THE ORPHAN OF THE RHINE
PART 15
Volume 3
Chapter 1
The beauteous maid that bids the world adieu
Oft of that world will snatch a fond review.
Oft at the shrine neglect her beads, to trace
Some social scene, some dear familiar face.
Forgot when first a father's stern controul
Chas'd the gay visions of her op'ning soul;
And e'er with iron-tongue the vesper-bell.
Bursts thro' the cyprus walk, the convent cell
Oft will her warm and wayward heart revive.
To love and joy still tremblingly alive.
--ROGERS
'My
father, whose name was Ruberto, was lineally descended from a younger branch of
the noble and once honourable house of Manini. The misfortunes of this family,
which are well known, rendered it necessary for my grandfather, the unhappy
victim of Court intrigue, to take refuge in obscurity. When the policy of this
measure first appeared, he felt the severity of his fortunes with the keenest
energy. To be compelled to quit his paternal inheritance in Naples, long the
residence of his ancestors, was to him dreadful as a Siberian banishment; yet
no alternative remained, and after many struggles, too powerful to be
immediately overcome, he repaired with his wife, who was also a person of high
birth and a numerous family, of which my father was the eldest, to a chateau on
the borders of France.
'Thus
trained in obscurity, and disguised under an assumed name, the children of the
unfortunate Manini were deprived of the advantages of birth, though not of
education, as my grandfather instructed them in the learned languages, and
other branches of literature, with unceasing attention; but at the same time
that he assisted them in classical acquirements, he instilled into them
principles that were at enmity with the social virtues.
'After
some years, a political revolution occasioned a change of circumstances; and my
grandfather, whose character was finally cleared from the false aspersions of
his enemies, returned once more to his paternal seat, and was restored to his
former dignities. This sudden transition from disgrace to favour, from obscurity
to comparative splendour, wrought so violent an effect upon his mind, that he,
who could once think nobly, and act vigorously, now became weak, vain, and
luxurious, a slave to passions he once boldly resisted, and to vices which he
felt no longer an inclination to oppose. He believed, because he had met with
some insincerity where he had the least expected it, that all were vicious and
ungrateful. With this conviction he renounced all former friendships, he rather
wished to excite envy than esteem, and as the most effectual way of attracting
the observation of the multitude, enlarged his mansion, and increased his
household.
'One
expence naturally led to another, till his fortune, his peace, and the future
prospects of his children were eventually sacrificed. In a few years this
unfortunate and misguided courtier died insolvent; his widow did not long
survive him; his three sons were provided for in the army, and his daughters
forced into a convent, that the family might not be disgraced by inferior
alliances.
'My father
was united, early in life, to a woman, elegant in her manners, and amiable in
her disposition. She was beautiful, but beauty was her least perfection, for
she possessed, in an eminent degree, all those virtues and graces by which the
female character is adorned and dignified;--she was a native of Italy, and an
only child; her fortune was small, but her family respectable. Her parents
dying in her minority, left their fair daughter to the guardianship of an
uncle, who was distantly related to my father, which led to the connection that
afterwards formed all the happiness and misery of their future lives.
'Soon
after this marriage, which took place a short time after the commencement of
the acquaintance, my father's regiment being called into action for the purpose
of quelling a rebel troop of Condottieri, he was necessitated to leave Mantua
that he might join a detachment in a distant part of the province, who were in
readiness to march against the foe.
'During
this state of separation, which was equally afflictive to both, my mother
remained under the protection of Signor Montefico, her uncle and former
guardian, at his residence, which was a small but elegant villa on the banks of
the Po. My birth rapidly succeeded this event, and my mother's attention was
now entirely confined to the care and education of her daughter; so much so
that she seldom quitted her solitude, and seemed to be insensible to every
pleasure or amusement but what I was empowered to bestow.
'Several
years passed before the return of my father; and a report of his death being
circulated, which his unusual silence tended to confirm, my mother resigned
herself for some time to unavailing grief; but recollecting the defenceless
situation of her child, she exerted herself to endure what could not be
remedied, and in time regained some portion of her former tranquillity.
'As no
doubt remained concerning the truth of the report, she assumed the dress of a
widow, and with redoubled assiduity dedicated her time and her thoughts to my
instruction and improvement.
'But the
serenity she had acquired was soon afterwards disturbed by the death of Signor
Montefico, who expired suddenly in a fit, without having received the benefit
of the sacrament, or the other customary solemnities of the church. As he died
without a will, his property, which would otherwise have been my mother's,
descended to the male heir.
'Poverty,
and other accumulated distresses, now threatened to destroy the small remains
of comfort which had hitherto been afforded; but my mother, who possessed
firmness sufficient to withstand the severest attacks of misfortune, did not
suffer herself to sink under them; but having followed her venerable protector
to the grave, and paid every mark of respect to his memory which pecuniary
embarrassments would permit her to bestow, she prepared to quit the villa
Santieri, which had been her home almost from infancy, and to repair to the
interior of the city. But she was prevented from putting her design immediately
in execution by the arrival of Signor Gualando, the rightful heir to the
estates of her deceased friend, who came to assert his claim to the personal,
as well as landed, property of Signor Montefico.
'Something
relative to the arrangement of his affairs rendered frequent conversations with
my mother indispensible, previous to her quitting the villa. She was too
beautiful not to attract his admiration, and too amiable not to ensure his
esteem. The soft melancholy that pervaded her features, the easy dignity of her
figure, and the winning graces of her manners, inspired the most lively
sentiment in her favour.
'He felt
that he loved her, but that love was so tempered with esteem that it was long
before delicacy allowed an avowal of his passion.
'At first
he steadily opposed our leaving the villa, having no intention of continuing
there himself, as he possessed a considerable estate, independent of this, in
the neighbourhood of Pisa, the present residence of his family. But my mother
strictly adhered to her first resolution, and soon afterwards, agreeable to her
original intention, removed into the city.
'She was
frequently visited in her new abode by Signor Gualando, whom necessary business
detained some time in Mantua, who finally made her an offer of his person and
fortune.
'Though my
mother had no remaining doubt concerning her widowhood, she prudently declined
the proposal, having already formed a resolution never to enter into a second
engagement.
'The
disappointment and uneasiness which a knowledge of this determination inflicted
upon the Signor, cannot easily be described; not only his spirits, but his
health, seemed to yield to the force of his attachment, which was too serious
to allow him to relinquish the pursuit, and too ardent not to expose him to
real distress. Yet not absolutely despairing of success, he ventured to
continue his visits under the sanction of friendship, and was meditating on the
most effectual method of insinuating himself into the affections of the
beautiful widow, as she was generally called, when the unexpected return of my
father, who had been confined five years in a fortress by the forces of the
triumphant Condottieri, terminated all his future hopes.
'The
Signor Gualando was alone with my mother on his arrival, and, in the attitude
of intreaty, was pressing his suit with all the eloquence of an inviolable
regard, when my father, whom no motive of prudence could restrain from
precipitating himself into the presence of his wife, burst into the room.
'The
rapturous surprise experienced by my mother when she beheld the long lost
object of her affections, whose imaginary death she had so long and so tenderly
lamented, can better be conceived than described. My father was sensible to the
first impulse of joy, but far different emotions succeeded. From this moment
his mind became a prey to violent and contending passions, which reason could
neither bridle nor subdue. In the Signor Gualando he believed he beheld the
favoured lover of his wife, to whom, supposing herself at liberty, she would
shortly have been united, had not his unexpected and unhoped--for return
rendered it impracticable. Though, from the natural expressions of transport
which were portrayed in the countenance of my mother, and the innocent
effusions of unfeigned rapture that succeeded, a mind collected and
unimpassioned would have decided otherwise; yet too much was he blinded by an
excess of jealousy to be enabled to observe the one, or to feel the just value
of the other.
'From this
aera a gloomy reserve characterised his deportment towards his wife, which no
effort of tenderness, on her part, could soften or dispel; though she
cautiously avoided giving him any cause of suspicion, by abstracting herself
from society, and devoting every moment of her time to domestic duties.
'Signor
Gualando, in the mean time, suffered all the chagrin and mental uneasiness
which love and disappointment could inflict. He saw the necessity of tearing
himself from the object of his regard, and of combatting these feelings by the
most strenuous exertions in his power; and, after repeated conflicts with
himself, was enabled to put his prudent resolutions into practice, and returned
to his former abode.
'The
behaviour of my father, which was alternately sullen and severe, was so
injurious to the peace of my mother, that her natural vivacity disappeared, and
her health rapidly declined. Her cruel companion beheld this change without
either pity or remorse; he imputed it to chagrin for the loss of her lover, not
to his unmerited severity; and this reflection, as distressing as it was
unjust, marked his appearance and manners with increasing asperity.
'In a
short time this patient victim of groundless and unjustifiable resentment, was
removed from a state of sufferance and oppression to receive the reward of
uncorrupted innocence; and left him, who was insensible of her value when
living, to feel and lament her loss.
'As at
this period I was not more than twelve years of age, my father, who had no
female relation living, was for some time irresolute in what manner to dispose
of me. At length he determined to board me in a convent of Celestinas, which
was about a league and a half from Mantua, whither he promised to convey me at
the expiration of the time which he had fixed.
'That
boundless love of variety, which is inseparable from youth and inexperience,
made me readily agree to the proposal; and my father having previously entered
into a contract with the Superior to admit me as a boarder, I was conducted by
him to the convent.
'The Lady
Abbess received me with a stately kind of politeness but little adapted to my
sentiments or my years; and the nuns eyed me with a kind of eager curiosity,
which, young as I was, filled me with confusion and displeasure.
'When my father
had left me, which he appeared to do with little regret, I felt the forlornness
of my situation with redoubled energy. I seemed to have awakened to a new state
of existence, and to be placed among beings of another order, which made it
long before I was sufficiently reconciled to my new abode to be able to
enumerate its comforts.
'But as
the mind naturally submits to necessity, and endeavours to accommodate itself
to those circumstances that are unavoidable, in time I became tranquil and even
gay; though I believe my satisfaction chiefly arose from the too sanguine
expectations I had indulged of the future, when, being liberated from
confinement, I should be restored to society.
'With
these hopes, which I conceived were shortly to be realized, the hours fled
rapidly away, and having no idea of continuing in the convent longer than the
time proposed, I felt the tenderest pity and commiseration for those whom
pride, bigotry, or other adverse circumstances had condemned to perpetual
retirement.
'Many of
the sisters were young, and some of them were extremely lovely. The dress of
the order, which consisted of a loose white robe simply confined at the bosom,
and ornamented with a blue cloak, and scapulary of the same colour, added grace
to beauty; and had they not been characterized by a certain air of discontent
and dejection, they would have appeared infinitely charming. But few had
voluntarily resigned themselves to a conventual life, and the hopelessness of
their situations was a source of continual dissatisfaction and regret.
'Whenever
I contemplated features whose harmony and expression, if lighted up by the
animated smile of contentment and benevolence, would have possessed
undescribable powers of attraction, I mingled a degree of silent indignation with
my pity at the violated rights of human nature, at once trampled on and
overborne by creatures, formed and endued with so many delicate and exalted
affections. Can it be the will of heaven, thought I, that beings, who are
endeared to each other by so many tender connections, should embrace a system
which is unquestionably subversive of all the ties of humanity? Is it virtue to
fly from the possibility of exercising those amiable principles which are
implanted in our natures for the noblest purposes, and to relinquish those
innocent sources of amusement and delight, that are bountifully bestowed upon
us to give value to our existence? It cannot be--we are assuredly designed to
be the mutual support and comfort of each other; and as by mixing with the world
our sphere of action is enlarged, it is indisputably our duty to continue in
it.
'But
pardon me, Madame,' continued the Signora, 'I confess I have been guilty of an
egotism, and am now amusing you rather with sentiment than narrative; but I
will resume my story, and conclude it as briefly as possible.'
Laurette
replied only with a smile, and the Signora proceeded.
'Two years
had elapsed before my father again visited the convent, who I now believed was
come to obtain my dismission. But what were my feelings when he acquainted me
with his determination, which was, that I was to remain in the convent, and
immediately to take the veil as a novice! My anguish was now too acute to be
concealed, and, throwing myself at his feet, I besought him not to doom me to
eternal regret--not to exclude me from the blessings of nature, but to allow me
to return with him.
'The
sternness that was gathering on his brow convinced me that I had nothing to
hope; and the peremptory tone in which his former resolution was repeated,
terrified me into silence; and knowing that resistance would be in vain, and
being fearful of exasperating him with a refusal, I appeared to acquiesce. When
he left me, his countenance somewhat relaxed from its severity; and after an
assurance that he would see me again before the ceremony was performed, he
quitted the convent.
'The
recollection of my sufferings when I was apprized of my unalterable destiny,
returns, even at this distant period, forcibly to my thoughts, and brings with
it a train of correspondent ideas. At one time I resolved to disobey, and to
purchase liberty at the expense of duty and every moral obligation; at another,
to submit patiently to what was unavoidable, and to endeavour, at least, to
alleviate the sense of my uneasiness with the rectitude of my conduct.
'Had
persuasion been used instead of those arbitrary means which had been adopted,
and had that persuasion been directed by reason, I could have yielded myself a
sacrifice, however painful the task; but as no motive could be alledged to
justify measures so repugnant to my inclinations, they appeared so despotic and
capricious that I could neither reconcile them to my feelings or my
understanding.
'The
stately distance that was uniformly preserved by the Abbess, precluded the
possibility of winning her over to my interest; and though I more than once
determined to solicit her interference in my behalf, her looks, her voice, and
her manners were sufficient to awe me into silence.
'Some of
the sisters apparently pitied my situation, whilst others secretly triumphed in
my disappointment; for there were some that, though trained to habits of hourly
devotion, were destitute of sensibility and every amiable principle of the
mind.
'It was on
the eve of the vigil of San Marco that my father again repeated his visit, and
as it is usual at this festival for nuns to be professed, I naturally imagined
that he had received some previous intimation of it from the Superior, and was
come at once to enforce and to witness my vows.
'No powers
of language can do justice to my feelings at that moment; for though as a
novice I was not absolutely a prisoner for life, yet placing but little
confidence in the paternal tenderness of my father, and being perfectly aware
of the watchfulness of the Lady Abbess, any successful attempt of effectuating
an escape from captivity would, I knew, be impracticable, before the expiration
of the year, when the other veil would follow of course. Thus situated, I
resolved, though with no sanguine hopes of success, to soften, if possible, the
native ferocity of my father's temper; and, if every spark of affection was not
entirely extinguished in his breast, to strive to rekindle and call it into
action.
'As soon
as I was admitted into his presence, which was not till the Abbess had retired,
I endeavoured to execute my intention by appealing to his compassion; and,
contrary to my expectation, he heard me with complacency;--and whether it was
my altered looks, for my complexion was much faded by sorrow, or the result of
a previous conversation with the Superior, that occasioned it, I was unable to
ascertain; but, after fixing his eyes upon mine, which were streaming with
tears, with an expression of earnestness not unmingled with pity, after a few gentle
reproaches he granted me his permission to accompany him home, and to remain
resident there till my health was re-established; though he took some pains to
convince mc that his former resolution was unchanged; but in compliance with my
unjustifiable prejudices, as he termed it, he would grant me the indulgence of
postponing the performance of it till another opportunity.
'Even this
indulgence, though not augmented by a promise of its permanency, so much
exceeded my expectation, that, in the ecstatic emotions of the moment, I loaded
him with the effusions of my gratitude; and having yielded to the intreaties of
the Abbess to wait the celebration of the festival, which was crowded with
friars, pilgrims, and other professed devotees, we quitted this religious
asylum, whose massy walls and solitary cells heard only the sigh of regret and
the groan of mental anguish, and repaired to Mantua.
'As I
gazed upon the venerable spires of the convent retiring into distance, which
were half lost amid the rocks that surrounded them, I secretly determined not
to enter it again, since I believed that misery and confinement were
inseparable.
'Every
object which I regarded, and every sound that I heard, had now the advantage of
novelty; the hills covered with verdure, the flowers that embroidered the
valleys, the low warblings of the birds from the deep shade of the woods, all
were in unison with my feelings, and I felt as if just called into existence to
enjoy the sublimities of nature. With the vanity inseparable from youth and
inexperience, I anticipated the pleasures of society, anxious to display the
few accomplishments I had acquired, and to be convinced of their value.
'My
solicitude to please being frequently carried to excess, my father did not fail
to observe, with concern, a propensity that threatened to render his favourite
scheme of professing me abortive. This induced him resolutely to oppose my
mixing with the world, which he constantly represented as teeming with
misfortune, folly, and insincerity.
'The only
persons who were in habits of intimacy in the family, were Father Alberto, a
Jesuit, who was my father's Confessor; Signor Lamberto, a man of fortune and
connections resident in Mautna, and Lorenzo d'Orfo, a young officer, who was
committed to his care by his last surviving parent, a short time before his
death, which happened in consequence of a wound received in a desperate
engagement, a few months after he had been raised by merit to the rank of
Mareschal, not without some hopes that a future provision might be the effect
of this politic arrangement, should this veteran, who had lately retired from
the toil and uncertainty inseparable from a military life, continue single, or
die without heirs.
'Signor
Lamberto was not so rigid in his principles as my father, and being informed of
the decided aversion I had expressed to the solitude of a cloister, and of his
inexorable determination to oblige me to take the vow, used some arguments to
dissuade him from his purpose. But they were overruled by the more powerful
ones urged by the Jesuit, who was my father's friend and adviser on every
occasion, and who contrived, from interested motives, to convince him that his
eternal salvation depended upon the sacrifice of his daughter; who, if allowed
to remain with him, would so far influence his affections as to withdraw them
from the only true source of all consolation.
'To be
continually in the society of the Signor d'Orfo without feeling a prepossession
in his favour, would have been impossible. His manners were easy and elegant,
his figure was more than ordinarily graceful, and his countenance expressive of
a certain ingenuousness of mind, which could not be contemplated without
affection. I had not been many weeks in the city before we mutually felt and
acknowledged our attachment, though it was necessary to conceal it from my
father, his Confessor, and even from Signor Lamberto; who, was every objection
to be removed on the part of my friends, would, we had every reason to believe,
vigorously oppose an alliance which, in the indigent situation of his
dependant, could not be justified by prudence. But though we attempted to
disguise our affection under an assumed appearance of indifference, we were so
narrowly watched by the scrutinizing eyes of the Jesuit, who contrived to
overhear our conversation when we imagined ourselves in secrecy, that my father
was early apprized of it.
'Perfectly
aware of the extent of my punishment, and more than ever averse to a conventual
life, which would inevitably separate me for ever from the amiable object of my
early love, I at last consented to accept the protection of Signor d'Orfo, and
to unite my destiny with his.
'My
father, in the mean time, placing no confidence in the dutiful acquiescence of
his daughter, probably from a consciousness that he had never deserved it,
resolved to accelerate my departure, as the most effectual method of preventing
any future intercourse between us, and desired me to prepare to accompany him
to the convent on the following week; at the same time commanding me not to
quit my apartment during the interval, on pain of his everlasting displeasure.
'Thus
secluded from the possibility of obtaining another interview with Lorenzo, I
abandoned myself to despair; and since, in the despondency of the moment, I
believed the fate that awaited me was irreversible, wished, for the first time,
that I had never quitted my prison, since I should now return to it with
redoubled reluctance.
'By means
of a confidential servant, a method of informing the Signor of my confinement
was with some difficulty effected; who I discovered by a letter, which was
immediately conveyed, was actually meditating my escape.
'This, by
the assistance of the domestics, who were bribed to our interests,
notwithstanding the vigilance of my father and his Jesuitical Confessor, was
finally accomplished: a ladder of ropes was placed beneath the window of my
apartment, which I unreluctantly descended, and a vehicle being stationed at a
convenient distance from the mansion, I placed myself in it, without asking
whither I was going, and was conveyed rapidly away.
'It was
the intention of the Signor to take a cross-road, lest a premature alarm might
occasion pursuit, and to alight at one of the monasteries in the road, where a
priest might be procured, and the ceremony be performed.
'It was
long past midnight when we commenced our journey; but the moon shining with
unclouded radiance, enabled us to prosecute it with speed, till her light
became gradually pale, and the grey mists of the morning rose slowly upon the
summits of the hills.
'Having
arrived at a lonely and apparently deserted village, situated at the foot of a
mountain, we enquired for the nearest convent, and was directed to one about a
league from the place.
'Here we
arrived when the Monks were returning from matins. It was a society of
Augustines, and having engaged a Friar of the Order to officiate, the marriage
was solemnized.
'As we had
no fixed residence to return to, nor any friend or relation to receive us, we
mutually agreed to drive on to the next town that could offer us accommodation,
and to remain there till we could fix upon some plan for our future conduct.
'Here we
arrived early in the day; and as soon as my scattered thoughts were somewhat
collected, I wrote to my father, at once to solicit his forgiveness and his
patronage. Lorenzo also wrote to Signor Lamberto, but our letters were
disregarded; another and another were written, but without success; and having
no hopes of obtaining the attention we requested, we determined to relinquish
the pursuit.
'Near a
month elapsed in this situation, when Lorenzo received orders to join his
regiment, that was stationed in a remote province, whither, after some little
preparation, I accompanied him.
'The
journey was accomplished with little fatigue; and soon afterwards we had the
satisfaction of being placed in a state of security and comfort, in which we
experienced all the happiness that life could bestow. Our circumstances were indeed
limited, but we managed so as to make not only a decent, but a respectable
appearance, and might be said to be rich in each other's affection.
'Some
years had passed in unclouded tranquillity, without any interesting event,
except the birth of a son, who bore the name as well as the resemblance of his
father, but of whom death early deprived me. Scarcely was I recovered from the
indisposition this loss had occasioned, before our regiment was ordered into
another part of the kingdom, to secure it from the invasion of the enemy, which
obliged us to remove with all possible speed.
'Alas! I
knew not then it was destined to become the seat of war, and being anxious to
recover my spirits, exulted in the variety a change of situation would afford.
'But not
to weary you with too long a detail, the regiment was soon afterwards engaged
in a close action, and Lorenzo d'Orfo fell!
'Gracious
heaven! what were my sufferings at that dreadful moment when I was informed
that he was amongst the numbers of the fallen; though, to soften the
intelligence, I was told he was only wounded. Frantic with despair, I flew into
the field with the wildness of distraction, though it was night, and I had no
one but a servant to attend me thither. After examining for a considerable time
the mangled forms of the vanquished; which were so covered with blood as to
render the features scarcely perceptible, I discovered the object of my search.
But he was dead; the breath seemed newly to have forsaken the body, and his
limbs were not yet stiff in death.
'In an
agony, not to be described, I pressed him to my heart; and it was long before
the people, whom my cries had attracted, could tear me from the place. A fever
and delirium succeeded, which brought me to the brink of the grave; but the
natural goodness of my constitution finally resisting the attack, I was
gradually restored.
'As soon
as the disorder of my mind was in some degree removed, I formed a resolution of
returning to Mantua, for the purpose of soliciting the protection of my father,
who, I now believed, would receive me with compassion and affection. When the
physician who attended me, pronounced me able to travel without endangering my
safety, I availed myself of his permission, and soon put my design into
execution.
'After a
few days' journey, which was performed with less fatigue than was expected, I
arrived within the territories of Naples, and from thence proceeded, by easy
stages, to Mantua.
'Here I
learned, to my inexpressible grief and disappointment, that my father had been
dead some time; and, on extending my enquiries concerning the disposal of his
property, was informed that he had bequeathed the whole of it, which was indeed
nothing very considerable, to the Jesuit, his Confessor.
'Having
now no other means of subsistence than what my own exertions could procure, I
had recourse to the embroidering of silks, to supply the convents and principal
nobility of the place; which, from some skill in the art, more than supplied me
with the actual necessaries of life.
'Near two
years had elapsed without any incident worthy of attention, when a cessation of
hostilities, which was somewhat suddenly effected, occasioned a visit from the
Marchese de Martilini; who, having been acquainted with my misfortunes, and the
injustice of my father, requested my acceptance of a sum sufficient to elevate
me above want and dependance. This, knowing the exalted character of the
bestower, I gratefully accepted; and, on the death of the Marchese de
Montferrat, which happened some years after this event, consented, at the
request of my patron, to accept of this situation, till one more eligible could
be procured. Here I hope, in the capacity of Casiera: to enjoy at least peace
and tranquillity.
'I have
not at present been introduced to the Marchese de Montferrat; but as the castle
will soon be in readiness for his reception, it is not probable that he will
continue much longer in Italy. He has already honoured me with two letters
respecting the repairs, and the disposal of the pictures, statues, vases, and
other ornamental effects, in which he has discovered much taste and sentiment.
'In his
last letter he mentioned a young person of the name of Laurette, who was
shortly to be placed under my protection, with whose person, he added, he was
yet unacquainted, though he had maintained and patronized her from infancy.
This, I acknowledge, excited my curiosity, and instigated me to extend my
enquiries among the servants, from whom I could gain no satisfactory
intelligence upon the subject.'
Here the
Signora was silent; and Laurette, who had listened with a painful interest to
this brief yet mournful narrative, in return for such unlimited confidence,
proceeded to inform her new friend of some particulars relative to herself. The
incidents of her life were few and simple; but the tone and manner in which
they were delivered, and the tears that accompanied the recollection of
infantine felicity, gave importance to the most trivial event, and won the
esteem of her auditor.
When she
arrived at that part of her story which treated of the sudden departure of her
more than parent, the attention of the Signora was fixed in astonishment; and
when the name of Enrico escaped her lips, the blush that suffused her cheeks,
and the tremulous accent in which the words were delivered, declared how
tenderly she was interested in his concerns, and breathed more than sisterly
affection.
The
Signora, who observed these emotions with the most refined compassion,
endeavoured to console her with an assurance that she would make some immediate
enquiries respecting the fate of the young chevalier, desiring her at the same
time to look up and be comforted; not to give way to causeless suggestions, but
to continue to rely on the protection of that Supreme Power, which she had
never wilfully offended, and who consequently would never abandon her.
Those who
know what it is to suffer, and to have those sufferings alleviated by the
sympathy of friendship, will conceive the delightful sensation that was imparted
to the bosom of Laurette in thus finding, contrary to her expectation, a person
inclined to bestow that consolation which her present feelings required, in a
stile the most grateful to her heart, and in whom, from what had recently
passed, she had reason to believe she might entirely confide.
The only
part of her narrative which Laurette had concealed, was the extraordinary
appearance and behaviour of the mysterious Monk, with the delivery of the
picture. This circumstance she had strictly promised to conceal; and though it
returned frequently and forcibly to her thoughts, accompanied with the most
dreadful presages, she resolved, agreeably to the solemn vow she had taken in
the presence of the father, never to disclose it.
\
To be continued
