by T. Smollett
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
A RETROSPECTIVE LINK, NECESSARY FOR THE CONCATENATION OF THESE MEMOIRS.
"Indulge me with a patient hearing," proceeded the Hungarian, "and allthese riddles soon will be explained. Inflamed with the desire of seeingforeign countries, I disobeyed the will of an indulgent father, fromwhose house, withdrawing privately, I set out for Italy, in disguise, bythe way of Tyrol, visited Venice, Rome, Florence, and, embarking atNaples, in an English ship, arrived at St. Lucar, from whence I repairedto Seville; there, in a few days, was my curiosity engaged by the fame ofthe fair Serafina, who was justly deemed the most accomplished beauty inthat part of Spain. Nay, blush not, gentle creature! for by my hopes ofheaven! thy charms were even injured by the cold applause of that report.Nevertheless, I was warmly interested by the uncommon character, andeagerly longed to see this pattern of perfection. As Don Diego did nottrain her up in that restraint to which the Spanish ladies are subjected,I soon found an opportunity of seeing her at church; and no person herepresent will, I presume, doubt but that I was instantly captivated by herbeauty and deportment. Had I thought that Don Diego's favour wasunengaged, perhaps I should have followed the dictates of vanity andinexperience, and presented myself in my own character, among the crowdof her professed admirers. I knew her father had been an officer ofdistinguished rank and reputation, and did not doubt that he would haveregarded a young soldier of unexceptionable pedigree, and, I will evenadd, of untainted fame. Nor did I suppose my own father could haveobjected against such an advantageous match; but, by dint of industriousinquiry, I learned, that the divine Serafina was already betrothed to DonManuel de Mendoza, and this information overwhelmed me with despair.
"After having revolved a thousand projects for retarding and preventingthat detested union, I resolved to avail myself of my talent for drawing,and professed myself a master of that science, in hope of being employedby the father of Serafina, who, I knew, let slip no opportunity ofimproving his daughter's education. Accordingly I had the good fortuneto attract his notice, was invited to his house, honoured with hisapprobation, and furnished with unrestricted opportunities of conversingwith the dear object of my love. The passion which her beauty hadkindled was by the perfections of her mind inflamed to such a degree oftransport, as could not be concealed from her penetration. She chancedto relish my conversation; I gradually acquired her friendship; pity wasthe next passion that she entertained in my favour. I then ventured todisclose myself, and the dear charmer did not disapprove of mypresumption. She and her mother had been perplexed with some religiousscruples, concerning which they appealed to my opinion; and I was happyenough to set their minds at ease.
"This sort of intercourse naturally created a mutual confidence among us;and, in a word, I was blessed with the daughter's love and mother'sapprobation. Don Diego will pardon these clandestine measures, which wetook, from a full persuasion that it was impossible to render himpropitious to the views in which our hearts and hands were so deeplyinterested. I did not then know how little he was addicted tosuperstition.
"Without entering into a detail of the schemes we projected to delay thehappiness of Mendoza, I shall only observe, that, knowing the fatal daywas at length unalterably fixed, we determined to elude the purpose ofDon Diego by flight; and everything was actually prepared for our escape.When the hour of appointment arrived, I repaired to the place at which Ihad proposed to enter the house, and stumbled, in the dark, over the bodyof a man still warm, and bleeding. Alarmed at this occurrence, I dartedmyself through the window, and rushing to the apartment of the ladies,(immortal powers!) beheld the peerless Serafina, and her virtuous mother,stretched on a couch, and, in all appearance, deprived of life.
"The company will easily conceive what agonies I felt at such aspectacle! I ran towards the spot in a transport of horror! I claspedmy lovely mistress in my arms, and, finding her still breathing,endeavoured, but in vain, to wake her from the trance Antonia wasoverwhelmed with the same lethargic power. My fancy was immediatelystruck with the apprehension of their being poisoned. Regardless of myown situation, I alarmed the family, called for assistance, and requestedthe servants to summon Don Diego to the dismal scene. I was informedthat their master had rode forth in manifest confusion; and while Ipondered on this surprising excursion, an apothecary in the neighbourhoodentered the chamber, and having examined the pulses of the ladies,declared that their lives were in no danger, and advised that they shouldbe undressed, and conveyed to bed. While their women were busied in thisemployment, I went into the court-yard, attended by some of the servantswith lights, in order to view the body of the man which I had found at myarrival. His apparel was mean, his countenance ferocious; a long spadowas buckled to his thigh, and, in his belt, were stuck a brace of loadedpistols; so that we concluded he was some thief, who had waited for anopportunity, and seeing the casement open, intended to rob the house, butwas prevented, and slain by Don Diego himself, whose retreat, however,did not a little confound our conjecture. For my own part, I remainedall night in the house, tortured with fear, vexation, and suspense.
"My hope was altogether disappointed by this unhappy accident; and Ishuddered at the prospect of losing Serafina for ever, either by thismysterious malady, or by her marriage with Mendoza, which I now despairedof being able to defeat. The major-domo having waited several hours forhis lord's return, without seeing him appear, thought proper to despatcha messenger to Don Manuel, with an account of what had happened; and thatnobleman arriving in the morning, took possession of the house. Aboutfour o'clock in the afternoon, Serafina began to stir, and, at five, sheand her mother were perfectly awake.
"They no sooner recovered the use of reflection, than they gave signs ofequal sorrow and amazement, and earnestly called for Isabella, who wasprivy to our design, and who, after a very minute inquiry, was found in alone and solitary chamber, where she had been confined. Such was theconfusion of the house, that no person ever dreamed of asking how Ientered, each domestic, in all probability, supposing I had beenintroduced by his fellow; so that I tarried unquestioned, on pretence ofconcern for the distress of a family in which I had been so generouslyentertained, and, by Isabella, sent my respects and duty to her ladies.She was, therefore, not a little surprised, when, after every otherservant had withdrawn, she heard the lovely Serafina exclaim, with allthe violence of grief, 'Ah! Isabella, Orlando is no more!' But theirastonishment was still greater, when she assured them of my being alive,and in the house. They recounted to her the adventure of last night,which she explained, by informing them of the letters which Don Diego hadintercepted. And they immediately concluded, that he had, in theprecipitation of his wrath, killed, by mistake, the person who was founddead in the court-yard. This conjecture alarmed them on my account;they, by the medium of Isabella, conjured me to leave the house, lest DonDiego should return, and accomplish his resentment; and I was persuadedto withdraw, after I had settled the channel of a correspondence with theconfidant.
"Being now obliged to alter our measures, because our former intentionwas discovered by Don Diego, I secured a retreat for Serafina and hermother, at the house of the English consul in Seville, who was myparticular friend; and, next day, understanding from Isabella that herlord had not yet reappeared, and that Don Manuel was very urgent in hisaddresses, we concerted an assignation in the garden, and that sameevening I was fortunate enough to convey my prize to the asylum I hadprepared for their reception. Inexpressible was the rage of Mendoza,when he heard of their elopement. He raved like one deprived ofreason--swore he would put all the servants of the family to the rack--and,in consequence of the intelligence he obtained by threats and promises, seton foot a very strict inquiry, in order to apprehend the fugitives andOrlando, who had by some means or other incurred his suspicion.
"We eluded his search by the vigilance and caution of our kind host; and,while we remained in concealment, were extremely astonished to hear thatthe unfortunate Don Diego was proclaimed a traitor, and a pr
ice set uponhis head. This information overwhelmed us all with the utmostaffliction. Antonia lamented, without ceasing, the disgrace of herbeloved lord, from whom she never would have withdrawn herself, but withthe lively hope of a reconciliation, after the first transports of hisire should have subsided, and the real character of Orlando should haveappeared. It was not long before we had reason to believe that Mendozawas the accuser of Don Diego--
"Nay, start not, Signior; Manuel was actually that traitor! This was theturn of his revenge! when he found himself disappointed in the hope ofpossessing the incomparable Serafina, he took a base advantage of yourabsence and retreat. He posted to Madrid, impeached you to the secretaryof state of having maintained a criminal correspondence with the enemiesof Spain, included me in his accusation, as a spy for the house ofAustria, and framed such a plausible tale, from the circumstances of yourdistress, that Don Diego was outlawed, and Mendoza gratified with a grantof his estate.
"These melancholy incidents made a deep impression upon the mind of thevirtuous Antonia, who waiving every other consideration, would havepersonally appeared for the vindication of her husband's honour, had notwe dissuaded her from such a rash undertaking, by demonstrating herinability to contend with such a powerful antagonist; and representingthat her appearance would be infallibly attended with the ruin ofSerafina, who would certainly fall into the hands of the villain to whomshe had been contracted. We exhorted her to wait patiently for somehappy revolution of fortune, and encouraged her with the hope of DonDiego's exerting himself effectually in his own defence.
"Meanwhile our worthy landlord was suddenly cut off by death; and hiswidow being resolved to retire into her own country, we secretly embarkedin the same ship, and arrived in England about eighteen months ago.Antonia still continued to pine over the ruin of her house; as she couldhear no tidings of Don Diego, she concluded he was dead, and mourned withunabating sorrow. In vain I assured her, that, soon as my own affairsshould be adjusted, I would exert my whole endeavours to find and succourhim. She could not imagine that a man of his spirit and dispositionwould live so long in obscurity. And her affliction derived new forcefrom the death of the consul's widow, with whom she had lived in the mostunbounded intimacy and friendship. From that day, her health evidentlydeclined. She foresaw her dissolution, and comforted herself with thehope of seeing her husband and her friend in a place where no treacheryis felt, and no sorrow is known; confident of my integrity, and thepurity of my love, she, in the most pathetic terms, recommended Serafinato my care.
"Ha! weepest thou, fair excellence, at the remembrance of that tenderscene, when the good Antonia, on the bed of death, joined thy soft handto mine, and said, 'Renaldo, I bequeath this orphan to your love; it is asacred pledge, which, if you cherish with due honour and regard, internalpeace and happiness will ever smile within your bosom; but if you treatit with indifference, dishonour, or neglect, just Heaven will punish yourbreach of trust with everlasting disappointments and disquiet.'
"Signior Don Diego, I see you are moved, and therefore will not dwell onsuch distressful circumstances. The excellent Antonia exchanged thislife for a more happy state; and so exquisite was the sorrow of thetender-hearted Serafina, as to torture me with the apprehension that shewould not long survive her pious mother. How I obeyed the injunctions ofthat departing saint, Monimia (for that name she now assumed) cantestify, until that artful serpent Fathom glided into our mutualconfidence, abused our ears, poisoned our unsuspected faith, and effectedthat fatal breach, productive of all the misery and vexation which wehave suffered, and which is now so happily expelled."
"Heaven," said the Castilian, "hath visited me for the sins and errors ofmy youth; yet, such mercy hath been mingled with its chastisements, Idare not murmur or repine. The tears of penitence and sorrow shall watermy Antonia's grave; as for Mendoza, I rejoice at his treachery, by whichthe obligation of my promise is cancelled, and my honour fully acquitted.He shall not triumph in his guilt. My services, my character, andinnocence shall soon confront his perfidy, and, I hope, defeat hisinterest. The King is just and gracious, nor is my family and nameunknown."
Here the Jew interposing, presented to him a letter from a person ofconsequence at Madrid, whom Joshua had interested in the cause of DonDiego; that nobleman had already found means to represent the case ofZelos to his Majesty, who had actually ordered Don Manuel to be confined,until the injured person should appear to justify himself, and prosecutehis accuser according to the terms of law. At the same time Don Diegowas summoned to present himself before the King within a limited time, toanswer to the charge which Mendoza had brought against him.
The Spaniard's heart overflowed with gratitude and joy, when he read thisintimation; he embraced the Jew, who, before Zelos could give utteranceto his thoughts, told him that the Spanish Ambassador at London, havingbeen prepossessed in his favour, craved the honour of seeing Don Diego;and that he, Joshua, was ready to conduct him to the house.
"Then is my heart at rest!" cried the Castilian; "the house of Zelos oncemore shall lift up its head. I shall again revisit my native countrywith honour, and abase the villain who hath soiled my fame! O mychildren! this day is replete with such joy and satisfaction, as I didnot think had been in the power of Heaven to grant, without theinterposition of a miracle! To you, Renaldo, to you illustrious lady,and to these worthy gentlemen, am I indebted for the restoration of thatfor which alone I wish to live; and when my heart ceases to retain theobligation, may I forfeit the name of a Castilian, and scorn anddishonour be my portion."
Perhaps all Europe could not produce another company so happy as thatwhich now sat down to dinner in the house of Madam Clement, whose ownbenevolent heart was peculiarly adapted for such enjoyment. The loversfeasted their eyes more than their appetite, by a tender intercourse ofglances, which needed not the slow interpretation of speech; while theSpaniard regarded them alternately with looks of wonder and paternal joy,and every individual surveyed the all-deserving pair with admiration andesteem.
Serafina taking the advantage of this general satisfaction, when theheart, softened into complacency, deposits every violent thought: "I mustnow," said she, "try my interest with Renaldo. The good company shallbear witness to my triumph or repulse. I do not ask you to forgive, butto withhold your vengeance from the wretched Fathom. His fraud,ingratitude, and villany are, I believe, unrivalled; yet his base designshave been defeated; and Heaven perhaps hath made him the involuntaryinstrument for bringing our constancy and virtue to the test; besides,his perfidy is already punished with the last degree of human misery anddisgrace. The doctor, who has traced him in all his conduct andvicissitudes of fortune, will draw a picture of his present wretchedness,which, I doubt not, will move your compassion, as it hath already excitedmine."
The generous hostess was ready to enforce this charitable proposal withall her eloquence, when Melvil, with a look that well expressed hismagnanimity of love, replied, "Such a boon becomes the gentle Serafina!O! every moment furnishes me with fresh matter to admire the virtues ofthy soul. If thou, whose tender heart hath been so rent with misery andanguish, canst intercede for thy tormentor, who now suffers in his turn,shall I refuse to pardon the miserable wretch! No, let me glory inimitating the great example, and solicit Don Diego in behalf of the samemiscreant whose perfidious barbarity cost him such intolerable woe.""Enough," cried the Castilian, "I have disclaimed the vindictiveprinciples of a Spaniard; and leave the miserable object to the sting ofhis own conscience, which, soon or late, will not fail to avenge thewrongs we have sustained from his deceit."