Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-09-12


, ly girl by whose side he stood, took
her hand, pressed it to his heart, and
murmured, "Dear, dear Celia, love
you!"
The words were simple, the senti.
ment obvious; yet how powerful their
effectl All the eloquence of language,
all the arguments of sophistry, could
never produce as much. Celia was Ut
terly overwhelmed by this avowal, al
though she had been less than women
had she not previously observed and
understood the sentiment, and the
symptoms which betrayed its existence.
But instead of the rapture which the
words and looks of her lover might be
supposed to create, her only sensation
was terror-terfor arising from many
causes, for her own honor and the safe
ty, perhaps the lives, of those most
dear to her. No sooner did Frede-
rick's words fall on her ear, than she
instantly dropped on her knees before
him, and raising her clasped hands,
she exclaimed, in an accent that thrill
ed his heart with surprise and sorrow,
"Oh! forgive mel forgive me! | am
greatly guilty--but you will not refuse
| mercy"
"Mcrcy! Forgive you, Gela?" cried
Count Frederick, in amaze, and rals-
ing her from the ground; 81 cannot
| comprehensive for me to PROSTATE
myself before you, beautiful and virtu-
Gus as you are--my fate is in your
hands--tell me that you admit my pas
sion-that you return tor you drive
me to despair!"
"Oh, spare me this mockery-'tis too
cruel! Is it not enough that my trea-
cherous heart has led me to listen to
the seductions of your influence? |
am punished sufficiently the conscious.
ness ofmy presumption"
"What language is thisl What
mean you, Celia? Presumption! in lis
tening tor, could / but hope it from
these vague words,--in returning the
love of Franz Richter?"
"No, can no longer act part of
vile hypocrisy know you but too
well! Oh! Count Frederick, forgive
and spare mel"
cha! you know me? Rudolf has then
betrayed me7''
''Say not betrayed--he warned me
who you were, to forward, not to
thwart, your views--and /, criminal
and weak, instead of flying and hiding
myself from the danger Of your love,
have risked my own, my dear fathers
and brothers. safety, in spite of this
warning! But spare me, noble count!
at least have pity for the weakness
which yielded to attractions that over
came the sense of peril which they ex-
cited"
"Say Their, Celia, oh! say it and seal
my happiness, that despite your dread
of my station and my power, which
babe you to hate, you still loved me for
myself alone-say but that you love
metz
| Celia had just said that she would not
play the hypocrite, in one sense-could
not, in another. She yielded to the
counts embrace, dropped her head or
his shoulder, and burst into tears.
The incoherent and impassioned
phrases in which the lover expressed
the triumph may be guessed--they are
not fit to be told. For, though chaste
and pure, such as break from even the
most libertine in the first ecstatic mo.
ments of discovery, these genuine out,
bursts Of the heart would be but ludl
} crous in repetition, though nearly sub
lime in utterance. Gela's first words
5 were--"And you will not drag me from
my fathers protection-you will no
: plunge us all in sorrow and ruin--yol
/ will spare as well as pardon mel"
D "May the saints of heaven bear wit
C ness, and punish or reward me as an
false or true to my oath! never viii
do deed or breathe thought that cal
r bring harm to you or yours-but vii
y love you ever as now, in purity ant
0 honor! OH doubt me not, Gelal no
e break the spell Of delight in which an
e bound-give me your whole heart il
k trust or confdence-if you canno
e speak it, look, at least, your confidence
J. and your loveP'
# Much more was said and looked il
this short meeting than tradition ha
e told or fancy cares to imagine. Tn
q result was an agreement that the low
/. ers should meet the next morning a
e gain-not, however, in the same place
% for Celia, recalled to full sense of he
n danger by the ardent advances of tn
}. Young count, positively refusedher con
>, sent to make this perilous glen the Plac
o. of rendezvous. That which she fixe
n on was the church of the village clos