The reader may have observed, that Fathom, with all his circumspection,
had a weak side, which exposed him to sundry mischances; this was his
covetousness, which on some occasions became too hard for his discretion.
At this period of time it was, by the circumstances of his situation,
inflamed to a degree of rapacity. He was now prevailed upon to take a
hand at whist or piquet, and even to wield the hazard-box; though he had
hitherto declared himself an irreconcilable enemy to all sorts of play;
and so uncommon was his success and dexterity at these exercises, as to
surprise his acquaintance, and arouse the suspicion of some people, who
repined at his prosperity.
But in nothing was his conduct more inexcusable than in giving way to the
dangerous temerity of Ratchcali, which he had been always at pains to
restrain, and permitting him to practise the same fraud upon an English
nobleman, which had been executed upon himself at Frankfort. In other
words, the Tyrolese, by the canal of Ferdinand's finger and
recommendation, sold a pebble for a real brilliant, and in a few days the
cheat was discovered, to the infinite confusion of our adventurer, who
nevertheless assumed the guise of innocence with so much art, and
expressed such indignation against the villain who had imposed upon his
judgment and unsuspecting generosity, that his lordship acquitted him of
any share in the deceit, and contented himself with the restitution,
which he insisted upon making out of his own pocket, until he should be
able to apprehend the rogue, who had thought proper to abscond for his
own safety. In spite of all this exculpation, his character did not fail
to retain a sort of stigma, which indeed the plainest proofs of innocence
are hardly able to efface; and his connexion with such a palpable knave
as the Tyrolese appeared to be, had an effect to his prejudice in the
minds of all those who were privy to the occurrence.
When a man's reputation is once brought in question, every trifle is, by
the malevolence of mankind, magnified into a strong presumption against
the culprit. A few whispers communicated by the envious mouth of
slander, which he can have no opportunity to answer and refute, shall, in
the opinion of the world, convict him of the most horrid crimes; and for
one hypocrite who is decked with the honours of virtue, there are twenty
good men who suffer the ignominy of vice; so well disposed are
individuals to trample upon the fame of their fellow-creatures. If the
most unblemished merit is not protected from this injustice, it will not
be wondered at that no quarter was given to the character of an
adventurer like Fathom, who, among other unlucky occurrences, had the
misfortune to be recognised about this time by his two Parisian friends,
Sir Stentor Stile and Sir Giles Squirrel.
These worthy knights-errant had returned to their own country, after
having made a very prosperous campaign in France, at the end of which,
however, they very narrowly escaped the galleys; and seeing the Polish
Count seated at the head of taste and politeness, they immediately
circulated the story of his defeat at Paris, with many ludicrous
circumstances of their own invention, and did not scruple to affirm that
he was a rank impostor. When the laugh is raised upon a great man, he
never fails to dwindle into contempt. Ferdinand began to perceive a
change in the countenance of his friends. His company was no longer
solicited with that eagerness which they had formerly expressed in his
behalf. Even his entertainments were neglected; when he appeared at any
private or public assembly, the ladies, instead of glowing with pleasure,
as formerly, now tittered or regarded him with looks of disdain; and a
certain pert, little, forward coquette, with a view to put him out of
countenance, by raising the laugh at his expense, asked him one night, at
a drum, when he had heard from his relations in Poland? She succeeded in
her design upon the mirth of the audience, but was disappointed in the
other part of her aim; for our hero replied, without the least mark of
discomposure, "They are all in good health at your service, madam; I wish
I knew in what part of the world your relations reside, that I might
return the compliment." By this answer, which was the more severe, as
the young lady was of very doubtful extraction, he retorted the laugh
upon the aggressor, though he likewise failed in his attempt upon her
temper; for she was perhaps the only person present who equalled himself
in stability of countenance.
Notwithstanding this appearance of unconcern, he was deeply touched with
these marks of alienation in the behaviour of his friends, and,
foreseeing in his own disgrace the total shipwreck of his fortune, he
entered into a melancholy deliberation with himself about the means of
retrieving his importance in the beau monde, or of turning his address
into some other channel, where he could stand upon a less slippery
foundation. In this exercise of his thoughts, no scheme occurred more
feasible than that of securing the booty he had made, and retiring with
his associate, who was also blown, into some other country, where their
names and characters being unknown, they might pursue their old plan of
commerce without molestation. He imparted this suggestion to the
Tyrolese, who approved the proposal of decamping, though he combated with
all his might our hero's inclination to withdraw himself before the
trial, by repeating the assurances of the solicitor, who told him he
might depend upon being reimbursed by the sentence of the court for great
part of the sums he had expended in the course of the prosecution.
Fathom suffered himself to be persuaded by these arguments, supported
with the desire of making an honourable retreat, and, waiting patiently
for the day of trouble, discharged his sureties, by a personal appearance
in court. Yet this was not the only score he discharged that morning;
the solicitor presented his own bill before they set out for Westminster
Hall, and gave the Count to understand that it was the custom, from time
immemorial, for the client to clear with his attorney before trial.
Ferdinand had nothing to object against this established rule, though he
looked upon it as a bad omen, in spite of all the solicitor's confidence
and protestations; and he was not a little confounded, when, looking into
the contents, he found himself charged with 350 attendances. He knew it
was not his interest to disoblige his lawyer at such a juncture;
nevertheless, he could not help expostulating with him on this article,
which seemed to be so falsely stated with regard to the number; when his
questions drew on an explanation, by which he found he had incurred the
penalty of three shillings and fourpence for every time he chanced to
meet the conscientious attorney, either in the park, the coffee-house, or
the street, provided they had exchanged the common salutation; and he had
good reason to believe the solicitor had often thrown himself in his way,
with a view to swell this item of his account.
With this extortion our adventurer was fain to comply, because he lay at
the mercy of the caitiff; accordingly, he with a good grace paid the
demand, which, including his former disbursements, amounted to three
hundred and sixty-five pounds eleven shillings and threepence three
farthings, and then presenting himself before the judge, quietly
submitted to the laws of the realm. His counsel behaved like men of
consummate abilities in their profession; they exerted themselves with
equal industry, eloquence, and erudition, in their endeavours to perplex
the truth, browbeat the evidence, puzzle the judge, and mislead the jury;
but the defendant found himself wofully disappointed in the deposition of
Trapwell's journeyman, whom the solicitor pretended to have converted to
his interest. This witness, as the attorney afterwards declared, played
booty, and the facts came out so clear, that Ferdinand Count Fathom was
convicted of criminal conversation with the plaintiff's wife, and cast in
fifteen hundred pounds, under the denomination of damages.
He was not so much surprised as afflicted at this decision, because he
saw it gradually approaching from the examination of the first evidence.
His thoughts were now employed in casting about for some method of
deliverance from the snare in which he found himself entangled. To
escape, he foresaw it would be impracticable, as Trapwell would
undoubtedly be prepared for arresting him before he could quit
Westminster Hall; he was too well acquainted with Ratchcali's principles,
to expect any assistance from that quarter in money matters; and he was
utterly averse to the payment of the sum awarded against him, which would
have exhausted his whole fortune. He therefore resolved to try the
friendship of some persons of fashion, with whom he had maintained an
intimacy of correspondence. Should they fail him in the day of his
necessity, he proposed to have recourse to his former sureties, one of
whom he meant to bilk, while the other might accompany him in his
retreat; or, should both these expedients miscarry, he determined, rather
than part with his effects, to undergo the most disagreeable confinement,
in hope of obtaining the jailor's connivance at his escape.
These resolutions being taken, he met his fate with great fortitude and
equanimity, and calmly suffered himself to be conveyed to the house of a
sheriff's officer, who, as he made his exit from the hall, according to
his own expectation, executed a writ against him, at the suit of
Trapwell, for a debt of two thousand pounds. To this place he was
followed by his solicitor, who was allured by the prospect of another
job, and who, with great demonstrations of satisfaction, congratulated
him upon the happy issue of the trial; arrogating to himself the merit of
having saved him eight thousand pounds in the article of damages, by the
previous steps he had taken, and the noble defence that he and his
friends the counsel had made for their client; he even hinted an
expectation of receiving a gratuity for his extraordinary care and
discretion.
Fathom, galled as he was with his misfortune, and enraged at the
effrontery of this pettifogger, maintained a serenity of countenance, and
sent the attorney with a message to the plaintiff, importing, that, as he
was a foreigner, and could not be supposed to have so much cash about
him, as to spare fifteen hundred pounds from the funds of his ordinary
expense, he would grant him a bond payable in two months, during which
period he should be able to procure a proper remittance from his own
estate. While the solicitor was employed in this negotiation, he
despatched his valet-de-chambre to one nobleman, and Maurice to another,
with billets, signifying the nature of the verdict which his adversary
had obtained, and desiring that each would lend him a thousand pounds
upon his parole, until he could negotiate bills upon the Continent.
His three messengers returned almost at the same instant of time, and
these were the answers they brought back.
Trapwell absolutely rejected his personal security; and threatened him
with all the horrors of a jail, unless he would immediately discharge the
debt, or procure sufficient bondsmen; and one of his quality friends
favoured him with this reply to his request:--
"MY DEAR COUNT!--I am mortally chagrined at the triumph you have
furnished to that rascally citizen. By the lard! the judge must have
been in the terrors of cuckoldom, to influence the decision; and the jury
a mere herd of horned beasts, to bring in such a barbarous verdict.
Egad! at this rate, no gentleman will be able to lie with another man's
wife, but at the risk of a cursed prosecution. But to waive this
disagreeable circumstance, which you must strive to forget; I declare my
mortification is still the greater, because I cannot at present supply
you with the trifle your present exigency requires; for, to tell you a
secret, my own finances are in damnable confusion. But a man of Count
Fathom's figure and address can never be puzzled for the want of such a
paltry sum. Adieu, my dear Count! we shall, I suppose, have the pleasure
of seeing you to-morrow at White's: meanwhile, I have the honour to be,
with the most perfect attachment, yours, GRIZZLEGRIN."
The other noble peer, to whom he addressed himself on this occasion,
cherished the same sentiments of virtue, friendship, and generosity; but
his expression was so different, that we shall, for the edification of
the reader, transcribe his letter in his own words:--
"SIR,--I was never more astonished than at the receipt of your very
extraordinary billet, wherein you solicit the loan of a thousand pounds,
which you desire may be sent with the bearer on the faith of your parole.
Sir, I have no money to send you or lend you; and cannot help repeating
my expressions of surprise at your confidence in making such a strange
and unwarranted demand. 'Tis true, I may have made professions of
friendship, while I looked upon you as a person of honour and good
morals; but now that you are convicted of such a flagrant violation of
the laws of that kingdom where you have been treated with such
hospitality and respect, I think myself fully absolved from any such
conditional promise, which indeed is never interpreted into any other
than a bare compliment. I am sorry you have involved your character and
fortune in such a disagreeable affair, and am, Sir, yours, etc.
TROMPINGTON."
Ferdinand was not such a novice in the world as to be disappointed at
these repulses; especially as he had laid very little stress upon the
application, which was made by way of an experiment upon the gratitude or
caprice of those two noblemen, whom he had actually more than once
obliged with the same sort of assistance which he now solicited, though
not to such a considerable amount.
Having nothing further to expect from the fashionable world, he sent the
Tyrolese to the person who had been bail for his appearance, with full
instructions to explain his present occasion in the most favourable
light, and desire he would reinforce the credit of the Count with his
security; but that gentleman, though he placed the most perfect
confidence on the honour of our hero, and would have willingly entered
into bonds again for his personal appearance, was not quite so well
satisfied of his circumstances, as to become liable for the payment of
two thousand pounds, an expense which, in his opinion, the finances of no
foreign Count were able to defray. He therefore lent a deaf ear to the
most pressing remonstrances of the ambassador, who had recourse to
several other merchants, with the same bad success; so that the prisoner,
despairing of bail, endeavoured to persuade Ratchcali, that it would be
his interest to contribute a thousand pounds towards his discharge, that
he might be enabled to quit England with a good grace, and execute his
part of the plan they had projected.
So powerful was his eloquence on the occasion, and such strength of
argument did he use, that even the Tyrolese seemed convinced, though
reluctantly, and agreed to advance the necessary sum upon the bond and
judgment of our adventurer, who, being disabled from transacting his own
affairs in person, was obliged to intrust Ratchcali with his keys,
papers, and power of attorney, under the check and inspection of his
faithful Maurice and the solicitor, whose fidelity he bespoke with the
promise of an ample recompense.