_The two Devouts._
For some days past the Sultan left the Toys at rest. Important affairs,
on which he was busy, suspended the effects of his ring. In this
interval it was, that two women of Banza made diversion for the whole
town.
They were professed devouts. They had managed their intrigues with
all possible discretion, and were in full enjoyment of a reputation,
which even the malice of those of their own class paid respect to. In
the mosques nothing was talk'd of but their virtue. Mothers proposed
them as patterns to their daughters, and husbands to their wives.
The principal maxim of both was, that scandal is the greatest of all
sins. This conformity of sentiments, but above all, the difficulty of
edifying a clear-sighted and crafty neighbour at an easy expence, had
got the better of the difference of their tempers, and they were very
good friends.
Zelida received Sophia's Bramin: and it was at Sophia's house that
Zelida confer'd with her director; and by a little self-examination,
the one could hardly be ignorant of what concerned the other's Toy:
but the whimsical indiscretion of these Toys kept them both in cruel
apprehensions. They held themselves as on the point of being unmask'd,
and of losing that reputation of virtue, which had cost them fifteen
years dissimulation and management, and which now embarassed them very
much.
At some moments they would even forfeit their lives, especially Zelida,
to be as much blasted as the greatest part of their acquaintance.
"What will the world say? What will my husband do?----What! that woman
so reserved, so modest, so virtuous, that Zelida, like others, is
but----Alas! this thought distracts me!----Yes, I wish I never had any
reputation," cried Zelida in a passion.
She was then with her female friend, who was making the same
reflections, but without such violent commotion. Zelida's last words
made her smile. "Laugh, madam, without constraint. Burst out," said
Zelida, touched to the quick. "To be sure you have good cause." "I
am as sensible of the impending danger, as you can be," answered
Sophia, with an air of indifference; "but how to shun it? For you will
agree with me, that there is no likelyhood that your wish will be
accomplish'd."
"Contrive an expedient then," replied Zelida: "Oh!" said Sophia, "I am
tired of rummaging my brain, I can find none.----To bury one's self in
a country seat, is one way; but to abandon the pleasures of Banza, and
renounce life, is what I will never do. I perceive that my Toy will
never approve it." "What is to be done then?" "What! to leave all to
providence, and laugh, as I do, at what the world will say. I have
tried all shifts to reconcile reputation with pleasures: but since it
is decreed that we must renounce reputation, let us at least preserve
pleasures. We were uniques: but now, my dear, we shall be like a
hundred thousand others; do you look on this as a hard fate?"
"Yes, without doubt," replied Zelida; "to me it seems hard to be like
those, for whom I had put on a sovereign contempt. In order to avoid
this mortification, methinks I would fly to the world's end."
"Set out, my dear," continued Sophia; "for my part, I stay--But _à
propos_, I advise you to furnish yourself with some secret, to prevent
your Toy from blabbing on the road."
"Indeed," replied Zelida, "pleasantry here has a very ill grace, and
your intrepidity----"
"You are mistaken, Zelida, there is not a grain of intrepidity in my
proceeding. To let things go their own way, when we cannot stop them,
is resignation. I see that I am to be dishonoured: well then, dishonour
for dishonour, I shall spare myself as much of the uneasiness as I can."
"Dishonour'd!" replied Zelida, bursting into tears. "Dishonour'd! What
a shock! I cannot bear it.--Oh! accursed Bonza, 'tis thou that hast
ruin'd me. I loved my husband, I was born virtuous; I should have loved
him still, if thou hadst not made a wicked use of thy ministry and my
confidence. Dishonour'd, dear Sophia!----"
She had not power to make an end. Sobs intercepted her words, and she
fell on the carpet, quite in despair. As soon as Zelida recovered her
speech, she cried out in a lamentable tone: "Alas! my dear Sophia, I
shall die----I must die. No, I shall never survive my reputation."
"But Zelida, my dear Zelida, do not be in a hurry to die: perhaps,"
said Sophia----"No perhaps shall stop me, I must dye."----"But perhaps
one might"----"One might do nothing, I tell you"----"But speak, my
dear, what might one do?"----"Perhaps one might hinder a Toy from
talking." "Ah! Sophia, you endeavour to comfort me by false hopes,
you deceive me." "No, no, I do not deceive you; only hear me, instead
of distracting yourself like a mad creature. I have heard talk of
Frenicol, Eolipila, gags and muzzles." "Pray, what connexion is there
between Frenicol, Eolipila, muzzles, and the danger which threatens us?
What business has my Toyman here, and what is a muzzle?"
"It is this, my dear. A muzzle is a machine invented by Frenicol,
approved by the academy, and improved by Eolipila, who claims the
honour of the invention." "But pray, this machine invented by
Frenicol, approved by the academy, and improved by that silly fellow
Eolipila."----"Oh! you are of a vivacity that surpasses imagination.
Well then, this machine being applied to a Toy, renders it discreet in
spite of its teeth."----"Can this be true, my dear?" "It is so said."
"We must know it," replied Zelida, "and immediately too."
She rang, one of her women appeared, and she sent for Frenicol. "Why
not for Eolipila?" said Sophia. "Frenicol is less taken notice of,"
answered Zelida.
The Toyman came away with the messenger. "Ah! Frenicol, are you there,"
said Zelida, "you are welcome. Make haste, my friend, to extricate two
women out of cruel anxiety."--"What is the business, ladies? Would you
please to have some rare Toys?"--"No, we have two already, and we would
willingly"--"Part with them, I suppose. Pray, ladies, let me see them,
I will take them, or we will make an exchange."--"You are mistaken,
Mr. Frenicol, we have nothing to truck."--"Well, I understand you,
you have some ear-rings, which you would desire to lose, so as that
your husbands may find them in my shop."----"Not that neither; pray,
Sophia, inform him of the matter." "Frenicol," continued Sophia, "we
want two----What, don't you understand?" "No, madam: how would you
have me understand, when you say nothing?"----"'Tis," said Sophia,
"because when a woman is modest, it gives her pain to speak plain on
certain things." "But yet," replied Frenicol, "she must speak plain. I
am a Toyman, not a Conjuror."----"You must guess however."----"Faith,
ladies, the more I look on ye, the less I comprehend ye. When a lady
is young, rich, and pretty as you are, she is not reduced to artifice:
moreover, I declare sincerely, that I sell them no longer. I have left
the dealing in those baubles to young beginners in the trade."
Our devouts found the Toyman's mistake so ridiculous, that they both
burst out into a violent fit of laughter, which disconcerted him.
"Permit me, ladies, to make my bow, and withdraw. You might well have
spared yourselves the trouble of sending for me three miles off, to
divert yourselves at my cost." "Stop, stop, friend," said Zelida, still
laughing on. "That was not our intention. But by your misapprehending
us, such ridiculous notions came into your head."----"'Tis in your
power, ladies, to put juster into it. What is the business?" "Oh! Mr.
Frenicol, let me laugh at ease, before I answer you."
Zelida laugh'd till she panted for breath. The Toyman thought within
himself that she had the vapors, or was out of her senses, and had
patience. At length Zelida ceased.----"Well," said she, "the business
relates to our Toys, our own Toys, do you understand me, Mr. Frenicol?
To be sure you cannot be ignorant, that for some time past several Toys
have prattled like magpyes: now we would be very glad that ours would
not follow this bad example." "Ah! now I take it, that is to say,"
replied Frenicol, "that you want a muzzle each."----"Very right, you
have hit it off truly. I have been told that Mr. Frenicol was no fool."
"Madam, your goodness is very great. As to what you require, I have of
all sorts, I go this moment to bring you some."
Frenicol went accordingly: in the mean while Zelida embraced her
friend, and thank'd her for her expedient: and I, says the African
author, went to take a nap, waiting his return.