Many Reasons, Both For And Against Following His Inclination In This
Point, Presented Themselves To Him; And He Had No Sooner, As He Thought,
Determined For The One, Than The Other Rose With Double Vehemence And
Overthrew The Former.
In this fluctuating situation of mind did he
remain for some time, and perhaps had done so much longer, had not an
accident happened which proved decisive, and indeed left him no other
party to take than that he afterwards did.
Charlotta, being now entirely mistress of herself, gave him frequent
meetings in the Tuilleries, judging it safer to converse with him there
than at the house of any person, whom, in such a case, must be the
confidante of the whole affair; whereas, if they were seen together in
the walks, it might be judged they met by accident, and not give any
grounds of suspicion, which hitherto they had been so fortunate as
to avoid.
It was in one of those appointments, when entered into a very tender
conversation, they forgot themselves so far as to suffer the moon to
rise upon them: the stillness of the evening, and the little company
which happened to be there that night, seemed to indulge their
inclinations of continuing in so sweet a recess: - they were seated on a
bench at the foot of a large tree, when Charlotta, in answer to some
tender professions he had been making, said, depend on this, Horatio,
that as you are the first who has ever been capable of making me
sensible of love, so nothing shall have power to change my sentiments
while you continue to deserve, or to desire I should think of you as I
now do. He shall not long continue to desire it, - cried a voice behind
them, and immediately rushed from the other side of the thicket a man
with his sword drawn, and ran full upon Horatio, who not having time to
be upon his guard, had certainly fallen a victim to his rival's fury,
had not a gentleman seized his arm, and, by superior strength, forced
him some paces back. - Are you mad, monsieur, said he; do you forget the
place you are in, or the danger you so lately escaped for an enterprize
of this nature?
Mademoiselle Charlotta, now a little recovered from her first, surprize,
and knowing it was young monsieur de Coigney who had given her this
alarm, had presence enough of mind to ask how he dared, after he knew
her own and father's resolution, to disturb her, or any company she had
with her? he made no reply, but reflecting that there were other ways
than fighting, by which he might be revenged, went hastily away with
that friend who had hindered him from executing his rash purpose; but
they could hear that he muttered something which seemed a menace against
them both.
How impossible is it to express the consternation our lovers now were
in: they found by the repetition monsieur de Coigney made of the words
she spoke, that what they had so long and so successfully laboured to
conceal, was now betrayed: - betrayed to one who would not fail to make
the most malicious use of the discovery, and doubted not but the affair
would become the general talk, perhaps to the prejudice of Charlotta's
reputation; but the least thing either could expect, was to be
separated for ever.
Horatio, full of disturbed emotions, conducted his disconsolate mistress
to the gate of the Tuilleries, and there took a farewel of her, which he
had too much reason to fear would be his last, at least for a long time.
He was tempted by his first emotions to seek de Coigney, and call him to
account for the affront he had put upon him, and either lose his own
life, or oblige the other to secrecy; but then he considered, that there
was some probability he would not dare to own that he had given himself
any concern about mademoiselle Charlotta, after the injunction laid on
him by his father, much less as he had attempted a duel in her cause,
having, as has been already mentioned, been before guilty of a like
offence against the laws, which in that country are very strict, on
account of madame de Olonne; and this prevailed with him to be passive
as to what had happened, till he should hear how the other would behave,
and find what turn the affair would take.
Charlotta in the mean time was in the most terrible anxieties: - she
could not imagine what had brought monsieur de Coigney, who she thought
had been many miles distant, so suddenly to Paris: but on making some
private enquiry, she was informed, that having met some difficulty in
the execution of his office, he had taken post, in order to lay his
complaints before the king, and had arrived that very day. - She now
blamed her own inadvertency in holding any discourse with Horatio, of a
nature not proper to be over-heard, in a place so public as the
Tuilleries, where others, as well as he, might have possibly been
witnesses of what was said.
Young monsieur de Coigney suffered little less from the turbulence of
his nature, and the mortification it gave his vanity, to find a person,
whom he looked upon as every way his inferior, preferred to him. His
thoughts were wholly bent on revenge; but in what manner he should
accomplish it, he was for some time uncertain: when he acquainted his
father with the discovery he had made, and the resentment he had
testified against this unworthy rival, as he called him, the old
gentleman blamed him for taking any notice of it. Let them love on, son,
said he; let them marry; - we shall then have a fine opportunity of
reproaching the haughty baron with his new alliance. This did not
however satisfy monsieur de Coigney: all the love he once had for
mademoiselle Charlotta was now turned into hate; and in spite of his
father's commands not to meddle in the affair, he could not help
throwing out some reflections among his companions, very much to the
disadvantage of the young lady's reputation.
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