A Sicilian Romance

She wept to the memory of times past, and there was a romantic sadness

in her feelings, luxurious and indefinable. Madame behaved to Julia

with the tenderest attention, and endeavoured to withdraw her thoughts

from their mournful subject by promoting that taste for literature and

music, which was so suitable to the powers of her mind.

But an object seriously interesting now obtained that regard, which

those of mere amusement failed to attract. Her favorite nun, for whom

her love and esteem daily increased, seemed declining under the

pressure of a secret grief. Julia was deeply affected with her

situation, and though she was not empowered to administer consolation

to her sorrows, she endeavoured to mitigate the sufferings of illness.

She nursed her with unremitting care, and seemed to seize with avidity

the temporary opportunity of escaping from herself. The nun appeared

perfectly reconciled to her fate, and exhibited during her illness so

much sweetness, patience, and resignation as affected all around her

with pity and love.

Her angelic mildness, and steady fortitude

characterized the beatification of a saint, rather than the death of a

mortal. Julia watched every turn of her disorder with the utmost

solicitude, and her care was at length rewarded by the amendment of

Cornelia. Her health gradually improved, and she attributed this

circumstance to the assiduity and tenderness of her young friend, to

whom her heart now expanded in warm and unreserved affection. At

length Julia ventured to solicit what she had so long and so earnestly

wished for, and Cornelia unfolded the history of her sorrows.

'Of the life which your care has prolonged,' said she, 'it is but just

that you should know the events; though those events are neither new,

or striking, and possess little power of interesting persons

unconnected with them. To me they have, however, been unexpectedly

dreadful in effect, and my heart assures me, that to you they will not

be indifferent.

'I am the unfortunate descendant of an ancient and illustrious Italian

family. In early childhood I was deprived of a mother's care, but the

tenderness of my surviving parent made her loss, as to my welfare,

almost unfelt. Suffer me here to do justice to the character of my

noble father. He united in an eminent degree the mild virtues of

social life, with the firm unbending qualities of the noble Romans,

his ancestors, from whom he was proud to trace his descent. Their

merit, indeed, continually dwelt on his tongue, and their actions he

was always endeavouring to imitate, as far as was consistent with the

character of his times, and with the limited sphere in which he moved.

The recollection of his virtue elevates my mind, and fills my heart

with a noble pride, which even the cold walls of a monastery have not

been able to subdue. 'My father's fortune was unsuitable to his rank.