History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
Page 15
Chapter xiii.
Which concludes the first book; with an instance of ingratitude,which, we hope, will appear unnatural.
The reader, from what hath been said, may imagine that thereconciliation (if indeed it could be so called) was only matter ofform; we shall therefore pass it over, and hasten to what must surelybe thought matter of substance.
The doctor had acquainted his brother with what had past between MrAllworthy and him; and added with a smile, "I promise you I paid youoff; nay, I absolutely desired the good gentleman not to forgive you:for you know after he had made a declaration in your favour, I mightwith safety venture on such a request with a person of his temper; andI was willing, as well for your sake as for my own, to prevent theleast possibility of a suspicion."
Captain Blifil took not the least notice of this, at that time; but heafterwards made a very notable use of it.
One of the maxims which the devil, in a late visit upon earth, left tohis disciples, is, when once you are got up, to kick the stool fromunder you. In plain English, when you have made your fortune by thegood offices of a friend, you are advised to discard him as soon asyou can.
Whether the captain acted by this maxim, I will not positivelydetermine: so far we may confidently say, that his actions may befairly derived from this diabolical principle; and indeed it isdifficult to assign any other motive to them: for no sooner was hepossessed of Miss Bridget, and reconciled to Allworthy, than he beganto show a coldness to his brother which increased daily; till atlength it grew into rudeness, and became very visible to every one.
The doctor remonstrated to him privately concerning this behaviour,but could obtain no other satisfaction than the following plaindeclaration: "If you dislike anything in my brother's house, sir, youknow you are at liberty to quit it." This strange, cruel, and almostunaccountable ingratitude in the captain, absolutely broke the poordoctor's heart; for ingratitude never so thoroughly pierces the humanbreast as when it proceeds from those in whose behalf we have beenguilty of transgressions. Reflections on great and good actions,however they are received or returned by those in whose favour theyare performed, always administer some comfort to us; but whatconsolation shall we receive under so biting a calamity as theungrateful behaviour of our friend, when our wounded conscience at thesame time flies in our face, and upbraids us with having spotted it inthe service of one so worthless!
Mr Allworthy himself spoke to the captain in his brother's behalf, anddesired to know what offence the doctor had committed; when thehard-hearted villain had the baseness to say that he should neverforgive him for the injury which he had endeavoured to do him in hisfavour; which, he said, he had pumped out of him, and was such acruelty that it ought not to be forgiven.
Allworthy spoke in very high terms upon this declaration, which, hesaid, became not a human creature. He expressed, indeed, so muchresentment against an unforgiving temper, that the captain at lastpretended to be convinced by his arguments, and outwardly professed tobe reconciled.
As for the bride, she was now in her honeymoon, and so passionatelyfond of her new husband that he never appeared to her to be in thewrong; and his displeasure against any person was a sufficient reasonfor her dislike to the same.
The captain, at Mr Allworthy's instance, was outwardly, as we havesaid, reconciled to his brother; yet the same rancour remained in hisheart; and he found so many opportunities of giving him private hintsof this, that the house at last grew insupportable to the poor doctor;and he chose rather to submit to any inconveniences which he mightencounter in the world, than longer to bear these cruel and ungratefulinsults from a brother for whom he had done so much.
He once intended to acquaint Allworthy with the whole; but he couldnot bring himself to submit to the confession, by which he must taketo his share so great a portion of guilt. Besides, by how much theworse man he represented his brother to be, so much the greater wouldhis own offence appear to Allworthy, and so much the greater, he hadreason to imagine, would be his resentment.
He feigned, therefore, some excuse of business for his departure, andpromised to return soon again; and took leave of his brother with sowell-dissembled content, that, as the captain played his part to thesame perfection, Allworthy remained well satisfied with the truth ofthe reconciliation.
The doctor went directly to London, where he died soon after of abroken heart; a distemper which kills many more than is generallyimagined, and would have a fair title to a place in the bill ofmortality, did it not differ in one instance from all otherdiseases--viz., that no physician can cure it.
Now, upon the most diligent enquiry into the former lives of these twobrothers, I find, besides the cursed and hellish maxim of policy abovementioned, another reason for the captain's conduct: the captain,besides what we have before said of him, was a man of great pride andfierceness, and had always treated his brother, who was of a differentcomplexion, and greatly deficient in both these qualities, with theutmost air of superiority. The doctor, however, had much the largershare of learning, and was by many reputed to have the betterunderstanding. This the captain knew, and could not bear; for thoughenvy is at best a very malignant passion, yet is its bitternessgreatly heightened by mixing with contempt towards the same object;and very much afraid I am, that whenever an obligation is joined tothese two, indignation and not gratitude will be the product of allthree.
BOOK II.
CONTAINING SCENES OF MATRIMONIAL FELICITY IN DIFFERENT DEGREES OFLIFE; AND VARIOUS OTHER TRANSACTIONS DURING THE FIRST TWO YEARS AFTERTHE MARRIAGE BETWEEN CAPTAIN BLIFIL AND MISS BRIDGET ALLWORTHY.