by Fanny Burney
CHAPTER viii
AN OPERA REHEARSAL.
The next day, between eleven and twelve o'clock, Mr Monckton was againin Portman Square; he found, as he expected, both the ladies, and hefound, as he feared, Mr Arnott prepared to be of their party. He had,however, but little time to repine at this intrusion, before he wasdisturbed by another, for, in a few minutes, they were joined by SirRobert Floyer, who also declared his intention of accompanying them tothe Haymarket.
Mr Monckton, to disguise his chagrin, pretended he was in great hasteto set off, lest they should be too late for the overture: they were,therefore, quitting the breakfast room, when they were stopt by theappearance of Mr Morrice.
The surprise which the sight of him gave to Mr Monckton was extreme;he knew that he was unacquainted with Mr Harrel, for he rememberedthey were strangers to each other when they lately met at his house; heconcluded, therefore, that Cecilia was the object of his visit, but hecould frame no conjecture under what pretence.
The easy terms upon which he seemed with all the family by no meansdiminished his amazement; for when Mrs Harrel expressed some concernthat she was obliged to go out, he gaily begged her not to mind him,assuring her he could not have stayed two minutes, and promising,unasked, to call again the next day: and when she added, "We wouldnot hurry away so, only we are going to a rehearsal of an Opera," heexclaimed with quickness, "A rehearsal!--are you really? I have a greatmind to go too!"
Then, perceiving Mr Monckton, he bowed to him with great respect, andenquired, with no little solemnity, how he had left Lady Margaret,hoped she was perfectly recovered from her late indisposition, and askedsundry questions with regard to her plan for the winter.
This discourse was ill constructed for rendering his presence desirableto Mr Monckton; he answered him very drily, and again pressed theirdeparture.
"O," cried Morrice, "there's no occasion for such haste; the rehearsaldoes not begin till one."
"You are mistaken, sir," said Mr Monckton; "it is to begin at twelveo'clock."
"O ay, very true," returned Morrice; "I had forgot the dances, and Isuppose they are to be rehearsed first. Pray, Miss Beverley, did youever see any dances rehearsed?"
"No, sir."
"You will be excessively entertained, then, I assure you. It's the mostcomical thing in the world to see those signores and signoras cuttingcapers in a morning. And the _figuranti_ will divert you beyond measure;you never saw such a shabby set in your life: but the most amusingthing is to look in their faces, for all the time they are jumping andskipping about the stage as if they could not stand still for joy, theylook as sedate and as dismal as if they were so many undertaker's men."
"Not a word against dancing!" cried Sir Robert, "it's the only thingcarries one to the Opera; and I am sure it's the only thing one minds atit."
The two ladies were then handed to Mrs Harrel's _vis-a-vis_; and thegentlemen, joined without further ceremony by Mr Morrice, followed themto the Haymarket.
The rehearsal was not begun, and Mrs Harrel and Cecilia securedthemselves a box upon the stage, from which the gentlemen of their partytook care not to be very distant.
They were soon perceived by Mr Gosport, who instantly entered intoconversation with Cecilia. Miss Larolles, who with some other ladiescame soon after into the next box, looked out to courtsie and nod, withher usual readiness, at Mrs Harrel, but took not any notice of Cecilia,though she made the first advances.
"What's the matter now?" cried Mr Gosport; "have you affronted yourlittle prattling friend?"
"Not with my own knowledge," answered Cecilia; "perhaps she does notrecollect me."
Just then Miss Larolles, tapping at the door, came in from the next boxto speak to Mrs Harrel; with whom she stood chatting and laughing someminutes, without seeming to perceive that Cecilia was of her party.
"Why, what have you done to the poor girl?" whispered Mr Gosport; "didyou talk more than herself when you saw her last?"
"Would that have been possible?" cried Cecilia; "however, I still fancyshe does not know me."
She then stood up, which making Miss Larolles involuntarily turn towardsher, she again courtsied; a civility which that young lady scarcedeigned to return, before, bridling with an air of resentment, shehastily looked another way, and then, nodding good-humouredly at MrsHarrel, hurried back to her party.
Cecilia, much amazed, said to Mr Gosport, "See now how great was ourpresumption in supposing this young lady's loquacity always at ourdevotion!"
"Ah, madam!" cried he, laughing, "there is no permanency, no consistencyin the world! no, not even in the tongue of a VOLUBLE! and if thatfails, upon what may we depend?"
"But seriously," said Cecilia, "I am sorry I have offended her, and themore because I so little know how, that I can offer her no apology."
"Will you appoint me your envoy? Shall I demand the cause of thesehostilities?"
She thanked him, and he followed Miss Larolles; who was now addressingherself with great earnestness to Mr Meadows, the gentleman with whomshe was conversing when Cecilia first saw her in Portman Square. Hestopt a moment to let her finish her speech, which, with no littlespirit, she did in these words, "I never knew anything like it in mylife; but I shan't put up with such airs, I assure her!"
Mr Meadows made not any other return to her harangue, but stretchinghimself with a languid smile, and yawning: Mr Gosport, therefore,seizing the moment of cessation, said, "Miss Larolles, I hear a strangereport about you."
"Do you?" returned she, with quickness, "pray what is it? somethingmonstrous impertinent, I dare say,---however, I assure you it i'n'ttrue."
"Your assurance," cried he, "carries conviction indisputable, for thereport was that you had left off talking."
"O, was that all?" cried she, disappointed, "I thought it had beensomething about Mr Sawyer, for I declare I have been plagued so abouthim, I am quite sick of his name."
"And for my part, I never heard it! so fear nothing from me upon hisaccount."
"Lord, Mr Gosport, how can you say so? I am sure you must know about theFestino that night, for it was all over the town in a moment."
"What festino?"
"Well, only conceive, how provoking!--why, I know nothing else wastalked of for a month!"
"You are most formidably stout this morning! it is not two minutes sinceI saw you fling the gauntlet at Miss Beverley, and yet you are alreadyprepared for another antagonist."
"O as to Miss Beverley, I must really beg you not to mention her; shehas behaved so impertinently, that I don't intend ever to speak to heragain."
"Why, what has she done?"
"O she's been so rude you've no notion. I'll tell you how it was. Youmust know I met her at Mrs Harrel's the day she came to town, and thevery next morning I waited on her myself, for I would not send a ticket,because I really wished to be civil to her; well, the day after, shenever came near me, though I called upon her again; however, I did nottake any notice of that; but when the third day came, and I found shehad not even sent me a ticket, I thought it monstrous ill bred indeed;and now there has passed more than a week, and yet she has never called:so I suppose she don't like me; so I shall drop her acquaintance."
Mr Gosport, satisfied now with the subject of her complaint, returned toCecilia, and informed her of the heavy charge which was brought againsther.
"I am glad, at least, to know my crime," said she, "for otherwise Ishould certainly have sinned on in ignorance, as I must confess I neverthought of returning her visits: but even if I had, I should not havesupposed I had yet lost much time."
"I beg your pardon there," said Mrs Harrel; "a first visit ought to bereturned always by the third day."
"Then have I an unanswerable excuse," said Cecilia, "for I remember thaton the third day I saw her at your house."
"O that's nothing at all to the purpose; you should have waited uponher, or sent her a ticket, just the same as if you had not seen her."
The overture was now begun, and Cecilia declined any f
urtherconversation. This was the first Opera she had ever heard, yet shewas not wholly a stranger to Italian compositions, having assiduouslystudied music from a natural love of the art, attended all the bestconcerts her neighbourhood afforded, and regularly received from Londonthe works of the best masters. But the little skill she had thus gained,served rather to increase than to lessen the surprize with which sheheard the present performance,--a surprize of which the discovery of herown ignorance made not the least part. Unconscious from the little shehad acquired how much was to be learnt, she was astonished to find theinadequate power of written music to convey any idea of vocal abilities:with just knowledge enough, therefore, to understand something of thedifficulties, and feel much of the merit, she gave to the whole Opera anavidity of attention almost painful from its own eagerness.
But both the surprize and the pleasure which she received from theperformance in general, were faint, cold, and languid, compared tothe strength of those emotions when excited by Signore Pacchierotti inparticular; and though not half the excellencies of that superior singerwere necessary either to amaze or charm her unaccustomed ears, thoughthe refinement of his taste and masterly originality of his genius, tobe praised as they deserved, called for the judgment and knowledge ofprofessors, yet a natural love of music in some measure supplied theplace of cultivation, and what she could neither explain nor understand,she could feel and enjoy.
The opera was Artaserse; and the pleasure she received from the musicwas much augmented by her previous acquaintance with that interestingdrama; yet, as to all noviciates in science, whatever is leastcomplicated is most pleasing, she found herself by nothing so deeplyimpressed, as by the plaintive and beautiful simplicity with whichPacchierotti uttered the affecting repetition of _sono innocente_! hisvoice, always either sweet or impassioned, delivered those words ina tone of softness, pathos, and sensibility, that struck her with asensation not more new than delightful.
But though she was, perhaps, the only person thus astonished, she wasby no means the only one enraptured; for notwithstanding she was tooearnestly engaged to remark the company in general, she could not avoidtaking notice of an old gentleman who stood by one of the side scenes,against which he leant his head in a manner that concealed his face,with an evident design to be wholly absorbed in listening: and duringthe songs of Pacchierotti he sighed so deeply that Cecilia, struck byhis uncommon sensibility to the power of music, involuntarily watchedhim, whenever her mind was sufficiently at liberty to attend to anyemotions but its own.
As soon as the rehearsal was over, the gentlemen of Mrs Harrel's partycrowded before her box; and Cecilia then perceived that the person whosemusical enthusiasm had excited her curiosity, was the same old gentlemanwhose extraordinary behaviour had so much surprized her at the house ofMr Monckton. Her desire to obtain some information concerning himagain reviving, she was beginning to make fresh enquiries, when she wasinterrupted by the approach of Captain Aresby.
That gentleman, advancing to her with a smile of the extremestself-complacency, after hoping, in a low voice, he had the honourof seeing her well, exclaimed, "How wretchedly empty is the town!petrifying to a degree! I believe you do not find yourself at present_obsede_ by too much company?"
"_At present_, I believe the contrary!" cried Mr Gosport.
"Really!" said the Captain, unsuspicious of his sneer, "I protest I havehardly seen a soul. Have you tried the Pantheon yet, ma'am?"
"No, sir."
"Nor I; I don't know whether people go there this year. It is not afavourite _spectacle_ with me; that sitting to hear the music is ahorrid bore. Have you done the Festino the honour to look in there yet?"
"No, sir."
"Permit me, then, to have the honour to beg you will try it."
"O, ay, true," cried Mrs Harrel; "I have really used you very ill aboutthat; I should have got you in for a subscriber: but Lord, I have donenothing for you yet, and you never put me in mind. There's the ancientmusic, and Abel's concert;--as to the opera, we may have a box betweenus;--but there's the ladies' concert we must try for; and there's--OLord, fifty other places we must think of!"
"Oh times of folly and dissipation!" exclaimed a voice at some distance;"Oh mignons of idleness and luxury! What next will ye invent forthe perdition of your time! How yet further will ye proceed in theannihilation of virtue!"
Everybody stared; but Mrs Harrel coolly said, "Dear, it's only theman-hater!"
"The man-hater?" repeated Cecilia, who found that the speech was madeby the object of her former curiosity; "is that the name by which he isknown?"
"He is known by fifty names," said Mr Monckton; "his friends call himthe _moralist_; the young ladies, the _crazy-man_; the macaronies, the_bore_; in short, he is called by any and every name but his own."
"He is a most petrifying wretch, I assure you," said the Captain; "I am_obsede_ by him _partout_; if I had known he had been so near, I shouldcertainly have said nothing."
"That you have done so well," cried Mr Gosport, "that if you had knownit the whole time, you could have done it no better."
The Captain, who had not heard this speech, which was rather made at himthan to him, continued his address to Cecilia; "Give me leave to havethe honour of hoping you intend to honour our select masquerade at thePantheon with your presence. We shall have but five hundred tickets, andthe subscription will only be three guineas and a half."
"Oh objects of penury and want!" again exclaimed the incognito; "Ohvassals of famine and distress! Come and listen to this wantonness ofwealth! Come, naked and breadless as ye are, and learn how that money isconsumed which to you might bring raiment and food!"
"That strange wretch," said the Captain, "ought really to be confined;I have had the honour to be _degoute_ by him so often, that I thinkhim quite obnoxious. I make it quite a principle to seal up my lips themoment I perceive him."
"Where is it, then," said Cecilia, "that you have so often met him?"
"O," answered the Captain, "_partout_; there is no greater bore abouttown. But the time I found him most petrifying was once when I happenedto have the honour of dancing with a very young lady, who was but justcome from a boarding-school, and whose friends had done me the honourto fix upon me upon the principle of first bringing her out: and whileI was doing _mon possible_ for killing the time, he came up, and in hisparticular manner, told her I had no meaning in any thing I said! I mustown I never felt more tempted to be _enrage_ with a person in years, inmy life."
Mr Arnott now brought the ladies word that their carriage was ready,and they quitted their box: but as Cecilia had never before seen theinterior parts of a theatre, Mr Monckton, hoping while they loitered tohave an opportunity of talking with her, asked Morrice why he did not_shew the lions?_ Morrice, always happy in being employed, declaredit was _just the thing he liked best_, and begged permission to dothe honours to Mrs Harrel, who, ever eager in the search of amusement,willingly accepted his offer.
They all, therefore, marched upon the stage, their own party now beingthe only one that remained.
"We shall make a triumphal entry here," cried Sir Robert Floyer; "thevery tread of the stage half tempts me to turn actor."
"You are a rare man," said Mr Gosport, "if, at your time of life, thatis a turn not already taken."
"My time of life!" repeated he; "what do you mean by that? do you takeme for an old man?"
"No, sir, but I take you to be past childhood, and consequently to haveserved your apprenticeship to the actors you have mixed with on thegreat stage of the world, and, for some years at least, to have set upfor yourself."
"Come," cried Morrice, "let's have a little spouting; 'twill make uswarm."
"Yes," said Sir Robert, "if we spout to an animating object. If MissBeverley will be Juliet, I am Romeo at her service."
At this moment the incognito, quitting the corner in which he hadplanted himself, came suddenly forward, and standing before the wholegroup, cast upon Cecilia a look of much compassion, and called out,"Poor simple vi
ctim! hast thou already so many pursuers? yet seestnot that thou art marked for sacrifice! yet knowest not that thou artdestined for prey!"
Cecilia, extremely struck by this extraordinary address, stopt shortand looked much disturbed: which, when he perceived, he added, "Let thedanger, not the warning affect you! discard the sycophants that surroundyou, seek the virtuous, relieve the poor, and save yourself from theimpending destruction of unfeeling prosperity!"
Having uttered these words with vehemence and authority, he sternlypassed them, and disappeared.
Cecilia, too much astonished for speech, stood for some time immoveable,revolving in her mind various conjectures upon the meaning of anexhortation so strange and so urgent.
Nor was the rest of the company much less discomposed: Sir Robert, MrMonckton, and Mr Arnott, each conscious of their own particular plans,were each apprehensive that the warning pointed at himself: Mr Gosportwas offended at being included in the general appellation of sycophants;Mrs Harrel was provoked at being interrupted in her ramble; and CaptainAresby, sickening at the very sight of him, retreated the moment he cameforth.
"For heaven's sake," cried Cecilia, when somewhat recovered from herconsternation, "who can this be, and what can he mean? You, Mr Monckton,must surely know something of him; it was at your house I first sawhim."
"Indeed," answered Mr Monckton, "I knew almost nothing of him then, andI am but little better informed now. Belfield picked him up somewhere,and desired to bring him to my house: he called him by the name ofAlbany: I found him a most extraordinary character, and Belfield, who isa worshipper of originality, was very fond of him."
"He's a devilish crabbed old fellow," cried Sir Robert, "and if he goeson much longer at this confounded rate, he stands a very fair chance ofgetting his ears cropped."
"He is a man of the most singular conduct I have ever met with," saidMr Gosport; "he seems to hold mankind in abhorrence, yet he is nevera moment alone, and at the same time that he intrudes himself into allparties, he associates with none: he is commonly a stern and silentobserver of all that passes, or when he speaks, it is but to utter somesentence of rigid morality, or some bitterness of indignant reproof."
The carriage was now again announced, and Mr Monckton taking Cecilia'shand, while Mr Morrice secured to himself the honour of Mrs Harrel's,Sir Robert and Mr Gosport made their bows and departed. But though theyhad now quitted the stage, and arrived at the head of a small stair caseby which they were to descend out of the theatre, Mr Monckton, findingall his tormentors retired, except Mr Arnott, whom he hoped to elude,could not resist making one more attempt for a few moments' conversationwith Cecilia; and therefore, again applying to Morrice, he called out,"I don't think you have shewn the ladies any of the contrivances behindthe scenes?"
"True," cried Morrice, "no more I have; suppose we go back?"
"I shall like it vastly," said Mrs Harrel; and back they returned.
Mr Monckton now soon found an opportunity to say to Cecilia, "MissBeverley, what I foresaw has exactly come to pass; you are surrounded byselfish designers, by interested, double-minded people, who have nothingat heart but your fortune, and whose mercenary views, if you are notguarded against them---"
Here a loud scream from Mrs Harrel interrupted his speech; Cecilia,much alarmed, turned from him to enquire the cause, and Mr Moncktonwas obliged to follow her example: but his mortification was almostintolerable when he saw that lady in a violent fit of laughter, andfound her scream was only occasioned by seeing Mr Morrice, in hisdiligence to do the honours, pull upon his own head one of the sidescenes!
There was now no possibility of proposing any further delay; but MrMonckton, in attending the ladies to their carriage, was obliged to haverecourse to his utmost discretion and forbearance, in order to check hisdesire of reprimanding Morrice for his blundering officiousness.
Dressing, dining with company at home, and then going out with companyabroad, filled up, as usual, the rest of the day.