The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Volume 02Smollett, T. (Tobias)
General
The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Volume 02
Smollett, T. (Tobias)
Adventure stories; Gothic fiction
The physician, having listened with complacency to this effusion,
replied, "It is my profession, it is my nature to sympathise with the
afflicted. I am a judge of your feelings, because I know the value of
your loss. I attended the incomparable Monimia in her last illness, and
am well enough acquainted with her story to conclude that she fell a
sacrifice to an unhappy misunderstanding, effected and fomented by that
traitor who abused your mutual confidence."
He then proceeded to inform him of all the particulars which we have
already recorded, touching the destiny of the beauteous orphan, and
concluded with telling him he was ready to yield him any other
satisfaction which it was in his power to grant. The circumstances of
the tale had put Renaldo's spirits into such commotion, that he could
utter nothing but interjections and unconnected words. When Fathom's
behaviour was described, he trembled with fierce agitation, started from
his chair, pronouncing, "Monster! fiend! but we shall one day meet."
When he was made acquainted with the benevolence of the French lady, he
exclaimed, "O heaven-born charity and compassion! sure that must be some
spirit of grace sent hither to mitigate the tortures of life! where shall
I find her, to offer up my thanks and adoration?" Having heard the
conclusion of the detail, he embraced the relater, as the kind benefactor
of Monimia, shed a flood of tears in his bosom, and pressed him to crown
the obligation, by conducting him to the solitary place where now she
rested from all her cares.
The gentleman perceiving the transports of his grief were such as could
not be opposed, complied with his request, attended him in the vehicle,
and directed the coachman to drive to a sequestered field, at some
distance from the city, where stood the church, within whose awful aisle
this scene was to be acted. The sexton being summoned from his bed,
produced the keys, in consequence of a gratification, after the physician
had communed with him apart, and explained the intention of Renaldo's
visit.
During this pause the soul of Melvil was wound up to the highest pitch of
enthusiastic sorrow. The uncommon darkness of the night, the solemn
silence, and lonely situation of the place, conspired with the occasion
of his coming, and the dismal images of his fancy, to produce a real
rapture of gloomy expectation, which the whole world would not have
persuaded him to disappoint. The clock struck twelve, the owl screeched
from the ruined battlement, the door was opened by the sexton, who, by
the light of a glimmering taper, conducted the despairing lover to a
dreary aisle, and stamped upon the ground with his foot, saying, "Here
the young lady lies interred."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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