The Complete Northanger Horrid Novel Collection (9 Books of Gothic Romance and Horror)

by Eliza Parsons

  There was something in this circumstance so unkind, as well as capricious, that had not her mind been occupied by nearer interests, she would have felt severely the having been once flattered by assurances which were probably never intended to be realized.

  Though hope, the usual attendant on youth and inexperience, sometimes brightened the future prospects of our heroine, she often yielded to despondency; and though grateful for the comforts her present situation afforded, which exceeded her most sanguine expectations, she did not cease to reflect upon the past with the most poignant regret and anxiety.

  The picture, which was delivered by the Monk, she wore continually in her bosom, carefully concealing it from observation, according to her promise, and secretly cherishing it as an invaluable relic, consecrated by the solemn manner in which it was bestowed and endeared as being the portrait of her mother.

  Though the conversation of the Signora d'Orfo, which was at once animated and interesting, excited in the gentle mind of Laurette the most lively emotions of gratitude, the exertion which was requisite of wearing the aspect of cheerfulness, was often times painful, which occasioned her to seize every opportunity of abstracting herself from the rest of the family, when it could be done without a breach of propriety, that she might wander alone through the grounds attached to the castle, which were not more beautiful than extensive.

  One evening, when the Signora was engaged in giving directions to the persons employed in the repairs, concerning the ornamental parts of the workmanship, Laurette was induced by the fineness of the weather to ramble in an adjacent forest; and having reached a distant part of it, seated herself upon a gentle eminence, to enjoy the prospect it commanded. The evening was serene and cloudless—no sound, except the song of the nightingale that was warbling its last farewell, or the soft note of a far distant oboe, broke upon the calmness that prevailed. These tended to recall to her memory the imagery of the past, and, absorbed in tender reflections, she paused till every sound was hushed, till even the night bird had forsaken his accustomed haunts, and all was silence and repose.

  Her mind was now tenderly susceptible of the finest impressions, and the melancholy stillness that pervaded the woods, only occasionally agitated by the last sigh of the zephyr, aided the poetic enthusiasm that was stealing upon her spirits, and resigning herself to the luxury of sadly pleasing emotions, she composed the following lines:

  AN ELEGY

  ON THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR

  Where are the wreaths that Spring's young fingers wove.

  Each op'ning bud, which she had gemm'd with dew;

  Hypaticas that blush'd in every grove.

  The heath flower, and the violet meekly blue.

  No more beneath the woodbine's trembling shade.

  Peeps the wan primrose from its silken cell;

  No more the wild rose blooms along the glade.

  Or modest cowslip hangs her golden bell;

  Yet though no shrubs the Alpine steeps adorn.

  Though Spring and Summer's smiling reign be past.

  I love to linger in these shades forlorn.

  And listen to the rude Autumnal blast.

  And chief, when Evening hangs her glooms profound

  On every pine-clad hill and valley fair;

  When the noctule begins his nightly round.

  In mazy circles, through the liquid air;

  Then oft I climb some mountain's hoary side.

  Whose craggy base the silent water laves.

  And mark the wand'ring Naiades, as they glide

  To meet the Sea Nymphs in their coral caves;

  Or seek the moss-grown cavern's inmost dell.

  The tangl'd wood walk, or the forest drear;

  Where, as soft, dying gales at distance swell.

  Methinks the Spirit of the rock I hear.

  And when meek Eve, with matron step retires

  With humid tresses newly bath'd in dews;

  Then Fancy visionary dreams inspires.

  Veiling each object in unreal hues.

  Her magic wand bids fairy forms advance.

  Forms that have slept in lily bells the day.

  In frolic wild to celebrate the dance.

  Beneath the silver moon-beam's trembling ray;

  To keep their vigils far from mortal ken.

  By side of fringed brook, or shadowy glade.

  Or in some rushy cavern's hallow'd glen.

  Till Day's bright orb the realms of Night pervade.

  Then swift they fly, nor can e'en Fancy's power.

  With all her magic spells, prolong their stay.

  Till Cynthia's train leads on the silent hour.

  And Night's sad minstrel tunes his parting lay.

  Ah! so, before cold Reason's sober gaze.

  Youth's fairy visions fade and disappear;

  Dark Winter thus her chilling form displays.

  Blasting the produce of the blooming year.

  Yet Spring again shall dress her groves with flow'rs.

  Perfum'd and tinted by a hand divine;

  And Music's voice delight the laughing hours;

  But when will happiness again be mine?

  The deepening shades of the evening at length reminded her of her distance from the castle, and that she had a long and lonely wilderness to pass, which made it necessary for her to return with all possible speed to the path she had quitted, which was the direct road to the mansion, before it was too dark to be able to distinguish the way.

  When she had reached the gate that marked the boundaries of the pleasure grounds, being nearly exhausted with fatigue, she paused for a moment to recover herself, and as she was now well acquainted with the road, to take a survey of the beautiful range of hills that bounded the horizon, and the rich, though half-foliated woods that skirted the mountains.

  Lost in the contemplation of these picturesque objects, she proceeded leisurely along till having imperceptibly arrived at the vista, which opened upon the lawn, her attention was recalled from the illusions of fancy, to whose captivating power she had resigned herself, by the voices of two people, apparently in earnest discourse, but whose persons were concealed amid the trees of the avenue.

  In the direction she had taken it was probable she must have passed very near to them; but they were too much engaged in their own concerns to perceive her approach, and the grass preventing her footsteps from being heard, as she moved lightly beneath the shade of the trees, occasioned their being unconscious of any observer.

  It naturally occurred to her, that they were some of the servants belonging to the castle; but, lest strangers might have intruded themselves into these extensive domains, she emerged precipitately from the gloom of the avenues, and bounded swiftly over the lawn.

  In a moment she heard steps pursuing her, and before she had recovered from her alarm, the sound of her own name, uttered by a well-known voice, drew her attention upon the person who pronounced it. Turning hastily around, she beheld, to her astonishment, a young chevalier in a military habit, who immediately came up to her; and, before she was restored to recollection, found herself in the arms of a stranger, in whom she afterwards recognized the person of Enrico.

  Surprise and joy operated so powerfully upon her feelings, that she was near fainting; which made it some time before she was conscious of her situation, or of the extent of her happiness.

  When amazement had in some degree subsided, Laurette fixed her eyes upon Enrico with an earnest and tender gaze, and, as the partial beams of the moon fell upon his face, observed that he looked unusually pale, and that his once animated features wore an expression of deep dejection, which it was not difficult to interpret.

  As soon as she had courage to introduce the subject, which had been productive of so much uneasiness, she ventured to ask if he had received the letter containing the melancholy intelligence respecting Madame Chamont, and what had occasioned his unexpected arrival.

  Enrico sighed deeply, and then proceeded to inform her, that on a
ccount of his regiment having shifted its quarters, her letter did not arrive till some weeks after the date; but that immediately on the receipt of it, he obtained permission of his Colonel to absent himself; and, attended by Anselmo, his servant, took the direct road to the Castle of Elfinbach.

  "You have been at the Castle, then," interrupted Laurette, not instantly considering the improbability of his being able to receive information relative to her present place of residence by any other means; as, at the time she addressed him, she was herself unacquainted with the intentions of the Marchese, and consequently had mentioned nothing of her removal. Enrico answered her question with an affirmative, and having hesitated for a moment, continued—"Though hopeless as to receiving any satisfactory intelligence concerning my much-injured parent, which might serve as a clue to guide me in pursuit, I resolved to hasten to the Castle; by these means to soften, if I could not eradicate my grief, and to convince myself whether you, my Laurette—my more than sister, was in safety. But what was my disappointment and distress when I found the mansion silent and deserted, and every vestige of my former happiness removed and annihilated?

  "It was night when I arrived; and the air of extreme desolation that it exhibited, had my mind been sufficiently collected, or abstracted from more painful interests, would have struck me forcibly; but my feelings were too much and too tenderly wounded, to regard local circumstances.

  "Having reached the principal gate, I rapped violently, but without success; no passing footstep answered to the summons, and surprise and impatience succeeded. I then alighted from my horse, and desiring Anselmo to follow my example, we fastened the animals to a tree, and then walked round the courts, in hopes of being able to gain admittance at the western side of the structure; but here our sanguine expectations were again deceived. I called, but no voice returned an answer but the echo of my own, which being aided by the loud rising of the blast, that swept in hollow gusts along the mountains, had a mournful and solemn effect.

  "Impatience now yielded to the most excruciating anguish; I began to imagine that you also was separated from me for ever. My heart beat quick—my feeble limbs could scarcely support my agitated frame—and throwing myself on a piece of the fallen rampart, I yielded to the despondency that was stealing upon my mind.

  "The clouds now passing rapidly over the sky, seemed to portend an approaching storm; which Anselmo observing, reminding me at the same time of the danger to which our present situation would expose us, ventured to request my permission to release the horses from their confinement; stating the necessity of our endeavouring to accommodate ourselves for the night at one of the cottages by the side of the river, as, by this method of proceeding, we might obtain shelter from the storm, and be enabled to pursue our enquiries at leisure on the following day.

  "This advice, however reasonable, was suddenly rejected, as I still flattered myself a possibility existed that the castle might be still inhabited, though nothing appeared to justify the opinion. Anselmo objected to the probability of the proposition, declaring that the repeated alarms he had given were sufficient to have awakened the dead; and besought me to consider my own safety while it was yet in my power, and, plunged in unavailing despair, not to brave the fury of the storm which was gathering fast over our heads.

  "Having finally yielded, though reluctantly, to his entreaties, I determined to make another attempt, and wheeling round the quadrangle again, rapped loudly at the gate. But all was yet silent;—I called, but no answer was returned; and a stillness, as of the grave, ensued. Still more chagrined, though the hope that had inspired this last effort was too feeble to admit of extreme disappointment, I walked silently towards the oak, to whose trunk the horses were bound, and began to liberate them.

  "Anselmo, who had anticipated my second unsuccessful undertaking, proposed, that since we had so little chance of obtaining admittance into the interior of the mansion, for us to make the best of our way, since we had a wild and dreary forest to pass, and a wood that appeared like the abode of robbers; observing, that if it was really the ease, our only chance of escape depended upon the threatening aspect of the heavens, which might induce those outlaws, by whom these solitudes are infested, to take refuge in their caves.

  "Whilst I still continued to meditate upon the past, without forming any plan for the future, Anselmo, after having employed many fruitless endeavours to engage me in conversation, directed my attention towards a tall edifice, which was partially seen as the light issued from the sky, which he imagined to be a fane; remarking that if it was any thing that could offer us an asylum, we were fortunate in having made the discovery, as it would prevent the necessity of encountering the peril and danger of traversing the wood, in whose tangled thickets we might possibly be so entirely bewildered as to lose the track.

  "Though I was too much lost in uneasy conjecture to be apprehensive of consequences, and was too little inclined to attend to the loquacity of Anselmo, to listen to the former part of his discourse; I turned involuntarily towards the mountain to which he had pointed, and beheld, by a second ray of light that flashed from the heavens, the spires of a convent, which were half lost to the eye amid surrounding foliage. Instantly it occurred to me that it was the convent of St Angelo, belonging to the Carthusians, which determined me to make up to it immediately and to enquire for Father Benedicta.

  "The extreme perturbation of my mind accounted, in some measure, for my not having recollected the propriety of this step before; as information respecting the former inhabitants of the castle might, with more appearance of probability, be obtained by this means, than by any other that had been offered. Somewhat animated by this reflection, we redoubled our speed, regardless of the storm that broke in thunder over our heads, or the almost universal darkness that prevailed.

  "When we had arrived near the boundaries of the forest, Anselmo's horse took fright, and threw him, with inconceivable force, against a piece of broken rock. The scream he uttered on falling, and the deep groan that succeeded, made me apprehensive of the worst. I called, but he was unable to answer; the groans continued, but were fainter, and being convinced that he was materially injured by the blow he had sustained, if not already dying, I dismounted and hurried to the spot from whence these melancholy sounds proceeded, though I was so enveloped in darkness that it was with difficulty I could grope my way.

  "The lightnings had ceased, but the thunder continued to roll, though distantly, among the rocks, and the rain fell in torrents around. Having, after many arduous endeavours, raised him from the ground, being anxious to be assured he was still in existence, I demanded in what manner he was afflicted. He spoke faintly, that his head only had suffered, but the blow he feared was mortal. I put my hand upon his forehead, it streamed with blood; and, being desirous of preventing too copious an effusion, bound my handkerchief around his head, and assisted in placing him on my horse.

  "Recollecting that there was a hut, whose possessor I had formerly known, at no very considerable distance from the place, I resolved to convey him thither; though from the length of time that had elapsed since I had last seen it, I was not assured of its exact situation.

  "We were, however, fortunate in finding the place we sought; and, though the family had long forgotten the cares of the day in the tranquillity of repose, we roused them to the exertion of benevolence.

  "Having procured something of a cordial nature, by means of the cottagers, to restore the fleeting spirits of Anselmo, I ordered him to be put to bed, but not till I had examined his wound, which my skill in surgery, though slight, was sufficient to convince me was not likely to have a dangerous tendency. But being unwilling to rely upon my own judgment in so important a matter, lest it should prove to be erroneous, I dispatched a peasant to the next village, where I was informed that a surgeon of some eminence resided, to procure assistance.

  "The good fellow, who appeared to possess many excellent qualities, readily undertook the care of my servant; and mounting my horse (that which had
caused Anselmo's misfortune having escaped), galloped towards the village.

  "It was near midnight when the cottager returned attended by the surgeon, whose countenance I steadfastly regarded as he examined the wound, which I had soon the satisfaction of hearing him declare was not mortal, no contusion having been effected; though he averred that a slight fever would probably be the consequence of the accident, which would render an early removal impracticable without a prospect of further danger.

  "The storm was now past; the light clouds dispersed rapidly towards the horizon, and the moon gleaming palely from the sky, made me anxious to pursue the way leading to the monastery; and having convinced Anselmo that he was in good hands, and given him assurances that I would be with him at an early hour on the following day, I committed him to the care of the peasants, and quitted the cottage.

  "The rude winds were now hushed, and the undisturbed tranquillity that succeeded the boisterous warring of the elements, assisted the melancholy of my reflections. Having descended into the valley, I looked anxiously towards the mountain where the spires of the convent had appeared, but they were lost in the gloom of the woods; and finding it was impossible to obtain even a partial view of the edifice, I began to apprehend I had taken a wrong path, and was on the eve of determining to bend my way towards the cottage I had left, and to wait there for the returning light of the morning, when the midnight chant of the Monks broke softly upon the stillness of the night, and directed me towards the place from whence it issued.