A Sicilian Romance

. He retorted with acrimony; and the consequence would have been

serious, had not the friends of each party interposed for their

preservation. The disputants were at length reconciled; it was agreed

to pursue Julia with united, and indefatigable search; and that

whenever she should be found, the nuptials should be solemnized

without further delay. With the character of the duke, this conduct

was consistent. His passions, inflamed by disappointment, and

strengthened by repulse, now defied the power of obstacle; and those

considerations which would have operated with a more delicate mind to

overcome its original inclination, served only to encrease the

violence of his. Madame de Menon, who loved Julia with maternal affection, was an

interested observer of all that passed at the castle. The cruel fate

to which the marquis destined his daughter she had severely lamented,

yet she could hardly rejoice to find that this had been avoided by

elopement. She trembled for the future safety of her pupil; and her

tranquillity, which was thus first disturbed for the welfare of

others, she was not soon suffered to recover.

The marchioness had long nourished a secret dislike to Madame de

Menon, whose virtues were a silent reproof to her vices. The

contrariety of their disposition created in the marchioness an

aversion which would have amounted to contempt, had not that dignity

of virtue which strongly characterized the manners of madame,

compelled the former to fear what she wished to despise. Her

conscience whispered her that the dislike was mutual; and she now

rejoiced in the opportunity which seemed to offer itself of lowering

the proud integrity of madame's character. Pretending, therefore, to

believe that she had encouraged Ferdinand to disobey his father's

commands, and had been accessary to the elopement, she accused her of

these offences, and stimulated the marquis to reprehend her conduct.

But the integrity of Madame de Menon was not to be questioned with

impunity. Without deigning to answer the imputation, she desired to

resign an office of which she was no longer considered worthy, and to

quit the castle immediately. This the policy of the marquis would not

suffer; and he was compelled to make such ample concessions to madame,

as induced her for the present to continue at the castle.

The news of Julia's elopement at length reached the ears of Ferdinand,

whose joy at this event was equalled only by his surprize. He lost,

for a moment, the sense of his own situation, and thought only of the

escape of Julia. But his sorrow soon returned with accumulated force

when he recollected that Julia might then perhaps want that assistance

which his confinement alone could prevent his affording her.