With temper, health, and common sense,
None need repine or murmur—nay,
All may be happy in their way.
And suffering, are at least obscure;
And in obscurity—exempt
From poverty's worst scourge—contempt.
Wherefore appears he, none inquires,
Nor why—nor whither he retires.
All that shame blushes to reveal;
The petty shifts, the grovelling7 cares,
To which the sous of want are heirs;
Those evils, grievous to be borne,
Call forth—not sympathy, but scorn;
Here hidden—elude the searching eye
[415] The following morning was one of unusual bustle9, activity, and anxiety, the originally intended movements of the party being thus unexpectedly interrupted. Dashall had arisen before his usual hour, and departed from home before the appearance of Sparkle and Bob to breakfast: it was, of course, supposed that the promised duel10 would have decided11 the fate of one of the antagonists12 before they should see him again.
In this conjecture13, however, they were pleasingly disappointed by his arrival about half past eleven o'clock.
“Well,” said Sparkle, “it is all over—who has fallen—which is the man—how many shots—what distance—who was the other second—and where is the wounded hero?”
“Nay,” said Tom, “you are before-hand with me; I have none of the intelligence you require.—I have been in search of Lord Bluster14, who left town this very morning, three hours before my arrival, for Edinburgh; and consesequently, I suppose, either has no intimation of Laconic15's intention to seek, or if he has—is determined16 to be out of the way of receiving a regular challenge; so that, in all probability, it will end, like many other duels17, in smoke.”
[416] “Notwithstanding your friend's letter was so full of fire,” observed Tallyho.
“But perhaps he became more cool over a bottle of claret—toe to toe, my boy,” continued Sparkle.
This conversation was interrupted by a letter, which being delivered to Tom, he read aloud, interrupted only by laughter, which he could not restrain.
“Dear Tom, “Don't like fighting in England—am off directly for Cork18.—Tell Bluster I'll wait there till he comes—but if he values his life, not to come at all.—-Please do the needful in despatching my servants, &c. within two days, for I am in such a passion I can't wait a moment.—So adieu.
“Yours, sincerely, Laconic.”
“Excellent, upon my word,” said Sparkle; “here are two men of honour determined upon meeting, running away from each other even before the preliminaries are arranged.”
“There is novelty in it at least,” said Tom, “though I am by no means astonished at the end of it; for I before observed, I do not think either of them over fond of powder. Laconic pretended that nothing would satisfy him but fighting immediately, provided Bluster was to be found: any person to whom bis character was not known would have expected some spilling of blood before this time. But it is now plain that this blustering19 was the effect of the wine, and the man's cooler judgment20 has extinguished the flame of his irritability21.”
“I think,” said Tallyho, “it would be well to advise them to meet half-seas over, and draw a cork together by way of settling their differences.”
“Curse their differences,” replied Dashall, “I'll have nothing more to do with them: upon the whole, I am glad now that I could not meet with Bluster, or I should have looked like a fool between the two; and as it is, I am not much pleased with the adventure, particularly as it must necessarily delay me, and I hate the idea of travelling alone. I should very much have liked to start with you; but as Laconic has made me fully22 acquainted with his affairs, in case he should fall in the intended duel, I must even comply with the contents of his note; though, if he had not actually departed, you may rest assured I would have nothing to do with him or his concerns.”
[417] “Come, come,” cried Sparkle, “grumbling is of no use now; and as the circumstances are not made public, the duellists will escape being laughed at. There is no harm done—we must be upon the alert—we shortly bid adieu to London, and shall not be so well pleased to leave you behind; but remember you promise to follow as quickly as possible.—Now, how shall we dispose of the remainder of the time?”
“Zounds,” replied Tom, “all my plans are deranged23 by this foolish affair of Laconic's, and I can hardly tell which way to move.—However, I shall not devote myself to his affairs to-day; therefore I am at your service; and as time is but short with us, let us make good use of it. The tragedy of the duel having ended most comically, I am prepared for any thing farcical; therefore say the word, and I am your man for a toddle24, east, west, north, or south.”
Upon this intimation, our friends sallied forth upon a sort of Quixotic excursion in search of adventures, for neither could make up his mind as to the precise place of their destination, when the first object that attracted their particular notice was a large printed bill, announcing to the public, “That the sale at Fonthill Abbey, advertised for the 8th of October, would not take place, in consequence of the property being disposed of by private contract."{1}
1 The following appeared in the daily prints relating to
this valuable property:—
to take place, the estate having been sold by private
contract; the purchaser is said to be Mr. Farquhar, a rich
East India merchant, who is reported to have given 330,000L.
for the property. It is stated that every article in the
Abbey goes with it, with the exception of the family plate
and pictures, and a very few favourite rarities. Possession
is to be taken immediately. The sale of the whole estate is
an event for which the people of the place seem to have been
totally unprepared. They were led to believe, from the
of the place; but as to the Abbey, they universally
asserted, in the strongest manner, as if they had good
reason to be convinced of the thing, that Mr. Beck-ford
would as soon part with his life as with a residence which
he prized so dearly. Now, however, that they have heard from
received notice to quit his office in a fortnight, they
begin to feel that they have lost an excellent landlord. Mr.
Beckford has taken a house in town, in the New Road, where
he means chiefly to reside in future. Every body is aware
that the chief part of that princely income, which enabled
was the wealth which those estates at one time pro-duced,
that it obtained for his grandfather the distinction of
being considered the richest subject in Europe. For the last
ten years they have declined very materially, and several of
discovered in the title. The original purchaser obtained
these in the way of mort-gage, and having foreclosed them in
an untechnical manner, advantage has been taken of the
informality by the heirs of the mortgagors, and Mr. Beckford
has been dispossessed. The defence of his title, and the
other consequences, involved him in losses and vast
expenses; besides which, the revenue from his unquestionable
estates in those islands has declined to less than one-tenth
reported to have purchased Fouthill Abbey, is the principal
partner and proprietor34 of Whitbread's brew-house, and is
likewise at the head of the first mercantile house in the
City, for the management of all agency concerns, connected
with India.”
[418] “Thousands of people,” says Dashall, “who had been flocking to that neighbourhood, intending to obtain a view of the premises35, will, by this event, be disappointed. Several of my friends have paid a visit to it, and describe it as a most princely mansion.”
“And pray,” inquired Sparkle, “what is the cause of its being sold at all 1 It has always been reported that Mr. Beckford was a man of very extensive property.”
“That appears to be a little mysterious, and report, who is always a busy fellow on extraordinary occasions, has not been idle: by some it is stated, that Mr. Beckford suffered great and irreparable losses in his West India property, and that there are in the Abbey at this moment executions to the amount of eighty thousand pounds; that the view of the effects has taken place entirely under the control of the sheriffs: by others it is asserted that no such embarrassment36 exists. However, be that as it may, the public have been highly gratified for some time past in being permitted to view the estate and the valuable curiosities it contains; and the produce of the admission tickets, which has probably netted twenty thousand pounds, goes to the liquidation37 of the debts.”
[419] “And an excellent plan for raising the wind too,” said Tallyho; “the example, I suppose, has been taken from Wanstead House.”
“Most likely,” was the reply; “but if it is true that the disposal of the property is occasioned by the embarrassment of its owner, it cannot but excite painful and melancholy38 reflections on the tenure39 by which men hold the goods of this life. Those who were acquainted with Mr. Beckford's circumstances some years ago, thought him so secured in the enjoyment40 of a princely income, that he was absolutely out of the reach of ill fortune, being at one time in the actual receipt of one hundred thousand pounds a year. It cannot be said of him that he has wasted his inheritance at the gaming-table. The palace which he raised on a barren mountain, the greater part of those vast plantations41 which surround it, the collection of books, and of rare specimens42 of art, and the superb furniture, which gives such peculiar43 dignity and splendour to the interior of his residence, speak at once the immensity of his means, and attest44 the propriety45 and gracefulness46 of their application.”
“We ought to have taken a trip there to have seen this earthly paradise,” rejoined Tallyho; “but now I suppose it is all over.”
“Certainly,” was the reply; “and it is a circumstance for which the people in the neighbourhood appear to have been totally unprepared. They were led to believe, from the beginning, that the mere luxuries of the place were to be sold, and the public announcement of this had the effect of filling the county of Wilts47 with pleasure-hunters from all quarters. He was fortunate who, for some time past, could find a vacant chair within twenty miles of Fonthill: the solitude48 of a private apartment was a luxury which few could hope for; and an old friend of mine informs me, in one of his letters, that, coming from London, travellers first met their troubles about Salisbury, The languages of France, of Holland, and of Germany, the peculiarities49 (in tongue) of Scotland and Ireland, the broad dialect of Somersetshire, the tinckling accent of Wales, and the more polished tones of metropolitan50 residents, were all, at the same moment, to be heard clashing and contending. There were bells ringing, and chamber-maids screaming—horses prancing51, and post-boys swearing—wheels clattering52, and waiters jostling—guests threatening, and hubbub53 and confusion the orders of the day:—and all this to see something which half of them, when they got there, if they were so fortunate, could not obtain a sight of. So that, perhaps, we have been quite as well off in remaining at home.”
[420] “That was spoken like a philosopher,” said Sparkle, dryly.—“But pray, who is to be the future possessor of this fine estate?”
“A Mr. Farquhar, who, according to the best information I have obtained, is a man of an extraordinary character, and has given 330,000L. for it as it stands, with every article in the Abbey except the family plate and pictures, and a few very favourite rarities. Some interesting particulars of the purchaser have recently been made known; from which it appears, that he is a native of Aberdeen, and went out early in life to India, where he was employed in the medical department. Chemical research was his favourite pursuit: there was some defect in the manner of manufacturing gunpowder54, and Mr. Farquhar was selected to give his assistance. By degrees, he obtained the management of the concern, and finally he became the sole contractor55 to the government. In this way wealth and distinction rapidly poured in upon him. After some years of labour, he returned to England with half a million of money; and it is somewhat curious that a man possessed32 of so much money upon his arrival at Gravesend, should, merely to save the expense of coach-hire, walk up to London; which, however, it appears he did, when his first visit, very naturally, was to his banker. Without waiting for refreshment56 or alteration57 of attire58, full of dust and dirt, with clothes not worth a guinea, he presented himself at the counter, and asked for Mr. Coutts. The clerks, not much prepossessed in his favour by his appearance, disregarded his application; and he was suffered to remain in the cash-office under the idea of his being some poor petitioner59, until Mr. Coutts, passing through it, recognized his Indian customer, the man whom he expected to see with all the pomp of a nabob. Mr. Farquhar requested to have five pounds; which having received, he took his departure. This anecdote60 strongly marks the character and habits of the man. He soon afterwards settled in Upper Baker-street, where his house was to be distinguished61 by its dingy62 appearance, uncleaned windows, and general neglect. An old woman was his sole attendant; and his apartment, to which a brush or broom was never applied63, was kept sacred from her care. His neighbours were not acquainted with his character; and there have been instances of some of them offering him money as an object of charity.”
[421] “An admirable tenant64 for such a place as Fonthill, truly,” observed Sparkle.—“Why, what the devil will he do with it now he has got it?”
“Perhaps,” said Dashall, “I ought to refer you to the man himself for an answer to such a question, for I am at a loss to guess; he is now sixty-five years of age, and still in single blessedness.”
“A very enviable situation,” remarked Sparkle, “However,” continued Tom, “he has done some good in the world, and may live to do more. He became a partner in the great agency house in the City, of Basset, Farquhar, and Co.; besides which, he purchased the late Mr. Whitbread's share in the brewery65. Part of his great wealth was devoted66 to the purchase of estates; but the great bulk was invested in stock, and suffered to increase on compound interest. He is deeply read in ancient and modern literature, and has a mind of extraordinary vigour67 and originality68; his conversation of a superior order, impressive and animated69 on every subject. His sentiments are liberal, and strangely contrasted with his habits. His religious opinions are peculiar, and seem to be influenced by an admiration70 of the purity of the lives and moral principles of the Brahmins. It is said that he offered 100,000L. to found a college in Aberdeen, with a reservation on points of religion; to which, however, the sanction of the legislature could not be procured71, and the plan was dropped. He has been residing in Gloucester-place, where he has furnished a house in a style of modern elegance72, and, so far as appearances are concerned, indulges in several luxuries; but his domestic habits are still the same, and his table seldom labours with the pressure of heavy dishes. He has one nephew, to whom he allows, or did allow, 300L. per year; has but few other claims of family; and it is probable that his immense wealth will be bequeathed to charitable purposes, as the great object of his ambition is to leave his name to posterity73 as the founder74 of some public institution. To that passion may, perhaps, be attributed the purchase of Fonthill Abbey; for his age and infirmities totally unfit him for the enjoyment of such [422] a place. He is diminutive75 in person, and by no means prepossessing in appearance; his dress has all the qualities of the antique to recommend it; and his domestic expenditure76, until the last year, has not exceeded 200L. per annum, although his possessions, money in the funds, and capital in trade, are said to amount to a million and a half!”
“Why, he is an oddity indeed,” exclaimed Tallyho, “and I think he ought to be exhibited as the eighth wonder of the world.”
“Certainly we cannot look upon the like every day: there are instances, it is said, of his having returned letters merely because the postage was not paid, although he has, on more than one or two occasions, given away, at once, for praise-worthy purposes, ten and twenty thousand pounds.”
“Then,” rejoined Sparkle, “he is a trump77, and deserves to be respected:—but where are we bound to?”
“Nay,” replied Tom, “I have no choice upon the subject.”
“Nor I neither,” said Gayfield, stepping smartly up to him, and catching78 him by the hand—“so come along—I'll guide you to good quarters and comfortable accommodation.—Dine with me, and we will have a cut in at whist.—What say you?”
This proposition was acceded79 to, and away they went to Gayfield's apartments, where a very hospitable80 and friendly entertainment was presented to them with every mark of a hearty81 welcome. In the evening, the glass circulated freely, and cards being introduced, they enjoyed an agreeable and pleasant game, at which nothing particular occurred; after which they jumped into a rattler, and were conveyed home, very well satisfied with every attention they had received from Gayfield, except the eternal rattle82 of his tongue.
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1
competence
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| n.能力，胜任，称职 | |
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2
lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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3
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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4
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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5
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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6
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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7
grovelling
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| adj.卑下的，奴颜婢膝的v.卑躬屈节，奴颜婢膝( grovel的现在分词 )；趴 | |
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8
callous
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| adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的 | |
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9
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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10
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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11
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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12
antagonists
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| 对立[对抗] 者，对手，敌手( antagonist的名词复数 )； 对抗肌； 对抗药 | |
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13
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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14
bluster
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| v.猛刮；怒冲冲的说；n.吓唬，怒号；狂风声 | |
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15
laconic
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| adj.简洁的；精练的 | |
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16
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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17
duels
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| n.两男子的决斗( duel的名词复数 )；竞争，斗争 | |
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18
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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19
blustering
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| adj.狂风大作的，狂暴的v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的现在分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹 | |
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20
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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21
irritability
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| n.易怒 | |
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22
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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23
deranged
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| adj.疯狂的 | |
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24
toddle
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| v.（如小孩）蹒跚学步 | |
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25
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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26
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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27
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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28
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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29
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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30
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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31
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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32
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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33
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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34
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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35
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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36
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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37
liquidation
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| n.清算，停止营业 | |
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38
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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39
tenure
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| n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期 | |
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40
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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41
plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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42
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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43
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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44
attest
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| vt.证明，证实；表明 | |
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45
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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46
gracefulness
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47
wilts
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| （使）凋谢，枯萎( wilt的第三人称单数 ) | |
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48
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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49
peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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50
metropolitan
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| adj.大城市的，大都会的 | |
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51
prancing
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| v.（马）腾跃( prance的现在分词 ) | |
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52
clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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53
hubbub
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| n.嘈杂；骚乱 | |
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54
gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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55
contractor
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| n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌 | |
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56
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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57
alteration
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| n.变更，改变；蚀变 | |
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58
attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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59
petitioner
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| n.请愿人 | |
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60
anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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61
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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62
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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63
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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64
tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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65
brewery
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| n.啤酒厂 | |
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66
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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68
originality
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| n.创造力，独创性；新颖 | |
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69
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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70
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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71
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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72
elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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73
posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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75
diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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76
expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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trump
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| n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭 | |
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78
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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79
acceded
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| v.（正式）加入( accede的过去式和过去分词 )；答应；（通过财产的添附而）增加；开始任职 | |
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80
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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81
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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82
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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