Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

598

AMELIA.

to have heard; and the more you have shewn a reluctance to tell me, the more eagerly I have longed to know. Nor can this be called a vain curiosity, since I seem so much interested in this affair. If after all this you still insist on keeping the secret, I will convince you I am not ignorant of the duty of a wife, by my obedience; but I cannot help telling you at the same time, you will make me one of the most miserable of

women."

"That is," cries he, "in other words, my dear Emily, to say, I will be contented without the secret, but I am resolved to know it nevertheless."

"Nay, if you say so," cries she, "I am convinced you will tell me-Positively, dear Billy, I must and will know."

"Why then, positively," says Booth, "I will tell you. And I think I shall then shew you, that however well you may know the duty of a wife, I am not always able to behave like a husband. In a word, then, my dear, the secret is no more than this; I am unwilling you should receive any more presents from "Mercy upon me!" cries she, with all the my lord." marks of astonishment" what! a masquerade ticket!"

"Yes, my dear," cries he, " that is perhaps the very worst and most dangerous of all. Few men make presents of those tickets to ladies, without intending to meet them at the place. And what do we know of your companion? To be sincere with you, I have not liked her behaviour for some time. What might be the consequence of going with such a woman to such a place, to meet such a person, I tremble to think! And now, my dear, I have told you my reason of refusing her offer with some little vehemence, and I think I need explain myself no farther.” "You need not indeed, sir,” answered she. "Good Heavens! did I ever expect to hear this! I can appeal to Heaven, nay, I will appeal to yourself, Mr Booth, if I have ever done any thing to deserve such a suspicion. If ever any action of mine, nay, if ever any thought had stained the innocence of my soul, I could be contented."

"How cruelly do you mistake me!" said Booth-"what suspicion have I ever shewn?" "Can you ask it," answered she," after what you have just now declared ?"

[ocr errors]

"If I have declared any suspicion of you," replied he, " or if I ever entertained a thought leading that way, may the worst of evils that ever afflicted human nature attend me! I know the pure innocence of that tender bosom; I do know it, my lovely angel, and adore it. The snares which might be laid for that innocence, were alone the cause of my apprehension. I feared what a wicked and voluptuous man, resolved to sacrifice every thing to the gratification of a sensual appetite with the most delicious repist, might attempt. If ever I injured the un

spotted whiteness of thy virtue in my imagina tion, may hell

[ocr errors]

him, "with such imprecations. O, Mr Booth, "Do not terrify me," cries she, interrupting Mr Booth, you must well know that a woman's virtue is always her sufficient guard. No husband, without suspecting that, can suspect any danger from those snares you mention ;-and why, if you are liable to take such things into as well as on any other? for sure nothing was your head, may not your suspicion fall on me ever more unjust, I will not say ungrateful, than the suspicions which you have bestowed on his I have seen the poor man, he hath never once lordship. I do solemnly declare, in all the times offered the least forwardness. His behaviour hath than otherwise. Particularly when we played at been polite indeed, but rather remarkably distant cards together, I don't remember he spoke ten words to me all the evening; and when I was at his house, though he shewed the greatest fondness imaginable to the children, he took so little notice of me, that a vain woman would he gave them many presents, he never offered have been very little pleased with him; and if me one. The first indeed which he ever offered forced me to refuse.' me was that which you, in that kind manner, Booth. "All this may be only the effect of art," said convinced he must, like you; and my good friend James, who perfectly well knows the world, told "I am convinced he doth, nay, I am me, that his lordship's character was that of the most profuse in his pleasures with women; nay, lordship is extremely generous-where he likes." what said Mrs James this very evening? His I shall never forget the sneer with which she spoke those last words."

Amelia. given to be censorious; I remarked it in her long "I am convinced they injure him,” cries ago as her greatest fault. And as for the Colonel, "As for Mrs James, she was always I believe he may find faults enow of this kind in his own bosom, without searching after therm among his neighbours. I am sure he hath the most impudent look of all the men I know; and I solemnly declare, the very last time he than once." was here, he put me out of countenance more

[ocr errors]

"Colonel James," answered Booth, "may
have his faults very probably. I do not look on him
but what interest could he have in abusing this
as a saint, nor do I believe he desires I should;
lord's character to me? or why should I ques-
tion his truth, when he assured me that my lord
had never done any act of beneficence in his life,
but for the sake of some woman whom he lust-
ed after?"

Amelia: " for besides his services to you, which,
"Then I myself can confute him," replied
for the future, I shall wish to forget, and his
kindness to my little babes, how inconsistent
is the character which James gives of him with

his lordship's behaviour to his own nephew and niece, whose extreme fondness of their uncle sufficiently proclaims his goodness to them? I need not mention all that I have heard from Mrs Ellison, every word of which I believe: for I have great reason to think, notwithstanding some little levity, which, to give her her due, she sees and condemns in herself, she is a very good sort of woman."

"Well, my dear," cries Booth, "I may have been deceived, and I heartily hope I am so; but in cases of this nature, it is always good to be on the surest side; for, as Congreve says, "The wise too jealous are; fools too secure.''

Here Amelia burst into tears, upon which Booth immediately caught her in his arms, and endeavoured to comfort her. Passion, how ever, for a while obstructed her speech, and at last she cried out,-" O, Mr Booth, can I bear to hear the word jealousy from your mouth?" "Why, my love," said Booth, " will you so fatally misunderstand my meaning? how often shall I protest that it is not of you, but of him that I was jealous? If you could look into my breast, and there read all the most secret thoughts of my heart, you would not see one faint idea to your dishonour."

"I don't understand you, my dear," said she, "so much as I am afraid you misunderstand yourself. What is it you fear?-you mention not force, but snares. Is not this to confess, at least, that you have some doubt of my understanding? Do you then really imagine me so weak as to be cheated of my virtue? Am I to be deceived into an affection for a man before I perceive the least inward hint of my danger? No, Mr Booth; believe me, a woman must be a fool indeed who can have in earnest such an excuse for her actions. I have not, I think, any very high opinion of my judgment; but so far I shall rely upon it, that no man breathing could have any such designs as you have apprehended, without my immediately seeing them; and how I should then act, I hope my whole conduct to you hath sufficiently declared."

"Well, my dear," cries Booth, "I beg you will mention it no more, if possible forget it. I hope, nay, I believe, I have been in the wrong; pray forgive me.”

"I will, I do forgive you, my dear," said she, "if forgiveness be a proper word for one, whom you have rather made miserable than angry; but let me entreat you to banish for ever all such suspicions from your mind. I hope Mrs Ellison hath not discovered the real cause of your passion; but, poor woman, if she had, I am convinced it would go no farther. O heavens! I would not for the world it should reach his lordship's ears. You would lose the best friend that ever man had. Nay, I would not for his own sake, poor man! for I really believe it would affect him greatly; and I must, I cannot help

having an esteem for so much goodness. An esteem which, by this dear hand," said she, taking Booth's hand and kissing it, "no man alive shall ever obtain by making love to me."

Booth caught her in his arms, and tenderly embraced her. After which the reconciliation soon became complete; and Booth, in the contemplation of his happiness, entirely buried all his jealous thoughts.

CHAP. VII.

A Chapter in which there is much learning.

THE next morning, whilst Booth was gone to take his morning-walk, Amelia went down into Mrs Ellison's apartment, where, though she was received with great civility, yet she found that lady was not at all pleased with Mr Booth; and by some hints which dropped from her in conversation, Amelia very greatly apprehended that Mrs Ellison had too much suspicion of her hus band's real uneasiness. For that lady declared very openly, she could not help perceiving what sort of a man Mr Booth was; And though I have the greatest regard for you, madam, in the world," said she, " yet I think myself in honour obliged not to impose on his lordship, who, I know very well, hath conceived his greatest liking to the captain on my telling him that he was the best husband in the world."

66

Amelia's fears gave her much disturbance, and when her husband returned, she acquainted him with them; upon which occasion, as it was natural, she resumed a little the topic of their former discourse; nor could she help casting, though in very gentle terms, some slight blame on Booth, for having entertained a suspicion, which, she said, might, in its consequence, prove their ruin, and occasion the loss of his lordship's friendship.

Booth became highly affected with what his wife said, and the more as he had just received a note from Colonel James, informing him, that the Colonel had heard of a vacant company in the regiment which Booth had mentioned to him, and that he had been with his lordship about it, who had promised to use his utmost interest to obtain him the command.

The poor man now expressed the utmost concern for his yesterday's behaviour; said, he believed the devil had taken possession of him; and concluded with crying out, "Sure I was born, my dearest creature, to be your torment."

Amelia no sooner saw her husband's distress, than she instantly forbore whatever might seem likely to aggravate it, and applied herself, with all her power, to comfort him. "If you will give me leave to offer my advice, my dearest soul," said she, "I think all might yet be remedied. I think you know me too well, to suspect that the desire of diversion should induce me to mention what I am now going to propose. And

in that confidence, I will ask you to let me accept my lord's and Mrs Ellison's offer, and go to the masquerade. No matter how little while I stay there: if you desire it, I will not be an hour from you. I can make an hundred excuses to return home, or tell a real truth, and say I am wearied with the place. The bare going will cure every thing."

Amelia had no sooner done speaking, than Booth immediately approved her advice, and readily gave his consent. He could not, however, help saying, that the shorter her stay was there, the more agreeable it would be to him : "for you know, my dear," said he, "I would never willingly be a moment out of your sight."

In the afternoon Amelia sent to invite Mrs Ellison to a dish of tea; and Booth undertook to laugh off all that had past yesterday; in which attempt, the abundant good humour of that lady gave him great hopes of success.

Mrs Bennet came that afternoon to make a visit, and was almost an hour with Booth and Amelia, before the entry of Mrs Ellison.

Mr Booth had hitherto rather disliked this young lady, and had wondered at the pleasure which Amelia declared she took in her company. This afternoon, however, he changed his opinion, and liked her almost as much as his wife had done. She did indeed behave at this time with more than ordinary gaiety; and good humour gave a glow to her countenance that set off her features, which were very pretty, to the best advantage, and lessened the deadness that had usually appeared in her complexion.

But if Booth was now pleased with Mrs Bennet, Amelia was still more pleased with her than ever. For when their discourse turned on love, Amelia discovered that her new friend had all the same sentiments on that subject with herself. In the course of their conversation, Booth gave Mrs Bennet a hint of wishing her a good husband, upon which both the ladies declaimed against second marriages with equal vehemence. Upon this occasion, Booth and his wife discovered a talent in their visitant, to which they had been before entirely strangers, and for which they both greatly admired her; and this was, that the lady was a good scholar, in which indeed she had the advantage of poor Amelia, whose reading was confined to English plays, and poetry; besides which, I think, she had conversed only with the divinity of the great and learned Dr Barrow, and with the histories of the excellent Bishop Burnet.

Amelia delivered herself on the subject of second marriages with much eloquence and great good sense; but when Mrs Bennet came to give her opinion, she spoke in the following manner: "I shall not enter into the question concerning the legality of bigamy. Our laws certainly allow it, and so, I think, doth our religion. We are now debating on the indecency of it; and in this light, I own myself as strenuous an advocate

against it, as any Roman matron would have been in those ages of the commonwealth when it was held to be infamous. For my own part, how great a paradox soever my opinion may seem, I solemnly declare, I see but little differ ence between having two husbands at one time, and at several times; and of this I am very confident, that the same degree of love for a first husband, which preserves a woman in the one case, will preserve her in the other. There is one argument, which I scarce know how to deliver before you, sir; but-if a woman hath lived with her first husband without having children, I think it unpardonable in her to carry barrenness into a second family. On the contrary, if she hath children by her first husband, to give them a second father is still more unpar donable."

"But suppose, madam," cries Booth, interrupting her, with a smile," she should have had children by her first husband, and have lost them ?"

"That is a case," answered she with a sigh, "which I did not desire to think of, and I must own it the most favourable light in which a se cond marriage can be seen. But the Scriptures, as Petrarch observes, rather suffer them than commend them; and St Jerome speaks against them with the utmost bitterness."-" I remember," cries Booth, (who was willing either to shew his learning, or to draw out the lady's,)

[ocr errors]

a very wise law of Charondas, the famous law. giver of Thurium, by which men, who married a second time, were removed from all public councils; for it was scarce reasonable to sup. pose, that he who was so great a fool in his own family, should be wise in public affairs. And though second marriages were permitted among the Romans, yet they were at the same time discouraged; and those Roman widows who refused them, were held in high esteem, and honoured with what Valerius Maximus calls the Corona Pudicitiæ. In the noble family of Ca milli, there was not, in many ages, a single instance of this, which Martial calls adultery:

'Quæ toties nubit, non nubit; adultera lege est."

"True, sir," says Mrs Bennet, " and Virgil calls this a violation of chastity, and makes Dido speak of it with the utmost detestation:

'Sed mihi vel tellus optem prius ima dehiscat, Vel Pater omnipotens adigat me fulmine ad umbras,

Pallentes umbras Erebi, noctemque profundam, Ante, pudor, quam te violo, aut tua jura resolto! Ille meos, primum qui me sibi junxit, amores, Ille habeat semper secum, servetque sepulchro."

18

She repeated these lines with so strong an emphasis, that she almost frightened Amelia out of her wits, and not a little staggered Booth, who was himself no contemptible scholar. He

66

expressed great admiration of the lady's learning; upon which she said, it was all the fortune given her by her father, and all the dower left her by her husband; "And sometimes," said she, I am inclined to think I enjoy more pleasure from it, than if they had bestowed on me what the world would in general call more valuable." She then took occasion from the surprise which Booth had affected to conceive at her repeating Latin with so good a grace, to comment on that great absurdity (for so she termed it) of excluding women from learning; for which they were equally qualified with the men, and in which so many had made so notable a proficiency; for a proof of which, she mentioned Madam Dacier, and many others.

Though both Booth and Amelia outwardly concurred with her sentiments, it may be a question whether they did not assent rather out of complaisance, than from their real judgment.

CHAP. VIII.

choly. This made Amelia very uneasy, as she concluded she had guessed the cause of her vexation. In which opinion she was the more confirmed, from certain looks of no very pleasant kind, which Mrs Bennet now and then cast on Mrs Ellison, and the more than ordinary concern that appeared in the former lady's countenance, whenever the masquerade was mentioned, and which unfortunately was the principal topic of their discourse: for Mrs Ellison gave a very elaborate description of the extreme beauty of the place, and elegance of the diversion.

When Mrs Bennet was departed, Amelia could not help again soliciting Mrs Ellison for another ticket, declaring she was certain Mrs Bennet had a great inclination to go with them; but Mrs Ellison again excused herself from asking it of his lordship. "Besides, madam," says she, "if I would go thither with Mrs Bennet, which, I own to you, I don't chuse, as she is a person whom nobody knows, I very much doubt whether she herself would like it: for she is a wo man of a very unaccountable turn. All her de◄ light lies in books; and as for public diversions,

Containing some unaccountable behaviour of Mrs I have heard her often declare her abhorrence of

Ellison.

MRS ELLISON made her entrance at the end of the preceding discourse. At her first appearance she put on an unusual degree of formality and reserve; but when Amelia had acquainted her that she designed to accept the favour intended her, she soon began to alter the gravity of her muscles, and presently fell in with that ridicule which Booth thought proper to throw on his yesterday's behaviour.

The conversation now became very lively and pleasant, in which Booth, having mentioned the discourse that passed in the last chapter, and having greatly complimented Mrs Bennet's speech on that occasion, Mrs Ellison, who was as strenuous an advocate on the other side, began to rally that lady extremely, declaring it was a certain sign she intended to marry again soon, "Married ladies," cries she, " I believe, some times think themselves in earnest in such declarations, though they are oftener perhaps meant as compliments to their husbands; but when widows exclaim loudly against second marriages, I would always lay a wager, that the man, if not the wedding-day, is absolutely fixed on.

Mrs Bennet made very little answer to this sarcasm. Indeed she had scarce opened her lips from the time of Mrs Ellison's coming into the room, and had grown particularly grave at the mention of the masquerade. Amelia imputed this to her being left out of the party, a matter which is often no small mortification to human pride, and in a whisper asked Mrs Ellison if she could not procure a third ticket; to which she received an absolute negative.

During the whole time of Mrs Bennet's stay, which was above an hour afterwards, she remained perfectly silent, and looked extremely melan

them."

"What then," said Amelia, " could occasion all that gravity from the moment the masquerade was mentioned ?"

"As to that," answered the other, "there is no guessing. You have seen her altogether as grave before now. She hath had these fits of gravity at times ever since the death of her husband.'

"Poor creature!" cries Amelia, "I heartily pity her; for she must certainly suffer a great deal on these occasions. I declare I have taken a strange fancy to her."

"Perhaps you would not like her so well, if you knew her thoroughly," answered Mrs Ellison. "She is, upon the whole, but of a whimsical temper; and if you will take my opinion, you should not cultivate too much intimacy with her. I know you will never mention what I say; but she is like some pictures, which please best at a distance."

Amelia did not seem to agree with these sentiments, and she greatly importuned Mrs Ellison to be more explicit, but to no purpose; she continued to give only dark hints to Mrs Bennet's disadvantage; and if ever she let drop something a little too harsh, she failed not immediately to contradict herself, by throwing some gentle commendations into the other scale; so that her conduct appeared utterly unaccountable to Amelia, and, upon the whole, she knew not whether to conclude Mrs Ellison to be a friend or enemy to Mrs Bennet.

During this latter conversation, Booth was not in the room: for he had been summoned down stairs by the serjeant, who came to him with news from Murphy, whom he had met that evening, and who assured the serjeant, that if he was desirous of recovering the debt which he

had before pretended to have on Booth, he might shortly have an opportunity; for that there was to be a very strong petition to the board the next time they sat. Murphy said further, that he need not fear having his money; for that, to his certain knowledge, the captain had several things of great value, and even his children had gold watches.

This greatly alarmed Booth, and still more, when the serjeant reported to him from Murphy, that all these things had been seen in his possession within a day last past. He now plainly perceived, as he thought, that Murphy himself, or one of his emissaries, had been the supposed madman; and he now very well accounted to himself in his own mind for all that had happened, conceiving that the design was to examine into the state of his effects, and to try whether it was worth his creditors' while to plunder him by law.

At his return to his apartment, he communicated what he had heard to Amelia and Mrs Ellison, not disguising his apprehensions of the enemy's intentions; but Mrs Ellison endeavoured to laugh him out of his fears, calling him faint-hearted, and assuring him he might depend on her lawyer.-" Till you hear from him," said she, "you may rest entirely contented; for take my word for it, no danger can happen to you, of which you will not be timely apprized by him. And as for the fellow that had the impudence to come into your room, if he was sent on such an errand as you mention, I heartily wish I had been at home; I would have secured him safe with a constable, and have carried him directly before Justice Thrasher. I know the justice is an enemy to bailiffs on his own account."

This heartening speech a little roused the courage of Booth, and somewhat comforted Amelia, though the spirits of both had been too much hurried, to suffer them either to give or receive much entertainment that evening; which Mrs Ellison perceiving, soon took her leave, and left this unhappy couple to seek relief from sleep, that powerful friend to the distressed, though, like other powerful friends, he is not always ready to give his assistance to those who want it

most.

CHAP. IX.

Containing a very strange incident. WHEN the husband and wife were alone, they again talked over the news which the serjeant had brought; on which occasion, Amelia did all she could to conceal her own fears, and to quiet those of her husband. At last she turned the conversation to another subject, and poor Mrs Bennet was brought on the carpet. "I should be sorry," cries Amelia, " to find I had conceived

an affection for a bad woman; and yet I begin to fear Mrs Ellison knows something of her more than she cares to discover; why else should she be unwilling to be seen with her in public? be sides, I have observed that Mrs Ellison hath been always backward to introduce her to me, nor would ever bring her to my apartment, though I have often desired her. Nay, she hath given me frequent hints not to cultivate the acquaintance. What do you think, my dear?-I should be very sorry to contract an intimacy with a wicked person."

[ocr errors]

"Nay, my dear," cries Booth, "I know no more of her, nor indeed hardly so much as yourself. But this I think, that if Mrs Ellison knows any reason why she should not have introduced Mrs Bennet into your company, she was very much in the wrong in introducing her into it."

[ocr errors]

In discourses of this kind they passed the remainder of the evening. In the morning Booth rose early, and going down stairs received from little Betty a sealed note, which contained the following words:

"Beware, beware, beware,

For I apprehend a dreadful snare
Is laid for virtuous innocence,
Under a friend's false pretence."

Booth immediately inquired of the girl who brought this note, and was told it came by a chairman, who, having delivered it, departed without saying a word.

He was extremely staggered at what he read, and presently referred the advice to the same affair on which he had received those hints from Atkinson the preceding evening; but when he came to consider the words more maturely, he could not so well reconcile the two last lines of this poetical epistle, if it may be so called, with any danger which the law gave him reason to apprehend. Mr Murphy and his gang could not well be said to attack his innocence or virtue, nor did they attack him under any colour or pretence of friendship.

After much deliberation on this matter, a very strange suspicion came into his head; and this was, that he was betrayed by Mrs Ellison. He had for some time conceived no very high opi nion of that good gentlewoman, and he now began to suspect that she was bribed to betray him. By this means he thought he could best account for the strange appearance of the supposed madman. And when this conceit once had birth in his mind, several circumstances nourished and improved it: among these were her jocose behaviour and raillery on that occasion, and her attempt to ridicule his fears from the message which the serjeant had brought him.

This suspicion was indeed preposterous, and not at all warranted by, or even consistent with, the character and whole behaviour of Mrs Ellison; but it was the only one which, at that time,

« AnteriorContinuar »