CHAPTER vii.
AN ENCOUNTER.
Two whole days passed thus; no enquiries reached Mrs Wyers, and shefound in the news-papers no advertisement. Meanwhile Cecilia grew worseevery moment, tasted neither drink nor food, raved incessantly, calledout twenty times in a breath, "Where is he? which way is he gone?"and implored the woman by the most pathetic remonstrances, to save herunhappy Delvile, _dearer to her than life, more precious than peace orrest_!
At other times she talked of her marriage, of the displeasure of hisfamily, and of her own remorse; entreated the woman not to betray her,and promised to spend the remnant of her days in the heaviness of sorrowand contrition.
Again her fancy roved, and Mr Monckton took sole possession of it. Shereproached him for his perfidy, she bewailed that he was massacred, shewould not a moment out-live him, and wildly declared _her last remainsshould moulder in his hearse_! And thus, though naturally and commonlyof a silent and quiet disposition, she was now not a moment still, forthe irregular starts of a terrified and disordered imagination, werechanged into the constant ravings of morbid delirium.
The woman, growing uneasy from her uncertainty of pay for her trouble,asked the advice of some of her friends what was proper for her to do;and they counselled her to put an advertisement into the papers herselfthe next morning.
The following, therefore, was drawn up and sent to the printer of theDaily Advertiser.
MADNESS.
Whereas a crazy young lady, tall, fair complexioned, with blue eyes andlight hair, ran into the Three Blue Balls, in----street, on Thursdaynight, the 2nd instant, and has been kept there since out of charity.She was dressed in a riding habit. Whoever she belongs to is desired tosend after her immediately. She has been treated with the utmost careand tenderness. She talks much of some person by the name of Delvile.
N.B.--She had no money about her.
May, 1780.
This had but just been sent off, when Mr Wyers, the man of the house,coming up stairs, said, "Now we shall have two of them, for here'sthe crazy old gentleman below, that says he has just heard in theneighbourhood of what has happened to us, and he desires to see the poorlady."
"It's as well let him come up, then," answered Mrs Wyers, "for he goesto all sort of places and people, and ten to one but he'll bustle abouttill he finds out who she is."
Mr Wyers then went down stairs to send him up.
He came instantly. It was Albany, who in his vagrant rambles, havingheard an unknown mad lady was at this pawn-broker's, came, with hiscustomary eagerness to visit and serve the unhappy, to see what could bedone for her.
When he entered the room, she was sitting upon the bed, her eyesearnestly fixed upon the window, from which she was privately indulginga wish to make her escape. Her dress was in much disorder, her fine hairwas dishevelled, and the feathers of her riding hat were broken and halffalling down, some shading her face, others reaching to her shoulder.
"Poor lady!" cried Albany, approaching her, "how long has she been inthis state?"
She started at the sound of a new voice, she looked round,--but what wasthe astonishment of Albany to see who it was!--He stept back,-he cameforward,--he doubted his own senses,--he looked at her earnestly,--heturned from her to look at the woman of the house,--he cast his eyesround the room itself, and then, lifting up his hands, "O sight of woe!"he cried, "the generous and good! the kind reliever of distress! thebenign sustainer of misery!--is _This_ Cecilia!"--
Cecilia, imperfectly recollecting, though not understanding him, sunkdown at his feet, tremblingly called out, "Oh, if he is yet to be saved,if already he is not murdered,--go to him! fly after him! you willpresently overtake him, he is only in the next street, I left him theremyself, his sword drawn, and covered with human blood!"
"Sweet powers of kindness and compassion!" cried the old man, "look uponthis creature with pity! she who raised the depressed, she who chearedthe unhappy! she whose liberal hand turned lamentations into joy! whonever with a tearless eye could hear the voice of sorrow!--is _This_ sheherself!--can _This_ be Cecilia!"
"O do not wait to talk!" cried she, "go to him now, or you will neversee him more! the hand of death is on him,--cold, clay-cold is itstouch! he is breathing his last--Oh murdered Delvile! massacred husbandof my heart! groan not so piteously! fly to him, and weep over him!--flyto him and pluck the poniard from his wounded bosom!"
"Oh sounds of anguish and horror!" cried the melted moralist, tearsrunning quick down his rugged cheeks; "melancholy indeed is thissight, humiliating to morality! such is human strength, such humanfelicity!--weak as our virtues, frail as our guilty natures!"
"Ah," cried she, more wildly, "no one will save me now! I am married,and no one will listen to me! ill were the auspices under which I gavemy hand! Oh it was a work of darkness, unacceptable and offensive! ithas been sealed, therefore, with blood, and to-morrow it will be signedwith murder!"
"Poor distracted creature!" exclaimed he, "thy pangs I have felt, butthy innocence I have forfeited!--my own wounds bleed afresh,--my ownbrain threatens new frenzy."--
Then, starting up, "Good woman," he added, "kindly attend her,--I willseek out her friends, put her into bed, comfort, sooth, compose her.--Iwill come to you again, and as soon as I can."
He then hurried away.
"Oh hour of joy!" cried Cecilia, "he is gone to rescue him! oh blissfulmoment! he will yet be snatched from slaughter!"
The woman lost not an instant in obeying the orders she had received;she was put into bed, and nothing was neglected, as far as she hadpower and thought, to give a look of decency and attention to heraccommodations.
He had not left them an hour, when Mary, the maid who had attendedher from Suffolk, came to enquire for her lady. Albany, who was nowwandering over the town in search of some of her friends, and whoentered every house where he imagined she was known, had hastened tothat of Mrs Hill the first of any, as he was well acquainted with herobligations to Cecilia; there, Mary herself, by the directions whichher lady had given Mrs Belfield, had gone; and there, in the utmostastonishment and uneasiness, had continued till Albany brought news ofher.
She was surprised and afflicted beyond measure, not only at the state ofher mind, and her health, but to find her in a bed and an apartment sounsuitable to her rank of life, and so different to what she had everbeen accustomed. She wept bitterly while she enquired at the bed-sidehow her lady did, but wept still more, when, without answering, orseeming to know her, Cecilia started up, and called out, "I must beremoved this moment! I must go to St James's-square,--if I stay aninstant longer, the passing-bell will toll, and then how shall I be intime for the funeral?"
Mary, alarmed and amazed, turned hastily from her to the woman of thehouse, who calmly said, the lady was only in a raving fit, and must notbe minded.
Extremely frightened at this intelligence, she entreated her to be quietand lie still. But Cecilia grew suddenly so violent, that force onlycould keep her from rising; and Mary, unused to dispute her commands,prepared to obey them.
Mrs Wyers now in her turn opposed in vain; Cecilia was peremptory, andMary became implicit, and, though not without much difficulty, shewas again dressed in her riding habit. This operation over, she movedtowards the door, the temporary strength of delirium giving, her ahardiness that combated fever, illness, fatigue, and feebleness. Mary,however averse and fearful, assisted her, and Mrs Wyers, compelled bythe obedience of her own servant, went before them to order a chair.
Cecilia, however, felt her weakness when she attempted to move downstairs; her feet tottered, and her head became dizzy; she leaned itagainst Mary, who called aloud for more help, and made her sit down tillit came. Her resolution, however, was not to be altered; a stubbornness,wholly foreign to her genuine character, now made her stern andpositive; and Mary, who thought her submission indispensable, cried, butdid not offer to oppose her.
Mr and Mrs Wyers both came up to assist in supporting her, and Mr Wyersoffered to carry her in his arms; but s
he would not consent; when shecame to the bottom of the stairs, her head grew worse, she again lentit upon Mary, but Mr Wyers was obliged to hold them both. She still,however, was firm in her determination, and was making another effort toproceed, when Delvile rushed hastily into the shop.
He had just encountered Albany; who, knowing his acquaintance, thoughignorant of his marriage, with Cecilia, had informed him where to seekher.
He was going to make enquiry if he was come to the right house, whenhe perceived her,--feeble, shaking, leaning upon one person, and halfcarried by another!--he started back, staggered, gasped for breath,--butfinding they were proceeding, advanced with trepidation, furiouslycalling out, "Hold! stop!--what is it you are doing? Monsters of savagebarbarity, are you murdering my wife?"
The well-known voice no sooner struck the ears of Cecilia, thaninstantly recollecting it, she screamed, and, is suddenly endeavouringto spring forward, fell to the ground.
Delvile had vehemently advanced to catch her in his arms and save herfall, which her unexpected quickness had prevented her attendants fromdoing; but the sight of her changed complection, and the wildness of hereyes and air, again made him start,--his blood froze through his veins,and he stood looking at her, cold and almost petrified.
Her own recollection of him seemed lost already; and exhausted by thefatigue she had gone through in dressing and coming down stairs, sheremained still and quiet, forgetting her design of proceeding, andforming no new one for returning.
Mary, to whom, as to all her fellow servants, the marriage of Ceciliahad been known, before she left the country, now desired from Delviledirections what was to be done.
Delvile, starting suddenly at this call from the deepest horror into themost desperate rage, fiercely exclaimed, "Inhuman wretches! unfeeling,execrable wretches, what is it you have done to her? how came shehither?--who brought her?--who dragged her?--by what infamous usage hasshe been sunk into this state?"
"Indeed, sir, I don't know!" cried Mary.
"I assure you, sir," said Mrs Wyers, "the lady--"
"Peace!" cried he, furiously, "I will not hear your falsehoods!--peace,and begone!"--
Then, casting himself upon the ground by her side, "Oh my Cecilia,"he cried, "where hast thou been thus long? how have I lost thee? whatdreadful calamity has befallen thee?--answer me, my love! raise yoursweet head and answer me!--oh speak!--say to me any thing; the bitterestwords will be mercy to this silence!"---
Cecilia then, suddenly looking up, called out with great quickness, "Whoare you?"
"Who am I!" cried he, amazed and affrighted.
"I should be glad you would go away," cried she, in a hurrying manner,"for you are quite unknown to me."
Delvile, unconscious of her insanity, and attributing to resentmentthis aversion and repulse, hastily moved from her, mournfully answering,"Well indeed may you disclaim me, refuse all forgiveness, load me withhatred and reproach, and consign me to eternal anguish! I have meritedseverer punishment still; I have behaved like a monster, and I amabhorrent to myself!"
Cecilia now, half rising, and regarding him with mingled terror andanger, eagerly exclaimed, "If you do not mean to mangle and destroy me,begone this instant."
"To mangle you!" repeated Delvile, shuddering, "how horrible!--but Ideserve it!--look not, however, so terrified, and I will tear myselfaway from you. Suffer me but to assist in removing you from this place,and I will only watch you at a distance, and never see you more till youpermit me to approach you."
"Why, why," cried Cecilia, with a look of perplexity and impatience,"will you not tell me your name, and where you come from?"
"Do you not know me?" said he, struck with new horror; "or do you onlymean to kill me by the question?"
"Do you bring me any message from Mr Monckton?"
"From Mr Monckton?--no; but he lives and will recover."
"I thought you had been Mr Monckton yourself."
"Too cruel, yet justly cruel Cecilia!--is then Delvile utterlyrenounced?--the guilty, the unhappy Delvile!--is he cast off for ever?have you driven him wholly from your heart? do you deny him even a placein your remembrance?"
"Is your name, then, Delvile?"
"O what is it you mean? Is it me or my name you thus disown?"
"'Tis a name," cried she, sitting up, "I well remember to have heard,and once I loved it, and three times I called upon it in the dead ofnight. And when I was cold and wretched, I cherished it; and when I wasabandoned and left alone, I repeated it and sung to it."
"All-gracious powers!" cried Delvile, "her reason is utterly gone!"And, hastily rising, he desperately added, "what is death to thisblow?--Cecilia, I am content to part with thee!"
Mary now, and Mrs Wyers, poured upon him eagerly an account of herillness, and insanity, her desire of removal, and their inability tocontrol her.
Delvile, however, made no answer; he scarce heard them: the deepestdespair took possession of his mind, and, rooted to the spot where hestood, he contemplated iii dreadful stillness the fallen and alteredobject of his best hopes and affections; already in her faded cheeksand weakened frame, his agonising terror read the quick impendingdestruction of all his earthly happiness! the sight was too much forhis fortitude, and almost for his understanding; and when his woe becameutterable, he wrung his hands, and groaning aloud, called out, "Art thougone so soon! my wife! my Cecilia! have I lost thee already?"
Cecilia, with utter insensibility to what was passing, now suddenly, andwith a rapid yet continued motion, turned her head from side to side,her eyes wildly glaring, and yet apparently regarding nothing.
"Dreadful! dreadful!" exclaimed Delvile, "what a sight is this!" andturning from her to the people of the house, he angrily said, "why isshe here upon the floor? could you not even allow her a bed? Who attendsher? Who waits upon her? Why has nobody sent for help?--Don't answerme,--I will not hear you, fly this moment for a physician,--bring two,bring three--bring all you can find?"
Then, still looking from Cecilia, whose sight he could no longersupport, he consulted with Mary whither she should be conveyed: and, asthe night was far advanced, and no place was prepared for her elsewhere,they soon agreed that she could only be removed up stairs.
Delvile now attempted to carry her in his arms; but trembling andunsteady, he had not strength to sustain her; yet not enduring to beholdthe helplessness he could not assist, he conjured them to be carefuland gentle, and, committing her to their trust, ran out himself for aphysician.
Cecilia resisted them with her utmost power, imploring them not to buryher alive, and averring she had received intelligence they meant toentomb her with Mr Monckton.
They put her, however, to bed, but her raving grew still more wild andincessant.
Delvile soon returned with a physician, but had not courage to attendhim to her room. He waited for him at the foot of the stairs, where,hastily stopping him,
"Well, sir," he cried, "is it not all over? is it not impossible she canlive?"
"She is very ill, indeed, sir," he answered, "but I have givendirections which perhaps---"
"_Perhaps_!" interrupted Delvile, shuddering, "do not stab me with sucha word!"
"She is very delirious," he continued, "but as her fever is very high,that is not so material. If the orders I have given take effect, and thefever is got under, all the rest will be well of course."
He then went away; leaving Delvile as much thunderstruck by answersso alarming, as if he had consulted him in full hope, and without evensuspicion of her danger.
The moment he recovered from this shock, he flew out of the house formore advice.
He returned and brought with him two physicians. They confirmed thedirections already given, but would pronounce nothing decisively of hersituation.
Delvile, half mad with the acuteness of his misery, charged them allwith want of skill, and wrote instantly into the country for Dr Lyster.
He went out himself in search of a messenger to ride off express, thoughit was midnight, with his letter
; and then, returning, he was hasteningto her room, but, while yet at the door, hearing her still raving, hishorror conquered his eagerness, and, hurrying down stairs, he spent theremnant of the long and seemingly endless night in the shop.