CHAPTER XII.

when he knew him least able to bear such | mained, and resolved to translate into an expostulation. Advice improperly adminis- humbler sphere that gallantry which he had tered generally acts in diametrical opposition no longer opportunities of displaying in the to the purpose for which it is supposed to be world of rank and fashion. given; at least this was the case with the young gentleman, who, inflamed by the reproof of such a tutor, used to obey the dictates of his resentment, in an immediate repetition of that conduct which our adventurer He effects a lodgement in the house of a had taken the liberty to disapprove; and the gamester was always at hand to minister unto his indignation. By these means he was disincumbered of divers considerable remittances, with which his father cheerfully supplied him, on the supposition that they were spent with taste and liberality, under the direction of our adventurer.

But Ferdinand's views were not confined to the narrow field of this alliance; he attempted divers enterprises in the world of gallantry, conscious of his own personal qualifications, and never doubting that he could insinuate himself into the good graces of some married lady about court, or lay an opulent dowager under contribution. But he met with an obstacle in his endeavours of this kind, which all his art was unable to surmount. This was no other than the obscurity of his birth, and the want of a title, without which no person in that country lays claim to the privileges of a gentleman. Had he foreseen this inconvenience, he might have made shift to obviate the consequences, by obtaining permission to appear in the character of the count's kinsman: though, in all probability, such an expedient would not have been extremely agreeable to the old gentleman, who was very tenacious of the honour of his family; nevertheless, his generosity might have been prevailed upon to indulge Fathom with such a pretext, in consideration of the youth's supposed attachment, and the obligations for which he deemed himself indebted to his deceased mother.

rich jeweller.

IN consequence of this determination, he to the uttermost exerted his good humour among the few friends of consequence his fortune had left, and even carried his complaisance so far, as to become the humble servant of their pleasures, while he attempted to extend his acquaintance in an inferior path of life, where he thought his talents would shine more conspicuous than at the assemblies of the great, and conduce more effectually to the interest of all his designs.

Nor did he find himself disappointed in that expectation, sanguine as it was. He soon found means to be introduced to the house of a wealthy bourgeois, where every individual was charmed with his easy air and extraordinary qualifications. He accommodated himself surprisingly to the humours of the whole family; smoked tobacco, swallowed wine, and discoursed of stones with the husband, who was a rich jeweller; sacrificed himself to the pride and loquacity of the wife; and played upon the violin, and sung alternately, for the amusement of his only daughter, a buxom lass, nearly of his own age, the fruit of a former marriage.

It was not long before Ferdinand had reason to congratulate himself on the footing he had gained in this society. He had expected to find, and in a little time actually discovered, that mutual jealousy and rancour which almost always subsist between a daughter and her stepdame, inflamed with all the virulence True it is, Ferdinand, upon his first arrival of female emulation; for the disparity in their at Vienna, had been admitted into fashionable ages served only to render them the more company, on the footing of Renaldo's com- inveterate rivals in the desire of captivating panion, because nobody suspected the defect the other sex. Our adventurer, having deof his pedigree; and even after a report had liberated upon the means of converting this been circulated to the prejudice of his extrac- animosity to his own advantage, saw no metion, by the industry of a lacquey who attend-thod for this purpose so feasible, as that of ed the young count, there were not wanting many young people of distinction who still favoured him with their countenance and correspondence; but he was no longer invited to private families, in which only he could expect to profit by his address among the ladies, and had the mortification of finding himself frequently excepted from parties which were expressly calculated for the entertainment of the young count. Luckily, his spirit was so pliant as to sustain these slights with out being much dejected; instead of repining at the loss of that respect which had been paid to him at first, he endeavoured, with all his might, to preserve the little that still re

making his approaches to the hearts of both, by ministering to each, in private, food for. their reciprocal envy and malevolence; because he well knew, that no road lies so direct and open to a woman's heart, as that of gratifying her passions of vanity and resentment.

When he had an opportunity of being particular with the mother, he expressed his concern for having unwittingly incurred the displeasure of mademoiselle, which, he observed, was obvious in every circumstance of her behaviour towards him; protesting, he was utterly innocent of all intention of offending her; and that he could not account for his

disgrace any other way, than by supposing she took umbrage at the direction of his chief regards towards her mother-in-law, which, he owned, was altogether involuntary, being wholly influenced by that lady's superior charms and politeness.

Such a declaration was perfectly well calculated for the meridian of a dame like her, who, with all the intoxications of unenlightened pride, and an increased appetite for pleasure, had begun to find herself neglected, and even to believe that her attractions were actually on the wane. She very graciously consoled our gallant for the mishap of which he complained, representing Wilhelmina (that was the daughter's name) as a pert, illiterate, envious baggage, of whose disgust he ought to make no consideration; then she recounted many instances of her own generosity to that young lady, with the returns of malice and ingratitude she had made; and, lastly, enumerated all the imperfections of her person, education and behaviour; that he might see with what justice the gypsy pretended to vie with those who had been distinguished by the approbation and even gallantry of the best people in Vienna.

difficult to divine the cause of such estranged looks. This remark was accompanied with an irresistible glance: she smiled enchanting, the colour deepened on her cheeks, her breast began to heave, and her whole frame underwent a most agreeable confusion.

Ferdinand was not a man to let such a favourable conjuncture pass unregarded. "Yes, charming Wilhelmina!" exclaimed the politician in an affected rapture," the cause is as conspicuous as your attractions. She hath, in spite of all my circumspection, perceived that passion which it is not in my power to conceal, and in consequence of which I now declare myself your devoted adorer; or, conscious of your superior excellence, her jealousy hath taken the alarm, and, though stung with conjecture only, repines at the triumph of your perfections. How far this spirit of malignity may be inflamed to my prejudice, I know not; perhaps, as this is the first, it may be also the last opportunity I shall have of avowing the dearest sentiments of my heart to the fair object that inspired them; in a word, I may be for ever excluded from your presence. Excuse me, then, divine creature! from the practice of those unnecessary forms, which I should take pride in observing, were I indulged with the ordinary privileges of an honourable lover; and, once for all, accept the homage of an heart over

Having thus established himself her confidant and gossip, he knew his next step of promotion would necessarily be to the degree of her lover; and, in that belief, resolved to play the same game with Mademoiselle Wil-flowing with love and admiration. Yes, adorhelmina, whose complexion was very much able Wilhelmina! I am dazzled with your akin to that of her step-mother; indeed they supernatural beauty; your other accomplishresembled each other too much to live upon ments strike me with wonder and awe. I any terms of friendship or even decorum. am enchanted by the graces of your deportFathom, in order to enjoy a private conversa- ment, ravished with the charms of your contion with the young lady, never failed to re-versation: and there is a certain tenderness peat his visit every afternoon, till at length of benevolence in that endearing aspect, he had the pleasure of finding her disengaged, which, I trust, will not fail to melt with symthe jeweller being occupied among his work-pathy at the emotions of a faithful slave men, and his wife gone to assist at a lying-in. like me." Our adventurer and the daughter had already exchanged their vows, by the expressive language of the eyes: he had even declared himself in some tender ejaculations which had been softly whispered in her ear, when he could snatch an opportunity of venting them unperceived; nay, he had upon divers occasions gently squeezed her fair hand, on pretence of tuning her harpsichord, and been favoured with returns of the same cordial pressure; so that, instead of accosting her with the fearful hesitation and reserve of a timid swain, he told her, after the exercise of the doux-yeux, that he was come to confer with her upon a subject that nearly concerned her peace; and asked if she had not observed of late an evident abatement of friendship in her mother's behaviour to him, whom she had formerly treated with such marks of favour and respect. Mademoiselle would not pay so ill a compliment to her own discernment as to say she had not perceived the alteration, which, on the contrary, she owned was extremely palpable; nor was it

So saying, he threw himself upon his knees, and, seizing her plump hand, pressed it to his lips with all the violence of real transport. The nymph, whose passions nature had filled to the brim, could not hear such a rhapsody unmoved: being an utter stranger to addresses of this kind, she understood every word of it in the literal acceptation; she believed implicitly in the truth of the encomiums he had bestowed, and thought it reasonable he should be rewarded for the justice he had done to her qualifications, which had hitherto been almost altogether overlooked: in short, her heart began to thaw, and her face to hang out the flag of capitulation; which was no sooner perceived by our hero, than he renewed his attack with redoubled fervour, pronouncing, in a most vehement tone,-"Light of my eyes, and empress of my soul! behold me prostrate at your feet, waiting, with the most pious resignation, for that sentence from your lips, on which my future happiness or misery must altogether depend. Not with more reverence

does the unhappy bashaw kiss the sultan's | than his solemn profession of sincerity and letter that contains his doom, than I will sub-truth, on which she reposed herself with the mit to your fatal determination. Speak, then, most implicit confidence and faith.

angelic sweetness! for never, ah! never will I rise from this suppliant posture, until I am encouraged to live and hope. No! if you refuse to smile upon my passion, here shall I breathe the last sighs of a despairing lover: here shall this faithful sword do the last office to its unfortunate master, and shed the blood of the truest heart that ever felt the cruel pangs of disappointed love."

CHAPTER XIII.

He is exposed to a most perilous incident in the course of his intrigue with the daughter.

He was rejoiced to find her so easily satisfied in such a momentous concern: for the principal aim of the intrigue was to make her necessary to his interested views, and even, if possible, an associate in the fraudulent plans he had projected upon her father; consequently, he considered this relaxation in her virtue as an happy omen of his future success. All the obstacles to their mutual enjoyment being thus removed, our adventurer was by his mistress indulged with an

The young lady, well nigh overcome by this effusion, which brought the tears into her eyes," Enough, enough," cried she, interrupting him, "sure you men were created for the ruin of our sex.' .""Ruin!" re-echoed Fathom, "talk not of ruin and Wilhelmina! let these terms be for ever parted, far as the east and west asunder! let ever-smiling peace attend her steps, and love and joy still wanton in her train! Ruin, indeed, shall wait upon her enemies, if such there be, and those love-assignation in her own chamber, which, lorn wretches who pine with anguish under her disdain grant me, kind Heaven, a more propitious boon: direct her genial regards to one whose love is without example, and whose constancy is unparalleled: bear witness to my constancy and faith, ye verdant hills, ye fertile plains, ye shady groves, ye purling streams; and if I prove untrue, ah! let me never find a solitary willow or a bubbling brook, by help of which I may be enabled to put a period to my wretched life."

Here this excellent actor began to sob most piteously, and the tender-hearted Wilhelmina, unable longer to withstand his moving tale, with a repetition of the interjection, ah! gently dropped into his arms. This was the beginning of a correspondence that soon rose to a very interesting pitch; and they forthwith concerted measures for carrying it on without the knowledge or suspicion of her mother-in-law. Nevertheless, the young lady, vanquished as she was, and unskilled in the ways of men, would not all at once yield at discretion; but insisted upon those terms, without which no woman's reputation can be secured. Our lover, far from seeking to evade the proposal, assented to it in terms of uncommon satisfaction, and promised to use his whole industry in finding a priest upon whose discretion they could rely; nay, he certainly resolved to comply with her request in good earnest, rather than forfeit the advantages which he foresaw in their union. His good fortune, however, exempted him from the necessity of taking such a step, which at best must have been disagreeable: for so many difficulties occurred in the inquiry which was set on foot, and so artfully did Fathom in the mean time manage the influence he had already gained over her heart, that, before her passion could obtain a legal gratification, she surrendered to his wish, without any other assurance

though contiguous to that of her stepmother, was provided with a door that opened into a common staircase, to which he had access at all hours of the night.

He did not neglect the rendezvous, but, presenting himself at the appointed time, which was midnight, made the signal they had agreed upon, and was immediately admitted by Wilhelmina, who waited for him with a lover's impatience. Fathom was not deficient in those expressions of rapture that are current on such occasions; but, on the contrary, became so loud in the transports of self-congratulation, that his voice reached the ears of the vigilant stepmother, who, wakening the jeweller from his first nap, gave him to understand that some person was certainly in close conversation with his daughter; and exhorted him to rise forthwith, and vindicate the honour of his family.

The German, who was naturally of a phlegmatic habit, and never went to bed without a full dose of the creature, which added to his constitutional drowsiness, gave no ear to his wife's intimation, until she had repeated it thrice, and used other means to rouse him from the arms of slumber. Meanwhile Fathom and his inamorata overheard her information, and our hero would have made his retreat immediately, through the port by which he entered, had not his intention been over-ruled by the remonstrances of the young lady, who observed, that the door was already fast bolted, and could not possibly be opened without creating a noise that would confirm the suspicion of her parents; and that, over and above this objection, he would, in sallying from that door, run the risk of being met by her father, who in all probability would present himself before it, in order to hinder our hero's escape: she therefore conveyed him softly into her closet, where she assured him he might re

Fathom had come unprepared with weapons of defence, was naturally an economist of his person, and saw himself on the brink of forfeiting not only the promised harvest of his double intrigue, but also the reputation of a man of honour, upon which all his future hopes depended: his agony was therefore unspeakable, when the door flew open, and it was not till after a considerable pause of recollection, that he perceived the candle extinguished by the motion of the air produced from the German's sudden irruption. This accident, which disconcerted him so much as to put a full stop to his charge, was very favourable to our hero, who, summoning all his presence of mind, crept up into the chimney, while the jeweller stood at the door, waiting for his wife's return with another light; so that, when the closet was examined, there was nothing found to justify the report which the step-mother had made, and the father, after having made a slight apology to Wilhelmina for his intrusion, retired with his yoke-fellow into their own chamber.

main with great tranquillity, in full confi- | ter's petulance, the mother's malice, together dence that she would take such measures as with his own precipitation, by which he was would effectually screen him from detection. involved in an adventure so pregnant with He was fain to depend upon her assurance, danger and disgrace. Indeed, the reader and accordingly insconced himself behind may easily conceive his disorder, when he her dressing table: but he could not help heard the key turning in the lock, and the sweating with apprehension, and praying German swearing that he would make him fervently to God for his deliverance, when he food for the beasts of the field and the fowls heard the jeweller thundering at the door, of the air. and calling to his daughter for admittance. Wilhelmina, who was already undressed, and had purposely extinguished the light, pretended to be suddenly waked from her sleep, and, starting up, exclaimed, in a tone of surprise and affright,-"Jesu, Maria: what is the matter?" " Hussey!" replied the German, in a terrible accent, "open the door this instant, there is a man in your bedchamber, and, by the lightning and thunder! I will wash away the stain he has cast upon my honour with the schellum's heart's-blood." Not at all intimidated by this boisterous threat, she admitted him without hesitation, and, with a shrillness of voice peculiar to herself, began to hold forth upon her own innocence, and his unjust suspicion, mingling in her harangue sundry oblique hints against her mother-in-law, importing, that some people were so vitiously inclined by their own natures, that she did not wonder at their doubting the virtue of other people; but that these people despised the insinuations of such people, who ought to be more circumspect in their own conduct, lest they themselves should suffer reprisals from those The young lady, who little thought that people whom they had so maliciously slan- her papa would have taken her at her word, dered. Having uttered these flowers of was overwhelmed with confusion and dismay, rhetoric, which were calculated for the hear- when she saw him enter the closet; and, ing of her step-dame, who stood with a light had her lover been discovered, would in all at her husband's back, the young lady as- probability have been the loudest in his resumed an ironical air, and admonished her proach, and perhaps have accused him of an father to search every corner of her apart-intention to rob the house; but she was altoment; she even affected to assist his inquiry; with her own hands pulled out a parcel of small drawers in which her trinkets were contained; desired him to look into her needle-case and thimble, and, seeing his examination fruitless, earnestly entreated him to rummage her closet also, saying, with a sneer, that in all probability the dishonourer would be found in that lurking. place. The manner in which she pretended to ridicule his apprehensions made an impression upon the jeweller, who was very well disposed to retreat into his own nest, when his wife, with a certain slyness in her countenance, besought him to comply with his daughter's request, and look into that same closet, by which means Wilhelmina's virtue would obtain a complete triumph.

Our adventurer, who overheard the conversation, was immediately seized with a palsy of fear: he trembled at every joint, the sweat trickled down his forehead, his teeth began to chatter, his hair to stand on end, and he in his heart bitterly cursed the daugh

gether astonished when she found he had made shift to elude the inquiry of her parents, because she could not conceive the possibility of his escaping by the window, which was in the third story, at a prodigious distance from the ground; and how he could conceal himself in the apartment, was a mystery which she could by no means unfold. Before her father and mother retired, she lighted her lamp, on pretence of being afraid to be in the dark, after the perturbation of spirits she had undergone, and her room was no sooner evacuated of such troublesome visitants, than she secured the doors, and went in quest of her lover.

Accordingly, every corner of the closet underwent a new search, and she called upon his name with a soft voice, which she thought no other person would overhear: but Ferdinand did not think proper to gratify her impatience, because he could not judge of the predicament in which he stood by the evidence of all his senses, and would not relinquish his post, until he should be better cer

his Dulcinea, having performed her inquiry to no purpose, imagined there was something preternatural in the circumstance of his vanishing so unaccountably, and began to cross herself with great devotion. She returned to her chamber, fixed the lamp in the fireplace, and, throwing herself upon the bed, gave way to the suggestions of her superstition, which were reinforced by the silence that prevailed, and the gloomy glimmering of the light. She reflected upon the trespass she had already committed in her heart, and in the conjectures of her fear believed that her lover was no other than the devil himself, who had assumed the appearance of Fathom, in order to tempt and seduce her virtue.

While her imagination teemed with those horrible ideas, our adventurer concluding, from the general stillness, that the jeweller and his wife were at last happily asleep, ventured to come forth from his hiding-place, and stood before his mistress all begrimed with soot. Wilhelmina, lifting up her eyes, and seeing this sable apparition, which she mistook for Satan in propria persona, instantly screamed, and began to repeat her pater-noster with an audible voice; upon which Ferdinand, foreseeing that her parents would be again alarmed, would not stay to undeceive her and explain himself, but, unlocking the door with great expedition, ran down stairs, and luckily accomplished his escape. This was undoubtedly the wisest measure he could have taken: for, he had not performed one half of his descent towards the street, when the German was at his daughter's bed-side, demanding to know the cause of her exclamation: she then gave him an account of what she had seen, with all the exaggerations of her own fancy, and, after having weighed the circumstances of her story, he interpreted the apparition into a thief, who had found means to open the door that communicated with the stair, but having been scared by Wilhelmina's shriek, had been obliged to retreat before he could execute his purpose.

CHAPTER XIV.

He is reduced to a dreadful dilemma, in consequence of an assignation with the wife.

Nor was his whole care and attention engrossed by the execution of this scheme upon the daughter. While he managed his concerns in that quarter with incredible ardour and application, he was not the less indefatigable in the prosecution of his design upon the mother-in-law, which he forwarded with all his art during the opportunities he enjoyed in the absence of Wilhelmina, who was frequently called away by the domestic duties of the house. The passions of the jeweller's wife were in such a state of exaltation as exempted our hero from the repulses and fatigue attending a long siege.

We have already observed how cunningly he catered for the gratification of her ruling appetite, and have exhibited pregnant proofs of his ability in gaining upon the human heart; the reader will not therefore be surprised at the rapidity of his conquests over the affections of a lady whose complexion was perfectly amorous, and whose vanity laid her open to all the attempts of adulation. In a word, matters were quickly brought to such a mutual understanding, that one evening, while they amused themselves at lansquenet, Fathom conjured her to give him the rendezvous next day at the house of any third person of her own sex, in whose discretion she could confide; and, after a few affected scruples on her side, which he well knew how to surmount, she complied with his request, and the circumstances of the appointment were settled accordingly. After this treaty, their satisfaction rose to such a warmth, and the conversation became so reciprocally endearing, that our gallant expressed his impatience of waiting so long for the accomplishment of his wishes, and, with the most eager transport, begged she would, if possible, curtail the term of his expectation, that his brain might not suffer by his standing so many tedious hours on the giddy verge of rapture.

Our hero's spirits were so wofully disturbed by this adventure, that for a whole week he felt no inclination to visit his inamorata, and The dame, who was naturally compassionwas not without apprehension that the affair ate, sympathized with his condition, and, had terminated in an explanation very little unable to resist his pathetic supplications, to his advantage. He was, however, deliv- gave him to understand that his desire could ered from this disagreeable suspense, by an not be granted, without subjecting them both accidental meeting with the jeweller himself, to some hazard, but that she was disposed to who kindly chid him for his long absence, run any risk in behalf of his happiness and and entertained him in the street, with an peace. After this affectionate preamble, she account of the alarm which his family had told him that her husband was then engaged sustained by a thief who broke into Wilhel- in a quarterly meeting of the jewellers, from mina's apartment. Glad to find his appre- whence he never failed to return quite overhension mistaken, he renewed his corres-whelmed with wine, tobacco, and the phlegm pondence with the family, and in a little time found reason to console himself for the jeopardy and panic he had undergone.

of his own constitution; so that he would fall fast asleep as soon as his head should touch the pillow, and she be at liberty to en