Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 244: what you’re looking at

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40 composed, they returned and insisted peremptorily on her com- pliance. She threw herself at their feet and implored their commiseration in the most moving terms; she offered, in case they would relent, to give up all expectations of fortune, and to make her portion over to her other sisters. She required no more than a bare mainte- nance, and to be suffered to live in the plainest manner, promising faithfully to act with all deference to their commands in domestic matters. Instead of being softened by the prayers and tears of a beautiful daughter submissively at his feet, the brutal father spurned her from him with the most shocking sternness of manner; he threw himself into the most furious passion, and threatened, in case of further disobedience, to send her to a penitential house of confine- mnent, at four or five hundred miles distance, where she should be shut up all her days. A menace of this nature silenced at once the unhappy Mary, and left her no alternative between immediate obedience and the worst of misery. After having disposed of Mary in this way, it was now Clemen- tina’s turn to learn her own destiny. Her parents began by expressing their regret at the behaviour of the count, who, notwithstanding his seeming attention to her elvest sister, was perpetually inquiring whether her two sisters had made their vows, and bound themselves formally to a continuance of thie profession they had embraced. They saw that nothing short of this would induce him to marry her, and that it was much against their will or inclination to part with so discreet and prudent a child, but they flattered themselves, that from her moderation and good sense, she would perceive as well as they the necessity of tle measures they had planned for the good of the family, and hoped, therefore, she would acquiesce, in conjunction with her sister Mary, in the earnest desire and request of her parents that they should embrace a monastic life. Such a speech struck Clementina dumb with the utmost astonish- ment ; she remained some minutes speechless and confounded, and hardly mistress of her senses. She now perceived how grossly she had been deceived; she saw the drift of all the pretended bounties, and all the feigned caresses she had lately received; but what sunk deepest into her heart, she saw that she had entangled herself past all deliverance. When she had recollected herself, finding that resistance would be vain, she promised implicit acquiescence, and only begged that she and her sister might be allowed a short space of time to compose their minds and prepare themselves for the great and unexpected change they had to undergo for the residue of their lives. This was granted, and after making every promise of future in- dulgence and kindness consistent with the nature of monastic life, their parents took leave of them with every demonstration of tenderness they were able to feign. As soon as they were gone, and the two unfortunate sisters retired to their cell, Clementina fell on her knees before Mary, and witha flood of tears acknowledged the part she played throughout the whole transaction, asking her forgiveness with every mark of the deepest contrition. Mary, whose soul was all tenderness and magnanimity, embraced Clementina in the most affectionate manner, and gave her every assurance of an entire forgiveness and sincere reconciliation. Clementina, though she had condescended to be an instrument of deceit, was not so far depraved as to be insensible to her guilt. She now sincerely repented the baseness of her conduct, and took a resolution to exert herself to the utmost, in order, if possible, to extricate herself, and as well as her sister. Mary, whose tender disposition had sunk her into the most violent grief and affliction, gave herself up to weeping and lamentation, and was so woefully dejected as to reject all consolation, But Clementina, who felt no Jess the indignity of the treatment they both suffered, did not submit to the like degree of despondency. As she was older and more conversant with the world, she also ac- quired sagacity and resolution, and was determined to try all she could to defeat the purpose of her unnatural parents. Instead of unavailingly deploring the severity of their fate, she advised her sister to-collect her spirits, and prepare for an attempt Hh escape from the prison wherein they were so undeservedly con- ne 9 May was not backward in acceding to this proposal, and though not so fertile in expedients as her sister, showed every readiness to concur in any scheme that might seem practicable. After holding a variety of consultations in what manner to effect their escape, and where to fly to after effecting it, they agreed on the following : Among the many intercesses in favour of Mary’s emancipation, there was a young cousin, the intimate friend and companion of her infancy, who had passed several years in that convent in which she was now enclosed; that cousin had lately left it in order to bs THE TWO VICTIMS. matried. Her husband happened at this time to be absent with his regiment in Germany, in the army under the command of Marshal Contayes. In the absence of her husband, this young lady was settled in the family of an aunt, a woman of great good-nature and humanity, and who highly disapproved of the treatment of her other neice, ary. Both those ladies had often hinted they would be happy with the company of Mary, if she could prevail upon her parents to permit her to live with them. The aunt, in particnlar, who was a widow, and had no children, always professed a remarkable partiality for er. To this aunt and cousin, Mary proposed to her sister, they should fly for protection, not doubting they would either keep or conceal them from the rage and resentment of their father, which they well knew ney should experience to the utmost degree on his hearing of their flight. Having thus concerted a plan for retreat, the next point to con- ~ trive was, how to make their way, unperceived, out of the con- vent. It was a strong and ancient building ; it had been constructed at the time when civil dissensions were frequent in France, and had been formerly surrounded by a broad moat, now converted into orchards and gardens, beyond which there was an outward wall, beside that which enclosed the convent itself. The sight of these difficulties, however, did not discourage them. The greatest obstacle to surmount was a large mastiff, chained in the day, but let out during the night, and whose vigilance in the garden rendered it impassable, without immediate notice. It was, therefore, thought advisable to make the attempt before the close of day, after last evening song was over, when the nuns would all be retired to their cells, and no person would be stirring in-any part of the house. After having thrown off their monastic habits, and put on a con- venient dress, they sallied forth accordingly in the dusk of the evening, and proceeded to the chapel, where they had observed that the windows were low enough to let themselves into that garden which had formerly been the moat. When arrived there, the next business was to find a ladder, whic they had some days before perceived to be used for the purpose of gathering fruit from the trees. In the meantime, an elderly man, whose office it was to walk the round of the dormitory, as it is called, aud to knock at the door of every cell, coming to that of the two sisters, and receiving no an- swer, immediately alarmed the abbess, who repaired to their chamber. No answer being returned to her any more than to the other, the cell was opened by the common key that is always in the possession of the lady abbess, and by which she lets herself into every person’s apartment whenever she pleases. On finding them to be gone, she ordered the alarm-bell to be rung, and despatched all the lay sisters in search of the fugitives. (TZ'o be concluded in our next.) °° ErOW .” HOW A JOLLY DOG GOT MUZZLED. HOW BROWN MET ROBINSON. HOW “DANDY JACK” AND THE ‘“‘ LUMMY COVE” SQUARED IT. HOW ELFIE VISITED THE FAIR. HOW THE ESCAPE FROM THE PENITENTIARY WAS MANAGED. HOW THE JOLLY DOGS WENT TO THE DERBY. HOW THE MURDER TOOK PLACE AT CREMORNE. HOW THE BLOODHOUND’S SEARCH ENDED. HOW THE LODGING-HOUSE KEEPER MANAGED HIS TENANTS, etc., etc, SEE THE JOLLY DOGS OF LONDON, ONE PENNY WEEKLY. THE BEST WRITTEN STORY OF THE DAY. So iia caution cOMicbooks.com