The Pleasing Story Of Her Pilgrimage Rehearsed, How Did The Charmed Du
Plessis Pity And Applaud, By Turns, Her Sufferings And Fortitude!
- How
exclaim against the treachery of the abbess, and those of the nuns who
were in confederacy with her!
But his curiosity satisfied in this point,
another rose instantly in his mind, that being the daughter of such a
person as Dorilaus, wherefore she had made so great a secret of it, and
what reason had occasioned her being on the terms she was with Melanthe.
He no sooner expressed his wonder on these heads, than, having before
her father's permission to do so, she resolved to leave him in no
suspence on any score relating to her affairs.
Tho', said she blushing, I cannot reveal the history of my birth without
laying open the errors of those to whom I owe my being, yet I shall not
think the sacrifice too great to recompence the obligations you have
laid upon me; and then proceeded to acquaint him with every thing
relating to her parents, as well as to herself, from the first moment
she was found in the garden of Dorilaus.
It is not to be doubted but that he listened to the story with the
utmost attention, in which he found such matters of admiration, that he
could not forbear frequently interrupting her, by crying, Oh heaven! oh
providence! how mysterious are thy ways! - How, in thy disposal of
things, dost thou force us to acknowledge thy divine power and wisdom!
He was also extremely pleased to find she was the sister of Horatio,
whom he had often been in company with both at the baron de la Valeire's
and at St. Germains, and had admired for the many extraordinary
qualities he discovered in him: this led them into a conversation
concerning that young gentleman, and the misfortunes which some late
news-paper gave an account were beginning to fall upon the king of
Sweden; after that, renewing the subject of their mutual affection, and
du Plessis running over the particulars of their acquaintance in Italy,
Louisa asked whether the count de Bellfleur had ever testified any
remorse for the injury he would have offered her, and in what manner
they had lived together in the army? To which monsieur du Plessis
replied, that the authority of the prince had prevented him from
attempting any open acts of violence; but that by his manner of
behaviour it was easy to see he had not forgiven the disappointment; and
he verily believed wanted only a convenient opportunity to revenge it:
but, continued he, whatever his designs were, heaven put a stop to the
execution of them; for, in the first skirmish that happened between us
and the forces of prince Eugene, this once gay, gallant courtier, had
his head taken off by a cannon ball.
The gentle Louisa could not forbear expressing some concern for the
sudden fate of this bad man, greatly as she had been affronted by him;
but when she reflected that the same accident might have befallen her
dear du Plessis, she was all dissolved in tears.
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