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the castle of otranto-第19章

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h her friend; could not determine to avoid him; and made  no reply。

〃I will go to the convent;〃 said Hippolita; 〃and order new masses to  be said for a deliverance from these calamities。〃

〃Oh! my mother;〃 said Matilda; 〃you mean to quit us:  you mean to take  sanctuary; and to give my father an opportunity of pursuing his fatal  intention。  Alas! on my knees I supplicate you to forbear; will you  leave me a prey to Frederic?  I will follow you to the convent。〃

〃Be at peace; my child;〃 said Hippolita:  〃I will return instantly。  I  will never abandon thee; until I know it is the will of heaven; and  for thy benefit。〃

〃Do not deceive me;〃 said Matilda。  〃I will not marry Frederic until  thou commandest it。  Alas! what will become of me?〃

〃Why that exclamation?〃 said Hippolita。  〃I have promised thee to  return … 〃

〃Ah! my mother;〃 replied Matilda; 〃stay and save me from myself。  A  frown from thee can do more than all my father's severity。  I have  given away my heart; and you alone can make me recall it。〃

〃No more;〃 said Hippolita; 〃thou must not relapse; Matilda。〃

〃I can quit Theodore;〃 said she; 〃but must I wed another? let me  attend thee to the altar; and shut myself from the world for ever。〃

〃Thy fate depends on thy father;〃 said Hippolita; 〃I have ill…bestowed  my tenderness; if it has taught thee to revere aught beyond him。   Adieu! my child:  I go to pray for thee。〃

Hippolita's real purpose was to demand of Jerome; whether in  conscience she might not consent to the divorce。  She had oft urged  Manfred to resign the principality; which the delicacy of her  conscience rendered an hourly burthen to her。  These scruples  concurred to make the separation from her husband appear less dreadful  to her than it would have seemed in any other situation。

Jerome; at quitting the castle overnight; had questioned Theodore  severely why he had accused him to Manfred of being privy to his  escape。  Theodore owned it had been with design to prevent Manfred's  suspicion from alighting on Matilda; and added; the holiness of  Jerome's life and character secured him from the tyrant's wrath。   Jerome was heartily grieved to discover his son's inclination for that  princess; and leaving him to his rest; promised in the morning to  acquaint him with important reasons for conquering his passion。

Theodore; like Isabella; was too recently acquainted with parental  authority to submit to its decisions against the impulse of his heart。   He had little curiosity to learn the Friar's reasons; and less  disposition to obey them。  The lovely Matilda had made stronger  impressions on him than filial affection。  All night he pleased  himself with visions of love; and it was not till late after the  morning…office; that he recollected the Friar's commands to attend him  at Alfonso's tomb。

〃Young man;〃 said Jerome; when he saw him; 〃this tardiness does not  please me。  Have a father's commands already so little weight?〃

Theodore made awkward excuses; and attributed his delay to having  overslept himself。

〃And on whom were thy dreams employed?〃 said the Friar sternly。  His  son blushed。  〃Come; come;〃 resumed the Friar; 〃inconsiderate youth;  this must not be; eradicate this guilty passion from thy breast … 〃

〃Guilty passion!〃 cried Theodore:  〃Can guilt dwell with innocent  beauty and virtuous modesty?〃

〃It is sinful;〃 replied the Friar; 〃to cherish those whom heaven has  doomed to destruction。  A tyrant's race must be swept from the earth  to the third and fourth generation。〃

〃Will heaven visit the innocent for the crimes of the guilty?〃 said  Theodore。  〃The fair Matilda has virtues enough … 〃

〃To undo thee:〃 interrupted Jerome。  〃Hast thou so soon forgotten that  twice the savage Manfred has pronounced thy sentence?〃

〃Nor have I forgotten; sir;〃 said Theodore; 〃that the charity of his  daughter delivered me from his power。  I can forget injuries; but  never benefits。〃

〃The injuries thou hast received from Manfred's race;〃 said the Friar;  〃are beyond what thou canst conceive。  Reply not; but view this holy  image!  Beneath this marble monument rest the ashes of the good  Alfonso; a prince adorned with every virtue:  the father of his  people! the delight of mankind!  Kneel; headstrong boy; and list;  while a father unfolds a tale of horror that will expel every  sentiment from thy soul; but sensations of sacred vengeance … Alfonso!  much injured prince! let thy unsatisfied shade sit awful on the  troubled air; while these trembling lips … Ha! who comes there? … 〃

〃The most wretched of women!〃 said Hippolita; entering the choir。   〃Good Father; art thou at leisure? … but why this kneeling youth? what  means the horror imprinted on each countenance? why at this venerable  tomb … alas! hast thou seen aught?〃

〃We were pouring forth our orisons to heaven;〃 replied the Friar; with  some confusion; 〃to put an end to the woes of this deplorable  province。  Join with us; Lady! thy spotless soul may obtain an  exemption from the judgments which the portents of these days but too  speakingly denounce against thy house。〃

〃I pray fervently to heaven to divert them;〃 said the pious Princess。   〃Thou knowest it has been the occupation of my life to wrest a  blessing for my Lord and my harmless children。 … One alas! is taken  from me! would heaven but hear me for my poor Matilda!  Father!  intercede for her!〃

〃Every heart will bless her;〃 cried Theodore with rapture。

〃Be dumb; rash youth!〃 said Jerome。  〃And thou; fond Princess; contend  not with the Powers above! the Lord giveth; and the Lord taketh away:   bless His holy name; and submit to his decrees。〃

〃I do most devoutly;〃 said Hippolita; 〃but will He not spare my only  comfort? must Matilda perish too? … ah!  Father; I came … but dismiss  thy son。  No ear but thine must hear what I have to utter。〃

〃May heaven grant thy every wish; most excellent Princess!〃 said  Theodore retiring。  Jerome frowned。

Hippolita then acquainted the Friar with the proposal she had  suggested to Manfred; his approbation of it; and the tender of Matilda  that he was gone to make to Frederic。  Jerome could not conceal his  dislike of the notion; which he covered under pretence of the  improbability that Frederic; the nearest of blood to Alfonso; and who  was come to claim his succession; would yield to an alliance with the  usurper of his right。  But nothing could equal the perplexity of the  Friar; when Hippolita confessed her readiness not to oppose the  separation; and demanded his opinion on the legality of her  acquiescence。  The Friar caught eagerly at her request of his advice;  and without explaining his aversion to the proposed marriage of  Manfred and Isabella; he painted to Hippolita in the most alarming  colours the sinfulness of her consent; denounced judgments against her  if she complied; and enjoined her in the severest terms to treat any  such proposition with every mark of indignation and refusal。

Manfred; in the meantime; had broken his purpose to Frederic; and  proposed the double marriage。  That weak Prince; who had been struck  with the charms of Matilda; listened but too eagerly to the offer。  He  forgot his enmity to Manfred; whom he saw but little hope of  dispossessing by force; and flattering himself that no issue might  succeed from the union of his daughter with the tyrant; he looked upon  his own succession to the principality as facilitated by wedding  Matilda。  He made faint opposition to the proposal; affecting; for  form only; not to acquiesce unless Hippolita should consent to the  divorce。  Manfred took that upon himself。

Transported with his success; and impatient to see himself in a  situation to expect sons; he hastened to his wife's apartment;  determined to extort her compliance。  He learned with indignation that  she was absent at the convent。  His guilt suggested to him that she  had probably been informed by Isabella of his purpose。  He doubted  whether her retirement to the convent did not import an intention of  remaining there; until she could raise obstacles to their divorce; and  the suspicions he had already entertained of Jerome; made him  apprehend that the Friar would not only traverse his views; but might  have inspired Hippolita with the resolution of talking sanctuary。   Impatient to unravel this clue; and to defeat its success; Manfred  hastened to the convent; and arrived there as the Friar was earnestly  exhorting the Princess never to yield to the divorce。

〃Madam;〃 said Manfred; 〃what business drew you hither? why did you not  await my return from the Marquis?〃

〃I came to implore a blessing on your councils;〃 replied Hippolita。

〃My councils do not need a Friar's intervention;〃 said Manfred; 〃and  of all men living is that hoary traitor the only one whom you delight  to confer with?〃

〃Profane Prince!〃 said Jerome; 〃is it at the altar that thou choosest  to insult the servants of the altar? … but; Manfred; thy impious  schemes are known。  Heaven and this virtuous lady know them … nay;  frown not; Prince。  The Church despises thy menaces。  Her thunders  will be heard above thy wrath。  Dare to proceed in thy cursed purpose  of a divorce; until her sentence be known; and here I lance her  ana
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