They Proceed to Levy1 Contributions with Great Success, Until Our Hero Sets Out with the Young Count FOR VIENNA, WHERE HE Enters into League with Another Adventurer.
Under this secure cover, Teresa levied2 contributions upon her mistress with great success. Some trinket was missing every day; the young lady’s patience began to fail; the faithful attendant was overwhelmed with consternation3, and, with the appearance of extreme chagrin4, demanded her dismission, affirming that these things were certainly effected by some person in the family, with a view of murdering her precious reputation. Miss Melvil, not without difficulty, quieted her vexation with assurances of inviolable confidence and esteem5, until a pair of diamond earrings6 vanished, when Teresa could no longer keep her affliction within bounds. Indeed, this was an event of more consequence than all the rest which had happened, for the jewels were valued at five hundred florins.
Mademoiselle was accordingly alarmed to such a degree, that she made her mother acquainted with her loss, and that good lady, who was an excellent economist7, did not fail to give indications of extraordinary concern. She asked, if her daughter had reason to suspect any individual in the family, and if she was perfectly8 confident of her own woman’s integrity? Upon which Mademoiselle, with many encomiums on the fidelity9 and attachment10 of Teresa, recounted the adventure of the chambermaid, who immediately underwent a strict inquiry11, and was even committed to prison, on the strength of her former misdemeanour. Our adventurer’s mate insisted upon undergoing the same trial with the rest of the domestics, and, as usual, comprehended Fathom12 in her insinuations; while he seconded the proposal, and privately13 counselled the old lady to introduce Teresa to the magistrate14 of the place. By these preconcerted recriminations, they escaped all suspicion of collusion. After a fruitless inquiry, the prisoner was discharged from her confinement15, and turned out of the service of the Count, in whose private opinion the character of no person suffered so much, as that of his own son, whom he suspected of having embezzled16 the jewels, for the use of a certain inamorata, who, at that time, was said to have captivated his affections.
The old gentleman felt upon this occasion all that internal anguish17 which a man of honour may be supposed to suffer, on account of a son’s degeneracy; and, without divulging18 his sentiments, or even hinting his suspicions to the youth himself, determined19 to detach him at once from such dangerous connexions, by sending him forthwith to Vienna, on pretence20 of finishing his exercises at the academy, and ushering21 him into acquaintance with the great world. Though he would not be thought by the young gentleman himself to harbour the least doubt of his morals, he did not scruple22 to unbosom himself on that subject to Ferdinand, whose sagacity and virtue23 he held in great veneration24. This indulgent patron expressed himself in the most pathetic terms, on the untoward25 disposition26 of his son; he told Fathom, that he should accompany Renaldo (that was the youth’s name) not only as a companion, but a preceptor and pattern; conjured27 him to assist his tutor in superintending his conduct, and to reinforce the governor’s precepts28 by his own example; to inculcate upon him the most delicate punctilios of honour, and decoy him into extravagance, rather than leave the least illiberal29 sentiment in his heart.
Our crafty30 adventurer, with demonstrations31 of the utmost sensibility, acknowledged the great goodness of the Count in reposing32 such confidence in his integrity; which, as he observed, none but the worst of villains33 could abuse; and fervently34 wished that he might no longer exist, than he should continue to remember and resent the obligations he owed to his kind benefactor35. While preparations were making for their departure, our hero held a council with his associate, whom he enriched with many sage36 instructions touching37 her future operations; he at the same time disburdened her of all or the greatest part of the spoils she had won, and after having received divers38 marks of bounty39 from the Count and his lady, together with a purse from his young mistress, he set out for Vienna, in the eighteenth year of his age, with Renaldo and his governor, who were provided with letters of recommendation to some of the Count’s friends belonging to the Imperial court.
Such a favourable40 introduction could not fail of being advantageous41 to a youth of Ferdinand’s specious42 accomplishments43; for he was considered as the young Count’s companion, admitted into his parties, and included in all the entertainments to which Renaldo was invited. He soon distinguished44 himself by his activity and address, in the course of those exercises that were taught at the academy of which he was pupil; his manners were so engaging as to attract the acquaintance of his fellow-students, and his conversation being sprightly45 and inoffensive, grew into very great request; in a word, he and the young Count formed a remarkable46 contrast, which, in the eye of the world, redounded47 to his advantage.
They were certainly, in all respects, the reverse of each other. Renaldo, under a total defect of exterior48 cultivation49, possessed50 a most excellent understanding, with every virtue that dignifies51 the human heart; while the other, beneath a most agreeable outside, with an inaptitude and aversion to letters, concealed52 an amazing fund of villany and ingratitude53. Hitherto his observation had been confined to a narrow sphere, and his reflections, though surprisingly just and acute, had not attained54 to that maturity55 which age and experience give; but now, his perceptions began to be more distinct, and extended to a thousand objects which had never before come under his cognisance.
He had formerly56 imagined, but was now fully57 persuaded, that the sons of men preyed58 upon one another, and such was the end and condition of their being. Among the principal figures of life, he observed few or no characters that did not bear a strong analogy to the savage59 tyrants60 of the wood. One resembled a tiger in fury and rapaciousness61; a second prowled about like an hungry wolf, seeking whom he might devour62; a third acted the part of a jackal, in beating the bush for game to his voracious63 employer; and the fourth imitated the wily fox, in practising a thousand crafty ambuscades for the destruction of the ignorant and unwary. This last was the department of life for which he found himself best qualified64 by nature and inclination65; and he accordingly resolved that his talent should not rust66 in his possession. He was already pretty well versed67 in all the sciences of play; but he had every day occasion to see these arts carried to such a surprising pitch of finesse68 and dexterity69, as discouraged him from building his schemes on that foundation.
He therefore determined to fascinate the judgment70, rather than the eyes of his fellow-creatures, by a continual exercise of that gift of deceiving, with which he knew himself endued71 to an unrivalled degree; and to acquire unbounded influence with those who might be subservient72 to his interest, by an assiduous application to their prevailing73 passions. Not that play was altogether left out in the projection74 of his economy.— Though he engaged himself very little in the executive part of gaming, he had not been long in Vienna, when he entered into league with a genius of that kind, whom he distinguished among the pupils of the academy, and who indeed had taken up his habitation in that place with a view to pillage75 the provincials76 on their first arrival in town, before they could be armed with proper circumspection77 to preserve their money, or have time to dispose of it in any other shape.
Similar characters naturally attract each other, and people of our hero’s principles are, of all others, the most apt to distinguish their own likeness78 wheresoever it occurs; because they always keep the faculty79 of discerning in full exertion80. It was in consequence of this mutual81 alertness, that Ferdinand and the stranger, who was a native of Tyrol, perceived themselves reflected in the dispositions82 of each other, and immediately entered into an offensive and defensive83 alliance; our adventurer undertaking84 for the articles of intelligence, countenance85, and counsel, and his associate charging himself with the risk of execution.
1 levy | |
n.征收税或其他款项,征收额 | |
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2 levied | |
征(兵)( levy的过去式和过去分词 ); 索取; 发动(战争); 征税 | |
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3 consternation | |
n.大为吃惊,惊骇 | |
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4 chagrin | |
n.懊恼;气愤;委屈 | |
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5 esteem | |
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
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6 earrings | |
n.耳环( earring的名词复数 );耳坠子 | |
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7 economist | |
n.经济学家,经济专家,节俭的人 | |
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8 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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9 fidelity | |
n.忠诚,忠实;精确 | |
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10 attachment | |
n.附属物,附件;依恋;依附 | |
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11 inquiry | |
n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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12 fathom | |
v.领悟,彻底了解 | |
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13 privately | |
adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地 | |
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14 magistrate | |
n.地方行政官,地方法官,治安官 | |
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15 confinement | |
n.幽禁,拘留,监禁;分娩;限制,局限 | |
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16 embezzled | |
v.贪污,盗用(公款)( embezzle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17 anguish | |
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦,烦恼 | |
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18 divulging | |
v.吐露,泄露( divulge的现在分词 ) | |
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19 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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20 pretence | |
n.假装,作假;借口,口实;虚伪;虚饰 | |
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21 ushering | |
v.引,领,陪同( usher的现在分词 ) | |
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22 scruple | |
n./v.顾忌,迟疑 | |
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23 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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24 veneration | |
n.尊敬,崇拜 | |
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25 untoward | |
adj.不利的,不幸的,困难重重的 | |
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26 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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27 conjured | |
用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 ); 祈求,恳求; 变戏法; (变魔术般地) 使…出现 | |
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28 precepts | |
n.规诫,戒律,箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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29 illiberal | |
adj.气量狭小的,吝啬的 | |
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30 crafty | |
adj.狡猾的,诡诈的 | |
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31 demonstrations | |
证明( demonstration的名词复数 ); 表明; 表达; 游行示威 | |
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32 reposing | |
v.将(手臂等)靠在某人(某物)上( repose的现在分词 ) | |
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33 villains | |
n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 );罪犯;(小说、戏剧等中的)反面人物;淘气鬼 | |
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34 fervently | |
adv.热烈地,热情地,强烈地 | |
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35 benefactor | |
n. 恩人,行善的人,捐助人 | |
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36 sage | |
n.圣人,哲人;adj.贤明的,明智的 | |
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37 touching | |
adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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38 divers | |
adj.不同的;种种的 | |
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39 bounty | |
n.慷慨的赠予物,奖金;慷慨,大方;施与 | |
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40 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
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41 advantageous | |
adj.有利的;有帮助的 | |
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42 specious | |
adj.似是而非的;adv.似是而非地 | |
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43 accomplishments | |
n.造诣;完成( accomplishment的名词复数 );技能;成绩;成就 | |
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44 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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45 sprightly | |
adj.愉快的,活泼的 | |
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46 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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47 redounded | |
v.有助益( redound的过去式和过去分词 );及于;报偿;报应 | |
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48 exterior | |
adj.外部的,外在的;表面的 | |
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49 cultivation | |
n.耕作,培养,栽培(法),养成 | |
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50 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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51 dignifies | |
使显得威严( dignify的第三人称单数 ); 使高贵; 使显赫; 夸大 | |
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52 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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53 ingratitude | |
n.忘恩负义 | |
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54 attained | |
(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况) | |
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55 maturity | |
n.成熟;完成;(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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56 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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57 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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58 preyed | |
v.掠食( prey的过去式和过去分词 );掠食;折磨;(人)靠欺诈为生 | |
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59 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
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60 tyrants | |
专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 ); 暴君似的人; (古希腊的)僭主; 严酷的事物 | |
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61 rapaciousness | |
n.贪婪;强取,贪婪 | |
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62 devour | |
v.吞没;贪婪地注视或谛听,贪读;使着迷 | |
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63 voracious | |
adj.狼吞虎咽的,贪婪的 | |
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64 qualified | |
adj.合格的,有资格的,胜任的,有限制的 | |
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65 inclination | |
n.倾斜;点头;弯腰;斜坡;倾度;倾向;爱好 | |
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66 rust | |
n.锈;v.生锈;(脑子)衰退 | |
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67 versed | |
adj. 精通,熟练 | |
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68 finesse | |
n.精密技巧,灵巧,手腕 | |
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69 dexterity | |
n.(手的)灵巧,灵活 | |
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70 judgment | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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71 endued | |
v.授予,赋予(特性、才能等)( endue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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72 subservient | |
adj.卑屈的,阿谀的 | |
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73 prevailing | |
adj.盛行的;占优势的;主要的 | |
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74 projection | |
n.发射,计划,突出部分 | |
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75 pillage | |
v.抢劫;掠夺;n.抢劫,掠夺;掠夺物 | |
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76 provincials | |
n.首都以外的人,地区居民( provincial的名词复数 ) | |
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77 circumspection | |
n.细心,慎重 | |
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78 likeness | |
n.相像,相似(之处) | |
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79 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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80 exertion | |
n.尽力,努力 | |
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81 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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82 dispositions | |
安排( disposition的名词复数 ); 倾向; (财产、金钱的)处置; 气质 | |
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83 defensive | |
adj.防御的;防卫的;防守的 | |
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84 undertaking | |
n.保证,许诺,事业 | |
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85 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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