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Carmilla - J. Sheridan Le Fanu, II. A Guest

II. A Guest

I am now going to tell you something so strange that it will require all your faith in my veracity to believe my story. It is not only true, nevertheless, but truth of which I have been an eyewitness.

It was a sweet summer evening, and my father asked me, as he sometimes did, to take a little ramble with him along that beautiful forest vista which I have mentioned as lying in front of the schloss.

"General Spielsdorf cannot come to us so soon as I had hoped," said my father, as we pursued our walk. He was to have paid us a visit of some weeks, and we had expected his arrival next day. He was to have brought with him a young lady, his niece and ward, Mademoiselle Rheinfeldt, whom I had never seen, but whom I had heard described as a very charming girl, and in whose society I had promised myself many happy days. I was more disappointed than a young lady living in a town, or a bustling neighborhood can possibly imagine. This visit, and the new acquaintance it promised, had furnished my day dream for many weeks.

"And how soon does he come?" I asked.

"Not till autumn. Not for two months, I dare say," he answered. "And I am very glad now, dear, that you never knew Mademoiselle Rheinfeldt." "And why?" I asked, both mortified and curious.

"Because the poor young lady is dead," he replied. "I quite forgot I had not told you, but you were not in the room when I received the General's letter this evening." I was very much shocked. General Spielsdorf had mentioned in his first letter, six or seven weeks before, that she was not so well as he would wish her, but there was nothing to suggest the remotest suspicion of danger.

"Here is the General's letter," he said, handing it to me. "I am afraid he is in great affliction; the letter appears to me to have been written very nearly in distraction." We sat down on a rude bench, under a group of magnificent lime trees. The sun was setting with all its melancholy splendor behind the sylvan horizon, and the stream that flows beside our home, and passes under the steep old bridge I have mentioned, wound through many a group of noble trees, almost at our feet, reflecting in its current the fading crimson of the sky. General Spielsdorf's letter was so extraordinary, so vehement, and in some places so self-contradictory, that I read it twice over--the second time aloud to my father--and was still unable to account for it, except by supposing that grief had unsettled his mind. It said "I have lost my darling daughter, for as such I loved her. During the last days of dear Bertha's illness I was not able to write to you. Before then I had no idea of her danger. I have lost her, and now learn all, too late. She died in the peace of innocence, and in the glorious hope of a blessed futurity. The fiend who betrayed our infatuated hospitality has done it all. I thought I was receiving into my house innocence, gaiety, a charming companion for my lost Bertha. Heavens! what a fool have I been!

I thank God my child died without a suspicion of the cause of her sufferings. She is gone without so much as conjecturing the nature of her illness, and the accursed passion of the agent of all this misery. I devote my remaining days to tracking and extinguishing a monster. I am told I may hope to accomplish my righteous and merciful purpose. At present there is scarcely a gleam of light to guide me. I curse my conceited incredulity, my despicable affectation of superiority, my blindness, my obstinacy--all--too late. I cannot write or talk collectedly now. I am distracted. So soon as I shall have a little recovered, I mean to devote myself for a time to enquiry, which may possibly lead me as far as Vienna. Some time in the autumn, two months hence, or earlier if I live, I will see you--that is, if you permit me; I will then tell you all that I scarce dare put upon paper now. Farewell. Pray for me, dear friend." In these terms ended this strange letter. Though I had never seen Bertha Rheinfeldt my eyes filled with tears at the sudden intelligence; I was startled, as well as profoundly disappointed.

The sun had now set, and it was twilight by the time I had returned the General's letter to my father. It was a soft clear evening, and we loitered, speculating upon the possible meanings of the violent and incoherent sentences which I had just been reading. We had nearly a mile to walk before reaching the road that passes the schloss in front, and by that time the moon was shining brilliantly. At the drawbridge we met Madame Perrodon and Mademoiselle De Lafontaine, who had come out, without their bonnets, to enjoy the exquisite moonlight.

We heard their voices gabbling in animated dialogue as we approached. We joined them at the drawbridge, and turned about to admire with them the beautiful scene.

The glade through which we had just walked lay before us. At our left the narrow road wound away under clumps of lordly trees, and was lost to sight amid the thickening forest. At the right the same road crosses the steep and picturesque bridge, near which stands a ruined tower which once guarded that pass; and beyond the bridge an abrupt eminence rises, covered with trees, and showing in the shadows some grey ivy-clustered rocks.

Over the sward and low grounds a thin film of mist was stealing like smoke, marking the distances with a transparent veil; and here and there we could see the river faintly flashing in the moonlight.

No softer, sweeter scene could be imagined. The news I had just heard made it melancholy; but nothing could disturb its character of profound serenity, and the enchanted glory and vagueness of the prospect.

My father, who enjoyed the picturesque, and I, stood looking in silence over the expanse beneath us. The two good governesses, standing a little way behind us, discoursed upon the scene, and were eloquent upon the moon.

Madame Perrodon was fat, middle-aged, and romantic, and talked and sighed poetically. Mademoiselle De Lafontaine--in right of her father who was a German, assumed to be psychological, metaphysical, and something of a mystic--now declared that when the moon shone with a light so intense it was well known that it indicated a special spiritual activity. The effect of the full moon in such a state of brilliancy was manifold. It acted on dreams, it acted on lunacy, it acted on nervous people, it had marvelous physical influences connected with life. Mademoiselle related that her cousin, who was mate of a merchant ship, having taken a nap on deck on such a night, lying on his back, with his face full in the light on the moon, had wakened, after a dream of an old woman clawing him by the cheek, with his features horribly drawn to one side; and his countenance had never quite recovered its equilibrium.

"The moon, this night," she said, "is full of idyllic and magnetic influence--and see, when you look behind you at the front of the schloss how all its windows flash and twinkle with that silvery splendor, as if unseen hands had lighted up the rooms to receive fairy guests." There are indolent styles of the spirits in which, indisposed to talk ourselves, the talk of others is pleasant to our listless ears; and I gazed on, pleased with the tinkle of the ladies' conversation. "I have got into one of my moping moods tonight," said my father, after a silence, and quoting Shakespeare, whom, by way of keeping up our English, he used to read aloud, he said: "'In truth I know not why I am so sad. It wearies me: you say it wearies you; But how I got it--came by it.' "I forget the rest. But I feel as if some great misfortune were hanging over us. I suppose the poor General's afflicted letter has had something to do with it." At this moment the unwonted sound of carriage wheels and many hoofs upon the road, arrested our attention.

They seemed to be approaching from the high ground overlooking the bridge, and very soon the equipage emerged from that point. Two horsemen first crossed the bridge, then came a carriage drawn by four horses, and two men rode behind.

It seemed to be the traveling carriage of a person of rank; and we were all immediately absorbed in watching that very unusual spectacle. It became, in a few moments, greatly more interesting, for just as the carriage had passed the summit of the steep bridge, one of the leaders, taking fright, communicated his panic to the rest, and after a plunge or two, the whole team broke into a wild gallop together, and dashing between the horsemen who rode in front, came thundering along the road towards us with the speed of a hurricane.

The excitement of the scene was made more painful by the clear, long-drawn screams of a female voice from the carriage window.

We all advanced in curiosity and horror; me rather in silence, the rest with various ejaculations of terror.

Our suspense did not last long. Just before you reach the castle drawbridge, on the route they were coming, there stands by the roadside a magnificent lime tree, on the other stands an ancient stone cross, at sight of which the horses, now going at a pace that was perfectly frightful, swerved so as to bring the wheel over the projecting roots of the tree.

I knew what was coming. I covered my eyes, unable to see it out, and turned my head away; at the same moment I heard a cry from my lady friends, who had gone on a little.

Curiosity opened my eyes, and I saw a scene of utter confusion. Two of the horses were on the ground, the carriage lay upon its side with two wheels in the air; the men were busy removing the traces, and a lady with a commanding air and figure had got out, and stood with clasped hands, raising the handkerchief that was in them every now and then to her eyes.

Through the carriage door was now lifted a young lady, who appeared to be lifeless. My dear old father was already beside the elder lady, with his hat in his hand, evidently tendering his aid and the resources of his schloss. The lady did not appear to hear him, or to have eyes for anything but the slender girl who was being placed against the slope of the bank.

I approached; the young lady was apparently stunned, but she was certainly not dead. My father, who piqued himself on being something of a physician, had just had his fingers on her wrist and assured the lady, who declared herself her mother, that her pulse, though faint and irregular, was undoubtedly still distinguishable. The lady clasped her hands and looked upward, as if in a momentary transport of gratitude; but immediately she broke out again in that theatrical way which is, I believe, natural to some people.

She was what is called a fine looking woman for her time of life, and must have been handsome; she was tall, but not thin, and dressed in black velvet, and looked rather pale, but with a proud and commanding countenance, though now agitated strangely.

"Who was ever being so born to calamity?" I heard her say, with clasped hands, as I came up. "Here am I, on a journey of life and death, in prosecuting which to lose an hour is possibly to lose all. My child will not have recovered sufficiently to resume her route for who can say how long. I must leave her: I cannot, dare not, delay. How far on, sir, can you tell, is the nearest village? I must leave her there; and shall not see my darling, or even hear of her till my return, three months hence." I plucked my father by the coat, and whispered earnestly in his ear: "Oh! papa, pray ask her to let her stay with us--it would be so delightful. Do, pray." "If Madame will entrust her child to the care of my daughter, and of her good gouvernante, Madame Perrodon, and permit her to remain as our guest, under my charge, until her return, it will confer a distinction and an obligation upon us, and we shall treat her with all the care and devotion which so sacred a trust deserves." "I cannot do that, sir, it would be to task your kindness and chivalry too cruelly," said the lady, distractedly. "It would, on the contrary, be to confer on us a very great kindness at the moment when we most need it. My daughter has just been disappointed by a cruel misfortune, in a visit from which she had long anticipated a great deal of happiness. If you confide this young lady to our care it will be her best consolation. The nearest village on your route is distant, and affords no such inn as you could think of placing your daughter at; you cannot allow her to continue her journey for any considerable distance without danger. If, as you say, you cannot suspend your journey, you must part with her tonight, and nowhere could you do so with more honest assurances of care and tenderness than here." There was something in this lady's air and appearance so distinguished and even imposing, and in her manner so engaging, as to impress one, quite apart from the dignity of her equipage, with a conviction that she was a person of consequence. By this time the carriage was replaced in its upright position, and the horses, quite tractable, in the traces again.

The lady threw on her daughter a glance which I fancied was not quite so affectionate as one might have anticipated from the beginning of the scene; then she beckoned slightly to my father, and withdrew two or three steps with him out of hearing; and talked to him with a fixed and stern countenance, not at all like that with which she had hitherto spoken.

I was filled with wonder that my father did not seem to perceive the change, and also unspeakably curious to learn what it could be that she was speaking, almost in his ear, with so much earnestness and rapidity.

Two or three minutes at most I think she remained thus employed, then she turned, and a few steps brought her to where her daughter lay, supported by Madame Perrodon. She kneeled beside her for a moment and whispered, as Madame supposed, a little benediction in her ear; then hastily kissing her she stepped into her carriage, the door was closed, the footmen in stately liveries jumped up behind, the outriders spurred on, the postilions cracked their whips, the horses plunged and broke suddenly into a furious canter that threatened soon again to become a gallop, and the carriage whirled away, followed at the same rapid pace by the two horsemen in the rear.


II. A Guest

I am now going to tell you something so strange that it will require all your faith in my veracity to believe my story. Ahora le voy a decir algo tan extraño que requerirá toda su fe en mi veracidad para creer mi historia. Je vais maintenant vous dire quelque chose de si étrange qu'il vous faudra toute votre foi en ma véracité pour croire mon histoire. It is not only true, nevertheless, but truth of which I have been an eyewitness. Sin embargo, no solo es verdad, sino también una verdad de la que he sido testigo presencial. Ce n'est pas seulement vrai, pourtant, mais vérité dont j'ai été témoin oculaire.

It was a sweet summer evening, and my father asked me, as he sometimes did, to take a little ramble with him along that beautiful forest vista which I have mentioned as lying in front of the schloss. Era una dulce tarde de verano, y mi padre me pidió, como a veces lo hacía, que caminara un poco con él a lo largo de la hermosa vista del bosque que mencioné como que estaba frente a la fachada.

"General Spielsdorf cannot come to us so soon as I had hoped," said my father, as we pursued our walk. "El general Spielsdorf no puede venir a nosotros tan pronto como lo esperaba", dijo mi padre, mientras seguíamos nuestra caminata. « Le général Spielsdorf ne peut pas venir à nous si tôt que je l'avais espéré, dit mon père tandis que nous poursuivions notre marche. He was to have paid us a visit of some weeks, and we had expected his arrival next day. Debía habernos visitado algunas semanas y habíamos esperado su llegada al día siguiente. Il devait nous faire une visite de quelques semaines, et nous avions prévu son arrivée le lendemain. He was to have brought with him a young lady, his niece and ward, Mademoiselle Rheinfeldt, whom I had never seen, but whom I had heard described as a very charming girl, and in whose society I had promised myself many happy days. Debía haber traído consigo a una joven, a su sobrina y a su pupila, Mademoiselle Rheinfeldt, a quien nunca había visto, pero a la que había oído describir como una niña muy encantadora, y en cuya sociedad me había prometido muchos días felices. Il devait amener avec lui une demoiselle, sa nièce et pupille, mademoiselle Rheinfeldt, que je n'avais jamais vue, mais que j'avais entendu décrire comme une fille très charmante, et dans la société de laquelle je m'étais promis bien des jours heureux. I was more disappointed than a young lady living in a town, or a bustling neighborhood can possibly imagine. Me decepcionó más que una joven que vive en una ciudad, o un vecindario bullicioso que pueda imaginar. J'ai été plus déçue qu'une jeune femme vivant en ville ou dans un quartier animé ne peut l'imaginer. This visit, and the new acquaintance it promised, had furnished my day dream for many weeks. Esta visita, y la nueva amistad que prometió, me habían proporcionado el sueño de mi día durante muchas semanas.

"And how soon does he come?" "¿Y qué tan pronto viene?" "Et quand vient-il ?" I asked.

"Not till autumn. "No hasta el otoño. Not for two months, I dare say," he answered. No por dos meses, me atrevo a decir ", respondió. "And I am very glad now, dear, that you never knew Mademoiselle Rheinfeldt." "Y me alegro mucho ahora, querida, de que nunca hayas conocido a Mademoiselle Rheinfeldt". "And why?" I asked, both mortified and curious. Pregunté, tanto mortificada como curiosa. demandai-je, à la fois mortifié et curieux.

"Because the poor young lady is dead," he replied. "Porque la pobre joven está muerta", respondió. "I quite forgot I had not told you, but you were not in the room when I received the General's letter this evening." "Olvidé que no te había dicho nada, pero no estabas en la habitación cuando recibí la carta del general esta noche". I was very much shocked. Yo estaba muy sorprendido. General Spielsdorf had mentioned in his first letter, six or seven weeks before, that she was not so well as he would wish her, but there was nothing to suggest the remotest suspicion of danger. El general Spielsdorf había mencionado en su primera carta, seis o siete semanas antes, que ella no estaba tan bien como él la desearía, pero no había nada que sugiriera la más remota sospecha de peligro.

"Here is the General's letter," he said, handing it to me. "Aquí está la carta del general", dijo entregándoselo. "I am afraid he is in great affliction; the letter appears to me to have been written very nearly in distraction." "Me temo que él está en una gran aflicción; me parece que la carta fue escrita casi como una distracción". "Je crains qu'il ne soit dans une grande affliction; la lettre me semble avoir été écrite presque dans la distraction." We sat down on a rude bench, under a group of magnificent lime trees. Nos sentamos en un banco rudo, bajo un grupo de magníficos tilos. Nous nous sommes assis sur un banc grossier, sous un groupe de magnifiques tilleuls. The sun was setting with all its melancholy splendor behind the sylvan horizon, and the stream that flows beside our home, and passes under the steep old bridge I have mentioned, wound through many a group of noble trees, almost at our feet, reflecting in its current the fading crimson of the sky. El sol se estaba poniendo con todo su melancólico esplendor detrás del horizonte selvático, y la corriente que fluye junto a nuestra casa, y pasa por debajo del viejo puente empinado que he mencionado, serpentea a través de muchos grupos de árboles nobles, casi a nuestros pies, reflejándose en Es actual el carmesí que se desvanece del cielo. Le soleil se couchait avec toute sa splendeur mélancolique derrière l'horizon sylvestre, et le ruisseau qui coule à côté de notre maison, et passe sous le vieux pont escarpé que j'ai mentionné, serpentait à travers de nombreux groupes d'arbres nobles, presque à nos pieds, se reflétant dans son courant le cramoisi du ciel qui s'estompe. General Spielsdorf's letter was so extraordinary, so vehement, and in some places so self-contradictory, that I read it twice over--the second time aloud to my father--and was still unable to account for it, except by supposing that grief had unsettled his mind. La carta del general Spielsdorf fue tan extraordinaria, tan vehemente, y en algunos lugares tan contradictoria, que la leí dos veces, la segunda vez en voz alta a mi padre, y todavía no pude explicarlo, excepto suponiendo que el dolor había inquietado su mente. La lettre du général Spielsdorf était si extraordinaire, si véhémente, et à certains endroits si contradictoire en elle-même, que je l'ai relue deux fois, la deuxième fois à haute voix à mon père, et je n'ai toujours pas pu l'expliquer, sauf en supposant que le chagrin avait troublé son esprit. It said "I have lost my darling daughter, for as such I loved her. Decía: "He perdido a mi querida hija, porque como tal la amaba. During the last days of dear Bertha's illness I was not able to write to you. Before then I had no idea of her danger. Antes de eso no tenía idea de su peligro. I have lost her, and now learn all, too late. She died in the peace of innocence, and in the glorious hope of a blessed futurity. Ella murió en la paz de la inocencia, y en la gloriosa esperanza de un futuro bendito. Elle mourut dans la paix de l'innocence et dans l'espérance glorieuse d'un avenir bienheureux. The fiend who betrayed our infatuated hospitality has done it all. El demonio que traicionó nuestra hospitalidad encaprichada lo ha hecho todo. Le démon qui a trahi notre hospitalité amoureuse a tout fait. I thought I was receiving into my house innocence, gaiety, a charming companion for my lost Bertha. Pensé que estaba recibiendo en mi casa inocencia, alegría, un compañero encantador para mi perdida Bertha. Heavens! ¡Cielos! Cieux! what a fool have I been! quel imbécile j'ai été !

I thank God my child died without a suspicion of the cause of her sufferings. Je remercie Dieu que mon enfant soit mort sans soupçonner la cause de ses souffrances. She is gone without so much as conjecturing the nature of her illness, and the accursed passion of the agent of all this misery. Ella se ha ido sin tanto como para conjeturar la naturaleza de su enfermedad, y la pasión maldita del agente de toda esta miseria. Elle est partie sans même conjecturer la nature de sa maladie et la passion maudite de l'agent de toute cette misère. I devote my remaining days to tracking and extinguishing a monster. Dedico mis días restantes a rastrear y extinguir a un monstruo. I am told I may hope to accomplish my righteous and merciful purpose. Me dicen que espero poder cumplir mi propósito justo y misericordioso. On me dit que je peux espérer accomplir mon dessein juste et miséricordieux. At present there is scarcely a gleam of light to guide me. En la actualidad apenas hay un destello de luz que me guíe. I curse my conceited incredulity, my despicable affectation of superiority, my blindness, my obstinacy--all--too late. Maldigo mi engreída incredulidad, mi despreciable afectación de superioridad, mi ceguera, mi obstinación, todo, demasiado tarde. Je maudis mon incrédulité vaniteuse, mon méprisable affectation de supériorité, mon aveuglement, mon obstination, tout cela, trop tard. I cannot write or talk collectedly now. No puedo escribir o hablar colectivamente ahora. I am distracted. Estoy distraído. So soon as I shall have a little recovered, I mean to devote myself for a time to enquiry, which may possibly lead me as far as Vienna. Tan pronto como me haya recuperado un poco, me propongo dedicarme un tiempo a la investigación, lo que posiblemente me lleve hasta Viena. Dès que j'aurai un peu récupéré, j'ai l'intention de me consacrer un temps à une enquête qui peut me conduire jusqu'à Vienne. Some time in the autumn, two months hence, or earlier if I live, I will see you--that is, if you permit me; I will then tell you all that I scarce dare put upon paper now. En algún momento del otoño, dos meses después, o antes, si vivo, te veré, es decir, si me lo permites; Luego les diré todo lo que apenas me atrevo a poner ahora en el papel. Farewell. Despedida. Pray for me, dear friend." In these terms ended this strange letter. En estos términos terminó esta extraña carta. Though I had never seen Bertha Rheinfeldt my eyes filled with tears at the sudden intelligence; I was startled, as well as profoundly disappointed. Aunque nunca había visto a Bertha Rheinfeldt, mis ojos se llenaron de lágrimas ante la repentina inteligencia; Me sorprendió, así como profundamente decepcionado. Bien que je n'aie jamais vu Bertha Rheinfeldt mes yeux se sont remplis de larmes à l'intelligence soudaine ; J'ai été surpris, ainsi que profondément déçu.

The sun had now set, and it was twilight by the time I had returned the General's letter to my father. El sol ya se había puesto, y ya era un crepúsculo cuando le devolví la carta del general a mi padre. It was a soft clear evening, and we loitered, speculating upon the possible meanings of the violent and incoherent sentences which I had just been reading. Era una tarde clara y suave, y merodeamos, especulando sobre los posibles significados de las frases violentas e incoherentes que acababa de leer. C'était une douce soirée claire, et nous flânions, spéculant sur les sens possibles des phrases violentes et incohérentes que je venais de lire. We had nearly a mile to walk before reaching the road that passes the schloss in front, and by that time the moon was shining brilliantly. Teníamos casi una milla para caminar antes de llegar a la carretera que pasa por delante, y en ese momento la luna estaba brillando. Nous avions près d'un mile à marcher avant d'atteindre la route qui passe devant le château, et à ce moment-là, la lune brillait brillamment. At the drawbridge we met Madame Perrodon and Mademoiselle De Lafontaine, who had come out, without their bonnets, to enjoy the exquisite moonlight. En el puente levadizo nos encontramos con Madame Perrodon y Mademoiselle De Lafontaine, que habían salido, sin sus gorros, para disfrutar de la exquisita luz de la luna.

We heard their voices gabbling in animated dialogue as we approached. Escuchamos sus voces en un diálogo animado mientras nos acercábamos. We joined them at the drawbridge, and turned about to admire with them the beautiful scene. Nos reunimos con ellos en el puente levadizo, y nos dimos la vuelta para admirar con ellos la bella escena. Nous les rejoignîmes au pont-levis, et nous tournâmes pour admirer avec eux la belle scène.

The glade through which we had just walked lay before us. El claro por el que acabábamos de caminar yacía ante nosotros. At our left the narrow road wound away under clumps of lordly trees, and was lost to sight amid the thickening forest. A nuestra izquierda, el estrecho camino serpenteaba bajo grupos de árboles señoriales, y se perdió de vista en medio del espeso bosque. A notre gauche, la route étroite serpentait sous des touffes d'arbres seigneuriaux et se perdait de vue au milieu de la forêt qui s'épaississait. At the right the same road crosses the steep and picturesque bridge, near which stands a ruined tower which once guarded that pass; and beyond the bridge an abrupt eminence rises, covered with trees, and showing in the shadows some grey ivy-clustered rocks. A la derecha, el mismo camino cruza el empinado y pintoresco puente, cerca del cual se encuentra una torre en ruinas que una vez guardó ese paso; y más allá del puente, una eminencia abrupta se eleva, cubierta de árboles, y muestra en las sombras algunas rocas grises agrupadas de hiedra. A droite, la même route traverse le pont escarpé et pittoresque, près duquel se dresse une tour en ruine qui gardait autrefois ce col ; et au-delà du pont s'élève une éminence abrupte, couverte d'arbres, et montrant dans l'ombre quelques rochers gris recouverts de lierre.

Over the sward and low grounds a thin film of mist was stealing like smoke, marking the distances with a transparent veil; and here and there we could see the river faintly flashing in the moonlight. Sobre la hierba y los terrenos bajos, una fina capa de niebla se alzaba como humo, marcando las distancias con un velo transparente; y aquí y allá podíamos ver el río brillando débilmente a la luz de la luna. Sur l'herbe et les bas-fonds, une fine pellicule de brume volait comme de la fumée, marquant les distances d'un voile transparent ; et ici et là, nous pouvions voir la rivière clignoter faiblement au clair de lune.

No softer, sweeter scene could be imagined. No se podría imaginar una escena más suave y dulce. The news I had just heard made it melancholy; but nothing could disturb its character of profound serenity, and the enchanted glory and vagueness of the prospect. La noticia que acababa de escuchar la hacía melancólica; pero nada podía perturbar su carácter de profunda serenidad, y la gloria y vaguedad encantadas de la perspectiva. La nouvelle que je venais d'apprendre la rendait mélancolique ; mais rien ne pouvait troubler son caractère de profonde sérénité, et la gloire enchantée et le vague de la perspective.

My father, who enjoyed the picturesque, and I, stood looking in silence over the expanse beneath us. Mi padre, que disfrutaba de lo pintoresco, y yo, nos quedamos mirando en silencio sobre la expansión debajo de nosotros. Mon père, qui aimait le pittoresque, et moi, regardions en silence l'étendue au-dessous de nous. The two good governesses, standing a little way behind us, discoursed upon the scene, and were eloquent upon the moon. Las dos buenas institutrices, situadas un poco detrás de nosotros, discurrieron sobre la escena y fueron elocuentes sobre la luna. Les deux bonnes gouvernantes, debout un peu derrière nous, discouraient sur la scène et étaient éloquentes sur la lune.

Madame Perrodon was fat, middle-aged, and romantic, and talked and sighed poetically. Madame Perrodon era gorda, de mediana edad y romántica, y hablaba y suspiraba poéticamente. Mademoiselle De Lafontaine--in right of her father who was a German, assumed to be psychological, metaphysical, and something of a mystic--now declared that when the moon shone with a light so intense it was well known that it indicated a special spiritual activity. Mademoiselle De Lafontaine —en derecho de su padre, que era alemana, se suponía que era psicológica, metafísica y algo mística—, declaró que cuando la luna brillaba con una luz tan intensa que era bien sabido que indicaba una actividad espiritual Mademoiselle De Lafontaine - du droit de son père qui était allemand, supposé être psychologique, métaphysique et quelque peu mystique - déclara maintenant que lorsque la lune brillait d'une lumière si intense, il était bien connu qu'elle indiquait un activité spirituelle. The effect of the full moon in such a state of brilliancy was manifold. El efecto de la luna llena en tal estado de brillantez fue múltiple. L'effet de la pleine lune dans un tel état d'éclat était multiple. It acted on dreams, it acted on lunacy, it acted on nervous people, it had marvelous physical influences connected with life. Actuó sobre los sueños, actuó sobre la locura, actuó sobre personas nerviosas, tuvo maravillosas influencias físicas relacionadas con la vida. Il agissait sur les rêves, il agissait sur la folie, il agissait sur les personnes nerveuses, il avait des influences physiques merveilleuses liées à la vie. Mademoiselle related that her cousin, who was mate of a merchant ship, having taken a nap on deck on such a night, lying on his back, with his face full in the light on the moon, had wakened, after a dream of an old woman clawing him by the cheek, with his features horribly drawn to one side; and his countenance had never quite recovered its equilibrium. Mademoiselle relató que su prima, que era compañera de un barco mercante, habiendo dormido una siesta en la cubierta esa noche, acostada de espaldas, con el rostro lleno a la luz de la luna, se había despertado después de un sueño una mujer que lo arañaba por la mejilla, con sus rasgos horriblemente dibujados a un lado; y su rostro nunca había recuperado del todo su equilibrio. Mademoiselle raconta que son cousin, qui était second d'un navire marchand, ayant fait une sieste sur le pont par une telle nuit, couché sur le dos, le visage plein dans la clarté de la lune, s'était réveillé, après un rêve d'un vieux une femme le griffant à la joue, les traits horriblement écartés ; et son visage n'avait jamais tout à fait retrouvé son équilibre.

"The moon, this night," she said, "is full of idyllic and magnetic influence--and see, when you look behind you at the front of the schloss how all its windows flash and twinkle with that silvery splendor, as if unseen hands had lighted up the rooms to receive fairy guests." "La luna, esta noche", dijo ella, "está llena de influencias idílicas y magnéticas - y mira, cuando miras detrás de ti en la parte delantera de la luz, cómo parpadean todas sus ventanas con ese esplendor plateado, como si no se hubiera visto. Las manos habían iluminado las habitaciones para recibir a los huéspedes de hadas ". "La lune, cette nuit", a-t-elle dit, "est pleine d'influence idyllique et magnétique - et voyez, quand vous regardez derrière vous devant le château, comment toutes ses fenêtres clignotent et scintillent avec cette splendeur argentée, comme si elles étaient invisibles des mains avaient illuminé les pièces pour recevoir des fées invitées." There are indolent styles of the spirits in which, indisposed to talk ourselves, the talk of others is pleasant to our listless ears; and I gazed on, pleased with the tinkle of the ladies' conversation. Hay estilos indolentes de los espíritus en los que, indisponibles a hablarnos, la conversación de los demás es agradable para nuestros oídos apáticos. y miré, complacido con el tintineo de la conversación de las damas. Il y a des styles d'esprits indolents dans lesquels, indisposés à nous parler, le discours des autres est agréable à nos oreilles apathiques ; et j'ai regardé fixement, heureux avec le tintement de la conversation des dames. "I have got into one of my moping moods tonight," said my father, after a silence, and quoting Shakespeare, whom, by way of keeping up our English, he used to read aloud, he said: "Me metí en uno de mis sentimientos de tristeza esta noche", dijo mi padre, después de un silencio, y citando a Shakespeare, a quien, para mantener nuestro inglés, solía leer en voz alta y dijo: « J'ai eu une de mes humeurs moroses ce soir », dit mon père après un silence, et citant Shakespeare, qu'il lisait à haute voix pour maintenir notre anglais : "'In truth I know not why I am so sad. "En verdad no sé por qué estoy tan triste. It wearies me: you say it wearies you; But how I got it--came by it.' Me cansa: tu dices que te cansa; Pero cómo lo conseguí, lo logré. Cela me fatigue : vous dites que cela vous fatigue ; Mais comment je l'ai eu ? "I forget the rest. "Me olvido del resto. But I feel as if some great misfortune were hanging over us. Pero siento como si una gran desgracia estuviera colgando sobre nosotros. Mais j'ai l'impression qu'un grand malheur nous guette. I suppose the poor General's afflicted letter has had something to do with it." Supongo que la carta afligida del pobre general ha tenido algo que ver con eso ". At this moment the unwonted sound of carriage wheels and many hoofs upon the road, arrested our attention. En este momento, el sonido inusual de ruedas de carruaje y muchos cascos en la carretera, llamó nuestra atención. A ce moment, le bruit insolite des roues des voitures et de nombreux sabots sur la route, arrêta notre attention.

They seemed to be approaching from the high ground overlooking the bridge, and very soon the equipage emerged from that point. Parecían estar acercándose desde el terreno elevado que daba al puente, y muy pronto el equipamiento emergió de ese punto. Ils semblaient s'approcher des hauteurs surplombant le pont, et très vite l'équipage émergea de ce point. Two horsemen first crossed the bridge, then came a carriage drawn by four horses, and two men rode behind. Dos jinetes primero cruzaron el puente, luego vinieron un carruaje tirado por cuatro caballos, y dos hombres cabalgaron detrás. Deux cavaliers traversèrent d'abord le pont, puis vint une voiture tirée par quatre chevaux, et deux hommes roulèrent derrière.

It seemed to be the traveling carriage of a person of rank; and we were all immediately absorbed in watching that very unusual spectacle. Parecía ser el carro de viaje de una persona de rango; y todos estábamos inmediatamente absortos en ver ese espectáculo tan inusual. It became, in a few moments, greatly more interesting, for just as the carriage had passed the summit of the steep bridge, one of the leaders, taking fright, communicated his panic to the rest, and after a plunge or two, the whole team broke into a wild gallop together, and dashing between the horsemen who rode in front, came thundering along the road towards us with the speed of a hurricane. En unos momentos, se hizo mucho más interesante, ya que justo cuando el carruaje había pasado la cima del puente empinado, uno de los líderes, asustado, comunicó su pánico al resto, y después de una zambullida o dos, todo el conjunto El equipo se metió en un galope salvaje y, corriendo entre los jinetes que cabalgaban al frente, avanzó truenos por el camino hacia nosotros con la velocidad de un huracán. Cela devint, en quelques instants, beaucoup plus intéressant, car juste au moment où la voiture avait franchi le sommet du pont escarpé, l'un des chefs, prenant peur, communiqua sa panique aux autres, et après un plongeon ou deux, l'ensemble L'équipe s'élança ensemble dans un galop sauvage, et se précipitant entre les cavaliers qui marchaient en tête, vint en trombe le long de la route vers nous avec la vitesse d'un ouragan.

The excitement of the scene was made more painful by the clear, long-drawn screams of a female voice from the carriage window. La emoción de la escena se hizo más dolorosa por los gritos claros y prolongados de una voz femenina desde la ventana del carruaje. L'excitation de la scène était rendue plus douloureuse par les cris clairs et prolongés d'une voix féminine depuis la fenêtre de la voiture.

We all advanced in curiosity and horror; me rather in silence, the rest with various ejaculations of terror. Todos avanzamos en curiosidad y horror. Yo más bien en silencio, el resto con diversas eyaculaciones de terror. Nous avancions tous dans la curiosité et l'horreur ; moi plutôt en silence, le reste avec diverses éjaculations de terreur.

Our suspense did not last long. Nuestro suspenso no duró mucho. Just before you reach the castle drawbridge, on the route they were coming, there stands by the roadside a magnificent lime tree, on the other stands an ancient stone cross, at sight of which the horses, now going at a pace that was perfectly frightful, swerved so as to bring the wheel over the projecting roots of the tree. Justo antes de llegar al puente levadizo del castillo, en la ruta a la que se dirigían, al lado de la carretera se alza un magnífico tilo, en el otro se alza una antigua cruz de piedra, a la vista de la cual los caballos, ahora avanzando a un ritmo que era perfectamente espantoso Se desvió para colocar la rueda sobre las raíces que sobresalen del árbol. Juste avant d'atteindre le pont-levis du château, sur la route qu'ils venaient, il y a au bord de la route un magnifique tilleul, de l'autre se dresse une ancienne croix de pierre, à la vue de laquelle les chevaux, marchant maintenant à une allure parfaitement effrayante , fait une embardée de manière à amener la roue sur les racines saillantes de l'arbre.

I knew what was coming. Yo sabía lo que venía. I covered my eyes, unable to see it out, and turned my head away; at the same moment I heard a cry from my lady friends, who had gone on a little. Cubrí mis ojos, incapaz de verlo, y volteé la cabeza; en el mismo momento oí un grito de mis amigas, que habían continuado un poco. Je couvris mes yeux, incapable de le voir, et détournai la tête ; au même instant j'entendis un cri de mes amies, qui avaient un peu avancé.

Curiosity opened my eyes, and I saw a scene of utter confusion. La curiosidad me abrió los ojos y vi una escena de absoluta confusión. Two of the horses were on the ground, the carriage lay upon its side with two wheels in the air; the men were busy removing the traces, and a lady with a commanding air and figure had got out, and stood with clasped hands, raising the handkerchief that was in them every now and then to her eyes. Dos de los caballos estaban en el suelo, el carruaje yacía de costado con dos ruedas en el aire; los hombres estaban ocupados removiendo las huellas, y una dama con aire y figura dominantes había salido, y se paró con las manos juntas, levantando el pañuelo que había en ellas de vez en cuando a sus ojos. Deux des chevaux étaient à terre, la voiture était couchée sur le côté avec deux roues en l'air ; les hommes étaient occupés à enlever les traces, et une dame à l'air et à la silhouette imposants était sortie, et se tenait les mains jointes, levant de temps à autre le mouchoir qu'ils contenaient jusqu'à ses yeux.

Through the carriage door was now lifted a young lady, who appeared to be lifeless. A través de la puerta del carruaje ahora estaba levantada una joven, que parecía no tener vida. Par la porte cochère était maintenant soulevée une jeune femme, qui semblait être sans vie. My dear old father was already beside the elder lady, with his hat in his hand, evidently tendering his aid and the resources of his schloss. Mi querido y viejo padre ya estaba al lado de la señora mayor, con su sombrero en la mano, evidentemente ofreciendo su ayuda y los recursos de su dinero. Mon cher vieux père était déjà à côté de la vieille dame, son chapeau à la main, lui offrant évidemment son aide et les ressources de son château. The lady did not appear to hear him, or to have eyes for anything but the slender girl who was being placed against the slope of the bank. La dama no parecía escucharlo, o tener ojos para otra cosa que la muchacha delgada que estaba siendo colocada contra la pendiente de la orilla. La dame ne parut pas l'entendre, ni n'avoir d'yeux que pour la fille svelte qu'on plaçait contre la pente du talus.

I approached; the young lady was apparently stunned, but she was certainly not dead. Me acerqué; La joven aparentemente estaba aturdida, pero ciertamente no estaba muerta. Je me suis approchée; la jeune femme était apparemment abasourdie, mais elle n'était certainement pas morte. My father, who piqued himself on being something of a physician, had just had his fingers on her wrist and assured the lady, who declared herself her mother, that her pulse, though faint and irregular, was undoubtedly still distinguishable. Mi padre, que se había convencido de ser un médico, acababa de tener los dedos en la muñeca y le aseguró a la dama, que se había declarado su madre, que su pulso, aunque débil e irregular, sin duda aún era distinguible. The lady clasped her hands and looked upward, as if in a momentary transport of gratitude; but immediately she broke out again in that theatrical way which is, I believe, natural to some people. La señora juntó las manos y miró hacia arriba, como en un momentáneo transporte de gratitud; pero inmediatamente volvió a estallar de esa manera teatral que creo que es natural para algunas personas. La dame joignit les mains et regarda vers le haut, comme dans un transport momentané de gratitude ; mais aussitôt elle éclata de nouveau de cette manière théâtrale qui est, je crois, naturelle à certains.

She was what is called a fine looking woman for her time of life, and must have been handsome; she was tall, but not thin, and dressed in black velvet, and looked rather pale, but with a proud and commanding countenance, though now agitated strangely. Ella era lo que se llama una mujer de buen aspecto en su época de la vida, y debe haber sido hermosa; era alta, pero no delgada, y vestía de terciopelo negro, y se veía bastante pálida, pero con un rostro orgulloso y dominante, aunque ahora agitada de forma extraña.

"Who was ever being so born to calamity?" "¿Quién había nacido de la calamidad?" « Qui est-ce qui est jamais né pour la calamité ? » I heard her say, with clasped hands, as I came up. La oí decir, con las manos entrelazadas, mientras subía. "Here am I, on a journey of life and death, in prosecuting which to lose an hour is possibly to lose all. "Aquí estoy, en un viaje de la vida y la muerte, en el proceso de perder una hora es posiblemente perder todo". « Me voici, dans un voyage de vie et de mort, dans la poursuite dont perdre une heure, c'est peut-être tout perdre. My child will not have recovered sufficiently to resume her route for who can say how long. Mi hijo no se habrá recuperado lo suficiente como para reanudar su ruta para saber quién puede decir cuánto tiempo. I must leave her: I cannot, dare not, delay. Debo dejarla: no puedo, no me atrevo, a retrasarme. How far on, sir, can you tell, is the nearest village? ¿Qué tan lejos, señor, puede decir, está el pueblo más cercano? À quelle distance, monsieur, pouvez-vous le dire, se trouve le village le plus proche ? I must leave her there; and shall not see my darling, or even hear of her till my return, three months hence." Debo dejarla allí; y no veré a mi amor, ni sabré de ella hasta mi regreso, dentro de tres meses ". I plucked my father by the coat, and whispered earnestly in his ear: "Oh! Tiré de mi padre por el abrigo y le susurré al oído: "¡Oh! J'ai arraché mon père par le manteau et je lui ai chuchoté sérieusement à l'oreille : « Oh ! papa, pray ask her to let her stay with us--it would be so delightful. Papá, por favor, pídale que la deje quedarse con nosotros, sería muy agradable. Do, pray." Haz, reza ". "If Madame will entrust her child to the care of my daughter, and of her good gouvernante, Madame Perrodon, and permit her to remain as our guest, under my charge, until her return, it will confer a distinction and an obligation upon us, and we shall treat her with all the care and devotion which so sacred a trust deserves." "Si Madame confía a su hijo al cuidado de mi hija y de su buen gouvernante, Madame Perrodon, y le permite permanecer como nuestra invitada, bajo mi cargo, hasta su regreso, nos otorgará una distinción y una obligación. , y la trataremos con todo el cuidado y la devoción que merece una confianza tan sagrada ". « Si Madame confie son enfant aux soins de ma fille et de sa bonne gouvernante, Madame Perrodon, et lui permet de rester comme notre hôte, sous ma garde, jusqu'à son retour, cela nous conférera une distinction et une obligation. , et nous la traiterons avec tout le soin et le dévouement que mérite une confiance si sacrée." "I cannot do that, sir, it would be to task your kindness and chivalry too cruelly," said the lady, distractedly. "No puedo hacer eso, señor, sería encargarle demasiado cruelmente su amabilidad y caballerosidad", dijo la señora, distraídamente. "Je ne peux pas faire cela, monsieur, ce serait accuser trop cruellement votre gentillesse et votre chevalerie", dit distraitement la dame. "It would, on the contrary, be to confer on us a very great kindness at the moment when we most need it. "Sería, por el contrario, conferirnos una gran amabilidad en el momento en que más lo necesitamos. My daughter has just been disappointed by a cruel misfortune, in a visit from which she had long anticipated a great deal of happiness. Mi hija acaba de sentirse decepcionada por una cruel desgracia, en una visita en la que había anticipado una gran felicidad. If you confide this young lady to our care it will be her best consolation. Si confías a esta joven a nuestro cuidado, será su mejor consuelo. The nearest village on your route is distant, and affords no such inn as you could think of placing your daughter at; you cannot allow her to continue her journey for any considerable distance without danger. El pueblo más cercano en su ruta es distante, y no ofrece ninguna posada como podría pensar en colocar a su hija en; no puedes permitir que continúe su viaje por una distancia considerable sin peligro. If, as you say, you cannot suspend your journey, you must part with her tonight, and nowhere could you do so with more honest assurances of care and tenderness than here." Si, como usted dice, no puede suspender su viaje, debe separarse de ella esta noche, y en ningún lugar podría hacerlo con garantías más honestas de cuidado y ternura que aquí ". Si, comme vous le dites, vous ne pouvez pas suspendre votre voyage, vous devez vous séparer d'elle ce soir, et nulle part vous ne pourriez le faire avec des assurances plus honnêtes de soins et de tendresse qu'ici." There was something in this lady's air and appearance so distinguished and even imposing, and in her manner so engaging, as to impress one, quite apart from the dignity of her equipage, with a conviction that she was a person of consequence. Había algo en el aire y la apariencia de esta dama tan distinguida e incluso imponente, y en su manera tan atractiva, como para impresionarla, aparte de la dignidad de su equipamiento, con la convicción de que era una persona importante. Il y avait quelque chose dans l'air et l'apparence de cette dame si distinguée et même imposante, et dans ses manières si engageantes, qu'elles impressionnaient, indépendamment de la dignité de son équipage, avec la conviction qu'elle était une personne importante. By this time the carriage was replaced in its upright position, and the horses, quite tractable, in the traces again. Para entonces, el carro fue reemplazado en su posición vertical, y los caballos, bastante manejables, nuevamente en las huellas. À ce moment-là, la voiture était replacée dans sa position verticale et les chevaux, tout à fait maniables, étaient à nouveau dans les traces.

The lady threw on her daughter a glance which I fancied was not quite so affectionate as one might have anticipated from the beginning of the scene; then she beckoned slightly to my father, and withdrew two or three steps with him out of hearing; and talked to him with a fixed and stern countenance, not at all like that with which she had hitherto spoken. La dama lanzó a su hija una mirada que, según mi opinión, no era tan cariñosa como se podría haber anticipado desde el principio de la escena; luego hizo una pequeña seña a mi padre y se retiró dos o tres pasos con él para que no escuchara; y le habló con un rostro fijo y severo, en nada parecido al que ella había hablado hasta ahora.

I was filled with wonder that my father did not seem to perceive the change, and also unspeakably curious to learn what it could be that she was speaking, almost in his ear, with so much earnestness and rapidity. Me asombró que mi padre no pareciera percibir el cambio, y también indescriptiblemente curioso de saber qué podía ser que ella estuviera hablando, casi en su oído, con tanta seriedad y rapidez. J'étais émerveillé que mon père ne semble pas percevoir le changement, et aussi indiciblement curieux d'apprendre ce qu'il pouvait être qu'elle parlait, presque à son oreille, avec tant de sérieux et de rapidité.

Two or three minutes at most I think she remained thus employed, then she turned, and a few steps brought her to where her daughter lay, supported by Madame Perrodon. A lo sumo, dos o tres minutos, creo que se mantuvo así empleada, luego se volvió y unos pocos pasos la llevaron a donde yacía su hija, apoyada por Madame Perrodon. Deux ou trois minutes tout au plus je crois qu'elle resta ainsi occupée, puis elle se retourna, et quelques pas l'amenèrent là où gisait sa fille, soutenue par madame Perrodon. She kneeled beside her for a moment and whispered, as Madame supposed, a little benediction in her ear; then hastily kissing her she stepped into her carriage, the door was closed, the footmen in stately liveries jumped up behind, the outriders spurred on, the postilions cracked their whips, the horses plunged and broke suddenly into a furious canter that threatened soon again to become a gallop, and the carriage whirled away, followed at the same rapid pace by the two horsemen in the rear. Se arrodilló a su lado por un momento y susurró, como Madame supuso, una pequeña bendición en su oído; luego, besándola apresuradamente, se subió a su carruaje, la puerta estaba cerrada, los lacayos con librea majestuosa saltaron detrás, los forzados se lanzaron hacia adelante, los postilones rompieron sus látigos, los caballos se lanzaron y se rompieron repentinamente en un galope furioso que amenazó de nuevo Se convirtió en un galope, y el carruaje giró, seguido al mismo ritmo rápido por los dos jinetes en la parte trasera. Elle s'agenouilla un instant près d'elle et lui murmura, comme madame le supposait, une petite bénédiction à son oreille ; puis, l'embrassant précipitamment, elle monta dans sa voiture, la portière se referma, les valets en livrées majestueuses sautèrent derrière, les cavaliers éperonnèrent, les postillons firent claquer leurs fouets, les chevaux s'enfoncèrent et se mirent tout à coup dans un galop furieux qui menaça bientôt de nouveau de au galop, et la voiture s'envola, suivie du même pas rapide par les deux cavaliers en queue.