Chapter II: Part 2

‘Your father, Sir, was, very early in life, married, by the persuasions of his family, to a young lady, who had very few personal charms to recommend her. Lord Montgomery had been too fondly attached to a dissipated life to become suddenly a domestic man; and feeling no strong partiality for the lady to whom he was united, after a very few weeks of self-denial, in compliance with the forms propriety dictated, returned, with heightened avidity, to his former licentious companions. Among these was a woman of infamous fame, who had, by her vile artifices, obtained such a complete ascendancy over his Lordship’s inclinations, that she had power to urge or persuade him to any measure which her caprices or necessities dictated.

‘After being married about three years, Lord Montgomery expressed the bitterest dissatisfaction that his lady had not yet brought him any offspring. It was the first wish of his heart to have an heir, and the only consideration which could possibly have induced him to comply with the wishes of his friends. At length the anxiously-desired event took place, and the hopes of the Earl were gratified by the birth of a male child, which the impatient father eagerly waited to embrace. But who can speak his disgust and horror, when an infant the most deformed and hideous was put into his arms!

‘Excuse me, Sir,’ observed Mr. Melvin, ‘that I express myself in this unqualified manner; it is the only palliative that can be offered for the subsequent culpable conduct of Lord Montgomery. The disappointed parent started with dismay at beholding an object so very different from what paternal pride had taught him to expect.

‘This cannot be my child,’ he exclaimed, in unconcealed rage; ‘it is a trick, an imposition practised on my credulity. Does Lady Montgomery imagine I am thus to be deceived with impunity?’

‘It was in vain that the nurse and attendants assured him the child was his. He flew from the house in a state of phrenzy not to be described. For consolation, he hastened to his vile favourite, imparted to her his cause of vexation, and intreating her advice. She heard him with malignant satisfaction; for her terror was extreme, that the fond feelings of a father would restore his affections to his lady, and alienate them from herself.

‘How could you be foolish enough to imagine, Montgomery,’ said she, ‘that a woman so plain as your wife could have handsome children? the little ugly thing is yours, and you must do the best you can with it. The world will be very charitable in surmises, no doubt.’

‘Distracted by these taunts, the Earl indignantly swore that he would perish rather than suffer such a hideous little being to call him father.

‘No,’ he exclaimed, ‘I will never be the finger-mark of scorn and ridicule.’

‘Suppose I help you out of this dilemma,’ said his fair adviser, laughing: ‘what I have to propose may perhaps seem hard; but if you are determined not to acknowledge the child, I think my plan will be admirable.’

‘Name it, dearest creature,’ cried Lord Montgomery,’ and I will think you the preserver of my honour.’

‘My poor maid, Lucy, was this morning unluckily, or perhaps luckily, brought to-bed of a son; it is as lovely a child as can be imagined. Now if you would have the generosity to substitute this child in the place of him you mean to abandon, a decent sum would, I doubt not, induce the mother to give him up to you, and save her from want.’

‘It is an excellent thought, and shall be done,’ exclaimed Montgomery; ‘at all events, this shall be put in execution.’

‘Thus did these wicked creatures plan the most detestable of actions--the one through a false shame and fear of the world’s ridicule, the other through motives of avarice and revenge; so easily does bad example and improper counsel urge the weak mind to the commission of the most terrible crimes.

‘It was the error of Montgomery in his earliest youth to give himself over to bad example. At school his associates were chiefly those who delighted most in mischievous sports and idle habits; and this vicious propensity gained ground on his inclinations at maturer years, and laid the foundation for a wretched old age.

‘Lord Montgomery hastened home; he bribed the nurse to be secret, and dispatched a trusty servant to Lucy, who hesitated not to give up her infant, and received the unfortunate wronged babe in its place. As soon as Lady Montgomery was able to travel, his Lordship hurried her to England, that she might never get knowledge of the transaction, leaving his base confederates to make the best of their bargain--for mistrust is ever the attendant of guilt, and those who instigate us to the commission of an improper action, soon become objects of fear and disgust, even to the most abandoned.

‘No sooner was Lord Montgomery removed from Boston, than this vile woman and her companion formed other connexions; and secure of the money, the price of their villainy, abandoned the helpless infant to the charitable institution; but retribution hovered over the head of the misguided, guilty Montgomery. His lady died the victim of his neglect and harshness; and the base offspring of Lucy repaid his care with the most horrible ingratitude.

‘These events have embittered the remaining days of the Earl. He finds an accusing conscience has power to deaden every sense of pleasure; and, as the only means remaining of restoring peace to his wounded mind, he determined on this act of justice; he has discarded the prodigal, who abuses his generosity; he acknowledges the justice of his punishment; and in restoring you to your birthright, with ample confession of his guilt, hopes to obtain your forgiveness, and the mercy of offended Heaven.’

‘You may imagine, my dear friend,’ said Barnaby, ‘how much my feelings were agitated by this recital, and what heartfelt gratitude glowed in my breast towards you, whose goodness had raised me from such indigent obscurity and ignorance to a degree of comparative respectability. I readily forgave, though I felt I could never respect, my unjust parent, and was impatient to present myself before him, that he might see I was not altogether the monster his imagination had hitherto represented me. Our meeting was particularly affecting. All my resentment was changed to pity, at the deplorable state in which I found him. His humility was extreme; and he expired in my arms, breathing the tenderest blessings on me. That moment repaid me for all I had before suffered. So sweet are the sensations of filial love! Nature has implanted it in our breasts in its full force. Happy, happy children are ye, who can look up to your parents with equal love and reverence! Never may you repay kindness with neglect! for even the unworthy, erring father, claims comfort, support, and pity from his own natural offspring; and Heaven will repay to the duteous child, sooner or later, the mercy he has shewn to an aged, unhappy parent.’

“Theodore congratulated his friend with sincere joy, and then made him acquainted with the particulars of his own affairs. Lord Montgomery regretted that the peculiar situation in which he was at that time placed, prevented his attending him to town, but begged that he would not neglect to write to him as soon as he possibly could; and further requested that he would indulge him so far as to leave Rover with him.

‘I found the faithful creature,’ said he, ‘at the inn where you put up last. He was roaming from chamber to chamber in search of you; but he instantly recollected me, and gave every testimony of joy in his power. He willingly followed me hitherto, and no doubt traced you by his acute scent to your apartment, where he caused you such extreme alarm. The precariousness of your situation will render him rather a trouble to you; and independent of my own wish, I would advise you to leave him here. You shall have him whenever you think proper to claim him.’

“Theodore gave an immediate assent, and parted from his friend and his dog with mingled pain and pleasure, happy at the events which had so recently occurred, yet anxious as to his own future destiny.

“As soon as he arrived in town, he repaired to the house of Sir George Norbury, where, to his infinite mortification, he was denied sight of her on whose account alone he had made the visit. His business at the Admiralty being settled to his satisfaction, he embarked in the ship to which he was appointed, with a heavy heart. They were ordered to Jamaica on a three years’ station; and there Fitzallan was so fortunate as to get promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant. He was preparing to return to England with renewed hopes, when a letter from Lord Montgomery gave a final blow to all his fond expectations. It ran thus:--

‘MY DEAR FRIEND,

‘At a moment of extreme happiness to myself, I am under the painful necessity of communicating to you the melancholy intelligence of your father’s death. I know that no consideration of future affluence and independence will console you for this event, nor can I attempt the language of condolence on the occasion, as Nature must take her course, and the feelings of the heart find vent, in despite of all the arguments which friendship or philosophy might suggest. In fact, I look upon plausible reasoning to be officious, and seldom more than mere commonplace civility; our friendship is too sincere to require any such varnish. I know that if any thing can turn aside the tide of grief for a revered parent, it is the information that him you have so long honoured with your regard, is on the eve of being made the happiest of men.

‘One particular circumstance in my life, I believe, I have till now omitted mentioning to you. It was this: I had once the good fortune to save from death the lovely daughter of Sir George Norbury. I was attending my master on a pleasurable excursion, when the animal Miss Norbury rode took fright, and would have plunged down a frightful precipice, had I not, by a desperate effort, impeded his progress, and received the lovely girl in my arms. From that happy moment I became a favourite in the family. With the sweetness peculiar to her disposition, Miss Norbury paid me the most flattering attention; and as I was no longer considered in the character of a domestic, I suffered insensibly my heart to be impressed with her merit too strongly for my peace. Yet I forgot not my own dependant situation, and forbore to drop a hint which might indicate my presumption. The late extraordinary change in my prospects has emboldened me to aspire to the hand of this amiable girl, and I was successful in my appeal to Sir George. He seems even desirous of the alliance, and his lovely daughter has consented to become mine. As your return is now expected, I shall not hasten the arrangements, that I may have the additional pleasure of your presence. I congratulate you on your recent promotion, and trust that you will not doubt my word when I say, that if money or interest can secure your further advancement, you may command to the utmost your grateful and affectionate

‘MONTGOMERY.’

“Astonishment and concern took possession of Theodore’s mind. He was surprised that Miss Norbury should so readily consent to marry Montgomery, and equally grieved that she no longer regarded him with a preference. He therefore returned an answer, in which his agitation and uneasiness could not be concealed under his feigned congratulations; and Montgomery was not long before he learned from Miss Norbury herself the particulars of his friend’s attachment to that lady. She had indeed never ceased to regard him; but the care her father had taken to prevent her hearing from or seeing him, was too effectual for her to obtain any knowledge of his sentiments, and she attributed to indifference what was in fact the result of necessity. Gratitude, and the commands of a father, now induced her to promise her hand to Lord Montgomery; but she candidly acknowledged to him every particular.

“Montgomery, though sensibly affected by her candour, and the knowledge that he was not the object of her regard, yet concealed his chagrin, and strove to gain her favour by the most delicate attentions.

“When Theodore arrived, he hastened, with ardent eagerness, to embrace him, and experienced the most acute anguish at perceiving the altered looks and cold manners of his once-ardent friend.

‘My dear Mr. Fitzallan,’ said he, affecting ignorance, ‘how have I been so unfortunate as to offend you? I have been impatiently expecting your return to crown my happiness; yet you meet me with pallid cheeks and averted eyes--what can this mean?’

‘Lord Montgomery,’ said Theodore, seriously, ‘press me not on this subject; you have been innocently the cause of some unhappiness to me; but I bear you no enmity; and though I cannot witness your felicity, I will never cease to pray for it.’

‘My dear, dear friend,’ cried Montgomery, throwing himself into the arms of Theodore, ‘I know all; Charlotte has told me every thing, and I have only secured her to myself, that I might have the power of presenting her to you, as a proof that gratitude has never slept in my heart. The settlements are all drawn up; there only remains to insert your name instead of mine.’

‘Generous, too-generous Montgomery!’ exclaimed Theodore, ‘I have not deserved this goodness.’

‘Much more than ever I can have power to acknowledge,’ returned Montgomery; ‘you raised me from the dust to your bosom. I only have restored to you what was by right your own.’

“Theodore was overjoyed, and embraced his friend with grateful tears; and in the sweet delight of doing good to others, Montgomery established his own happiness. He gave the fair bride away; and in the course of a few years stood godfather to Charlotte, Caroline, and Henry, who now listen with such earnestness to my tale, and who will, I hope, be impressed by it with the amiable sentiment, that virtue, independent of personal beauty, should alone command our esteem, as the most deformed and hideous to behold may possess a heart more valuable than that enclosed within the fairest outside.”

FINIS.

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

Added closing quotes:
Page 84: _the hoped-for happiness.’”_
Page 85: _So good night, my children.”_
Page 95: _that every berry was perfect.’_