Chapter x.
Containing a hint or two concerning virtue, and a few more concerningsuspicion.
Our company, being arrived at London, were set down at his lordship'shouse, where, while they refreshed themselves after the fatigue oftheir journey, servants were despatched to provide a lodging for thetwo ladies; for, as her ladyship was not then in town, Mrs Fitzpatrickwould by no means consent to accept a bed in the mansion of the peer.
Some readers will, perhaps, condemn this extraordinary delicacy, as Imay call it, of virtue, as too nice and scrupulous; but we must makeallowances for her situation, which must be owned to have been veryticklish; and, when we consider the malice of censorious tongues, wemust allow, if it was a fault, the fault was an excess on the rightside, and which every woman who is in the self-same situation will dowell to imitate. The most formal appearance of virtue, when it is onlyan appearance, may, perhaps, in very abstracted considerations, seemto be rather less commendable than virtue itself without thisformality; but it will, however, be always more commended; and this, Ibelieve, will be granted by all, that it is necessary, unless in somevery particular cases, for every woman to support either the one orthe other.
A lodging being prepared, Sophia accompanied her cousin for thatevening; but resolved early in the morning to enquire after the ladyinto whose protection, as we have formerly mentioned, she haddetermined to throw herself when she quitted her father's house. Andthis she was the more eager in doing from some observations she hadmade during her journey in the coach.
Now, as we would by no means fix the odious character of suspicion onSophia, we are almost afraid to open to our reader the conceits whichfilled her mind concerning Mrs Fitzpatrick; of whom she certainlyentertained at present some doubts; which, as they are very apt toenter into the bosoms of the worst of people, we think proper not tomention more plainly till we have first suggested a word or two to ourreader touching suspicion in general.
Of this there have always appeared to me to be two degrees. The firstof these I chuse to derive from the heart, as the extreme velocity ofits discernment seems to denote some previous inward impulse, and therather as this superlative degree often forms its own objects; seeswhat is not, and always more than really exists. This is thatquick-sighted penetration whose hawk's eyes no symptom of evil canescape; which observes not only upon the actions, but upon the wordsand looks, of men; and, as it proceeds from the heart of the observer,so it dives into the heart of the observed, and there espies evil, asit were, in the first embryo; nay, sometimes before it can be said tobe conceived. An admirable faculty, if it were infallible; but, as thisdegree of perfection is not even claimed by more than one mortal being;so from the fallibility of such acute discernment have arisen many sadmischiefs and most grievous heart-aches to innocence and virtue. Icannot help, therefore, regarding this vast quick-sightedness into evilas a vicious excess, and as a very pernicious evil in itself. And I amthe more inclined to this opinion, as I am afraid it always proceedsfrom a bad heart, for the reasons I have above mentioned, and for onemore, namely, because I never knew it the property of a good one. Now,from this degree of suspicion I entirely and absolutely acquit Sophia.
A second degree of this quality seems to arise from the head. This is,indeed, no other than the faculty of seeing what is before your eyes,and of drawing conclusions from what you see. The former of these isunavoidable by those who have any eyes, and the latter is perhaps noless certain and necessary a consequence of our having any brains.This is altogether as bitter an enemy to guilt as the former is toinnocence: nor can I see it in an unamiable light, even though,through human fallibility, it should be sometimes mistaken. Forinstance, if a husband should accidentally surprize his wife in thelap or in the embraces of some of those pretty young gentlemen whoprofess the art of cuckold-making, I should not highly, I think, blamehim for concluding something more than what he saw, from thefamiliarities which he really had seen, and which we are at leastfavourable enough to when we call them innocent freedoms. The readerwill easily suggest great plenty of instances to himself; I shall addbut one more, which, however unchristian it may be thought by some, Icannot help esteeming to be strictly justifiable; and this is asuspicion that a man is capable of doing what he hath done already,and that it is possible for one who hath been a villain once to actthe same part again. And, to confess the truth, of this degree ofsuspicion I believe Sophia was guilty. From this degree of suspicionshe had, in fact, conceived an opinion that her cousin was really notbetter than she should be.
The case, it seems, was this: Mrs Fitzpatrick wisely considered thatthe virtue of a young lady is, in the world, in the same situationwith a poor hare, which is certain, whenever it ventures abroad, tomeet its enemies; for it can hardly meet any other. No soonertherefore was she determined to take the first opportunity of quittingthe protection of her husband, than she resolved to cast herself underthe protection of some other man; and whom could she so properlychoose to be her guardian as a person of quality, of fortune, ofhonour; and who, besides a gallant disposition which inclines men toknight-errantry, that is, to be the champions of ladies in distress,had often declared a violent attachment to herself, and had alreadygiven her all the instances of it in his power?
But, as the law hath foolishly omitted this office of vice-husband, orguardian to an eloped lady, and as malice is apt to denominate him bya more disagreeable appellation, it was concluded that his lordshipshould perform all such kind offices to the lady in secret, andwithout publickly assuming the character of her protector. Nay, toprevent any other person from seeing him in this light, it was agreedthat the lady should proceed directly to Bath, and that his lordshipshould first go to London, and thence should go down to that place bythe advice of his physicians.
Now all this Sophia very plainly understood, not from the lips orbehaviour of Mrs Fitzpatrick, but from the peer, who was infinitelyless expert at retaining a secret than was the good lady; and perhapsthe exact secrecy which Mrs Fitzpatrick had observed on this head inher narrative served not a little to heighten those suspicions whichwere now risen in the mind of her cousin.
Sophia very easily found out the lady she sought; for indeed there wasnot a chairman in town to whom her house was not perfectly well known;and, as she received, in return of her first message, a most pressinginvitation, she immediately accepted it. Mrs Fitzpatrick, indeed, didnot desire her cousin to stay with her with more earnestness thancivility required. Whether she had discerned and resented thesuspicion above-mentioned, or from what other motive it arose, Icannot say; but certain it is, she was full as desirous of partingwith Sophia as Sophia herself could be of going.
The young lady, when she came to take leave of her cousin, could notavoid giving her a short hint of advice. She begged her, for heaven'ssake, to take care of herself, and to consider in how dangerous asituation she stood; adding, she hoped some method would be found ofreconciling her to her husband. "You must remember, my dear," saysshe, "the maxim which my aunt Western hath so often repeated to usboth; That whenever the matrimonial alliance is broke, and wardeclared between husband and wife, she can hardly make adisadvantageous peace for herself on any conditions. These are myaunt's very words, and she hath had a great deal of experience in theworld." Mrs Fitzpatrick answered, with a contemptuous smile, "Neverfear me, child, take care of yourself; for you are younger than I. Iwill come and visit you in a few days; but, dear Sophy, let me giveyou one piece of advice: leave the character of Graveairs in thecountry, for, believe me, it will sit very awkwardly upon you in thistown."
Thus the two cousins parted, and Sophia repaired directly to LadyBellaston, where she found a most hearty, as well as a most polite,welcome. The lady had taken a great fancy to her when she had seen herformerly with her aunt Western. She was indeed extremely glad to seeher, and was no sooner acquainted with the reasons which induced herto leave the squire and to fly to London than she highly applauded hersense and resolution; and after expressing the highest satisfaction inthe opini
on which Sophia had declared she entertained of her ladyship,by chusing her house for an asylum, she promised her all theprotection which it was in her power to give.
As we have now brought Sophia into safe hands, the reader will, Iapprehend, be contented to deposit her there a while, and to look alittle after other personages, and particularly poor Jones, whom wehave left long enough to do penance for his past offences, which, asis the nature of vice, brought sufficient punishment upon himthemselves.
BOOK XII.
CONTAINING THE SAME INDIVIDUAL TIME WITH THE FORMER.