Upon the whole, then, Mr Allworthy certainly saw some
imperfections in the captain; but as this was a very
artful man, and eternally upon his guard before him,
these appeared to him no more than blemishes in a
good character, which his goodness made him overlook,
and his wisdom prevented him from discovering to the
captain himself. Very different would have been
his sentiments had he discovered the whole; which
perhaps would in time have been the case, had the husband
and wife long continued this kind of behaviour to
each other; but this kind Fortune took effectual means
to prevent, by forcing the captain to do that which
rendered him again dear to his wife, and restored all
her tenderness and affection towards him.
A receipt to regain the lost affections of a wife,
which hath never been known to fail in the most desperate
cases.
The captain was made large amends for the unpleasant
minutes which he passed in the conversation of his
wife (and which were as few as he could contrive to
make them), by the pleasant meditations he enjoyed
when alone.
These meditations were entirely employed on Mr Allworthy’s
fortune; for, first, he exercised much thought in
calculating, as well as he could, the exact value
of the whole: which calculations he often saw
occasion to alter in his own favour: and, secondly
and chiefly, he pleased himself with intended alterations
in the house and gardens, and in projecting many other
schemes, as well for the improvement of the estate
as of the grandeur of the place: for this purpose
he applied himself to the studies of architecture
and gardening, and read over many books on both these
subjects; for these sciences, indeed, employed his
whole time, and formed his only amusement. He
at last completed a most excellent plan: and
very sorry we are, that it is not in our power to
present it to our reader, since even the luxury of
the present age, I believe, would hardly match it.
It had, indeed, in a superlative degree, the two principal
ingredients which serve to recommend all great and
noble designs of this nature; for it required an immoderate
expense to execute, and a vast length of time to bring
it to any sort of perfection. The former of these,
the immense wealth of which the captain supposed Mr
Allworthy possessed, and which he thought himself
sure of inheriting, promised very effectually to supply;
and the latter, the soundness of his own constitution,
and his time of life, which was only what is called
middle-age, removed all apprehension of his not living
to accomplish.
Nothing was wanting to enable him to enter upon the
immediate execution of this plan, but the death of
Mr Allworthy; in calculating which he had employed
much of his own algebra, besides purchasing every
book extant that treats of the value of lives, reversions,
&c. From all which he satisfied himself, that
as he had every day a chance of this happening, so
had he more than an even chance of its happening within
a few years.
