- The Fair Eyes Of
Louisa Were Continually Drowned In Tears, And The Generous Du Plessis
Sympathized In All Her Griefs.
But what became of mademoiselle Charlotta
de Palfoy!
Her tender soul, so long accustomed to love Horatio, had not
courage to support the shock of losing him; - losing him at a time when
she thought herself secure of being united to him for ever; - when his
discovered birth had rendered her father's wishes conformable to her
own, and there wanted nothing but his presence to render both their
families completely blessed: - all that excess of love which modesty had
hitherto restrained her from giving any public marks of, now shewed
itself in the violence of her grief and her despair. - She made no secret
of her softest inclinations, and gave a loose to all the impatience of a
ruined love. Even the haughty baron was melted into tears of compassion,
and so far from condemning, that, he attempted all in his power to
alleviate her sorrows.
CHAP. XXVI.
The Catastrophe of the whole.
Poor Horatio, released, as I have already said, from his worse than
Turkish bondage, had now, with the companions of his misfortunes, left a
country where they had suffered so much and had so little to hope, that
their enlargement seemed even to themselves a miracle. - As they parted,
miserable and forlorn, thro' those provinces where, about a year before,
they had marched with so much pomp and force, as, together with the king
of Sweden's name, inspired admiration and terror over all those parts of
the world, it filled them with the most poignant anguish, and drew tears
from those among them least sensible of any tender emotions.
All this disconsolate company, except Horatio, being Swedes', they made
the best of their way, some to Stockholm, and others to Straelsund. - Now
left alone, a long journey before him, and altogether uncertain what
reception he should find at Paris, either from Dorilaus or mademoiselle
Charlotta, his condition was extremely pityable, and he stood in need of
more fortitude than could be expected from his years, to enable him to
go thro' it.
The nearer he approached Paris, the greater was his shock at the
necessity of appearing there in the despicable figure he now made; but
his courage still got the better, and surmounted all difficulties. If
Dorilaus thinks my disobedience to his commands a crime too great to
merit his forgiveness, would he say to himself, or Charlotta disdains,
in his misfortunes, the faithful Horatio, I have no more to do than to
return to Poland and seek an honourable death in the service of
Stanislaus.
He made his entrance into that opulent city through the most bye-ways he
could, and concealed himself till towards night in a little cabaret,
where having soon been informed where Dorilaus lived, he went when it
was quite dark to his house, though how divided between hope and fear it
is easy to imagine. He knocked at the gate, which being opened by the
porter, and he desiring to speak with his master, was answered with many
impertinent questions, as - who he came from, what his business was, and
such like interrogatories which the sawciness of servants generally put
to persons such as this fellow took Horatio to be by his appearance.
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