The Castle of Wolfenbach - Eliza Parsons (little red riding hood ebook free .txt) 📗

for your own sake and mine, to renounce all thoughts of me.” “No, madam,” said he, in the highest rage, “your father has given me your hand, and you shall be mine, let the consequence be what it may.” He flung out of the room with a look of vengeance. You may conceive, I cannot describe my situation. In the evening my father told me the Chevalier was gone to Switzerland. From the hour my father rejected him, I gave him up to outward appearance: I wrote and conjured him, if he valued my peace, to think of me no more. His answer almost broke my heart, “but my commands were sacred, my peace all the good he sought for in this life.” When I heard he had quitted Vienna a momentary pleasure seized hold of my heart; he would not be here when I was sacrificed to his rival, nor until I had left the city. Not to tire you, my dear sister, the Monday following I became a wife - spare me the repetition of the dreadful circumstances The following day I was in a high fever and continued ill for a month; I received but little attention from the Count - there was more of resentment than tenderness in his manner when he came into my apartment, and involuntarily I used to shrink from his view. However it pleased heaven to restore me to health. I am gaining strength daily, but as yet keep my own apartment; - tomorrow I have engaged to meet our father down stairs to dinner. Pray for me, advise me, dearest sister; depend upon my honour, I will deserve your love whatever becomes of me. Heavens bless you and my dear generous brother.

VICTORIA WOLFENBACH’

‘You must suppose, my dear Miss Weimar,’ said the Marchioness, ‘that this letter made us extremely unhappy; I wrote however, and, fearful the Count might have meanness enough to insist upon seeing her letters, I took little notice of her complaints, but congratulated her on the recovery of her health, desired she would pay attention to it, for the sake of her husband and friends; in short, it was an equivocal kind of a letter, and I thought could give no offence. After this I heard from her but seldom, and then there was an evident restraint in her style, which hurt me, but which I dared not take notice of. She had been married about eight months, when the Marquis received a letter from the Count, acquainting us that my father was dead, after only three days illness, giving an account of his effects, and inviting the Marquis over to see a proper division of them. I persuaded him to comply. He would not go without me, and I was not sorry for the opportunity offered me to see my sister. We got safe to Vienna. We met the Count and his lady, who had come from their country seat, about seven leagues from Vienna, for that purpose. We flew into each others arms, with tears of mingled joy and sorrow. Alas! it was but the shadow of the once blooming Victoria. I surveyed her with surprise and distress: she took no notice, but introduced me to her husband; the cause of the alteration I observed was then explained. Never surely was there a man with a more ferocious countenance, he inspired me with horror the moment I examined him: I felt for my sister, but tried to receive his cold civilities with politeness for her sake. After dinner we were glad to leave the gentlemen to business, and retire to ourselves. “My dearest Victoria,” cried I, embracing her, “tell me - tell me all: you are not happy, your fragile form too plainly speaks it.” “I endeavor to be contented,” she replied: “my dear father thought happiness must be connected with splendour and riches, he sought to aggrandize his children; I respect the motive, however he has been deceived.” “The Count, I must own,” said I, “is a disagreeable object.” “My dear Charlotte,” she cried, “do not think so meanly of me, as to suppose his want of personal attractions weighs any thing with me - I should despise myself in that case; neither is it now any preference for another: I have never seen or heard from the Chevalier since my marriage. I will strictly fulfil every duty I have sworn to observe, perhaps time may do much for me; it will either soften the severity of the Count’s disposition, or habit will enable me to bear with less feeling, evils I cannot prevent. Ask me no questions, my dear sister, I am not at liberty to answer them; but if you regard my peace, meet my husband with good humour and complaisance: and now tell me,” said she, “of your comforts, your pleasures and mutual happiness - in your felicity I will find my own.” I was drowned in tears, her manner was so solemn, so touching, so resigned, that my heart was wrung with sorrow, and I could not speak. “Dear Charlotte,” continued she, wiping my eyes, “spare me those tears, I cannot bear them: remember what I have told you, be cheerful when you return to company, or I shall be the sufferer. I met you with tears of joy, ‘tis long since they were shed for grief. Here” (putting her hand on her heart), “here my sorrows are buried, too deep for that relief but I have done, dear sister let me enjoy pleasure now in your society.” She attempted to smile, it was a smile of woe; I tried however to suppress my emotions, and to divert her attention; asked a few questions relative to our old acquaintance, and in about an hour we returned tolerably composed. The Count examined my looks; I approached him with smiles, chatted about our journey, and I observed his features grew relaxed, and he behaved with great civility. We continued at Vienna a fortnight; he never asked us to his seat. Victoria conducted herself like an angel; she was attentive to every word and wish of his; her deportment was grave but perfectly obliging so that it appeared more a natural disposition than arising from any particular cause. When all our business was finished, the Count one morning took occasion to observe his presence was much wanted in the country; that he had lately purchased an estate in Switzerland, and should go there soon, consequently had many affairs which required his inspection, We took the hint, and finding I must part with my sister, I was very ready to leave Vienna. The day previous to our departure an old friend of my father’s paid me a visit; after chatting some time, “My dear Marchioness,” said he, “I sincerely lament the unhappy fate of your charming sister; she has certainly the worst husband in the world; she is shut up, denied all society; he is jealous, cruel, and revengeful: I am sorry to grieve you, but I tremble for her life - she cannot long support such wretchedness. The poor Chevalier,” added he, “has been absent from hence ever since her marriage I am told he is now daily expected; he will hear most afflictive news, for her happiness is the chief wish of his heart.” I answered this worthy man, and told him my sister’s reserve, as to her husband’s treatment of her: he praised her prudence, and added, “your father had two motives in obliging her to marry the Count; he was disappointed in both, for he was no stranger to her situation before he died.” “And what, Sir, was his other motive?” “An intention to marry a relation of the Count’s, but she absolutely refused him, and married another two months ago. You know, I suppose,” added he, “that the Count was a widower?” “No, Sir, I never heard that circumstance.” “Why, it is a black story, as it is reported: ‘tis said about three years ago he married a young lady, an orphan, of good family, but small fortune, at Bern, in Switzerland; that he treated her so ill as to cause her death, and left two children, who were put to nurse, afterwards taken from thence, without any one’s knowing what became of them; however your father told me the Count informed him they were both dead. Almost every person believes his wife and children came to an untimely end; but he is a man of such rank and large possessions, nobody chuses to say much. I hinted the affair to your father, but fortune and love was too powerful to be given up, he affected not to believe it; but after his own disappointment, he thought more of his daughter, and had he not been so suddenly cut off, I believe would have interfered; at least, I am sure, would have made some separate provision for her, independent of that bad man her husband.”

‘You may conceive, my dear Miss Weimar, how much I was shocked at this relation. I trembled for my Victoria, in the hands of such a monster, but alas! we could do nothing. I entreated my good friend to watch the Count narrowly, and to give me information, from time to time, concerning her, who I considered a victim to a villain.

‘The following day we took a heart-breaking leave. The Marquis entreated the Count to pay us a visit. “In another year perhaps he might.” My sister, dear unhappy creature, never shed a tear. “My Charlotte, my beloved sister, think no more of me,” said she, an hour before we parted; “my pilgrimage will be short; the hour which gives birth to an unfortunate being (I had forgot to tell you she was with child) will, in all probability, give me everlasting peace: fortunate if the dear infant accompanies me to the grave, if not, O, my sister, consider it as the only remains of the wretched Victoria, who has, does, and ever will love you to her last hour.” I will not wound your heart, my dear Matilda, by any further recital of our conversation. When we parted, in presence of her husband, I could have struck a dagger to his heart. She embraced me with fervor, “Heavens bless you, my dear and happy sister! and you, my generous my noble brother, may you both live to enjoy years of uninterrupted happiness.” “Doubtless they will,” said the Count, with a malicious smile; “surely you forget we are to meet again at Paris next year, and not taking leave for life.” “True,” returned the Marquis; “I thank you for the remembrance, Sir, - a few months hence, my valued friends, I hope to see you at Paris.” She tore herself from my arms, and I got into the carriage, more dead than alive. Not to enter into an unnecessary detail, we returned safe to Paris, and in a short time after I received a few lines from my sister, dated from their castle in Switzerland, telling me she was tolerably well, both in health and spirits, but hourly in expectation of an event which might affect both.

‘Near three weeks after this letter we received two; one from the Count, informing the Marquis, that, to his inexpressible grief, he had lost both wife and child; the other from the medical gentleman who attended her, informing me of the same event, and that my sister, in her last moments, requested he would write to express her affection and wishes for my happiness with her departing breath . ‘Though I had always apprehended this event, yet it caused me inexpressible misery; and there being no longer any ties to bind us to that detested Count, we never answered or took any further notice of him.

‘About six weeks after the dreadful information we had received, a letter came to me, directed in an unknown hand; I opened it - judge what were my emotions in