A Sicilian Romance

Her servants, who were hired for the

journey, were strangers to Julia: from them, therefore, she had

nothing to apprehend. She reached the cottage before sunrise, having

left her people at some little distance. Her heart foreboded evil,

when, on knocking at the door, no answer was returned. She knocked

again, and still all was silent. Through the casement she could

discover no object, amidst the grey obscurity of the dawn. She now

opened the door, and, to her inexpressible surprise and distress,

found the cottage empty. She proceeded to a small inner room, where

lay a part of Julia's apparel. The bed had no appearance of having

being slept in, and every moment served to heighten and confirm her

apprehensions. While she pursued the search, she suddenly heard the

trampling of feet at the cottage door, and presently after some people

entered. Her fears for Julia now yielded to those for her own safety,

and she was undetermined whether to discover herself, or remain in her

present situation, when she was relieved from her irresolution by the

appearance of Julia.

On the return of the good woman, who had accompanied madame to the

village on the preceding night, Julia went to the cottage at Farrini.

Her grateful heart would not suffer her to depart without taking leave

of her faithful friends, thanking them for their kindness, and

informing them of her future prospects. They had prevailed upon her to

spend the few intervening hours at this cot, whence she had just risen

to meet madame.

They now hastened to the spot where the horses were stationed, and

commenced their journey. For some leagues they travelled in silence

and thought, over a wild and picturesque country. The landscape was

tinted with rich and variegated hues; and the autumnal lights, which

streamed upon the hills, produced a spirited and beautiful effect upon

the scenery. All the glories of the vintage rose to their view: the

purple grapes flushed through the dark green of the surrounding

foliage, and the prospect glowed with luxuriance.

They now descended into a deep valley, which appeared more like a

scene of airy enchantment than reality. Along the bottom flowed a

clear majestic stream, whose banks were adorned with thick groves of

orange and citron trees. Julia surveyed the scene in silent

complacency, but her eye quickly caught an object which changed with

instantaneous shock the tone of her feelings. She observed a party of

horsemen winding down the side of a hill behind her. Their uncommon

speed alarmed her, and she pushed her horse into a gallop. On looking

back Madame de Menon clearly perceived they were in pursuit. Soon

after the men suddenly appeared from behind a dark grove within a

small distance of them; and, upon their nearer approach, Julia,

overcome with fatigue and fear, sunk breathless from her horse. She

was saved from the ground by one of the pursuers, who caught her in

his arms. Madame, with the rest of the party, were quickly overtaken;

and as soon as Julia revived, they were bound, and reconducted to the

hill from whence they had descended. Imagination only can paint the

anguish of Julia's mind, when she saw herself thus delivered up to the

power of her enemy. Madame, in the surrounding troop, discovered none

of the marquis's people, and they were therefore evidently in the

hands of the duke.