Page:The Castle of Wolfenbach - Parsons - 1854.djvu/179

 quis led him to the Countess, "my dear friend, you have hitherto known this lady only as Madame le Roche, the name she bears in England; I now introduce you to her as our dearest sister, the Countess of Wolfenbach, whose death you have heard us often lament."

The Count started with surprise; "Good heavens! (said he, after saluting her) how is this possible?"

The Marquis gave him a brief recital of her confinement, and promised him the particulars another day. "I could no longer keep our secret from you, but she must still retain our former name, until the whole affair is brought forward. The Ambassador was made acquainted with it yesterday; he will take some private steps, at first, if possible, to do us justice; and when we return to London for the winter, we shall use decisive measures; mean time I have written to a friend, as has likewise my sister, to procure Joseph's testimony, as far as his knowledge extends, lest, as he is old, we should lose a witness of some consequence."

The Count entered warmly into the business: his life and fortune was at the service of his friends: they embraced and thanked him.

The following day they left town, after writing the most affectionate letters to their beloved Matilda, whose absence they most sincerely regretted.

Matilda, on her first residence in the convent, found it replete with many inconveniences she did not expect. For the first week she cried incessantly, and poor Louison, not happier, continually prest her to return. "Ah, mon Dieu! (cried she) if my good master and lady, if the dear charming Count de Bouville knew how miserable you are, they would fly to bring you out again. Ah! the good Count, the morning before we came away, gave me ten English guineas; the tears were in his eyes; "Take care of your charming mistress, Louison, (said he) and I will always be your friend:—Dear, dear gentleman! O, that he was but here!"