126 " Pauvre Genevttve :" - [Alia. 



fruit, with a small flask of wine. Then followed a smart conversation 

 in an under-tone, of which the astonished traveller could catch enough to 

 learn that they were far from suspecting any attentive ear to be by, and 

 had made arrangements to perform a long, though a very comfortable vigil. 

 His own eye-lids were too importunate to admit of this interruption, for 

 more than a quarter of an hour after the regular dialogue had commenced; 

 at length, overcome by a disposition to slumber, he turned in his place, so 

 as to cause a rustling of the damask. One of the girls started, and stam- 

 mered to the other, with a face of alarm, what had happened. He 

 remained quiet as soon as he remarked this effect. They both gazed 

 earnestly and fearfully at both beds, fixing their eyes, however, most atten- 

 tively on the further one ; but observing all to be still, they seemed to 

 recover their confidence, and returned to their chat, though in a more sub- 

 dued tone. Resolved upon making a further experiment, to ascertain the 

 cause, if possible, of their untimely visit, he moved again ; and when their 

 eyes were again directed towards the curtains, with an expression of dis- 

 may, he opened them hastily, and protruded his head from the bed, 

 cased in the long white night-cap, with which his hostess below had pro- 

 vided him. 



In an instant, the women precipitated themselves from the chamber, and 

 down the staircase, overturning the table and its contents in their flight, 

 tnd making the vaulted gallery re-echo with their screams. His own 

 astonishment was almost equal to what theirs might be supposed to be, 

 and did not suffer him to fall back on his pillow. He rose, lighted the 

 candle, which had been extinguished in the disaster of the table, collected 

 the scattered provisions, and went to the chamber door, in order to know 

 whether any thing more could be heard. But all was silent. Sensible of 

 the difficulty of finding his way to the inhabited part of the castle, should 

 he undertake to inquire further, and ascribing the affair to some mistake, 

 which the affrighted damsels would discover as soon as they reached the 

 other wing, he bolted the door, determined to prevent a recurrence of the 

 interruption, and was about to retrace his steps to the bed, when he heard 

 distinctly the noise of various persons tumultuously gaining the landing, 

 and approaching the chamber. He turned, advanced to the door, and 

 opened it, with the candle in his hand, and in the dishabille in which he 

 had lain down. 



As he presented himself, he saw the whole family group, with an 

 addition to their number, struggling with each other, who should be, not 

 foremost, but hindmost in their march, the two alarmists far in the back 

 ground, and all in evident consternation. No sooner was the figure of 

 my friend full in their view, than an universal cry of horror -burst from 

 their lips, and the whole party made a headlong retreat down the stair- 

 case. One only of their number pressed forward. This was a female, of 

 strikingly handsome features, with an expression that spoke the operation 

 of the strongest mingled emotions of terror, subdued grief, and the most 

 wildly joyful expectation. She rushed on to catch him in her arms, 

 crying out, " Je veux le voir Je veux Vembrasser // est revenu pour 

 irfemmencr avec lui /" (I will see him I will embrace him. He has 

 come back to take me away with him.) At the moment she had ap- 

 proached near enough to distinguish clearly his person and visage, she 

 uttered a piercing shriek, with the exclamation " Ah ! non, ce nest pas 

 lui," (ah, no, it is not him), tottered and fell, swooning, into the arms of 

 two of the fugitives, whose concern for her had given them courage to 



