Nonsense! rejoined the Major, you allude to what occurred upon our meeting yesterday, and mistake gratitude for liking. Now gratitude, you know, won’t serve her purpose, for I want no return; and love would make an ass and a fool of me, were I to let it get the mastery of me; for what am I? ’Twould be just as possible to persuade his faithful majesty to give me the princess of Portugal to wife, as to propose my ridiculous self, (Major Wilson forsooth, with a sword by his side and a bit of ribband in his hat) to a man of Devereux’s sort, whose coffers overflow with the gold of Brazil, and whose daughter is a rock of diamonds, eclipsed indeed by the lustre of her eyes, and the bright display of ten thousand thousand charms, which I am not quite philosopher enough to withstand, nor fool enough to encounter? Why, John, if I could suppose for a moment that she had any liking for me, s’death! I should run crazy, nay, I know not where I should run.—
Into her arms to be sure, John replied; I don’t fancy you need run any where else, if you knew half as much of your own case as I do. But tell me first how you brought yourself off with Mr. Devereux. Didn’t you accept of his invitation, and won’t you post yourself in the citadel, when the gates are opened to you?
Not for the world, said Wilson: ’Tis not in my nature to be so presumptuous. In short I managed my affairs most wretchedly; honesty got the better of me, and after blundering out several false excuses, I at last let out the true one, and, like a downright John-Bull blockhead fairly told him, that his daughter was too captivating, and I too much captivated, to venture any nearer to a lovely and enchanting object, whom, if I were rash enough to approach, it would be only to expose my folly, and destroy my peace. I believe I said something too vauntingly about honour and attachment to my profession, which I considered as a patrimony I never could be brought to alienate: in fine however I became more humble, and earnestly besought him to allow of my declining his favours altogether, whilst I had recollection enough left to find my way to the army I belonged to, and shew myself not totally unworthy of his good opinion by the force I put upon myself to preserve it. And now, friend John, what say you to all this, that I have been telling you? you, that have all the wisdom in a green head, that others have in their grey ones, answer me, and say—did I, or did I not, do right?
In point of honour, Major, you did right; you were a little romantic perhaps, but, honourably speaking, you did strictly right. But you have not told me how your conference ended.
At this moment an orderly man put a letter into his hands, which having hastily perused, he said—I am not sure that our conference is ended, my dear fellow; for it should seem as if the gentleman only quitted me to collect materials for continuing it. I will read you Mr. Devereux’s note just now received, and you will judge.
“At the express desire of Maria Devereux I am to signify to the gallant officer, whom she holds herself indebted to for life, that she cannot admit the plausibility of his scruples, and will guarantee his honour, if he will be pleased to wave them, and make her and his friends happy by being of the family party this day at dinner. The undersigned, who writes what she has dictated, begs leave to add that he is ready to second these her absolute commands, or any other to the like effect, that she may lay upon him in the case aforesaid, and thereunto, for the fuller satisfaction of the parties concerned, he pledges his name,
George Devereux, senior.”
No sooner had our friendly hero heard him to the end, than impatient to congratulate him, he exclaimed—And what would you have more to assure you, that you have gained the prize, and all your wishes, all your hopes are crowned? Now all this I could have told you, had I not been a little too much of a man of honour to betray family secrets, but the wretched suicide, who lies in yonder guard-house, made no secret of declaring before he died, that Maria Devereux scrupled not to avow her fixed attachment to the unknown officer, who had saved her life. Can you want any further evidence, or would you have her to proclaim her passion for you in the public square by sound of bell? Do you require the father to fall upon his knees to you, and petition you to save his daughter’s life? Something a little short of this, methinks, if I can comprehend that note, he has already done. Now then, puissant conqueror, sally forth in all your pomp of triumph, and receive into your arms the loveliest girl (excepting always her whom I should still except, was the whole world of beauty ranged before me) that ever I beheld. I did not think I could have felt such joy on this side those old towers, in which my heart is lodged. Oh my dear Wilson, let me be the bearer of these joyous tidings to your beloved, your delighted father, to my old darling grandsires, to my sainted aunt and to my lovely my betrothed Amelia. My work is done. I’ll quicken my departure.
The name of the sub-minister was now announced to Major Wilson, and De Lancaster took his leave.