Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/137

 than to leave her imagination to exalt itself beyond measure. When I began to speak of this mysterious claw which scratched the walled-up door,

"Yes, yes," exclaimed Seraphine, "it is in that wall that is shut up the fatal mystery."

And hiding her beautiful face in her hands, she fell into a profound meditation. It was only then that I observed that Adelheid had left us. I spoke no longer, and Seraphine was still silent. I made an effort to rise and go to the harpsichord. A few accords that I drew from it awoke the baroness from her inactivity; she listened quietly to an air as sad as our souls, her eyes filled with tears. I kneeled before her, she leaned towards me, and our lips united in a celestial kiss; then she disengaged herself from my embrace, arose, and, when she reached the door of the room, she turned round and said to me,

"Dear Theodore, your uncle is a worthy man, who seems to be the protector of this house; tell him, I pray you, to pray for us every day, in order that it may please God to preserve us from all evil."

At these words, the lady companion re-entered. I could not answer Seraphine; I was too much moved to speak to her without forgetting the restraint which was imposed upon us. The baroness held out her hand to me.

"Good by," said she, "good by, dear Theodore; I shall long remember this evening."

When I went back to my great uncle's room, I found him asleep. My eyes were filled with tears; the love that I had for Seraphine pressed upon my heart with a painful heaviness; my sobs soon became so hurried and strong that the justice awoke.

"Cousin," exclaimed he, "do you wish decidedly to become mad? Do me the kindness to go to bed immediately!"

This prosy apostrophe brought me back disagreeably to real life; but I had to obey. A few moments had hardly elapsed, when I heard coming and going, the doors opening and 12