Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/128

 of the master of the castle. Seraphine offered a delicious contrast by the side of her aged relatives, at whom I was tired of looking. Her beauty, enhanced by all the seductions of youth, had a stamp of surprising ideality. She appeared to me like an angel of light, more capable than all possible exorcisms to drive away forever all the evil spirits that haunted the castle. The first time that this adorable person addressed me, to ask how I amused myself in the mournful solitude of R—sitten, I was so struck with the charm of her voice and the celestial melancholy that dreamed in her eyes, that I could only answer her in monosyllables without connection, which must have made me appear to her eyes as the most timid or the most foolish of youths. The old aunts of the baroness, judging me of very little consequence, undertook to recommend me to the kindness of the young lady with looks so full of pride, that I could not refrain from paying them a few compliments that touched very nearly upon sarcasm. From that moment, in place of the pain that my position towards the baroness made me feel, I became aware that a burning passion animated my heart; and, however I might have been persuaded of the madness of such a sentiment, it was impossible for me to resist it; this became soon a kind of delirium, and during my long day dreams, I called to Seraphine with transports of despair. One fine night, my great uncle, suddenly awakened by my extravagant monologue, cried out to me from his bed,

"Cousin, cousin, are you losing your common sense? Be in love the whole day long, if that pleases thee; but there is a time for all things, and the night was made to sleep in!"

I trembled for fear that my uncle had heard the name of Seraphine escape from my lips, and that he would lecture me; but his conduct in this circumstance was filled with reserve and discretion; for the following day, as we were entering the hall, where every body had met for judicial trial, he said in a loud voice,

"May it please God that each one here knows how to watch over himself prudently!"