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the castle of otranto-第23章

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heard them pronounce the fatal sentence  with a transport equal to frenzy。

〃Since she cannot live mine;〃 cried he; 〃at least she shall be mine in  death!  Father!  Jerome! will you not join our hands?〃 cried he to the  Friar; who; with the Marquis; had accompanied the surgeons。

〃What means thy distracted rashness?〃 said Jerome。  〃Is this an hour  for marriage?〃

〃It is; it is;〃 cried Theodore。  〃Alas! there is no other!〃

〃Young man; thou art too unadvised;〃 said Frederic。  〃Dost thou think  we are to listen to thy fond transports in this hour of fate?  What  pretensions hast thou to the Princess?〃

〃Those of a Prince;〃 said Theodore; 〃of the sovereign of Otranto。   This reverend man; my father; has informed me who I am。〃

〃Thou ravest;〃 said the Marquis。  〃There is no Prince of Otranto but  myself; now Manfred; by murder; by sacrilegious murder; has forfeited  all pretensions。〃

〃My Lord;〃 said Jerome; assuming an air of command; 〃he tells you  true。  It was not my purpose the secret should have been divulged so  soon; but fate presses onward to its work。  What his hot…headed  passion has revealed; my tongue confirms。  Know; Prince; that when  Alfonso set sail for the Holy Land … 〃

〃Is this a season for explanations?〃 cried Theodore。  〃Father; come  and unite me to the Princess; she shall be mine!  In every other thing  I will dutifully obey you。  My life! my adored Matilda!〃 continued  Theodore; rushing back into the inner chamber; 〃will you not be mine?   Will you not bless your … 〃

Isabella made signs to him to be silent; apprehending the Princess was  near her end。

〃What; is she dead?〃 cried Theodore; 〃is it possible!〃

The violence of his exclamations brought Matilda to herself。  Lifting  up her eyes; she looked round for her mother。

〃Life of my soul; I am here!〃 cried Hippolita; 〃think not I will quit  thee!〃

〃Oh! you are too good;〃 said Matilda。  〃But weep not for me; my  mother!  I am going where sorrow never dwells … Isabella; thou hast  loved me; wouldst thou not supply my fondness to this dear; dear  woman?  Indeed I am faint!〃

〃Oh! my child! my child!〃 said Hippolita in a flood of tears; 〃can I  not withhold thee a moment?〃

〃It will not be;〃 said Matilda; 〃commend me to heaven … Where is my  father? forgive him; dearest mother … forgive him my death; it was an  error。  Oh!  I had forgotten … dearest mother; I vowed never to see  Theodore more … perhaps that has drawn down this calamity … but it was  not intentional … can you pardon me?〃

〃Oh! wound not my agonising soul!〃 said Hippolita; 〃thou never couldst  offend me … Alas! she faints! help! help!〃

〃I would say something more;〃 said Matilda; struggling; 〃but it cannot  be … Isabella … Theodore … for my sake … Oh! … 〃 she expired。

Isabella and her women tore Hippolita from the corse; but Theodore  threatened destruction to all who attempted to remove him from it。  He  printed a thousand kisses on her clay…cold hands; and uttered every  expression that despairing love could dictate。

Isabella; in the meantime; was accompanying the afflicted Hippolita to  her apartment; but; in the middle of the court; they were met by  Manfred; who; distracted with his own thoughts; and anxious once more  to behold his daughter; was advancing to the chamber where she lay。   As the moon was now at its height; he read in the countenances of this  unhappy company the event he dreaded。

〃What! is she dead?〃 cried he in wild confusion。  A clap of thunder at  that instant shook the castle to its foundations; the earth rocked;  and the clank of more than mortal armour was heard behind。  Frederic  and Jerome thought the last day was at hand。  The latter; forcing  Theodore along with them; rushed into the court。  The moment Theodore  appeared; the walls of the castle behind Manfred were thrown down with  a mighty force; and the form of Alfonso; dilated to an immense  magnitude; appeared in the centre of the ruins。

〃Behold in Theodore the true heir of Alfonso!〃 said the vision:  And  having pronounced those words; accompanied by a clap of thunder; it  ascended solemnly towards heaven; where the clouds parting asunder;  the form of St。 Nicholas was seen; and receiving Alfonso's shade; they  were soon wrapt from mortal eyes in a blaze of glory。

The beholders fell prostrate on their faces; acknowledging the divine  will。  The first that broke silence was Hippolita。

〃My Lord;〃 said she to the desponding Manfred; 〃behold the vanity of  human greatness!  Conrad is gone!  Matilda is no more!  In Theodore we  view the true Prince of Otranto。  By what miracle he is so I know not  … suffice it to us; our doom is pronounced! shall we not; can we but  dedicate the few deplorable hours we have to live; in deprecating the  further wrath of heaven? heaven ejects us … whither can we fly; but to  yon holy cells that yet offer us a retreat。〃

〃Thou guiltless but unhappy woman! unhappy by my crimes!〃 replied  Manfred; 〃my heart at last is open to thy devout admonitions。  Oh!  could … but it cannot be … ye are lost in wonder … let me at last do  justice on myself!  To heap shame on my own head is all the  satisfaction I have left to offer to offended heaven。  My story has  drawn down these judgments:  Let my confession atone … but; ah! what  can atone for usurpation and a murdered child? a child murdered in a  consecrated place?  List; sirs; and may this bloody record be a  warning to future tyrants!〃

〃Alfonso; ye all know; died in the Holy Land … ye would interrupt me;  ye would say he came not fairly to his end … it is most true … why  else this bitter cup which Manfred must drink to the dregs。  Ricardo;  my grandfather; was his chamberlain … I would draw a veil over my  ancestor's crimes … but it is in vain!  Alfonso died by poison。  A  fictitious will declared Ricardo his heir。  His crimes pursued him …  yet he lost no Conrad; no Matilda!  I pay the price of usurpation for  all!  A storm overtook him。  Haunted by his guilt he vowed to St。  Nicholas to found a church and two convents; if he lived to reach  Otranto。  The sacrifice was accepted:  the saint appeared to him in a  dream; and promised that Ricardo's posterity should reign in Otranto  until the rightful owner should be grown too large to inhabit the  castle; and as long as issue male from Ricardo's loins should remain  to enjoy it … alas! alas! nor male nor female; except myself; remains  of all his wretched race!  I have done … the woes of these three days  speak the rest。  How this young man can be Alfonso's heir I know not …  yet I do not doubt it。  His are these dominions; I resign them … yet I  knew not Alfonso had an heir … I question not the will of heaven …  poverty and prayer must fill up the woeful space; until Manfred shall  be summoned to Ricardo。〃

〃What remains is my part to declare;〃 said Jerome。  〃When Alfonso set  sail for the Holy Land he was driven by a storm to the coast of  Sicily。  The other vessel; which bore Ricardo and his train; as your  Lordship must have heard; was separated from him。〃

〃It is most true;〃 said Manfred; 〃and the title you give me is more  than an outcast can claim … well! be it so … proceed。〃

Jerome blushed; and continued。  〃For three months Lord Alfonso was  wind…bound in Sicily。  There he became enamoured of a fair virgin  named Victoria。  He was too pious to tempt her to forbidden pleasures。   They were married。  Yet deeming this amour incongruous with the holy  vow of arms by which he was bound; he determined to conceal their  nuptials until his return from the Crusade; when he purposed to seek  and acknowledge her for his lawful wife。  He left her pregnant。   During his absence she was delivered of a daughter。  But scarce had  she felt a mother's pangs ere she heard the fatal rumour of her Lord's  death; and the succession of Ricardo。  What could a friendless;  helpless woman do?  Would her testimony avail? … yet; my lord; I have  an authentic writing … 〃

〃It needs not;〃 said Manfred; 〃the horrors of these days; the vision  we have but now seen; all corroborate thy evidence beyond a thousand  parchments。  Matilda's death and my expulsion … 〃

〃Be composed; my Lord;〃 said Hippolita; 〃this holy man did not mean to  recall your griefs。〃  Jerome proceeded。

〃I shall not dwell on what is needless。  The daughter of which  Victoria was delivered; was at her maturity bestowed in marriage on  me。  Victoria died; and the secret remained locked in my breast。   Theodore's narrative has told the rest。〃

The Friar ceased。  The disconsolate company retired to the remaining  part of the castle。  In the morning Manfred signed his abdication of  the principality; with the approbation of Hippolita; and each took on  them the habit of religion in the neighbouring convents。  Frederic  offered his daughter to the new Prince; which Hippolita's tenderness  for Isabella concurred to promote。  But Theodore's grief was too fresh  to admit the thought of another love; and it was not until after  frequent discourses with Isabella of his dear Matilda; that he was  persuaded he could know no happiness but in the society of one with  whom he could for ever indulge the melancholy that had taken  possession of his soul。




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