But What Was Her Astonishment When She Beheld
The Count De Bellfleur!
On the first moment the words monsieur du
Plessis repeated to her, that he would have her one way
Or another,
came into her mind, and made her give a great shriek; but then almost at
the same time the thought that he might possibly be sent by Melanthe to
bring her back, somewhat mitigated her fears. - Unable was she to speak,
however; and the consternation she appeared to be in at his presence,
joined with his taking her by the hand and bidding her be under no
apprehensions, confirmed the truth of what he had told the innkeeper,
who thinking he had no other business there, and they would be soonest
reconciled when alone, left them, together and went down stairs.
When the count saw he was gone, - I could not support the thoughts of
seeing you no more, my dear Louisa, said he; I have heard Melanthe's
cruel usage of you, and also that your condition is such, that you have
no friends in England to receive you if you should prosecute your
journey: - I come therefore to make you an offer, which, in your present
circumstances, you will find it imprudent, I believe, to reject: - I long
have loved you, and if you will be mine, will keep you concealed at a
house where I can confide, till my return to the army; then will take
the fame care of you, and place you somewhere near my own quarters; and,
as I shall go to Paris as soon as the next campaign is over, will there
provide for you in as handsome a manner as you can wish; - for be
assured, dear lovely girl, that no woman upon earth will ever be capable
of making me forsake you.
That she had patience to hear him talk so long in this manner, was
wholly owing to the fear and surprize she had been in, and perhaps had
not yet recovered enough from, to make any reply to what he said, if he
had contented himself only with words; but his actions rouzing a
different passion in her soul, she broke from his arms, into which, he
had snatched her at the conclusion of his speech, and looking on him
with eyes sparkling with disdain and rage, - perfidious man! cried she,
is this, - this the consequence of the vows you made Melanthe; and do you
think, after this knowledge of your baseness, I can harbour any idea of
you, but what is shocking and detestable!
I never loved Melanthe, by heaven, resumed he; she made me advance, and
not to have returned, them, would have called even my common civility in
question; - but from the first moment I saw your beauties, I was
determined to neglect nothing that might give me the enjoyment of
them: - fortune has crowned my wishes, you are in my power, and it would
be madness in you to lose the merit of yielding, and I compel me to be
obliged to my own strength for a pleasure I would rather owe to your
softness: - come, come, continued he, after having fastened the door, let
us go to bed; - I will save your modesty, by pulling your cloaths off
myself. In speaking this he catched hold of her again, and attempted to
untye a knot which fastened her robe de chambre at the breast. On this
she gave such shrieks, and stamped with her feet so forcibly on the
ground, that the innkeeper fearing the incensed husband, as he supposed
him to be, was going to kill her, ran hastily up stairs, and called to
have the door opened, saying, he would have no murder in his house.
The artful count immediately let him in, and told him, he need be under
no apprehensions, his wife was too dear to him to suffer any thing from
his resentment; and all the noise you heard, said he, was only because I
insisted on her going to bed! By these words Louisa discovered how he
had imposed upon the man, and cried out she was not his wife; but as she
spoke very bad Italian, and the man understood no French, the count
being very fluent in that language, had much the advantage, the
innkeeper was fully satisfied, and they were again left alone, having a
second opportunity to prosecute his villanous attempt.
You see, said he, how much in vain it is for you to resist: - would it
not be wiser in you, therefore, to meet my flames with equal warmth; - to
feign a kindness even if you have none, and thereby oblige me to use you
with a future tenderness: - believe I love you now with an extravagance
of fondness: - it is in your power to preserve that affection for
ever: - give me then willingly that charming mouth.
He had all this time been kissing her with the utmost eagerness, so that
with all her struggling she had not been able either to disengage
herself from his embrace, or to utter one word; and he was very near
forcing from her yet greater liberties, when all at once heaven gave her
strength to spring suddenly from him, and running to a table where he
had laid his sword, she drew it out of the scabbard with so much speed,
that he could not prevent her, and making a push at him with one hand,
kept him from closing with, or disarming her, till with the other she
had plucked back the bolt of the door.
In this posture she flew down stairs, and reached the hall before he
overtook her, quite breathless and ready to faint. He was going to lay
hold of her, when he found himself seized behind by two persons, whom,
on turning to examine the reason, he found was monsieur du Plessis and
the innkeeper. He started at the sight of that gentleman, and was going
to say somewhat to him in French, when the innkeeper told him, the young
woman should be molested no farther till he knew the truth of the
affair; for, said he, there is a person, meaning monsieur du Plessis,
who is just come in, and says she has no husband, and belongs to an
English lady of quality now at Venice:
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