Bridge Phase 6: fMS box c56 chap 9Frankenstein Variorum Project2023—Distributed under a Creative Commons
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Chap. 9On
Chap. 9On
my
return
return
I found the following letter from my
father. To V.–Frankenstein Geneva – June 2 d– 17— My dear Victor You
father. To V.–Frankenstein Geneva – June 2 d– 17— My dear Victor You
have probably waited impatientlythe for
thethe for
thethethea
^a
a
letter
which was to fix the date of your return
which waswhich was to fix the date of ^the date of your return
and I was at first tempted to write
a few lines onlytofixthat
a few lines onlyonlytotofixfixthatthatmerely mentioning the day
^merely mentioning the day
dateon which I should expect
datedateon which I should expect
you –
you –
but that would be
^^^^a
^a
a
veryvery cruel
cruel
^^^^kindness
^kindness
kindness
and I dare not do it. What would
^^^^be
^be
be
your
surprise be ,
surprise bebe ,
my
son e ,
son ee ,
when
your
your
expected a happy and
gay
gay
welcome
welcome
to
hehobeh oe ld
hehohehobeh ooe ^e ld
on the
contrary
contrary
tears and
wretchedness.
wretchedness.
And how, Victor, can I relate our
misfortune ? misfortune ? ^?
absence cannot have rendered you callous to our joys and
griefs
griefs
and how
can
can
I inflict pain on
an
an
absent
child.?
child.?
I wish to prepare you for the
woeful
woeful
news
news
but I know it is impossible; even now your eye skims over the
page
page
to seek the words which are to convey to you the horrible tidings. ¶ William
William
is
dead! That
dead! That
sweet
child
child
whose smiles delighted & warmed
me
me
who was so
gentle
gentle
yet so
gay,
gay,
Victor, he is Murdered! ¶ I
I
will not attempt to
o console
oo console
you
you
but will simply relate the circumstances of the transaction. ¶ Last thurday (May 26 28th) I; your my cousinLast thurday (May 2626 28th) I; your my your my ^my cousincousinmy
niece
niece
and your two
brothers
brothers
went to walk in Plainpalais. The evening was warm and serene, and we prolonged our walk
fat farther than usual. It was
fatfat farther than usual. It was
ale already dusk before we thought of
aleale already dusk before we thought of
returning returning WhenWhenWhenand then ^and then we
found^foundfound^^^discovered
^discovered
discovered
that
Ernest
Ernest
and
William
William
who had gone on before, were not to be found. We accordingly rested on a seat
untill
untill
they should return. Presently Ernest
came up &enquired for
came upup &enquired for
his
brother
brother
he
said
said
that
he
he
had been playing
with them him and
with themthem him and
that William had run away to hide
himself
himself
and that he
had waivainly sought
had waiwaivainly ^vainly sought
fo for
fofo for
him
him
& afterwards
wai ted
wai ted
a long
time
time
but that he did not return. ¶ This
This
rather alarmed
us
us
and we
soughtcontinued to search soughtsoughtcontinued to search for him
^for him
for him
untill
untill
night
fell l ;
fell ll ;
when ^when Elizabeth conjectured that he might have returned to the
house: but
house: butbut
he was not
there –
there –
We returned
again
again
with
torches
torches
for I could not
rest when I thought
rest when I thought
my sweet
child
child
had lost himself, and was exposed to all the damps & dews of
night;
night;
Elizabeth also suffered extreme anguish.
We found himaA bout We found himWe found himaaA ^A bout fourfourfourseven
^seven
seven
in the morning I discovered my lovely
boy
boy
whom the night before I had seen blooming & active in
health stretch ed
health stretch ed
on the grass livid and
motionless–
motionless–
the print of the
murderers
murderers
finger was on his neck. ¶ He
He
was conveyed
home
home
and the
extremewhextremeextremewhwhmiserymiserymiseryanguish
^anguish
anguish
agony that was visible in my countenance
agonyagony that was visible in my countenance
revealed
revealed
the secret to Elizabeth. She was
✗—extremely—✗very ✗—extremely—✗very ^very
earnest to see the corpse.
which^ ✗—for a long time —✗refusedAt first I whichwhich^ ^^ ✗—for a long time —✗refusedrefusedAt first I ^At first I attempted to prevent
her ^attempted to prevent
attempted to prevent
her
her
but
she persisted, and entering the room where it
she persisted, and entering the room where it
lay quickly
lay quicklyquickly
hastily examined the neck of the
victim
victim
and clasping her
hadshands
hadshadshands
exclaimed— Go Oh
exclaimed— GoGo Oh
God! I have murdered
this sweetbabe. my darling
this sweetthis sweetbabebabe.. my darling
infant.
infant.
¶ She fainted
She fainted
and was
retored
retored
with extreme
difficulty; and
difficulty; andand
when she again
lived
lived
it was only to weep and
sigh–
sigh–
She told
me
me
that that same evening William had
teazed
teazed
her to let him
wewe wear a
wewewewe wear a
very valuable
very valuable
miniature
miniature
she possessed of your Mother.
This picture is
This picture is
gone
gone
and was doubtless the temptation which urged the murderer to the deed. We have no trace
ofCome my dear Victorhim at present of
ofofCome my dear VictorCome my dear Victorhimhim at present of
him, butaltho
him, butbutaltho ^altho
our exertions
areto discover him are unremitted; but they will not restore my beloved
areareto discover him ^to discover him are unremitted; but they will not restore my beloved
William.
William.
¶ Come,
Come,
dearest
Victor,
Victor,
you alone can console
Elizabeth,
Elizabeth, whowhowhoShe ^She weeps
^^^^continually
^continually
continually
& accuses herself
of all how uso unjustly
of all how uof all how usoso unjustly
^and yet her words ^^^andand yet her words of th as the cause of his
death—
^of th as the cause of his
of thof th as the cause of his
death—
death—
pierce my heart. We are all
unhappy
unhappy
but
that will not that be an additional motive
thatthat will not that be an additional motive
tototofor
^for
for
you, my
co son, to
coco son, to
comereturn and be our
comecomereturn ^return and be our
comforter.
comforter.
Your dear Mother! Alas, Victor! I now
say
say
Thank God she did not live to witness
this grief–Tt he cruel
this griefthis grief––TTt ^t he cruel
miserable death of her youngest
darling.
darling.
¶ Come,
Come,
Victor; not brooding
w thoughts of vengeance against the
ww thoughts of vengeance against the
assassin
assassin
but with feelings of peace and
gentleness
gentleness
that will
heal
heal
instead of
festering
festering
the
woul wound swoulwoul wound ss
of our
soul minds. Enter the house of mourning, my
soulsoul minds. Enter the house of mourning, my
son & friend
son & friend
but with kindness and affection for those who love
you
you
& not with
hat ered hat eered ^red
for your enemies.
Your
Your
affectionate & afflicted
father Alphonse Frankenstein Al_______________Clerval
father Alphonse Frankenstein AlAl_______________¶ Clerval
who had watched my countenance as I read this
letter
letter
was surprised
in observ- ing
in observ- ing
the despair that succeeded to the joy
I
I
expressed on receiving news ^s from my friends. I threw the letter on the
table
table
and covered my face with my hands. ¶ "My dear
Frankenstien,"
Frankenstien,"
exclaimed
hen Henry
henhen Henry
when he
saw
saw
me weep with
bitterness
bitterness
"are you always to be unhappy?
"my
"my
dear friend, what has happened?" ¶ I motioned to him to
readreadreadtake up
^take up
take up
the
letter
letter
while I walked up & down the room in the
most extreme
most extreme
agitation.
✗—Clerval read the letter —✗ – and tears also
✗—Clerval read the letter —✗ – andand tears also
gushgushed
gushgushgushed
^also from
^^^also ^also from
his^hishis^^^the
^the
the
eyes
XX of
Clerval
as he read the account of my
misfortune ^XX of
XX of
Clerval
Clerval
as he read the account of my
misfortune misfortune –"I
–"I
can offer you
"no
"no
consolation, my friend," said
he my
he mymy"your
misfortunemisfortunemisfortunedisaster
^disaster
disaster
is
irreperable. "
irreperable. ""
What
"do
"do
you intend to
do"?
do"?
¶ "To go instantly to
Geneva "
Geneva ""
come with me,
Clerval,
Clerval,
to order the
horses"
horses"
¶ During our
walk C Henry
walk CC Henry
endeavoured to
raise my spirits– He did not do this by the common topics
raise my spirits– He did not do this by the common topics
of
conversatioconsolation butt by shew ei ng the truest sympathy. "Poor William" said "that dear "child
conversatioconversatioconsolation buttt by shew eei ^i ng the truest sympathy. "Poor William" said "that dear "child
he now sleeps with his angel
"mother.
"mother.
His friends mourn and
weep
weep
but
"he
"he
is at
rest he does not now feel the "murderers grasp –
rest he does not now feel the "murderers grasp –
a
green sod covers his
greengreen sod covers his
"gentle form
"gentle form
and he knows no
pain–He "can
pain–He "can
no longer
be a
be a
subject for
pity
pity
his
"survivors are the greatest sufferers and "for them time is their only consolation. "Those maxims of the stoics that death "was no evil and that the mind of man "ought to be superior to that despair "on the eternal absence of a beloved "object ought not to be urged – even "Cato wept over the dead body of his "brother."
"survivors are the greatest sufferers and "for them time is theirir only consolation. "Those maxims of the stoics that death "was no evil and that the mind of man "ought to be superior to thatthat despair "on the eternal absence of a beloved "object ought not to be urged – even "Cato wept over the dead body of his "brother."
¶ Clerval spoke
this
this
as we
huried thou
huried thouthou
through the
streets
streets
the words impressed themselves on my
memormind
memormemormind
and I remembered them
afterwads
afterwads
in solitude.
As soon But now, as soon as the horses
As soonAs soon But now, as soon as the horses
arrived
arrived
I hurried into a
Cabriolet
Cabriolet
and
left Ingo bad fare well
left Ingoleft Ingo bad fare well
to my friend. ¶ My journey was very melancholy. At first I wished to hurry
on
on
for I longed to console &
sympathize
sympathize
with ^with my loved and sorrowing
friends
friends
but when I drew near my
t native
tt native
town
town
I
sla ^c kened
sla ^^^c ^c kened
my
paceprogress . ICpacepaceprogress ^progress . IICC
I could hardly sustain the multitude of feelings that
crowed crowded into my mind. I passed
crowedcrowed crowded into my mind. I passed
though sceethough sceescee
scenes familiar to my
youth
youth
but which I had not seen for nearly
five years,
five years,
how altered every thing might be
duringsince duringduringsince ^since
that
time ?
time ? ^?
one
great sudden and desolating change had taken
great sudden and desolating change had taken
place
place
but a thousand little
circumstance
circumstance
might have
sappedworked by
sappedsappedworked worked ^worked by
degreed degrees
degreeddegreed degrees
workedworkedworkedworked other
s^worked other
worked other
ssstas great alterations ^which ttas greatas great alterations ^^^which ^which
although
it might be
it might be
done more
tranquilly would
tranquilly would
not be
less de sc isive.
less de ssc ^c isive.
Fear overcame
me
me
I dared
hadN not
hadhadNN not
advance fea
advance feafea
dreading a
thoug thousand nameless evils that made me
thougthoug thousand nameless evils that made me
tremble
tremble whilewhilewhilealthough ^although I
could notwas unable to define them. I remained
could notcould notwas unable ^was unable to define them. ¶ I remained
thusthusthus
at
Lausanne for two days not daring to proceed.
Lausanne for two days not daring to proceed.
I contemplated the
lake –
lake –
the waters were
placid –
placid –
all around was
calm
calm
and the Snowy
mountains the "Palaces
mountains the "Palaces
of
Nature"
Nature" XXLord Byron^XXXLord Byron^XLord ByronXLord ByronLord Byronwere not changed. By
degrees, this
degrees, this
calm and heavenly scene restored me, and I
proceededcontinued my proceededproceededcontinued my ^continued my journey
^journey
journey
towards Geneva.
towards Geneva.
The road ran by the side of the
lake
lake
which became narrower as I approached my native
town –
town –
I discovered more distinctly the black sides of
Jura;
Jura;
and the
^^^^bright
^bright
bright
summit of
Mount Blanc–
Mount Blanc–
I wept like a
child– Dear mountains
child– Dear mountains
my own beautiful
lake
lake
how do you welcome your
wanderer
wanderer
Your summits are
clear the sky and lake are blue
clear the sky and lake are blue
is this
^^^^to
^to
to
prognosticate
peace
peace
or to
mock
mock
my
unhappiness?
unhappiness?
¶ I fear, my
friend
friend tototo^^^^that I shall ^that I shall render myself tedious by dwelling on these preliminary
circumstances
circumstances
but they were days of comparative
happiness
happiness
and I
dwell^dwelldwell^^^think
^think
think
o nf o nnf ^f
them with
pleasure –
pleasure –
My
Country
Country
my beloved
country
country
Who
^^^^but a native
^but a native
but a native
can tell the delight I took in again beholding thy
st ^r eams
st ^^^r ^r eams
thy
mountains and
mountains and
more than
all
all
thy lovely
lake and
lake andand¶ Yet
Yet
as I drew nearer
home grief and fear
home grief and fear
overcame
me –
me –
night also closed
round meround meme
and when I could hardly see the dark
mountains
mountains
I felt still more
gloomily I pictured to myself every evil
gloomily I pictured to myselto myselff every evil
and
persuaded myself that themost
persuaded myself that thethemostmost
I was destined to become the most
w h retched
w hh retched
of human
beings–
beings–
Alas! I
prho prophesied
prhoprho prophesied
truly
truly
and failed only in one single
circumstance: ^in one single
circumstance:
circumstance:
that in all the misery I imagined and dreaded, I did not conceive
of the hundredth part of the anguish
ofof the hundredth part of the anguish
IIII was
^I was
I was
destined to
feel. endure.
feelfeel.. endure.
