While she was thus flying from her Guilt, in vain, she hears one knock
with Authority at the Door: She is now more affrighted, if possible, and
knows not whither to fly for Refuge; she fancies, they are already the
Officers of Justice, and that Ten thousand Tortures and Wrecks are
fastening on her, to make her confess the horrid Murder; the knocking
increases, and so loud, that the Laundry Maids believing it to be the
Woman that us’d to call them up, and help them to Wash, rose, and,
opening the Door, let in _Villenoys_; who having been at his Country
_Villa_, and finding there a Footman, instead of his Friend, who waited
to tell him, His Master was fallen sick of the Small Pox, and could not
wait on him, he took Horse, and came back to his lovely _Isabella_; but
running up, as he us’d to do, to her Chamber, he found her not, and
seeing a Light in another Room, he went in, but found _Isabella_ flying
from him, out at another Door, with all the speed she could, he admires
at this Action, and the more, because his Maid told him Her Lady had
been a Bed a good while; he grows a little Jealous, and persues her, but
still she flies; at last he caught her in his Arms, where she fell into
a swound, but quickly recovering, he set her down in a Chair, and,
kneeling before her, implor’d to know what she ayl’d, and why she fled
from him, who ador’d her? She only fix’d a ghastly Look upon him, and
said, She was not well: ‘Oh! (said he) put not me off with such poor
Excuses, _Isabella_ never fled from me, when Ill, but came to my Arms,
and to my Bosom, to find a Cure; therefore, tell me, what’s the matter?’
At that, she fell a weeping in a most violent manner, and cry’d, She was
for ever undone: He, being mov’d with Love and Compassion, conjur’d her
to tell what she ayl’d: ‘Ah! (said she) thou and I, and all of us, are
undone!’ At this, he lost all Patience and rav’d, and cry’d, Tell me,
and tell me immediately, what’s the matter? When she saw his Face pale,
and his Eyes fierce, she fell on her knees, and cry’d, ‘Oh! you can
never Pardon me, if I should tell you, and yet, alas! I am innocent of
Ill, by all that’s good, I am.’ But her Conscience accusing her at that
word, she was silent. If thou art Innocent, said _Villenoys_, taking her
up in his Arms, and kissing her wet Face, ‘By all that’s Good, I Pardon
thee, what ever thou hast done.’ ‘Alas! (said she) Oh! but I dare not
name it, ’till you swear.’ ‘By all that’s Sacred, (reply’d he) and by
whatever Oath you can oblige me to; by my inviolable Love to thee, and
by thy own dear Self, I swear, whate’re it be, I do forgive thee;
I know, thou art too good to commit a Sin I may not with Honour,
pardon.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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