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Theodore marched by his side; and the afflicted Isabella, who could not bear to quit him, followed mournfully behind. The sorrowful troop no sooner arrived at the castle, than they were met by Hippolita and Matilda, whom Isabella had sent one of the domestics before to advertise of their approach.
What deed of Manfred authorises you to treat him as a murderer, an assassin?" "Thou virtuous, and too credulous Princess!" replied Isabella; "it is not thy life he aims at it is to separate himself from thee! to divorce thee! to " "To divorce me!" "To divorce my mother!" cried Hippolita and Matilda at once. "Yes," said Isabella; "and to complete his crime, he meditates I cannot speak it!"
Matilda, this stroke is too heavy for thee! weep not, my child; and not a murmur, I charge thee. Remember, he is thy father still!" "But you are my mother too," said Matilda fervently; "and you are virtuous, you are guiltless! Oh! must not I, must not I complain?" "You must not," said Hippolita "come, all will yet be well.
The servant, who had not stayed long enough to have crossed the court to Conrad's apartment, came running back breathless, in a frantic manner, his eyes staring, and foaming at the month. He said nothing, but pointed to the court. The company were struck with terror and amazement. The Princess Hippolita, without knowing what was the matter, but anxious for her son, swooned away.
"With both," replied the holy man. "The Lady Isabella " "What of her?" interrupted Manfred, eagerly. "Is at St. Nicholas's altar," replied Jerome. "That is no business of Hippolita," said Manfred with confusion; "let us retire to my chamber, Father, and inform me how she came thither."
Matilda alone seemed insensible to her own situation: every thought was lost in tenderness for her mother. Ordering the litter to stop, as soon as Hippolita was brought to herself, she asked for her father. He approached, unable to speak. Matilda, seizing his hand and her mother's, locked them in her own, and then clasped them to her heart. Manfred could not support this act of pathetic piety.
He trembled for Hippolita, whose ruin he saw was determined; and he feared if Manfred had no hope of recovering Isabella, that his impatience for a son would direct him to some other object, who might not be equally proof against the temptation of Manfred's rank. For some time the holy man remained absorbed in thought.
"Reverend father," said Frederic, meaning to excuse his interruption, "I sought the lady Hippolita." "Hippolita!" replied a hollow voice; and then the figure, turning slowly round, discovered to Frederic the fleshless jaws and empty sockets of a skeleton, wrapped in a hermit's cowl. "Angels of grace, protect me!" cried Frederic, recoiling. "Deserve their protection!" said the spectre.
The injuries of the virtuous Hippolita have mounted to the throne of pity. By me thou art reprimanded for thy adulterous intention of repudiating her: by me thou art warned not to pursue the incestuous design on thy contracted daughter.
Manfred now devised a scheme for uniting the two houses by proposing the marriage of Matilda to Frederic, while he himself should divorce Hippolita and marry Isabella. When he broke his purpose to Frederic, that weak Prince, who had been struck with the charms of Matilda, listened but too eagerly to the offer.
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