Part 25 (2/2)
Melvil, gloith rage, replied, that he was a venomous serpent, which it was incumbent on every foot to crush; that it was the duty of everysociety from such a pernicious hypocrite; and that, if such instances of perfidy and ingratitude were suffered to pass with i would soon be expelled from the habitations of men ”Over and above these motives,” said he, ”I own myself so vitiated with the alloy of huerly pant for an occasion ofhim hand to hand, where I eance and destruction on his perfidious head”
Then he recounted the anecdotes of our adventurer which he had learned in Ger his unalterable resolution of releasing hi him, with his own hand, to thethe perturbation of his mind, would not further co herself with exacting a promise, that he would not execute his purpose, until he should have deliberated three days upon the consequences by which a step of that kind ht be attended Before the expiration of that terentle his life or reputation to unnecessary hazard
Having complied with her request in this particular, he took his leave, after he had, by repeated entreaties, prevailed upon her to accept a jewel, in token of his veneration for the kind benefactress of the deceased Monienerous heart be satisfied, until he had forced a considerable present on the humane physician who had attended her in her last moments, and now discovered a particular syentleman attended him to the house of the benevolent Joshua, where they dined, and where Don Diego was recoood offices of their host Not that this duty was perforer--Renaldo's delicacy would not expose his friend to such a situation While the physician, before dinner, entertained that stranger in one apartment, Melvil withdrew into another, with the Jew, to whom he disclosed the affair of the Castilian, with certain circumstances, which shall, in due ti whetted by this infor the Spaniard at table with such a particular stare, that Don Diego perceived his attention, and took u unable to conceal his displeasure, he addressed hiue, saving, ”Signior, is there any singularity in o de Zelos?”
”Signior Don Diego,” replied the other in pure Castilian, ”I crave your pardon for the rudeness of my curiosity, which prompted me to survey a nobleman, whose character I revere, and to whose er Indeed, were curiosity alone concerned, I should be without excuse; but as I am heartily inclined to serve you, as far as enerosity will not impute any little involuntary trespass of punctilio to my want of cordiality or esteey, but also affected with the coe in which it was conveyed He thanked the Jew for his kind declaration, entreated him to bear, with the peevishness of a disposition sore with the galling hand of affliction; and, turning up his eyes to Heaven, ”Were it possible,” cried he, ”for fate to reconcile contradictions, and recall the irremediable current of events, I would now believe that there was happiness still in reserve for the forlorn Zelos, now that I tread the land of freedom and huenerous of men Alas! I ask not happiness! If, by the kind endeavours of the gallant Count de Melvil, to whom I am already indebted for my life, and by the efforts of his friends, the honour of my name shall be purified and cleared from the poisonous stains of malice by which it is at present spotted, I shall then enjoy all that satisfaction which destiny can bestow upon a wretch whose woes are incurable”
Renaldo co on the eve of triu over his adversaries; and Joshua confir him to understand, that he had correspondents in Spain of some influence in the state; that he had already written to theo, in consequence of a letter which he had received from Melvil while he tarried at Mons, and that he, every post, expected a favourable answer on that subject
After dinner, the physician took his leave, though not before he had proht, and accoht visit to Monie the unfortunate youth resolved nightly to perforland It was, indeed, a sort of pleasure, the prospect of which enabled hih his patience was alnation arrived
When the doctor appeared with the coach, he leaped into it with great eagerness, after he had, with o to stay at home, on account of his health, which was not yet perfectly established The Castilian, however, would not comply with his request, until he had obtained the Count's proht, and take that duty alternately with the physician
About ht, they reached the place, where they found the sexton in waiting, according to the orders he had received The door was opened, the looround; again he renewed his laan to be heated into an ecstasy of enthusiasain fervently invoked the spirit of his deceased Monimia
In the midst of these invocations, his ear was suddenly invaded with the sound of soan, which seemed to feel the impulse of an invisible hand
At this awful salutation, Melvil was roused to the keenest sense of surprise and attention Reason shrunk before the thronging ideas of his fancy, which represented this e and supernatural; and, while he waited for the sequel, the place was suddenly illunisance of his eye
What passed within his mind on this occasion is not easy to be described
All his faculties were sed up by those of seeing and hearing He had mechanically raised hi forwards; and in this attitude he gazed with a look through which his soul seeer to escape To his view, thus strained upon vacant space, in a few ure of a woman arrayed in white, with a veil that covered her face, and flowed down upon her back and shoulders The phanto up her veil, discovered (believe it, O reader!) the individual countenance of Monily iraces, the youth beca amazement, love, and awful adoration He saw the apparition smile with meek benevolence, divine compassion, warm and intendered by that fond pure flauish He heard the voice of his Moniue denied its office His hair stood upright, and a cold vapour seeh every nerve This was not fear, but the infirmity of hu
At length his agony was overcome He recollected all his resolution, and, in a strain of awestruck rapture, thus addressed the heavenly visitant: ”Hast thou then heard, pure spirit! the wailings of rief?
hast thou descended from the realms of bliss, in pity to my woe? and art thou co soul? To bid the wretched smile, to lift the load of misery and care from the afflicted breast; to fill thy lover's heart with joy and pleasing hope, was still the darling task of my Monimia, ere yet refined to that perfection which mortality can never attain No wonder then, blessed shade, that nohen reunited to thy native heaven, thou art still kind, propitious, and beneficent to us, who groan in this inhospitable vale of sorrow thou hast left Tell me, ah! tell ether? Doth that enlightened bosoret, when thou recallest our fatal separation? Sure that lance bespeaks thy sympathy! Ah! how that tender look o'erpowers me! Sacred Heaven! the pearly drops of pity trickle down thy cheeks! Such are the tears that angels shed o'er man's distress!--Turn not away--Thou beckonest me to follow Yes, I will follow thee, ethereal spirit, as far as these weak liht; and, would to Heaven! I could, with ease, put off these vile corporeal shackles, and attend thy flight”
So saying, he started froer expectation, at awful distance, traced the footsteps of the apparition, which, entering a detached aparth exclaimed, ”Indeed, this is too much!” What was the disorder of Renaldo's mind, when he perceived this phenomenon! Before reflection could perfor forwards, crying, ”If it be death to touch thee, let ht in his arms, not the shadow, but the warm substance of the all-accomplished Monimia ”Mysterious powers of Providence! this is no phanto boso, so bitterly deplored! I fold her inbreast to enuous love! She saze on that transcendent beauty, which, the more I view it, ravishes the aze! Merciful Heaven! is not this a mere illusion of the brain? Was she not fled for ever? Had not the cold hand of death divorced her fro vision ofdrearant, O ye heavenly powers! that I entle youth!” replied the beauteous orphan, still clasped in his embrace, ”what joy now fills the bosom of Monimia, at this triumph of thy virtue and thy love? When I see these transports of thy affection, when I find thee restored to that place in my esteem and admiration, which thou hadst lost by the arts of caluuine hopes durst not presage!”
So entirely were the faculties of Renaldo engrossed in the contemplation of his restored Monimia, that he saw not the rest of the co scene He was therefore amazed at the interposition of Madam Clement, hile the shower of syratulated the lovers upon this happy event, crying, ”These are the joys which virtue calls her own” They also received the coyman, who told Monination to the will of Heaven, which she had so devoutly practised during the term of her affliction And, lastly, they were accosted by the physician, as not quite so hackneyed in the ways of death, or so callous to the finer sensations of the soul, but that he blubbered plentifully, wile he petitioned Heaven in behalf of such an acco Madam Clement by the hand, ”Whatever joy,” said she, ”Renaldo derives fro to the bounty, the coether with the kind adentleitation, and whose est the incidents that occurred, embraced theh shaken for an instant froains its true direction, and points invariably to the pole, he soon returned to his Moniain he drank enchantment from her eyes, and thus poured forth the effusions of his soul:--”Can I then trust the evidence of sense? And art thou really to my wish restored? Never, O never did thy beauty shi+ne with such bewitching grace, as that which now confounds and captivatesmore than mortal in thy looks!--Where hast thou lived?--where borrowed this perfection?--whence art thou now descended?--Oh! I am all amazement, joy, and fear!--Thou wilt not leave ain By this warrance of the East! we nevermore will part
O! this is rapture, ecstasy, and what no language can explain!”
In the midst of these ejaculations, he ravished a banquet fro lips, that kindled in his heart a flalided to his e he had never claimed before, and now permitted as a recompense for all the penance he had suffered Nevertheless, the cheeks of Moniether unaccustomed to such familiarities, underwent a total suffusion; and Madam Clement discreetly relieved her fro in the discourse, and rallying the Count upon his endeavours to monopolise such a branch of happiness
”O my dear lady!” replied Renaldo, who by this tiive the wild transports of a fond lover, who hath so unexpectedly retrieved the jewel of his soul! Yet, far fro to hoard up his treasure, he means to communicate and diffuse his happiness to all his friends O ated! As yet thou knowest not all the bliss that is reserved for thy enjoy to learn by what contrivance this happy interview hath been effected Still anorant hoas transported into this apartment, from the lonely vault in which I mourned over my supposed misfortune!”