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CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE being
THE being
finished
speaking,
speaking,
and fixed his
looks
looks
upon
upon
me in expectation of a
reply. But I was
reply. But I was
bewildered, perplexed,
bewildered, perplexed,
and unable to arrange my ideas sufficiently to understand the
full extent
full extent
of his proposition. He
continued—
continued—
“You
“You
must create a female for
me,
me,
with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my
being.
being.
This you alone can
do; and I
do; and I
demand
it
it
of you as a right which you must not
refuse to concede.”
refuse to concede.”
The latter part of his tale had kindled anew in me the anger that had died away while he narrated his peaceful life among the cottagers, and,
The latter part of his tale had kindled anew in me the anger that had died away while he narrated his peaceful life among the cottagers, and,
as he said
this,
this,
I could no longer suppress the
rage
rage
that burned within me.
“I
“I
do refuse
it,”
it,”
I
replied; “and
replied; “and
no torture shall ever extort a consent from
me.
me.
You may render me the most miserable of
men,
men,
but you shall never make me base in my own eyes. Shall I create another like
yourself,
yourself,
whose joint wickedness
might
might
desolate the
world. Begone! I
world. Begone! I
have answered
you;
you;
you may
torture me,
torture me,
but I will never
consent.”
consent.”
“You
“You
are in the
wrong,”
wrong,”
replied
the fiend; “and, instead
the fiend; “and, instead
of
threatening,
threatening,
I am content to reason with you. I am
malicious
malicious
because I am
miserable.
miserable.
Am I not shunned
and hated
and hated
by all mankind?
You,
You,
my
creator,
creator,
would tear me to
pieces,
pieces,
and
triumph; remember that,
triumph; remember that,
and tell me why I should pity man more than he pities
me?
me?
You would not call it
murder,
murder,
if you
could precipitate
could precipitate
me into one of those
ice-rifts, and destroy
ice-rifts, and destroy
my frame, the work of your
own
own
hands.
Shall I respect
Shall I respect
man,
man,
when he
contemns
contemns
me? Let him live with me in the interchange of
kindness;
kindness;
and,
and,
instead of
injury,
injury,
I would bestow every benefit upon him with tears of gratitude at his acceptance. But that cannot be;
the
the
human senses are
insurmountable barriers to our union.
insurmountable barriers to our union.
Yet
Yet
mine shall not
be
be
the submission of abject slavery. I will revenge my
injuries:
injuries:
if I cannot inspire
love,
love,
I will cause
fear;
fear;
and chiefly towards you my
arch-enemy,
arch-enemy,
because my
creator,
creator,
do I swear
inextinguishable hatred. Have a care:
inextinguishable hatred. Have a care:
I will work
at your destruction,
at your destruction,
nor finish
until
until
I desolate your
heart,
heart,
so that you shall
so that you shall
curse the hour of your birth.”
A
fiendish
fiendish
rage animated him as he said this; his face was wrinkled into contortions too horrible for human eyes to behold; but presently he calmed
himself
himself
and proceeded—
and proceeded—
“I
“I
intended to reason. This passion is detrimental to
me;
me;
for you do not reflect
thatyou
thatyou
are the
cause
cause
of its
of its
excess.
excess.
If any being felt emotions of benevolence towards
me,
me,
I should return
them
them
an hundred and
an
an
hundred fold; for that one
creature’s sake,
creature’s sake,
I would make peace with the whole
kind!
kind!
But I now indulge in dreams
of bliss
of bliss
that cannot be
realised.
realised.
What I
ask of you is reasonable and
ask of you is reasonable and
moderate;
moderate;
I demand a creature of another
sex,
sex,
but as hideous as
myself;
myself;
the gratification is
small,
small,
but it is all that I can
receive,
receive,
and it shall content me. It is
true,
true,
we shall be
monsters,
monsters,
cut off from all the
world;
world;
but on that account we shall be more attached to one
another.
another.
Our lives will not be
happy,
happy,
but they will be
harmless,
harmless,
and free from the misery
I now feel. Oh! my
I now feel. Oh! my
creator,
creator,
make me
happy;
happy;
let me feel gratitude towards you for one
benefit!
benefit!
Let me see that I excite the sympathy of
some existing thing;
some existing thing;
do not deny me my
request!”
request!”
I was moved. I shuddered when I thought of the possible consequences of my
consent;
consent;
but I felt that there was some justice in his argument. His
tale,
tale,
and the feelings he now
expressed,
expressed,
proved him to be a creature of fine
sensations;
sensations;
and did
I not
I not
as his
maker,
maker,
owe him all the portion of happiness that it was in
my
my
power to bestow? He saw my change of
feeling,
feeling,
and
continued—
continued—
“If
“If
you
consent,
consent,
neither you
nor
nor
any
other
other
human
being
being
shall ever see us
again:
again:
I will go to the vast wilds of
South
South
America. My food is not that of man; I do not destroy the lamb
and
and
the
kid
kid
to glut my
appetite;
appetite;
acorns and berries afford me sufficient nourishment. My companion will be of the same nature as
myself,
myself,
and will be content with the same fare. We shall make our bed of dried leaves; the sun will shine on us as on
man,
man,
and will ripen our food.
The picture I present to you is peaceful and
The picture I present to you is peaceful and
human,
human,
and you must feel that you could deny it only in the
wantonness
wantonness
of power and cruelty. Pitiless as you
have been
have been
towards
me,
me,
I
now
now
see compassion in your
eyes;
eyes;
let me seize the favourable
moment,
moment,
and
persuade you to promise what I so ardently
persuade you to promise what I so ardently
desire.”
desire.”
“You propose,”
“You propose,”
replied I,
“to fly from
“to fly from
the habitations of
man,
man,
to
dwell in
dwell in
those wilds where the beasts of the field will be your only
companions.
companions.
How can
you,
you,
who long for the love and sympathy of
man,
man,
persevere in this exile? You will
return,
return,
and
again
again
seek
their
their
kindness,
kindness,
and you will meet
with
with
their detestation; your evil
passions will be renewed, and you will then have a companion to aid you in
passions will be renewed, and you will then have a companion to aid you in
the
the
task of destruction.
This may not
This may not
be:
be:
cease to argue the point, for
cease to argue the point, for
I cannot
consent.”
consent.”
“How
“How
inconstant are your
feelings!
feelings!
but a moment ago you were moved by my representations, and why do you again harden yourself to my complaints? I swear
to you,
to you,
by the earth which I
inhabit,
inhabit,
and by you that made
me, that,
me, that,
with the companion you
bestow,
bestow,
I will quit the neighbourhood of
man,
man,
and dwell
and dwell
as it may chance, in the most savage
of
of
places. My evil passions will have fled, for I shall meet with
sympathy!
sympathy!
my life will flow quietly
away, and,
away, and,
in my dying
moments,
moments,
I shall not curse my
maker.”
maker.”
His words had a strange effect upon me. I compassionated
him, and sometimes
him, and sometimes
felt a wish to console
him;
him;
but when I looked
upon him,
upon him,
when I saw the filthy mass that moved and
talked,
talked,
my heart
sickened,
sickened,
and my feelings were altered to
those
those
of
of
horror and hatred. I tried to stifle
these sensations;
these sensations;
I
thought,
thought,
that as I could not
sympathise
sympathise
with him,
with him,
I had no right to
withhold from
withhold from
him the small portion of happiness
which was yet
which was yet
in my power to bestow.
“You swear,”
“You swear,”
I said,
“to
“to
be
harmless;
harmless;
but have you not already
shown
shown
a degree of
malice
malice
that
should
should
reasonably make me distrust you? May not
even
even
this be a feint that will
increase
increase
your triumph
by affording a wider scope
by affording a wider scope
for
for
your
revenge.”
revenge.”
“How
“How
is
this?
this?
I
must not be trifled with: and I demand an answer.
must not be trifled with: and I demand an answer.
If I have no ties and no
affections,
affections,
hatred and vice must be my
portion;
portion;
the love of another will destroy the cause of my
crimes,
crimes,
and I shall become a
thing,
thing,
of whose existence every one will be ignorant. My vices are
the children of
the children of
a
a
forced solitude that I
abhor;
abhor;
and my virtues will necessarily arise when
I
I
live in communion with
live in communion with
an equal. I shall feel
the
the
affections
affections
of a
of a
sensitive being, and become
sensitive being, and become
linked to the chain of existence and
events,
events,
from which I am now
excluded.”
excluded.”
I paused some time
to
to
reflect on all he had
related,
related,
and the various arguments
which
which
he had
employed.
employed.
I thought of
the
the
promise of
promise of
virtues which he had displayed on the opening of his
existence,
existence,
and
the
the
subsequent blight
of all kindly
of all kindly
feeling
feeling
by the
loathing
loathing
and
scorn which his
scorn which his
protectors had manifested towards him. His power and threats were not
omitted
omitted
in my
calculations:
calculations:
a creature who could exist
in
in
the
ice-caves
ice-caves
of the
glaciers,
glaciers,
and hide himself from
pursuit among
pursuit among
the ridges
of
of
inaccessible
precipices,
precipices,
was a being possessing faculties it would be vain to cope
with. After
with. After
a long pause of
reflection,
reflection,
I
concluded
concluded
that the justice due both to him and my
fellow-creatures
fellow-creatures
demanded of me that I should comply with his request. Turning to
him, therefore,
him, therefore,
I
said—
said—
“I
“I
consent to your
demand,
demand,
on
your
your
solemn oath to quit Europe
for ever, and every
for ever, and every
other place in the neighbourhood of
man,
man,
as soon as I shall deliver into
your
your
hands a female who
will
will
accompany you in your
exile.”
exile.”
“I swear,”
“I swear,”
he cried,
“by the sun, and by the blue sky of Heaven, and by the fire of love that burns my heart,
“by the sun, and by the blue sky of Heaven, and by the fire of love that burns my heart,
that
if you grant my prayer,
if you grant my prayer,
while they exist you shall never behold
me again.
me again.
Depart
to your
to your
home,
home,
and commence your
labours:
labours:
I shall
watch their progress with
watch their progress with
unutterable
unutterable
anxiety;
anxiety;
and fear not but that when you are ready
I shall
I shall
appear.”
appear.”
Saying
this,
this,
he suddenly quitted
me, fearful, perhaps,
me, fearful, perhaps,
of any change in my sentiments. I saw him descend the mountain with greater speed than the flight of
an eagle,
an eagle,
and quickly lost among the undulations of the sea of ice. His tale had occupied the whole
day;
day;
and the sun was upon the
verge of the horizon when he departed. I knew that I ought to hasten
verge of the horizon when he departed. I knew that I ought to hasten
my descent towards
my descent towards
the
valley,
valley,
as I should soon be encompassed in
darkness;
darkness;
but my heart was heavy, and my steps slow. The labour of winding among the little paths
of the mountains,
of the mountains,
and fixing my feet firmly
as I
as I
advanced, perplexed me,
advanced, perplexed me,
occupied as I was by the
emotions
emotions
which the
occurrences
occurrences
of the day had produced.
Night was far advanced,
Night was far advanced,
when I came to the
half-way resting-place,
half-way resting-place,
and seated myself beside the fountain. The stars shone at
intervals,
intervals,
as the
clouds passed from over
clouds passed from over
them;
them;
the dark pines rose before
me,
me,
and every here and there a broken tree lay
on
on
the
ground:
ground:
it was a scene of wonderful
solemnity, and
solemnity, and
stirred strange thoughts within me. I wept
bitterly;
bitterly;
and
and
clasping my hands in
agony,
agony,
I
exclaimed, “Oh!
exclaimed, “Oh!
stars
stars
and clouds, and
winds,
winds,
ye are all about
to mock
to mock
me:
me:
if ye really pity
me,
me,
crush
sensation and memory; let
sensation and memory; let
me
become as nought;
become as nought;
but if
not, depart, depart,
not, depart, depart,
and leave
me
me
in darkness.”
in darkness.”
These were wild and miserable
thoughts;
thoughts;
but I cannot describe to you how the eternal twinkling of
the
the
stars weighed upon me, and
how
how
I listened to every blast of
wind,
wind,
as
if
if
it were a dull ugly siroc on its way to consume me.
Morning
Morning
dawned
dawned
before I arrived at the village of
Chamounix;
Chamounix;
I took no rest, but returned immediately to Geneva. Even in my own heart I could give no expression to my sensations—they weighed on me with a mountain’s weight, and their excess destroyed my agony beneath them. Thus I returned home, and entering the house, presented myself to the family. My haggard and wild appearance awoke intense alarm; but I answered no question, scarcely did I speak. I felt as if I were placed under a ban—as if I had no right to claim their sympathies—as if never more might I enjoy companionship with them. Yet even thus I loved them to adoration; and to save them, I resolved to dedicate myself to my most abhorred task. The prospect of such an occupation made every other circumstance of existence pass
I took no rest, but returned immediately to Geneva. Even in my own heart I could give no expression to my sensations—they weighed on me with a mountain’s weight, and their excess destroyed my agony beneath them. Thus I returned home, and entering the house, presented myself to the family. My haggard and wild appearance awoke intense alarm; but I answered no question, scarcely did I speak. I felt as if I were placed under a ban—as if I had no right to claim their sympathies—as if never more might I enjoy companionship with them. Yet even thus I loved them to adoration; and to save them, I resolved to dedicate myself to my most abhorred task. The prospect of such an occupation made every other circumstance of existence pass
before me
like
like
a
dream;
dream;
and that
thought only had to me the reality of life.
thought only had to me the reality of life.
