'Adieu, dear Emilia; never more will you see your wretched sister, who
flies from the cruel fate now prepared for her, certain that she can
never meet one more dreadful.--In happiness or misery--in hope or
despair--whatever may be your situation--still remember me with pity
and affection. Dear Emilia, adieu!--You will always be the sister of
my heart--may you never be the partner of my misfortunes!'
While the marquis was reading this letter, the marchioness, who
supposed the delay occasioned by some opposition from Julia, flew to
the apartment. By her orders all the habitable parts of the castle
were explored, and she herself assisted in the search. At length the
intelligence was communicated to the chapel, and the confusion became
universal. The priest quitted the altar, and the company returned to
the saloon. The letter, when it was given to Emilia, excited emotions which she
found it impossible to disguise, but which did not, however, protect
her from a suspicion that she was concerned in the transaction, her
knowledge of which this letter appeared intended to conceal.
The marquis immediately dispatched servants upon the fleetest horses
of his stables, with directions to take different routs, and to scour
every corner of the island in pursuit of the fugitives. When these
exertions had somewhat quieted his mind, he began to consider by what
means Julia could have effected her escape. She had been confined in a
small room in a remote part of the castle, to which no person had been
admitted but her own woman and Robert, the confidential servant of the
marquis.
Even Lisette had not been suffered to enter, unless
accompanied by Robert, in whose room, since the night of the fatal
discovery, the keys had been regularly deposited. Without them it was
impossible she could have escaped: the windows of the apartment being
barred and grated, and opening into an inner court, at a prodigious
height from the ground. Besides, who could she depend upon for
protection--or whither could she intend to fly for concealment?--The
associates of her former elopement were utterly unable to assist her
even with advice. Ferdinand himself a prisoner, had been deprived of
any means of intercourse with her, and Hippolitus had been carried
lifeless on board a vessel, which had immediately sailed for Italy
. Robert, to whom the keys had been entrusted, was severely interrogated
by the marquis. He persisted in a simple and uniform declaration of
his innocence; but as the marquis believed it impossible that Julia
could have escaped without his knowledge, he was ordered into
imprisonment till he should confess the fact.
The pride of the duke was severely wounded by this elopement, which
proved the excess of Julia's aversion, and compleated the disgraceful
circumstances of his rejection. The marquis had carefully concealed
from him her prior attempt at elopement, and her consequent
confinement; but the truth now burst from disguise, and stood revealed
with bitter aggravation. The duke, fired with indignation at the
duplicity of the marquis, poured forth his resentment in terms of
proud and bitter invective; and the marquis, galled by recent
disappointment, was in no mood to restrain the impetuosity of his
nature