CHAPTER XXIII.
It was eight o'clock when we landed; we walked for a short time on theshore, enjoying the transitory light, and then retired to the inn, andcontemplated the lovely scene of waters, woods, and mountains, obscuredin darkness, yet still displaying their black outlines.
The wind, which had fallen in the south, now rose with great violence inthe west. The moon had reached her summit in the heavens, and wasbeginning to descend; the clouds swept across it swifter than the flightof the vulture, and dimmed her rays, while the lake reflected the sceneof the busy heavens, rendered still busier by the restless waves thatwere beginning to rise. Suddenly a heavy storm of rain descended.
I had been calm during the day; but so soon as night obscured the shapesof objects, a thousand fears arose in my mind. I was anxious andwatchful, while my right hand grasped a pistol which was hidden in mybosom; every sound terrified me; but I resolved that I would sell mylife dearly, and not shrink from the conflict until my own life, or thatof my adversary, was extinguished.
Elizabeth observed my agitation for some time in timid and fearfulsilence; but there was something in my glance which communicated terrorto her, and trembling she asked, "What is it that agitates you, my dearVictor? What is it you fear?"
"Oh! peace, peace, my love," replied I; "this night, and all will besafe: but this night is dreadful, very dreadful."
I passed an hour in this state of mind, when suddenly I reflected howfearful the combat which I momentarily expected would be to my wife, andI earnestly entreated her to retire, resolving not to join her until Ihad obtained some knowledge as to the situation of my enemy.
She left me, and I continued some time walking up and down the passagesof the house, and inspecting every corner that might afford a retreatto my adversary. But I discovered no trace of him, and was beginning toconjecture that some fortunate chance had intervened to prevent theexecution of his menaces; when suddenly I heard a shrill and dreadfulscream. It came from the room into which Elizabeth had retired. As Iheard it, the whole truth rushed into my mind, my arms dropped, themotion of every muscle and fibre was suspended; I could feel the bloodtrickling in my veins, and tingling in the extremities of my limbs. Thisstate lasted but for an instant; the scream was repeated, and I rushedinto the room.
Great God! why did I not then expire! Why am I here to relate thedestruction of the best hope, and the purest creature of earth? She wasthere, lifeless and inanimate, thrown across the bed, her head hangingdown, and her pale and distorted features half covered by her hair.Every where I turn I see the same figure--her bloodless arms and relaxedform flung by the murderer on its bridal bier. Could I behold this, andlive? Alas! life is obstinate, and clings closest where it is mosthated. For a moment only did I lose recollection; I fell senseless onthe ground.
When I recovered, I found myself surrounded by the people of the inn;their countenances expressed a breathless terror: but the horror ofothers appeared only as a mockery, a shadow of the feelings thatoppressed me. I escaped from them to the room where lay the body ofElizabeth, my love, my wife, so lately living, so dear, so worthy. Shehad been moved from the posture in which I had first beheld her; andnow, as she lay, her head upon her arm, and a handkerchief thrown acrossher face and neck, I might have supposed her asleep. I rushed towardsher, and embraced her with ardour; but the deadly languor and coldnessof the limbs told me, that what I now held in my arms had ceased to bethe Elizabeth whom I had loved and cherished. The murderous mark of thefiend's grasp was on her neck, and the breath had ceased to issue fromher lips.
While I still hung over her in the agony of despair, I happened to lookup. The windows of the room had before been darkened, and I felt a kindof panic on seeing the pale yellow light of the moon illuminate thechamber. The shutters had been thrown back; and, with a sensation ofhorror not to be described, I saw at the open window a figure the mosthideous and abhorred. A grin was on the face of the monster; he seemedto jeer, as with his fiendish finger he pointed towards the corpse of mywife. I rushed towards the window, and drawing a pistol from my bosom,fired; but he eluded me, leaped from his station, and, running with theswiftness of lightning, plunged into the lake.
The report of the pistol brought a crowd into the room. I pointed to thespot where he had disappeared, and we followed the track with boats;nets were cast, but in vain. After passing several hours, we returnedhopeless, most of my companions believing it to have been a formconjured up by my fancy. After having landed, they proceeded to searchthe country, parties going in different directions among the woods andvines.
I attempted to accompany them, and proceeded a short distance from thehouse; but my head whirled round, my steps were like those of a drunkenman, I fell at last in a state of utter exhaustion; a film covered myeyes, and my skin was parched with the heat of fever. In this state Iwas carried back, and placed on a bed, hardly conscious of what hadhappened; my eyes wandered round the room, as if to seek something thatI had lost.
After an interval, I arose, and, as if by instinct, crawled into theroom where the corpse of my beloved lay. There were women weepingaround--I hung over it, and joined my sad tears to theirs--all this timeno distinct idea presented itself to my mind; but my thoughts rambled tovarious subjects, reflecting confusedly on my misfortunes, and theircause. I was bewildered in a cloud of wonder and horror. The death ofWilliam, the execution of Justine, the murder of Clerval, and lastly ofmy wife; even at that moment I knew not that my only remaining friendswere safe from the malignity of the fiend; my father even now might bewrithing under his grasp, and Ernest might be dead at his feet. Thisidea made me shudder, and recalled me to action. I started up, andresolved to return to Geneva with all possible speed.
There were no horses to be procured, and I must return by the lake; butthe wind was unfavourable, and the rain fell in torrents. However, itwas hardly morning, and I might reasonably hope to arrive by night. Ihired men to row, and took an oar myself; for I had always experiencedrelief from mental torment in bodily exercise. But the overflowingmisery I now felt, and the excess of agitation that I endured, renderedme incapable of any exertion. I threw down the oar; and leaning my headupon my hands, gave way to every gloomy idea that arose. If I looked up,I saw the scenes which were familiar to me in my happier time, and whichI had contemplated but the day before in the company of her who was nowbut a shadow and a recollection. Tears streamed from my eyes. The rainhad ceased for a moment, and I saw the fish play in the waters as theyhad done a few hours before; they had then been observed by Elizabeth.Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.The sun might shine, or the clouds might lower: but nothing could appearto me as it had done the day before. A fiend had snatched from me everyhope of future happiness: no creature had ever been so miserable as Iwas; so frightful an event is single in the history of man.
But why should I dwell upon the incidents that followed this lastoverwhelming event? Mine has been a tale of horrors; I have reachedtheir _acme_, and what I must now relate can but be tedious to you. Knowthat, one by one, my friends were snatched away; I was left desolate. Myown strength is exhausted; and I must tell, in a few words, what remainsof my hideous narration.
I arrived at Geneva. My father and Ernest yet lived; but the former sunkunder the tidings that I bore. I see him now, excellent and venerableold man! his eyes wandered in vacancy, for they had lost their charm andtheir delight--his Elizabeth, his more than daughter, whom he doated onwith all that affection which a man feels, who in the decline of life,having few affections, clings more earnestly to those that remain.Cursed, cursed be the fiend that brought misery on his grey hairs, anddoomed him to waste in wretchedness! He could not live under the horrorsthat were accumulated around him; the springs of existence suddenly gaveway: he was unable to rise from his bed, and in a few days he died in myarms.
What then became of me? I know not; I lost sensation, and chains anddarkness were the only objects that pressed upon me. Sometimes, indeed,I dreamt that I wandered in
flowery meadows and pleasant vales with thefriends of my youth; but I awoke, and found myself in a dungeon.Melancholy followed, but by degrees I gained a clear conception of mymiseries and situation, and was then released from my prison. For theyhad called me mad; and during many months, as I understood, a solitarycell had been my habitation.
Liberty, however, had been an useless gift to me, had I not, as Iawakened to reason, at the same time awakened to revenge. As the memoryof past misfortunes pressed upon me, I began to reflect on theircause--the monster whom I had created, the miserable daemon whom I hadsent abroad into the world for my destruction. I was possessed by amaddening rage when I thought of him, and desired and ardently prayedthat I might have him within my grasp to wreak a great and signalrevenge on his cursed head.
Nor did my hate long confine itself to useless wishes; I began toreflect on the best means of securing him; and for this purpose, about amonth after my release, I repaired to a criminal judge in the town, andtold him that I had an accusation to make; that I knew the destroyer ofmy family; and that I required him to exert his whole authority for theapprehension of the murderer.
The magistrate listened to me with attention and kindness:--"Be assured,sir," said he, "no pains or exertions on my part shall be spared todiscover the villain."
"I thank you," replied I; "listen, therefore, to the deposition that Ihave to make. It is indeed a tale so strange, that I should fear youwould not credit it, were there not something in truth which, howeverwonderful, forces conviction. The story is too connected to be mistakenfor a dream, and I have no motive for falsehood." My manner, as I thusaddressed him, was impressive, but calm; I had formed in my own heart aresolution to pursue my destroyer to death; and this purpose quieted myagony, and for an interval reconciled me to life. I now related myhistory, briefly, but with firmness and precision, marking the dateswith accuracy, and never deviating into invective or exclamation.
The magistrate appeared at first perfectly incredulous, but as Icontinued he became more attentive and interested; I saw him sometimesshudder with horror, at others a lively surprise, unmingled withdisbelief, was painted on his countenance.
When I had concluded my narration, I said, "This is the being whom Iaccuse, and for whose seizure and punishment I call upon you to exertyour whole power. It is your duty as a magistrate, and I believe andhope that your feelings as a man will not revolt from the execution ofthose functions on this occasion."
This address caused a considerable change in the physiognomy of my ownauditor. He had heard my story with that half kind of belief that isgiven to a tale of spirits and supernatural events; but when he wascalled upon to act officially in consequence, the whole tide of hisincredulity returned. He, however, answered mildly, "I would willinglyafford you every aid in your pursuit; but the creature of whom you speakappears to have powers which would put all my exertions to defiance. Whocan follow an animal which can traverse the sea of ice, and inhabitcaves and dens where no man would venture to intrude? Besides, somemonths have elapsed since the commission of his crimes, and no one canconjecture to what place he has wandered, or what region he may nowinhabit."
"I do not doubt that he hovers near the spot which I inhabit; and if hehas indeed taken refuge in the Alps, he may be hunted like the chamois,and destroyed as a beast of prey. But I perceive your thoughts: you donot credit my narrative, and do not intend to pursue my enemy with thepunishment which is his desert."
As I spoke, rage sparkled in my eyes; the magistrate wasintimidated:--"You are mistaken," said he, "I will exert myself; and ifit is in my power to seize the monster, be assured that he shall sufferpunishment proportionate to his crimes. But I fear, from what you haveyourself described to be his properties, that this will proveimpracticable; and thus, while every proper measure is pursued, youshould make up your mind to disappointment."
"That cannot be; but all that I can say will be of little avail. Myrevenge is of no moment to you; yet, while I allow it to be a vice, Iconfess that it is the devouring and only passion of my soul. My rage isunspeakable, when I reflect that the murderer, whom I have turned looseupon society, still exists. You refuse my just demand: I have but oneresource; and I devote myself, either in my life or death, to hisdestruction."
I trembled with excess of agitation as I said this; there was a frenzyin my manner, and something, I doubt not, of that haughty fiercenesswhich the martyrs of old are said to have possessed. But to a Genevanmagistrate, whose mind was occupied by far other ideas than those ofdevotion and heroism, this elevation of mind had much the appearance ofmadness. He endeavoured to soothe me as a nurse does a child, andreverted to my tale as the effects of delirium.
"Man," I cried, "how ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom! Cease;you know not what it is you say."
I broke from the house angry and disturbed, and retired to meditate onsome other mode of action.