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happiness– Your affectionate friend Elizabeth Lavenza. Geneva Chap. 16

This letter revived in my memory what I had before forgotten, the mi threat of

fiend when he visited me at the

Orkney Island.

I will be with you

on your marriage night

. Such was my sentence and on that night would the dæmon e

^{^}m

ploy every art to destroy me & tear me from the

^{^}glimse

happiness

~~that might~~

^{^}

by which

it promised

partly console my sufferings. On that night he had determined to consummate his crimes by my death. Well be it so. A deadly struggle would then assuredly take place where if he was victorious I should be at peace and his power ove ^{^}r me

~~was~~

^{^}

at an end If he were vanquished ✗—he should I and —✗ I

^{^}

should

be a free man — Alas what a freedom such as peasant endures when his family have been massacred before his eyes his cottage burnt his lands laid waste & he is turned adrift homeless, pennyless & alone: but free. Such would be my liberty except that in my Elizabeth I possessed a treasure alas

balanced by

the horrors of remorse & guilt which would pursue me untill death. ¶

Sweet & beloved Elizabeth! I read & reread her letter & some softened feelings stole in to my heart & dared whisper Paradiscical dreams of love & joy– But the apple was already eaten & the Angels arm bared ready to chase me from all hope. Yet I would die to make her happy ~~on whom I~~ and if the monster ex c ecuted his threat ✗—die I must. —✗

death was inevitable. Yet again I considered

^{^}

whether

my marriage would hasten my fate if once the fiend had determined on my death – ✗—It might indeed

^{^} ~~protract~~ hasten

a few months but if he suspected that I delayed it on his account he would certainly revenge himself some other way —✗

My destruction might

inded

arrive a few months sooner but if my torturer should suspect that I postponed my marriage on account of his menaces he would surely find other, &perhaps more dreadful means of revenge . He had vowed

be with me on my marriage night

Yet he did not consider that threat as binding him to peace in the mean time – for as if to shew me that he was not yet satiated with blood ~~his ne~~ he had murdered

^{^}e

rval

^{^}immediately after the enunciation of his theats

– ✗—After many hours spent in reverie & consideration. —✗. I resolved

^{^}

therefore

that if

~~the~~

^{^}

immediate union with my cousin s

^{^}w

ould conduce either to hers or my fathers happiness my

~~threatened~~

adversary's threats against my life should not retard it a single hour.– ¶

✗—We returned to Geneva. Elizabeth welcome —✗ In this state of mind I wrote to Elizabeth. My letter was calm and

affectionate – I fear, my beloved girl, I said, little happiness remains on earth for us, yet

~~what~~

^{^}all that

I may one day enjoy is ~~all~~ concentered ^{^}in you. ~~my beloved one~~ Chase away your idle fears –To you alone do I consecrate my life & my endeavours for h content. I have one secret, Elizabeth, a dreadful one— It will chill your frame with horror and then far from being surprised at at my

misery you will only wonder that I live.

I will reveal this tale of misery & terror th to you the day after our marriage – for, my sweet cousin, we must have perfect confidence between us – But untill then I conjure you do not mention or allude to ~~^{^}~~ it. This I most

~~erne~~ earnestly

entreat of you &I know ^{^}that you will

comply.

In about a week after

~~this~~

^{^}

the arrival of

Elizabeths letter

we returned to Geneva. Elizabeth welcomed me with warm affection – yet tears were in her eyes as she beheld my ematiated frame & feverish

~~eyes~~

^{^}cheeks

. I also saw a change in her—She was thinner and had lost much of that heavenly vivacity that had before charmed me– But her softness & gentle looks of compassion made her more fit for one blasted & miserable as I was.¶

The calm ~~hower~~ however which I now enjoyed did not last. Recollection brought madness with it– And when I thought of what ^{^}had passed a realinsanity possessed me – Sometimes I was furious & burnt with rage sometimes low & despondant I neither spoke or looked but sat motionless bewildered by the multitude of miseries that overcame me. Elizabeth alone had the power to draw me from these fits – Her gentle voice would sooth m when passionate and inspire with ~~earthly~~ human feelings when sunk in torpor – She weptwith me and for me.

~~When unhappy &~~

When reason returned she would remonstrate with me & endeavour to inspire me with resignation —Ah it is well for the unfortunate to be resigned– But th for the guilty there is no peace: ~~& tranquillity &~~ the agonies of remorse poison the luxury there otherwise is

^{^}sometimes found

in indulging

the excess of grief. ¶

Soon after my arrival my father spoke of my immediate marriage with my cousin. I remained silent. ¶

Have you then, said my father some other

attachment

None on earth ~~I replied~~ I love Elizabeth and look forward to our union with delight—Let the day therefore be named ✗—and I shall be happy when it arrives —✗ and on it I will consecrate my life or death to the happiness to of my

cousin.

My dear Victor,

~~said my father,~~

do not speak thus. Heavy misfortunes have befallen us but let us us only cling closer to what remains ~~and~~ and transfer our love for those whom we ha

^{^}ve

lost to those who

~~now~~

^{^}

yet

live. Our circle will be small but bound close by the ties of affection & mutual misfortune— And when time will have

~~ameliorated~~

^{^}

softened

your despair & new & dear cares will be born to replace those

^{^}of whom

~~fate has~~

^{^}

we have been so cruelly

deprived ~~us of~~ .

Such were the lessons of my father

but to me the

^{^}

remembrance of the

threat returned nor can you wonder that omnipotent as the fiend ^{^}h a

^{^}d

yet been in his deeds of blood I should almost regard him as invincible, and ^{^}that when he

^{^}had pronounced the words–

I shall be with you

on your marriage night

I should regard the threatened fate as unavoidable. But death was no evil to me if the loss of Elizabeth were balanced with it and I therefore with contented & even cheerful countenance agreed with my father that the ceremony should take place if my cousin would consent in ten days. ~~from that time~~ and thus put, as I imagined the seal to my fate. ¶

Grea

^{^}t

God! If for one instant I had thought what might be the hellish intention of my fiendish adversary I would rather have banished myself

to for ever from my

country ✗—& only friends —✗

& wandered a friendless outcast over the earth

than have consented to this miserable marriage – But as if possessed of magic powers the monster had blinded me to his real resolutions &when I thought I prepared only my own death I hastened that of

~~the real~~

^{^}

a far dearer

victim. ¶

As the time drew nearer for our marriage, whether from cowardice or ^{^}a prophetic feeling, I felt my heart sink with in me – But I concealed

^{^}

my feelings

~~^{^}this~~

^{^}

under

an appearance of hilarity that brought smiles to of joy to the countenance of my father but hardly deceived the ever watchful & nicer eye of Elizabeth. She looked forward to our union with placid content not unmingled with a little fear , which past misfortunes had impressed, that what now appeared certain & tangible happiness might soon dissipate into an airy dream & leave no trace but deep &everlasting regret. ¶

Preparations were made for the event. Congratulatory visits

^{^}

were

received and all wore a smiling appearance –I shut up m as well as I could, in my own heart the anxiety that preyed there and entered with seeming earnestness into the plans of my father although they might only serve as the decorations of my tragedy. A house was purchased for us near Coligny by which we should enjoy the pleasures of the country and yet be so near Geneva as to see my father every day– who would still reside within the walls for the benefit of Ernest, that he might follow his studies at the university.

In the mean time I took every precaution to defend my person in case the fiend should at t ack we— I carried pistols & a dagger constantly about me and was ever on the watch to prevent artifice & by these means gained ^{^}a greater

^{^}degree of

tranquillity– And indeed as the period approached the threat s appeared more as

~~dreams~~

^{^}

delusion

not to be regarded as worthy to disturb

^{^}m

y peace while the happiness I hoped for in my marriage wore a

^{^}n

~~greater~~

appearance of

^{^}greater

certainty as

^{^}

the

period of its solemnization

~~drew nearer~~

^{^}

~~approac~~ drew

near

and I heard it spoken of every day as an

~~event~~

^{^}occurence

which no ~~event could alter~~ accident could

^{^}possibly prevent. ¶

Elizabeth seemed happy at th

^{^}e

change from mirth to content which she saw come over me– But on the day that was to fulfil my wishes & my destiny she was melancholy– a presentiment of evil pervaded & her &perhaps also she thought of the

^{^} dreadful

secret which I had promised to reveal to her the

~~next~~

^{^}following

day. My father was in the mean time

overjoyed and in the bustle of

~~the day~~

^{^}preparation

only observed in the melancholy of his neice the diffidence of a bride. ¶

After the cermony was performed a large party assembled at my fathers

but it was agreed that Elizabeth & I should pass the afternoon & night at Evian and set out on our return the next morning. The day was fine

and

as the wind

was favourable

we resolved to go by water.

Those were the last moments of my life during which I enjoy ^{^}ed the feeling of happiness. We passed rapidly along; the sun was hot but we were sheltered by a kind of canopy from its rays whi

^{^}le

we enjoyed the be beauty of scene – Sometimes on one side of the lake where we saw Mont Salêve – the pleasant banks of Montalegre and a

^{^}

^{^}a

distance surmount ing all the beautiful Mont Blanc and the assemblage of snowy moun t tains that endeavoured to emulate her — Sometimes

^{^}

coasting

the ~~other~~ opposite banks we saw the mighty Jura opposing its dark side to

~~that~~

^{^}

the

ambition

w that would

wish to quit its native

country

and an almost insurmountable barrier to the conqueror that d should dare invade it. ¶

I took the hand of

Elizabeth – You are sorrowful, said I, ah my love, if you knew what I have ~~endu~~ suffered & what I may still endure you would endeavour to ~~all~~ let me taste the quiet & freedom from despair that this one day at least permits me to enjoy.

Be happy, my dear Victor, replied Elizabeth — there is I hope nothing to distress you; and be assured that if a lively joy is not painted in my face my heart is content. Something whispers to me not to depend too much on the prospect which is opened before us but I will not listen to such a sinister voice – Observe how fast we move along & how the clouds which sometimes obscure & sometimes rise above the he dome of Mont Blanc render this scene of beauty still more interresting. Look also at the innumerable fish that are swimming in these clear waters where we can distinguish every pebble that lies at the bottom. What a divine day; how happy & serene all nature appears!

Thus Elizabeth endeavoured to divert her thoughts & mine from

^{^}

all reflection

melancholy subjects but her temper was fluctuating. joy for a few instants shone in her eyes but it continually gave place to distraction& reverie. ¶

The sun k sunk lower in the

heavens

we passed by the river Drance & observed its path through the chasm of the mountains & the glens of the lower hills. The

~~Mountains~~

^{^}

Alps

^{^}r

^{^}e

come closer to the lake & we approached the amphitheatre of mountains that forms its eastern boundary. The spire of Evian shone under the woods that surrounded it & the range of mountain above mountain

^{^}by

which

^{^}it

^{^}was

overhung it.¶

The wind which had hitherto carried us along with amazing rapidity sunk at sunset to a gentle breeze – the light air just ruffled the water & caused a pleasant motion among the trees. As we approached the shore it wa

^{^}f

ted the most delightful scent of flowers & hay. The ~~sun~~ sun sunk beneath the horizon as we landed and as I touched the shore I felt those cares and fears revive which

~~a I~~

~~had forgotten while on the~~

soon were to clasp

me & cling to me

~~water~~

^{^}

forever.