by T. Smollett
They depart from Ghent--Our Hero engages in a Political Dispute with hisMistress, whom he offends, and pacifies with Submission--He practisesan Expedient to detain the Carriage at Alost, and confirms the Priest inhis Interest.
Next day, about one o'clock, after having seen everything remarkable intown, and been present at the execution of two youths, who were hangedfor ravishing a w--, they took their departure from Ghent in the samecarriage which had brought them thither; and the conversation turningupon the punishment they had seen inflicted, the Flemish beautyexpressed great sympathy and compassion for the unhappy sufferers,who, as she had been informed, had fallen victims to the malice of theaccuser. Her sentiments were espoused by all the company, except theFrench lady of pleasure, who, thinking the credit of the sisterhoodconcerned in the affair, bitterly inveighed against the profligacy ofthe age, and particularly the base and villainous attempts of man uponthe chastity of the weaker sex; saying, with a look of indignationdirected to the painter, that for her own part she should never beable to manifest the acknowledgment she owed to Providence, for havingprotected her last night from the wicked aims of unbridled lust. Thisobservation introduced a series of jokes at the expense of Pallet, whohung his ears, and sat with a silent air of dejection, fearing that,through the malevolence of the physician, his adventure might reach theears of his wife. Indeed, though we have made shift to explain thewhole transaction to the reader, it was an inextricable mystery to everyindividual in the diligence, because the part which was acted by theCapuchin was known to himself alone, and even he was utterly ignorantof Pickle's being concerned in the affair; so that the greatest shareof the painter's sufferings were supposed to be the exaggerations of hisown extravagant imagination.
In the midst of their discourse on this extraordinary subject, thedriver told them that they were now on the very spot where a detachmentof the allied army had been intercepted and cut off by the French: and,stopping the vehicle, entertained them with a local description of thebattle of Melle. Upon this occasion, the Flemish lady, who, since hermarriage, had become a keen partisan for the French, gave a minutedetail of all the circumstances, as they had been represented to her byher husband's brother, who was in the action. This account, which sunkthe number of the French to sixteen, and raised that of the allies totwenty thousand men, was so disagreeable to truth, as well as to thelaudable partiality of Peregrine, that he ventured to contradict herassertions, and a fierce dispute commenced, that not only regarded thepresent question, but also comprehended all the battles in which theDuke of Marlborough had commanded against Louis the Fourteenth. In thecourse of these debates, she divested the great general of all theglory he had acquired, by affirming, that every victory he gained waspurposely lost by the French in order to bring the schemes of Madame deMaintenon into discredit; and, as a particular instance, alledged, thatwhile the citadel of Lisle was besieged, Louis said, in presence of theDauphin, that if the allies should be obliged to raise the siege, hewould immediately declare his marriage with that lady; upon which, theson sent private orders to Marshal Boufflers to surrender the place.
This strange allegation was supported by the asseveration of the priestand the courtesan, and admitted as truth by the governor, who pretendedto have heard it from good authority; while the doctor sat neutral, asone who thought it scandalous to know the history of such modern events.The Israelite, being a true Dutchman, himself under the banners of ourhero, who, in attempting to demonstrate the absurdity and improbabilityof what they had advanced, raised such a hue and cry against himself,and, being insensibly heated in the altercation, irritated his Amandato such a degree, that her charming eyes kindled with fury, and hesaw great reason to think, that if he did not fall upon some method todeprecate her wrath, she would, in a twinkling, sacrifice all her esteemfor him to her own zeal for the glory of the French nation. Moved bythis apprehension, his ardour cooled by degrees, and he insensiblydetached himself from the argument, leaving the whole care of supportingit to the Jew, who, finding himself deserted, was fain to yield atdiscretion; so that the French remained masters of the field, and theiryoung heroine resumed her good humour.
Our hero having prudently submitted to the superior intelligence of hisfair enslaver, began to be harassed with the fears of losing herfor ever; and set his invention at work, to contrive some meansof indemnifying himself for his assiduities, presents, and thedisappointment he had already undergone. On pretence of enjoying a freeair, he mounted the box, and employed his elocution and generosity withsuch success, that the driver undertook to disable the diligence fromproceeding beyond the town of Alost for that day; and, in consequenceof his promise, gently overturned it when they were but a mile short ofthat baiting-place. He had taken his measures so discreetly, that thisaccident was attended with no other inconvenience than a fit of fearthat took possession of the ladies, and the necessity to which theywere reduced by the declaration of the coachman, who, upon examiningthe carriage, assured the company that the axle-tree had given way, andadvised them to walk forward to the inn, while he would jog after themat a slow pace, and do his endeavour the damage should be immediatelyrepaired.
Peregrine pretended to be very much concerned at what had happened,and even cursed the driver for his inadvertency, expressing infiniteimpatience to be at Brussels, and wishing that this misfortune mightnot detain them another night upon the road; but when his understrapper,according to his instructions, came afterwards to the inn, and gave themto understand that the workman he had employed could not possibly refitthe machine in less then six hours, the crafty youth affected tolose all temper, stormed at his emissary, whom he reviled in the mostopprobrious terms, and threatened to cane for his misconduct. The fellowprotested, with great humility, that their being overturned was owing tothe failure of the axle-tree, and not to his want of care or dexterityin driving; though rather than be thought the cause of incommodinghim, he would inquire for a post-chaise, in which he might depart forBrussels immediately. This expedient Pickle rejected, unless the wholecompany could be accommodated in the same manner; and he had beenpreviously informed by the driver that the town could not furnish morethan one vehicle of that sort. His governor, who was quite ignorantof his scheme, represented that one night would soon be passed, andexhorted him to bear this small disappointment with a good grace,especially as the house seemed to be well provided for theirentertainment, and the company so much disposed to be sociable.
The Capuchin, who had found his account in cultivating the acquaintanceof the young stranger, was not ill-pleased at this event, which might,by protracting the term of their intercourse, yield him some opportunityof profiting still farther by his liberality: he therefore joined Mr.Jolter in his admonitions, congratulating himself upon the prospectof enjoying his conversation a little longer than he had expected.Our young gentleman received a compliment to the same purpose fromthe Hebrew, who had that day exercised his gallantry upon the Frenchcoquette, and was not without hope of reaping the fruit of hisattention, his rival, the painter, being quite disgraced and dejectedby the adventure of last night, As for the doctor, he was too muchengrossed in the contemplation of his own importance, to interesthimself in the affair or its consequences, further than by observing,that the European powers ought to establish public games, like thosethat were celebrated of old in Greece; in which case, every state wouldbe supplied with such dexterous charioteers as would drive a machine, atfull speed, within a hair's breadth of a precipice, without any dangerof its being overturned.
Peregrine could not help yielding to their remonstrances and unitedcomplaisance, for which he thanked them in very polite terms; and hispassion seeming to subside, proposed that they should amuse themselvesin walking round the ramparts. He hoped to enjoy some privateconversation with his admired Fleming, who had the whole day behavedwith remarkable reserve. The proposal being embraced, he, as usual,handed her into the street, and took all opportunities of promoting hissuit; but they were attended so closely by her father-confessor, thathe fores
aw it would be impracticable to accomplish his aim without theconnivance of that ecclesiastic. This he was obliged to purchase withanother purse, which he offered, and was accepted, as a charitableatonement for his criminal behaviour during the interview which thefriar had procured for the good of his soul. The benefaction was nosooner made, than the mendicant edged off by little and little, tillhe joined the rest of the company, leaving his generous patron at fullliberty to prosecute his purpose.
It is not to be doubted that our adventurer made a good use of thisoccasion: he practised a thousand flowers of rhetoric, and actuallyexhausted his whole address, in persuading her to have compassion uponhis misery, and indulge him with another private audience, without whichhe should run distracted, and be guilty of extravagancies which, inthe humanity of her disposition, she would weep to see. But, instead ofcomplying with his request, she chid him severely for his presumptionin persecuting her with his vicious addresses: she assured him, thatalthough she had secured a chamber for herself in this place, becauseshe had no ambition to be better acquainted with the other lady, hewould be in the wrong to disturb her with another nocturnal visit, forshe was determined to deny him admittance. The lover was comforted bythis hint, which he understood in the true acceptation; and his passionbeing inflamed by the obstacles he had met with, his heart beat highwith the prospect of possession. These raptures of expectation producedan inquietude, which disabled him from bearing that share of theconversation for which he used to be distinguished. His behaviourat supper was a vicissitude of startings and reveries. The Capuchin,imputing the disorder to a second repulse from his charge, began tobe invaded with the apprehension of being obliged to refund, and in awhisper forbade our hero to despair.
CHAPTER LVI.