by T. Smollett
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
RENALDO ABRIDGES THE PROCEEDINGS AT LAW, AND APPROVES HIMSELF THE SON OFHIS FATHER.
The Major, finding him determined, insisted upon attending him in thisexpedition, and they set out together for Presburg, where they privatelyarrived in the dark, resolving to keep themselves concealed at the houseof a friend, until they should have formed some plan for their futureoperations. Here they were informed that Count Trebasi's castle wasaltogether inaccessible; that all the servants who were supposed to havethe least veneration or compassion for the Countess were dismissed; andthat, since Renaldo was known to be in Germany, the vigilance and cautionof that cruel husband was redoubled to such a degree, that nobody knewwhether his unfortunate lady was actually alive or dead.
Farrel perceiving Melvil exceedingly affected with this intimation, andhearing him declare that he would never quit Presburg until he shouldhave entered the house, and removed his doubts on that interestingsubject, not only argued with great vehemence against such an attempt, asequally dangerous and indiscreet, but solemnly swore he would prevent hispurpose, by discovering his design to the family, unless he would promiseto listen to a more moderate and feasible expedient. He then proposedthat he himself should appear in the equipage of one of the travellingSavoyards who stroll about Europe, amusing ignorant people with theeffects of a magic lanthorn, and in that disguise endeavour to obtainadmittance from the servants of Trebasi, among whom he might make suchinquiries as would deliver Melvil from his present uneasy suspense.
This proposal was embraced, though reluctantly, by Renaldo, who wasunwilling to expose his friend to the least danger or disgrace; and theMajor being next day provided with the habit and implements of his newprofession, together with a ragged attendant who preceded him, extortingmusic from a paltry viol, approached the castle gate, and proclaimed hisshow so naturally in a yell, partaking of the scream of Savoy and thehowl of Ireland, that one would have imagined he had been conductor toMadam Catherina from his cradle. So far his stratagem succeeded; he hadnot long stood in waiting before he was invited into the court-yard,where the servants formed a ring, and danced to the efforts of hiscompanion's skill; then he was conducted into the buttery, where heexhibited his figures on the wall, and his princess on the floor; andwhile they regaled him in this manner with scraps and sour wine, he tookoccasion to inquire about the old lady and her daughter, before whom hesaid he had performed in his last peregrination. Though this questionwas asked with all that air of simplicity which is peculiar to thesepeople, one of the domestics took the alarm, being infected with thesuspicions of his master, and plainly taxed the Major with being a spy,threatening at the same time that he should be stripped and searched.
This would have been a very dangerous experiment for the Hibernian, whohad actually in his pocket a letter to the Countess from her son, whichhe hoped fortune might have furnished him with an opportunity to deliver.When he therefore found himself in this dilemma, he was not at all easyin his own mind. However, instead of protesting his innocence in anhumble and beseeching strain, in order to acquit himself of the charge,he resolved to elude the suspicion by provoking the wrath of his accuser,and, putting on the air of vulgar integrity affronted, began to reproachthe servant in very insolent terms for his unfair supposition, andundressed himself in a moment to the skin, threw his tattered garments inthe face of his adversary, telling him he would find nothing there whichhe would not be very glad to part with; at the same time raising hisvoice, he, in the gibberish of the clan he represented, scolded andcursed with great fluency, so that the whole house resounded with thenoise. The valet's jealousy, like a smaller fire, was in a triceswallowed up in the greater flame of his rage enkindled by this abruptaddress. In consequence of which, Farrel was kicked out at the gate,naked as he was to the waist, after his lanthorn had been broke to pieceson his head; and there he was joined by his domestic, who had not beenable to recover his apparel and effect a retreat, without incurring marksof the same sort of distinction.
The Major, considering the risk he must have run in being detected,thought himself cheaply quit for this moderate discipline, though he wasreally concerned for his friend Renaldo, who, understanding theparticulars of the adventure, determined, as the last effort, to rideround the castle in the open day, on pretence of taking the air, when,peradventure, the Countess would see him from the place of herconfinement, and favour him with some mark or token of her being alive.
Though his companion did not much relish this plan, which he foresawwould expose him to the insults of Trebasi, yet, as he could not contrivea better, he acquiesced in Renaldo's invention, with the proviso that hewould defer the execution of it until his father-in-law should be absentin the chase, which was a diversion he every day enjoyed.
Accordingly they set a proper watch, and lay concealed until they wereinformed of Trebasi's having gone forth; when they mounted their horses,and rode into the neighbourhood of the castle. Having made a smallexcursion in the adjoining fields, they drew nearer the walls, and at aneasy pace had twice circled them, when Farrel descried, at the top of atower, a white handkerchief waved by a woman's hand through the iron barsthat secured the window. This signal being pointed out to Renaldo, hisheart began to throb with great violence; he made a respectful obeisancetowards the part in which it appeared, and perceiving the hand beckoninghim to approach, advanced to the very buttress of the turret; upon which,seeing something drop, he alighted with great expedition, and took up apicture of his father in miniature, the features of which he no soonerdistinguished, than the tears ran down his cheeks; he pressed the littleimage to his lips with the most filial fervour; then conveying it to hisbosom, looked up to the hand, which waved in such a manner as gave him tounderstand it was high time to retire. Being by this time highlypersuaded that his kind monitor was no other than the Countess herself,he pointed to his heart, in token of his filial affection, and laying hishand on his sword, to denote his resolution of doing her justice, he tookhis leave with another profound bow, and suffered himself to bereconducted to his lodging.
Every circumstance of this transaction was observed by the servants ofCount Trebasi, who immediately despatched a messenger to their lord, withan account of what had happened. Alarmed at this information, from whichhe immediately concluded that the stranger was young Melvil, he forthwithquitted the chase, and returning to the castle by a private postern,ordered his horse to be kept ready saddled, in hope that his son-in-lawwould repeat the visit to his mother. This precaution would have been tono purpose, had Renaldo followed the advice of Farrel, who representedthe danger of returning to a place where the alarm was undoubtedly givenby his first appearance; and exhorted him to return to Vienna for theprosecution of his suit, now that he was satisfied of his mother's beingalive. In order to strengthen this admonition, he bade him recollect thesignal for withdrawing, which was doubtless the effect of maternalconcern, inspired by the knowledge of the Count's vigilance andvindictive disposition.
Notwithstanding these suggestions, Melvil persisted in his resolution ofappearing once more below the tower, on the supposition that his mother,in expectation of his return, had prepared a billet for his acceptance,from which he might obtain important intelligence. The Major, seeing himlend a deaf ear to his remonstrances, was contented to attend him in hissecond expedition, which he pressed him to undertake that same afternoon,as Trebasi had taken care to circulate a report of his having gone todine at the seat of a nobleman in the neighbourhood. Our knight-errantand his squire, deceived by this finesse, presented themselves againunder the prison of the Countess, who no sooner beheld her son return,than she earnestly entreated him to be gone, by the same sign which shehad before used; and he, taking it for granted that she was debarred theuse of pen, ink, and paper, and that she had nothing more to expect,consented to retire, and had already moved to some distance from thehouse, when, in crossing a small plantation that belonged to the castle,they were met by Count Trebasi and another person on horse
back.
At sight of this apparition, the blood mounted into Renaldo's cheeks, andhis eyes began to lighten with eagerness and indignation; which was notat all diminished by the ferocious address of the Count, who advancing toMelvil, with a menacing air. "Before you proceed," said he, "I must knowwith what view you have been twice to-day patroling round my enclosures,and reconnoitring the different avenues of my house. You likewise carryon a clandestine correspondence with some person in the family, of whichmy honour obliges me to demand an explanation."
"Had your actions been always regulated by the dictates of honour,"replied Renaldo, "I should never have been questioned for riding roundthat castle, which you know is my rightful inheritance; or excluded fromthe sight of a parent who suffers under your tyranny and oppression. Itis my part, therefore, to expostulate; and, since fortune hath favouredme with an opportunity of revenging our wrongs in person, we shall notpart until you have learned that the family of the Count de Melvil is notto be injured with impunity. Here is no advantage on either side, inpoint of arms or number; you are better mounted than I am, and shall havethe choice of the ground on which our difference ought to be brought to aspeedy determination."
Trebasi, whose courage was not of the sentimental kind, but purely owingto his natural insensibility of danger, instead of concerting measurescoolly for the engagement, or making any verbal reply to this defiance,drew a pistol, without the least hesitation, and fired it at the face ofRenaldo, part of whose left eyebrow was carried off by the ball. Melvilwas not slow in returning the compliment, which, as it was deliberate,proved the more decisive. For the shot entering the Count's rightbreast, made its way to the backbone with such a shock, as struck him tothe ground; upon which the other alighted, in order to improve theadvantage he had gained.
During this transaction, Farrel had well-nigh lost his life by the savagebehaviour of Trebasi's attendant, who had been a hussar officer, and who,thinking it was his duty to imitate the example of his patron on thisoccasion, discharged a pistol at the Major, before he had the leastintimation of his design. The Hibernian's horse being a common hireling,and unaccustomed to stand fire, no sooner saw the flash of Trebasi'spistol, than, starting aside, he happened to plunge into a hole, and wasoverturned at the very instant when the hussar's piece went off, so thatno damage ensued to his rider, who, pitching on his feet, flew with greatnimbleness to his adversary, then, laying hold on one leg, dismounted himin a twinkling, and, seizing his throat as he lay, would have soondespatched him without the use of firearms, had he not been prevented byhis friend Renaldo, who desired him to desist, observing that hisvengeance was already satisfied, as the Count seemed to be in the agoniesof death. The Major was loth to quit his prey, as he thought hisaggressor had acted in a treacherous manner; but recollecting that therewas no time to lose, because, in all probability, the firing had alarmedthe castle, he took his leave of the vanquished hussar, with a couple ofhearty kicks, and, mounting his horse, followed Melvil to the house of agentleman in the neighbourhood, who was kinsman to the Countess, and verywell disposed to grant him a secure retreat, until the troublesomeconsequences of this rencontre should be overblown.
Trebasi, though to the young gentleman he seemed speechless andinsensible, had neither lost the use of his reason nor of his tongue, butaffected that extremity, in order to avoid any further conversation withthe victor. He was one of those people who never think of death until heknocks at the door, and then earnestly entreat him to excuse them for thepresent, and be so good as to call another time. The Count had so oftenescaped unhurt, in the course of his campaigns, that he looked uponhimself as invulnerable, and set all danger at defiance. Though he hadhitherto taken no care of the concerns of his soul, he had a large fundof superstition at bottom; and, when the surgeon, who examined his wound,declared it was mortal, all the terrors of futurity took hold on hisimagination, all the misdemeanours of his life presented themselves inaggravated colours to his recollection.
He implored the spiritual assistance of a good priest in theneighbourhood, who, in the discharge of his own conscience, gave himto understand that he had little mercy to expect, unless he would,as much as lay in his power, redress the injuries he had done to hisfellow-creatures. As nothing lay heavier upon his soul than the crueltyand fraud he had practised upon the family of Count Melvil, he earnestlybesought this charitable clergyman to mediate his pardon with theCountess, and at the same time desired to see Renaldo before his death,that he might put him in possession of his paternal estate, and solicithis forgiveness for the offence he had given.
His lady, far from waiting for the priest's intercession, no soonerunderstood the lamentable situation of her husband, and found herself atliberty, than she hastened to his apartment, expressed the utmost concernfor his misfortune, and tended him with truly conjugal tenderness andfidelity. Her son gladly obeyed the summons, and was received with greatcivility and satisfaction by his father-in-law, who, in presence of thejudge and divers gentlemen assembled for that purpose, renounced allright and title to the fortune he had so unjustly usurped; disclosed thename of the convent to which Mademoiselle de Melvil had been conveyed,dismissed all the agents of his iniquity, and being reconciled to hisson-in-law, began to prepare himself in tranquillity for his latter end.
The Countess was overwhelmed with an excess of joy, while she embracedher long-lost son, who had proved himself so worthy of his father. Yetthis joy was embittered, by reflecting that she was made a widow by thehands of that darling son. For, though she knew his honour demanded thesacrifice, she could not lay aside that regard and veneration which isattached to the name of husband; and therefore resolved to retire into amonastery, where she could spend the remainder of her life in devotion,without being exposed to any intercourse which might interfere with thedelicacy of her sentiments on that subject.