HE IS SMITTEN WITH THE CHARMS OF A FEMALE ADVENTURER, WHOSE ALLUREMENTS
SUBJECT HIM TO A NEW VICISSITUDE OF FORTUNE.
Among those who were distinguished by his gallantry was the young wife of
an old citizen of London, who had granted her permission to reside at the
hot well for the benefit of her health, under the eye and inspection of
his own sister, who was a maiden of fifty years. The pupil, whose name
was Mrs. Trapwell, though low in stature, was finely shaped, her
countenance engaging, though her complexion was brown, her hair in colour
rivalled the raven's back, and her eyes emulated the lustre of the
diamond. Fathom had been struck with her first appearance; but found it
impracticable to elude the vigilance of her duenna, so as to make a
declaration of his flame; until she herself, guessing the situation of
his thoughts, and not displeased with the discovery, thought proper to
furnish him with the opportunity he wanted, by counterfeiting an
indisposition, for the cure of which she knew his advice would be
implored. This was the beginning of an acquaintance, which was soon
improved to his wish; and so well did she manage her attractions, as in
some measure to fix the inconstancy of his disposition; for, at the end
of the season, his passion was not sated; and they concerted the means of
continuing their commerce, even after their return to London.
This intercourse effectually answered the purpose of the husband, who had
been decoyed into matrimony by the cunning of his spouse, whom he had
privately kept as a concubine before marriage. Conscious of her own
precarious situation, she had resolved to impose upon the infirmities of
Trapwell, and, feigning herself pregnant, gave him to understand she
could no longer conceal her condition from the knowledge of her brother,
who was an officer in the army, and of such violent passions, that,
should he once discover her backsliding, he would undoubtedly wipe away
the stains of his family dishonour with her own blood, as well as that of
her keeper. The citizen, to prevent such a catastrophe, took her to
wife; but soon after perceiving the trick which had been played upon him,
set his invention at work, and at length contrived a scheme which he
thought would enable him, not only to retrieve his liberty, but also
indemnify himself for the mortification he had undergone.
Far from creating any domestic disturbance, by upbraiding her with her
finesse, he seemed perfectly well pleased with his acquisition; and, as
he knew her void of any principle, and extremely addicted to pleasure, he
chose proper occasions to insinuate, that she might gratify her own
inclination, and at the same time turn her beauty to good account. She
joyfully listened to these remonstrances, and, in consequence of their
mutual agreement, she repaired to Bristol Spring, on pretence of an ill
state of health, accompanied by her sister-in-law, whom they did not
think proper to intrust with the real motive of her journey. Fathom's
person was agreeable, and his finances supposed to be in flourishing
order; therefore, she selected him from the herd of gallants, as a proper
sacrifice to the powers which she adored; and, on her arrival in London,
made her husband acquainted with the importance of her conquest.
Trapwell overwhelmed her with caresses and praise for her discreet and
dutiful conduct, and faithfully promised that she should pocket in her
own privy purse one-half of the spoils that should be gathered from her
gallant, whom she therefore undertook to betray, after he had swore, in
the most solemn manner, that his intention was not to bring the affair to
a public trial, which would redound to his own disgrace, but to extort a
round sum of money from the Count, by way of composition. Confiding in
this protestation, she in a few days gave him intelligence of an
assignation she had made with our adventurer, at a certain bagnio near
Covent Garden; upon which he secured the assistance of a particular
friend and his own journeyman, with whom, and a constable, he repaired to
the place of rendezvous, where he waited in an adjoining room, according
to the directions of his virtuous spouse, until she made the preconcerted
signal of hemming three times aloud, when he and his associates rushed
into the chamber and surprised our hero in bed with his inamorata.
The lady on this occasion acted her part to a miracle; she screamed at
their approach; and, after an exclamation of "Ruined and undone!"
fainted away in the arms of her spouse, who had by this time seized her
by the shoulders, and begun to upbraid her with her infidelity and guilt.
As for Fathom, his affliction was unutterable, when he found himself
discovered in that situation, and made prisoner by the two assistants,
who had pinioned him in such a manner, that he could not stir, much less
accomplish an escape. All his ingenuity and presence of mind seemed to
forsake him in this emergency. The horrors of an English jury overspread
his imagination; for he at once perceived that the toil into which he had
fallen was laid for the purpose; consequently he took it for granted that
there would be no deficiency in point of evidence. Soon as he
recollected himself, he begged that no violence might be offered to his
person, and entreated the husband to favour him with a conference, in
which the affair might be compromised, without prejudice to the
reputation of either.
At first Trapwell breathed nothing but implacable revenge, but, by the
persuasion of his friends, after he had sent home his wife in a chair, he
was prevailed upon to hear the proposals of the delinquent, who having
assured him, by way of apology, that he had always believed the lady was
a widow, made him an offer of five hundred pounds, as an atonement for
the injury he had sustained. This being a sum no ways adequate to the
expectation of the citizen, who looked upon the Count as possessor of an
immense estate, he rejected the terms with disdain, and made instant
application to a judge, from whom he obtained a warrant for securing his
person till the day of trial. Indeed, in this case, money was but a
secondary consideration with Trapwell, whose chief aim was to be legally
divorced from a woman he detested. Therefore there was no remedy for the
unhappy Count, who in vain offered to double the sum. He found himself
reduced to the bitter alternative of procuring immediate bail, or going
directly to Newgate.
In this dilemma he sent a messenger to his friend Ratchcali, whose
countenance fell when he understood the Count's condition; nor would he
open his mouth in the style of consolation, until he had consulted a
certain solicitor of his acquaintance, who assured him the law abounded
with such resources as would infallibly screen the defendant, had the
fact been still more palpable than it was. He said there was great
presumption to believe the Count had fallen a sacrifice to a conspiracy,
which by some means or other would be detected; and, in that case, the
plaintiff might obtain one shilling in lieu of damages. If that
dependence should fail, he hinted that, in all probability, the witnesses
were not incorruptible; or, should they prove to be so, one man's oath
was as good as another's; and, thank Heaven, there was no dearth of
evidence, provided money could be found to answer the necessary
occasions.
Ratchcali, comforted by these insinuations, and dreading the resentment
of our adventurer, who, in his despair, might punish him severely for his
want of friendship, by some precipitate explanation of the commerce they
had carried on; moved, I say, by these considerations, and moreover
tempted with the prospect of continuing to reap the advantages resulting
from their conjunction, he and another person of credit with whom he
largely dealt in jewels, condescended to become sureties for the
appearance of Fathom, who was accordingly admitted to bail. Not but that
the Tyrolese knew Ferdinand too well to confide in his parole. He
depended chiefly upon his ideas of self-interest, which, he thought,
would persuade him to risk the uncertain issue of a trial, rather than
quit the field before the harvest was half over; and he was resolved to
make his own retreat without ceremony, should our hero be unwise enough
to abandon his bail.
Such an adventure could not long lie concealed from the notice of the
public, even if both parties had been at pains to suppress the
circumstances. But the plaintiff, far from seeking to cover, affected to
complain loudly of his misfortune, that he might interest his neighbours
in his behalf, and raise a spirit of rancour and animosity, to influence
the jury against this insolent foreigner, who had come over into England
to debauch our wives and deflower our daughters; while he employed a
formidable band of lawyers to support the indictment, which he laid at
ten thousand pounds damages.
Meanwhile, Fathom and his associate did not fail to take all proper
measures for his defence; they retained a powerful bar of counsel, and
the solicitor was supplied with one hundred pounds after another, to
answer the expense of secret service; still assuring his clients that
everything was in an excellent train, and that his adversary would gain
nothing but shame and confusion of face. Nevertheless, there was a
necessity for postponing the trial, on account of a material evidence,
who, though he wavered, was not yet quite brought over; and the attorney
found means to put off the decision from term to term, until there was no
quibble left for further delay. While this suit was depending, our hero
continued to move in his usual sphere; nor did the report of his
situation at all operate to his disadvantage in the polite world; on the
contrary, it added a fresh plume to his character, in the eyes of all
those who were not before acquainted with the triumphs of his gallantry.
Notwithstanding this countenance of his friends, he himself considered
the affair in a very serious light; and perceiving that, at any rate, he
must be a considerable loser, he resolved to double his assiduity in
trade, that he might be the more able to afford the extraordinary expense
to which he was subjected.