The Monk: A Romance
“Walk in, Monsieur; Walk in, and welcome! Excuse me for not admitting
you at first: But there are so many Rogues about this place, that
saving your presence, I suspected you to be one.”
Thus saying, He ushered me into the room, where I had observed the
fire: I was immediately placed in an Easy Chair, which stood close to
the Hearth. A Female, whom I supposed to be the Wife of my Host, rose
from her seat upon my entrance, and received me with a slight and
distant reverence. She made no answer to my compliment, but immediately
re-seating herself, continued the work on which She had been employed.
Her Husband’s manners were as friendly as hers were harsh and
repulsive.
“I wish, I could lodge you more conveniently, Monsieur,” said He; “But
we cannot boast of much spare room in this hovel. However, a chamber
for yourself, and another for your Servant, I think, we can make shift
to supply. You must content yourself with sorry fare; But to what we
have, believe me, you are heartily welcome.” ——Then turning to his
wife—“Why, how you sit there, Marguerite, with as much tranquillity as
if you had nothing better to do! Stir about, Dame! Stir about! Get some
supper; Look out some sheets; Here, here; throw some logs upon the
fire, for the Gentleman seems perished with cold.”
The wife threw her work hastily upon the Table, and proceeded to
execute his commands with every mark of unwillingness. Her countenance
had displeased me on the first moment of my examining it. Yet upon the
whole her features were handsome unquestionably; But her skin was
sallow, and her person thin and meagre; A louring gloom over-spread her
countenance; and it bore such visible marks of rancour and ill-will, as
could not escape being noticed by the most inattentive Observer. Her
every look and action expressed discontent and impatience, and the
answers which She gave Baptiste, when He reproached her good-humouredly
for her dissatisfied air, were tart, short, and cutting. In fine, I
conceived at first sight equal disgust for her, and prepossession in
favour of her Husband, whose appearance was calculated to inspire
esteem and confidence. His countenance was open, sincere, and friendly;
his manners had all the Peasant’s honesty unaccompanied by his
rudeness; His cheeks were broad, full, and ruddy; and in the solidity
of his person He seemed to offer an ample apology for the leanness of
his Wife’s. From the wrinkles on his brow I judged him to be turned of
sixty; But He bore his years well, and seemed still hearty and strong:
The Wife could not be more than thirty, but in spirits and vivacity She
was infinitely older than the Husband.
However, in spite of her unwillingness, Marguerite began to prepare the
supper, while the Wood-man conversed gaily on different subjects. The
Postillion, who had been furnished with a bottle of spirits, was now
ready to set out for Strasbourg, and enquired, whether I had any
further commands.
“For Strasbourg?” interrupted Baptiste; “You are not going thither
tonight?”
“I beg your pardon: If I do not fetch Workmen to mend the Chaise, How
is Monsieur to proceed tomorrow?”
“That is true, as you say; I had forgotten the Chaise. Well, but
Claude; You may at least eat your supper here? That can make you lose
very little time, and Monsieur looks too kind-hearted to send you out
with an empty stomach on such a bitter cold night as this is.”
To this I readily assented, telling the Postillion that my reaching
Strasbourg the next day an hour or two later would be perfectly
immaterial. He thanked me, and then leaving the Cottage with Stephano,
put up his Horses in the Wood-man’s Stable. Baptiste followed them to
the door, and looked out with anxiety.
“’Tis a sharp biting wind!” said He; “I wonder, what detains my Boys so
long! Monsieur, I shall show you two of the finest Lads, that ever
stept in shoe of leather. The eldest is three and twenty, the second a
year younger: Their Equals for sense, courage, and activity, are not to
be found within fifty miles of Strasbourg. Would They were back again!
I begin to feel uneasy about them.”
Marguerite was at this time employed in laying the cloth.
“And are you equally anxious for the return of your Sons?” said I to
her.
“Not I!” She replied peevishly; “They are no children of mine.”
“Come! Come, Marguerite!” said the Husband; “Do not be out of humour
with the Gentleman for asking a simple question. Had you not looked so
cross, He would never have thought you old enough to have a Son of
three and twenty: But you see how many years ill-temper adds to
you!—Excuse my Wife’s rudeness, Monsieur. A little thing puts her out,
and She is somewhat displeased at your not thinking her to be under
thirty. That is the truth, is it not, Marguerite? You know, Monsieur,
that Age is always a ticklish subject with a Woman. Come! come!
Marguerite, clear up a little. If you have not Sons as old, you will
some twenty years hence, and I hope, that we shall live to see them
just such Lads as Jacques and Robert.”
Marguerite clasped her hands together passionately.
“God forbid!” said She; “God forbid! If I thought it, I would strangle
them with my own hands!”
She quitted the room hastily, and went up stairs.
I could not help expressing to the Wood-man how much I pitied him for
being chained for life to a Partner of such ill-humour.
“Ah! Lord! Monsieur, Every one has his share of grievances, and
Marguerite has fallen to mine. Besides, after all She is only cross,
and not malicious. The worst is, that her affection for two children by
a former Husband makes her play the Step-mother with my two Sons. She
cannot bear the sight of them, and by her good-will they would never
set a foot within my door. But on this point I always stand firm, and
never will consent to abandon the poor Lads to the world’s mercy, as
She has often solicited me to do. In every thing else I let her have
her own way; and truly She manages a family rarely, that I must say for
her.”
We were conversing in this manner, when our discourse was interrupted
by a loud halloo, which rang through the Forest.
“My Sons, I hope!” exclaimed the Wood-man, and ran to open the door.
The halloo was repeated: We now distinguished the trampling of Horses,
and soon after a Carriage, attended by several Cavaliers stopped at the
Cottage door. One of the Horsemen enquired how far they were still from
Strasbourg. As He addressed himself to me, I answered in the number of
miles which Claude had told me; Upon which a volley of curses was
vented against the Drivers for having lost their way. The Persons in
the Coach were now informed of the distance of Strasbourg, and also
that the Horses were so fatigued as to be incapable of proceeding
further. A Lady, who appeared to be the principal, expressed much
chagrin at this intelligence; But as there was no remedy, one of the
Attendants asked the Wood-man, whether He could furnish them with
lodging for the night.
He seemed much embarrassed, and replied in the negative; Adding that a
Spanish Gentleman and his Servant were already in possession of the
only spare apartments in his House. On hearing this, the gallantry of
my nation would not permit me to retain those accommodations, of which
a Female was in want. I instantly signified to the Wood-man, that I
transferred my right to the Lady; He made some objections; But I
overruled them, and hastening to the Carriage, opened the door, and
assisted the Lady to descend. I immediately recognized her for the same
person whom I had seen at the Inn at Luneville. I took an opportunity
of asking one of her Attendants, what was her name?
“The Baroness Lindenberg,” was the answer.
I could not but remark how different a reception our Host had given
these newcomers and myself. His reluctance to admit them was visibly
expressed on his countenance, and He prevailed on himself with
difficulty to tell the Lady that She was welcome. I conducted her into
the House, and placed her in the armed-chair, which I had just quitted.
She thanked me very graciously; and made a thousand apologies for
putting me to an inconvenience. Suddenly the Wood-man’s countenance
cleared up.
“At last I have arranged it!” said He, interrupting her excuses; “I can
lodge you and your suite, Madam, and you will not be under the
necessity of making this Gentleman suffer for his politeness.
We have two spare chambers, one for the Lady, the other, Monsieur, for
you: My Wife shall give up hers to the two Waiting-women; As for the
Men-servants, they must content themselves with passing the night in a
large Barn, which stands at a few yards distance from the House. There
they shall have a blazing fire, and as good a supper as we can make
shift to give them.”
After several expressions of gratitude on the Lady’s part, and
opposition on mine to Marguerite’s giving up her bed, this arrangement
was agreed to. As the Room was small, the Baroness immediately
dismissed her Male Domestics: Baptiste was on the point of conducting
them to the Barn which He had mentioned when two young Men appeared at
the door of the Cottage.
“Hell and Furies!” exclaimed the first starting back; “Robert, the
House is filled with Strangers!”
“Ha! There are my Sons!” cried our Host. “Why, Jacques! Robert! whither
are you running, Boys? There is room enough still for you.”
Upon this assurance the Youths returned. The Father presented them to
the Baroness and myself: After which He withdrew with our Domestics,
while at the request of the two Waiting-women, Marguerite conducted
them to the room designed for their Mistress.
The two new-comers were tall, stout, well-made young Men,
hard-featured, and very much sun-burnt. They paid their compliments to
us in few words, and acknowledged Claude, who now entered the room, as
an old acquaintance. They then threw aside their cloaks in which they
were wrapped up, took off a leathern belt to which a large Cutlass was
suspended, and each drawing a brace of pistols from his girdle laid
them upon a shelf.
“You travel well-armed,” said I.
“True, Monsieur;” replied Robert. “We left Strasbourg late this
Evening, and ’tis necessary to take precautions at passing through this
Forest after dark. It does not bear a good repute, I promise you.”
“How?” said the Baroness; “Are there Robbers hereabout?”
“So it is said, Madame; For my own part, I have travelled through the
wood at all hours, and never met with one of them.”
Here Marguerite returned. Her Stepsons drew her to the other end of the
room, and whispered her for some minutes. By the looks which they cast
towards us at intervals, I conjectured them to be enquiring our
business in the Cottage.
In the meanwhile the Baroness expressed her apprehensions, that her
Husband would be suffering much anxiety upon her account. She had
intended to send on one of her Servants to inform the Baron of her
delay; But the account which the young Men gave of the Forest rendered
this plan impracticable. Claude relieved her from her embarrassment. He
informed her that He was under the necessity of reaching Strasbourg
that night, and that would She trust him with a letter, She might
depend upon its being safely delivered.
“And how comes it,” said I, “that you are under no apprehension of
meeting these Robbers?”
“Alas! Monsieur, a poor Man with a large family must not lose certain
profit because ’tis attended with a little danger, and perhaps my Lord
the Baron may give me a trifle for my pains. Besides, I have nothing to
lose except my life, and that will not be worth the Robbers taking.”
I thought his arguments bad, and advised his waiting till the Morning;
But as the Baroness did not second me, I was obliged to give up the
point. The Baroness Lindenberg, as I found afterwards, had long been