“He is there before us,” said Isidora, adverting to the figure she had seen; “I think I saw him.”
“Saw whom?” said Melmoth, starting, and standing immoveable till his question was answered.
“I saw a figure,” said Isidora, trembling—“I thought I saw a figure moving towards the ruin.”
“You are mistaken,” said Melmoth; but a moment after he added, “We ought to have been there before him.” And he hurried on with Isidora. Suddenly slackening his speed, he demanded, in a choked and indistinct voice, if she had ever heard any music precede his visits to her—any sounds in the air.
“Never,” was the answer.
“You are sure?”
“Perfectly sure.”
At this moment they were ascending the fractured and rugged steps that led to the entrance of the chapel—now they passed under the dark and ivied porch—now they entered the chapel, which, even in darkness, appeared to the eyes of Isidora ruinous and deserted.
“He has not yet arrived,” said Melmoth, in a disturbed voice; “Wait there a moment.” And Isidora, enfeebled by terror beyond the power of resistance, or even entreaty, saw him depart without an effort to detain him. She felt as if the effort would be hopeless. Left thus alone, she glanced her eyes around, and a faint and watery moonbeam breaking at that moment through the heavy clouds, threw its light on the objects around her. There was a window, but the stained glass of its compartments, broken and discoloured, held rare and precarious place between the fluted shafts of stone. Ivy and moss darkened the fragments of glass, and clung round the clustered pillars. Beneath were the remains of an altar and crucifix, but they seemed like the rude work of the first hands that had ever been employed on such subjects. There was also a marble vessel, that seemed designed to contain holy water, but it was empty—and there was a stone bench, on which Isidora sunk down in weariness, but without hope of rest. Once or twice she looked up to the window, through which the moonbeams fell, with that instinctive feeling of her former existence, that made companions of the elements, and of the beautiful and glorious family of heaven, under whose burning light she had once imagined the moon was her parent, and the stars her kindred. She gazed on the window still, like one who loved the light of nature, and drank health and truth from its beams, till a figure passing slowly but visibly before the pillared shafts, disclosed to her view the face of that ancient servant, whose features she remembered well. He seemed to regard her with a look, first of intent contemplation—then of compassion—the figure then passed from before the ruined window, and a faint and wailing cry rung in the ears of Isidora as it disappeared.
At that moment the moon, that had so faintly lit the chapel, sunk behind a cloud, and everything was enveloped in darkness so profound, that Isidora did not recognize the figure of Melmoth till her hand was clasped in his, and his voice whispered, “He is here—ready to unite us.” The long-protracted terrors of this bridal left her not a breath to utter a word withal, and she leaned on the arm that she felt, not in confidence, but for support. The place, the hour, the objects, all were hid in darkness. She heard a faint rustling as of the approach of another person—she tried to catch certain words, but she knew not what they were—she attempted also to speak, but she knew not what she said. All was mist and darkness with her—she knew not what was muttered—she felt not that the hand of Melmoth grasped hers—but she felt that the hand that united them, and clasped their palms within his own, was as cold as that of death.
XXV
Τηλε μ’ ειργουσι ψυχαι, ειδωλα καμοντων.
Homer
We have now to retrace a short period of our narrative to the night on which Don Francisco di Aliaga, the father of Isidora, “fortuned,” as he termed it, to be among the company whose conversation had produced so extraordinary an effect on him.
He was journeying homewards, full of the contemplation of his wealth—the certainty of having attained complete security against the evils that harass life—and being able to set at defiance all external causes of infelicity. He felt like a man “at ease in his possessions,”—and he felt also a grave and placid satisfaction at the thought of meeting a family who looked up to him with profound respect as the author of their fortunes—of walking in his own house, amid bowing domestics and obsequious relatives, with the same slow authoritative step with which he paced the mart among wealthy merchants, and saw the wealthiest bow as he approached—and when he had passed, point out the man of whose grave salute they were proud, and whisper, That is
