The Singular Manner of Fathom1’s Attack and Triumph Over the Virtue2 of the Fair Elenor.
Proper cognisance being thus taken of these contraband3 effects, and the informer furnished with a certificate, by which he was entitled to a share of the seizure4, the coachman summoned his passengers to the carriage; the purse and jewels were restored to Count Fathom, who thanked the justice, and his lordship in particular, for the candour and hospitality with which he had been treated, and resumed his place in the vehicle, amidst the congratulations of all his fellow-travellers, except the two forlorn smugglers, who, instead of re-embarking in the coach, thought proper to remain at the inn, with view to mitigate5, if possible, the severity of their misfortune.
Among those who felicitated Fathom upon the issue of this adventure, the young maiden6 seemed to express the most sensible pleasure at that event. The artful language of his eyes had raised in her breast certain fluttering emotions, before she knew the value of her conquest; but now that his rank and condition were discovered, these transports were increased by the ideas of vanity and ambition, which are mingled7 with the first seeds of every female constitution. The belief of having captivated the heart of a man who could raise her to the rank and dignity of a countess, produced such agreeable sensations in her fancy, that her eyes shone with unusual lustre8, and a continual smile played in dimples on her rosy9 cheeks; so that her attractions, though not powerful enough to engage the affection, were yet sufficient to inflame10 the desire of our adventurer, who very honestly marked her chastity for prey11 to his voluptuous12 passion. Had she been well seasoned with knowledge and experience, and completely armed with caution against the artifice13 and villany of man, her virtue might not have been able to withstand the engines of such an assailant, considering the dangerous opportunities to which she was necessarily exposed. How easy then must his victory have been over an innocent, unsuspecting country damsel, flushed with the warmth of youth, and an utter stranger to the ways of life!
While Obadiah, therefore, and his plump companion, were engaged in conversation, on the strange incidents which had passed, Fathom acted a very expressive14 pantomime with this fair buxom15 nymph, who comprehended his meaning with surprising facility, and was at so little pains to conceal16 the pleasure she took in this kind of intercourse17, that several warm squeezes were interchanged between her and her lover, before they arrived at Rochester, where they proposed to dine. It was during this period, he learned from the answers she made to the inquisitive18 quaker, that her sole dependence19 was upon a relation, to whom she had a letter, and that she was a perfect stranger in the great city; circumstances on which he soon formed the project of her ruin.
Upon their arrival at the Black Bull, he for the first time found himself alone with his Amanda, whose name was Elenor, their fellow-travellers being elsewhere employed about their own concerns; and, unwilling20 to lose the precious opportunity, he began to act the part of a very importunate21 lover, which he conceived to be a proper sequel to the prelude22 which had been performed in the coach. The freedoms which she, out of pure simplicity23 and good-humour, permitted him to take with her hand, and even her rosy lips, encouraged him to practise other familiarities upon her fair bosom24, which scandalised her virtue so much, that, in spite of the passion she had begun to indulge in his behalf, she rejected his advances with all the marks of anger and disdain25; and he found it necessary to appease26 the storm he had raised, by the most respectful and submissive demeanour; resolving to change his operations, and carry on his attacks, so as to make her yield at discretion27, without alarming her religion or pride. Accordingly, when the bill was called after dinner, he took particular notice of her behaviour, and, perceiving her pull out a large leathern purse that contained her money, reconnoitred the pocket in which it was deposited, and, while they sat close to each other in the carriage, conveyed it with admirable dexterity28 into an hole in the cushion. Whether the corpulent couple, who sat opposite to these lovers, had entered into an amorous29 engagement at the inn, or were severally induced by other motives30, is uncertain; but sure it is, both left the coach on that part of the road which lies nearest to Gravesend, and bade adieu to the other pair, on pretence31 of having urgent business at that place.
Ferdinand, not a little pleased at their departure, renewed his most pathetic expressions of love, and sung several French songs on that tender subject, which seemed to thrill to the soul of his beauteous Helen. While the driver halted at Dartford to water his horses, she was smit with the appearance of some cheesecakes, which were presented by the landlady32 of the house, and having bargained for two or three, put her hand in her pocket, in order to pay for her purchase; but what was her astonishment33, when, after having rummaged34 her equipage, she understood her whole fortune was lost! This mishap35 was, by a loud shriek36, announced to our hero, who affected37 infinite amazement38 and concern; and no sooner learned the cause of her affliction, than he presented her with his own purse, from which he, in emphatic39 dumb show, begged she would indemnify herself for the damage she had sustained. Although this kind proffer40 was some alleviation41 of her misfortunes, she did not fail to pour forth42 a most piteous lamentation43, importing that she had not only lost all her money, amounting to five pounds, but also her letter of recommendation, upon which she had altogether relied for present employment.
The vehicle was minutely searched from top to bottom, by herself and our adventurer, assisted by Maurice and the coachman, who, finding their inquiry44 ineffectual, did not scruple45 to declare his suspicion of the two fat turtles who had deserted46 the coach in such an abrupt47 manner. In a word, he rendered this conjecture48 so plausible49, by wresting50 the circumstances of their behaviour and retreat, that poor Elenor implicitly51 believed they were the thieves by whom she had suffered; and was prevailed upon to accept the proffered52 assistance of the generous Count, who, seeing her very much disordered by this mischance, insisted upon her drinking a large glass of canary, to quiet the perturbation of her spirits. This is a season, which of all others is most propitious53 to the attempts of an artful lover; and justifies54 the metaphorical55 maxim56 of fishing in troubled waters. There is an affinity57 and short transition betwixt all the violent passions that agitate58 the human mind. They are all false perspectives, which, though they magnify, yet perplex and render indistinct every object which they represent. And flattery is never so successfully administered, as to those who know they stand in need of friendship, assent59, and approbation60.
The cordial she swallowed, far from calming, increased the disturbance61 of her thoughts, and produced an intoxication62; during which, she talked in an incoherent strain, laughed and wept by turns, and acted other extravagances, which are known to be symptoms of the hysterical63 affection. Fathom, though an utter stranger to the sentiments of honour, pity, and remorse64, would not perpetrate his vicious purpose, though favoured by the delirium65 his villany had entailed66 upon this unfortunate young maiden; because his appetite demanded a more perfect sacrifice than that which she could yield in her present deplorable situation, when her will must have been altogether unconcerned in his success. Determined67, therefore, to make a conquest of her virtue, before he would take possession of her person, he mimicked68 that compassion69 and benevolence70 which his heart had never felt, and, when the coach arrived at London, not only discharged what she owed for her place, but likewise procured71 for her an apartment in the house to which he himself had been directed for lodgings72, and even hired a nurse to attend her during a severe fever, which was the consequence of her disappointment and despondence. Indeed, she was supplied with all necessaries by the generosity73 of this noble Count, who, for the interest of his passion, and the honour of his name, was resolved to extend his charity to the last farthing of her own money, which he had been wise enough to secure for this purpose.
Her youth soon got the better of her distemper, and when she understood her obligations to the Count, who did not fail to attend her in person with great tenderness, her heart, which had been before prepossessed in his favour, now glowed with all the warmth of gratitude74, esteem75, and affection. She knew herself in a strange place, destitute76 of all resource but in his generosity. She loved his person, she was dazzled by his rank; and he knew so well how to improve the opportunities and advantages he derived77 from her unhappy situation, that he gradually proceeded in sapping from one degree of intimacy78 to another, until all the bulwarks79 of her chastity were undermined, and she submitted to his desire; not with the reluctance80 of a vanquished81 people, but with all the transports of a joyful82 city, that opens its gates to receive a darling prince returned from conquest. For by this time he had artfully concentred and kindled83 up all the inflammable ingredients of her constitution; and she now looked back upon the virtuous84 principles of her education, as upon a disagreeable and tedious dream, from which she had waked to the fruition of never-fading joy.
1 fathom | |
v.领悟,彻底了解 | |
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2 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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3 contraband | |
n.违禁品,走私品 | |
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4 seizure | |
n.没收;占有;抵押 | |
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5 mitigate | |
vt.(使)减轻,(使)缓和 | |
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6 maiden | |
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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7 mingled | |
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
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8 lustre | |
n.光亮,光泽;荣誉 | |
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9 rosy | |
adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的 | |
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10 inflame | |
v.使燃烧;使极度激动;使发炎 | |
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11 prey | |
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 | |
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12 voluptuous | |
adj.肉欲的,骄奢淫逸的 | |
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13 artifice | |
n.妙计,高明的手段;狡诈,诡计 | |
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14 expressive | |
adj.表现的,表达…的,富于表情的 | |
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15 buxom | |
adj.(妇女)丰满的,有健康美的 | |
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16 conceal | |
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 | |
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17 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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18 inquisitive | |
adj.求知欲强的,好奇的,好寻根究底的 | |
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19 dependence | |
n.依靠,依赖;信任,信赖;隶属 | |
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20 unwilling | |
adj.不情愿的 | |
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21 importunate | |
adj.强求的;纠缠不休的 | |
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22 prelude | |
n.序言,前兆,序曲 | |
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23 simplicity | |
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯 | |
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24 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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25 disdain | |
n.鄙视,轻视;v.轻视,鄙视,不屑 | |
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26 appease | |
v.安抚,缓和,平息,满足 | |
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27 discretion | |
n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
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28 dexterity | |
n.(手的)灵巧,灵活 | |
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29 amorous | |
adj.多情的;有关爱情的 | |
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30 motives | |
n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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31 pretence | |
n.假装,作假;借口,口实;虚伪;虚饰 | |
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32 landlady | |
n.女房东,女地主 | |
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33 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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34 rummaged | |
翻找,搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 ); 已经海关检查 | |
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35 mishap | |
n.不幸的事,不幸;灾祸 | |
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36 shriek | |
v./n.尖叫,叫喊 | |
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37 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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38 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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39 emphatic | |
adj.强调的,着重的;无可置疑的,明显的 | |
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40 proffer | |
v.献出,赠送;n.提议,建议 | |
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41 alleviation | |
n. 减轻,缓和,解痛物 | |
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42 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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43 lamentation | |
n.悲叹,哀悼 | |
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44 inquiry | |
n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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45 scruple | |
n./v.顾忌,迟疑 | |
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46 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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47 abrupt | |
adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的 | |
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48 conjecture | |
n./v.推测,猜测 | |
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49 plausible | |
adj.似真实的,似乎有理的,似乎可信的 | |
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50 wresting | |
动词wrest的现在进行式 | |
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51 implicitly | |
adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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52 proffered | |
v.提供,贡献,提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53 propitious | |
adj.吉利的;顺利的 | |
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54 justifies | |
证明…有理( justify的第三人称单数 ); 为…辩护; 对…作出解释; 为…辩解(或辩护) | |
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55 metaphorical | |
a.隐喻的,比喻的 | |
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56 maxim | |
n.格言,箴言 | |
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57 affinity | |
n.亲和力,密切关系 | |
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58 agitate | |
vi.(for,against)煽动,鼓动;vt.搅动 | |
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59 assent | |
v.批准,认可;n.批准,认可 | |
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60 approbation | |
n.称赞;认可 | |
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61 disturbance | |
n.动乱,骚动;打扰,干扰;(身心)失调 | |
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62 intoxication | |
n.wild excitement;drunkenness;poisoning | |
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63 hysterical | |
adj.情绪异常激动的,歇斯底里般的 | |
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64 remorse | |
n.痛恨,悔恨,自责 | |
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65 delirium | |
n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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66 entailed | |
使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 ); 需要; 限定继承; 使必需 | |
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67 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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68 mimicked | |
v.(尤指为了逗乐而)模仿( mimic的过去式和过去分词 );酷似 | |
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69 compassion | |
n.同情,怜悯 | |
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70 benevolence | |
n.慈悲,捐助 | |
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71 procured | |
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 lodgings | |
n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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73 generosity | |
n.大度,慷慨,慷慨的行为 | |
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74 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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75 esteem | |
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
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76 destitute | |
adj.缺乏的;穷困的 | |
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77 derived | |
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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78 intimacy | |
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行 | |
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79 bulwarks | |
n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 );保障;支柱;舷墙 | |
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80 reluctance | |
n.厌恶,讨厌,勉强,不情愿 | |
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81 vanquished | |
v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 );战胜;克服;抑制 | |
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82 joyful | |
adj.欢乐的,令人欢欣的 | |
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83 kindled | |
(使某物)燃烧,着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 ); 激起(感情等); 发亮,放光 | |
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84 virtuous | |
adj.有品德的,善良的,贞洁的,有效力的 | |
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