It was with a slight disturbance of his ordinary suave and well-bred
equanimity that the Italian received the information, that he need
apprehend no obstacle to his suit from the insular prejudices or the
worldly views of the lady's family. Not that he was mean and cowardly
enough to recoil from the near and unclouded prospect of that felicity
which he had left off his glasses to behold with unblinking naked
eyes:--no, there his mind was made up; but he had met with very little
kindness in life, and he was touched not only by the interest in his
welfare testified by a heretical priest, but by the generosity with
which he was admitted into a well-born and wealthy family, despite his
notorious poverty and his foreign descent. He conceded the propriety
of the only stipulation, which was conveyed to him by the Parson with
all the delicacy that became a man professionally habituated to deal
with the subtler susceptibilities of mankind--viz., that, amongst
Riccabocca's friends or kindred, some one should be found whose
report would confirm the persuasion of his respectability entertained
by his neighbours;--he assented, I say, to the propriety of this
condition; but it was not with alacrity and eagerness. His brow became
clouded. The Parson hastened to assure him that the Squire was not
a man _qui stupet in titulis_, (who was besotted with titles,) that
he neither expected nor desired to find an origin and rank for his
brother-in-law above that decent mediocrity of condition to which
it was evident, from Riccabocca's breeding and accomplishments, he
could easily establish his claim. "And though," said he smiling, "the
Squire is a warm politician in his own country, and would never see
his sister again, I fear, if she married some convicted enemy of our
happy constitution, yet for foreign politics he does not care a straw;
so that if, as I suspect, your exile arises from some quarrel with
your Government--which, being foreign, he takes for granted must be
insupportable--he would but consider you as he would a Saxon who fled
from the iron hand of William the Conqueror, or a Lancastrian expelled
by the Yorkists in our Wars of the Roses."
The Italian smiled. "Mr Hazeldean shall be satisfied," said he simply.
"I see, by the Squire's newspaper, that an English gentleman who
knew me in my own country has just arrived in London. I will write
to him for a testimonial, at least to my probity and character.
Probably he may be known to you by name--nay, he must be, for he was a
distinguished officer in the late war. I allude to Lord L'Estrange."
The Parson started.
"You know Lord L'Estrange?--a profligate bad man, I fear."
"Profligate!--bad!" exclaimed Riccabocca. "Well, calumnious as the
world is, I should never have thought that such expressions would be
applied to one who, though I knew him but little--knew him chiefly by
the service he once rendered to me--first taught me to love and revere
the English name!"
"He may be changed since--" The parson paused.
"Since when?" asked Riccabocca, with evident curiosity.
Mr Dale seemed embarrassed. "Excuse me," said he, "it is many years
ago; and, in short, the opinion I then formed of the gentleman in
question was based upon circumstances which I cannot communicate."
The punctilious Italian bowed in silence, but he still looked as if he
should have liked to prosecute inquiry.
After a pause, he said, "Whatever your impressions respecting Lord
L'Estrange, there is nothing, I suppose, which would lead you to doubt
his honour, or reject his testimonial in my favour?"
"According to fashionable morality," said Mr Dale, rather precisely, "I
know of nothing that could induce me to suppose that Lord L'Estrange
would not, in this instance, speak the truth. And he has unquestionably
a high reputation as a soldier, and a considerable position in the
world." Therewith the Parson took his leave. A few days afterwards,
Dr Riccabocca enclosed to the Squire, in a blank envelope, a letter
he had received from Harley L'Estrange. It was evidently intended
for the Squire's eye, and to serve as a voucher for the Italian's
respectability; but this object was fulfilled, not in the coarse form
of a direct testimonial, but with a tact and delicacy which seemed
to show more than the fine breeding to be expected from one in Lord
L'Estrange's station. It argued that most exquisite of all politeness
which comes from the heart: a certain tone of affectionate respect
(which even the homely sense of the Squire felt, intuitively, proved
far more in favour of Riccabocca than the most elaborate certificate
of his qualities and antecedents) pervaded the whole, and would have
sufficed in itself to remove all scruples from a mind much more
suspicious and exacting than that of the Squire of Hazeldean. But,
lo and behold! an obstacle now occurred to the Parson, of which he
ought to have thought long before--viz., the Papistical religion of
the Italian. Dr Riccabocca was professedly a Roman Catholic. He so
little obtruded that fact--and, indeed, had assented so readily to any
animadversions upon the superstition and priestcraft which, according
to Protestants, are the essential characteristics of Papistical
communities--that it was not till the hymeneal torch, which brings
all faults to light, was fairly illumined for the altar, that the
remembrance of a faith so cast into the shade burst upon the conscience
of the Parson. The first idea that then occurred to him was the
proper and professional one--viz., the conversion of Dr Riccabocca.
He hastened to his study, took down from his shelves long neglected
volumes of controversial divinity, armed himself with an arsenal of
authorities, arguments, and texts; then, seizing the shovel-hat, posted
off to the Casino.