At the appointed time Floretta came to her; in about an hour Lubin said he would follow them to the chateau.
"Well to be sure, Mademoiselle, (said Floretta, as they walked towards it) 'tis with fear and trembling I came for you to-night; Lord I hope this may be the last time I shall ever be sent to the grotto."
"Is Monsieur D'Alembert come?" asked Madeline.
"Come, yes, and in a way that was not expected; he has brought three coaches full of company along with him."
"Brought company along with him?" repeated Madeline, in a voice of astonishment.
"Yes, an equal number of ladies and gentlemen, and all gay souls I can assure you."
"Your lady's feelings must be extremely hurt," said Madeline.
"Aye to be sure; but if Monsieur never hurts them more severely, she will be very well off."
"This bringing so much company to the chateau seems as if he intended to make a long stay at it."
"Oh, no, Mademoiselle, (replied Floretta with quickness) I took care to inquire particularly from Lewis his valet de chambre, about his intentions, and he told me his master and his friends were taking a tour of pleasure, and the chateau lying in their way, had merely called at it for the purpose of resting themselves a few days."
"Or perhaps to request Madame D'Alembert's company," (said Madeline.)
"Not they indeed, (cried Floretta) she is quite too grave for my master, or the friends he likes, and tis a pity indeed that she should be so: Lord, what is the use of fine clothes, or youth, or beauty, or fortune, if one lives moping and retired, as she does, for all the world like a hermit."
"Consider, Floretta, (said Madeline) the affliction your lady is at present in."
"And what does solitude do but increase that affliction; when a thing is over what is the good of lamenting it? Ah! Mam'selle, I have often thought what a fine figure I'd make if I had my lady's fine clothes, and jewels, and carriage to roll about in.
"I assure you, Mademoiselle, (continued she with a conceited simper) I could scarcely come to you to-night; Monsieur Lewis, whom I knew very well, when in Paris with my lady, would hardly let me leave him; he is one of the politest creatures in the world, and pays such pretty compliments; he says I am vastly improved by the country air, and that my natural roses would shame all the artificial ones in Paris. He and the other servants which accompanied him, have quite enlivened us again, all but poor Agatha; she has moped about ever since they came, but she is old, Mademoiselle, (proceeded Floretta, with a significant look) she is old, and that is the reason she cannot be animated like us."
"Poor Agatha!" exclaimed Madeline, who felt more attached than ever to the faithful creature, from finding she had feelings so congenial to her own.
She had now reached the chateau, and her heart palpitated with a fear of being discovered either by Monsieur D'Alembert, or some of his servants; but of this Floretta assured her there was no danger.
Through a private door in the rear of the castle, she led her up a flight of narrow stairs, seldom used, to the gallery, which was now gaily illumined by the lights that blazed in the hall: fearful of being discovered, Madeline hastened to the chamber, in which Floretta informed her she would find Agatha waiting to receive her; but ere she reached it, a shout of noisy laughter, ascended from an apartment contiguous to the hall, and shocked her, by making her feel as if an insult had been offered to the memory of the countess.
"If my feelings are so poignant upon the occasion, (said she to herself), ah, what must the feelings of her daughter be!—Surely, surely M. D'Alembert cannot have that sensibility which the husband of Viola should possess, or he would not thus have broken in upon the sacredness of her grief."
Floretta knocked softly at the chamber door and it was immediately opened by Agatha; but the moment Madeline entered it she started back, shocked and surprised at beholding it in the same state as when the remains of the countess were taken from it. Agatha took her hand, and, drawing her in, locked the door. "Pray be composed, dear Mademoiselle, (said she) my lady, who feared the sight of the hangings might affect you, would have had them removed had it been possible for me and Floretta to have taken them down; but as that was not the case, she feared desiring the men to do so, lest it should excite suspicion."
"I own (cried Madeline, in a faint voice, with a face as pale as death) I own I would rather have continued in my own room; but if you or Floretta will have the goodness to pass the night in this with me, I shall not feel quite so reluctant to it."
"As to my staying with you, Mademoiselle, (exclaimed Floretta, instantly going to the door) that is utterly impossible; I have a thousand things to do, which Agatha, if she pleases can tell you of."
So saying she hastily unlocked the door, and departed without ceremony.
"For my part, (said Agatha, as soon as she had again secured it) I would stay with you with all my heart, but that I fear if I did I should be missed (as some of the maids rooms open into mine) and if I was, your being in the castle must be discovered, which I know would distress my lady exceedingly."
"And why should it distress her?" demanded Madeline with quickness, no longer able to suppress her curiosity.
"Why, (repeated Agatha, looking earnestly at her) because—dear Mademoiselle, (cried she as if suddenly recollecting herself) I am sure I can't tell you."
"Don't be alarmed, Agatha, (said Madeline, with affected composure), I shall not inquire into secrets, which I see your respect for your lady makes you solicitous to conceal; in silence I shall submit to her wishes, her kindness gives her a right to expect this from me."
Supper was prepared for Madeline, as was also provisions for the ensuing day, as till the next night, she was informed she could not be visited by any one. Agatha pressed her to sit down to table; she had no inclination to eat, she however complied with her entreaty, and made her also take a chair, being anxious to detain her as long as possible.
"Monsieur D'Alembert makes no long stay at the chateau, I understand, (said she), from Floretta."
"No, thank heaven, he soon quits it," replied Agatha.
"It seems he merely stopped to rest himself, and his party at it," resumed Madeline.
"So he and his good for nothing servants say, (cried Agatha) but I have reason to think he had some other motive for coming to it."
"Have you?" said Madeline eagerly.
"Yes; I imagine he came to it for the purpose of seeing what part of the estate would be the best to dispose of."
"Dispose of? (repeated Madeline, in amazement) surely Monsieur D'Alembert could not think of disposing of any part of it? surely his situation does not require his doing so?"
" 'Tis a sign you know little of it, or you would not say so, (cried Agatha) his extravagance has long rendered him in want of money."
"His extravagance! (again repeated Madeline) Monsieur D'Alembert extravagant! Gracious heaven how you astonish me! By what means was the countess de Merville prevailed on to let her daughter marry a man of dissipation?"
"He appeared both to the Countess and her daughter a very different man before, to what he did after his marriage," answered Agatha.
"And to the too late discovery of his real character the melancholy of the Countess was to be imputed," said Madeline.
Agatha looked at her but made no reply.
A dreadful idea started in the mind of Madeline:—the words of Floretta, the solemn manner in which she had been bound by the countess to conceal the black transaction in the chapel, seemed to declare it was a just one: she grasped the arm of Agatha, she fastened her eyes upon her as if they would pierce into the very recesses of her soul.
"The horrible mystery then (said she) is explained;—Monsieur D'Alembert—the chapel—"
"Ha! (cried Agatha, starting from her chair and shaking off the hand of Madeline) what do you say? Beware, beware, Mademoiselle of what you utter; beware (with a dark frown) even of what you think. I know what you would have said, I know what you have imagined, but—"
&nbs
p; "But I am not mistaken," said Madeline, in a hollow voice, and sinking against the back of the chair.
"You are; (exclaimed Agatha) you have done injustice to Monsieur D'Alembert."
"Heaven be praised, (cried Madeline, clasping her hands together) heaven be praised; had I continued much longer to believe the idea I formed of him a just one, I think I could not have preserved my reason."
"Dear heart, I am sure I should not have wondered if you had lost it directly, (said Agatha) it must have been horrible indeed to suppose that the husband of the daughter could have murdered the mother."
"Oh, horrible, most horrible!" exclaimed Madeline.
"Though Monsieur D'Alembert is gay and extravagant, and not the kind of man he appeared to be before his marriage, he is not such a villain as you supposed him," cried Agatha.
"I was not then mistaken in supposing that Madame D'Alembert had another cause for grief besides the death of her mother?" said Madeline.
"No, you were not mistaken as to that, (replied Agatha) poor thing she frets a great deal about Monsieur, and I am sure if he sells any part of the domain belonging to the chateau, it will go nigh to break her heart, for she loves every inch of it; and if any thing could raise my poor dear lady out of her grave, I am certain his doing so would."
"I hope he will not be so disrespectful to her memory, (said Madeline) as to do what he knows would have been contrary to her inclination, nor so inhuman to her daughter as to disregard her wishes."
"I fear he will, Mademoiselle: (cried Agatha) when once he takes a thing into his head, 'tis a difficult matter to make him give it up: but I hope when you see Madame you will not tell her any thing I have been saying."
"You may be assured I shall not," said Madeline.
"She means (resumed Agatha) to pay you a visit to-morrow night, if she can possibly steal from her company: poor soul tis very different company to what she has been accustomed to: Ah! Mademoiselle, if my dear lady had been living, such people would never have been permitted to enter the chateau. Alas! its glory and happiness are departed, and I shall never again behold such days as once I saw within it.
"farewell Mademoiselle, (continued she, rising) tis time for me to leave you, for I hear the servants retiring to rest, heaven bless you and protect you."
Madeline locked the door after her with a trembling hand, and involuntarily shuddered as she turned from it at finding herself alone in a chamber so gloomy, and so remote from every one as her present one was. Her spirits were too much agitated, in consequence of her conversation with Agatha, to permit her to sleep; and, even if inclined to do so, she could not think of reposing on a bed where she had so lately seen the corpse of her friend; whenever she glanced at it, it was with a kind of terror, as if she almost expected to have beheld again upon it the same ghastly figure.
Within the chamber was a closet which contained a small selection of books; determined on sitting up the night, Madeline took one from it, with a hope that it would divert her thoughts and prevent her attention from dwelling on what distressed her; but this hope was a vain one, and the night wore heavily away. About the dawn of day she leaned back in the arm chair on which she was sitting, and slept for a little time; the ensuing hours were as tedious and melancholy as those she had recently passed; she waited most impatiently for the promised visit from some of her friends, particularly after it grew too dark for her to read. At length in about two hours after she had been compelled to lay aside her book, she heard a soft tap at the chamber door, she immediately opened it, and Floretta entered with a light, and a small basket of provisions. Madeline followed her to the table on which she laid them, as soon as she had re-locked the door, and then to her infinite amazement and terror first perceived that Floretta was weeping violently.
CHAPTER II
"Ah, fear, ah, frantic fear,
I see, I see thee near:
I know thy hurried step, thy haggard eye,
Like thee I start, like thee disordered fly."
"What is the matter, Floretta?" asked Madeline, in a voice of alarm.
"Ah! Mademoiselle, (exclaimed Floretta, dropping into a chair, and wringing her hands) poor Agatha!"
"What of her?" cried Madeline, with an eagerness that shook her frame.
"She is dead!" replied Floretta.
"Dead! (repeated Madeline, receding a few paces and wildly staring) dead!" she exclaimed, with mingled doubt and horror.
"Yes, (said Floretta) and her death is attended with such appearances!"
Madeline trembled universally, her respiration grew faint, she sat down by Floretta, she laid her cold hand upon her, but it was many minutes ere she could speak.
"Her death has been attended with suspicious circumstances then?" said she.
"It has," replied Floretta.
Madeline started up, and wildly demanded whether she could not see Madame D'Alembert directly.
Without giving herself time to reflect how very improbable it was that they could have gained access to the castle to perpetrate the crime she accused them of, the moment Madeline heard of Agatha's death being attended with suspicious circumstances, she conceived the dreadful idea of her having fallen a victim to the murderers of the countess, in order to prevent their being discovered; and to a similar apprehension she could not doubt she would be sacrificed herself, as they had seen her in the chapel with Agatha.
It was this fear therefore that made her wish to see Madame D'Alembert directly that she might entreat her permission to return to her father without any farther delay.
"See my lady, Mademoiselle," said Floretta, also rising.
"Yes, (cried Madeline, almost gasping for breath), this house is no longer safe for me to dwell in, and she must let me quit it directly."
"I will go and try whether she can come to you Mademoiselle, (said Floretta, who, alarmed by her agitation, feared to oppose her), but indeed I fear she cannot, without Monsieur's knowledge, as she is now engaged with him and his company: I know she intends to visit you to-night, as she and my master are to have separate chambers, though it will be at a late hour; if you could wait till then it would be better."
"Well, (cried Madeline, growing a little composed and re-seating herself) if you are sure she intends to come, I will, however contrary to my inclination, wait her own time, rather than expose her to the displeasure of Monsieur D'Alembert: and yet, Floretta, (continued she looking earnestly at her) I cannot conceive why he should be displeased to hear I was in the chateau."
"Displeased! (repeated Floretta), Lord I am sure he would be rejoiced!"
"Rejoiced!" exclaimed Madeline.
"Yes, I have not a doubt but what he would," said Floretta.
"Then why (asked Madeline) am I concealed?"
"Because," cried Floretta—
"What?" eagerly demanded Madeline.
"Why to tell you the truth, Mademoiselle (cried Floretta) but remember it must go no farther, I believe my lady thinks you are too pretty to be seen by Monsieur."
"Heavens! (exclaimed Madeline) what would you have me imagine that your lady could harbour a suspicion of me?"
"Lord, no, to be sure I would not, (said Floretta) 'tis the very last thing in the world I would have you imagine, because it would be the most unjust idea you could form; 'tis not of you, but Monsieur, she harbours a suspicion; she knows if he saw you—"
"Would to God I had not consented to stay in the house," interrupted Madeline.
The motive for Madame D'Alembert's concealing her was now explained; the motive which prompted her lamented benefactress so repeatedly to tell her not to continue in the chateau, if Monsieur D'Alembert came to it.
"Oh! my father, (she sighed to herself) would to heaven I was again within your arms."
"I hope Mademoiselle, (said Floretta) you will not leave us; Monsieur departs in a few days, and I hope you will not mind a short confinement."
Madeline made no reply, but desired to hear the particulars of Agatha's death.
"About the
middle of the night, (said Floretta) I and a fellow servant who sleeps with me were awoke by dreadful groans from the chamber of Agatha, which opened into ours; we directly jumped out of bed, and running into it, asked what was the matter; but groans were all we could hear: we grew dreadfully frightened, and called up more of the servants. A light was then procured, and we discovered Agatha in fits: the noise we made alarmed my master and mistress, o'er whose apartment we were, and throwing their wrappers over them they came up to inquire what was the matter. My lady appeared greatly shocked by the situation of Agatha, and directly ordered a physician to be sent for, but Monsieur countermanded this order; he said he had a medical friend in the house, who could do as much for her as any other person in the same line. He was accordingly sent for, and on examining Agatha, he declared her fits were owing to her having eaten something that disagreed with her. Scarcely had he spoken when she came to herself, and opening her eyes, in a hollow voice exclaimed, 'Poison! I am poisoned!'
'Good heavens! (cried Madame D'Alembert starting) what does she say? does she not say she is poisoned?'
'You are not to mind what she says, (replied Monsieur, in rather an angry voice) the woman raves, and I insist on your quitting her room directly, you are already sufficiently shocked by her.'
"My lady durst not disobey him, and retired, though I saw most unwillingly, with her woman."
'Send for father Bertrand, (again spoke Agatha, after the pause of a minute) for I am dying.'
'Nonsense, (exclaimed Monsieur D'Alembert) friend she will be well enough by and by, and I am sure I shall not permit my neighbourhood to be disturbed to gratify her, said my master.—['Ah! Mademoiselle, I fear he is but a bad christian']—I insist, therefore, (continued he) that not a servant in this castle shall go for father Bertrand, except they choose immediately to be dismissed my service.' Like my poor lady, none of us durst disobey him, he took care indeed that we should not, by continuing to watch us: In a little time Agatha relapsed, and died in a few minutes. She had scarcely breathed her last, ere she turned quite black and swelled to a great size; and, notwithstanding what my master and my master's friend says, we are all, that is, I mean, all the servants are of opinion, that she was poisoned; though how, or by whom, we cannot possibly conceive, as we know of no stranger that lately entered the castle, neither of any mortal that she ever offended."
The Complete Northanger Horrid Novel Collection (9 Books of Gothic Romance and Horror) Page 302