登陆注册
5154600000249

第249章

'When the doctor came,' resumed Dorothee, 'alas! he came too late; he appeared greatly shocked to see her, for soon after her death a frightful blackness spread all over her face.When he had sent the attendants out of the room, he asked me several odd questions about the Marchioness, particularly concerning the manner, in which she had been seized, and he often shook his head at my answers, and seemed to mean more, than he chose to say.But I understood him too well.

However, I kept my remarks to myself, and only told them to my husband, who bade me hold my tongue.Some of the other servants, however, suspected what I did, and strange reports were whispered about the neighbourhood, but nobody dared to make any stir about them.When my lord heard that my lady was dead, he shut himself up, and would see nobody but the doctor, who used to be with him alone, sometimes for an hour together; and, after that, the doctor never talked with me again about my lady.When she was buried in the church of the convent, at a little distance yonder, if the moon was up you might see the towers here, ma'amselle, all my lord's vassals followed the funeral, and there was not a dry eye among them, for she had done a deal of good among the poor.My lord, the Marquis, Inever saw any body so melancholy as he was afterwards, and sometimes he would be in such fits of violence, that we almost thought he had lost his senses.He did not stay long at the chateau, but joined his regiment, and, soon after, all the servants, except my husband and I, received notice to go, for my lord went to the wars.I never saw him after, for he would not return to the chateau, though it is such a fine place, and never finished those fine rooms he was building on the west side of it, and it has, in a manner, been shut up ever since, till my lord the Count came here.'

'The death of the Marchioness appears extraordinary,' said Emily, who was anxious to know more than she dared to ask.

'Yes, madam,' replied Dorothee, 'it was extraordinary; I have told you all I saw, and you may easily guess what I think, I cannot say more, because I would not spread reports, that might offend my lord the Count.'

'You are very right,' said Emily;--'where did the Marquis die?'--'In the north of France, I believe, ma'amselle,' replied Dorothee.'Iwas very glad, when I heard my lord the Count was coming, for this had been a sad desolate place, these many years, and we heard such strange noises, sometimes, after my lady's death, that, as I told you before, my husband and I left it for a neighbouring cottage.And now, lady, I have told you all this sad history, and all my thoughts, and you have promised, you know, never to give the least hint about it.'--'I have,' said Emily, 'and I will be faithful to my promise, Dorothee;--what you have told has interested me more than you can imagine.I only wish I could prevail upon you to tell the name of the chevalier, whom you thought so deserving of the Marchioness.'

Dorothee, however, steadily refused to do this, and then returned to the notice of Emily's likeness to the late Marchioness.'There is another picture of her,' added she, 'hanging in a room of the suite, which was shut up.It was drawn, as I have heard, before she was married, and is much more like you than the miniature.' When Emily expressed a strong desire to see this, Dorothee replied, that she did not like to open those rooms; but Emily reminded her, that the Count had talked the other day of ordering them to be opened; of which Dorothee seemed to consider much, and then she owned, that she should feel less, if she went into them with Emily first, than otherwise, and at length promised to shew the picture.

The night was too far advanced and Emily was too much affected by the narrative of the scenes, which had passed in those apartments, to wish to visit them at this hour, but she requested that Dorothee would return on the following night, when they were not likely to be observed, and conduct her thither.Besides her wish to examine the portrait, she felt a thrilling curiosity to see the chamber, in which the Marchioness had died, and which Dorothee had said remained, with the bed and furniture, just as when the corpse was removed for interment.The solemn emotions, which the expectation of viewing such a scene had awakened, were in unison with the present tone of her mind, depressed by severe disappointment.Cheerful objects rather added to, than removed this depression; but, perhaps, she yielded too much to her melancholy inclination, and imprudently lamented the misfortune, which no virtue of her own could have taught her to avoid, though no effort of reason could make her look unmoved upon the self-degradation of him, whom she had once esteemed and loved.

Dorothee promised to return, on the following night, with the keys of the chambers, and then wished Emily good repose, and departed.

Emily, however, continued at the window, musing upon the melancholy fate of the Marchioness and listening, in awful expectation, for a return of the music.But the stillness of the night remained long unbroken, except by the murmuring sounds of the woods, as they waved in the breeze, and then by the distant bell of the convent, striking one.She now withdrew from the window, and, as she sat at her bed-side, indulging melancholy reveries, which the loneliness of the hour assisted, the stillness was suddenly interrupted not by music, but by very uncommon sounds, that seemed to come either from the room, adjoining her own, or from one below.The terrible catastrophe, that had been related to her, together with the mysterious circumstances, said to have since occurred in the chateau, had so much shocked her spirits, that she now sunk, for a moment, under the weakness of superstition.The sounds, however, did not return, and she retired, to forget in sleep the disastrous story she had heard.

同类推荐
  • 伤寒论类方

    伤寒论类方

    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。
  • 含中集

    含中集

    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。
  • 檐醉杂记

    檐醉杂记

    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。
  • 莅蒙平政录

    莅蒙平政录

    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。
  • 大乘缘生论

    大乘缘生论

    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
  • 城市英雄

    城市英雄

    本书以独特的角度表现武昌首义。全书前后有著名学者章开沅、冯天瑜二位先生所作的序言和作者本人创作谈式的后记。正文部分共18章,前面5章归纳了武汉的城市历史地位和酝酿武昌首义的社会大环境;中间9章叙述了湖北地区革命组织的建立与武昌首义暨阳夏保卫战的发生经过;后面4章回顾了武昌首义的意义及影响包括首义文化的形成和发展。脉络清晰,结构合理。
  • 凌武帝

    凌武帝

    乱世波诡,天下云谲,少年横空出世。血途凶险,武道杀戮,一代武帝传奇。
  • 娇女重生记

    娇女重生记

    她,是21世纪的特工,孤冷高傲,却被唯一信任的人背叛,以至于穿越成了余府嫡女。他,是寒夜国的九王爷,权高位重,受万人敬仰。她在茅屋之中,救了他一命。他在巷子里,也救了她一命,甚至,还被她强要了……她说此事就当没发生过,可是,他又怎么会放过她?“今夜,本王就要你暖床。”“娘子可是想要了?”“别娘子娘子叫的那么亲热,八字还没一撇呢。”………………“本王不要这江山,只要你陪我便好。”“本王只愿与你一生一世一双人。”
  • 中国十大皇帝

    中国十大皇帝

    本书介绍了中国古代十大名帝的故事,包括秦始皇、刘邦、唐太宗、武则天、赵匡胤、朱元璋、康熙、乾隆等。
  • 卡耐基妙语沟通技巧

    卡耐基妙语沟通技巧

    卡耐基要我们坚信,沟通其实并不难,成功离我们并不遥远,人生中许多失败都是可以利用巧妙的语言沟通来避免的。世上没有永远的失败者,只有不求沟通、不思进取,就想一蹴而就的轻狂者。
  • 红楼之世家公子贾琏

    红楼之世家公子贾琏

    身为袭爵长房嫡子,最终结局却是流放三千里。死后的贾琏重生回到三岁刚开蒙之时,面对藏奸的二婶,假正经的二叔,还有那偏心的祖母,他该何去何从?阴差阳错之下获得了一个世家公子养成系统,贾琏从此开始与上辈子完全不一样的人生。
  • 蔚蓝旖旎的海洋(新编科技大博览·B卷)

    蔚蓝旖旎的海洋(新编科技大博览·B卷)

    现代社会的飞速发展很大程度上得益于科技的进步,“科技是第一生产力”已日益成为人们的共识。但是,由于现代科学的分工越来越细,众多的学科令人目不暇接。对于处于学习阶段的广大青少年而言,难免有“乱花渐欲迷人眼”的困扰。有鉴于此,我们组织了数十名在高等院校、教育科研机构工作、有着丰富的青少年教育的专家学者,编选了这套《新编科技大博览》。
  • 野丫头:霸道校草独宠

    野丫头:霸道校草独宠

    她是一个野丫头,不知天高地厚,屡次顶撞校草,他是学院有名的校草,著名珠宝集团的继承人,她后来成为他的女佣,他便故意为难她。
  • 总裁小妻太抢手

    总裁小妻太抢手

    “韩梨洛,你的男人只能是我!”原本他只是打击报复,硬是将她禁锢身边,怎料却深陷其中。奈何她太抢手,觊觎她的人一堆一堆!避免夜长梦多,只能娶回家再说!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 飞天神皇

    飞天神皇

    一剑风云变,一剑破长天。一剑斩神明,踏破三十三。