He Puts Himself Under the Guidance of His Associate, and Stumbles Upon the French Camp, where he FINISHES HIS MILITARY Career.
Nothing else of moment was transacted1 during that campaign; and in the winter our adventurer, with the young Count, and his friend the Tyrolese, were disposed in quarters of cantonment, where Ferdinand made himself amends3 for the chagrin4 he had undergone, by the exercise of those talents in which he excelled. Not that he was satisfied with the sphere of life in which he acted; though he knew himself consummate5 in the art of play, he was not at all ambitious of a gamester’s name; nor did he find himself disposed to hazard those discoveries and explanations to which heroes of that class are sometimes necessarily exposed. His aim was to dwell among the tents of civil life, undisturbed by quarrels and the din2 of war, and render mankind subservient6 to his interest, not by stratagems7 which irritate, but by that suppleness8 of insinuation, which could not fail to soothe9 the temper of those on whom he meant to prey10.
He saw that all his expectations of Count Melvil’s future favour were connected with his choice of a military life; and that his promotion11 in the service would, in a great measure, depend upon his personal behaviour in such emergencies as he did not at all wish to encounter. On the other hand, he confided12 so much in his own dexterity13 and address, that he never doubted of being able to rear a splendid fortune for himself, provided he could once obtain a fixed14 and firm foundation. He had in fancy often enjoyed a prospect15 of England, not only as his native country, to which, like a true citizen, he longed to be united; but also as the land of promise, flowing with milk and honey, and abounding16 with subjects on which he knew his talents would be properly exercised.
These reflections never occurred, without leaving a strong impression upon the mind of our adventurer, which influenced his deliberations in such a manner, as at length amounted to a perfect resolution of withdrawing himself privately17 from a service that teemed18 with disagreeable events, and of transporting himself into the country of his ancestors, which he considered as the Canaan of all able adventurers. But, previous to his appearance on that stage, he was desirous of visiting the metropolis19 of France, in which he hoped to improve himself in the knowledge of men and things, and acquire such intelligence as would qualify him to act a more important part upon the British scene. After having for some time indulged these prospects20 in secret, he determined21 to accommodate himself with the company and experience of the Tyrolese, whom, under the specious22 title of an associate, he knew he could convert into a very serviceable tool, in forwarding the execution of his own projects.
Accordingly, the inclination23 of this confederate was sounded by distant hints, and being found apt, our hero made him privy24 to his design of decamping without beat of drum; though, at the same time, he begged his advice touching25 the method of their departure, that he might retire with as much delicacy26 as the nature of such a step would permit. Divers27 consultations28 were held upon this subject, before they adhered to the resolution of making their escape from the army, after it should have taken the field in the spring; because, in that case, they would have frequent opportunities of going abroad on foraging29 parties, and, during one of these excursions, might retire in such a manner as to persuade their companions that they had fallen into the enemy’s hands.
Agreeable to this determination, the camp was no sooner formed in Alsace than our associates began to make preparations for their march, and had already taken all the previous measures for their departure, when an accident happened, which our hero did not fail to convert to his own advantage. This was no other than the desertion of Renaldo’s valet, who, in consequence of a gentle chastisement30, which he had richly merited, thought proper to disappear, after having plundered31 his master’s portmanteau, which he had forced open for the purpose. Ferdinand, who was the first person that discovered the theft, immediately comprehended the whole adventure, and, taking it for granted that the delinquent32 would never return, resolved to finish what the fugitive33 had imperfectly performed.
Being favoured with the unreserved confidence of the young Count, he instantly had recourse to his bureau, the locks of which he found means to burst open, and, examining a private drawer, contrived34 with great art to conceal35 Renaldo’s jewels and cash, made himself master of the contents without hesitation36; then cutting open his cloak-bag, and strewing37 the tent with his linen38 and clothes, began to raise his voice, and produce such a clamour as alarmed the whole neighbourhood, and brought a great many officers into the tent.
He on this, as on all other occasions, performed his cue to a miracle, expressing confusion and concern so naturally in his gestures and exclamation39, that no man could possibly suspect his sincerity40; nay41, to such a degree of finesse42 did his cunning amount, that when his friend and patron entered, in consequence of an intimation he soon received of his loss, our adventurer exhibited undoubted signs of distraction43 and delirium44, and, springing upon Renaldo with all the frantic45 fury of a bedlamite, “Villain,” cried he, “restore the effects you have stole from your master, or you shall be immediately committed to the care of the prevot.” However mortified46 M. de Melvil might be at his own misfortune, the condition of his friend seemed to touch him more nearly; he undervalued his own loss as a trifle that could be easily repaired; said everything which he thought would tend to soothe and compose the agitation47 of Ferdinand; and finally prevailed upon him to retire to rest. The calamity48 was wholly attributed to the deserter; and Renaldo, far from suspecting the true author, took occasion, from his behaviour on this emergency, to admire him as a mirror of integrity and attachment49; in such an exquisite50 manner did he plan all his designs, that almost every instance of his fraud furnished matter of triumph to his reputation.
Having thus profitably exercised his genius, this subtle politician thought it high time to relinquish51 his military expectations, and securing all his valuable acquisitions about his own person, rode out with his understrapper, in the midst of fifty dragoons, who went in quest of forage52. While the troopers were employed in making up their trusses, the two adventurers advanced towards the skirt of a wood, on pretence53 of reconnoitring, and the Tyrolese, who undertook to be our hero’s guide, directing him to a path which leads towards Strasburg, they suddenly vanished from the eyes of their companions, who in a few minutes hearing the report of several pistols, which the confederates purposely fired, conjectured54 that they had fallen in with a party of French, by whom they were made prisoners of war.
The Tyrolese had overrated his own knowledge when he took upon himself the charge of conducting our hero; for upon their arrival at a certain place, where two roads crossed each other, he chanced to follow that which not only frustrated55 their intention, but even led them directly to the French camp; so that, in the twilight56, they fell in upon one of the outguards before they were aware of their mistake.
Whatever confusion and perplexity they might undergo, when they heard themselves questioned by the sentinel on the advanced post, certain it is, they betrayed no symptoms of fear or disorder57; but while Ferdinand endeavoured to recollect58 himself, his fellow-traveller, with the appearance of admirable intrepidity59 and presence of mind, told the soldier that he and his companion were two gentlemen of family, who had quitted the Austrian army, on account of having sustained some ill-usage, which they had no opportunity of resenting in any other way, and that they were come to offer their services to the French general, to whose quarters they desired to be immediately conveyed.
The sentinel, to whom such an instance of desertion was neither rare, nor indeed uncommon60, directed them without scruple61 to the next post, where they found a serjeant’s party, from which, at their request, they were transmitted to the officer of the grand guard, and by him next morning introduced to Count Coigny, who very politely received them as volunteers in the army of France. Though this translation was not at all to our hero’s liking62, he was forced to acquiesce63 in his fate, glad to find himself, on these terms, in possession of his effects, of which he would otherwise have been infallibly rifled.
This campaign, however, was the most disagreeable period of his whole life; because the manner in which he had entered into the service subjected him to the particular observation and notice of the French officers; so that he was obliged to be very alert in his duty, and summon all his fortitude64 to maintain the character he had assumed. What rendered his situation still more unpalatable, was the activity of both armies in the course of this season, during which, over and above sundry65 fatiguing66 marches and countermarches, he was personally engaged in the affair of Halleh, which was very obstinate67; where, being in the skirts of the detachment, he was actually wounded in the face by the sword of an hussar; but this was, luckily for him, the last time he found himself under the necessity of exerting his military prowess, for a cessation of arms was proclaimed before he was cured of his wound, and peace concluded about the end of the campaign.
During his sojourn68 in the French camp, he assumed the character of a man of family, who being disgusted at some supercilious69 treatment he had met with in the German service, and at the same time ambitious of carrying arms under the banners of France, took the opportunity of retreating by stealth from his friends, accompanied only by one with whom he could intrust his intention. In this capacity he had managed his matters to such advantage, that many French officers of rank were very well disposed to contribute their interest in his behalf, had his inclination verged70 towards promotion in the army; but he thought proper to conceal his real design, under the specious pretext71 of longing72 to see the metropolis of France, that centre of pleasure and politeness, in which he proposed to spend some time for the improvement of his address and understanding. These were motives73 too laudable to be opposed by his new patrons, some of whom furnished him with letters of recommendation to certain noblemen of the first rank at the court of Versailles, for which place he and his companion set out from the banks of the Rhine, very well satisfied with the honourable74 dismission they had obtained from a life of inconvenience, danger, and alarm.
1 transacted | |
v.办理(业务等)( transact的过去式和过去分词 );交易,谈判 | |
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2 din | |
n.喧闹声,嘈杂声 | |
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3 amends | |
n. 赔偿 | |
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4 chagrin | |
n.懊恼;气愤;委屈 | |
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5 consummate | |
adj.完美的;v.成婚;使完美 [反]baffle | |
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6 subservient | |
adj.卑屈的,阿谀的 | |
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7 stratagems | |
n.诡计,计谋( stratagem的名词复数 );花招 | |
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8 suppleness | |
柔软; 灵活; 易弯曲; 顺从 | |
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9 soothe | |
v.安慰;使平静;使减轻;缓和;奉承 | |
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10 prey | |
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 | |
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11 promotion | |
n.提升,晋级;促销,宣传 | |
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12 confided | |
v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的过去式和过去分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等) | |
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13 dexterity | |
n.(手的)灵巧,灵活 | |
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14 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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15 prospect | |
n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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16 abounding | |
adj.丰富的,大量的v.大量存在,充满,富于( abound的现在分词 ) | |
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17 privately | |
adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地 | |
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18 teemed | |
v.充满( teem的过去式和过去分词 );到处都是;(指水、雨等)暴降;倾注 | |
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19 metropolis | |
n.首府;大城市 | |
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20 prospects | |
n.希望,前途(恒为复数) | |
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21 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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22 specious | |
adj.似是而非的;adv.似是而非地 | |
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23 inclination | |
n.倾斜;点头;弯腰;斜坡;倾度;倾向;爱好 | |
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24 privy | |
adj.私用的;隐密的 | |
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25 touching | |
adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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26 delicacy | |
n.精致,细微,微妙,精良;美味,佳肴 | |
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27 divers | |
adj.不同的;种种的 | |
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28 consultations | |
n.磋商(会议)( consultation的名词复数 );商讨会;协商会;查找 | |
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29 foraging | |
v.搜寻(食物),尤指动物觅(食)( forage的现在分词 );(尤指用手)搜寻(东西) | |
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30 chastisement | |
n.惩罚 | |
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31 plundered | |
掠夺,抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32 delinquent | |
adj.犯法的,有过失的;n.违法者 | |
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33 fugitive | |
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者 | |
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34 contrived | |
adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的 | |
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35 conceal | |
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 | |
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36 hesitation | |
n.犹豫,踌躇 | |
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37 strewing | |
v.撒在…上( strew的现在分词 );散落于;点缀;撒满 | |
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38 linen | |
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的 | |
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39 exclamation | |
n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词 | |
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40 sincerity | |
n.真诚,诚意;真实 | |
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41 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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42 finesse | |
n.精密技巧,灵巧,手腕 | |
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43 distraction | |
n.精神涣散,精神不集中,消遣,娱乐 | |
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44 delirium | |
n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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45 frantic | |
adj.狂乱的,错乱的,激昂的 | |
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46 mortified | |
v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 );伤害(人的感情);克制;抑制(肉体、情感等) | |
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47 agitation | |
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 | |
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48 calamity | |
n.灾害,祸患,不幸事件 | |
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49 attachment | |
n.附属物,附件;依恋;依附 | |
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50 exquisite | |
adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的 | |
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51 relinquish | |
v.放弃,撤回,让与,放手 | |
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52 forage | |
n.(牛马的)饲料,粮草;v.搜寻,翻寻 | |
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53 pretence | |
n.假装,作假;借口,口实;虚伪;虚饰 | |
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54 conjectured | |
推测,猜测,猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55 frustrated | |
adj.挫败的,失意的,泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 );挫败;使受挫折;令人沮丧 | |
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56 twilight | |
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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57 disorder | |
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调 | |
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58 recollect | |
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得 | |
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59 intrepidity | |
n.大胆,刚勇;大胆的行为 | |
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60 uncommon | |
adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的 | |
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61 scruple | |
n./v.顾忌,迟疑 | |
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62 liking | |
n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢 | |
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63 acquiesce | |
vi.默许,顺从,同意 | |
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64 fortitude | |
n.坚忍不拔;刚毅 | |
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65 sundry | |
adj.各式各样的,种种的 | |
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66 fatiguing | |
a.使人劳累的 | |
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67 obstinate | |
adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
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68 sojourn | |
v./n.旅居,寄居;逗留 | |
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69 supercilious | |
adj.目中无人的,高傲的;adv.高傲地;n.高傲 | |
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70 verged | |
接近,逼近(verge的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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71 pretext | |
n.借口,托词 | |
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72 longing | |
n.(for)渴望 | |
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73 motives | |
n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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74 honourable | |
adj.可敬的;荣誉的,光荣的 | |
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