"This will not do, in an affair like the present. When the interests
of millions may hang upon a yea or nay; he, who has it in his power to
pronounce either, must be bound on the perdition of his soul to utter
that only which ensures the general safety."
He paused for an answer. But Louis remaining silent, as if still
unconvinced, his stern monitor resumed with augmented asperity.
"I do not like this mincing nicety. It savours more of effeminate
dreaming, than of manly intention to observe and to act. At a word,
take the oath I proffer you; or, prepare to set out this night on
your return to England; and to the absurd people who have taught you
to pant for glory, and to start from its shadow." The Sieur turned
haughtily away.--The reasoning faculties of his pupil became confused.
Was he doing right or wrong in resisting this demand? It called on him
to stake his salvation on the preservation of secrets, of the nature
of which he was entirely ignorant. It seemed to him more than just,
that a stranger, however sanctioned, should, at so early a stage of
acquaintance, expect that perfect reliance on his virtue, as would
warrant a man in so awful a venture as that of vowing to adopt all that
stranger might propose. But the authority with which he pronounced
the sentence which should follow persisted refusal, struck Louis with
astonishment. Who was he, that durst so fearlessly take on himself the
responsibility of banishing, without appeal, and with disgrace, the son
of the Baron de Ripperda? As Louis looked up, with something of this
question in his eyes, he met the searching glance of Ignatius. "Young
man," said he, "you think your honour insulted, by the mention of an
oath. Your honour, which is yet untried! Which has passed through no
ordeal, but those presented by phantastic imagination! What must the
Baron de Ripperda think, when he hears of a son who so insults his
father's approved honour, as to doubt whether he ought to pledge his
faith on that father's virtue? And, after all," added he, "what more
is demanded of you, than the surety that is offered every hour by the
rest of mankind, on the slightest requisition, and on the commonest
occasions?"
"What is slightly assumed," returned Louis, "would be as slightly
relinquished. And I trust that my father will not condemn, and that his
friend will not continue to misjudge, a hesitation which springs from
the inexpressible awe in which I hold the nature of an oath. By that
most solemn of appeals, I have never yet called upon the presence of
my Creator; and therefore I tremble to do it now. But," added he, "as
it is the will of my father; who, through your agency, demands it of
me; on the probity of his soul, I commit mine, and am ready to swear."
"Then," cried the Sieur, "subscribe that paper with your name."
Louis took it, and read a form of words in the Spanish language, which
claimed his allegiance to Spain; by the privileges and pledges of his
long line of ancestors born in that realm, by the reunion of his father
to that realm; and by the restitution which the King and council had
made to him of the Ripperda territories in Andalusia and Granada,
forfeited to the crown in the year 1673, by the rebellious conduct of
Don Juan de Montemar Duke de Ripperda. In just return for this grace
from the land of his ancestors, William, the present Baron de Ripperda,
had taken an oath of fealty to Philip and to Spain. And Louis de
Montemar, his only son, and heir to all his possessions, honours,
and civic duties, was called upon, by the same solemn rite to devote
himself to Spain, as his country; and to Philip as his liege-lord.
At the end of this official document, a postscript was written in
the Baron's own hand, demanding of his son, to add to the signature
required, on oath to perform all that might be appointed him by his
father directly, or indirectly through the Sieur Ignatius, for the
service of the King; and to hold all secrets confided to him for that
purpose, inviolable as his Christian faith.
Louis saw nothing in bonds which his father's hand-writing had
sanctified, to suggest further hesitation; and, without reluctance, he
set his name to the paper, and pressed to his lips the sacred volume
presented by the Sieur.
"Now Louis," said he, "your task is easy. Will, is a conquering
sword!"--as he spoke, a smile played for a moment on his stern lip;
but like a sun-beam on a dark cloud, it suddenly disappeared, and all
was gloom again. He opened the escritoire, and took from the shelves
two thick scrolls in strange characters. Louis continued to gaze on
the face of this mysterious man, as he arranged the sheets on the
table. The smile, which had just lit up those lurid features with
the nameless splendors of mental beauty, was passed away; but the
impression remained on his pupil's heart. Louis congratulated himself
on the assurance that it gave him, and said inwardly, "I shall never
forget that magic smile, so eloquent of every ineffable grace of mind
and spirit! It is a pledge to me, that I may love, as well as reverence
its possessor."
Ignatius placed the papers before his attentive pupil, telling him,
they comprised his duty for the day; that he must copy them stroke
by stroke, for the inaccuracy of a single curve, might produce
consequences to burthen his soul for ever. The Sieur then sat down to
give minute instruction respecting the execution of these momentous
documents. The task was complicated, and of a nature totally different
from any thing Louis had ever practised, or could possibly have
anticipated. However, he cheerfully engaged in its performance; and
his employer, having seen the precision of his commencement, rose to
withdraw. Before he quitted the room, he turned and said, that he
supposed it was hardly necessary to enjoin the propriety of always
keeping that chamber locked, both when it was occupied and when it was
vacant. On Louis's bowing to the implied command, he added, that Gerard
would strike on the door, when dinner was served in the saloon; and
that at midnight, he would himself return to the chateau, to inspect
the papers, and affix his seal to their contents.
Louis continued from noon, till the gloom of twilight, at his
laborious penmanship. He knew nothing of the particular purport of any
one of the numerous sheets he was transcribing. The characters were
unknown to him; but he was assured by Ignatius, all were directed to
the service of Spain; and with alacrity and exactness he had completed
half his task before the duskiness of the hour, and the promised stroke
of Gerard, gave him a short respite.
Solitude was again at his temperate meal. He had heard enough from
the Sieur, to warn him against the imprudence of putting unnecessary
questions; and determined to allow all unimportant circumstances, at
least, to pass by him unnoticed by oral remark; he said nothing to his
taciturn attendant about the continued absence of Castanos. His dinner
was dispatched in a few minutes, and taking the candles in his hands,
he returned to the locked chamber to finish his work. At the appointed
hour, Ignatius reappeared.
The several heaps of papers were arranged for his inspection, and,
with a nod of approbation he examined them one by one. He approved
what was done, and turning to the escritoire, sealed them, and affixed
to each packet its appropriate address. What were the names on these
superscriptions, Louis had no guess, though he did not doubt they were
all to be consigned to the Baron de Ripperda; and, (as he observed by
the proceedings of the Sieur, they were ready to be put into their
last envelope,) he ventured to ask whether he might not add one packet
more to his father. Ignatius remained silent. Though Louis saw no
encouragement on his contracting brow, he would not be so repulsed, but
steadily repeated his request, adding, that he was particularly anxious
to dispatch this letter, as it was not only to assure his father of his
devotedness to his commands, but to beg him to forward one on most
urgent business, which he had inclosed for Don Ferdinand d'Osorio.
"Your father will have sufficient assurance of your obedience, in the
execution of these papers," returned the Sieur, "and as to promoting a
correspondence with Don Ferdinand d'Osorio;--in your situation, that
is out of the question. Your residence here is unknown to any one, and
must continue so, till the affair that commands your service, is made
or marred. Burn your packet, therefore; it cannot go."
During this speech, he opened the leathern-bag that was to be the
travelling case of the dispatches.
Louis sighed convulsively as he put his letter back into his bosom.
Ignatius took no notice of this heart-struck sign of disappointment,
but calmly continued packing the papers. Louis thought of the unhappy
Alice; of the tears she shed on his neck at parting; of his vow to
restore to her, her peace of mind; and he could not endure his own
cowardice in having been over-awed to the appearance of giving up her
cause, even for a moment. He resumed in a firmer voice.
"I seek no correspondence with Don Ferdinand, Sir, I never desire
to hear from him in return for the letter I am so anxious he should
receive. It is only to demand of him an act of justice to a lovely
woman whose happiness he has destroyed. And to do this, I have solemnly
engaged myself to her and to my own heart."
"Louis de Montemar," replied the Sieur, "you are entered on a course
of life that will not admit of romantic trifling. There is but one
direction for all your faculties:--the public good.--Private concerns
must take care of themselves."
He closed the leathern-case over the dispatches, and covering its
padlock with wax, stampt it with his seal. "I repeat, Sir," cried
Louis impetuously, "I have pledged my honour, to the forwarding this
letter to Don Ferdinand; and the public good will not deem it necessary
to make me a private deceiver!"
Ignatius turned on him a look of haughty reproof.
"Young man, you know little of your duty towards the public good, if
you can put its smallest tittle into competition with the adjustment of
an amour between a weak girl and a profligate youth. Her folly must be
her punishment."
The indignation of insulted virtue burnt upon the cheek of Louis.
"You mistake me, Sir! She for whom I am interested, is as pure from
unchaste weakness, as my father's honour from stain. It is her soul
that is enthralled, by a vow extorted from her by this ungenerous
Spaniard; and to release her from the wretched load, is the sole
purport of my letter to him." "You love the girl yourself," said
the inflexible Ignatius, taking no visible notice of the encreasing
agitation of his pupil.
"I do love her," returned he, "but not in the way your observation
would imply. I love her, as becomes the son of the Baroness de Ripperda
to love the daughter of her sister; that sister, who has been to
him in the place of the mother heaven took from him at his birth!
Alice Coningsby is the person to whom I have bound myself to release
her conscience from the bonds of an artful man. And, after this
explanation, I cannot believe that the friend of my father will longer
withhold my letter!"
The Sieur listened with his eyes bent to the ground. He looked up
when Louis ceased speaking; and saw, by his proud indignant air, that
he rather expected occasion for further braving a refusal, than to
receive the permission he affected to think could no longer be denied.
"Louis," said he, "I see what is passing in your mind; but I will
not be rigid to your present feelings. Your letter shall go to Don
Ferdinand. But you must expunge from it all reference to where you are,
and tell him, to send the acquittal of your imprudent cousin, direct to
herself."
Surprised and thankful, Louis readily undertook to re-write the letter
according to these injunctions; a few minutes put it into the form
required, and inclosing the irresistible appeal of Alice herself, to
her ungenerous lover, he sealed the packet, and delivered it to the
Sieur. The dispatches being fastened up, it was to be committed to the
particular charge of Castanos, who was to carry the bag to Madrid.
Louis's grateful heart was again going to pour itself out, but Ignatius
checked the ingenuous effusion, by turning severely round, as he moved
to the door.
"This time," said he, "I have yielded to your request, in
consideration of its pious motive. But you must fully understand
me; and then you will not presume more on this indulgence, than the
spirit of your recent oath will sanction. Here not only ends your
correspondence with Don Ferdinand, but closes your communication with
every person without these walls, until our affair is terminated. Not
even the inhabitants of Lindisfarne must know of your being at Vienna."
"I lament my ignorance of the necessity for such precaution," replied
Louis, "but the interdicted intimation is now beyond my recall. I wrote
to both my uncles from Ostend; and twice during my journey to Vienna."
"Such an accident was provided against," answered Ignatius; "Castanos
had the Baron de Ripperda's orders to destroy all such letters in their
way to the post; so be at rest on that head. Your father himself will
take care to let Mr. Athelstone and Sir Anthony know that you are
well, and conducting yourself to his satisfaction."
"I am in his hands, and in your's," said Louis, bowing his head; while
struck by so strange an act of precaution, he had not power to utter a
word more. The Sieur drew his cloak over the dispatches, and without
further observations, left the apartment.