ページの画像
PDF
ePub
[graphic]

OR,

WEEKLY

THE

VISITOR.

FOR THE USE AND AMUSEMENT OF BOTH SEXES

VOL. XII.]

THE

Saturday, March 2,....1811.

MONK OF THE GROTTO.

A Tale.

(Continued)

"I know, Madam," added he, observing she wished to interrupt him, "that that you will

tell me, the respect we owe to the memory of my deceased father, does not allow us to occupy ourselves with that ceremony, which I have been accustomed from my earliest youth to consider as the sanction of my happiness. I admit the propriety of the objection; and all I require is, that you will inform me of the remotest

period you have fixed upon for the consummation of my wish

[merged small][ocr errors]

[NO. 19.

"What, my dear Eugenio!" she exclaimed, "can you doubt the earnest desire Lexperience to behold the arrival of that day which shall crown your hopes? But you are sensible that the death of your fa ther has left a variety of affairs which are necessary to be adjusted before the conclusion of your marriage. This precaution is even necessary, in order to insure to Virginia an independent fortune. The Marquis thinks as I do; and we have determined to defer your union till the ensuing

summer.

The apprehension

of giving you uneasiness, by delaying it to so distant a period, has prevented my communicating our intentions to you sooner; but your conduct has now forced me to speak to you with frankness, and I hope you will not disapprove of those reasons which have in

The countenance of the Countess, which, at the cominencement of her son's ad-duced the Marquis and myself

dress, appeared angry and forbidding, suddenly assumed a more engaging aspect. She appeared kind and affectionate.

to preserve silence upon a subject, which, nevertheless, has incessantly occupied our thoughts."

Eugenio felt extreme difficulty in restraining the grief which the discourse of his mother excited in his breast: but the purity and goodness of his soul would not allow him to entertain the least doubt, as to

the sincerity of the motives by which she appeared actuated; he was, however, deeply af fected at the idea of being compelled to defer, to so distant a period as eight months, an union which he had fondly hoped he was on the eve of concluding, and now more than ever had become the wish of his soul. He quitted the presence of his mother with a sad and dejected air, and hastened to give an account to Virginia of the conversation that had passed between them. The two lovers sought in their reci. procal tenderness, that courage and strength of mind which was necessary to enable them to submit to so unexpected a protraction of their happiness. The repetition of their vows of loving each other to the latest hour of their lives, formed the only consolation of which they were susceptible,

sessed' a melancholy accordance with the situation of Virginia and Eugenio. The heavy hours proceeded slowly in mo notonous succession, unaccom

panied with that sweet solace the preceding year had afforded, by the presence of those tender and affectionate parents who now rested in the silent grave.

Since the death of the Marchioness Spanozzi, the two families had lived together at Torre Vecchia. Virginia and her father occupied one of the towers, which formed the angle of the castle; the apartments of the Countess and Eugenio were in the center; and at the other extremity was the chapel, in the vaults of which were the tombs of the Counts of Caprara.

Virginia had for some time observed that the young Stefano, the son of Laurina, kept his eyes perpetually fixed upon her with an expression of earnestness which indicated a wish to communicate some secret. At length, one evening, as she was entering her apartment, she perceived Stefano at The winter passed away in the door; as soon as he obgloomy sadness; that period served her, he made a sign ( of the year, in which Nature keep silence; then approaching seems clad in mourning, pos-her, he said, with a low voice

"I have a circumstance to communicate to you h ghly interesting to your happiness; and I entreat you to favour me with a quarter of an hour's conversation."

Virginia, extremely surprised, desired him to follow her to her chamber. Stefano hastened to obey her; he listened whether any one was near; then, closing the door, addressed himself to Virginia, whose curiosity was excited to hear what he had to impart.

"My attachment, and the concern I feel in whatever relates to you," said he, "added to the gratitude with which the favours conferred by Eugenio have inspired me, will not allow me to conceal an event of the deepest importance to you both. About four months af ter the death of the Count, as I was retiring to my room, Rinaldo, the valet de chambre of the Marquis, desired me to follow him. He conducted me to an apartment near the chapel, where I found two men, whose persons were wholly unknown to me; as soon as they saw me they rose without uttering a word, I desired Rinaldo to inform me for what purpose he had conducted me there; but had scarce finished

my question, when the Marquis himself entered. He surveyed us with attention; then approaching Rinaldo, he said,

it is well, I am satisfied; he added something which I could not distinctly hear, and then went out. Rinaldo drew a paper from his pocket, which he appeared to read attentively; after which he ordered me to remain where I was, and leaving me, proceeded to the chapel. Half an hour passed without any thing occurring, and during that period I in vain endeavoured to enter into conversation with the two persons he had left with me: but they persisted in observing the most profound silence. I confess I

was somewhat terrified at these

mysterious proceedings. At length the clock struck twelve, and soon after I perceived the Marquis enter, leading the Countess by the hand; they ordered us to follow them to the chapel, where we found the chaplain and Rinaldo. The altar was illuminated with a number of wax tapers; we were desired to place ourselves near the communion table.--

The chaplain opened a large book, and read the nuptial benediction. As soon as the ceremony was finished, Rinaldo, my companions and myself were desired to sign our names

ྋ་

as witnesses to the marriage of
the Marquis and the Countess.
The Marquis obliged us to take
an oath not to divulge what had
passed, until the period when
he should think proper to make
it public. I confess to you,
Madam," said Stefano, "that
the idea of you and Eugenio
instantly occurred to my ima-
gination, and produced the
most lively sensations; I know
not how to account for it, but
the mysterious and secret man-
ner in which this marriage was
performed, struck me with a
notion that all was not right;
and while my companionssation with his mother.
swore on the holy gospels to
preserve the secret required of
them, I by a mental reservati-
on, excluded you from the
number of persons to whom I
vowed never to reveal what I
had witnessed, I have hither-
waited, in hopes of seeing your
marriage with Eug nio conclu-
ded, but as the period appoint-
ed for it is suffered to elapse,
without any mention of such
an event, or preparations for
its consummation, I have
thought it my duty to inform
you of all that has passed."

let what he had communicated
to her transpire. As soon as
she found herself alone, she
began to ruminate upon the ex-
traordinary event of which she
had just heard. The clandes
tine marriage of her father with
the Countess filled her soul
with inexpressible sorrow; a
presentiment of some dreadful
calamity oppressed her spirits';
the tears trickled from her
eyes, she clasped her hands in
each other, looked intently on
the earth, and in that attitude
revolved in her mind the de-
tails of Eugenio's last conver-

During this recital, Virginia several times changed colour. She thanked Stefano for his zeal, and dismissed him, after having requested him not to

She

had stated the perplexity of the Count's affairs, as the only reason for retarding the mar riage of his son. How th m happened it that she had not herself waited for the adjustment of those affairs, before she consented to an union with the Marquis? Was it merely a pretence? Did she wish only to gain time, in order to break off her son's marriage altogether Virginia, incapable of supporting the grief, which the bare supposition of such a possibility excited in her breast, fell on her knees, wept with all the bitterness of woe, and invoked the sacred memory of her departed mother.

(To be Continued.}.

HIGHLAND HEROISM.

OR THE

CASTLES OF

GLENCOE AMD BALLOCH.

Glencoe Castle once stood in the most wild and uninha

bitable parts of the highlands

of Scotland.

It was situated on the summit of a rock, the

base of which was in the sea, and not more remarkable for its strength than its antiquity and gothic beauties. In it resided the yet beautiful widow of the valliant Earl of Glencoe, who was slain by the treachery of Ancolm, a neighbouring chief, proud, oppressive, and revengeful, who dwelt within a short distance of the castle. Many encounters had taken place between the clans of Glencoe and Balloch, in which the former had generally proved victorious. Ancolm finding himself rivalled in his power by the Earl, and limited in his ambition, conceived a deadly revenge for his neighbour, and determined to accomplish his destruction, In the battles which not long after took place he effected the caption of the earl by a curious manœuvre,

and then treacherously slew him. The loss of the chief was the total defeat of his clan, a few of whom only escaped to tell the fatal catastrophe to Henrietta, his wife. Incapable of retaliation, Henrietta withdrew from the public eye, and devoted her life to domestic comforts and the education of her children. One son and one daughter were the objects of her care. Allan was in his nineteenth year, and warmly gifted by nature with courage, abilities and benevolence. Matilda was just seventeen, and had all the accomplishments of her sex, with all the beauty and simplicity of youth. twelve years were passed away Henrietta's grief had subsided into a sullen melancholy. Hitherto her attention had been solely directed to the task of rearing her children, but other fears and prospects now rose in her breast. At their age new influences and impressions were likely to be received, which would stamp their future happiness or misery.

After

When Allan understood the story of his father's death, his heart glowed to avenge the deed, and the clan, who had adored their late chief, was ready to second his endeavours;

« 前へ次へ »