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The History of the Human Heart

The History of the Human Heart - Chapter IV.

Chapter IV.


            At the hour appointed he waited on that lady, and was received as before in a mask. After the first compliments, he asked her, if he was never to have the happiness of seeing her face, and if his love was to live by faith alone? she told him, she believed he had very little faith, since that had not been able to prevail on him to refrain from seeing Charlotta: but for a few hours, according to his most solemn promise when he last parted with her. "What can you say" (added she) "in justification of this manifest piece of infidelity? It is to no purpose to deny the fact, for you had not left me an hour when you went to the widow's house, where I know you found her alone, and no doubt took that opportunity to persuade her to listen to your false vows and insinuations, and you have now the assurance to come to offer me the dregs of a satiated passion, or to make reprisals on the easiness of my temper, for the cold reception you may have met with from her: but I assure you, Camillo, whatever weakness I may have confessed for you, yet I would have you know, I have so much resolution, as to stifle every tender sentiment in my breast, rather than be made a fool of in that gross manner." "I believe," replied Camillo, "there must be some secret intelligence between you and that lady; you seem to be the counterparts, or tallies to each other; for she entertains me with all I say to you, and you with what I say to her; and all the while I cannot for my soul know how each of you come by your intelligence: it must be some new device of the blind boy, who resolves to lead me a fairy dance between you, and Tantalus-like, oblige me to starve with meat at my lips, which I am doomed never to touch. But to do all I can to clear up all doubts, and prevent all misunderstanding for the future, I shall make you an ingenuous confession, and be you yourself judge how far I am criminal. You may remember then," continued he, "in what situation affairs were in between, you and me when we last parted. I think we were on the point of entering into certain articles which were to be signed, sealed, and executed on that couch, when a most impertinent visitant, (who by the by I understood was no other than Charlotta herself) spoiled all our measures, and nipped my warm hopes in the very bud; I was forced to leave the field, when victory was in full view, and my charming enemy ready to surrender at discretion. I went away as full of your dear idea as I possibly could be, and the bare reflection of the happiness I missed consumed me. I did all I could to compose myself, but in vain; your charming image was still present to my view, and my imagination painted it in the most enchanting attitude. I fancied you already on the couch, myself encircled within your snowy arms, breathing out my soul in the most murmuring accents of ecstatic love, while my hands wantoned over your panting bosom, and visited the sacred centre of your warmest wishes. I thought your sighs breathed short and quick, your pulse beat high, your heart leaped to mine, and gave the alarm to all the joys of love. I seized the happy minute, and was ravished with the imaginary ecstasy; but chancing to look up, I saw myself alone, the vision vanished, and Ixion-like<32>, I embraced only a cloud of my own, not Juno's creation. I discovered the cheat, but still the sting remained behind, nothing could extinguish the fire which I felt preying upon my vitals. I thought a thousand times of returning to your apartment, and waiting the departure of your visitant, whom I cursed with bell, book and candle; but I feared to displease my adorable, and therefore I must own to you frankly, I thought of seeking relief from the raging torture, from some less reluctant fair; Charlotta first occurred, I went to visit her, made love to her, but it was only as your proxy, and was so far happy as to hear her talk of little else but you; now can you blame me for endeavouring to quench that flame which you yourself raised, which by the by I was not successful in, or would you have me allow myself to burn to ashes, and bring you nothing to day but the dry embers of what was yesterday? But come, madam, let us trifle no longer; by my frankness you may guess how much I love, and now we have opportunity, let us use it before some other impertinent female comes to disturb us."

            "Hold, sir," replied the mask, "your imagination is so strong, there is no occasion for the reality; you acted your part so well yesterday when embracing your cloud, it is to no purpose you should ask me to bear a part, and it is ten to one, but all the warmth you express for me, may be offered me as proxy to Charlotta, since it is as reasonable I should be hers as she mine. Therefore you must inform me how I can be sure that you make love to my proper person." "It is impossible, my invisible divinity," returned Camillo, "that my devotion can be meant to anything but you, and you shall be judge of its sincerity by its ardour. I shall express it in such feeling terms, that an infidel must be convinced—" "Renounce all commerce," said she, "with Charlotta, and then"—"and then my angel we shall be happy," returned he; "why stop the charming accents?—echo the yielding sound to my ravished ear, and I will renounce everything, renounce Charlotta, myself, and all your sex besides, and adhere to this dear bosom for ever; but why this covering to your face, unveil thy charms, and strike me senseless with admiration of that beauty, which my imagination has painted fairer than the graces, and more radiant than the blooming morn". All this while he held her fast to his bosom, and hastily, without her perceiving it, snatched the mask off her face. But how great his surprise, when instead of that beauty which was but the minute before to have struck him senseless with admiration, he saw the well-known face of his mistress Charlotta. "My Charlotta!" said he, "sure my eyes deceive me: how is this change wrought? Is the age of metamorphosis returned? Am I in one of the enchanted palaces of the ancient poets? How is it possible that I should be so long deceived as not to know the voice, the air, and shape of my adorable Charlotta! Speak, my charmer, and unriddle this mystery, which makes me doubly happy, in finding the perfections of both my mistresses united in one." Charlotta was some moments before she could recover the confusion which this unexpected discovery threw her into; but at last she put on a cheerful countenance, and began to play off her raillery upon him. "How now," said she, "Camillo! how can you look me in the face, when in the height of your raptures, which I had raised, without any design to allow you to complete them, you said you would renounce Charlotta, yourself, and all the sex, but the fancied one you then took me for; are not you ashamed of the indignity you offered me when you owned the visit you paid me last night was only to allay the loose desires you supposed raised by another? I have had my end in thus disguising myself from you; by it I find the generous motive of your addresses to me, and now I can assure you I am armed against you, and shall take care to banish you that place in my affection, which your first modest deportment made me grant you."

            On saying this, she endeavoured to disengage herself from his arms, and to rise from the couch, whereon they were both seated during the whole of this scene; but Camillo would not permit her: he redoubled his caresses, and told her all he had said that day, was done by her own permission, who had desired him expressly to push matters as far with his masquerade acquaintance as he could, without regard to her: that he had said nothing but what he intended to have told her the next time he saw her, and said nothing but what his heart gave the lie to, however warm his expressions might seem in so critical a moment.—"And now," added he, "my charmer, I must take your own advice, and push matters as far as I can with my fair one. The minutes fly swiftly on: time is precious; every moment solicits to be employed in the important business of love: all our faculties are full of the promised bliss, nature calls, love prompts, opportunity offers; let no childish coyness chill the warm desires that now mutually fires our breasts. Those languid eyes, that heaving panting bosom, that glowing blush, all proclaim the god of love triumphant: yield my dearest to his dictates, and make me happy." This said, he pushed boldly forward, laid her gently back on the couch, removed the outworks, and sword in hand charged the breach. The engagement was warm on both sides for same moments, each strove for victory with equal vigour, till their ammunition on both sides being spent, the swain first made a decent retreat, and left the field to recruit his forces, in order to renew the charge.

            How often the amorous combat was renewed is not very material, but it is to be presumed, Camillo who had kept Lent so long, made a full meal before he parted, and promised when he took his leave, to visit her the next day at her mother's, she having cautioned him to take no notice there of his discovering her plot.

            He kept his promise, and was received by Charlotta alone, but she desired him to observe a distant respects in his carriage, for that they were under observation. This was a little uneasy to him, for he had full expectation of finding her alone; but he was obliged to submit to the rules prescribed by his mistress, and please himself for the present with an assignation she made him, to meet at the former place.

            He made his visit very short, and was impatient for the hour of rendezvous, both to satisfy his appetite, and curiosity, for he was much at a loss to find out the reason of the doubles of his mistress, which he had no opportunity to do at the last meeting, or that wherein he had been so successful, for then he was too much employed in gratifying a warmer appetite than curiosity, to think much of it: and besides, at the close of the scene, they were forced to part abruptly, some company coming in, before whom they were obliged to observe some decorum. At last, the wished-for hour came, and Camillo flew to his charmer on the wings of love. After the first dalliance was over, which he was admitted to without much preamble, he had leisure to ask the design of her putting that trick upon him, and disguising and concealing herself so long, merely, for aught he could apprehend, to give them both unnecessary pain. She was at a loss to find out a reasonable excuse for this proceeding, and at last told him, that Vilario had made her some offers, which her mother obliged her to receive with more seeming complaisance, than she was willing to show of herself that she had taken an affection to his (Camillo's) person, from the first time she saw him; and observed with pleasure that she was not indifferent to him; but durst not, for fear of her mother, own the one, or encourage the other; and therefore laid the project of attacking him at the masquerade, which she did in the presence of her mother, who thought the whole was a frolic, and connived at it as far as that night, but that she had given him the meeting ever since without her knowledge, and kept on the mark only to make herself acquainted with the nature and degree of the regard he had for her, that she might take her measures accordingly, by discovering herself if she found them serious and honourable, and breaking off without scandal, if she found them otherwise. "If you remember," added she, "my mother seemed out of temper on Wednesday night, when she came in and found us alone; it was on your account, because she imagined I had given you notice of my being without company, and suspected by a confusion, we both appeared to be in, that I had given you encouragement, contrary to the esteem she would have me entertain for Vilario. I guessed her meaning then by her looks, and judged that I should have no future opportunity of seeing you here, and for that reason whispered you to push matters with your incognito, but not in the naughty meaning which you put upon my expression, but in an honourable way, for I had some thought of engaging you under that borrowed shape, since it was equal to me, which of your mistresses you loved most, provided you loved one of them sincerely; but my foolish heart, yielded too soon, I yielded without conditions, and have put myself out of all hopes that you will ever repair the injury you have done;" with this the began to weep bitterly, and Camillo comforted her as much as he could, by swearing to love her eternally. She talked of honour, of reputation lost, of marriage, and all that stale stuff, but Camillo only answered her with kisses, and shifted the discourse by some new amorous dalliance as often as she mentioned it, so that after taking a farewell turn, they parted without his being obliged to explain himself on that head.

            When he got home, he began to reflect on the snare he had escaped, and rejoiced that he had for that time shunned the rock of matrimony, a leap, now that his stomach was stayed, he was under no manner of danger of taking, at least with Charlotta. But he could not help being a little chagrined at Vilario, whom he looked upon as his rival, and concluded, that he observe more than ordinary caution before him, lest he might discover by the optics of a rival, what might escape him as a tutor. He was at some loss what to think of his making love, for he knew his circumstances such as did not suit with the charge of wife and family, and he had too great an opinion of his austere sanctity, to believe he could be so profane as to think of a mere mistress. This puzzled Camillo, and put him upon laying a scheme to come at his thoughts of Charlotta. That same evening, they fell into conversation about the widow and her daughter, and Camillo designedly dropt some slighting expressions of Charlotta, supposing if Vilario had any esteem for that lady, he would not entertain a conversation to her disadvantage; but Vilario heard him charge her with levity, &c. without the least emotion, and only said, he was glad to find he was so good a judge of women, but that Miss Charlotta was well enough to pass a vacant hour with, and her company less dangerous than women of brighter qualifications. "But I thought," added he, "that you had a very great regard for that lady, and had made use of her natural disposition to forward your design upon her, for I cannot imagine a young gentleman of your years can be so often in the company of a woman, whose person is far from disagreeable, without having some warm thoughts of her, which I am of opinion Miss Charlotta would not discourage on her part. Come," continued he, observing Camillo blush, "there is no great crime for one in your circumstances to be desirous of knowing what a fine woman is made of, provided things are not carried to excess, so as to interfere with matters of more serious concern, and are conducted with decency; and if you have any such inclination, you cannot deal with more safety than in the widow's family, nor I believe where you can be more acceptable." Camillo, a little encouraged with this discourse, but not fully satisfied that it was not with a design to pump him, kept still upon the reserve; but said, "I own I have the inclinations that are common to one of my years: I am no more made of iron or steel than my neighbours, but I would not choose to hunt in other people's purlieus." "What mean you," replied Vilario, "do you suspect any particular person to be at present intimate with Charlotta? I do not think there is; though, if there were, I do not see that you need be so scrupulous with a mistress, whom you can have no design to take into keeping, since our stay here is to be so short." "As for that matter," replied Camillo, "I am not so delicate as to fall out with her about the disposition of her favours, as long as there may be enough left for me after a dozen have had her; but I would not choose to supplant my friend, who, perhaps, may have views inconsistent with a free commerce of that kind." "Sure you do not suspect me," returned Vilario, "to have any designs upon the girl? If you do, you are utterly in the wrong, and to disabuse you, I must let you into the character of the ladies, with my design of introducing you there. I knew, sir, that you must have desires natural to your years, and that in this city a young gentleman runs great risks, both of his health and reputation, in a commerce with the common girls of the town. To prevent then your being tempted to have recourse to them, I introduced you to the widow's, who, to let you into the secret, has no other method of living, but by the private prostitution of her girls to men of fortune and fashion. She manages her affairs with so much prudence, that none of her neighbours suspect her occupation, and none but those who are under a necessity of keeping the secret for their own sakes, are permitted any favours at her house. I did not think it prudent to represent them to you in this light, lest I should raise an inclination I had rather you had not, and might perhaps be dormant of itself, and if it was not, you had there an opportunity of gratifying without any danger to your person. The widow and her daughters too knew my design, and they were directed to behave accordingly; that is, with reserve and decency, if that proved to be your taste; and with openness and freedom, if they found you that way disposed. The widow suspects you and Charlotta either are already, or will be very soon hand and glove together: you know best how far her suspicions are just, but from this you may see your jealousy of me is ill founded. I have observed," continued Vilario, "that ever since I had the honour to be entrusted with the direction of your studies, that you have carried yourself with great reserve towards me, and appear to have a kind of damp upon your spirits when in my company. I should be sorry to give you any cause to look upon me as a bug-bear; on the contrary, I would have you honour me with your friendship and confidence; it is by this means, my experience in the world can be of use to you, which I assure will always make great allowances for youthful inclinations, which I know from long observation are not to be tied down to all the rigid rules and precepts of philosophy. Parents, who perhaps have not seen the world, and have forgot their juvenile thoughts, want to plant grey-headed wisdom on green shoulders, and are unwilling to relax the smallest punctilio of the severest morality. We are obliged sometimes to humour them in their own way, and conceal the liberty we permit those that are entrusted to our care. My behaviour has been correspondent to this while I was in the country, and under the eye of your father, which may have given you a notion that my business about you, is to be a rigid and austere censor upon your actions, and that I expect of you the same sedate deportment as from a man of forty. No, my dear sir, do not think so; believe me only your friend and intimate, whom superior years and experience have enabled to advise you in what may be most conducive to your peace and happiness."

            Camillo was surprised and overjoyed, to hear the grave and seemingly austere Vilario talk in a strain, that bordered a little upon profaneness, and from that moment swore an inviolable friendship to him, and that he would make him his confidant in everything: and as a proof of it, made him acquainted with every step of his amour with Charlotta, by which Vilario understood that both the widow and her daughter had a matrimonial plot upon his pupil. He was glad Camillo had escaped the snare, though he saw it was by mere chance, and the want of management in the young lady, who had not followed the widow's advice, of whom he was resolved to be revenged for her treachery. He went immediately to Charlotta, and by sly insinuations got out of her all that had passed between her and Camillo; and as she had not prudence to conceal the article of the masquerade, but told that affair in all its particulars, she gave Vilario an opportunity of letting her understand he saw a further plot than a piece of gallantry; and by threats got at the bottom of their design, which was this: Charlotta was to behave at home in a demure manner, and to practise all the airs of strict virtue and honour; if that behaviour took, then she was not to yield without a priest; if not, the disguise was contrived to attack him with a less reserved carriage, which they supposed would most probably have its weight: but in both cases, he was not to be permitted to take possession of the premises, on any other than matrimonial terms. However, as it happened, Charlotta had not cunning enough to manage an affair of that nature, and her endeavours to conceal the whole from Vilario, proved the ruin of their whole scheme, and lost the widow his custom; for from the moment he had made a full discovery of their plot, he never permitted Camillo to set foot in the house; and gave him such a notion of the danger he had escaped, that he had no inclination to have any further commerce with Charlotta of any sort.

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