The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — CompleteSmollett, T. (Tobias)
General
The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete
Smollett, T. (Tobias)
Adventure stories; Gothic fiction
The lady on this occasion acted her part to a miracle; she screamed at
their approach; and, after an exclamation of “Ruined and undone!”
fainted away in the arms of her spouse, who had by this time seized her
by the shoulders, and begun to upbraid her with her infidelity and
guilt. As for Fathom, his affliction was unutterable, when he found
himself discovered in that situation, and made prisoner by the two
assistants, who had pinioned him in such a manner, that he could not
stir, much less accomplish an escape. All his ingenuity and presence of
mind seemed to forsake him in this emergency. The horrors of an English
jury overspread his imagination; for he at once perceived that the toil
into which he had fallen was laid for the purpose; consequently he took
it for granted that there would be no deficiency in point of evidence.
Soon as he recollected himself, he begged that no violence might be
offered to his person, and entreated the husband to favour him with a
conference, in which the affair might be compromised, without prejudice
to the reputation of either.
At first Trapwell breathed nothing but implacable revenge, but, by the
persuasion of his friends, after he had sent home his wife in a chair,
he was prevailed upon to hear the proposals of the delinquent, who
having assured him, by way of apology, that he had always believed the
lady was a widow, made him an offer of five hundred pounds, as an
atonement for the injury he had sustained. This being a sum no ways
adequate to the expectation of the citizen, who looked upon the Count
as possessor of an immense estate, he rejected the terms with disdain,
and made instant application to a judge, from whom he obtained a
warrant for securing his person till the day of trial. Indeed, in this
case, money was but a secondary consideration with Trapwell, whose
chief aim was to be legally divorced from a woman he detested.
Therefore there was no remedy for the unhappy Count, who in vain
offered to double the sum. He found himself reduced to the bitter
alternative of procuring immediate bail, or going directly to Newgate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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