Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

A Jint ,
my dearest hopes anil fondest affection, her joy;: were my joys,
pl:,
ifs;
;i. pleasant smile ph>^ tog up<
:
ai;' lie in'' f,
da.ghter:
Nunziata
Gem
tluiu tho
. In iv word, Orazio, I would have
',1 times for Nunziata, my beloved sis-
hiug in tho world dc.uvor to
pe;u-e and happiness of her brother
" ' Do you pn
' do you promise to labor with all
your j and His Ch: rch
'
nani'
imself from tin: face 1,1' them
" '
I p online.
t
'
' She \vas still very young at that time, but had always dis-
,- f.rnsibrit y ami penetration, nfi wr 11 as un-
coninn n energy. She gonnded me at once, but saw nothing in
me l)i!, :
K ime great cvauge that had taken place. Still I made
every effort to bn alvnys the same, to her, uud only show her a
seivnc brow and smiling lips. Impossible, Orazio ; I carried
hell in my breast, rernorso gnawed at my heart. Despite myself,
I tvaa dull, taciturn, impatient or silent aud reserved,
even bt-fore that loved sinter. Oh ! what I would not Lave
given to be able to reverse that fatal resolution, to resume my
liberty, my trauqnility, and my independence ! Still impossible;
henceforth, I mnst always march on, always bo silent and
obey. To "- ithdraw had been to pronounce my death-sentence,
for! knew that in c;ise of faltering, revolt or treason, the Car-
self-possession, all respect for paternal authority, declaring I
iyed to no longer brook a needless control aud insup-
portable tutelage.
" It was a last step taken in the bad way, Orazio. I had suc-
wards the place of our secret meetings where I was to attain to
a higher grade at the ezpense of a new oath, when at tho moinomeut
of entering the hortee in the Via Ripetta I saw, at the
coiner of a bye-street, enveloped in a large mantle, a shadowy
figure which seemed to dog me and following at a distance. I
turned round and hastened to retrace niy steps, desirous on my
part of closely examining tho unknown one who followed me,
but I couldn't discover anything ;
the spy had disappeared, the
street was solitary ; no trace of the passage of that shadow
was distinguishable, even on the surface of the pavement. Then
ioning my researches, I walked, with a tranquil step, to-
) our meeting-place, into which I reidih ,-,l by
! of the password. The hall was already full ; the cere-
mony began.
I my
I placed
two wit-
" 'Do you promise 1" break all the ties of family, relation-
! i'<
utility that may still retain you ?'
" '
F ;>:-nmisP.'
" 'Do you promise to employ all your strength to al:
i,r. n God and his own ma
far si-; yii can ev; ry man hi ,
|
d piti.et-s creature, like the serpent of the great forests laid
tho lion of tho deserts? '
' ; '
I' promise.'
"'T.-'.ke the oath then.'
And, at these words, the old man, drawing aside a ei
which disclosed to my gaze, a kind of altar, pointed out to
a P'uiia.-d placed upon a marble table in tho midst of
torches. Upon one of tho faces of the triangular 1
bonaro'.s poniard was infallibly suspended over my head.
rwanl, then, forward ! I resided myself to my destiny,
I stiflad my rem: ree. And yet, before succeeding in hardening
my he::rt, I had a long and painful struggle with myself.
Orazio, man is not born for evil; he has to suffer much before
abandoning his mind a;;d soul to hell !
" At first, Nunziata was content to follow me with her eyes,
'
to
16 in silence. At last she ventured to ask the reason
of the change that took place in me. This i-iignivcu this word,
question irritated
me; I harshly replied that I'd never allow a child to
criticise my conduct. Poor Nunsiata ! ^;e never murmured,
but quietly wept in silence. But her tears fell like a weight
i upon my
"Perhaps Nunziata acquainted my fath r with tho fears she
had con- eived, for he sent for me, and interrogated me with a
severity he had never yet shown towards me. I then lost all
'
Fraternity,' upon the second I
'
device, 'Death to ! tyrants and finally upon the third, 'Death
to traitors !'
" The old man first put this poniard in my hand; the:i
it back and placed it upon tho altar.
" ' Kest the palm of .
your hand on the point of this )
p<
said he 'and repent after me the words I am going toe -.-,: E
swear to faithfully fulfil all the promises I liavo made. If
ever 1 break my oath, may this .
blade, piercing my heart, punish
me for it. From this moment I authorise thoM? of
members of this society who shall judge mo iml'aithlul to
revenge themselves by striking me, as I shall strike, without
regret and without '
fear, all felons and traitor:; !
"1 repeated the words of tiie oath after the initiator; thin
the old man proclaimed me a friend and brother, impressing a
kiss upon my forehead. >The last s ep was taken; I had tum-
bled into the abyss.
" The morn:ng had scarcely dawned when I returned }
still impressed by the events of the night, sustained and animated
by a new exaltation. Besides, inebriation in-
cessively disdained my sister's affection, despised the advice
and ignored the authority of my father. What curb could restrain
me ? My family henceforth saw in me only an immoral
young man a miserable debauchee and were very far from
suspecting I was enrolled in the ranks of a secret society. I
took the greatest precautions to prevent my secret from being
discovered; my companions, moreover, had strictly enjoined
prudence. Aud yet my father hadn't long to wait to learn that
his son was henceforward included in the Carbonari.
"Little by little, I ceased to observe so rigorously all
the precautions with which I had until then surrounded myself.
Besides, I only went to our meetings about midnight,
when everybody under our roof was fast asleep. No one could
see me then; at least I supposed so. It is probable, however,
the secret of my nightly excursions had not escaped the piercing
eye of ning
my sister Nunziata.
"
I had quitted the house one night, directing my steps to-
to produce nervous excitement, for they \v,-re not, sparing
iu their libations when a new comrade was to bo feted. I
opened tho door noiselessly, and glided furtively into ray
chamber, thinking mrely no one had heard me returning at
such an early hour in the morning.
"
But, at the moment I crossed the threshold, I stood trembling,
and, as it were, thunderstruck.
"
My father was there, erect and motionless, at the head of
my bed. His face was livid, his forehead buthi d in perspiration,
and he fixed upon me his dark, gleai
"At this sight, I recoiled, seized with profound terror.
" '
Why do you recoil, Gennaro? Do you no longer recognise
your father?' he demanded in a hoarse, hollow voice,
whose measured tone and bi ter irony made me shudder.
'
"'What do you mean?' I stammered. And why, pray,
should I no longer recognize you ?'
"'
Genuaro,' my father then continued, without answering
my question, '
pray where are '
you coming from now
'
"'I'm coming after taking a walk, 1 r.-.4i d, assuming a
'
tone of indifference. I felt somewhat indisposed to-uight, and
thought a little excursion iu the air
'
" 'Ho, you stopped nowhere ?'
" '
Nowhere, I assure you."
"'You lie, wretch,' he said, in a loud, ringing voice.
' You're after being at a meeting
of the Carbonari ! Hence-
forth, you belong to that infamous secret society. O misery,
O grief, O shame ! My sou, a Biaiichi, is a traitor my sou is
i-o my son is accursed !'
"Silence! You li, d, my blood boiling with shame
and fury.
" '
I lie, !' say you he replied, with a bitter smile and a bro-