Peregrine meets with Mrs. Hornbeck, and is consoled for his Loss--His
Valet-de-chambre is embroiled with her Duenna, whom, however, he finds
means to appease.
Everything having thus resumed its natural channel, they dined together
in great tranquility. In the afternoon, Peregrine, on pretence of
staying at home to write letters, while his companions were at
the coffee-house, ordered a coach to be called, and, with his
valet-de-chambre, who was the only person acquainted with the present
state of his thoughts, set out for the promenade, to which all the
ladies of fashion resort in the evening during the summer season, in
hopes of seeing his fugitive among the rest.
Having made a circuit round the walk, and narrowly observed every female
in the place, he perceived at some distance the livery of Hornbeck upon
a lacquey that stood at the back of a coach; upon which he ordered his
man to reconnoitre the said carriage, while he pulled up his glasses,
that he might not be discovered before he should have received some
intelligence by which he might conduct himself on this unexpected
occasion, that already began to interfere with the purpose of his coming
thither, though it could not dispute his attention with the idea of his
charming unknown.
His Mercury, having made his observations, reported that there was
nobody in the coach but Mrs. Hornbeck and an elderly woman, who had all
the air of a duenna; and that the servant was not the same footman who
had attended them in France. Encouraged by this information, our hero
ordered himself to be driven close up to that side of their convenience
on which his old mistress sat, and accosted her with the usual
salutation. This lady no sooner beheld her gallant than her cheeks
reddened with a double glow, and she exclaimed, “Dear brother, I am
overjoyed to see you! Pray come into our coach.” He took the hint
immediately, and, complying with her request, embraced this new sister
with great affection.
Perceiving that her attendant was very much surprised and alarmed at
this unexpected meeting, she, in order to banish her suspicion, and at
the same time give her lover his cue, told him that his brother (meaning
her husband) was gone to the Spa for a few weeks, by the advice of
physicians, on account of his ill state of health; and that, from his
last letter, she had the pleasure to tell him he was in a fair way of
doing well. The young gentleman expressed his satisfaction at this
piece of news; observing, with an air of fraternal concern, that if
his brother had not made too free with his constitution, his friends in
England would have had no occasion to repine at his absence and want of
health, by which he was banished from his own country and connections.
He then asked, with an affectation of surprise, why she had not
accompanied her spouse, and was given to understand that his tenderness
of affection would not suffer him to expose her to the fatigues of the
journey, which lay among rocks that were almost inaccessible.
The duenna's doubts being eased by this preamble of conversation, he
changed the subject to the pleasures of the place; and, among other
such questions, inquired if she had as yet visited Versailles. This is
a public-house, situated upon the canal, at the distance of about
two miles from town, and accommodated with tolerable gardens, for the
entertainment of company. When she replied in the negative, he proposed
to accompany her thither immediately; but the governante, who had
hitherto sat silent, objected to this proposal; telling them, in broken
English, that as the lady was under her care, she could not answer to
Mr. Hornbeck for allowing her to visit such a suspicious place. “As
for that matter, madam,” said the confident gallant, “give yourself no
trouble; the consequences shall be at my peril; and I will undertake to
insure you against my brother's resentment.” So saying, he directed the
coachman to the place, and ordered his own to follow, under the auspices
of his valet-de-chambre; while the old gentlewoman, overruled by his
assurance, quietly submitted to his authority.
Being arrived at the place, he handed the ladies from the coach,
and then, for the first time, observed that the duenna was lame, a
circumstance of which he did not scruple to take the advantage; for
they had scarce alighted, and drunk a glass of wine, when he advised his
sister to enjoy a walk in the garden; and although the attendant made
shift to keep them almost always in view, they enjoyed a detached
conversation, in which Peregrine learned that the true cause of her
being left behind at Brussels, whilst her husband proceeded to Spa, was
his dread of the company and familiarities of that place, to which his
jealousy durst not expose her; and that she had lived three weeks in a
convent at Lisle, from which she was delivered by his own free motion,
because indeed he could no longer exist without her company; and,
lastly, our lover understood that her governante was a mere dragon,
who had been recommended to him by a Spanish merchant, whose wife she
attended to her dying day; but she very much questioned whether or not
her fidelity was proof enough against money and strong waters. Peregrine
assured her the experiment should be tried before parting; and they
agreed to pass the night at Versailles, provided his endeavours should
succeed.
Having exercised themselves in this manner, until his duenna's spirits
were pretty much exhausted, that she might be the better
disposed to recruit them with a glass of liqueur, they returned to their
apartment, and the cordial was recommended and received in a bumper; but
as it did not produce such a visible alteration as the sanguine hopes
of Pickle had made him expect, and the old gentlewoman observed that it
began to be late, and that the gates would be shut in a little time, he
filled up a parting glass, and pledged her in equal quantity. Her blood
was too much chilled to be warmed even by this extraordinary dose, which
made immediate innovation in the brain of our youth, who, in the gaiety
of his imagination, overwhelmed this she-Argus with such profusion of
gallantry, that she was more intoxicated with his expressions than with
the spirits she had drunk. When in the course of toying he dropped a
purse into her bosom, she seemed to forget how the night wore, and,
with the approbation of her charge, assented to his proposal of having
something for supper.
This was a great point which our adventurer had gained; and yet he
plainly perceived that the governante mistook his meaning, by giving
herself credit for all the passion he had professed. As this error could
be rectified by no other means than those of plying her with the bottle,
until her distinguishing faculties should be overpowered, he promoted
a quick circulation. She did him justice, without any manifest signs of
inebriation, so long, that his own eyes began to reel in the sockets,
and he found that before his scheme could be accomplished, he should
be effectually unfitted for all the purposes of love. He therefore had
recourse to his valet-de-chambre, who understood the hint as soon as it
was given, and readily undertook to perform the part of which his master
had played the prelude. This affair being settled to his satisfaction,
and the night at odds with morning, he took an opportunity of imparting
to the ear of this aged dulcinea a kind whisper, importing a promise of
visiting her when his sister should be retired to her own chamber, and
an earnest desire of leaving her door unlocked.
This agreeable intimation being communicated, he conveyed a caution of
the same nature to Mrs. Hornbeck, as he led her to her apartment; and
darkness and silence no sooner prevailed in the house, than he and his
trusted squire set out on their different voyages. Everything would have
succeeded according to their wish, had not the valet-de-chambre suffered
himself to fall asleep at the side of his inamorata, and, in the
agitation of a violent dream, exclaimed in a voice so unlike that of her
supposed adorer, that she distinguished the difference at once. Waking
him with a pinch and a loud shriek, she threatened to prosecute him
for a rape, and reviled him with all the epithets her rage and
disappointment could suggest.
The Frenchman, finding himself detected, behaved with great temper and
address: he begged she would compose herself, on account of her own
reputation, which was extremely dear to him; protesting that he had a
most inviolable esteem for her person. His representations had weight
with the duenna, who, upon recollection, comprehended the whole
affair, and thought it would be her interest to bring matters to an
accommodation. She therefore admitted the apologies of her bed-fellow,
provided he would promise to atone by marriage for the injury she had
sustained; and in this particular he set her heart at ease by repeated
vows, which he uttered with surprising volubility, though without any
intention to perform the least title of their contents.
Peregrine, who had been alarmed by her exclamation, and ran to the
door with a view of interposing according to the emergency of the case,
overhearing the affair thus compromised, returned to his mistress, who
was highly entertained with an account of what had passed, foreseeing
that for the future she should be under no difficulty or restriction
from the severity of her guard.