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marriage night. Chapter 13

I started forward & exclaimed—Villain, before you sign my death-warrant, be sure that you are yourself safe. I would have seized him but he eluded me and quitting the house with precipitation in a few moments I saw him in his boat which shot across the waters with an arrowy swiftness & was soon lost amidst the waves. ¶

All was again silent; but his words rung in my ears; I burnt with rage to pursue the murderer of my peace & precipitate him into the ocean. I walked up & down my room hastily & perturbed, my imagination conjured before me a thousand images ~~all~~ to torment & sting me – Why d had I not followed him & closed with him in t mortal strife– ^{^}? But I had suffered him to depart and he had directed his course towards the main land; I shuddered to suppose who might be the next victim sacrificed to his insatiate revenge – And then again I thought of his words – "

I will be with

you on your marriage night

That then was the period fixed for the fulfillment of my destiny –

^{^}I

n that

^{^}

hour

I should die and at once satisfy and extinguish his malice. ✗—Yet when I thought of Elizabeth —✗ The prospect did

not not move me to

fear yet when I thought of my beloved Elizabeth; of her tears & endless sorrow when she should fin

^{^}d

her lover so barbarously snatched from her –tears the first I had shed for many months, streamed from my eyes & I resolved not to fall before my enemy without a bitter struggle. ¶

The night passed away & the sun rose from the ocean – My feelings became calmer if it may be called calmness when the violence of rage sinks into the depths of despair. I left the house, the horrid scene of the last nights contention and wa

^{^}l

ked on the beach of the sea which I almost regarded as an insuperable barrier between me & my fellow creatures. Nay a wish that

~~that~~

^{^}

such

was

the fact stole across me; I

^{^} wished that I

might pass my life on this barren rock wearily it is true but uninterrupted by any sudden shock of misery –If I returned

^{^}it was

to be

~~myself a~~

sacrificed or to see those I most loved die under the grasp of a dæmon whom I had myself created. I walked about the isle like a restless spectre seperated from all it loved & miserable in the seperation When it became noon & the sun rose higher I lay down & on the grass & was overpowered by a deep sleep. I had been awake the whole of the preceeding night, my nerves were agitated & my eyes inflamed with watching & misery. The sleep into which I now sunk refreshed me & when I awoke I again felt as if I belonged to a race of human beings like myself & I began to reflect upon what had passed with greater composure —Yet still the words of the fiend rung in my y ears like a death knell, they appeared like a dream, yet distinct and o ^{^}p pressive as a reality. ¶

The T sun was far descended and I still sat on the shore satisfying my ap

^{^}p

etite which was become ravenous with an oaten cake when I saw a fishing ~~boat~~ sk boat land close to me & one of the men brought me a packet; it contained letters from Geneva & one from Cl

^{^}e

rval entreating me to g join him. He said

a that

nearly a He entreated me therefore to ~~return~~ leave my solitary isle and meet him at Perth in a week from that time when we might arrange ~~our~~ the plan of our future proceedings. This letter completely recalled

^{^}me

to life & I determined to quit my island ~~the next day~~ . at the expiration of two

days

Yet before I departed there was a task to perform on which I shuddered to

~~think~~

^{^}reflect:

I must pack my chemical instruments & for that purpose I must enter the room which had been the scene of my odious work, ^{^}& I must handle the utensils the sight of which were sickening to me. The next morning at daybreak I summoned sufficient courage & unlocked the door of my work room – The remains of the half finished creature whom I had destroyed lay scattered on the floor – & I almost felt as if I ^{^}had mangled the living flesh of a human being. I paused to collect myself & then entered the chamber. With trembling hands I conveyed the instruments out of the room but I reflected that I ought not to leave the relicks of my work to excite the horror ^{^}& suspicion of the peasants and I accordingly put them into a basket with a great quantity of stones

and

tying it up determined to throw them into the sea that very night and in the mean time ^{^}I sat on the beach employed in cleaning & arranging my chemical apparatus. ¶

Nothing w could be more complete than the alteration that had taken place in my feelings since the night of the appearance of the dæmon. I had before regarded my promise with

gloomy despair

as a n thing that must at with whatever consequences be fulfilled but I now felt as if a film had been taken from before my eyes & that I now for the first time saw clearly. ~~It never once~~ The idea of renewing my labours did not for

instant occur to me. The threat I had heard weighed on my thoughts but I

~~never~~

^{^}did

^{^}

not reflect

~~suppose~~

that a voluntary act of mine

might avert it. I had resolved in my own mind that to create another like the fiend I had first made would be an act of the basest & most atrocious selfishness and I ~~did not~~ banished from my mind every thought that could lead to a different

conclusion

Between two & three in the morning the moon rose and I then putting my basket into a little skiff sailed out about four miles from the shore – The scene was perfectly solitary, a few boats were returning towards land but I sailed away from them. I felt as if I was about the commission of a dreadful crime and avoided with shuddering anxiety any encounter with my fellow creatures. At one time the moon which had before been clear was suddenly

~~covered~~

overspread by a thick cloud &

^{^}

took advantage of the moment of darkness & castthe basket into the sea – I listened to the gurgling sound as it sunk & then

^{^}

sailed

away from the spot. The sky had become clouded but the air was pure although a chilled by the North-East breeze that was rising. But it refreshed & filled me with such agreable sensations that I resolved to prolong my stay on the water

~~leaving~~

^{^}

fixing

the rudder

^{^}

in a direct

^{^}position

stretched myself at the bottom of the boat. Clouds hid the moon, every thing was obscure & I heard only the sound of the boat as it keel cut through the waves–The sound lulled me–& in a short time I slept

soundly

I do not know how long I remained in this situation but when I awoke I found that the sun had already mounted considerably– The wind was high and the waves th continually threatened the safety of my little

~~boat~~ skiff—

I ~~endeavoure~~ found that the wind wasnorth-east and must have driven me far from the coast from which I had embarked. I endeavoured to

~~turn~~

~~the~~

~~boat~~

^{^}

change my

course

but quickly found that if I again

^{^}made the

attempt

the boat would be

instantl

^{^}y

filled with water. Thus situated my only resource was to drive before the wind – ~~To be a~~ I confess that I felt a few sensations of terror –I had no compass with me and was so little acquainted with the geography of this part of the world that the sun was of little benefit to me –I might be ~~driv~~ driven into the wide Atlantic & feel all the tortures of starvation or be swallowed up in immeasurable waters that roared &buffeted around me. I had already been out many hours and felt the tortures of a burning thirst a prelude to my other sufferings – I looked on the heavens which was covered by clouds that ~~pass~~ flew with the wind only to be replaced by others– I looked on the sea – It was to be my grave. Fiend, I exclaimed, your task is already fulfilled—I thought of Elizabeth of my father & of Cl

^{^}e

rval –

sunk into a reverie so despairing & frightful that even now when the scene is on the point of closing before me for ever I shudder to reflect on it. ¶

Some hours passed thus–But by degrees, as the sun

~~verged~~

^{^}

declined

towards the horizon, the

~~breezed~~

^{^}

wind

died away into a gentle breeze and the ~~breakers ce~~ sea

~~was smothed~~ became free from breakers. But these gave place to a heavy

swell,

I felt sick & hardly able to hold the rudder when suddenly I saw a line of high land towards the south. Almost spent as I was by fatigue & misery this sudden certainty of life rush ^{^}ed like a warm joy to my heart and tears gush ed from my eyes. How mutable are our feelings & how strange is that clinging love we have of life even in the excess of misery. ✗—I steered my boat towards the shore and —✗

^{^} I

constructed another sail with a part of my dress & eagerly st

^{^}e

ered my course towards the lan

^{^}d

. It had a wild rocky appearance but as I approached nearer I easily perceived the traces of cultivation –I saw vessels near the shore & found myself suddenly transported back to the neighborhood of civilized man – I eagerly

~~viewed~~

^{^}

traced

the windings of the

~~hor~~

^{^}

land

& hailed a steeple which ✗—after sailing —✗ I at length saw issueing from ~~ani~~ behi

^{^}n

d a small promontory – As I was ~~fainting~~ in a st r ate of extreme debility from fasting I resolved to go directly towards the town as a place where could most easily procure f nourishment– Fortunately I

^{^}h

ad money with me.

As I turned the promontory I discovered a small neat town – a and a good

harbour

which I entered, my heart bounding with joy at my unexpected escape. ¶

[ As I

fi was occupied in fixing the boat and

ar arranging the

sails several people crowded towards the spot – They appeared very much much surprised at my appearance ~~and~~ but instead of offering me any assistance whispered together in with gestures that at any other time might have produced in me a slight sensation of alarm –as it was I merely remarked th that it was English, that they spoke and therefore addressed them; My Good Friends, said I, Will you be so so kind as to tell me

what the name of this

~~place~~

^{^}town

is; & where I am.

You will know that soon enough, replied a n man with a

gruff

voice; May be you are come to a place that will not prove much to your taste – But you will not be consulted as to your quarters, I promise you—

My I was exceedingly

surprized at

receiving so rude an answer from a stranger and I was also disconcerted on perceiving th ^{^}e

✗—the countenance of this man an his companions —✗ frow

^{^}

^{^}n

ing and angry countenances of his companions – ~~Why~~ Why do you answer me so roughly, I replied Surely ~~as En~~ it is not the custom of Englishmen to receive strangers ~~^{^}in~~ so

inhospitably.

I do not know, said the man, what the custom of the English may be but it is the custom of the Irish to hate villains.

^{^}

[

While this strange dialogue

continued I perceived the croud en rapidly encrease. Their

~~countenances~~

^{^}

faces

expressed a mixture of ~~ang~~ curiosity & anger

~~wit~~

which an

^{^}n

oyed & in so

^{^}me

degree alarmed me. I enquired the way to the inn but no one replied – I then moved foward and ~~a buz arose~~ a murmuring noise rose from the croud ~~the~~ as they followed & surrounded me— when an ill looking man comming forward– tapped me on the shoulder & said – Come, yo Sir, You must follow me to Mr. Kirwins to give an account of yourself.

Who is M r . Kirwin, said I, & why am I to give an account of myself.–is not this a free country?

Aye, Sir, replied the man, free enough for honest folks. M r . Kirwin is a magistrate& you are to give an account ofthe death of a gentleman who was found murdered here last night.

This answer startled

^{^}me,

But I presently recovered myself. I was innocent & that could easily be proved – accordingly I followed my conductor in silence & was led to ~~wha~~ one o

^{^}f

the best houses in ^{^}the town. I was ready to sink from fatigue & hunger, but bein

^{^}g

surrounded by a croud I thought it politic to rouse all my stren ^{^}g th that no physical debility might be construed into apprehension & or conscious guilt. Little did I then expect the calamity that would in a few moments overwhelm me, and

^{^}

extinguish

in horror & despair

~~extinguish~~ all fear of ignominy or death—

~~The sun & ea~~

I must pause

~~for the~~

~~ene which I shall now relate~~

^{^}for it requires

✗—& strength to suffer me —✗ to recall

~~its~~

^{^}

the

frightful images

^{^}of the events which

I am about to relate in in proper detail to my recollection.