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absence. Chap 12

Having parted from my friend I deter mined to visit some remote spot of

~~this~~

Scotland and finish my work in solitude. I did not doubt but that the monster followed me, and would be discover himself

^{^}

me,

when I should have finished,

^{^}

that he might

receive his companion. With this resolution I traversed the north ^{^}ern highlands and fixed on one of the Orkney Islands for

the scene of my labours.

~~I was~~ It was a place fitted for such

^{^}

work;

being hardly more than a rock whose high sides were continually beaten upon by the waves– The soil was barren hardly affording pasture for a few miserable cows & oat meal for its ~~few~~ inhabitants which consisted of five person ^{^}s , Whose gaunt & scraggy limbs gave token ^{^}s of their sorry fare. ✗—Fresh water. —✗ Vegetables & bread, when they indulged in such luxuries, & even fresh water was to be procured from the main land which was about five miles distant. On the whole island there were but three miserable huts & one of these was vacant when I arrived. This I hired– It contained but two rooms & ~~for~~ these exhibited all the squalidness of the most miserable p

~~overty~~

^{^}enury

— The thatch had fallen in – the walls ^{^}were unplastered & the door was off its hinges. I ordered it to be repaired, & bought some furniture & took possession – an incident which would have

^{^}doubtless

occasioned some surprise had not all the th senses of the cottagers been benumbed by want

and squalid

poverty;

as it was I ~~arrived~~ lived ungazed at and unmolested, hardly thanked for the pittance of food and clothes which I

gave

so much does suffering blunt even the coarsest sensations of men.

~~I now applied myself to my creation~~

In this retreat I devoted the morning to labour, but in the evening, when the weather permitted I walked on the stony beach of the sea to listen to the waves as they roared & dashed at my feet; It was a monotonous yet ever changing scene. I thought of Switzerland; It was far different from this desolate & appalling

~~scene~~

^{^}landscape

–Its hills are covered with vines & its cottages are scattered thi

^{^}c

kly in the plains— Its fair lakes reflect a blue & gentle sky & when troubled by the winds it is but the play of a lively infant when compared to the roarings of the giant ocean. ¶

^{^}In

^{^}t

his ~~was at first~~ manner I distributed my occupations when I first arrived; but ^{^}as I proceeded in my work it became every day more horrible & irksome to me. Sometimes I could not prevail on myself to enter my

~~workshop~~

^{^}

laboratory

for several days and at other times I

~~laboured~~

^{^}

toiled

day &night in order to

~~finish~~

^{^}

complete

it. It was indeed a ~~filhthy~~ filthy work in which I wasengaged.

^{^}During

my first experiment a kind of enthusiastic frenzy

^{^}

had

blinded me to the horror of my employment; my mind was intently fixed on the sequel of my labour and my eyes were shut to the horror of my proceedings. But now I went to it in cold blood and my heart often sicken

^{^}e

d at the work of my hands. ¶

Thus situated; employed in the most detestable occupation, in

^{^}

solitude whe

^{^}

nothing could for an instant call my

~~reflec~~

^{^}

attention

~~tions~~

from the actual scene in which I was engaged, my spirits

~~became~~

^{^}were

unequal, I became restless & nervous– Every moment I feared to meet ~~the~~ my persecutor. Sometimes I sat with my eyes fixed on the

ground

fearing to raise them lest they should meet

~~him~~

^{^}the object which

I so much dreaded to

~~see~~

^{^}behold

I feared

^{^}to wander from the sight of my fellow creatures lest when alone he He should come to claim his companion.

In the mean time I worked on & my f labour was already considerably advanced– I looked with pleasure towards

^{^}

its

completion yet freedom from the curse I endured was a joy I never dared promise myself—

#mws: Finish Chap. 2 here

One evening I sat in my

~~chemic~~

workshop, the sun had set & the moon was just rising from the sea — I had not light sufficient for my

~~work~~

^{^}employment

and I sat idle ~~mus~~

~~untill~~

~~the~~

^{^}

pause of consideration of whether I should leave my labour for the night or hasten its conclusion by an unremitting attention to it. As I sat a train of reflection occur

^{^}r

ed to me which led to me consider the effects of what I was now doing.

~~Two~~

^{^}

three

years before I had been engaged in the same manner & had created a fiend whose unparralelled barbarity had desolated my heart and filled it forever with the bitterest remorse. I was now about to form another being of whose dispositions I was alike ignorant. She might be ten thousand times more malignant than her mate and delight in murder & wretchedness. He had sworn to quit the neighbourhood of man & hide himself in desarts but she had not &she who was in all probability to become a thinking & reasoning animal might refuse to to comply with a compact made before her creation. They might even hate one another. The creature who already lived loathed his own deformity & might he not conceive a greater abhorrence for it when it came before his eyes in the female form. She also might turn with disgust from him to the superior beauty of man ✗—& who confine her eyes or wishes —✗. She might quit him and he be again alone

~~with~~

^{^}exasperated by

the fresh provocation of being deserted by one of his own species. ¶

Even if they were to leave Europe & inhabit the desarts of the new world,

I it was their intention to have children and a race of devils would be propagated

^{^}up on the earth from whose form & mind man shrunk with horro

^{^}r

. & had I ^{^}any right

~~for~~

for my own benefit to inflict this curse to everlasting generations? I had before been moved by the sophisms of the being whom I had created; I had been moved by his fiendish threats & now for the first time the wickedness

~~& utter~~

~~selfishness~~

~~^{^}selfishness~~

of my promise burst upo

^{^}n

me; I shud d ered to think that future ages might curse me as their pest whose

had not hesitated to buy its own peace at the price perhaps of the

^{^}

existence of

whole human race. I trembled, and my heart failed

within me, when on looking up I saw by the light of the moon, the dæmon

~~with~~

^{^}

at the

~~' ^{^}window~~

^{^}casement.

A ghastly grin

~~on his countena~~ wrinkled

lips,

^{^}as he gazed on me

^{^}where

I sat. Yes, he had followed me in my travels; he had loitered in forests, hid himself in caves or taken refuge in wide & desart heaths & he now came to view my progress & claim

the fulfillment of

_________

my promise; as I looked on hi

^{^}m

his

~~face~~

^{^}

countenance

^{^}appeared to express ed the utmost extent of malice &

~~barbarity~~

^{^}

treachery.

I thought with a sensation of ~~horror~~ madness

^{^}

my promise of creating another like to him & trembling with passion as tore to pieces the thing on which I was engaged – The wretch saw me destroy the creature on whose future existence he depended for happiness and with a howl of devilish despair

^{^}

revenge

withdrew. ¶

I left the room & locking the door made a vow in my own heart never to resume my labours; & then with trembling steps I sought my own appartment I a was alone. n None were near me to dissipate the gloom and relieve me from the most terrible reveries. Several hours passed and I remained near my window gazing on the sea. It was almost motionless for the winds were hushed &all nature reposed under the eye of the quiet moon A few fishing s vessels alone specked the water and now & then the gentle breeze d wa

^{^}f

ted the sound of the voices as the

^{^}fisher

men called to one another. I felt the silence although I was hardly conscious of

^{^}

its

extreme profundity untill my ear was suddenly arrested by the paddling of oars near the shore and a person landed close to my house. In a few minutes after I heard the creaking of my door as if some one endeavoured to open it softly. I trembled from head to foot; I felt a presentiment of who it was and wished to rouse one of the peasants who dwelt in a cottage not far from mine. But I was overcome by the ~~fright~~ sensation

^{^}

helplessness so often felt in a frightful dream when you in vain endeavour to fly the impending danger &was rooted to the spot. Presently I heard the sound of footsteps along the passage,

^{^}the

door opened & the wretch whom I dreaded appeared. Shutting the door he

~~advanced towards~~

^{^}

approached

me & said in a smothered v voice:— You have des-troyed the work that you began

^{^};

What is it that you intend?

Do you dare break your promise? I h have endured toil & misery: I left Switzerland with you; I crept along the shores of the Rhine ~~with you~~ , among its willow ~~ils~~ islands and

~~upon~~

^{^}

over

the summits of its hills. I have dwelt many months in the heaths of England & among the desarts of Scot c land. I have endured incalculable fatigue

^{^}&

cold & hunger & do you dare destroy m

^{^}y

hopes?

Begone, I replied; I do break my

promise; never will create another like yourself, equal in deformity & wickedness.

Slave, said the wretch, I before reasoned with you – but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescen

^{^}s

ion. Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable but I can make you so wretched that the light of day ~~of d~~ will be hateful to you. You are my

creator

but I am your master; obey!

Wretch, said I, the hour of my weakness is past & the period of your power is arrived. Your threats cannot move me to do an act of wickedness but they confirm me in a resolution of not creating you companion in vice. Shall I in cold blood set loose upon the earth a dæmon whose delight is in death & wretchedness. Begone, I am firm and your words will only exasperate my rage.

The Monster saw my determination in my face and gnashed his teeth in the impotence of anger. Shall each man, cried he, find his equal, & each beast have his mate I and I be alone. I had feelings of affection & they were returned by detestation. Man you may hate, but beware! Your hours will pass in dread & misery and soon the bolt will fall which will ravish from you your happiness for ever. Are you to

^{^}

happy while I grovel in the intensity of my wretchedness. You

~~destroy~~

^{^}

can blast

my other passions but revenge remains; revenge dearer than light or food. I may die but first you my tyrant & tormentor shall curse the sun that gazes on your misery. Beware, for I am fearless & therefore powerful. I will watch with the wiliness of a ~~snank~~ snake that I may sting with its venom. Man, you shall repent of the injuries you inflict.

Devil, I cried, Cease, & do not poison the air with those sounds of malice. I have declared my resolution to you and I am no coward to bend beneath words – Leave me, I am inexorable.

It is well, said he, I go; but remember! I shall be with you on your