CHAPTER FIFTEEN
BUT AT LENGTH SUCCEEDS IN HIS ATTEMPT UPON BOTH.
Having thus gained a complete victory over the affections of these twoladies, he began to convert his good fortune to the purposes of thatprinciple, from which his view was never, no, not for a moment, detached.In other words, he used them as ministers and purveyors to his avariceand fraud. As for the mother-in-law, she was of herself so liberal as toanticipate the wishes of any moderate adventurer, and presented him withsundry valuable jewels, as memorials of her esteem; nor was the daughterbackward in such expressions of regard; she already considered hisinterest as her own, and took frequent opportunities of secreting for hisbenefit certain stray trinkets that she happened to pick up in herexcursions within doors.
All these gratifications he received with demonstrations of infiniteconstraint and reluctance, and, in the midst of his rapacious extortion,acted so cunningly as to impose himself upon both for a miracle ofdisinterested integrity. Yet, not contented with what he thus couldearn, and despairing of being able to steer the bark of his fortune forany length of time between two such dangerous quicksands, he resolved toprofit by the occasion while it lasted, and strike some considerablestroke at once. A plan was formed in consequence of this determination,and, at an appointment with the mother in the house of their femalefriend, our adventurer appeared with an air of dejection, which he veiledwith a thin cover of forced pleasantry, that his mistress might supposehe endeavoured to conceal some mortal chagrin that preyed upon his heart.
The stratagem succeeded to his wish. She observed his countenancebetween whiles overcast, took notice of the involuntary sighs he heaved;and, with the most tender expressions of sympathy, conjured him to makeher acquainted with the cause of his affliction. Instead of gratifyingher request immediately, he evaded her questions with a respectfulreserve, implying, that his love would not suffer him to make her apartner in his sorrow; and this delicacy on his part whetted herimpatience and concern to such a degree, that, rather than keep her insuch an agony of doubt and apprehension, he was prevailed upon to tellher, that he had been, the preceding night, engaged with a company of hisfellow-students, where he had made too free with the champagne, so thathis caution forsook him, and he had been decoyed into play by a Tyrolesegamester, who stripped him of all his ready money, and obtained from himan obligation for two hundred florins, which he could not possibly paywithout having recourse to his relation the Count de Melvil, who wouldhave just cause to be incensed at his extravagance.
This information he concluded, by declaring that, cost what it would, hewas resolved to make a candid confession of the truth, and throw himselfentirely upon the generosity of his patron, who could inflict no otherpunishment than that of discarding him from his favour and protection,--amisfortune which, how grievous soever it might be, he should be able tosustain with fortitude, could he fall upon some method of satisfying theTyrolese, who was very importunate and savage in his demand. His kindmistress no sooner found out the source of his inquietude, than shepromised to dry it up, assuring him that next day, at the same hour, shewould enable him to discharge the debt; so that he might set his heart atease, and recollect that gaiety which was the soul of her enjoyment.
He expressed the utmost astonishment at this generous proffer, which,however, he declined, with an affected earnestness of refusal,protesting, that he should be extremely mortified, if he thought shelooked upon him as one of those mercenary gallants who could make such asordid use of a lady's affection. "No, madam," cried our politician in apathetic strain, "whatever happens, I shall never part with that internalconsolation, that conscious honour never fails to yield in the deepestscenes of solitary distress. The attachment I have the honour to professfor your amiable person, is not founded on such inglorious motives, butis the genuine result of that generous passion which none but thenoble-minded feel, and the only circumstance of this misfortune that Idread to encounter, is the necessity of withdrawing myself for ever fromthe presence of her whose genial smiles could animate my soul against allthe persecution of adverse fortune."
This declamation, accompanied with a profound sigh, served only toinflame her desire of extricating him from the difficulty in which he wasinvolved. She exhausted all her eloquence in attempting to persuade himthat his refusal was an outrage against her affection. He pretended torefute her arguments, and remained unshaken by all the power of hersolicitations, until she had recourse to the most passionateremonstrances of love, and fell at his feet in the posture of a forlornshepherdess. What he refused to her reason, he granted to her tears,because his heart was melted by her affliction, and next day condescendedto accept of her money, out of pure regard to her happiness and peace.
Encouraged by the success of this achievement, he resolved to practisethe same experiment upon Wilhelmina, in hope of extracting an equal shareof profit from her simplicity and attachment, and, at their very nextnocturnal rendezvous in her chamber, reacted the farce already rehearsed,with a small variation, which he thought necessary to stimulate the younglady in his behalf. He rightly concluded, that she was by no meansmistress of such a considerable sum as he had already extorted from hermother, and therefore thought proper to represent himself in the mosturgent predicament, that her apprehension, on his account, might be soalarmed as to engage her in some enterprise for his advantage, whichotherwise she would never have dreamed of undertaking. With this view,after having described his own calamitous situation, in consequence ofher pressing entreaties, which he affected to evade, he gave her tounderstand, that there was no person upon earth to whom he would haverecourse in this emergency; for which reason he was determined to ridhimself of all his cares at once, upon the friendly point of his ownfaithful sword.
Such a dreadful resolution could not fail to operate upon the tenderpassions of his Dulcinea; she was instantly seized with an agony of fearand distraction. Her grief manifested itself in a flood of tears, whileshe hung round his neck, conjuring him in the most melting terms, bytheir mutual love, in which they had been so happy, to lay aside thatfatal determination, which would infallibly involve her in the same fate;for, she took Heaven to witness, that she would not one moment survivethe knowledge of his death.
He was not deficient in expressions of reciprocal regard. He extolledher love and tenderness with a most extravagant eulogium, and seemedwrung with mortal anguish at the prospect of parting for ever from hislovely Wilhelmina; but his honour was a stern and rigid creditor, thatcould not be appeased, except with his blood; and all the boon she couldobtain, by dint of the most woful supplication, was a promise to deferthe execution of his baleful purpose for the space of four-and-twentyhours, during which she hoped Heaven would compassionate her sufferings,and inspire her with some contrivance for their mutual relief. Thus heyielded to her fervent request, rather with a view to calm the presenttransports of her sorrow, than with any expectation of seeing himselfredeemed from his fate by her interposition; such at least were hisprofessions when he took his leave, assuring her, that he would not quithis being before he should have devoted a few hours to another interviewwith the dear object of his love.
Having thus kindled the train, he did not doubt that the mine of hiscraft would take effect, and repaired to his own lodging, in fullpersuasion of seeing his aim accomplished, before the time fixed fortheir last assignation. His prognostic was next morning verified by thearrival of a messenger, who brought to him a small parcel, to which wascemented, with sealing wax, the following epistle:--
"JEWEL OF MY SOUL!--Scarce had you, last night, quitted my disconsolatearms, when I happily recollected that there was in my possession a goldchain, of value more than sufficient to answer the exigence of yourpresent occasions. It was pledged to my grandfather for two hundredcrowns by a knight of Malta, who soon after perished in a sea engagementwith the enemies of our faith, so that it became the property of ourhouse, and was bequeathed to me by the old gentleman, as a memorial ofhis particular affection. Upon whom can I mo
re properly bestow it, thanhim who is already master of my heart! Receive it, therefore, from thebearer of this billet, and convert it, without scruple, to that use whichshall be most conducive to your ease and satisfaction; nor seek, from atrue romantic notion of honour, which I know you entertain, to excuseyourself from accepting this testimony of my affection. For I havealready sworn before an image of our blessed Lady, that I will no longerown you as the sovereign of my heart, nor even indulge you with anotherinterview, if you reject this mark of tenderness and concern from yourever faithful WILHELMINA."
The heart of our adventurer began to bound with joy when he surveyed thecontents of this letter; and his eyes sparkled with transport at sight ofthe chain, which he immediately perceived to be worth twice the sum shehad mentioned. Nevertheless, he would not avail himself, without furtherquestion, of her generosity; but, that same night, repairing to herapartment at the usual hour of meeting, he prostrated himself before her,and counterfeiting extreme agitation of spirit, begged, in the mosturgent terms, not even unaccompanied with tears, that she would take backthe present, which he tendered for her acceptance, and spare him the mostinsufferable mortification of thinking himself exposed to the imputationof being mercenary in his love. Such, he said, was the delicacy of hispassion, that he could not possibly exist under the apprehension ofincurring a censure so unworthy of his sentiments; and he would athousand times sooner undergo the persecution of his rancorous creditor,than bear the thought of being in the smallest consideration lessened inher esteem; nay, so far did he carry his pretensions to punctilio, as toprotest, that, should she refuse to quiet the scruples of his honour onthis score, her unyielding beneficence would serve only to hasten theexecution of his determined purpose, to withdraw himself at once from alife of vanity and misfortune.
The more pathetically he pleaded for her compliance, the more strenuouslydid she resist his remonstrances. She advanced all the arguments herreason, love, and terror could suggest, reminded him of her oath, fromwhich he could not suppose she would recede, whatever the consequencemight be; and in conclusion vowed to Heaven, with great solemnity anddevotion, that she would not survive the news of his death. Thus thealternative she offered was either to retain the chain and be happy inher affection, or forfeit all title to her love, and die in theconviction of having brought his innocent mistress to an untimely grave.
His fortitude was not proof against this last consideration. "My savagehonour," said he, "would enable me to endure the pangs of eternalseparation in the confidence of being endowed with the power of endingthese tortures by the energy of my own hand; but the prospect ofWilhelmina's death, and that too occasioned by my inflexibility, disarmsmy soul of all her resolution, swallows up the dictates of my jealouspride, and fills my bosom with such a gush of tenderness and sorrow, asoverwhelms the whole economy of my purpose! Yes, enchanting creature! Isacrifice my glory to that irresistible reflection; and, rather than knowmyself the cruel instrument of robbing the world of such perfection,consent to retain the fatal testimony of your love."
So saying, he pocketed the chain, with an air of ineffable mortification,and was rewarded for his compliance with the most endearing caresses ofhis Dulcinea, who, amidst the tumults of her joy, ejaculated a thousandacknowledgments to Heaven for having blessed her with the affection ofsuch a man, whose honour was unrivalled by anything but his love.