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Chapter 7Chapter 7It
It
was on a dreary night of
November
November
that I beheld
the frame on whic my man comple atte ed , . Andthe frame on whic the frame on whic ^the frame on whic my man comple atatte ^te ed ^ed , ^, . AndAndwith an anxiety that almost amounted to
agony I collected
agony I collected
instruments of life around
me
me and endeavour toand endeavour toand endeavour tothat I might
^that I might
ei nfuse
eei ^i nfuse
a spark of being into the lifeless
thin
thin kkkg
^g
g
that lay at my feet. It was already one in the
morning,
morning,
the rain pattered dismally against the
window panes, & my candle was nearly burnt out,
window panes, & my candle was nearly burnt out,
when
when
by the glimmer of the
half extinguished light
half extinguished light
I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature
open.—It
open.—It
breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs. ¶ But how How can I describe my
But howBut how How can I describe my
emotion
emotion
at this
catastrophe;
catastrophe;
or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to
form.
form.
His limbs were in
proportion
proportion
and I had selected his features
h as
hh as
handsomehandsome..handsomebeautiful.
^handsomehandsomebeautiful.
^beautiful.
beautiful.
HandsomeBeautiful ; Great
HandsomeHandsomeBeautiful ^Beautiful ; Great
God! His
dundundunyellow
^yellow
yellow
skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was
^of a lustrous
black
&^^^of a lustrous
black
&^of a lustrous
of a lustrous
black
black
&
flowing and
flowing and
his teeth of a pearly
whitenesswhiteness
but these
luxurianciesluxurianci^ies
only
fomedformed a more horrid contrast with his
fomedfomedformed a more horrid contrast with his
watry eyes
watry eyes
that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled
complexion
complexion
and
and
strait
strait
black lips.
The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two
¶ The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two
years
years
for the sole purpose of infusing
f life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and
ff life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and
heath health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had
heathheath health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded^ed moderation; but now that I had
succeeded these dreams vanished
succeeded these dreams vanished
and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.
Unable ^to endure the aspect of the creaturebeing Unable ^^^to endure^to endure the aspect of the creaturecreaturebeing ^being
I had created, I rushed out of the
room
room
and
remainedremainedremainedcontinued
^continued
continued
a long time traversing my
bed chamber
bed chamber
unable to compose my mind to sleep. At
lenght l assitude
lenght l ^l assitude
succeeded to the tumult I had before
endured,
endured,
and I threw myself on
my
my
bed in my
clothes
clothes
endeavouring to seek a
feew few moments of
feewfeew few moments of
forgetfullness.
forgetfullness.
But it was in
vain;
vain;
I
slept
slept
indeed
indeed
but I was disturbed by the wildest
dreams–
dreams–
I
saw Elizabeth
saw Elizabeth ^^^^in the bloom of
health ^in the bloom of
health
health
walking in the streets of
Ingolstadt;
Ingolstadt;
delighted &
surprised
surprised
I embraced
her
her
but as I imprinted the first kiss on her
lips
lips
they became
lurid
lurid
with the hue of death; her features appeared to
change
change
and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my
arms ,:
arms ,,: ^: aaaA ^A shroud
envolepped
envolepped
her
form
form
& I saw the
grave worms
grave worms
crawling in the folds of the
flannel;
flannel;
I started
^from my sleep with
^^^from my sleep^from my sleep with
horror,
horror,
a
when I saw cold dew covered my
when I sawwhen I saw cold dew covered my
forehead
forehead
my teeth
ah chattered
ahah chattered
and every limb
waswaswasbecame
^became
became
convul s ed,
convul s ^s ed,
when, by the dim and yellow light of the
moon
moon
as it forced its way through the
window shutters,
window shutters,
I beheld the
wretch — the
wretch — the
miserable monster whom I had
created;
created;
he
hel d up
hel d ^d up
the
curtain,
curtain,
and his
eyes — ;
eyes — ^— ;
if eyes they may be called,
— were fixed on
— ^— were fixed on
me–His
me–His
jaws
opened
opened
and he muttered
in some
in in ^in some
wordsinarticulate
wordswordsinarticulate
sounds
sounds
while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have
spoken
spoken
but I did not
hear —
hear —
one
had hand was stretched
hadhad hand was stretched
out
out
to detain
me
me
but I
escaped
escaped
and
ranrushed down
ranranrushed down
the stair s case the the ^the stair s case case ^case
I took refuge in
a
a
court-yard belonging to the house which I inhabited; where I remained during ^during the rest of the
night
night
walking up and down in the greatest
agitation;
agitation;
listening attentively, catching and fearing each sound as if it were to announce the
arrival
arrival
of the demoniacal corpse to which I had so
miserabl ey
miserabl eey ^y
given life. ¶ Oh! no mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy
^again endued with
^^^again^again endued with
lifelifelifeanimation
^animation
animation
could not be so hideous as
He .
He .
I had gazed on him while unfinished;
and I thought he was ugly
and I thoughtand I thought he was ugly
then.
then.
But when those muscles and joints were
endued with motion
endued with motion
it became a thing
to such as even Dante could
toto such as even Dante could
never
never
have conceived. ¶ I passed the night
wretchedly–
wretchedly–
sometimes my pulse
s beat so quickly
s ^s beat so quickly
ta nd ha ^r dly
tta ^a nd ha ^^^r ^r dly
that I felt the palpitation of every
artery:
artery:
At
others
others
I nearly
sunk
sunk
to the ground
withthro withwiththro ^thro
languor and extreme weakness.
Surely so wretched aSurely so wretched aSurely so wretched aXXand mingled with this
horror
I felt the
bitterness of disappdisappointment: ^XXand mingled with this
XXand mingled with this
horrorhorror
I felt the
bitterness of disappdisappointment: bitterness of disappdisappdisappointment: creature as I never before existed.creature as I never before existed.creature as I never before existed.Dreams that had been
my food and
my food and
rest for so long a
space
space
were now become a hell to
me– I
me– II
and the change was so rapid, the overthrow so
complete.
complete.
¶ Morning —
Morning —
dismal and
wet —
wet —
at
leng
leng hththtth
^th
th
dawned, and
to discovered to my sleepless and aching eyes the church of
toto discovered to my sleepless and aching eyes the church of
IngolsstadtIngolsstadt
its white steeple &the its ^the its thethe its clock
clock
which
pointed to
pointed to
the sixth
e hour. The porter opened the gates of the
ee hour. The porter opened the gates of the
court
court
which had that night been my
assylum
assylum
and I issued into the streets, pacing them ^them with quick
steps
steps
as if I
ough sought to avoid the wretch whom I feared every turningoughough sought to avoid ^avoid the wretch whom I feared every turning
in
in
the street would present to my view. I did not dare
to return to the
toto return to the
appartment
appartment ^^^^which ^which I
inhabited
inhabited
but felt impelled to hurry
on
on
although
wetted
wetted
by the drizzling rain
by the drizzlingdrizzling rain
which poured from a black and comfortless sky. ¶ I continued walking in this manner for some
time endeavouring
time endeavouring
by bodily
exercise
exercise
to ease the load that weighed upon my mind. I traversed the
streets
streets
without any clear conception of where I
was
was
or what I was
doing:
doing:
my heart palpitated
with^withwith^^^in the sickness of
^in the sickness of
in the sickness of
fear
fear
and I hurried on with irregular
steps
steps
not daring to look about
me,
me,
"Like
"Like
one
who
who
on a
lonsesome road "doth
lonsses^esome road "doth
walk in fear and
dread "and
dread "and
having once
turned
turned
round L
round L
walks
on " wal
on " walwal
And turns no more his
head "Because
head "Because
he knows a frightful
L fiend "doth
L fiend "doth
close behind him
tread." *
tread." *_______________*Coleridge's "Ancient Mariner." _______________*Coleridge's "Ancient Mariner." Continueing
Continueing
thus, I came at
lenght
lenght oppositeoppositeoppositeopposite to ^opposite to the Inn at
which the
which the
diligences and carriages usually stopped. Here I
paused
paused
I knew not
why but
why but
remained some minutes with my eyes fixed on a coach that was coming towards me from the other end of the street. As
I^II^^^it
^it
it
drew
nearer
nearer
I observed that it was the Swiss
diligence;
diligence;
it stopped just where I was
standing, and
standing, and
on the
doors
doors
being
opened
opened
I perceived Henry Clerval,
who
who
on
seee seeing
seeeseee seeing
me
me
instantly sprung out.
"My dear
¶ "My dear
Frankenstien,"
Frankenstien,"
exclaimed
he
he
"How glad I am to see
you;
you;
how
"fortunate
"fortunate
that ^that you should be here at the
^very moment of my
^^^very^very moment of my
alighting."
alighting."
¶ Nothing could equal my delight on
see seing Clerval:
seesee seing Clerval:
his presence brought back to my thoughts my father,
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
and all those scenes of home so dear to my recollection. I grasped his hand, and in a moment forgot my horror and
misfortune.
misfortune.
I felt
^^^^suddenly, and
^suddenly, and
suddenly, and
for the first time
forforforduring
^during
during
for many months, calm and serene joy. I welcomed my
for many months,^, calm and serene joy. I welcomed my
friend therefore
friend therefore
in the most cordial
manner
manner
& we walked towards my
colledge.
colledge.
Clerval
ran ontalked continued talking for some time about
ran onran ontalkedtalked continued talking for some time about
mymymyour mutual
^our mutual
our mutual
friends
friends
and his own ^own good fortune in being
allowed
allowed
to come to Ingolstadt.
"You may
¶ "You may
believe," said he,
"that"it
"that"that"it
was
not with out considerable "trouble that I persuaded
not with outout considerable "trouble that I persuaded
my
"father
"father
that
it is not absolutely "necessary for a merchant to "know nothing except bookeeping "and indeed
it is not absolutely "necessary for a merchant to "know nothing except bookeeping "and indeed
I believe I left him
"incredulous
"incredulous
to the
last
last
for his constant answer to my
applications "was
applications "was
the same as
^that of the dutch
^^^that of^that of the dutch
school "master
school "master
in the Vicar of
Wakefield– ✗—'I live very well yet I do not know "Greek —✗ " I
Wakefield– ✗—'I live very well yet I do not know "Greek —✗ " I
have ten thousand
florins– " yr. with "out greek –I "eat
florins– " yr. yr. ^yr. with "out greek –I "eat
heartily
"without greek of-"But
"without greek of-"But
his affection for me at
"length
"length
overcame his dislike
for "learning, and he
for "learning, and he
permitted me
"to ^under take
"to ^^^under ^under take
a voyage of discovery ^of discovery to the land of
"knowledge."
"knowledge."
¶ "And
"And
my father,
brothers &Elizabeth" said I
brothers &Elizabeth" said I
¶ "Very
well
well
& very
happy" replied he "only
happy" replied he "only
a little uneasy that
yo"they
yoyo"they
hear from you so
seldom, &"by
seldom, &"by
the
bye,
bye,
I mean to lecture you
"a
"a
little upon their account
"myself– But
"myself– But
my dear
Frankenstein"
Frankenstein"
continued
he
he
stopping
short
short
& gazing
"full
"full
in my
face
face
"I did not before
"remark
"remark
how very ill you
are.
are.
So thin
"and
"and
pale; you
appear
appear
as if you had
"been
"been
watching for several nights." ¶ "You have guessed
right"
right"
I
replied "I have lately been
replied "I have lately been
so
so
engaged in
" " severalseveralseveralstudious one
^studious one
studiousstudious one
occupation s occupation ss
that I
diddiddidhave
^have
have
"not allow ed ^ed ^^^^myself ^myself sufficient
rest
rest
as you
"see ; "see ; ^;
but I hope,^, I sincerely
hope
hope
all
those "occupations are
those "occupations are
at an
end—I
end—I
am
free "now I hope."
free "now I hope."
¶ I trembled
excessively:
excessively:
I could not
bear
bear
to think of,^, & far less to allude
to
to
the
occurences
occurences
of the
prece e ding
prece ee ding
night.
I continued to walktheire I walked
I continued to walkI continued to walktheiretheire I walked
therefore with a quick pace, and we soon arrived at my
therefore with a quick pace, and we soon arrived at my
colledge.
colledge.
I then
reflected –
reflected –
and the thought made me
shiver
shiver
that the creature whom I had left in my
appartment
appartment
might
be still there—alive
be still there—alive
and walking about. I dreaded to
see him
see him
but I
dreaded
dreaded
still more that Henry should
behold the monst h er. I therefore entreat eding him ^therefore behold the monst hh er. I thereforeI therefore entreat ededing ^ing him ^^^therefore ^therefore
to remain a few minutes^s at the bottom of the stairs,
while I darted up towards my own room. My hand was already
whilewhile I darted up towards my own room. My hand was already
on the lock
on the lock
before I
recovered myself, when
recovered myself, when
I
paused
paused
and a cold shivering came over me. I threw the door
open
open
as children are accustomed to do when they expect a spectre to stand in waiting for them on the other
side.
side.
But nothing appeared. I stepped fearfully
in –
in –
the
appartment
appartment
was
empty,
empty,
and my
bedroon
bedroon
was also freed from its hideous guest. I could hardly
beliefbelieve that so great a
beliefbeliefbelieve that so great a
good fortune
good fortune
could have befallen me; but when I
waswaswasbecame
^became
became
assured that my enemy had indeed fled, I clapped my hands for
joy
joy
and ran down to
Henry.
Henry.
¶ We ascended into my
room
room
&
present ly the servant
present ly the servant
brought
breakfast:
breakfast:
but I was unable to contain myself. It was not joy only that possessed
me,–I
me,–I
felt my flesh tingle with
the excess of
the excess of
sensitiveness
sensitiveness
and my pulse beat rapidly. I was unable to remain for a single instant in the same
place —
place —
I jumped over the chairs, clapped my
hands
hands^s
& laughed aloud. Clerval at first attributed my unusual spirits to joy
atataton
^on
on
his
arrival–
arrival–
but when
saw he observed me
sawsaw he observed me
^^^^more
attentively
^more
more
attentively
attentively
he saw a wildness in my eyes for which he could not
account
account
and my
loud unrestrained
loud unrestrained
heartless
laughterlaughter
frightened and astonished him. ¶ My
My
dear
Frankenstein,"
Frankenstein,"
cried
he "What
he "What
for
God's sake
God's sake
is the
matter for
matter forfor
do not laugh
so – What has
so – What hasWhat has
How ill you are! What is the cause of all
this?
this?
¶ Do
Do
not ask
me
me
cried I, putting my
hand s fefhand s ^s feffef
before my eyes, for I thought I saw
the
the
spectre glide into the
room – Wh He
room – WhWh He
can
tell! Oh
tell! Oh
save
me
me
save
I me"–
II me"–
I imagined that the monster seized
me
me
I struggled
furiouslyfuriously
& fell down in a fit. ¶ Poor Clerval! What must have been his
feelings.
feelings.
A
joymeti meeting
joyjoymetimeti meeting
which he
had anticipated with such
had anticipated with such
joy
joy
so strangely turned to bitterness. But I
did
did
not
witness
witness
his
grief
grief
for I was
senselesslifeless senselesssenselesslifeless ^lifeless
and did not recover my senses for
several a long, long time.
severalseveral a long, long time.
