The Monk - A Romance

by The Monk [lit]

you.'

  Upon this assurance the Youths returned. The Father presented

  them to the Baroness and myself: After which He withdrew with

  our Domestics, while at the request of the two Waiting-women,

  Marguerite conducted them to the room designed for their

  Mistress.

  The two new-comers were tall, stout, well-made young Men,

  hard-featured, and very much sun-burnt. They paid their

  compliments to us in few words, and acknowledged Claude, who now

  entered the room, as an old acquaintance. They then threw aside

  their cloaks in which they were wrapped up, took off a leathern

  belt to which a large Cutlass was suspended, and each drawing a

  brace of pistols from his girdle laid them upon a shelf.

  'You travel well-armed,' said I.

  'True, Monsieur;' replied Robert. 'We left Strasbourg late this

  Evening, and 'tis necessary to take precautions at passing

  through this Forest after dark. It does not bear a good repute,

  I promise you.'

  'How?' said the Baroness; 'Are there Robbers hereabout?'

  'So it is said, Madame; For my own part, I have travelled through

  the wood at all hours, and never met with one of them.'

  Here Marguerite returned. Her Stepsons drew her to the other

  end of the room, and whispered her for some minutes. By the

  looks which they cast towards us at intervals, I conjectured them

  to be enquiring our business in the Cottage.

  In the meanwhile the Baroness expressed her apprehensions, that

  her Husband would be suffering much anxiety upon her account.

  She had intended to send on one of her Servants to inform the

  Baron of her delay; But the account which the young Men gave of

  the Forest rendered this plan impracticable. Claude relieved

  her from her embarrassment. He informed her that He was under

  the necessity of reaching Strasbourg that night, and that would

  She trust him with a letter, She might depend upon its being

  safely delivered.

  'And how comes it,' said I, 'that you are under no apprehension

  of meeting these Robbers?'

  'Alas! Monsieur, a poor Man with a large family must not lose

  certain profit because 'tis attended with a little danger, and

  perhaps my Lord the Baron may give me a trifle for my pains.

  Besides, I have nothing to lose except my life, and that will not

  be worth the Robbers taking.'

  I thought his arguments bad, and advised his waiting till the

  Morning; But as the Baroness did not second me, I was obliged to

  give up the point. The Baroness Lindenberg, as I found

  afterwards, had long been accustomed to sacrifice the interests

  of others to her own, and her wish to send Claude to Strasbourg

  blinded her to the danger of the undertaking. Accordingly, it

  was resolved that He should set out without delay. The Baroness

  wrote her letter to her Husband, and I sent a few lines to my

  Banker, apprising him that I should not be at Strasbourg till the

  next day. Claude took our letters, and left the Cottage.

  The Lady declared herself much fatigued by her journey: Besides

  having come from some distance, the Drivers had contrived to lose

  their way in the Forest. She now addressed herself to

  Marguerite, desiring to be shown to her chamber, and permitted to

  take half an hour's repose. One of the Waiting-women was

  immediately summoned; She appeared with a light, and the Baroness

  followed her up stairs. The cloth was spreading in the chamber

  where I was, and Marguerite soon gave me to understand that I

  was in her way. Her hints were too broad to be easily mistaken;

  I therefore desired one of the young Men to conduct me to the

  chamber where I was to sleep, and where I could remain till

  supper was ready.

  'Which chamber is it, Mother?' said Robert.

  'The One with green hangings,' She replied; 'I have just been at

  the trouble of getting it ready, and have put fresh sheets upon

  the Bed; If the Gentleman chooses to lollop and lounge upon it,

  He may make it again himself for me.'

  'You are out of humour, Mother, but that is no novelty. Have the

  goodness to follow me, Monsieur.'

  He opened the door, and advanced towards a narrow staircase.

  'You have got no light!' said Marguerite; 'Is it your own neck or

  the Gentleman's that you have a mind to break?'

  She crossed by me, and put a candle into Robert's hand, having

  received which, He began to ascend the staircase. Jacques was

  employed in laying the cloth, and his back was turned towards me.

  Marguerite seized the moment, when we were unobserved. She

  caught my hand, and pressed it strongly.

  'Look at the Sheets!' said She as She passed me, and immediately

  resumed her former occupation.

  Startled by the abruptness of her action, I remained as if

  petrified. Robert's voice, desiring me to follow him, recalled

  me to myself. I ascended the staircase. My conductor ushered

  me into a chamber, where an excellent wood-fire was blazing upon

  the hearth. He placed the light upon the Table, enquired whether

  I had any further commands, and on my replying in the negative,

  He left me to myself. You may be certain that the moment when I

  found myself alone was that on which I complied with Marguerite's

  injunction. I took the candle, hastily approached the Bed, and

  turned down the Coverture. What was my astonishment, my horror,

  at finding the sheets crimsoned with blood!

  At that moment a thousand confused ideas passed before my

  imagination. The Robbers who infested the Wood, Marguerite's

  exclamation respecting her Children, the arms and appearance of

  the two young Men, and the various Anecdotes which I had heard

  related, respecting the secret correspondence which frequently

  exists between Banditti and Postillions, all these circumstances

  flashed upon my mind, and inspired me with doubt and

  apprehension. I ruminated on the most probable means of

  ascertaining the truth of my conjectures. Suddenly I was aware

  of Someone below pacing hastily backwards and forwards. Every

  thing now appeared to me an object of suspicion. With precaution

  I drew near the window, which, as the room had been long shut up,

  was left open in spite of the cold. I ventured to look out. The

  beams of the Moon permitted me to distinguish a Man, whom I had

  no difficulty to recognize for my Host. I watched his movements.

  He walked swiftly, then stopped, and seemed to listen: He

  stamped upon the ground, and beat his stomach with his arms as if

  to guard himself from the inclemency of the season. At the least

  noise, if a voice was heard in the lower part of the House, if a

  Bat flitted past him, or the wind rattled amidst the leafless

  boughs, He started, and looked round with anxiety.

  'Plague take him!' said He at length with impatience; 'What can

  He be about!'

  He spoke in a low voice; but as He was just below my window, I

  had no difficulty to distinguish his words.

  I now heard the steps of one approaching. Baptiste went towards

  the sound; He joined a man, whom his low stature and the Horn


  suspended from his neck, declared to be no other than my faithful

  Claude, whom I had supposed to be already on his way to

  Strasbourg. Expecting their discourse to throw some light upon

  my situation, I hastened to put myself in a condition to hear it

  with safety. For this purpose I extinguished the candle, which

  stood upon a table near the Bed: The flame of the fire was not

  strong enough to betray me, and I immediately resumed my place at

  the window.

  The objects of my curiosity had stationed themselves directly

  under it. I suppose that during my momentary absence the

  Wood-man had been blaming Claude for tardiness, since when I

  returned to the window, the latter was endeavouring to excuse his

  fault.

  'However,' added He, 'my diligence at present shall make up for

  my past delay.'

  'On that condition,' answered Baptiste, 'I shall readily forgive

  you. But in truth as you share equally with us in our prizes,

  your own interest will make you use all possible diligence.

  'Twould be a shame to let such a noble booty escape us! You say,

  that this Spaniard is rich?'

  'His Servant boasted at the Inn, that the effects in his Chaise

  were worth above two thousand Pistoles.'

  Oh! how I cursed Stephano's imprudent vanity!

  'And I have been told,' continued the Postillion, 'that this

  Baroness carries about her a casket of jewels of immense value.'

  'May be so, but I had rather She had stayed away. The Spaniard

  was a secure prey. The Boys and myself could easily have

  mastered him and his Servant, and then the two thousand Pistoles

  would have been shared between us four. Now we must let in the

  Band for a share, and perhaps the whole Covey may escape us.

  Should our Friends have betaken themselves to their different

  posts before you reach the Cavern, all will be lost. The Lady's

  Attendants are too numerous for us to overpower them: Unless

  our Associates arrive in time, we must needs let these Travellers

  set out tomorrow without damage or hurt.'

  ' 'Tis plaguy unlucky that my Comrades who drove the Coach

  should be those unacquainted with our Confederacy! But never

  fear, Friend Baptiste. An hour will bring me to the Cavern; It

  is now but ten o'clock, and by twelve you may expect the arrival

  of the Band. By the bye, take care of your Wife: You know how

  strong is her repugnance to our mode of life, and She may find

  means to give information to the Lady's Servants of our design.'

  'Oh! I am secure of her silence; She is too much afraid of me,

  and fond of her children, to dare to betray my secret. Besides,

  Jacques and Robert keep a strict eye over her, and She is not

  permitted to set a foot out of the Cottage. The Servants are

  safely lodged in the Barn; I shall endeavour to keep all quiet

  till the arrival of our Friends. Were I assured of your finding

  them, the Strangers should be dispatched this instant; But as it

  is possible for you to miss the Banditti, I am fearful of being

  summoned to produce them by their Domestics in the Morning.'

  'And suppose either of the Travellers should discover your

  design?'

  'Then we must poignard those in our power, and take our chance

  about mastering the rest. However, to avoid running such a

  risque, hasten to the Cavern: The Banditti never leave it before

  eleven, and if you use diligence, you may reach it in time to

  stop them.'

  'Tell Robert that I have taken his Horse: My own has broken his

  bridle, and escaped into the Wood. What is the watch-word?'

  'The reward of Courage.'

  ' 'Tis sufficient. I hasten to the Cavern.'

  'And I to rejoin my Guests, lest my absence should create

  suspicion. Farewell, and be diligent.'

  These worthy Associates now separated: The One bent his course

  towards the Stable, while the Other returned to the House.

  You may judge, what must have been my feelings during this

  conversation, of which I lost not a single syllable. I dared not

  trust myself to my reflections, nor did any means present itself

  to escape the dangers which threatened me. Resistance, I knew to

  be vain; I was unarmed, and a single Man against Three: However,

  I resolved at least to sell my life as dearly as I could.

  Dreading lest Baptiste should perceive my absence, and suspect me

  to have overheard the message with which Claude was dispatched, I

  hastily relighted my candle and quitted the chamber. On

  descending, I found the Table spread for six Persons. The

  Baroness sat by the fireside: Marguerite was employed in

  dressing a sallad, and her Step-sons were whispering together at

  the further end of the room. Baptiste having the round of the

  Garden to make, ere He could reach the Cottage door, was not yet

  arrived. I seated myself quietly opposite to the Baroness.

  A glance upon Marguerite told her that her hint had not been

  thrown away upon me. How different did She now appear to me!

  What before seemed gloom and sullenness, I now found to be

  disgust at her Associates, and compassion for my danger. I

  looked up to her as to my only resource; Yet knowing her to be

  watched by her Husband with a suspicious eye, I could place but

  little reliance on the exertions of her good-will.

  In spite of all my endeavours to conceal it, my agitation was but

  too visibly expressed upon my countenance. I was pale, and both

  my words and actions were disordered and embarrassed. The young

  Men observed this, and enquired the cause. I attributed it to

  excess of fatigue, and the violent effect produced on me by the

  severity of the season. Whether they believed me or not, I will

  not pretend to say: They at least ceased to embarrass me with

  their questions. I strove to divert my attention from the perils

  which surrounded me, by conversing on different subjects with the

  Baroness. I talked of Germany, declaring my intention of

  visiting it immediately: God knows, that I little thought at

  that moment of ever seeing it! She replied to me with great ease

  and politeness, professed that the pleasure of making my

  acquaintance amply compensated for the delay in her journey, and

  gave me a pressing invitation to make some stay at the Castle of

  Lindenberg. As She spoke thus, the Youths exchanged a malicious

  smile, which declared that She would be fortunate if She ever

  reached that Castle herself. This action did not escape me; But

  I concealed the emotion which it excited in my breast. I

  continued to converse with the Lady; But my discourse was so

  frequently incoherent, that as She has since informed me, She

  began to doubt whether I was in my right senses. The fact was,

  that while my conversation turned upon one subject, my thoughts

  were entirely occupied by another. I meditated upon the means of

  quitting the Cottage, finding my way to the Barn, and giving the

  Domestics information of our Host's designs. I was soon

  convinced, how impracticable was the attempt. Jacques and Robert

  watched my every movement with an attentive eye, and I was
/>
  obliged to abandon the idea. All my hopes now rested upon

  Claude's not finding the Banditti: In that case, according to

  what I had overheard, we should be permitted to depart unhurt.

  I shuddered involuntarily as Baptiste entered the room. He made

  many apologies for his long absence, but 'He had been detained by

  affairs impossible to be delayed.' He then entreated permission

  for his family to sup at the same table with us, without which,

  respect would not authorize his taking such a liberty. Oh! how

  in my heart I cursed the Hypocrite! How I loathed his presence,

  who was on the point of depriving me of an existence, at that

  time infinitely dear! I had every reason to be satisfied with

  life; I had youth, wealth, rank, and education; and the fairest

  prospects presented themselves before me. I saw those prospects

  on the point of closing in the most horrible manner: Yet was I

  obliged to dissimulate, and to receive with a semblance of

  gratitude the false civilities of him who held the dagger to my

  bosom.

  The permission which our Host demanded, was easily obtained. We

  seated ourselves at the Table. The Baroness and myself occupied

  one side: The Sons were opposite to us with their backs to the

  door. Baptiste took his seat by the Baroness at the upper end,

  and the place next to him was left for his Wife. She soon

  entered the room, and placed before us a plain but comfortable

  Peasant's repast. Our Host thought it necessary to apologize for

  the poorness of the supper: 'He had not been apprized of our

  coming; He could only offer us such fare as had been intended for

  his own family:'

  'But,' added He, 'should any accident detain my noble Guests

  longer than they at present intend, I hope to give them a better

  treatment.'

  The Villain! I well knew the accident to which He alluded; I

  shuddered at the treatment which He taught us to expect!

  My Companion in danger seemed entirely to have got rid of her

  chagrin at being delayed. She laughed, and conversed with the

  family with infinite gaiety. I strove but in vain to follow her

  example. My spirits were evidently forced, and the constraint

  which I put upon myself escaped not Baptiste's observation.

  'Come, come, Monsieur, cheer up!' said He; 'You seem not quite

  recovered from your fatigue. To raise your spirits, what say you

  to a glass of excellent old wine which was left me by my Father?