The Wanderer; or, Female Difficulties (Volume 5 of 5)Burney, Fanny
History
The Wanderer; or, Female Difficulties (Volume 5 of 5)
Burney, Fanny
France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Refugees -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Refugees -- Fiction; War stories
Harleigh hesitated whether to follow; but it was only for a moment: the
next, a shriek of agony reached his ears, and, hastily rushing forth, he
saw the female who had just quitted him, standing in an attitude of
despair; her face bowed down upon her hands; while an ill-looking man,
whom he presently recollected for the pilot, grinning in triumph, and
with arms wide extended, to prevent her passing, loudly called out,
'_Citoyen! Citoyen! venez voir! c'est Elle! Je la tien!_'[2]
[Footnote 2: 'Tis she, citizen! come and see! I have her safe!']
Harleigh would have remonstrated against this rude detention; but he had
no sooner begun speaking, than Juliet, finding that she could not
advance, retreated; and had just put her hand upon the lock of a door,
higher up in the gallery; when another man, dressed with disgusting
negligence, and of a hideous countenance, yet wearing an air of
ferocious authority; advancing by large strides, roughly seized her arm,
with one hand, while, with the other, he rudely lifted up her bonnet, to
examine her face.
'_C'est bien!_' he cried, with a look of exultation, that gave to his
horrible features an air of infernal joy; '_viens, citoyenne, viens;
suis moi_.'[3]
[Footnote 3: ''Tis well! come, citizen, come along! follow me.']
Harleigh, who, when the bonnet was raised, saw, what as yet he had
feared to surmize,--that it was Juliet; sprang forward, exclaiming,
'Daring ruffian! quit your hold!'
'_Ose tu nier mes droits?_' cried the man, addressing Juliet; whose arm
he still griped;--_'Dis!--parles!--l'ose tu?_'[4]
[Footnote 4: 'Darest thou deny my rights?--say!--speak! darest thou?']
Juliet was mute; but Harleigh saw that she was sinking, and bent towards
her to save her fall; what, then, was his astonishment, to perceive that
it was voluntary! and that she cast herself at the feet of her
assailant!
Thunderstruck, he held back.
The man, with an expression of diabolical delight at this posture, cast
his eyes now upon her, now upon her appalled defendant; and then, in
French, gave orders to the pilot, to see four fresh horses put to the
chaise: and, in a tone of somewhat abated rage, bid Juliet arise, and
accompany him down stairs.
'Ah, no!--ah, spare--ah, leave me yet!--' in broken accents, and in
French, cried the still prostrate Juliet.
The man, who was large made, tall, and strong, seized, then, both her
arms, with a motion that indicated his intention to drag her along.
A piercing shriek forced its way from her at his touch: but she arose,
and made no appeal, no remonstrance.
'_Si tu peus le conduire toute seule,_' said the man, sneeringly,
'_soit! Mais vas en avant! Je ne le perdrai plus de vu._'[5]
[Footnote 5: 'If you can walk alone, well and good; but go on first. I
shall lose sight of you no more.']
Juliet again hid her face, but stood still.
The man roughly gave her a push; seeming to enjoy, with a coarse laugh,
the pleasure of driving her on before him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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