When On Her Journey, The Pleasure She Felt At Seeing Herself Out Of The
Walls Of The Monastery, Was Very Much Abated By The Uncertainty How She
Should Proceed, Or Where Direct Her Way:
And indeed, let any one figure
to themselves the condition she was in, and they will rather wonder she
had courage to go on, than that she was sometimes daunted even to
despair.
- A young creature of little more than eighteen years
old, - wholly unacquainted with fatigue, - delicate in her
frame, - wandering alone on foot in the midst of a strange
country, - ignorant of the road, or had she been acquainted with it, at a
loss where to go to get any intelligence of what she sought, and even
doubtful if the person she ran such risques to hear of, yet were in the
world or not. The letter Leonora had informed her of, gave no account,
at least that she could learn, either where he was, or whether there
were any hopes of his recovery from that illness it mentioned; she had
therefore every thing to dread, and little, very little to hope: yet did
she not repent her having quitted the convent; and the desire of getting
still farther from it, made her prosecute her journey with greater
strength and vigour than could have been expected: her pilgrim's habit
was not only a defence against any insults from persons she met on the
road, but also attracted the respect, and engaged the civilities of
every one. - As that country abounds with religious houses, she was not
only lodged and fed without any expence, but received a piece of money
at each of them she went to, so that her little stock, instead of being
diminished, was considerably increased when she came to Lorretto, for
thither, not to be false in every thing, she went; and being truly sorry
for the hypocrisy which a sad necessity alone could have made her guilty
of, paid her devotion with a sincere heart, tho' free from that
enthusiasm and bigotry which is too much practised in convents.
From Lorretto she crossed the country to Florence, every one being ready
to direct a holy pilgrim on her way, and assist her with all things
necessary. As she went very easy journeys, never exceeding four or five
miles a day, she easily supported the fatigue; and had she been certain
at last of seeing du Plessis, it would have been rather a pleasure to
her; but her mind suffered much more than her body during this
pilgrimage, which she continued in the same manner she had begun till
she reached Leghorn, where a ship lying at anchor, and expecting to sail
in a few days for Marseilles, she agreed to give a small matter for her
passage, the sea-faring-men not paying altogether so much regard to her
habit, as the land ones had done.
No ill accident intervening, the vessel came safely into her desired
port, and Louisa now found herself in the native country of the only
person who engrossed her thoughts: as she had heard him say he was of
Paris, she supposed that the most likely place to hear news of him, but
was in some debate within herself whether she should continue to wear
her pilgrim's habit, or provide herself with other cloaths at
Marseilles. She was weary of this mendicant way of travelling, and could
have been glad to have exchanged it for one more agreeable to the manner
in which she had been accustomed; but then, when she considered how
great a protection the appearance she made, had been from all those
insults, to which a person of her sex and age must otherwise infallibly
have been exposed in travelling alone, she resolved not to throw it off
till she came to the place where she intended to take up her abode, at
least for some time. Young as she was, she had well weighed what course
to take in case du Plessis should either be dead, or, by some accident,
removed where she could hear nothing more of him; and all countries and
parts being now equal to her, as she must then be reduced once more to
get her bread by her labour, she doubted not but to find encouragement
for her industry as well in Paris as elsewhere.
With this resolution, therefore, after laying one night at Marseilles,
she proceeded on her way in the same fashion as she had done ever since
she left Bolognia, and in about six weeks got safely to that great and
opulent city, where she took up her lodging at a hotel, extremely
fatigued, as it is easy to believe, having never even for one day ceased
walking, but while she was on board the ship which brought her to
Marseilles, for the space of eight months; a thing almost incredible,
and what perhaps no woman, but herself, would have had courage to
undertake, or resolution to perform, but was, in her circumstances,
infinitely the most safe and expedient that prudence could suggest.
CHAP. XXIII.
Shews by what means Louisa came to the knowledge of her parents, with
other occurrences.
The first thing she did on her arrival, was to send for proper persons
to equip her in a manner that she might once more appear herself,
resolving that till she could do so, not to be seen in the streets.
While these things were preparing, she sent a person, whom the people of
the house recommended to her, to the palace of the prince of Conti, not
doubting but that some of the gentlemen belonging to his highness might
give some intelligence where monsieur du Plessis was to be found; but
the messenger returned without any other information, than that they
knew him very well, but could give no directions in what part he was at
present, he not having been seen in Paris for a long time.
It is hard to say whether she most rejoiced or grieved at this account:
she imagined that had he been dead they would not have been ignorant of
it, therefore concluded him living to her infinite satisfaction; but
then his absenting himself from the capital of the kingdom, and from the
presence of a prince who had so much loved him, filled her with an
adequate disquiet, as believing some very ill accident must have been
the occasion:
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