THE ORPHAN OF THE RHINE
PART 22
Chapter 4
Oh thievish night!
Why shouldst thou, but for some felonious ends.
In thy dark lantern thus close up the stars
That Nature hung in Heaven, and fill'd their lamps
With everlasting oil, to give due light
To the misled and lonely traveller?
For their way
Lies through the perplex'd path of this drear wood;
The nodding horror of whose shady brow
Threats the forlorn and wand'ring passenger.
--MILTON
Unable to
obtain even a moment's repose, Enrico arose with the dawn of early day, and
being determined to go instantly in search of Laurette, roused his servant from
a comfortable sleep into which he had recently fallen, with orders for him to
prepare to accompany him on his new expedition. Anselmo hastily obeyed the
summons, and the unfortunate travellers, being again mounted, commenced their
hopeless journey.
It was a
dreary December morning, and the grey heavy mists that loaded the atmosphere
brought on a cold and drizly rain. The woods were now disrobed of their
honours; no choral harmony resounded through the desolated branches; all was
melancholy, repose, and silence! With no guide but chance, and without having
obtained any intelligence that could serve as a clue to discovery, the wretched
Enrico traversed the barren hills and humid values, in a state of mind that
partook of agony. A thousand vague conjectures passed across his mind as he
continued to ruminate upon the subject. Sometimes he imagined that the Marchese
had conceived a passion for Laurette, and had adopted this plan at once to
separate her from the Signora, and to deceive the domestics; at others, he
conceived it probable that she had made a voluntary escape to avoid falling a
victim to his artifice, which, he naturally believed, had been already exerted
for the accomplishment of her destruction. But why was the promise she made to
him on parting disregarded? Why did she not inform him of her danger, and
accept of his protection? A slight emotion of indignation accompanied this
reflection; she might be false, her affections might be another's, or, what was
still more probable, they might never have been his.
This
apprehension brought with it a pang more acute, but it was only momentary. He
recollected the touching expression of her countenance when he tore himself
from the castle, the sweet languishment of her charming eyes as they followed
him towards the portico, and the tears and speaking blushes that graced her
last innocent farewels. These had been indelibly impressed upon his memory ever
since he had parted from her in every distressing emergency; and amidst all the
cross accidents and unexpected calamities which he experienced, these sweet
remembrances conveyed a cordial to his wounded spirits.
Thinking
that some information might possibly be obtained from the peasantry, should they
have providentially taken the same road as the lovely young fugitive, they did
not permit a village or town to escape their inquiries;--but no one had seen
any person the least answering to the description; and a few incoherent words,
accompanied by a stare of idle curiosity, was frequently the only answer they
received. Wounded where he was the most vulnerable, the distracted Chevalier
suffered the keenest anguish that circumstance could inflict: it was too deep
for utterance; but the wildness of his aspect, and the settled paleness of his
countenance, discovered the inward working of his mind.
As it
advanced towards mid-day, the rain gradually ceased, the sun looked meekly from
the south, and a cold driving wind assisted in dissipating the mists, which had
enveloped the faded features of the landscape. As Enrico surveyed the cheerless
face of Nature, and contrasted it with its summer appearance, he could not
forbear applying this melancholy change to his own more desolate situation; and
sighing deeply as the idea occurred, he turned involuntarily round to
contemplate the whole of the prospect, and observed, as his eyes glanced
towards those vast mountains that rise in all forms and directions in this
picturesque country, that which he had once rambled over with Laurette, crowned
with the rustic church. A thousand mournful reflections were now communicated
to his mind:--where was the sweet wanderer gone, who appeared like the Hebe of
that secluded retreat? If alone, how could she avoid danger? And if conveyed
away by stratagem, how was it possible she should escape from it? The more he
reflected upon the subject, the more improbable it appeared that he should ever
meet with her again; yet he steadily resolved never to relinquish the pursuit,
since life without her, who could only make it desirable, would be a tasteless
potion.
Several
leagues had been traversed without any material event, in which time no
intelligence had been obtained, though they stopped at all the inns and
cottages on the road, as well as at the convents, to renew their inquiries.
Anselmo,
who was naturally volatile, preserved throughout the whole of the journey a
respectful silence. He perceived that his beloved master's uneasiness was too
deep to be diverted from its source, and could only be removed by the success
of the enterprise, or by the slow, but certain, effects of time. Knowing with
what reluctance he stopped to obtain a sufficient portion of food, the wary
servant had procured unknown to Enrico three flasks of Florence wine, the best
that part of the country afforded, which he secured in his wallet, to be in
readiness in case of emergency.
About the
middle of the third day the travellers left the direct road, and struck into
one which took a different direction. This path was more rugged than the one
they had left, lying for a considerable way among gloomy forests, desert
heaths, and rocky precipices. No human abode, except a few solitary huts,
appeared within the reach of vision, whose rude inhabitants were chiefly
employed in leading their goats from the shrubby tops of the mountains to the
tinkling of a bell, or the soft breathings of a flute, or in seeking for the
moss-lined nest of the marmot amid the clefts of the rocks. These wandering
rustics were frequently addressed by Anselmo; but his interrogatories were
usually answered with rudeness, or at best with incivility.
The scene
now gradually became more barren; yet, though destitute of the accompaniment of
trees, it was still highly interesting and charming to the admirers of romantic
imagery. Large masses of granite scowled beneath the eye, and mountains, whose
crested summits penetrated into the clouds, considerably augmented that
sensation of solitary sublimity that overwhelms and astonishes the mind of the
spectator.
The
melancholy air of neglect and depopulation, which was on every side
discernible, unenlivened by sun, threw a melancholy calm over the spirits of
our hero, though they tended not to subdue the energy of his soul. As the
evening advanced, a dark line of threatening clouds, rolling in vast volumes
round the heads of the eminences, were productive of an effect, at once awful
and sublime, which was heightened by the scream of the eagle returning to her
lofty abode, or the repeated cries of the kestril, or the wurchangel, sated
with the triumph of rapacious pursuit.
Anselmo,
alarmed and intimidated at the gloomy appearance of Nature, aided by the
approach of night, looked wistfully around for some hospitable retreat; but
they had now passed near a league beyond the huts of the peasantry, and no
place of security was to be seen. The path, which had long wound among the mountains,
now directed them by a precipitant descent into a deep and extensive valley,
bordered with wood, and interspersed with lakes. Though this new scene afforded
more appearance of vegetation than those they had quitted, the entangled
thickets being occasionally intermingled with a variety of dark firs and
evergreen oaks, still it wore an aspect of melancholy and desolation; the
luxuriance that clothed the lofty side of the glen being no where else
perceptible, whilst the uncultivated mountain and the frowning precipice were
still the principal objects of this lonely, yet sublime landscape, rising into
the most majestic and yet terrifying forms that imagination could conceive. A
branch of the Danube, rushing impetuously over several large fragments of broken
rock, only disturbed the universal silence, rendering the effect of the whole
more awfully impressive, as it foamed with dreadful and inconceivable rapidity
through the intervals between the masses of rock that formed the bed of the
torrent. It was with much difficulty that they were enabled to proceed through
this deep and rough glen, rendered dangerous by the advance of night, and the
motion of this boisterous stream, which rushed impetuously in a series of
broken cascades, till it precipitated itself, with the force of a cataract,
into the bosom of the parent river. They now continued their way, through long
and winding sheep-walks, towards the extremity of the valley, till they reached
the border of a small clear lake, which again intercepted their path. Here amid
long grass, weeds, and rushes, the solitary bittern had long fixed her abode,
who having shaken off her autumnal indolence, was seen rising in a spiral
ascent, filling the air with her cries, till she was lost in the immensity of
distance. Night, which now closed in, brought them to the edge of a forest,
dark, dreary, and almost inaccessible. As they advanced, the gloom became more
profound, and the clouds, which had long been gathering over their heads,
discharged their humid contents: even Enrico felt appalled, and turned to
descry, if possible, some place of security. Anselmo was still more anxious to
obtain an hospitable shelter, but no vestige of habitation was to be seen; and
the latter, encouraged by the example of his master, ventured, though
reluctantly, to proceed. A path cut in the forest directed them along till they
had reached that dreary and unfrequented spot, known to the traveller by the
name of the Jammer Holtz, or Wood of Groans, situated near the Ghorde. This
place, which cannot fail of exciting in the occasional visiter a sensation of
fear and horror, did not lose its accustomed effect, and they were each for the
moment irresolute whether to venture into the interior of the forest, or to
return towards the skirts of it, and await the approach of morning.
Anselmo,
though he disdained the imputation of cowardice, pleaded warmly for the former
plan, observing that there were several trees, whose interwoven branches were
capable of affording them security from the storm; and that in such a situation
they would be in less danger of becoming a prey to banditti, or to the beasts
that infested the deserts. Impatient of delay, Enrico did not yield immediately
to the proposition; but was giving it a second review, when Anselmo perceived a
light glimmering through the wood at no considerable distance from that part of
it in which they were stationed: it cast only a faint gleam, and from the
waving of the trees was seen only at intervals; yet they were soon convinced
that it proceeded from a taper, and not from one of those watery exhalations,
which in low boggy grounds frequently leads the traveller astray. Elated by
this unexpected adventure, they dismounted, and tying their horses to the stump
of an oak, advanced towards the place. The storm was now past, and the moon,
emerging from a cloud, threw her soft light upon the tops of the trees, and
discovered half hid, among the unfoliated branches, the shattered wing of a
hunting villa. It appeared to have been once a stately structure, but now
exhibited an air of extreme neglect and desolation. Part of the portico was
still visible; but the pillars, which were broken and decayed, scarcely
supported its roof. A small court led to the door, which was scattered over
with masses of the ruined edifice. It had once been paved; but the stones were
so much broken, that several self-planted trees had established themselves in
its area, which exalted their tall heads above the mouldering walls that
inclosed them. A light still gleamed from a window, and having with much
difficulty made their way through the heaps of rubbish that on every side
obstructed their path, they arrived at the entrance, hoping in this
long-neglected spot, which, doubtless, from the circumstance of the taper,
contained some solitary inhabitant, to gain admittance for the night. Anselmo
advancing first, heaved a large rusty knocker, whose sullen sound was awfully
reverberated through the building, but no answering footstep approached. Again
they repeated the summons, but no one appeared; nor was any sound to be heard
but the deep murmurs of the wind, which blew in rising gusts round the decayed
mansion, and the loud roar of a distant cataract. In a few moments the light
receded, but no human being was visible; and half-despairing of success, the
unfortunate travellers walked round the edifice to discover if it was possible
to obtain admission at another door; but no other entrance appeared, and they
were returning hopelessly towards that which they had quitted, when a deep
groan, proceeding from a kind of grate, or loop-hole, again riveted their
attention.
'Some one
is suffering here,' cried Enrico, recalled from his abstraction by this new
incident, 'and Providence has, perhaps in mercy, conducted us to this place for
their deliverance. Let us make another attempt, and if we are still
unsuccessful, we will address the prisoner, and, if possible, afford
assistance.'
Anselmo
did not wait for a second command, but sprang hastily round, whilst Enrico
lingered for some moments behind, with his eyes fixed in astonishment upon the
ivyed arch of the window, in hopes, as the moon still shone full upon it, of
being able to discern the unfortunate sufferer who had thus interested his
compassion. The groan was not repeated; but, assured that it was not fancy,
having heard it distinctly in the pauses of the wind, he determined not to
leave this melancholy abode till the affair was investigated. Grown desperate
by delay, Anselmo again thundered at the door, and on hearing a slow measured
step advance towards the entrance, called loudly to his master. Enrico
instantly appeared, and the door being opened by a being, whose aspect
indicated the extreme of guilt and wretchedness, they were asked who they were,
and what had directed them thither? Enrico, after informing him that they were
benighted travellers, who requested a lodging for the night, put a ducat into
his hand, and besought admittance. The haggard wretch, whose meagre countenance
was distorted by a long connexion with vice and misery, having already the
splendid present in possession, would have closed the door upon his necessitous
guests, had not our hero, who was aware of his design, assured him that if he
would allow them to remain there during the night, he would present him with
twice the sum on their departure.
This was a
bribe too considerable to be rejected, and having thrown open the door, which
he had held half closed in his hand, they were admitted into the interior of
the structure. They then proceeded through a long dark passage, in which opened
two doors on contrary directions, that on the right leading into a large
desolate hall, and the opposite one into a kind of kitchen, which the stranger
observed was the room usually inhabited by himself, and the only one with which
they could be accommodated during their continuance in the mansion. This
miserable apartment contained no other furniture than a few broken chairs, an
old worm-eaten cupboard occupying one of the angles, a Norway oak table, whose
grotesque frame was cut into numerous devices, and an ancient time-piece, which
was erected as a fixture, and seemed, from the antiquity of its appearance, to
be nearly co-existent with the building. There was no fire, though it was the
middle of winter, and the room consequently rendered intensely cold by several
apertures in the wall, which admitted the bleak winds of the east. Anselmo
complaining of the chill air, besought the stranger to kindle a fire upon the
hearth, and also to prepare them some refreshment. Masehero, which was the name
of the host, eyeing him askance as he made the request, replied sullenly that
he had no food in the house, except a few barley cakes, and a dish of goat's
milk, which were both of them stale and unpalatable. Enrico desiring that he
would bring these, and also some wood to kindle a fire, the stranger took the
lamp from the table, and withdrew. Anselmo knowing that his master's thoughts
were partly absorbed in a new subject of astonishment, proposed that they
should engage their host in conversation during the greater part of the night,
and take an opportunity of searching the mansion when he was overpowered by
sleep.
'How can
this possibly be effected?' replied Enrico, hastily; 'if he has an important
secret in his possession, it is unlikely he should be so little on his guard as
to disclose it. Force is the only means that can be adopted with success: and
though I should unwillingly spill the blood of a wretch like this, if innocence
can by no other method be released from the grasp of oppression, we must submit
to necessity.'
'I have
something in my wallet though,' returned Anselmo, rising with a look of
self-complacency, 'which, if properly applied, may be of use notwithstanding,
as it sometimes brings to confession as completely and instantaneously as the
most acute tortures of the inquisition.'
Enrico
turned to him with a look of inquiry, and could not forbear smiling when he saw
him select from his store two flasks of wine which he had thus fortunately
procured. The matter was now hastily determined; the liquor was to be presented
to Masehero, who would doubtless receive it with pleasure, and if it failed in
the design of making him sufficiently communicative, it would, at least, from
its inebriating qualities, lull him into a state of insensibility, till they
had explored the different apartments in the ruin, and had accomplished their
design.
In a short
time the gloomy and sullen inhabitant of this miserable abode returned with a
log of wood, and a bundle of sticks. There was no grate remaining; but throwing
the fuel upon the hearth, a fire was instantly kindled, and his guests, who had
been long shivering with cold, drew close to the blaze. The barley cakes were
then placed upon the table, with a small bowl of goat's milk, and a large old
horn, to be used as a drinking vessel. Anselmo, who was too hungry to be nice,
eyed them with satisfaction, whilst Enrico, though little inclined to partake
of this coarse, unpalatable fare, attempted to eat. The wine was then produced,
and the stranger was requested to taste of it. He assented. It was a liquor he
had been long unused to. The lineaments of his face seemed to lose their
hardness, and he began to join in the conversation. Enrico demanded if the
mansion contained any other tenant? and being answered in the negative,
discontinued the inquiry. Finding from his name, as well as from his accents,
that he was an Italian.
Anselmo
availed himself of this discovery, by claiming him as a countryman, and asking
several questions concerning his family and former residence; but the recluse
was too wary not to elude his inquiries, and soon convinced his guests that he
had previously determined never to unfold any particular with which they were
at present unacquainted. The wine now went cheerfully round; Masehero drank
plentifully, and was soon so much elevated as not to perceive that Enrico and
his servant, after having taken a very small quantity, were satisfied with only
raising it to their lips.
Accustomed
only to spare and meagre diet, it soon arrested his faculties, and before he
had drained the second flask, he fell back on his chair, and closing his eyes,
sunk into a fast sleep. The success of the design elated the spirits of our
travellers, who anticipated with pleasure the full accomplishment of the
project they had so artfully imagined. Anxious to commence the pursuit, Anselim
arose from his seat, and taking the lamp from the table, moved it slowly
towards the corner, in which Masehero was placed, to observe if his slumbers
were sound. The lids of his eyes did not move, and being convinced that he was
perfectly insensible, he was going to make a sign for his master to proceed,
when he perceived a small dagger just appearing beneath the cloak of the
stranger. The policy of securing this instantly occurred, and drawing it
carefully from its concealment, he presented it with an air of triumph to his
master, telling him, at the same time, in a low voice, that he was ready to
accompany him. Enrico, having extended his arm to grasp this instrument of
death, started when he examined the blade, which was apparently rusted with
blood. He, however, repressed the expression of his astonishment, and desiring
Anselmo to follow him, quitted the room, without neglecting the necessary
precaution of fastening the door on the other side, which was easily effected
by means of a bolt. This, from long disuse, could not be managed without some
little noise; but the loud breathings of Masehero convinced them that he still
slept. Having previously secured the lamp, they advanced along the hall, and
departing through a contrary door, which directed them into a long vaulted
passage, they were enabled to find their way through many intricate windings to
a stone stair-case. These steps, which were mouldering into ruins, led them
into a wide dreary gallery, in which opened several rooms. Anselmo, being
naturally superstitious, followed slowly behind, and as the hollow gusts of
wind hurried through the deserted passages, expected every moment to see the
form of a spectre gliding into the remote corners; but ashamed of confessing
his fears in the presence of his master, he remained silent, whilst Enrico took
a general survey of the old chambers through which they passed. All that had
hitherto fallen under their observation were unfurnished. The casements were
gone, the walls were in several places decayed and mouldered into dust, whilst
the yarrow, the nettle, and other weedy shrubs, which had taken root in the
interstices of the broken stones, were seen waving through the apertures. Birds
of prey had long lived unmolested in this dreary building, and seemed, from
long possession, to have laid claim to the most considerable part of it. The
sight of the lamp, however, put many of them to flight, whose screams
resounding through the whole range of apartments, had a dreadful and solemn
effect. Unappalled by these terrors, Enrico reached the extent of the gallery,
and undrawing a rusty bolt, opened the door of the only room which had not
before fallen under his notice. This chamber was of a triangular form, low,
gloomy, and extensive, containing nothing like furniture except a small
mattress at the farther end of it, a stool, and a broken table. A high narrow
grate was the only means of admitting the light, and from the whole of its
appearance, it seemed to have been originally intended for a prison. Being well
assured, from the direction of the window, that this was the room from whence
the groan proceeded, Enrico desiring Anselmo to wait without the door, advanced
towards that corner where the mattress was laid, and beheld, to his unutterable
astonishment, the figure of a female, whose face was covered with a veil,
apparently asleep! Enrico's breast now throbbed with new emotion; his heart
beat quick, his limbs trembled, and a feverish heat pervaded his whole frame.
Having proceeded within a few steps of the bed, he placed the lamp upon the
floor, and turning the veil gently aside, beheld the pale, yet lovely,
countenance of Laurette! She started, but did not awake, and never did Enrico
discover so much self-command as at this moment. Rapture and tenderness
struggled in his breast, and scarcely could he stifle those feelings which
would have prompted him to clasp her wildly to his heart, and awaken her to a
sense of unexpected happiness. But a moment's reflection was sufficient to
convince him that such a conduct might be attended with danger; joy might
operate too powerfully upon a frame enervated by sorrow, and he prudently
resolved to send Anselmo to watch by her till she awaked, and gently to prepare
her for an interview; yet, after having thus determined, he could not deny
himself the luxury of gazing once more upon her beautiful face. Her slumbers
seemed now to be tranquil, yet mournful visions had recently been presented to
her fancy, for her cheek was still wet with tears.
As he
stooped to take up the lamp, which he had placed by the side of the mattress,
he observed a small book, bound in red leather, that he instantly knew to have
been his own, and which he recollected to have left at the castle of Lunenburg.
He took it up, and saw on the blank leaf that she had been attempting to sketch
his likeness. Memory had been too faithful to its task not to portray his exact
resemblance, and charmed with this new proof of her affection, all his senses
were absorbed in delight and rapture.
Fearing
Laurette should awake, and endure an agony of surprise, which, during her
present state of indisposition, might overpower her faculties, and plunge her
again into insensibility, he receded towards the door, and calling Anselmo
gently forwards, who had remained in the passage whilst his master explored the
apartment, he informed him who the prisoner was, and instructed him in what
manner to proceed.
The
delighted servant could scarcely suppress the acknowledgment of his joy, and
taking the lamp, with a heart bounding with rapture, promised strictly to
observe the rules which had been prescribed; and entering the chamber, placed
himself as far as possible from the mattress, but in such a situation, that he
might easily observe her motion. Enrico, in the meantime, waited impatiently in
the gallery, whilst love, tenderness, and astonishment took possession of his
mind. How she had been conveyed thither, by whom, and for what purpose, was as
marvellous as inexplicable; and the more he reflected upon the subject, the
more intricate and wonderful it appeared.
'The
wretch,' cried he,'who occupies the mansion, is undoubtedly an assassin! The
dagger, rusted with blood, is an undeniable proof of it: was it then intended
that her innocent life should be sacrificed? If so, who could instigate the
wretch to so horrid a deed--a deed so disgraceful to humanity, that none but
fiends could reflect upon it without shuddering!'
Unable to
solve this mystery, the mind of Enrico suffered a tumult of distracting surmises,
till the soft voice of Laurette, that dear, that well-known voice, wrapped him
in attention. She was uttering something in a tone of supplication, but the
words were undistinguishable, for they were low and inarticulate; yet it was
easy to ascertain that Anselmo was offering something of condolence, which she
did not clearly understand. Still he listened in hopes of distinguishing her
words, till he heard a faint scream, not expressive of terror, but of mingled
surprise and rapture, which was instantly succeeded by the name of Enrico,
pronounced in those sweet, those melting accents, which had ever possessed such
powers of enchantment over him. Unable to endure longer suspense, he did not
wait to be recalled; but rushing precipitately from his concealment, darted
into the room, whilst joy of the most ecstatic kind pained and agitated his
breast.
Laurette
had just risen from the mattress when he entered, and being weak, almost to
fainting, was obliged to lean against the wall for support. As soon as she
beheld him, from whom she believed herself separated for ever, her soft bosom
throbbed with new emotion, and the powers of utterance forsook her; but as
Enrico, with all the enthusiasm of affection, called wildly upon her name, her
beautiful eyes were turned towards him with a look so full of affection and
tenderness, that his feelings arose almost to agony.
'And is it
possible,' cried Enrico, pressing her gently to his heart, whilst his words
were almost stifled with transport, 'that I have at last found her whom I so
hopelessly sought? Oh Laurette! from this moment one destiny shall unite us; we
will separate no more.'
The fair
captive attempted to reply, but tears of joy prevented her utterance; and as
Enrico surveyed her pallid cheek, her thin emaciated form, and every symptom of
alarming indisposition, solicitude succeeded to rapture, and anxious as he was
to be made acquainted with every particular relative to this mysterious event,
he forbore making any immediate inquiry concerning it. As soon as the first
tumults of joy were subsided, Laurette, who was unable to move without
assistance, and whose delicate frame was still more weakened by this sudden,
though joyful, surprise, sat down upon the mattress, whilst Enrico, after
having dispatched Anselmo to convey the remaining part of the wine, and some of
the barley cake, which had been left in the room where Maschero was confined,
seated himself by her side, supporting her with his arm, which encircled her
waist, whilst tears of tenderness and compassion fell copiously from his eyes,
as he marked the ravages grief had already made upon her angelic countenance.
As soon as
Laurette had taken a small quantity of the wine and cake, which Anselmo had
fortunately removed without awakening his host, and had received fresh
assurances from Enrico that she was safe from the power of the assassin, and
that no danger was likely to befal him or his servant on her account, she felt
considerably revived, and joined with her enraptured lover in returning thanks
to Heaven for having thus sent her a deliverer. Anselmo could not forbear
weeping for joy; his master's happiness was inseparable from his own, and he
could not, nor did he attempt to conceal his transports.
Laurette,
having convinced Enrico that her indisposition entirely proceeded from want of
rest and necessary food, besought him to leave her alone, and in the meantime
to endeavour to procure some sleep in one of the adjoining apartments, as she
was assured from his appearance he was in want of repose, promising on his
return she would gratify his curiosity respecting her present confinement. As
it yet wanted some hours of day, he assented, observing it was more for her
sake than his own that he was prevailed upon to leave her. Laurette rewarded
his acquiescence with a smile, and pressing her hand to his lips as he bade her
adieu, he quitted the chamber.
Anselmo
recollecting that, in one of the unoccupied apartments, he had seen a large old
piece of tapestry lying at one corner of it, which appeared formerly to have
been used as a floor-cloth, assured his master that this would make a most
excellent bed, and that he would engage, with the assistance of an old blanket
that lay by the side of it, to make him a more comfortable one than he had
enjoyed for some time. Enrico remarking that the assertion was by no means
improbable, since his couch, in whatever situation, had of late been a thorny
one, desired him to prepare it; adding, with a smile, that the knight, who came
to relieve distressed damsels, must not be afraid of a few temporary
inconveniences.
The
tapestry being spread in several folds upon the broken floor of a remote
chamber, which was selected by Anselmo from the rest, because the walls were
more entire, Enrico lay down to rest; but as joy is as great an enemy to repose
as grief, he did not feel the least inclination to sleep. His servant, at his
desire, partook of the bed he had so judiciously formed, as well as of the
tattered blanket, which served them both as a covering.
In this
situation they remained till the morning dawned faintly through the narrow
shattered lattice of their room, which was so fringed with weeds, that the sun
was scarcely ever admitted.
To be continued
