These letters were sent away by special messengers, who had orders to be
as expeditious as possible in the delivery of them.
But while these accidents happened at Padua, Melanthe was not without
her share of inquietudes at Venice: she had not seen her beloved count
in two whole days, and, tho' she sent several times to his lodgings,
could hear nothing but that he was not yet come home. As her vanity
would not suffer her to think herself neglected, without having received
some glaring proofs of it, she feared some misfortune had befallen him,
and exposed herself not a little in the enquiries she made after him,
among all those who she could imagine were able to inform her any thing
concerning him.
At length some person, who happened to see him take boat, told her he
was gone to Padua, which being the rout she knew Louisa had taken, and
she had also informed him, a sudden thought darted into her head that he
was gone in pursuit of her.--It now seemed not impossible, but that all
he had said concerning his dislike of her might be artifice; and that
the love of variety might prevail on him at last to comply with the
advances he pretended she had made him.--The privacy with which he went,
none of his acquaintance knowing any thing of his journey, seemed to
favour this opinion; and never was a heart more racked with jealousy and
suspence, than that of this unhappy, and too easily deceived lady.
She had sometimes an inclination to go to Padua in person, and endeavour
to find out what business had carried him thither; and her impatience
had doubtless got the better of her prudence in this particular, if,
sending once more to his lodgings, she had not heard he was
returned.--On this she expected to see him in the evening, and flattered
herself with his being able to make some reasonable excuse for his
absence; but finding he came not, she was all distraction, and sent a
billet to him next morning, requiring him to come to her immediately on
the receipt of it; but as he was at that time in too ill a humour to
think of entertaining her, sent her an answer by word of mouth, that he
was indisposed, and would wait on her on his recovery.--This message
seemed so cold, and so unlike the passion he had hitherto professed for
her, that it threw her into almost convulsive agonies.--A masquerade
was to be that night at the house of a person of quality: she sent again
to know if he intended to be there, and, if he did, what habit he would
wear, it being customary with them, ever since their amour, to acquaint
each other with their dresses, that they might not mistake, by
addressing to wrong persons. His reply was, that he would go if health
permitted, but as to what he should wear he had not as yet thought
of it.
What, if he hat not thought of it! cried she haughtily, when she heard
these words;--the knowledge that I shall be there, ought now to make him
think of it.--Pride, love, and the astonishment at this sudden change in
his behaviour, rendered her wholly forgetful of what she owed her sex
and rank; and she was just going to his lodgings, in order to upbraid
him with his indifference, and prove what it was she now had to depend
on from him, when the messenger from Louisa arrived and delivered her
the letter, which contained a sad eclaircisement of all she wanted to be
informed of.
At first reading it, she seemed like one transfixed with a sudden clap
of thunder:--she had indeed been jealous, suspicious, fearful of her
fate; but so glaring, so impudent a treachery had never entered her
head, that any man could be guilty of, much less one whom her too fond
passion had figured to her imagination, as possessed of all the virtues
of his sex. It seemed too monstrous to be true; and she had accused the
innocent Louisa as the inventor of this falshood, merely in revenge for
her late treatment, had there been the least shadow of a pretence for
doing so:--gladly would she have encouraged such a hope, but common
sense forbid it;--all circumstances seemed to concur, in proving that he
was indeed that villain which the letter represented him; and that
surprize, which had in a manner stupified her on the discovery, was
succeeded by a storm of mingled grief and rage, which no words can
sufficiently describe:--she exclaimed against fate, cursed all mankind,
and accused every thing as accessory to her misfortune, but that to
which alone she owed it, her own imprudence.
The disorders of her mind had such an effect on her body, that she fell
into fits, and a physician was sent for, who, tho' esteemed the most
skilful in that country, found it required all his art to prevent a
fever: she continued, however, for five days in a condition, such as
permitted her not to do any thing either for the satisfaction of her own
impatient curiosity, or to comply with the just request Louisa had made;
and had not monsieur du Plessis's letter to the prince been mere
successful, they must both have continued where they were, perhaps for a
considerable time.
That, however, had all the effect could be expected from a prince of so
much honour: he immediately sent for the count de Bellfleur; and easily
finding, by the confusion with which he replied to his examination, and
the little low evasions he was obliged to have recourse to, that the
affair was as monsieur du Plessis had represented, gave him a severe
check, and ordered him to depart immediately from Venice, where he told
him, he had given such occasion to call the honour of the French nation
in general in question; and to repair with all expedition to his winter
quarters. Which command he instantly obeyed, without taking any leave of
Melanthe, or perhaps even thinking on her.
At the same time the prince dispatched his gentleman of horse to Padua,
with necessary instructions for clearing up the affair; on which the
prisoners were discharged, and their pardon asked by the podestat for
doing what, he said, the duties of his post had alone obliged him to;
tho' it is certain he had exercised his authority with greater
strictness than the necessity of the thing required; since, if the count
had been in reality the husband of Louisa, it would have been more easy
for him to bring proofs of it, than for those under confinement to
invalidate his claim.
After the proper compliments to the gentleman who had taken this
trouble, monsieur du Plessis entreated he would excuse him to the
prince, that he retarded the thanks he had to pay his royal highness,
till his return from conducting Louisa some part of her journey, which
being a piece of gallantry the lady herself seemed well pleased with,
was easily complied with by the other.
This faithful lover had now a full opportunity to entertain his mistress
with his passion, and represented it to her with so much force and
eloquence, together with the dangers she would continually be exposed
to, that she had at length no words to form denials, and gave him leave
to conduct her to some monastry in Italy, the choice of which she left
to him, till the campaign was over. This was indeed all he presumed to
request of her at present. It may happen, said he, that your lover may
fall a victim to the fate of war, among many other more brave and worthy
men, who doubtless will not survive the next battle, and you will then
be at liberty to pursue your inclinations either to England or
elsewhere; and be assured of this, that I shall take care, before the
hour of danger, to leave you mistress of a fortune, sufficient to protect
you from any future insults of the nature you received from Melanthe.
The tender soul of Louisa was so much dissolved at these words, that she
burst into a flood of tears, and cried out, Oh! too generous du Plessis,
think not I will survive the cruel hour which informs me all that is
valuable in man has ceased to be!--Take,--oh! take no care for me; when
you are no more, nothing this world affords can enable me to drag on a
wretched life!
What must be the transport of a man, who loved like him, to hear a mouth
accustomed to the greatest reserve, utter exclamations so soft, so
engaging, so convincing to him that he was no less dear to her than he
could even wish to be!--He threw himself at her feet, and even thought
that posture not humble enough to testify, as it deserved, his gratitude
and joy. But she not suffering him to continue in it, he took the hand
that raised him, kissed off the tears which had fallen from her eyes
upon it, with speechless extacies, and seemed almost beside himself at
the concern she could not yet overcome, on the bare imagination of
losing him in the way he mentioned. If you love me, said she tenderly,
you will endeavour to preserve yourself:--I have now put myself under
your protection, by consenting to do as you would have me, and have no
other from whom I would receive those favours I expect from you:--think
not, therefore, that I will perform my promise, unless you give me
yours, not to be so covetous of fame as to court dangers, nor, in too
eager a pursuit of glory, to lose the remembrance of what you owe
to love.
Oh thou divinest softness! cried he, be assured I will put nothing to
the venture that might take me from Louisa!--Your kindness, my angel,
has shewed me the value of life, and almost made a coward of your
lover:--no farther will I go than the duties of my post oblige me, and
that honour, which to forfeit, would render me unworthy of your care.
Louisa now found herself so much at ease, in having discovered a secret
she had so long laboured with, and suffered an infinity of pain in the
concealing of, that nothing could be more chearful than her looks and
behaviour. He, on the other hand, was all rapture, yet did it not make
him in the least forgetful of the rules he had prescribed himself, or
give her modesty any room to repent the confession she had made in
favour of his passion:--the conversation between them was all made up of
innocence and love; and every hour they passed together, rendered them
still dearer to each other.
Monsieur du Plessis having thus gained the point his soul was let on,
began to consider in what part of Italy it would be best to place his
dear Louisa: as Bolognia was a free country, under the jurisdiction of
the Pope, he thought she would there be the least subject to alarms, on
account of the army's continual marches and countermarches thro' most
other parts of Italy. He therefore got a post-chaise, and by easy
journeys conducted her thither; and having made an agreement with the
lady abbess of the Augustines, she was welcomed into the convent by the
holy sisterhood with all imaginable good-nature and politeness.
It would be endless to recite the farewels of these equally sincere, and
passionate lovers; so I shall only say that never any parting was more
truly touching; and the grief, which both of them endured, was only
alleviated by the confidence they had in each other's affection, and the
mutual promises of communicating the assurances of persevering in it, by
letters as often as opportunity would permit.
Melanthe being recovered of the indisposition of her body, tho' not of
her mind, was informed of every particular of her perfidious lover's
conduct as he had quitted Venice before she did her chamber, was obliged
to bear the load of discontent her too easy belief had brought upon her,
without even the poor ease of venting it in reproaches on him. The
carnival soon after ending, and finding that change of place was no
defence from misfortunes of the kind she had sustained, without she
could also change her way of thinking, took the first convenience that
offered, and returned to England, rather in worse humour than she
had left it.