The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 17, No. 481, March 19, 1831Various
General
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 17, No. 481, March 19, 1831
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
"In the course of the journey, I met with neither accident nor
adventure; but in the evening of the afternoon that I reached Munich, I
strolled out from, the hotel at which I had put up, and entered, after a
short walk, a coffee-house, in which several persons were smoking, with
ices and liquors before them. One table only was vacant--it was near the
door, and it had no light upon it. I entered and sat down at this table,
and ordered a cigar; which being brought, with a candle, I began to
smoke, and was thinking on the admonition of the mysterious stranger in
the court of the castle. My back was towards the door, when presently
feeling as it were a hand laid on my shoulder, I hastily turned round,
and at my elbow beheld the stranger again. 'BEWARE!' said he, and
withdrew.
"This incident affected me more than the former: it seemed to be couched
with anxiety, as if some danger impended; but at the same moment two
young officers came in, and seeing no vacant places, seated themselves
opposite to me at the same table. They were about my own age, of a
gallant air, and observing that I was a stranger, they addressed me in a
generous, gentlemanly manner. I was much pleased with their
conversation, and they professed themselves equally so with mine. Like
other young men, we became, while I stayed at Munich, friends, and in
their agree, able society both the 'THINK!' and 'BEWARE!'
were forgotten. On my departure for Vienna, they gave me letters to
their friends in that metropolis, by whom I was received with marked
distinction.
"I had not, however, been many days in Vienna, when one evening,
returning from a party on foot, my servant having neglected to bring
my carriage, a sudden stream of light from a window fell upon a figure
which I perceived walking before me. He turned round at the same moment,
and I beheld my warden.--'STOP!' said the apparition; I did do so;
but in a moment the light vanished, and he was gone.
"This third warning took some effect: it was mystical, and I pondered in
a vain endeavour to ascertain to what it could allude. My conjectures
were fruitless: I could only recall that in the course of the evening
I had been much excited by the beauty of a young countess, for whom,
on account of her marriage, the ball had been given. The count, her
husband, was a noble and elegant young man, and their mutual attachment
had been a theme of admiration from their childhood in their respective
families.--'STOP!' I repeated to myself, as I entered my
lodgings, 'what can that have to do with aught that I have undertaken?'
But in the course of a few days I became myself again, the admonisher
was forgotten, and I could think only of the beautiful countess. I have
just told my confessor that in less than a month her husband shot
himself, and she fled from my arms to a nunnery.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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