FRANKENSTEIN
PART 8
Chapter 14
"Some
time elapsed before I learned the history of my friends. It was one which could
not fail to impress itself deeply on my mind, unfolding as it did a number of
circumstances, each interesting and wonderful to one so utterly inexperienced
as I was.
"The
name of the old man was De Lacey. He was descended from a good family in
France, where he had lived for many years in affluence, respected by his
superiors and beloved by his equals. His son was bred in the service of his
country, and Agatha had ranked with ladies of the highest distinction. A few
months before my arrival they had lived in a large and luxurious city called
Paris, surrounded by friends and possessed of every enjoyment which virtue,
refinement of intellect, or taste, accompanied by a moderate fortune, could
afford.
"The
father of Safie had been the cause of their ruin. He was a Turkish merchant and
had inhabited Paris for many years, when, for some reason which I could not
learn, he became obnoxious to the government. He was seized and cast into
prison the very day that Safie arrived from Constantinople to join him. He was
tried and condemned to death. The injustice of his sentence was very flagrant;
all Paris was indignant; and it was judged that his religion and wealth rather
than the crime alleged against him had been the cause of his condemnation.
"Felix
had accidentally been present at the trial; his horror and indignation were
uncontrollable when he heard the decision of the court. He made, at that moment,
a solemn vow to deliver him and then looked around for the means. After many
fruitless attempts to gain admittance to the prison, he found a strongly grated
window in an unguarded part of the building, which lighted the dungeon of the
unfortunate Muhammadan, who, loaded with chains, waited in despair the
execution of the barbarous sentence. Felix visited the grate at night and made
known to the prisoner his intentions in his favour. The Turk, amazed and
delighted, endeavoured to kindle the zeal of his deliverer by promises of
reward and wealth. Felix rejected his offers with contempt, yet when he saw the
lovely Safie, who was allowed to visit her father and who by her gestures
expressed her lively gratitude, the youth could not help owning to his own mind
that the captive possessed a treasure which would fully reward his toil and
hazard.
"The
Turk quickly perceived the impression that his daughter had made on the heart
of Felix and endeavoured to secure him more entirely in his interests by the
promise of her hand in marriage so soon as he should be conveyed to a place of
safety. Felix was too delicate to accept this offer, yet he looked forward to
the probability of the event as to the consummation of his happiness.
"During
the ensuing days, while the preparations were going forward for the escape of
the merchant, the zeal of Felix was warmed by several letters that he received
from this lovely girl, who found means to express her thoughts in the language
of her lover by the aid of an old man, a servant of her father who understood
French. She thanked him in the most ardent terms for his intended services
towards her parent, and at the same time she gently deplored her own fate.
"I
have copies of these letters, for I found means, during my residence in the
hovel, to procure the implements of writing; and the letters were often in the
hands of Felix or Agatha. Before I depart I will give them to you; they will
prove the truth of my tale; but at present, as the sun is already far declined,
I shall only have time to repeat the substance of them to you.
"Safie
related that her mother was a Christian Arab, seized and made a slave by the
Turks; recommended by her beauty, she had won the heart of the father of Safie,
who married her. The young girl spoke in high and enthusiastic terms of her
mother, who, born in freedom, spurned the bondage to which she was now reduced.
She instructed her daughter in the tenets of her religion and taught her to
aspire to higher powers of intellect and an independence of spirit forbidden to
the female followers of Muhammad. This lady died, but her lessons were
indelibly impressed on the mind of Safie, who sickened at the prospect of again
returning to Asia and being immured within the walls of a harem, allowed only
to occupy herself with infantile amusements, ill-suited to the temper of her
soul, now accustomed to grand ideas and a noble emulation for virtue. The
prospect of marrying a Christian and remaining in a country where women were
allowed to take a rank in society was enchanting to her.
"The
day for the execution of the Turk was fixed, but on the night previous to it he
quitted his prison and before morning was distant many leagues from Paris.
Felix had procured passports in the name of his father, sister, and himself. He
had previously communicated his plan to the former, who aided the deceit by
quitting his house, under the pretence of a journey and concealed himself, with
his daughter, in an obscure part of Paris.
"Felix
conducted the fugitives through France to Lyons and across Mont Cenis to
Leghorn, where the merchant had decided to wait a favourable opportunity of
passing into some part of the Turkish dominions.
"Safie
resolved to remain with her father until the moment of his departure, before
which time the Turk renewed his promise that she should be united to his
deliverer; and Felix remained with them in expectation of that event; and in
the meantime he enjoyed the society of the Arabian, who exhibited towards him
the simplest and tenderest affection. They conversed with one another through
the means of an interpreter, and sometimes with the interpretation of looks;
and Safie sang to him the divine airs of her native country.
"The
Turk allowed this intimacy to take place and encouraged the hopes of the
youthful lovers, while in his heart he had formed far other plans. He loathed
the idea that his daughter should be united to a Christian, but he feared the
resentment of Felix if he should appear lukewarm, for he knew that he was still
in the power of his deliverer if he should choose to betray him to the Italian
state which they inhabited. He revolved a thousand plans by which he should be
enabled to prolong the deceit until it might be no longer necessary, and
secretly to take his daughter with him when he departed. His plans were
facilitated by the news which arrived from Paris.
"The
government of France were greatly enraged at the escape of their victim and
spared no pains to detect and punish his deliverer. The plot of Felix was
quickly discovered, and De Lacey and Agatha were thrown into prison. The news
reached Felix and roused him from his dream of pleasure. His blind and aged
father and his gentle sister lay in a noisome dungeon while he enjoyed the free
air and the society of her whom he loved. This idea was torture to him. He
quickly arranged with the Turk that if the latter should find a favourable
opportunity for escape before Felix could return to Italy, Safie should remain
as a boarder at a convent at Leghorn; and then, quitting the lovely Arabian, he
hastened to Paris and delivered himself up to the vengeance of the law, hoping
to free De Lacey and Agatha by this proceeding.
"He
did not succeed. They remained confined for five months before the trial took
place, the result of which deprived them of their fortune and condemned them to
a perpetual exile from their native country.
"They
found a miserable asylum in the cottage in Germany, where I discovered them.
Felix soon learned that the treacherous Turk, for whom he and his family
endured such unheard-of oppression, on discovering that his deliverer was thus
reduced to poverty and ruin, became a traitor to good feeling and honour and
had quitted Italy with his daughter, insultingly sending Felix a pittance of
money to aid him, as he said, in some plan of future maintenance.
"Such
were the events that preyed on the heart of Felix and rendered him, when I
first saw him, the most miserable of his family. He could have endured poverty,
and while this distress had been the meed of his virtue, he gloried in it; but
the ingratitude of the Turk and the loss of his beloved Safie were misfortunes
more bitter and irreparable. The arrival of the Arabian now infused new life
into his soul.
"When
the news reached Leghorn that Felix was deprived of his wealth and rank, the
merchant commanded his daughter to think no more of her lover, but to prepare
to return to her native country. The generous nature of Safie was outraged by
this command; she attempted to expostulate with her father, but he left her
angrily, reiterating his tyrannical mandate.
"A
few days after, the Turk entered his daughter's apartment and told her hastily
that he had reason to believe that his residence at Leghorn had been divulged
and that he should speedily be delivered up to the French government; he had
consequently hired a vessel to convey him to Constantinople, for which city he
should sail in a few hours. He intended to leave his daughter under the care of
a confidential servant, to follow at her leisure with the greater part of his
property, which had not yet arrived at Leghorn.
"When
alone, Safie resolved in her own mind the plan of conduct that it would become
her to pursue in this emergency. A residence in Turkey was abhorrent to her;
her religion and her feelings were alike averse to it. By some papers of her
father which fell into her hands she heard of the exile of her lover and learnt
the name of the spot where he then resided. She hesitated some time, but at
length she formed her determination. Taking with her some jewels that belonged
to her and a sum of money, she quitted Italy with an attendant, a native of
Leghorn, but who understood the common language of Turkey, and departed for
Germany.
"She
arrived in safety at a town about twenty leagues from the cottage of De Lacey,
when her attendant fell dangerously ill. Safie nursed her with the most devoted
affection, but the poor girl died, and the Arabian was left alone, unacquainted
with the language of the country and utterly ignorant of the customs of the
world. She fell, however, into good hands. The Italian had mentioned the name
of the spot for which they were bound, and after her death the woman of the
house in which they had lived took care that Safie should arrive in safety at
the cottage of her lover."
Chapter 15
"Such
was the history of my beloved cottagers. It impressed me deeply. I learned,
from the views of social life which it developed, to admire their virtues and
to deprecate the vices of mankind.
"As
yet I looked upon crime as a distant evil, benevolence and generosity were ever
present before me, inciting within me a desire to become an actor in the busy
scene where so many admirable qualities were called forth and displayed. But in
giving an account of the progress of my intellect, I must not omit a
circumstance which occurred in the beginning of the month of August of the same
year.
"One
night during my accustomed visit to the neighbouring wood where I collected my
own food and brought home firing for my protectors, I found on the ground a
leathern portmanteau containing several articles of dress and some books. I
eagerly seized the prize and returned with it to my hovel. Fortunately the
books were written in the language, the elements of which I had acquired at the
cottage; they consisted of Paradise Lost, a volume of Plutarch's Lives, and the
Sorrows of Werter. The possession of these treasures gave me extreme delight; I
now continually studied and exercised my mind upon these histories, whilst my
friends were employed in their ordinary occupations.
"I
can hardly describe to you the effect of these books. They produced in me an
infinity of new images and feelings, that sometimes raised me to ecstasy, but
more frequently sunk me into the lowest dejection. In the Sorrows of Werter,
besides the interest of its simple and affecting story, so many opinions are
canvassed and so many lights thrown upon what had hitherto been to me obscure
subjects that I found in it a never-ending source of speculation and
astonishment. The gentle and domestic manners it described, combined with lofty
sentiments and feelings, which had for their object something out of self,
accorded well with my experience among my protectors and with the wants which
were forever alive in my own bosom. But I thought Werter himself a more divine
being than I had ever beheld or imagined; his character contained no
pretension, but it sank deep. The disquisitions upon death and suicide were
calculated to fill me with wonder. I did not pretend to enter into the merits
of the case, yet I inclined towards the opinions of the hero, whose extinction
I wept, without precisely understanding it.
"As I
read, however, I applied much personally to my own feelings and condition. I
found myself similar yet at the same time strangely unlike to the beings concerning
whom I read and to whose conversation I was a listener. I sympathized with and
partly understood them, but I was unformed in mind; I was dependent on none and
related to none. 'The path of my departure was free,' and there was none to
lament my annihilation. My person was hideous and my stature gigantic. What did
this mean? Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? What was my destination?
These questions continually recurred, but I was unable to solve them.
"The
volume of Plutarch's Lives which I possessed contained the histories of the
first founders of the ancient republics. This book had a far different effect
upon me from the Sorrows of Werter. I learned from Werter's imaginations
despondency and gloom, but Plutarch taught me high thoughts; he elevated me
above the wretched sphere of my own reflections, to admire and love the heroes
of past ages. Many things I read surpassed my understanding and experience. I
had a very confused knowledge of kingdoms, wide extents of country, mighty
rivers, and boundless seas. But I was perfectly unacquainted with towns and
large assemblages of men. The cottage of my protectors had been the only school
in which I had studied human nature, but this book developed new and mightier
scenes of action. I read of men concerned in public affairs, governing or
massacring their species. I felt the greatest ardour for virtue rise within me,
and abhorrence for vice, as far as I understood the signification of those
terms, relative as they were, as I applied them, to pleasure and pain alone.
Induced by these feelings, I was of course led to admire peaceable lawgivers,
Numa, Solon, and Lycurgus, in preference to Romulus and Theseus. The
patriarchal lives of my protectors caused these impressions to take a firm hold
on my mind; perhaps, if my first introduction to humanity had been made by a
young soldier, burning for glory and slaughter, I should have been imbued with
different sensations.
"But
Paradise Lost excited different and far deeper emotions. I read it, as I had
read the other volumes which had fallen into my hands, as a true history. It
moved every feeling of wonder and awe that the picture of an omnipotent God
warring with his creatures was capable of exciting. I often referred the
several situations, as their similarity struck me, to my own. Like Adam, I was
apparently united by no link to any other being in existence; but his state was
far different from mine in every other respect. He had come forth from the
hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous, guarded by the especial
care of his Creator; he was allowed to converse with and acquire knowledge from
beings of a superior nature, but I was wretched, helpless, and alone. Many
times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition, for often, like
him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose
within me.
"Another
circumstance strengthened and confirmed these feelings. Soon after my arrival
in the hovel I discovered some papers in the pocket of the dress which I had
taken from your laboratory. At first I had neglected them, but now that I was
able to decipher the characters in which they were written, I began to study
them with diligence. It was your journal of the four months that preceded my
creation. You minutely described in these papers every step you took in the
progress of your work; this history was mingled with accounts of domestic
occurrences. You doubtless recollect these papers. Here they are. Everything is
related in them which bears reference to my accursed origin; the whole detail
of that series of disgusting circumstances which produced it is set in view;
the minutest description of my odious and loathsome person is given, in
language which painted your own horrors and rendered mine indelible. I sickened
as I read. 'Hateful day when I received life!' I exclaimed in agony. 'Accursed
creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even YOU turned from me in
disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image;
but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very
resemblance. Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage
him, but I am solitary and abhorred.'
"These
were the reflections of my hours of despondency and solitude; but when I
contemplated the virtues of the cottagers, their amiable and benevolent
dispositions, I persuaded myself that when they should become acquainted with
my admiration of their virtues they would compassionate me and overlook my
personal deformity. Could they turn from their door one, however monstrous, who
solicited their compassion and friendship? I resolved, at least, not to
despair, but in every way to fit myself for an interview with them which would
decide my fate. I postponed this attempt for some months longer, for the importance
attached to its success inspired me with a dread lest I should fail. Besides, I
found that my understanding improved so much with every day's experience that I
was unwilling to commence this undertaking until a few more months should have
added to my sagacity.
"Several
changes, in the meantime, took place in the cottage. The presence of Safie
diffused happiness among its inhabitants, and I also found that a greater
degree of plenty reigned there. Felix and Agatha spent more time in amusement
and conversation, and were assisted in their labours by servants. They did not
appear rich, but they were contented and happy; their feelings were serene and
peaceful, while mine became every day more tumultuous. Increase of knowledge
only discovered to me more clearly what a wretched outcast I was. I cherished
hope, it is true, but it vanished when I beheld my person reflected in water or
my shadow in the moonshine, even as that frail image and that inconstant shade.
"I
endeavoured to crush these fears and to fortify myself for the trial which in a
few months I resolved to undergo; and sometimes I allowed my thoughts,
unchecked by reason, to ramble in the fields of Paradise, and dared to fancy
amiable and lovely creatures sympathizing with my feelings and cheering my
gloom; their angelic countenances breathed smiles of consolation. But it was
all a dream; no Eve soothed my sorrows nor shared my thoughts; I was alone. I
remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had
abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him.
"Autumn
passed thus. I saw, with surprise and grief, the leaves decay and fall, and
nature again assume the barren and bleak appearance it had worn when I first
beheld the woods and the lovely moon. Yet I did not heed the bleakness of the
weather; I was better fitted by my conformation for the endurance of cold than
heat. But my chief delights were the sight of the flowers, the birds, and all
the gay apparel of summer; when those deserted me, I turned with more attention
towards the cottagers. Their happiness was not decreased by the absence of
summer. They loved and sympathized with one another; and their joys, depending
on each other, were not interrupted by the casualties that took place around
them. The more I saw of them, the greater became my desire to claim their
protection and kindness; my heart yearned to be known and loved by these
amiable creatures; to see their sweet looks directed towards me with affection
was the utmost limit of my ambition. I dared not think that they would turn
them from me with disdain and horror. The poor that stopped at their door were
never driven away. I asked, it is true, for greater treasures than a little
food or rest: I required kindness and sympathy; but I did not believe myself
utterly unworthy of it.
"The
winter advanced, and an entire revolution of the seasons had taken place since
I awoke into life. My attention at this time was solely directed towards my
plan of introducing myself into the cottage of my protectors. I revolved many
projects, but that on which I finally fixed was to enter the dwelling when the
blind old man should be alone. I had sagacity enough to discover that the
unnatural hideousness of my person was the chief object of horror with those
who had formerly beheld me. My voice, although harsh, had nothing terrible in
it; I thought, therefore, that if in the absence of his children I could gain
the good will and mediation of the old De Lacey, I might by his means be
tolerated by my younger protectors.
"One day,
when the sun shone on the red leaves that strewed the ground and diffused
cheerfulness, although it denied warmth, Safie, Agatha, and Felix departed on a
long country walk, and the old man, at his own desire, was left alone in the
cottage. When his children had departed, he took up his guitar and played
several mournful but sweet airs, more sweet and mournful than I had ever heard
him play before. At first his countenance was illuminated with pleasure, but as
he continued, thoughtfulness and sadness succeeded; at length, laying aside the
instrument, he sat absorbed in reflection.
"My
heart beat quick; this was the hour and moment of trial, which would decide my
hopes or realize my fears. The servants were gone to a neighbouring fair. All
was silent in and around the cottage; it was an excellent opportunity; yet,
when I proceeded to execute my plan, my limbs failed me and I sank to the
ground. Again I rose, and exerting all the firmness of which I was master,
removed the planks which I had placed before my hovel to conceal my retreat.
The fresh air revived me, and with renewed determination I approached the door
of their cottage.
"I
knocked. 'Who is there?' said the old man. 'Come in.'
"I
entered. 'Pardon this intrusion,' said I; 'I am a traveller in want of a little
rest; you would greatly oblige me if you would allow me to remain a few minutes
before the fire.'
"'Enter,'
said De Lacey, 'and I will try in what manner I can to relieve your wants; but,
unfortunately, my children are from home, and as I am blind, I am afraid I
shall find it difficult to procure food for you.'
"'Do
not trouble yourself, my kind host; I have food; it is warmth and rest only
that I need.'
"I
sat down, and a silence ensued. I knew that every minute was precious to me,
yet I remained irresolute in what manner to commence the interview, when the
old man addressed me. 'By your language, stranger, I suppose you are my
countryman; are you French?'
"'No;
but I was educated by a French family and understand that language only. I am
now going to claim the protection of some friends, whom I sincerely love, and
of whose favour I have some hopes.'
"'Are
they Germans?'
"'No,
they are French. But let us change the subject. I am an unfortunate and
deserted creature, I look around and I have no relation or friend upon earth.
These amiable people to whom I go have never seen me and know little of me. I
am full of fears, for if I fail there, I am an outcast in the world forever.'
"'Do
not despair. To be friendless is indeed to be unfortunate, but the hearts of
men, when unprejudiced by any obvious self-interest, are full of brotherly love
and charity. Rely, therefore, on your hopes; and if these friends are good and
amiable, do not despair.'
"'They
are kind—they are the most excellent creatures in the world; but,
unfortunately, they are prejudiced against me. I have good dispositions; my
life has been hitherto harmless and in some degree beneficial; but a fatal
prejudice clouds their eyes, and where they ought to see a feeling and kind friend,
they behold only a detestable monster.'
"'That
is indeed unfortunate; but if you are really blameless, cannot you undeceive
them?'
"'I
am about to undertake that task; and it is on that account that I feel so many
overwhelming terrors. I tenderly love these friends; I have, unknown to them,
been for many months in the habits of daily kindness towards them; but they
believe that I wish to injure them, and it is that prejudice which I wish to
overcome.'
"'Where
do these friends reside?'
"'Near
this spot.'
"The
old man paused and then continued, 'If you will unreservedly confide to me the
particulars of your tale, I perhaps may be of use in undeceiving them. I am
blind and cannot judge of your countenance, but there is something in your
words which persuades me that you are sincere. I am poor and an exile, but it
will afford me true pleasure to be in any way serviceable to a human creature.'
"'Excellent
man! I thank you and accept your generous offer. You raise me from the dust by
this kindness; and I trust that, by your aid, I shall not be driven from the
society and sympathy of your fellow creatures.'
"'Heaven
forbid! Even if you were really criminal, for that can only drive you to
desperation, and not instigate you to virtue. I also am unfortunate; I and my
family have been condemned, although innocent; judge, therefore, if I do not
feel for your misfortunes.'
"'How
can I thank you, my best and only benefactor? From your lips first have I heard
the voice of kindness directed towards me; I shall be forever grateful; and
your present humanity assures me of success with those friends whom I am on the
point of meeting.'
"'May
I know the names and residence of those friends?'
"I
paused. This, I thought, was the moment of decision, which was to rob me of or
bestow happiness on me forever. I struggled vainly for firmness sufficient to
answer him, but the effort destroyed all my remaining strength; I sank on the
chair and sobbed aloud. At that moment I heard the steps of my younger
protectors. I had not a moment to lose, but seizing the hand of the old man, I
cried, 'Now is the time! Save and protect me! You and your family are the
friends whom I seek. Do not you desert me in the hour of trial!'
"'Great
God!' exclaimed the old man. 'Who are you?'
"At
that instant the cottage door was opened, and Felix, Safie, and Agatha entered.
Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me? Agatha
fainted, and Safie, unable to attend to her friend, rushed out of the cottage.
Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father, to
whose knees I clung, in a transport of fury, he dashed me to the ground and
struck me violently with a stick. I could have torn him limb from limb, as the
lion rends the antelope. But my heart sank within me as with bitter sickness,
and I refrained. I saw him on the point of repeating his blow, when, overcome
by pain and anguish, I quitted the cottage, and in the general tumult escaped
unperceived to my hovel."
Chapter 16
"Cursed,
cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the
spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not; despair had
not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge. I
could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants and have
glutted myself with their shrieks and misery.
"When
night came I quitted my retreat and wandered in the wood; and now, no longer
restrained by the fear of discovery, I gave vent to my anguish in fearful
howlings. I was like a wild beast that had broken the toils, destroying the
objects that obstructed me and ranging through the wood with a stag-like
swiftness. Oh! What a miserable night I passed! The cold stars shone in
mockery, and the bare trees waved their branches above me; now and then the
sweet voice of a bird burst forth amidst the universal stillness. All, save I,
were at rest or in enjoyment; I, like the arch-fiend, bore a hell within me,
and finding myself unsympathized with, wished to tear up the trees, spread
havoc and destruction around me, and then to have sat down and enjoyed the
ruin.
"But
this was a luxury of sensation that could not endure; I became fatigued with
excess of bodily exertion and sank on the damp grass in the sick impotence of
despair. There was none among the myriads of men that existed who would pity or
assist me; and should I feel kindness towards my enemies? No; from that moment
I declared everlasting war against the species, and more than all, against him
who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery.
"The
sun rose; I heard the voices of men and knew that it was impossible to return
to my retreat during that day. Accordingly I hid myself in some thick
underwood, determining to devote the ensuing hours to reflection on my
situation.
"The
pleasant sunshine and the pure air of day restored me to some degree of
tranquillity; and when I considered what had passed at the cottage, I could not
help believing that I had been too hasty in my conclusions. I had certainly
acted imprudently. It was apparent that my conversation had interested the
father in my behalf, and I was a fool in having exposed my person to the horror
of his children. I ought to have familiarized the old De Lacey to me, and by
degrees to have discovered myself to the rest of his family, when they should
have been prepared for my approach. But I did not believe my errors to be irretrievable,
and after much consideration I resolved to return to the cottage, seek the old
man, and by my representations win him to my party.
"These
thoughts calmed me, and in the afternoon I sank into a profound sleep; but the
fever of my blood did not allow me to be visited by peaceful dreams. The
horrible scene of the preceding day was forever acting before my eyes; the
females were flying and the enraged Felix tearing me from his father's feet. I
awoke exhausted, and finding that it was already night, I crept forth from my
hiding-place, and went in search of food.
"When
my hunger was appeased, I directed my steps towards the well-known path that
conducted to the cottage. All there was at peace. I crept into my hovel and
remained in silent expectation of the accustomed hour when the family arose.
That hour passed, the sun mounted high in the heavens, but the cottagers did
not appear. I trembled violently, apprehending some dreadful misfortune. The
inside of the cottage was dark, and I heard no motion; I cannot describe the
agony of this suspense.
"Presently
two countrymen passed by, but pausing near the cottage, they entered into
conversation, using violent gesticulations; but I did not understand what they
said, as they spoke the language of the country, which differed from that of my
protectors. Soon after, however, Felix approached with another man; I was
surprised, as I knew that he had not quitted the cottage that morning, and
waited anxiously to discover from his discourse the meaning of these unusual
appearances.
"'Do
you consider,' said his companion to him, 'that you will be obliged to pay
three months' rent and to lose the produce of your garden? I do not wish to
take any unfair advantage, and I beg therefore that you will take some days to consider
of your determination.'
"'It
is utterly useless,' replied Felix; 'we can never again inhabit your cottage.
The life of my father is in the greatest danger, owing to the dreadful
circumstance that I have related. My wife and my sister will never recover from
their horror. I entreat you not to reason with me any more. Take possession of
your tenement and let me fly from this place.'
"Felix
trembled violently as he said this. He and his companion entered the cottage,
in which they remained for a few minutes, and then departed. I never saw any of
the family of De Lacey more.
"I
continued for the remainder of the day in my hovel in a state of utter and
stupid despair. My protectors had departed and had broken the only link that
held me to the world. For the first time the feelings of revenge and hatred
filled my bosom, and I did not strive to control them, but allowing myself to
be borne away by the stream, I bent my mind towards injury and death. When I
thought of my friends, of the mild voice of De Lacey, the gentle eyes of
Agatha, and the exquisite beauty of the Arabian, these thoughts vanished and a
gush of tears somewhat soothed me. But again when I reflected that they had
spurned and deserted me, anger returned, a rage of anger, and unable to injure
anything human, I turned my fury towards inanimate objects. As night advanced I
placed a variety of combustibles around the cottage, and after having destroyed
every vestige of cultivation in the garden, I waited with forced impatience
until the moon had sunk to commence my operations.
"As
the night advanced, a fierce wind arose from the woods and quickly dispersed
the clouds that had loitered in the heavens; the blast tore along like a mighty
avalanche and produced a kind of insanity in my spirits that burst all bounds
of reason and reflection. I lighted the dry branch of a tree and danced with
fury around the devoted cottage, my eyes still fixed on the western horizon,
the edge of which the moon nearly touched. A part of its orb was at length hid,
and I waved my brand; it sank, and with a loud scream I fired the straw, and
heath, and bushes, which I had collected. The wind fanned the fire, and the
cottage was quickly enveloped by the flames, which clung to it and licked it
with their forked and destroying tongues.
"As
soon as I was convinced that no assistance could save any part of the
habitation, I quitted the scene and sought for refuge in the woods.
"And
now, with the world before me, whither should I bend my steps? I resolved to
fly far from the scene of my misfortunes; but to me, hated and despised, every
country must be equally horrible. At length the thought of you crossed my mind.
I learned from your papers that you were my father, my creator; and to whom
could I apply with more fitness than to him who had given me life? Among the
lessons that Felix had bestowed upon Safie, geography had not been omitted; I
had learned from these the relative situations of the different countries of
the earth. You had mentioned Geneva as the name of your native town, and
towards this place I resolved to proceed.
"But
how was I to direct myself? I knew that I must travel in a southwesterly
direction to reach my destination, but the sun was my only guide. I did not
know the names of the towns that I was to pass through, nor could I ask
information from a single human being; but I did not despair. From you only
could I hope for succour, although towards you I felt no sentiment but that of
hatred. Unfeeling, heartless creator! You had endowed me with perceptions and passions
and then cast me abroad an object for the scorn and horror of mankind. But on
you only had I any claim for pity and redress, and from you I determined to
seek that justice which I vainly attempted to gain from any other being that
wore the human form.
"My
travels were long and the sufferings I endured intense. It was late in autumn
when I quitted the district where I had so long resided. I travelled only at
night, fearful of encountering the visage of a human being. Nature decayed
around me, and the sun became heatless; rain and snow poured around me; mighty
rivers were frozen; the surface of the earth was hard and chill, and bare, and
I found no shelter. Oh, earth! How often did I imprecate curses on the cause of
my being! The mildness of my nature had fled, and all within me was turned to
gall and bitterness. The nearer I approached to your habitation, the more
deeply did I feel the spirit of revenge enkindled in my heart. Snow fell, and
the waters were hardened, but I rested not. A few incidents now and then
directed me, and I possessed a map of the country; but I often wandered wide
from my path. The agony of my feelings allowed me no respite; no incident
occurred from which my rage and misery could not extract its food; but a
circumstance that happened when I arrived on the confines of Switzerland, when
the sun had recovered its warmth and the earth again began to look green,
confirmed in an especial manner the bitterness and horror of my feelings.
"I
generally rested during the day and travelled only when I was secured by night
from the view of man. One morning, however, finding that my path lay through a
deep wood, I ventured to continue my journey after the sun had risen; the day,
which was one of the first of spring, cheered even me by the loveliness of its
sunshine and the balminess of the air. I felt emotions of gentleness and
pleasure, that had long appeared dead, revive within me. Half surprised by the
novelty of these sensations, I allowed myself to be borne away by them, and
forgetting my solitude and deformity, dared to be happy. Soft tears again
bedewed my cheeks, and I even raised my humid eyes with thankfulness towards
the blessed sun, which bestowed such joy upon me.
"I
continued to wind among the paths of the wood, until I came to its boundary,
which was skirted by a deep and rapid river, into which many of the trees bent
their branches, now budding with the fresh spring. Here I paused, not exactly
knowing what path to pursue, when I heard the sound of voices, that induced me
to conceal myself under the shade of a cypress. I was scarcely hid when a young
girl came running towards the spot where I was concealed, laughing, as if she
ran from someone in sport. She continued her course along the precipitous sides
of the river, when suddenly her foot slipped, and she fell into the rapid
stream. I rushed from my hiding-place and with extreme labour, from the force
of the current, saved her and dragged her to shore. She was senseless, and I
endeavoured by every means in my power to restore animation, when I was
suddenly interrupted by the approach of a rustic, who was probably the person
from whom she had playfully fled. On seeing me, he darted towards me, and
tearing the girl from my arms, hastened towards the deeper parts of the wood. I
followed speedily, I hardly knew why; but when the man saw me draw near, he
aimed a gun, which he carried, at my body and fired. I sank to the ground, and
my injurer, with increased swiftness, escaped into the wood.
"This
was then the reward of my benevolence! I had saved a human being from
destruction, and as a recompense I now writhed under the miserable pain of a
wound which shattered the flesh and bone. The feelings of kindness and
gentleness which I had entertained but a few moments before gave place to hellish
rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and
vengeance to all mankind. But the agony of my wound overcame me; my pulses
paused, and I fainted.
"For
some weeks I led a miserable life in the woods, endeavouring to cure the wound
which I had received. The ball had entered my shoulder, and I knew not whether
it had remained there or passed through; at any rate I had no means of
extracting it. My sufferings were augmented also by the oppressive sense of the
injustice and ingratitude of their infliction. My daily vows rose for revenge—a
deep and deadly revenge, such as would alone compensate for the outrages and
anguish I had endured.
"After
some weeks my wound healed, and I continued my journey. The labours I endured
were no longer to be alleviated by the bright sun or gentle breezes of spring;
all joy was but a mockery which insulted my desolate state and made me feel
more painfully that I was not made for the enjoyment of pleasure.
"But
my toils now drew near a close, and in two months from this time I reached the
environs of Geneva.
"It
was evening when I arrived, and I retired to a hiding-place among the fields
that surround it to meditate in what manner I should apply to you. I was
oppressed by fatigue and hunger and far too unhappy to enjoy the gentle breezes
of evening or the prospect of the sun setting behind the stupendous mountains
of Jura.
"At
this time a slight sleep relieved me from the pain of reflection, which was
disturbed by the approach of a beautiful child, who came running into the
recess I had chosen, with all the sportiveness of infancy. Suddenly, as I gazed
on him, an idea seized me that this little creature was unprejudiced and had
lived too short a time to have imbibed a horror of deformity. If, therefore, I
could seize him and educate him as my companion and friend, I should not be so
desolate in this peopled earth.
"Urged
by this impulse, I seized on the boy as he passed and drew him towards me. As
soon as he beheld my form, he placed his hands before his eyes and uttered a
shrill scream; I drew his hand forcibly from his face and said, 'Child, what is
the meaning of this? I do not intend to hurt you; listen to me.'
"He
struggled violently. 'Let me go,' he cried; 'monster! Ugly wretch! You wish to
eat me and tear me to pieces. You are an ogre. Let me go, or I will tell my
papa.'
"'Boy,
you will never see your father again; you must come with me.'
"'Hideous
monster! Let me go. My papa is a syndic—he is M. Frankenstein—he will punish
you. You dare not keep me.'
"'Frankenstein!
you belong then to my enemy—to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge;
you shall be my first victim.'
"The
child still struggled and loaded me with epithets which carried despair to my
heart; I grasped his throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my
feet.
"I
gazed on my victim, and my heart swelled with exultation and hellish triumph;
clapping my hands, I exclaimed, 'I too can create desolation; my enemy is not
invulnerable; this death will carry despair to him, and a thousand other
miseries shall torment and destroy him.'
"As I
fixed my eyes on the child, I saw something glittering on his breast. I took
it; it was a portrait of a most lovely woman. In spite of my malignity, it
softened and attracted me. For a few moments I gazed with delight on her dark
eyes, fringed by deep lashes, and her lovely lips; but presently my rage
returned; I remembered that I was forever deprived of the delights that such
beautiful creatures could bestow and that she whose resemblance I contemplated
would, in regarding me, have changed that air of divine benignity to one
expressive of disgust and affright.
"Can
you wonder that such thoughts transported me with rage? I only wonder that at
that moment, instead of venting my sensations in exclamations and agony, I did
not rush among mankind and perish in the attempt to destroy them.
"While
I was overcome by these feelings, I left the spot where I had committed the
murder, and seeking a more secluded hiding-place, I entered a barn which had
appeared to me to be empty. A woman was sleeping on some straw; she was young,
not indeed so beautiful as her whose portrait I held, but of an agreeable
aspect and blooming in the loveliness of youth and health. Here, I thought, is
one of those whose joy-imparting smiles are bestowed on all but me. And then I
bent over her and whispered, 'Awake, fairest, thy lover is near—he who would
give his life but to obtain one look of affection from thine eyes; my beloved,
awake!'
"The
sleeper stirred; a thrill of terror ran through me. Should she indeed awake,
and see me, and curse me, and denounce the murderer? Thus would she assuredly
act if her darkened eyes opened and she beheld me. The thought was madness; it
stirred the fiend within me—not I, but she, shall suffer; the murder I have
committed because I am forever robbed of all that she could give me, she shall
atone. The crime had its source in her; be hers the punishment! Thanks to the
lessons of Felix and the sanguinary laws of man, I had learned now to work
mischief. I bent over her and placed the portrait securely in one of the folds
of her dress. She moved again, and I fled.
"For
some days I haunted the spot where these scenes had taken place, sometimes
wishing to see you, sometimes resolved to quit the world and its miseries
forever. At length I wandered towards these mountains, and have ranged through
their immense recesses, consumed by a burning passion which you alone can
gratify. We may not part until you have promised to comply with my requisition.
I am alone and miserable; man will not associate with me; but one as deformed
and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My companion must be of
the same species and have the same defects. This being you must create."
