The Adventures of David Simple (1904)/Chapter 35
CHAPTER V
the continuation of the story of corinna
"Corinna's manner of dealing with these various characters was really very diverting. For to the man of sense who had the reputation of being an artful man, and who always treated her with very great respect, yet told her his love in a plain unaffected manner (for he had not been much used to gallantry), and always dealt with every one with simplicity, she softened her looks to such a degree as gave him some distant hopes that he might be her choice. And as a coquette was the character he most despised, it would have been impossible to have persuaded him that she had any sort of coquetry in her. She plainly saw how much his real character was mistaken; and that the other gentleman, who was reputed to be perfectly artless, employed his whole time and thoughts in endeavouring to undermine her by his cunning. To him therefore she was more reserved; and, by continually counterplotting him, at last gave him the most consummate opinion of her wisdom: for as he looked on art and sense to be the same thing, he thought a woman who could equal him in the former must be the most extraordinary creature in the world.
"The man whom the world esteemed to be ill-natured, only because he was capable of being touched with either the afflictions or behaviour of his friends, she worked backward and forward in such a manner as made him one moment curse her, and the next adore her; by that means keeping his thoughts continually on the stretch, and giving him no time to recollect himself enough to forsake her. The thing in the world he valued in a woman was having the same sensations with himself; therefore, whenever she found she had gone far enough to hurt him thoroughly, she picked up some trifle he had done, and told him it was the suspicion of his slighting her that had made her so uneasy she could not command herself: by this means he was perfectly convinced that she had no fault but what arose from the strength of her good-nature.
"As to the gentleman who was always pleased, she had no great trouble with him, and only danced and sung with him, and he was perfectly satisfied she was the best-humoured woman in the world, which was the quality he most admired.
"The Balancer never told her he liked her in his life; for he did not dare to go so far, lest he should not be able afterwards to disengage himself. He sat whole hours, and looked at her with wonder and admiration, considering with himself whether it would be wise for him to make love to her or no. She saw she had him sure enough, but did not let it appear to him that she understood his looks. She flattered him in his own way, asking his advice about every trifle, pretending she was deliberating about things she never had a serious thought of; he therefore believed her a miracle of discretion.
"Her hardest task was how to manage Le Vive; for the impetuosity of his inclinations would not bear being dallied with; and she found, with all her art, it was impossible to keep him long without consenting to marry him. But as be was always apt to believe whatever his inclinations suggested to him, she contrived to make him think that she had no other reason for not immediately complying with his desire bot delicacy; for that she thought a woman most be a strange creature who did not expect some gallantry from a man before he could obtain her love. And as Le Vive had really a very delicate turn in his own mind, it was what he most admired in a woman; and consequently, he was the more charmed with her for thinking she had so large a share of it. She was obliged to be denied to all the rest whenever he came to see her; for she could not so easily impose on him as on the others, and the least suspicion would have excited him to the highest degree of rage. She durst not play many tricks with him, only she would now and then just tease him enough to make his passion return with the greater violence.
"As to the vain man, he easily believed she preferred him to all mankind; and it is incredible how vast a pleasure he took in reflecting on the joys he should feel in being reputed to have the handsomest wife in all France. The possession of so fine a woman was the least thing in his consideration; for if he had been obliged to have lived a recluse life with her, all her charms would have immediately vanished, and his relish would have been totally lost for them; but whilst his vanity was gratified, he thought her possessed of every accomplishment any woman could be adorned with. Thus mankind go further than Pygmalion in the fable; for he, indeed, fell in love with a statue, but still kept his senses enough only to pray to the gods to give her life and motion; but they, if once a woman's form pleases them, not only wish her possessed of every tiling else, but believe and swear she is so.
"I once visited Corinna when all her lovers happened to be there together. I suppose Le Vive was let in by some accident she could not avoid. The grave man of sense appeared diffident of himself, and seemed afraid to speak to her. The artful man sat silent, and seemed to be laying some very deep plot. The man who was so apt to be hurt by the behaviour of others could hardly forbear breaking out in reproaches. The gay, good-humoured spark capered and sung, and was never better pleased in his life. The Balancer attempted to speak several times, but broke off with half a sentence, as not having considered enough whether he was going to speak wisely or no. Le Vive had no patience, and could hardly be civil to her; but perfectly stormed at her, and left the room in a violent passion. But the vain man was all joy and rapture; for, on some particular civilities she showed him, he concluded he was the happy man; and, indeed, whether the sympathy there was in their minds (for both their pleasures lay in gratifying their vanity) influenced her, or whether his having a great fortune swayed her, I cannot tell, but she certainly did give him the preference before all her other lovers.
"After this meeting of them all together, as she found it impossible any longer to keep them all as danglers, she began to think seriously of marrying the vain man. She considered that if she led this life much longer, she should get the reputation of a finished coquette, and consequently lose all her power; whereas, by marrying, she might have the liberty of conversing with all her husband's acquaintance without being much censured. Besides, she knew enough of his temper not to be ignorant that he would bring her home all the admirers he could, in order to indulge himself in the thoughts that he had gained the woman so much liked by others. She was very sure she could not be particularly fond of him, nor of any other man; and always laid it down as a maxim that it was too much love on the women's side that was generally the cause of their losing their husbands' affections. In short, these and several other considerations induced her at last to give her hand to the vain man.
"They were married three months before I came from Paris, and were generally esteemed a very fond couple. She coquets it just enough to show him that, if be does not take care of his behaviour, he is in danger of losing her; and he indulges her in everything she can wish, and still keeps up the lover, for fear of the disgrace of her liking anybody else. Sacharissa, with whom I conversed as often as I could get liberty, told me that Corinna often asked her how long she thought she should reign thus absolute in her husband's house, if she made an humble, fond wife, and did not continually show him how much he was obliged to her for choosing him? I will relate to you one scene that passed between them, word for word, as Sacharissa told it me.
"There was a young gentleman dined with them one day, with whom Corinna was more gay and went further in her coquetry than usual; insomuch that at last her husband grew quite out of humour; she perceived it, but did not at all alter her behaviour on that account. There was a great deal of company at the table, and Corinna was in the highest raptures to see the joy which sparkled in the eyes of the man she took most notice of; the envious, uneasy looks of all the others, and her husband's discontent. This might be called the wantonness of power, and she was resolved to indulge herself in the full enjoyment of it. When the company were gone her husband sat sullen and out of humour, and would not speak one word. It was her usual method, whenever he thought proper to be in this temper, to let him come to himself again as he pleased; for she never said anything to him to endeavour to bring him out of it. I cannot say I much pitied him, as all his uneasiness arose from vanity; but had the greatest tenderness for her been the cause of it, she would have acted just in the same manner; for it was one of her political maxims, that whatever woman troubled her head whether her husband was pleased or no, would find employment enough to keep him in temper; but if she could have so strong a resolution as to hold out, if he either loved her or a quiet life, he would certainly submit in the end; and the difficulty he found in being reconciled to her would make him afraid of offending her.
"However, this passed on three or four days, and neither of them spoke. Corinna dressed and went abroad with as much cheerfulness as usual; till he held out so long that she began to be frighted lest he should be meditating some design of parting with her, and by that means bring a disgrace upon her. Her pride would not suffer her to think of a submission; besides, she knew that method would be totally ineffectual with a man of her husband's temper.
"Sacharissa, although she could not approve her behaviour, had so much good-nature, she would willingly have assisted her in bringing about a reconciliation; but her mind was so perfectly free from all art, and every word she spoke—nay, her very looks—so plainly showed her thoughts, that it was impossible for her to hit on any scheme for her sister's advantage. Corinna, after much deliberation, as her last effort, engaged a lady of her acquaintance to invite her and her husband to dinner; where, as by accident, they were to meet the gentleman who was the first occasion of their quarrel; who, the moment he saw Corinna, began to behave to her with all the assurance of a man who fancies himself the object of admiration can be inspired with. But she had now another scheme in view; and as she had before indulged her own vanity at the expense of her husband's, she thought it necessary, in order to bring about her present designs, to turn the man into ridicule, who, from her own behaviour, had fed himself with the hopes of obtaining her favour; and while she played him off with all the liveliness and wit she was mistress of, by the whole company's plainly perceiving the great preference she gave her husband he was by degrees worked into raptures he never felt for her before, and when they came home was visibly more her slave than ever.
"Thus, by following the maxim she had laid down from her youth, of never showing too much love to the man she had a mind to govern, she so far succeeded in all her schemes that if ever any dispute arose between them, after this scene, it was not without the most servile submissions on her husband's side, and her exerting all the most haughty airs she could think on, that he could ever obtain a reconciliation with her: nor did she think herself at all to blame for such a conduct; but often asserted that, notwithstanding all the complaints of women's levity and coquetry, yet that she thought the man who gives up all his ease and sacrifices all his time to the satisfying a restless ambition and the grasping of power, was just on the same footing with the woman who makes it her study to display and set off her charms in order to gain a general admiration: that the same love of power was the motive of both their actions; and, consequently, that she could not see, if there is so much folly as is said to be in the one, how the other could be exempted from the same imputation.
"But here I will leave her, and go back to Sacharissa. Her taste was too good, although she had a great softness in her temper, for her easily to fix her affections; but the man of sense, whom I have already mentioned to you as a lover of Corinna's, touched her heart. She took care to conceal it, because she well knew Corinna would be uneasy at parting with one admirer, although her dislike to him was ever so great. But when Corinna was married, and this gentleman compared her usage of all her lovers with Sacharissa's modest and good-natured behaviour, he fixed his love on the woman who now appeared so much the most deserving. The courtship did not last long; for as she had made it a rule never to conceal her affections from the man she loved longer than she doubted of his, decency was the only thing considered by her; and they were married about a month before I left Paris. I never saw a greater prospect of happiness in my life; for their love was reciprocal, and they highly esteemed each other."
Cynthia had the thanks of the whole company for her relation; particularly Valentine's, who expressed the greatest admiration at her manner of telling it. They spent the rest of the evening in remarks on Cynthia's story; and David said he did not think there could have been such a character as Corinna's in the world; that he began to be in great anxiety to see a woman painted in such a light; but Sacharissa's tenderness and good-nature had revived his spirits, in showing him the blessing a man possessed when he could gain the affections of a person whose heart was faithful and whose mind was replete with goodness. In saying this, he fixed his eyes stead-fastly on Camilla, till he saw her blush and seem out of countenance, which made him immediately turn the discourse: and when they separated to go to bed, Valentine followed his sister into her room, and seemed almost choked for want of power to utter his thoughts.
Camilla was not ignorant what subject he wanted to talk on, and immediately began a discourse on Cynthia. At last she brought him to say, "Oh! Camilla, how happy must that man be who can touch the heart of Cynthia! There is no hope for your unfortunate brother; for even if she could condescend to look on me, my circumstances are such, I dare not own my love to her. Mr. Simple's generosity and goodness to us makes it utterly impossible I should ever think of loading him with more burdens: no; I must for ever banish from my thoughts the only woman who is capable of raising my love and esteem. You may remember in our very youthful days, when I hardly knew why I liked her, how fond I was of being with Cynthia; and notwithstanding our separation, I have never thought of any other woman with any great affection." He then went on with ecstasies on Cynthia's wit and charms.
Camilla heard him out, and then told him she would do anything in her power to serve him; but advised him, if possible, to try to conquer his passion. At these words he turned pale, and looked in the utmost agonies; which his sister perceiving, she told him, if his love was so fixed that he could not enjoy himself without Cynthia, she hoped, and did not at all doubt, but he might gain her affections; for that, before she went abroad, she had observed much more than a common complaisance in her behaviour towards him, which she found was rather increased than abated since this last meetings; and he must wait with patience till time, perhaps, might put it in his power to be as happy as he could wish.
Valentine was vastly comforted in the thoughts of Cynthia's approving his love, and for that moment quite forgot all the consequences that might attend indulging his passion. He begged his sister to observe all Cynthia's words and actions, and then retired to rest. Poor Camilla could have sighed as well as her brother; but I don't know how it was, she could not so easily unfold griefs of that kind to Valentine as he could do her.