice to say that having supped
and entertained ourselves till ten o’clock, I cautioned my Narcissa
against exposing her health by sitting up too late, and she was
prevailed upon to withdraw with her maid to an apartment destined for
us. When she left the room, her face overspread with a blush that set
all my blood in a state of fermentation, and made every pulse beat with
tenfold vigour! She was so cruel as to let me remain in this condition
a full half-hour: when, no longer able to restrain my impatience, I
broke from the company, burst into her chamber, pushed out her
confidante, and locked the door, and found her—O heaven and earth!—a
feast a thousand times more delicious than my most sanguine hopes
presaged! But, let me not profane the chaste mysteries of Hymen. I was
the happiest of men!
In the morning I was awaked by three or four drums, which Banter had
placed under the window; upon which I withdrew the curtain, and enjoyed
the unspeakable satisfaction of contemplating those angelic charms
which were now in my possession! Beauty! which, whether sleeping or
awake, shot forth peculiar graces! The light darting upon my Narcissa’s
eyes, she awoke also, and recollecting her situation, hid her blushes
in my bosom. I was distracted with joy! I could not believe the
evidence of my senses, and looked upon all that had happened as the
fictions of a dream! In the meantime my uncle knocked at the door, and
bade me turn out, for I had had a long spell. I rose accordingly, and
sent Miss Williams to her mistress, myself receiving the congratulation
of Captain Bowling, who rallied me in his sea phrase with great
success. In less than an hour, Don Rodrigo led my wife into breakfast,
where she received the compliments of the company on her looks, which,
they said, if possible, were improved by matrimony. As her delicate
ears were offended with none of those indecent ambiguities which are
too often spoken on such occasions, she behaved with dignity,
unaffected modesty, and ease; and, as a testimony of my affection and
esteem, I presented her, in presence of them all, with a deed, by which
I settled the whole fortune I was possessed of on her and her heirs for
ever. She accepted it with a glance of most tender acknowledgment,
observed, that she could not be surprised at anything of this kind I
should do, and desired my father to take the trouble of keeping it,
saying, “Next to my own Mr. Random, you are the person in whom I ought
to have the greatest confidence.” Charmed with her prudent and
ingenuous manner of proceeding, he took the paper, and assured her that
it should not lose its value while in his custody.
As we had not many visits to give and receive, the little time we
stayed in town was spent in going to public diversions, where I have
the vanity to think Narcissa was seldom eclipsed. One night, in
particular, we sent our footman to keep one of the stage boxes, which
we no sooner entered, than we perceived in the opposite box the squire
and his lady, who seemed not a little surprised at seeing us. I was
pleased at this opportunity of confronting them; the more, because
Melinda was robbed of all her admirers by my wife, who happened that
night to outshine her sister both in beauty and dress. She was piqued
at Narcissa’s victory, tossed her head a thousand different ways,
flirted her fan, looked at us with disdain, then whispered to her
husband, and broke out into an affected giggle; but all her arts proved
ineffectual, either to discompose Mrs. Random, or to conceal her own
mortification, which at length forced her away long before the play was
done. The news of our marriage being spread, with many circumstances to
our disadvantage, by the industry of this malignant creature, a certain
set of persons fond of scandal began to inquire into the particulars of
my fortune, which they no sooner understood to be independent, than the
tables were turned, and our acquaintance was courted as much as it had
been despised before: but she had too much dignity of pride to
encourage this change of conduct, especially in her relations, whom she
could never be prevailed upon to see, after the malicious reports they
had raised to her prejudice.
CHAPTER LXIX
My father intends to revisit the Place of his Nativity—we propose to
accompany him—my Uncle renews his will in my favour, determining to go
to sea again—we set out for Scotland—arrive at Edinburgh—purchase our
paternal Estate—proceed to it—halt at the Town where I was
educated—take up my bond to Crab—the Behaviour of Potion and his Wife,
and one of our Female Cousins—our Reception at the Estate—Strap marries
Miss Williams, and is settled by my Father to his own satisfaction—I am
more and more happy.
My father intending to revisit his native country, and pay the tribute
of a few tears at my mother’s grave, Narcissa and I resolved to
accompany him in the execution of his pious office, and accordingly
prepared for the journey, in which, however, my uncle would not engage,
being resolved to try his fortune once more at sea. In the meantime he
renewed his will in favour of my wife and me, and deposited it in the
hands of his brother-in-law: while I (that I might not be wanting to my
own interest) summoned the squire to produce his father’s will at
Doctors’ Commons, and employed a proctor to manage the affair in my
absence.
Everything being thus settled, we took leave of all our friends in
London, and set out for Scotland, Don Rodrigo, Narcissa, Miss Williams,
and I, in the coach, and Strap, with two men in livery, on horseback;
as we made easy stages, my charmer held it out very well, till we
arrived at Edinburgh, where we proposed to rest ourselves some weeks.
Here Don Rodrigo having intelligence that the foxhunter had spoilt his
estate, which was to be exposed to sale by public auction, he
determined to make a purchase of the spot where he was born, and
actually bought all the land that belonged to his father.
In a few days after this bargain was made, we left Edinburgh, in order
to go and take possession; and by the way halted one night in that town
where I was educated. Upon inquiry, I found that Mr. Crab was dead;
whereupon I sent for his executor, paid the sum I owed with interest,
and took up my bond. Mr. Potion and his wife, hearing of my arrival,
had the assurance to come to the inn where we lodged, and send up their
names, with the desire of being permitted to pay their respects to my
father and me: but their sordid behaviour towards me, when I was an
orphan, had made too deep an impression on my mind to be effaced by
this mean mercenary piece of condescension: I therefore rejected their
message with disdain, and bade Strap tell them, that my father and I
desired to have no communication with such low-minded wretches as they
were.
They had not been gone half-an-hour, when a woman, without any
ceremony, opened the door of the room where we sat, and, making towards
my father, accosted him with, “Uncle, your servant—I am glad to see
you.” This was no other than one of my female cousins, mentioned in the
first part of my memoirs, to whom Don Rodrigo replied, “Pray, who are
you, madam?” “Oh!” cried she, “my cousin Rory there knows me very well.
Don’t you remember me, Rory?” “Yes, madam,” said I; “for my own part, I
shall never forget you. Sir, this is one of the young ladies, who (as I
have formerly told you) treated me so humanely in my childhood!” When I
pronounced these words, my father’s resentment glowed in his visage,
and he ordered her to be gone, with such a commanding aspect, that she
retired in a fright, muttering curses as she went downstairs. We
afterwards learned that she was married to an ensign, who had already
spent all her fortune; and that her sister had borne a child to her
mother’s footman, who is now her husband, and keeps a petty alehouse in
the country.
The fame of our flourishing condition having arrived at this place
before us, we got notice that the magistrates intended next day to
compliment us with the freedom of their town; upon which my father,
considering their complaisance in the right point of view, ordered the
horses to the coach early in the morning.
We proceeded to our estate, which lay about twenty miles from this
place; and, when we came within half-a-league of the house, were met by
a prodigious number of poor tenants, men, women, and children, who
testified their joy by loud acclamations, and accompanied our coach to
the gate. As there is no part of the world in which the peasants are
more attached to their lords than in Scotland, we were almost devoured
by their affections. My father had always been their favourite, and now
that he appeared their master, after having been thought dead so long,
their joy broke out into a thousand extravagances. When we entered the
court yard, we were surrounded by a vast number, who crowded together
so closely to see us that several were in danger of being squeezed to
death; those who were near Don Rodrigo fell upon their knees, and
kissed his hand, or the hem of his garment, praying aloud for long life
and prosperity to him; others approached Narcissa and me in the same
manner; while the rest clapped their hands at a distance, and invoked
heaven to shower its choicest blessings on our heads! In short, the
whole scene, though rude, was so affecting, that the gentle partner of
my heart wept over it, and my father himself could not refrain from
dropping a tear.
Having welcomed his daughter and me to his house, he ordered some
bullocks to be killed, and some hogsheads of ale to be brought from the
neighbouring village, to regale these honest people, who had not
enjoyed such a holiday for many years before.
Next day we were visited by the gentlemen in the neighbourhood, most of
them our relations, one of whom brought along my cousin, the foxhunter,
who had stayed at his house since he was obliged to leave his own! My
father was generous enough to receive him kindly, and even promised to
purchase for him a commission in the army, for which he expressed great
thankfulness and joy.
My charming Narcissa was universally admired and loved for her beauty,
affability, and good sense; and so well pleased with the situation of
the place, and the company round, that she has not as yet discovered
the least desire of changing her habitation.
We had not been many days settled, when I prevailed upon my father to
pay a visit to the village where I had been at school. Here we were
received by the principal inhabitants, who entertained us in the
church, where Mr. Syntax the schoolmaster (my tyrant being dead)
pronounced a Latin oration in honour of our family. And none exerted
themselves more than Strap’s father and relations, who looked upon the
honest valet as the first gentleman of their race, and honoured his
benefactors accordingly. Having received the homage of this place, we
retired, leaving forty pounds for the benefit of the poor of the
parish; and that very night, Strap being a little elevated with the
regard that had been shown to him, and to me on his account, ventured
to tell me, that he had a sneaking kindness for Miss Williams, and
that, if his lady and I would use our interest in his behalf, he did
not doubt that she would listen to his addresses. Surprised at this