We are going this afternoon to a village in the neighbourhood of this place. Annette has just now left the room, after shewing me her writing, which her young master had praised. But why do not you lay aside your work for an hour, and write an answer to William? or we shall not be good friends.
CHARLES.
LETTER XXVI.
William to Emilia.
Your brother mentioned, in his last letter, that we were going to take a walk; the weather was very fine when we set out, but the sky looking a little cloudy, I proposed to your brother to go in the schuit. How, said he, are you afraid of a little rain, we have no clothes on that can be spoiled? Let us not guard against every trifling inconvenience: and so we went on. When we reached the village, which was rather a long walk, we went into a coffee-house to drink tea to refresh ourselves.
While your brother was reading the newspaper I walked in the garden, and saw, in a disorderly company, a young man, a distant relation of my mother’s, whose father the other day had dined in company with your brother. We both of us then observed his melancholy countenance, and my mother hinted to us, that she feared his son’s disobedience was breaking his father’s heart. I was alarmed at seeing him in such company, and enquired of the landlord how long he had been there. Four days, answered he, and during that time, he has spent fifty five guilders with the companions you see. He has given me a bill for the money, signed by Mr. H—— at the Hague, which I am to receive next Monday. This speech made me very uneasy, for I perceived by it he had altered his name. The landlord called him Mr. S——; and I knew his name to be Van Landbergen, and this made me suspect that the bill might be forged.
I ran to your brother and acquainted him with the circumstance. It may fairly be inferred, answered he, that as he has taken a false name, he may also have been guilty of forgery. Such a shameful action will bring the old man to his grave; but we must try to prevent it, let us send for the landlord; and he rang bell. He soon entered, and your brother thus addressed him: “I hear, Sir, you have a bill drawn on Mr. H——, payable next Monday; I will give you the money for it, as I have some accounts to settle with that gentleman, but you must give me your receipt, and mention that it was for Mr. S——.” The landlord was glad to get his money without the trouble of going for it, and immediately wrote the receipt and received the money; he then left the room, and we had the following conversation.
CHARLES.
You think that this bill may be forged, and so do I; and if it should really prove that we are right in our conjectures, what would be the lot of young Van Landbergen, a shameful flight, or scandalous punishment; either of which would grievously have afflicted his innocent parent. We must one day give an account of what heaven has intrusted to us, and what would my account be, if I could only say, I had the means in my hands to save a good man from a misfortune which might have fatal consequences, and I chose rather to spend my money in useless diversions and selfish pleasures. If the bill is good, I shall be no loser; if not, it will be a source of perpetual satisfaction to think that I delivered a good father from the shame his ungrateful son would have entailed on him.
WILLIAM.
What an example! There are many, I know, that may possibly, this very evening, lose above fifty guilders at billiards or some other game, who yet would call your act of benevolence madness.