nished at the impudence of this message, but the boy of the inn comforted us by saying, that by going on a horse by a cross road, where the voiture could not venture, he could easily overtake and intercept the voiturier, and accordingly we dispatched him, walking slowly after. We waited at the next inn for dinner, and in about two hours the boy returned. The man promised to wait for us at an auberge two leagues further on. S***'s ancle had become very painful, but we could procure no conveyance, and as the sun was nearly setting, we were obliged to hasten on. The evening was most beautiful, and the scenery lovely enough to beguile us of our fatigue: the horned moon hung in the light of sunset, that threw a glow of unusual depth of redness over the piny mountains and the dark deep vallies[1] they enclosed; at intervals in the woods were beautiful lawns interspersed with picturesque clumps of trees, and dark pines overshadowed our road.
In about two hours we arrived at the promised termination of our journey, but the voiturier was not there: after the boy had left him, he again pursued his journey towards Pontarlier. We were enabled, however, to procure here a rude kind of cart, and in this manner arrived late at Pontarlier, where 18 Aug., 1814.we found our conductor, who blundered out many falsehoods for excuses; and thus ended the adventures of that day.[2]
- ↑ Mrs. Shelley here inserts which in the Essays &c.
- ↑ When Mrs. Shelley republished the journal among Shelley's Essays &c. in 1840, she substituted for this paragraph the following:
"In about two hours we arrived at the promised termination of our journey. We found, according to our expectation, that M. le voiturier had pursued his journey with the utmost speed. We were enabled, however, to procure here a rude kind of cart, S*** being unable to walk. The moon became yellow, and hung low close to the woody horizon. Every now and then sleep overcame me, but our vehicle was too rude and rough to permit its indulgence. I looked on the stars—and the constellations seemed to weave a wild dance, as the visions of slumber invaded the domains of reality. In this manner we arrived late at Pontarlier, where we found our conductor, who blundered out many falsehoods for excuses; and thus ended the adventures of that day."
