Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His SisterBehn, Aphra
General
Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister
Behn, Aphra
Epistolary fiction, English
effect of my stolen happiness----and _Clarinau_ will no sooner
perceive my condition, but he will use his utmost rigour against me; I
know his jealous nature, and find I am undone----’ With that she told
me how he had killed his first wife; for which he was obliged to fly
from the Court, and country of _Spain_: and that she found from all
his severity, he was not changed from his nature. In fine, she said
and loved so much, that I was wholly charmed, and vowed myself her
slave, or sacrifice, either to follow what she could propose, or fall
a victim with her to my love. After which it was concluded, (neither
having a mind to leave the world, when we both knew so well how to
make ourselves happy in it) that the next night I should bring her a
suit of men’s clothes; and she would in that disguise fly with me to
any part of the world. For she vowed, if this unlucky force of flying
had not happened to her, she had not been longer able to endure his
tyranny and slavery; but had resolved to break her chain, and put
herself upon any fortune. So that after the usual endearments on both
sides, I left her, resolved to follow my fortune, and she me, to
sacrifice all to her repose. That night, and all next day, she was not
idle; but put up all her jewels, of which she had the richest of any
lady in all those parts; for in that the old Count was over-lavish:
and the next night I brought her a suit, which I had made that day on
purpose, as gay as could be made in so short a time; and scaling my
wall, well armed, I found her ready at the door to receive me; and
going into an arbour, by the aid of a dark-lanthorn I carried, she
dressed her in a laced shirt of mine, and this suit I had brought her,
of blue velvet, trimmed with rich loops and buttons of gold; a white
hat, and white feather; a fair peruke, and scarlet breeches, the rest
suitable. And I must confess to you, my dear _Octavio_, that never any
thing appeared so ravishing, and yet I have seen _Sylvia_! But even
she a baby to this more noble figure. _Calista_ is tall, and fashioned
the most divinely--the most proper for that dress of any of her sex:
and I own I never saw any thing so beautiful all over, from head to
foot: and viewing her thus, (carrying my lanthorn all about her) but
more especially her face, her wondrous, charming face--(pardon me, if
I say, what does but look like flattery)--I never saw any thing more
resembling my dear _Octavio_, than the lovely _Calista_, Your very
feature, your very smile and air; so that, if possible, that increased
my adoration and esteem for her: thus completed, I armed her, and
buckled on her sword, and she would needs have one of my pistols too,
that stuck in my belt; and now she appeared all lovely man. It was so
late by that time we had done, that the moon, which began to shine
very bright, gave us a thousand little fears, and disposing her jewels
all about us safe, we began our adventure, with a thousand dreadful
apprehensions on _Calista_’. side.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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