The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons (best book club books for discussion .TXT) 📖

invitation to stay dinner, and hastily withdrew. The moment he left the room Matilda arose, and throwing her arms round the Marchioness, her grateful heart overflowing into tears, ‘Oh! my dearest, my generous protectress, how shall I ever return your goodness?’ ‘By loving me, my precious girl, as affectionately as I do you,’ answered she, embracing her. Observing the Marquis seeming musing, ‘May I ask, my Lord, what occupies your thoughts?’ ‘Yes,’ replied he; ‘it is fit you should know; to be plain then, I don’t like Mr Weimar; I suspect he means to deceive us.’ ‘Good God,’ cried Matilda, alarmed, ‘how is that possible?’ ‘Be it as it may,’ answered the Marquis, ‘we will guard against any sinister design; let our young friend retire this night to some place of safety.’ ‘You do not surely apprehend he will apply for a lettre de cachet?’ said the Marchioness. ‘I should not be surprised at it,’ returned he. ‘Then,’ said she, ‘we will set off instantly on our journey; Louison and Antoine can attend us; Marianne shall take care of all our baggage here, and follow us, with Pierre, in a day or two, or come with you.’ ‘ ‘Tis a hasty, and rather an inconvenient scheme,’ said he, ‘but I have no other to offer at present.’ ‘O, what trouble I occasion to my friends,’ cried Matilda. ‘Go to your apartment, set about packing, my dear girl; we must take a few necessaries with us, and set off immediately after dinner.’ She obeyed. The Marquis set about the arrangements for their journey, and promised to follow in four or five days.

Poor Joseph and Albert deplored their fate, in being too old to accompany the ladies, and were the only domestics left in the house, who knew to what place they were going.

Every thing being settled in a few hours, it was given out in the family, they were going into the country for a short time; even Marianne and Pierre knew no more for the present; and the ladies, attended by Louison and Antoine, set off, with all expedition: fortunately, Antoine had been in England once before, with a former master; he was therefore acquainted with the roads and accommodations, and consequently extremely useful.

The Marquis found the following day he had been right in his conjectures. Two men came to his hotel, armed with authority, to demand a lady commonly known by the name of Matilda Weimar, with a description of her person, then under the protection of the Marquis De Melfort. The Marquis was not at home; the men were informed the young lady was gone, with their mistress, into the country. They searched the house, and being disappointed, waited till the Marquis returned; he gave them the same information, and drew up a paper, signifying, that having taken the young lady under his protection, by the consent of Mr Weimar, who called himself her guardian, she had accompanied the Marchioness on a visit to some friends; that he pledged his honor for her safety, also to answer any charges that could be brought against her. With this declaration the men departed and returned no more; but a person was observed to watch the house for some days after.

The Marquis made no secret to the Bouville family of the past transactions, and though they felt great regret for the loss of their friends, they acknowledged the event had justified their prudence in the steps they had taken.

The Count felt more than he dared express, yet tried to subdue his feelings, from a consciousness of their impropriety to be indulged. His sister was to be married the following week to Monsieur De Clermont, and her establishment engrossed much of his time and attention.

The Marquis very soon arranged all his affairs, and within five days after the ladies left Paris, he followed them.

The Marchioness and her friend pursued their route, arrived at Calais, and crossed over to Dover, without meeting a single accident; here they determined to rest, and wait for the Marquis. They were exceedingly fatigued with the expedition they had used, and were glad to sit down comfortably.

The Marchioness understood the English language perfectly well, and spoke enough to make herself comprehended in common matters; Antoine did the same, but as to Matilda and Louison, they knew not a single word ‘till the Marchioness taught them to name a few necessary articles, and write down common words.

Much sooner than they expected, they had the pleasure of embracing the Marquis, and then learned the danger Matilda had escaped, and the duplicity of Mr Weimar. She shuddered to think how near she had been to misery, and her affection and gratitude to the worthy pair, who protected her, was proportionably increased.

The following morning they left Dover, and by easy journies arrived at the Royal Hotel in Jermyn-street. A card was instantly sent off to Harley-street, The messenger returned, with a line only, from the Countess, that they should follow the bearer with all speed and within ten minutes after the coach drew up. The Marquis hastened down to receive and conduct the ladies. The Countess was almost breathless with joy; she flew up stairs, and in a moment was in her sister’s arms. Their mutual joy, their tears of affection and transport excited sympathy in every one. The Countess, recovering, led her sister to Mrs Courtney, ‘The two dearest friends I have on earth,’ said she, ‘love each other for my sake now, you have congenial hearts.’ She then warmly embraced Matilda. ‘This is the first day of my life,’ cried she, putting her hand to her heart; ‘I have all that I love in the world about me, at least, all that I know,’ added she, with a suppressed sigh.

Matilda, whose grateful heart expanded with delight, to see all her friends happy, expressed her feelings with such a warmth of satisfaction as engaged all their affections. She was introduced also to Mrs Courtney: and when the first tumults of joy were over, the Countess, taking that lady’s hand, said, ‘Behold, my dear sister and brother, the preserver of Victoria’s life; to her goodness I am indebted for all the happiness I now enjoy, a vast debt of gratitude, never to be repaid.’ ‘You neither do me nor yourself justice,’ answered Mrs Courtney; ‘if you do not think I am a thousand times overpaid for any little services, I have been so happy to render you, by the pleasure of your company, and the honor you have procured me, of knowing your respectable friends.’ They all gratefully bowed to this compliment, and then began to talk of their future residence. The Marquis wished to have a ready furnished house, in the neighbourhood of Mrs Courtney. She contended for the pleasure of accommodating them in hers; but this, for several reasons, they declined; and after a long and friendly contest it was decided, a house should be procured for them in her neighbourhood, but that they should spend every other week at Mrs Courtney’s villa, and until a habitation was fixed on they would remain at the hotel, where they all supped together that evening.

‘I know,’ said the Countess, ‘you must all be very anxious to understand by what means I obtained my present happy situation, and I am equally curious to know how my dear Miss Weimar conducted herself from the time we last met; but we will suspend curiosity for the present, nor cloud our happy meeting with a recital of painful events.’ ‘You are right, my dear Countess,’ said Mrs Courtney; ‘we are now all happily met, and ‘tis of little consequence by what means it came about at present.’

They passed a most delightful evening, and parted with reluctance, after engaging to spend the following day in Harley-street, and Mrs Courtney promising to search the neighbourhood for a house to accommodate them.

‘What a charming woman is Mrs Courtney,’ said the Marchioness. ‘Ah!’ cried Matilda. ‘I wish I understood English. I should like to speak to that lady in her own language.’ ‘You shall learn it, my love, when we are settled; but as the lady speaks French remarkably well, you have no cause for regret.’

They retired to rest, and the following morning had some trades people with them, who are always on the watch to attend foreigners at the hotels. They purchased a few trifles, but chose to have Mrs Courtney’s judgment before they bought any thing of consequence.

The Marquis, who had letters of credit on the house of Sir Thomas Herries, attended by the master of the hotel, went out to get cash, whilst the ladies attended to the business of the toilet, as they had engaged to be with their friends at a very early hour.

Soon after his return they drove to Harley-street, and were received with that affectionate cordiality, a thousand times more desirable than distant civility and respect: they met like old friends, with congenial minds, to enjoy the pleasures of society. Mrs Courtney told them, she hoped she had already succeeded in her endeavours to procure a residence for them; ‘and, fortunately,’ said she, ‘only three doors from hence; if you are inclined, we can now look at it.’ The proposal was accepted. The house and furniture, which had been all new within the twelvemonth, and belonged to Lord G - , who found it convenient to go abroad for his health ; was now to be let for a year certain, at 4001. per annum. They were extremely well pleased with the house, and readily agreed to the terms. Within two or three days it would be ready for their reception.

This being settled, they returned in high spirits, and spent a most delightful day in a quiet family party.

The next day was appropriated to shopping and excursions round the town; and indeed, except sleeping hours, they passed their time solely together; Mrs Courtney having shut her doors to all company ‘till they were settled in their new abode for the same reason the Marquis deferred sending all his letters of recommendation or waiting on the French Ambassador.

The fourth day after their arrival in England they took possession of their house; and having been fortunate enough to obtain a respectable woman, who was perfectly conversant in the French language, as housekeeper, they agreed to spend the following week in the country, previous to their being publicly announced in town.

Nothing particular occured until their arrival at Bellvue, Mrs Courtney’s little paradise: they were quite delighted with its situation, and charmed with its polite and friendly owner. The second morning after their residence here, the Countess entered the Marchioness’s dressing-room, Matilda was with her; ‘Mrs Courtney has just got two or three neighbours with her; my presence not being necessary, I have seized the opportunity, to make our respective communications: I am sensible you must be very curious, but I wish to hear my dear Miss Weimar’s story taken up from the visit she promised me, and I suppose intended paying me.’ Matilda very readily gave an account of every event at the castle. The Countess shuddered, and heaved a sigh to the fate of poor Margarite, but did not interrupt ‘till she came to the letter received from Joseph, of the fire in the castle, Bertha’s miserable fate and his escape. ‘Good heavens!’ cried she, ‘of what atrocious wickedness is that man capable! Poor wretch, what a long account has he one day to make - God grant him repentance!’ Matilda proceeded, and related every circumstance until their safe arrival in London. The Countess embraced the lovely girl, who had betrayed a sense of mortification in recounting the particulars of her birth. ‘I thank, my beloved sister,’ said she, ‘for the attention she paid to my request, and I am persuaded your charming society has amply recompensed her for the favor she did me.’