登陆注册
5154600000247

第247章

O! I well remember how she looked, when she came into the great hall, where we servants were all assembled to welcome her, and how happy my lord the Marquis seemed.Ah! who would have thought then!--But, as Iwas saying, ma'amselle, I thought the Marchioness, with all her sweet looks, did not look happy at heart, and so I told my husband, and he said it was all fancy; so I said no more, but I made my remarks, for all that.My lady Marchioness was then about your age, and, as Ihave often thought, very like you.Well! my lord the Marquis kept open house, for a long time, and gave such entertainments and there were such gay doings as have never been in the chateau since.I was younger, ma'amselle, then, than I am now, and was as gay at the best of them.I remember I danced with Philip, the butler, in a pink gown, with yellow ribbons, and a coif, not such as they wear now, but plaited high, with ribbons all about it.It was very becoming truly;--my lord, the Marquis, noticed me.Ah! he was a good-natured gentleman then--who would have thought that he!'--'But the Marchioness, Dorothee,' said Emily, 'you was telling me of her.'

'O yes, my lady Marchioness, I thought she did not seem happy at heart, and once, soon after the marriage, I caught her crying in her chamber; but, when she saw me, she dried her eyes, and pretended to smile.I did not dare then to ask what was the matter; but, the next time I saw her crying, I did, and she seemed displeased;--so I said no more.I found out, some time after, how it was.Her father, it seems, had commanded her to marry my lord, the Marquis, for his money, and there was another nobleman, or else a chevalier, that she liked better and that was very fond of her, and she fretted for the loss of him, I fancy, but she never told me so.My lady always tried to conceal her tears from the Marquis, for I have often seen her, after she has been so sorrowful, look so calm and sweet, when he came into the room! But my lord, all of a sudden, grew gloomy and fretful, and very unkind sometimes to my lady.This afflicted her very much, as I saw, for she never complained, and she used to try so sweetly to oblige him and to bring him into a good humour, that my heart has often ached to see it.But he used to be stubborn, and give her harsh answers, and then, when she found it all in vain, she would go to her own room, and cry so! I used to hear her in the anti-room, poor dear lady! but I seldom ventured to go to her.Iused, sometimes, to think my lord was jealous.To be sure my lady was greatly admired, but she was too good to deserve suspicion.

Among the many chevaliers, that visited at the chateau, there was one, that I always thought seemed just suited for my lady; he was so courteous, yet so spirited, and there was such a grace, as it were, in all he did, or said.I always observed, that, whenever he had been there, the Marquis was more gloomy and my lady more thoughtful, and it came into my head, that this was the chevalier she ought to have married, but I never could learn for certain.'

'What was the chevalier's name, Dorothee?' said Emily.

'Why that I will not tell even to you, ma'amselle, for evil may come of it.I once heard from a person, who is since dead, that the Marchioness was not in law the wife of the Marquis, for that she had before been privately married to the gentleman she was so much attached to, and was afterwards afraid to own it to her father, who was a very stern man; but this seems very unlikely, and I never gave much faith to it.As I was saying, the Marquis was most out of humour, as I thought, when the chevalier I spoke of had been at the chateau, and, at last, his ill treatment of my lady made her quite miserable.He would see hardly any visitors at the castle, and made her live almost by herself.I was her constant attendant, and saw all she suffered, but still she never complained.

'After matters had gone on thus, for near a year, my lady was taken ill, and I thought her long fretting had made her so,--but, alas! Ifear it was worse than that.'

'Worse! Dorothee,' said Emily, 'can that be possible?'

'I fear it was so, madam, there were strange appearances.But I will only tell what happened.My lord, the Marquis--'

'Hush, Dorothee, what sounds were those?' said Emily.

Dorothee changed countenance, and, while they both listened, they heard, on the stillness of the night, music of uncommon sweetness.

'I have surely heard that voice before!' said Emily, at length.

'I have often heard it, and at this same hour,' said Dorothee, solemnly, 'and, if spirits ever bring music--that is surely the music of one!'

Emily, as the sounds drew nearer, knew them to be the same she had formerly heard at the time of her father's death, and, whether it was the remembrance they now revived of that melancholy event, or that she was struck with superstitious awe, it is certain she was so much affected, that she had nearly fainted.

'I think I once told you, madam,' said Dorothee, 'that I first heard this music, soon after my lady's death! I well remember the night!'--

'Hark! it comes again!' said Emily, 'let us open the window, and listen.'

They did so; but, soon, the sounds floated gradually away into distance, and all was again still; they seemed to have sunk among the woods, whose tufted tops were visible upon the clear horizon, while every other feature of the scene was involved in the night-shade, which, however, allowed the eye an indistinct view of some objects in the garden below.

As Emily leaned on the window, gazing with a kind of thrilling awe upon the obscurity beneath, and then upon the cloudless arch above, enlightened only by the stars, Dorothee, in a low voice, resumed her narrative.

同类推荐
  • 解酲语

    解酲语

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Never Again

    Never Again

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛使比丘迦旃延说法没尽偈百二十章

    佛使比丘迦旃延说法没尽偈百二十章

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 密行忍禅师语录

    密行忍禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编宫闱典外戚部

    明伦汇编宫闱典外戚部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 30岁结婚

    30岁结婚

    北京版《爱与黑暗的故事》。故事在主人公【东方岩】【东方鹤】兄妹及他们的共同好友【忆良】及他们身边的同事、朋友、同学、亲人、爱人身上展开。东方岩是本分老实的“北漂”打工者,因为没房没车,30岁的他一次次被分手。东方岩的妹妹东方鹤品学兼优,考入北京大学后也遭遇一系列感情问题。北京承载了年轻人的梦想与辛酸。故事围绕几个人年轻人展开。将都市生活、学习、职场、校园、家庭等矛盾、纠结、温馨场景串联,就当下年轻人关注的爱情、成长、婚姻等问题展开探索。都市生活的压力与无奈,爱情的偶然与必然,婚姻与家庭对人的永恒吸引力,韶华与老去……这一切都在人与人之间流动,在心与心的交流中坚固。
  • 1962:不一样的人和鼠

    1962:不一样的人和鼠

    天津解放以后,我父亲从继续南下的队伍中,留下来参加天津地方的建设。不久,他向组织提出,大城市的建设者很多,还有更需要人的地方,哪里艰苦,他请求,就让他去哪里。于是他来到绥远省,来到呼和浩特市。报到以后,骑马走了很久,把母亲接去,安顿了一个家。待了一些时间,觉得所在的还是城市,算不上艰苦的地方,按照理想的指引,他要求到内蒙古最苦寒的西伯利亚风口——乌兰察布草原、我出生的那个旗工作。离旗所在地两三里,有个小村庄,历史沿袭了一个唤做“府国县”的名字,父亲对母亲说:我们去的地方叫府国县,我去那里当县长。
  • 王莽传记

    王莽传记

    简介:“君主“仁”,臣修“德”,民持“孝”,妃守“忠”。天下兴亡,匹夫有责,山河一寸,将士万血。”朕从后世穿越而来,唯有一心,斩断汉运,接续汉骨。不求流芳百世,亦无惧万古骂名...
  • 有幸n

    有幸n

    对于我们这些普通家庭的普通孩子来说,青春疼痛根本不是浮夸的三角恋、乐队、和街头黑道。真正疼痛的是青春期的肥胖,体育课腋下的汗水,找不到伴的午餐,不敢递给父母的试卷,班主任无意间的羞辱。就连青春都是自卑
  • 诸天布武

    诸天布武

    这是诸天融合、万界回归的时代,而严凌则是在融合前夕穿越万界,在远古大佬的教导下,布武诸天!
  • 佛说阿弥陀经疏

    佛说阿弥陀经疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 强势追妻:绯闻女王太危险

    强势追妻:绯闻女王太危险

    她A市顶层富豪圈突然冒出来的一名绯闻女王,据说他交往过五名男神,都是富豪圈的钻石王老五,而且都对她念念不忘。他是A市四大家族中最有钱的欧氏二公子,圈内有名的花花公司,为了看嫩模选秀,放下公司不管,在公司的新品发布会上和嫩模上演激情戏。本只是要调戏她,谁知却一往情深。
  • 春风又度玉门关

    春风又度玉门关

    万里黄沙,落日孤烟。因为一则极其诱人的宝藏传闻,浅浅姑娘被永远不记得吃药的那人拐入了大漠。于是乎,剧情全面崩坏,旅途全程高能……怪力乱神迷糊女与病弱腹黑轮椅公子的恋爱养成。宝藏愤愤不平:我呢?说好的给我加戏份呢?!
  • 丐女为凰

    丐女为凰

    太子殿下到了适婚的年龄,京城贵女、富省高门,无不趋之若鹜,苦心孤诣,为了一个太子妃的名头险些挤破了脑袋。选妃宴上,太子亲自求娶,对象是他家府邸对面的——乞丐窝的女霸王! 殿内哗然。 女霸王心中冷笑,她心中有颗朱砂痣,去之痛彻骨,留之心意乱,不敢爱,不敢恨,陷入其中数年不可自拔。他想娶她便要答应,天底下哪有那么好的事?! 求娶之前: 女霸王:不想去太子府,不想住清风苑,不想见白柳风。 殿下:如此甚好,免得府卫受你荼毒,免得药园遭你毒手,免得有人与我抢饭食糕点。 求娶之后: 殿下:给你给你都给你!
  • 雁门关

    雁门关

    雁门关是万里长城的重要组成部分,被誉为中华第一关,具有悠久的历史。该书以图为主,用近200幅精美的照片,分六篇,即雁门长城、雁门关城、雁门古道、雁门名将、雁门商贸、雁门文化,反映了雁门关的美丽风光和历史文化。