The Genius (Carl Grosse)/Chapter 21
CHAP. IV.
From Orleans we went to Montpellier, and so fertile in accidents and amorous intrigues was this tour, that it would alone take up a volume to describe them. Many a little town, many a village and hamlet, saw us depart with regret, especially the females, whose relations we had wantonly flattered with the idea of marrying their daughters, and settling in their peaceful domains.
From the time I reached Montpellier the incidents of my life began to grow more and more serious. The petulant sports of a loose and unsettled mind now drew to an end. A new matrimonial connexion, great and sacred, was about to be formed, and became productive of the most important consequences. My friends will, with astonishment, see, how the vicious spirit of the ruthless Cabal Purified itself in its own fire.
It was in the middle of February, when we reached Montpellier, and the morning on which we approached this delightful city just happened to be not only one of the serenest, but of the most momentous of my life. Every where the almond-trees displayed their luxuriant blossom, and the coverts and meadows appeared clad in tender verdure, The olive inspired hopes and expectation of coming plenty, and the thrills of the soaring lark al ready cheared the labors of the busy rustic. There lies in the return of the vernal season a warmth and spirit, peculiar to itself, every breath respires soft life, and the fresh air deeply impresses into the human mind the symbol of revived nature.
A beautiful landscape laid before us, bordered by a caste, surrounded with a spacious park and garden, at the foot of a mountain. The rosy clouds of the morning were still mixed with the azure ground of the spreading horizon, which exhibited on its brink a group of rocks and scattered cottages. The castle was very near, and the sun reflected his golden beans from its glimmering windows.
We had now got to the park of the castle, when one of the servants, I don't know whether it was Alfonso or some other, began to relate the history of lord of the manor before us, which-he said he had learned at the inn where we put up the preceding night. He described him as the owner of the castle, and as a man whose misfortunes had made him retire from the bustling scenes of the world, to pass his days in misanthropic apathy in this lonely retreat, with Adela de Giraumont, his daughter, a prodigy of beauty, and the admiration of the whole province. She was reported to live in coy reserve, with the count, her father, and to shun all intercourse with the neighbouring young noblemen.
"Giraumont, are you sure this is his name?" said I to the servant.
"I am sure I was told so," replied the man.
"Heavens! I well know the name; should it be the father of the Chevalier de Giraumont, who———"
At these words Alfonso interrupted me, saying, "'tis the same, whose life you saved near Alcantara?"
—"Aye, I remember now. He often used to talk to me of his father and sister, and he certainly was born in this province."
I recollected with pleasure that meritorious action. The young chevalier was a school-fellow of mine, and being one day bathing in the river near Alcantara, he got out of his depth, and would have been carried away by the rapidity of the stream, had not I, who was a better swimmer, fortunately saved him. He returned afterwards to France, and I never knew what had become of him.
"Perhaps," said I to myself, "thou wilt meet thy friend here, in the bosom of his family. He always loved thee, and there is no doubt, but he will give us a good reception."
Delighted with these thoughts I was jogging on, when Don Fernandos cried, "Stop Carlos, your saddle is loose! You'll be down in a moment!"
Art this instant I was stopping to alight, when a young lady, with a book in her hand, attracted my sight in the garden of the castle, and set my heart in a strong palpitation, She had on a green straw-hat, tied with a white ribband, which floated negligently on her heaving bosom; her complexion was beautiful, and her brown hair descended in ringlets down to her waist; a long white robe covered her slender shape, fastened With a green sash and her hands seemed to rival the alpine snow in whiteness.
Hearing the trot of horses, she lifted her beauteous eyes from the book, and accidentally cast them upon me. A flight blush immediately suffused her lovely countenance, and she stooped to the ground, as if she wanted to pick up something. My horse began to prance, and the saddle not being yet fastened, Don Fernandos again calls out to me, while she startles and turns pale. She then advanced hastily towards the castle, and on her way thither, turned round once more to bless me as it were, with another view of her charming countenance.
Don Fernandos, who was equally struck with the appearance of the fair stranger, perceiving her turn round the last time, exclaimed with enthusiasm, "Good Heavens!"
It was impossible to speak more sentiment than my friend's exclamation and manner expressed. I was silent, and a thousand emotions of love and tender apprehension agitated my soul. Don Fernandos was aware of this change, and observing me for a minute with pensive astonishment, softly whispered, "Poor Carlos?" He knew the power of a rising passion; he knew, that I had too much sensibility to be happy in love, and strove therefore to stifle it in embryo.
Meanwhile we arrived in the village, and alighted to take some refreshment. Enquiring of the landlord the name and family of the owner of the castle, and finding his account to be the same as that which we had obtained of the servant, I sent the following note to Count Giraumont:
"My Lord.
"The Marquis de Grandez, who is now on his way through this village, had once the honor to form an acquaintance with a certain Chevalier de Giraumont, at Alcantara. Supposing him to be of your lordship's family, the Marquis makes bold, to ask the favor of paying a visit at the castle."
"A Mons. Le Comte de Giraumont."
The servant was not many minutes gone, before he returned with one of the count's servants, who delivered a formal invitation from his master for me and my friends to come to the castle. The same messenger also acquainted the landlord, that the count had given him orders to remove our horses and luggage from the inn. The landlord came into us, and shaking his head, said, "you must indeed be well recommended to his lordship, for I never knew him treat any gentleman with such civility."
I received the invitation with a kind of rapture, and was going to change my dress, when I found the servants had already carried off our portmanteaus. -I was therefore obliged to go in a plain green hunting dress, with my hair, which in my hurry I had forgotten to adjust, hanging rather wildly about my face, Fernandos perceived my embarrassment, "What vanity, Don Carlos!" cried he, "but let me assure you to your comfort you never looked better than you now do."
Arrived at the castle, a gentleman, who seemed to be the count's secretary, received us with every mark of respect, and leading us into a parlour, said he would soon introduce us to his lordship, who was still dressing upstairs. The gentleman then withdrew, with a bow, and being left alone, we began to look at the portraits and pictures which decorated the apartment.
"As I know you are much delighted with portraits in gilt frames of exquisite workmanship," began Don Bernardos, "I beg you will come and look at this one!"
I went to that part of the room, where my friend was, to look at the boasted performance, and shrunk back with surprize at the first glance I cast on it. It was my own semblance as perfect as in a mirror. I now recollected, that it once had been mine, and that I parted with it in favor of the Chevalier de Giraumont, who, after the accident in the river, always importuned me to let him have it in remembrance of my service.
In the very moment I was thus gazing at the portrait, the old count entered by a side door. I bowed and was going to speak, when he quickly advanced and embraced me, saying:
"I know you Don Carlos, the portrait you have just been looking at will spare me the trouble of any farther explanation. It was you that saved my son's life, and you are now here to receive the thanks of his father, and to deplore with me his early death." At these words tears trickled down the cheeks of the venerable parent.
"How!" exclaimed I, "shall I see him no more?"
"Alas! no," replied the count, "his fate grudged him that happiness. Two years ago, he went with his regiment to St. Domingo, and there fell a victim to the climate." Here the old man paused a few moments, and then pursued: "but you have lost nothing. The father has inherited the friendship of his son, and I find in you the same amiable young man, whom his tender affection has always represented to me. I cannot say that I am partial to mankind in general, but I could with you to supply his place in my family."
I answered him deeply moved, "that I would use my best endeavours to deserve so much kindness, and had felt a strong affection towards him, from the very instant of our first meeting." He then left me, with seeming reluctance, and said several handsome things to Fernandos and Bernardos. It appeared, that he had been acquainted with the former's father, while on his tour through France. We soon grew as familiar with the count, as if we had known him for years, and made but one family.
At last, he said, "I will now introduce you to my daughter, who already saw you this morning, and immediately recognized Don Carlos. You see," added he with a smile, "how firmly your image is imprinted in our hearts."
—"All goes well!" whispered Fernandos to me, on quitting the apartment.
"Behold Adela," said the count entering his daughter's drawing-room, "behold Don Carlos, your brother's, and our common friend! He has promised me, to be my son and your brother."
She rose and received us, dropping several low curtsies. She now wore a plain rose-colored ribband, twined with her hair which, with the addition of a little powder, and a black velvet belt buckled in front to a medallion, representing a young man in regimentals whom I immediately guessed to be the chevalier, was all the alteration she had made in her dress.
I could plainly discover, that there was a kind of confusion in her attitudes and deportment. All becomes instinct in an innocent maiden, if the faces the man, whom her heart has secretly chosen. All the powers of art could not have devised and executed a more charming reception, than simple nature afforded here. This confusion was a secret avowal, that her heart wanted no foreign impulse, not even the commands of a respected parent, to do for me that, which she did afterwards. Her mind spoke its meaning in every feature of her face, though rather timorously, lest it might be understood. The original of her sweet illusion, was now conveyed by her own father into her arms, with the request to cherish him as a brother. But will the human heart always contain itself within the prescribed limits?
The father did not quite understand his daughter, nor did he think, that the reception she gave me answered to the tender friendliness of his wishes.
"How!" began he, "does Adela receive thus coolly the friends of her father, and a brother restored?" Her looks now seemed to teach him better. He led her smiling towards me, "Here," said he, "embrace your sister."
We spent the whole day in ease and happiness. Don Fernandos displayed all his sprightliness to my Adela, and the steady Bernardos ingratiated himself to an astonishing degree with her father, who felt the gravity of my friend's temper congenial to his own.
Towards the evening a walk was proposed in the beautiful gardens of the castle. Adela with the familiarity of a sister laid hold of my arm, and, with a heavenly ingenuousness, pointed out every spot, where she had formerly thought on me. She told me too, that my name was constantly in her brother's mouth, and that he never was tired of loading me with encomiums.
How rapidly did the hours fleet away in such company! Don Fernandos seemed to envy my happiness, and had recourse to all the powers of the art of pleasing to insinuate himself in the good graces of my Adela. The latter deemed him very amiable and frankly told him so. Often have I felt sudden starts of jealousy, but then she would treat me with such tenderness, as to obliterate again every trace of that unhappy passion from my heart.
The count had made us promise to stay with him at least for some weeks; but these were soon commuted into months. By degrees Adela's natural seriousness returned to her mind; The count, old and infirm as he was, still loved the chace, to which Bernardos and Fernandos constantly accompanied him.
Adela and I were fondest of the pleasures of gardening, which afforded us the best opportunity of being undisturbed together. I soon felt, that the part of a brother which the count had allotted to me, became intolerable to my captivated senses. The name of a sister, entitled her to those familiarities which will distract the lover, I found friendship in her heart as well as in her mouth, but neither of them ever betrayed the least symptom of love. Thus was I tormented with my own sensations, at a period when it only depended on me to have put myself in possession of all the happiness I coveted.
In the evening we generally used to walk in the garden. Once we sat down on a seat made of green fed, where Adela became more and more serious, and even melancholy at last. My own heart was so heavy, that I could not for all the world, have uttered a syllable. We both wept, and knew not why. Adela then laying hold of my hand, exclaimed in a tender tone, "Dear Carlos, your sister's temper makes her very wretched. Well for her if the soon leaves this world; but will you forget her then?"
I answered this question, so abundantly fraught with delicate sentiment, in a vague and inadequate manner. The canker of sadness began to consume the best faculties of my being, and Adela, who perceived it, likewise fretted, and injured her health.
One day, being uncommonly low spirited, I took my fowling-piece and went to hide myself in the thickest part of the adjacent wood. Dinner time came and I was missing; when I returned to the castle in the evening, I met some servants whom the count had sent in search of me. Having sent them back with a satisfactory answer to their master, I got over the park-wall, and surprized my Adela in a favorite arbor of the garden, in a pensive and melancholy posture. Her thoughts were deeply absorbed in a rose which she would now take from her bosom, now replace it again. She supported herself on my cane, and frequently looked at it. At my approach she was suddenly roused from her reverie, and seeing somebody so near her, would, in her surprize have fallen to the ground, had I not fortunately caught her in my arms.
"My God," cried she composing herself, "where have you been Carlos?" But here another accident happened, I had forced my hunting-piece so violently among the shrubs composing the bower, that on putting my hand to the mouth of the barrel to take it out again, the lock unfortunately cocked among the stems, and the piece being loaded went off, and almost shattered two fingers of my left hand, while the blood bespattered Adela's face.
Instead of fainting which I expected, she rather grew more collected, and with anxious solicitude stopped the blood with her handkerchief. Having persuaded me to return with her to the castle to have the wounds properly dressed, she embraced me as I rose and with tears in her eyes, asked me, "do you feel much pain, Carlos?"
—"Very little in my hand," answered I.
—"What, are you wounded in some other part?"
—"Here, Adela, here I feel excruciating pangs," returned I pointing to my heart.
"—What can it be? Tell it your sister!" pursued she, seizing my hand.
I now described all the feelings of my soul, and this avowal made Adela thus declare herself, "I never thought there could be much difference in my being your sister or your wife. If the quality of a wife attaches to itself a more exclusive right to your love———here is my hand—take it—I'll be what you wish me."
On our return to the castle, we found the Count and my friends, who had all been out in quest of me, had come back. They were quite rejoiced to see me again, and lamented the accident that had happened to my hand.
At supper the count seemed to be aware of the great change that had taken place between Adela and me, and partook in our gaiety, till a late hour, when we retired to rest.
Early in the morning, I waited on the count to inform him of what had passed between his daughter and me, and to ask his consent to our union.
"Dear Carlos," answered Giraumont, "you have anticipated my wishes, and I joyfully grant your request with my blessing." In less than a fortnight after Adela was my wife.