Chapter iv.
Corinne's letter made Oswald a second time repent the idea he had formedof detaching himself from her. The intellectual dignity, the attractivetenderness with which she repelled the harsh allegations he had madeagainst her country, affected him deeply, and penetrated him withadmiration. A superiority, so grand, so simple, and so true, appeared tohim above all ordinary rules. He felt that Corinne was not the weak,timid woman, without an opinion on any subject beyond the sphere of herprivate duties and sentiments, which he had chosen in his imagination asa partner for life. The remembrance of Lucilia, such as he had beheldher at the age of twelve years, agreed much better with this idea;--butcould any woman be compared with Corinne? Could ordinary laws and rulesbe applied to one, who united in herself so many different qualities,cemented by genius and sensibility? Corinne was a miracle of nature, andwas it not a miracle worked in favour of Oswald, when he could flatterhimself with interesting such a woman? But her real name and conditionwere unknown to him. What would be her future projects were he to avowhis intention of uniting himself to her? All was yet in obscurity; andalthough the enthusiasm with which Corinne had inspired Oswald made himdesirous of espousing her, yet the idea that her life had not beenwholly irreproachable, and that such an union would certainly have beencondemned by his father, threw his soul into confusion, and racked himwith the most painful anxiety.
He was not now so sunk in grief, as before his acquaintance withCorinne; but he no longer felt that sort of calm, which may evenaccompany repentance, when our whole life is devoted to the expiation ofa crime. Formerly, he was not afraid to abandon himself to hisrecollections, bitter as they were; but now he dreaded those long andprofound reveries, which would have revealed to him what was passing atthe bottom of his soul. In the meantime he prepared to visit Corinne, inorder to thank her for her letter, and obtain pardon for what he hadwritten to her, when Mr Edgermond, a relation of young Lucilia, enteredthe room.
He was a worthy English gentleman, who had almost constantly resided inWales, where he possessed an estate. He cherished those principles andprejudices which, in every country, serve to maintain things as theyare, and which have a most beneficial tendency, when things are as wellas human reason will permit. When that is the case, such men as MrEdgermond, that is to say, the partizans of established order, thoughstrongly and even obstinately attached to their customs and to theirmanner of thinking, ought to be considered as men of rational andenlightened minds.
Lord Nelville was startled when he heard Mr Edgermond announced; everyrecollection of the past rushed upon him at once; but as it immediatelyoccurred to his mind that Lady Edgermond, the mother of Lucilia, hadsent her relation to reproach him, and thus restrain his independence,this thought restored his firmness, and he received Mr Edgermond withgreat coldness. However, he wronged his visitor by his suspicions, forhe had not the least design in his head that regarded Nelville. Hevisited Italy for the sake of his health alone; and ever since he hadbeen in the country, he was constantly employed in hunting, and drinkingto King George and Old England. He was the most open-hearted of men,and possessed a much better informed mind than his habits would inducemany to believe. He was a downright Englishman, not only as he ought tobe, but also as one might wish he were not: following in every countrythe customs of his own, living only with Englishmen, and neverdiscoursing with foreigners; not out of contempt to them, but from asort of repugnance to foreign languages, and a timidity, which even atthe age of fifty, rendered him very diffident in forming newacquaintances.
"I am happy to see you," said he to Nelville, "I am going to Naples in afortnight and should be glad to see you there, for I have not long tostay in Italy; my regiment will soon embark." "Your regiment!" repeatedLord Nelville, and blushed as if he had forgotten that he had a year'sleave of absence because his regiment was not to be employed before theexpiration of that period. He blushed at the thought that Corinne couldmake him forget even his duty. "Your regiment," continued Mr Edgermond,"will not go upon service so soon; so stay here quietly, and regain yourhealth. I saw my young cousin before I set out--she is more charmingthan ever. I am sure by the time you return she will be the finest womanin England." Lord Nelville said nothing--and Mr Edgermond was alsosilent. Some other words passed between them, very laconic, thoughextremely friendly, and Mr Edgermond was going, when suddenly turningback, he said, "Apropos, my lord, you can do me a kindness--they tell meyou are acquainted with the celebrated Corinne: I don't much likeforming new acquaintances, but I am quite curious to see this lady.""Since you desire it, I will ask Corinne's permission to introduce you,"replied Oswald. "Do so, I beseech you," said Mr Edgermond; "and contriveto let me see her some day when she improvises, or dances and sings tothe company." "Corinne does not thus display her talents to strangers,"said Nelville; "she is your equal and mine in every respect." "Pardon mymistake," said Mr Edgermond, "as she is not known by another name thanthat of Corinne, and lives by herself at the age of twenty-six yearsunaccompanied by any part of her family, I thought she derived supportfrom her talents." "Her fortune is entirely independent," answered hislordship warmly, "and her mind is still more so." Mr Edgermondimmediately dropped this subject, and repented at having introduced it,seeing that it interested Oswald. No men in the world have so muchdiscretion and delicate precaution in what concerns the affections, asthe English.
Mr Edgermond went away. Lord Nelville, when alone, could not helpexclaiming with emotion, "I must espouse Corinne. I must become herprotector, in order to preserve her from obloquy. She shall have thelittle it is in my power to bestow--a rank and a name; whilst she on herpart will confer on me every earthly felicity." It was in thisdisposition that he hastened to visit Corinne, and never did he enterher doors with sweeter sentiments of hope and love; but, swayed by hisnatural timidity, and in order to recover confidence, he began theconversation with insignificant topics, and of this number was hisrequest for permission to introduce Mr Edgermond. At this name Corinnewas visibly agitated, and with a faltering voice refused what Oswaldsolicited. All astonishment, he said to her, "I thought that in thishouse, to which so many are allowed access, the title of my friend wouldnot afford a motive of exclusion." "Do not be offended, my lord,"replied Corinne: "Believe that I must have very powerful reasons not toconsent to your desire." "Ands will you acquaint me with thosereasons?" replied Oswald. "Impossible!" cried Corinne; "Impossible!" "Sothen--" said Nelville, and his emotion rendered him unable to proceed.He was about to depart, when Corinne, all in tears, exclaimed inEnglish, "For God's sake do not leave me unless you wish to break myheart!"
These words, and the tone of voice in which they were uttered, deeplyaffected the soul of Oswald. He sat down again at some distance fromCorinne, supporting his head against a vase of alabaster whichembellished her apartment; then, suddenly, he said to her, "Cruel woman!you see that I love you--you see that, twenty times a day, I am ready tooffer you my hand and my heart; yet you will not inform me who you are!Tell me, Corinne, tell me the story of your past life," repeated he,stretching his hand to her with the most moving expression ofsensibility. "Oswald!" cried Corinne; "Oswald! you do not know the painyou give me. If I were mad enough to tell you all you would no longerlove me." "Great God!" replied he; "what have you then to reveal?""Nothing that renders me unworthy of you," said she; "but fortuitouscircumstances, and differences between our tastes and opinions, whichexisted formerly and which no longer exist. Do not oblige me to confesswho I am. Some day, perhaps--some day, should you love mesufficiently--Ah! I know not what I say," continued Corinne; "you shallknow all; but do not forsake me before you have heard it. Promise methat you will not, in the name of your father who is now in heaven!""Pronounce not that name," cried Lord Nelville; "can you fathom his willrespecting us? Think you that he would consent to our union? If you do,declare it, and I shall no longer be racked with doubts and fears. Sometime or other, I will unfold to you my sad story; but behold thecondition you have now reduced me to." In truth, his forehead wascovered w
ith a cold sweat, his face was pale, and his trembling lipswith difficulty articulated these last words. Corinne, seated by theside of Nelville, holding his hands in hers, gently recalled him tohimself. "My dear Oswald," said she to him; "ask Mr Edgermond if he hasever been in Northumberland; or at least if he has only been therewithin these past five years. Should he answer in the affirmative he maythen accompany you hither." At these words Oswald looked steadfastly atCorinne, who cast down her eyes and was silent. "I shall do as youdesire me," said Lord Nelville, and went away.
On his return home, he exhausted conjecture upon the secrets of Corinne.It appeared evident that she had passed a considerable time in England,and that her name and family must be known there. But what could be hermotive for concealing them; and if she had been settled in England, whyhad she left it? These questions greatly disturbed the heart of Oswald.He was convinced that no stain would be found in her life; but he feareda combination of circumstances might have rendered her guilty in theeyes of others. What he most dreaded, was her being an object of Englishdisapprobation. He felt sufficiently fortified against that of everyother country; but the memory of his father was so intimately connectedwith the love of his native country, that these two sentimentsstrengthened each other.
Oswald, having learnt of Mr Edgermond that he had been in Northumberlandfor the first time the preceding year, promised to introduce him toCorinne that evening. Oswald arrived at her house before him, and madeher acquainted with the ideas that Mr Edgermond had conceivedrespecting her, suggesting the propriety of convincing him how much hewas in error, by assuming the most cold and reserved manners.
"If you permit me," replied Corinne, "I will be the same to him as toeverybody else; if he desire to hear me, I will improvise before him; infact, I will appear to him as I am, not doubting that he will perceiveas much dignity of soul in this simple and natural behaviour, as if Iwere to put on an air of restraint which would only be affected." "Yes,Corinne," replied Oswald, "you are right. Ah! how much in the wrong ishe, who would in the least alter your admirable disposition."
At this moment Mr Edgermond arrived with the rest of the company. At thecommencement of the evening, Lord Nelville placed himself by the side ofCorinne, and with an interest which at once became the lover and theprotector, he said every thing that could enhance her worth. The respecthe testified for her seemed to have for its object rather to win theattention of others, than to satisfy himself; but it was with the mostlively joy that he soon felt the folly of all his anxiety. Corinneentirely captivated Mr Edgermond--she not only captivated him by hergenius and her charms, but by inspiring him with that sentiment ofesteem which true characters always obtain of honest ones; and when hepresumed to express a wish to hear her upon a subject of his choice, heaspired to this favour with as much respect as eagerness. She consentedwithout for a moment waiting to be pressed, and thus manifested thatthis favour had a value independent of the difficulty of obtaining it.But she felt so lively a desire to please a countryman of Oswald's, aman who by the consideration which he merited might influence hisopinion in speaking of her, that this sentiment suddenly filled her witha timidity which was quite new to her: she wished to begin, but hertongue was suspended by the emotion she felt. Oswald was pained that shedid not dazzle his English friend with all her superiority; his eyeswere cast down, and his embarrassment was so visible, that Corinne,solely engrossed by the effect that she produced upon him, lost more andmore the presence of mind necessary for improvisation. At length,sensible of her hesitation, feeling that her words were the offspring ofmemory and not of sentiment, and that thus she was neither able to paintwhat she thought nor what she really felt, she suddenly stopped and saidto Mr Edgermond, "Pardon me Sir, if upon this occasion timidity hasdeprived me of my usual facility; it is the first time, as my friendscan testify, that I have been below myself; but perhaps," added she,sighing, "it will not be the last."
Oswald was deeply affected by the touching failure of Corinne. Till thenhe had always been accustomed to see imagination and genius triumph overher affections and reanimate her soul at the moment when she was mostcast down; but at this time her mind was entirely fettered by feeling,yet Oswald had so identified himself with her fame on this occasion,that he partook of the mortification of her failure, instead ofrejoicing at it. But as it appeared certain, that she would one dayshine with her natural lustre, he yielded to the tender reflections thatarose in his mind, and the image of his mistress was enthroned more thanever in his heart.
Book vii.
ITALIAN LITERATURE.