The Monk: A Romance
expected every moment to see the ground open and swallow her up,
Chicken and all! For you must know, worshipful Father, that while She
talked thus, She held the plate in her hand, on which lay the identical
roast Fowl. And a fine Bird it was, that I must say for it! Done to a
turn, for I superintended the cooking of it myself: It was a little
Gallician of my own raising, may it please your Holiness, and the flesh
was as white as an egg-shell, as indeed Donna Elvira told me herself.
‘Dame Jacintha,’ said She, very good-humouredly, though to say the
truth, She was always very polite to me .....”
Here Ambrosio’s patience failed him. Eager to know Jacintha’s business
in which Antonia seemed to be concerned, He was almost distracted while
listening to the rambling of this prosing old Woman. He interrupted
her, and protested that if She did not immediately tell her story and
have done with it, He should quit the Parlour, and leave her to get out
of her difficulties by herself. This threat had the desired effect.
Jacintha related her business in as few words as She could manage; But
her account was still so prolix that Ambrosio had need of his patience
to bear him to the conclusion.
“And so, your Reverence,” said She, after relating Elvira’s death and
burial, with all their circumstances; “And so, your Reverence, upon
hearing the shriek, I put away my work, and away posted I to Donna
Antonia’s chamber. Finding nobody there, I past on to the next; But I
must own, I was a little timorous at going in, for this was the very
room where Donna Elvira used to sleep. However, in I went, and sure
enough, there lay the young Lady at full length upon the floor, as cold
as a stone, and as white as a sheet. I was surprized at this, as your
Holiness may well suppose; But Oh me! how I shook when I saw a great
tall figure at my elbow whose head touched the ceiling! The face was
Donna Elvira’s, I must confess; But out of its mouth came clouds of
fire, its arms were loaded with heavy chains which it rattled
piteously, and every hair on its head was a Serpent as big as my arm!
At this I was frightened enough, and began to say my Ave-Maria: But the
Ghost interrupting me uttered three loud groans, and roared out in a
terrible voice, ‘Oh! That Chicken’s wing! My poor soul suffers for it!’
As soon as She had said this, the Ground opened, the Spectre sank down,
I heard a clap of thunder, and the room was filled with a smell of
brimstone. When I recovered from my fright, and had brought Donna
Antonia to herself, who told me that She had cried out upon seeing her
Mother’s Ghost, (And well might She cry, poor Soul! Had I been in her
place, I should have cried ten times louder) it directly came into my
head, that if any one had power to quiet this Spectre, it must be your
Reverence. So hither I came in all diligence, to beg that you will
sprinkle my House with holy water, and lay the Apparition in the Red
Sea.”
Ambrosio stared at this strange story, which He could not credit.
“Did Donna Antonia also see the Ghost?” said He.
“As plain as I see you, Reverend Father!”
Ambrosio paused for a moment. Here was an opportunity offered him of
gaining access to Antonia, but He hesitated to employ it. The
reputation which He enjoyed in Madrid was still dear to him; and since
He had lost the reality of virtue, it appeared as if its semblance was
become more valuable. He was conscious that publicly to break through
the rule never to quit the Abbey precincts, would derogate much from
his supposed austerity. In visiting Elvira, He had always taken care to
keep his features concealed from the Domestics. Except by the Lady, her
Daughter, and the faithful Flora, He was known in the Family by no
other name than that of Father Jerome. Should He comply with Jacintha’s
request, and accompany her to her House, He knew that the violation of
his rule could not be kept a secret. However, his eagerness to see
Antonia obtained the victory: He even hoped, that the singularity of
this adventure would justify him in the eyes of Madrid: But whatever
might be the consequences, He resolved to profit by the opportunity
which chance had presented to him. An expressive look from Matilda
confirmed him in this resolution.
“Good Woman,” said He to Jacintha, “what you tell me is so
extraordinary that I can scarcely credit your assertions. However, I
will comply with your request. Tomorrow after Matins you may expect me
at your House: I will then examine into what I can do for you, and if
it is in my power, will free you from this unwelcome Visitor. Now then
go home, and peace be with you!”
“Home?” exclaimed Jacintha; “I go home? Not I by my troth! except under
your protection, I set no foot of mine within the threshold. God help
me, the Ghost may meet me upon the Stairs, and whisk me away with her
to the devil! Oh! That I had accepted young Melchior Basco’s offer!
Then I should have had somebody to protect me; But now I am a lone
Woman, and meet with nothing but crosses and misfortunes! Thank Heaven,
it is not yet too late to repent! There is Simon Gonzalez will have me
any day of the week, and if I live till daybreak, I will marry him out
of hand: An Husband I will have, that is determined, for now this Ghost
is once in my House, I shall be frightened out of my wits to sleep
alone. But for God’s sake, reverend Father, come with me now. I shall
have no rest till the House is purified, or the poor young Lady either.
The dear Girl! She is in a piteous taking: I left her in strong
convulsions, and I doubt, She will not easily recover her fright.”
The Friar started, and interrupted her hastily.
“In convulsions, say you? Antonia in convulsions? Lead on, good Woman!
I follow you this moment!”
Jacintha insisted upon his stopping to furnish himself with the vessel
of holy water: With this request He complied. Thinking herself safe
under his protection should a Legion of Ghosts attack her, the old
Woman returned the Monk a profusion of thanks, and they departed
together for the Strada di San Iago.
So strong an impression had the Spectre made upon Antonia, that for the
first two or three hours the Physician declared her life to be in
danger. The fits at length becoming less frequent induced him to alter
his opinion. He said that to keep her quiet was all that was necessary;
and He ordered a medicine to be prepared which would tranquillize her
nerves, and procure her that repose which at present She much wanted.
The sight of Ambrosio, who now appeared with Jacintha at her Bedside,
contributed essentially to compose her ruffled spirits. Elvira had not
sufficiently explained herself upon the nature of his designs, to make
a Girl so ignorant of the world as her Daughter aware how dangerous was
his acquaintance. At this moment, when penetrated with horror at the
scene which had just past, and dreading to contemplate the Ghost’s
prediction, her mind had need of all the succours of friendship and
religion, Antonia regarded the Abbot with an eye doubly partial. That
strong prepossession in his favour still existed which She had felt for
him at first sight: She fancied, yet knew not wherefore, that his
presence was a safeguard to her from every danger, insult, or
misfortune.
She thanked him gratefully for his visit, and related to him the
adventure, which had alarmed her so seriously.
The Abbot strove to reassure her, and convince her that the whole had
been a deception of her overheated fancy. The solitude in which She had
passed the Evening, the gloom of night, the Book which She had been
reading, and the Room in which She sat, were all calculated to place
before her such a vision. He treated the idea of Ghosts with ridicule,
and produced strong arguments to prove the fallacy of such a system.
His conversation tranquillized and comforted her, but did not convince
her. She could not believe that the Spectre had been a mere creature of
her imagination; Every circumstance was impressed upon her mind too
forcibly, to permit her flattering herself with such an idea. She
persisted in asserting that She had really seen her Mother’s Ghost, had
heard the period of her dissolution announced and declared that She
never should quit her bed alive. Ambrosio advised her against
encouraging these sentiments, and then quitted her chamber, having
promised to repeat his visit on the morrow. Antonia received this
assurance with every mark of joy: But the Monk easily perceived that He
was not equally acceptable to her Attendant. Flora obeyed Elvira’s
injunctions with the most scrupulous observance. She examined every
circumstance with an anxious eye likely in the least to prejudice her
young Mistress, to whom She had been attached for many years. She was a
Native of Cuba, had followed Elvira to Spain, and loved the young
Antonia with a Mother’s affection. Flora quitted not the room for a
moment while the Abbot remained there: She watched his every word, his
every look, his every action. He saw that her suspicious eye was always
fixed upon him, and conscious that his designs would not bear
inspection so minute, He felt frequently confused and disconcerted. He
was aware that She doubted the purity of his intentions; that She would
never leave him alone with Antonia, and his Mistress defended by the
presence of this vigilant Observer, He despaired of finding the means
to gratify his passion.
As He quitted the House, Jacintha met him, and begged that some Masses
might be sung for the repose of Elvira’s soul, which She doubted not
was suffering in Purgatory. He promised not to forget her request; But
He perfectly gained the old Woman’s heart by engaging to watch during
the whole of the approaching night in the haunted chamber. Jacintha
could find no terms sufficiently strong to express her gratitude, and
the Monk departed loaded with her benedictions.
It was broad day when He returned to the Abbey. His first care was to
communicate what had past to his Confident. He felt too sincere a
passion for Antonia to have heard unmoved the prediction of her speedy
death, and He shuddered at the idea of losing an object so dear to him.
Upon this head Matilda reassured him. She confirmed the arguments which
Himself had already used: She declared Antonia to have been deceived by
the wandering of her brain, by the Spleen which opprest her at the
moment, and by the natural turn of her mind to superstition, and the
marvellous. As to Jacintha’s account, the absurdity refuted itself; The
Abbot hesitated not to believe that She had fabricated the whole story,
either confused by terror, or hoping to make him comply more readily
with her request. Having overruled the Monk’s apprehensions, Matilda
continued thus.
“The prediction and the Ghost are equally false; But it must be your
care, Ambrosio, to verify the first. Antonia within three days must
indeed be dead to the world; But She must live for you.
Her present illness, and this fancy which She has taken into her head,
will colour a plan which I have long meditated, but which was
impracticable without your procuring access to Antonia. She shall be
yours, not for a single night, but for ever. All the vigilance of her
Duenna shall not avail her: You shall riot unrestrained in the charms
of your Mistress. This very day must the scheme be put in execution,
for you have no time to lose. The Nephew of the Duke of Medina Celi
prepares to demand Antonia for his Bride: In a few days She will be
removed to the Palace of her Relation, the Marquis de las Cisternas,
and there She will be secure from your attempts. Thus during your
absence have I been informed by my Spies, who are ever employed in
bringing me intelligence for your service. Now then listen to me. There
is a juice extracted from certain herbs, known but to few, which brings