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52 - Melmoth The Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin · Melmoth The Wanderer

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  Speaker 1: Thirty six nunc animum pietas at maternomena prongent. In less
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  Speaker 1: than half an hour, the superb apartments the illuminated gardens
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  Speaker 1: of Aliaga did not echo a footstep. All were gone
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  Speaker 1: except a few who lingered, some from curiosity, some from humanity,
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  Speaker 1: to witness or condole with the sufferings of the wretched parents.
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  Speaker 1: The sumptuously decorated garden now presented a sight horrid from
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  Speaker 1: the contrasted figures and scenery. The domestics stood like statues,
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  Speaker 1: holding the torches still in their hands, as a door
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  Speaker 1: lay beside the bloody course of her brother till an
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  Speaker 1: attempt was made to remove it, and then she clung
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  Speaker 1: to it with a strength that required strength to tear
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  Speaker 1: her from it. Aliaga, who had not uttered a word
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  Speaker 1: and scarcely drawn a breath, sunk on his knees to
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  Speaker 1: curse his half lifeless daughter Dona Clara, who still retained
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  Speaker 1: a woman's heart, lost all fear of her husband, and
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  Speaker 1: in this dreadful emergency, and kneeling beside him, held his
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  Speaker 1: uplifted hands and struggled hard for the suspension of the malediction.
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  Speaker 1: Fra Jose, the only one of the group who appeared
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  Speaker 1: to possess any power of recollection or of mental sanity,
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  Speaker 1: addressed repeatedly to Isidore the question are you married and
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  Speaker 1: married to that fearful being? I am married, answered the victim,
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  Speaker 1: rising from beside the course of her brother. I am married,
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  Speaker 1: she added, glancing a look at her splendid habit and
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  Speaker 1: displaying it with a frantic laugh. A loud knocking at
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  Speaker 1: the garden gate was heard at this moment. I am married,
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  Speaker 1: shrieked Isidora. And here comes the witness of my nupshals.
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  Speaker 1: As she spoke, some peasants from the neighborhood, assisted by
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  Speaker 1: the domestics of Aliaga, brought in a course so altered
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  Speaker 1: from the fearful change that passes on the mortal frame,
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  Speaker 1: that the nearest relative could not have known it isidor
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  Speaker 1: recognized it in a moment for the body of the
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  Speaker 1: old domestic who had disappeared so mysteriously on the night
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  Speaker 1: of her frightful nuptials. The body had been discovered, but
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  Speaker 1: that evening by the peasants, it was lacerated as by
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  Speaker 1: a fall from rocks, and so disfigured and decayed as
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  Speaker 1: to retain no resemblance to humanity. It was recognizable only
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  Speaker 1: by the livery of Aliaga, which, though much defaced, was
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  Speaker 1: still distinguishable by some peculiarities in the dress that announced
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  Speaker 1: that those defaced garments covered the mortal remains of the
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  Speaker 1: old domestic. There cried Isidore with delirious energy, there is
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  Speaker 1: the witness of my fatal marriage. Fra Jose hung over
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  Speaker 1: the illegible fragments of that whereon nature had once written
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  Speaker 1: this is a human being, and turning his eyes on
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  Speaker 1: Isadel with involuntary horror, he exclaimed, your witness is dumb.
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  Speaker 1: As the wretched Isidore was dragged away by those who
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  Speaker 1: surrounded her, she felt the first throes of maternal suffering
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  Speaker 1: and exclaimed, Oh, there will be a living witness if
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  Speaker 1: you permit it to live. Her words were soon realized.
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  Speaker 1: She was conveyed to her apartment, and in a few hours,
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  Speaker 1: after scarcely assisted and wholly unpitied by her attendants, gave
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  Speaker 1: birth to a daughter. This event excited a sentiment in
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  Speaker 1: the family, at once ludicrous and horrible. Aliaga, who had
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  Speaker 1: remained in a state of stupefaction since his son's death,
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  Speaker 1: uttered but one exclamation let the wife of the sorcerer
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  Speaker 1: and their accursed offspring be delivered into the hands of
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  Speaker 1: the merciful and holy tribunal the inquisition. He afterwards muttered
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  Speaker 1: something about his property being confiscated, but to this nobody
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  Speaker 1: paid attention. Dona Clara was almost distracted between compassion for
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  Speaker 1: her wretched daughter and being grandmother to an infant demon,
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  Speaker 1: for such she deemed the child of Melmoth the wanderer
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  Speaker 1: must be and fra Jose. While he baptized the infant
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  Speaker 1: with trembling hands, almost expected a fearful sponsor to appear
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  Speaker 1: and blast the rite with his horrible negative to the
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  Speaker 1: appeal made in the name of all that is holy
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  Speaker 1: among Christians. The baptismal ceremony was performed, however, with an
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  Speaker 1: omission which the good natured priest overlooked. There was no sponsor.
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  Speaker 1: The lowest domestic in the house declined with horror the
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  Speaker 1: proposal of being sponsored for the child of that terrible union.
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  Speaker 1: The wretched mother heard them from her bed of pain,
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  Speaker 1: and loved her infant better for its utter destitution. A
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  Speaker 1: few hours put an end to the consternation of the family.
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  Speaker 1: On the score of religion, at least The officers of
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  Speaker 1: the inquisition arrived, armed with all the powers of their tribunal,
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  Speaker 1: and strongly excited by the report that the wanderer of
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  Speaker 1: whom they had been long in search, had lately perpetrated
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  Speaker 1: an act that brought him within the sphere of their
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  Speaker 1: jurisdiction by involving the life of the only being his
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  Speaker 1: solitary existence held alliance with We hold him by the
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  Speaker 1: cords of a man, said the Chief Inquisitor, speaking more
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  Speaker 1: from what he read than what he felt. If he
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  Speaker 1: burst these chords, he is more than man. He has
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  Speaker 1: a wife and child, And if there be human elements
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  Speaker 1: in him, if there be anything mortal clinging to his heart,
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  Speaker 1: we shall wind round the roots of it and extract it.
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  Speaker 1: It was not till after some weeks that Isidore recovered
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  Speaker 1: her perfect recollection. When she did, she was in a prison.
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  Speaker 1: A pallet of straw was her bed, a crucive fix,
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  Speaker 1: and a death's head the only furniture of her cell.
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  Speaker 1: The light struggled through a narrow grate and struggled in
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  Speaker 1: vain to cast one gleam on the squalid apartment that
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  Speaker 1: it visited, and shrunk from. Isidore looked round her. She
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  Speaker 1: had light enough to see her child. She clasped it
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  Speaker 1: to her bosom from which it had unconsciously drawn its
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  Speaker 1: feverish nourishment, and wept in ecstasy. It is my own,
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  Speaker 1: she sobbed, and only mine. It has no father. He
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  Speaker 1: is at the ends of the earth. He has left
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  Speaker 1: me alone. But I am not alone while you are
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  Speaker 1: left to me. She was left in solitary confinement for
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  Speaker 1: many days, undisturbed and unvisited. The persons in whose hands
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  Speaker 1: she was have strong reasons for this mode of treatment.
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  Speaker 1: They were desirous that she should recover perfect sanity of
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  Speaker 1: intellect previous to her examination, and they also wished to
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  Speaker 1: give her time to form that profound attachment to the
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  Speaker 1: innocent companion of her solitude that might be a powerful
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  Speaker 1: engine in their hands in discovering those circumstances relative to
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  Speaker 1: Melmoth that had hitherto baffled all the power and penetration
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  Speaker 1: of the inquisition itself. All reports agreed that the Wanderer
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  Speaker 1: had never before been known to make a woman the
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  Speaker 1: object of his temptation, or to entrust her with the
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  Speaker 1: terrible secret of his destiny, And the inquisitors were heard
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  Speaker 1: to say to each other. Now that we have got
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  Speaker 1: the Delilah in our hands, we shall soon have the Samson.
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  Speaker 1: It was on the night previous to her examination, of
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  Speaker 1: which she was unapprised, that Isidor saw the door of
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  Speaker 1: her cell opened and her figure appear at it, whom
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  Speaker 1: amid the dreary obscurity that surrounded her, she recognized in
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  Speaker 1: a moment it was fra Jose. After a long pause
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  Speaker 1: of mutual horror, she knelt in silence to receive his benediction,
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  Speaker 1: which he gave with feeling solemnity. And then the good monk,
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  Speaker 1: whose propensities, though somewhat earthly and sensual, were never devilish,
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  Speaker 1: after vainly drawing his cowl over his face to stifle
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  Speaker 1: his sobs, lifted up his voice and wept bitterly. Isidore
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  Speaker 1: was silent, but her silence was not that of sullen
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  Speaker 1: apathy or of conscience seared impenitence. At length, fra Jose
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  Speaker 1: seated himself on the foot of the palate, at some
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  Speaker 1: distance from the prisoner, who was also sitting and bending
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  Speaker 1: her cheek down which a cold tear slowly flowed over
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  Speaker 1: her infant daughter. Said the monk collecting himself. It is
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  Speaker 1: to the indulgence of the Holy Office. I owe this
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  Speaker 1: permission to visit you. I thank them, said Isidora, and
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  Speaker 1: her tears flowed fast and relievingly. I am permitted also
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  Speaker 1: to tell you that your examination will take place tomorrow,
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  Speaker 1: to adjure you to prepare for it. And if there
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  Speaker 1: be anything which my examination, repeated Isidore, with surprise, but
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  Speaker 1: evidently without terror. On what subject am I then to
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  Speaker 1: be examined? On that of your inconceivable union with a
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  Speaker 1: being devoted and accursed? His voice was choked with horror,
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  Speaker 1: and he added, daughter, are you then indeed the wife
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  Speaker 1: of of that being whose name makes the flesh creep
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  Speaker 1: and the hair stand on end? I am, who were
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  Speaker 1: the witnesses of your marriage? And what hand dared to
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  Speaker 1: bind yours with that unholy and unnatural bond? There were
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  Speaker 1: no witnesses. We were wetted in darkness. I saw no form,
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  Speaker 1: but I thought I heard words uttered. I know I
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  Speaker 1: felt a hand placed mine in melmoths. Its touch was
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  Speaker 1: as cold as that of the dead. Oh, complicated and mysterious. Horror,
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  Speaker 1: said the priest, turning pale and crossing himself with marks
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  Speaker 1: of unfeigned terror. He bowed his head on his arm
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  Speaker 1: for some time and remained silent from unutterable emotion. Father said, Isidore,
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  Speaker 1: at length you knew the hermit who lived amid the
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  Speaker 1: ruins of the monastery near our house. He was a priest.
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  Speaker 1: Also he was a holy man. It was he who
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  Speaker 1: united us. Her voice trembled. Wretched victim, groaned the priest,
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  Speaker 1: without raising his head. You know not what you utter.
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  Speaker 1: That holy man is known to have died the very
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  Speaker 1: night preceding that of your dreadful union. Another pause of
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  Speaker 1: mute horror followed, which the priest at length broke unhappy
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  Speaker 1: daughter said he in a composed and solemn voice. I
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  Speaker 1: am indulged with permission to give you the benefit of
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  Speaker 1: the sacrament of confession previous to your examination. I adjure
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  Speaker 1: you to unburden your soul to me. Will you, I will,
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  Speaker 1: my father? Will you answer me as you would answer
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  Speaker 1: at the tribunal of God? Yes, as I would answer
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  Speaker 1: at the tribunal of God. As she spake, she prostrated
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  Speaker 1: herself before the priest in the attitude of confession. And
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  Speaker 1: you have now disclosed the whole burden of your spirit.
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  Speaker 1: I have my father. The priest sat thoughtfully for a
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  Speaker 1: considerable time. He then put to her several singular questions
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  Speaker 1: relative to Melmoth, which she was wholly unable to answer.
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  Speaker 1: They seemed chiefly the result of those impressions of supernatural
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  Speaker 1: power and terror which were everywhere associated with his image.
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  Speaker 1: My father, said Isidor, when he had ceased, in a
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  Speaker 1: faltering voice, My father, may I inquire about my unhappy parents.
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  Speaker 1: The priest shook his head and remained silent at length.
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  Speaker 1: Effected by the agony with which she urged her inquiry,
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  Speaker 1: he reluctantly said she might guess the effect which the
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  Speaker 1: death of their son and the imprisonment of their daughter
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  Speaker 1: in the inquisition must have on parents who were no
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  Speaker 1: less eminent for their zeal for the Catholic faith than
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  Speaker 1: for their parental affection. Are they alive, said Isidore. Spare
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  Speaker 1: yourself the pain of further Inquiry's daughter, said the priest,
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  Speaker 1: and be assured that if the answer were such as
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  Speaker 1: could give you comfort, it would not be withheld. At
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  Speaker 1: this moment, a bell was heard to sound in a
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  Speaker 1: distant part of the structure. That bell, said, the priest
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  Speaker 1: announces that the hour of your examination approaches. Farewell, and
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  Speaker 1: may the saints be with you. Stay, father, stay one moment,
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  Speaker 1: but one moment. Pride is a door rushing frantically between
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  Speaker 1: him and the door. Fra Jose paused Isidor, sunk before
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  Speaker 1: him and hiding her face with her hands, exclaimed in
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  Speaker 1: a voice choked with agony. Father, do you think that
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  Speaker 1: I am lost forever? Daughter? Said the priest, in heavy
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  Speaker 1: accents and in a troubled and doubting spirit. Daughter, I
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  Speaker 1: have given you what comfort I could press for, no more,
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  Speaker 1: lest would I have given with many struggles of conscience
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  Speaker 1: may be withdrawn. Perhaps you are in a state on
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  Speaker 1: which I can form no judgment and pronounce no sentence.
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  Speaker 1: May God be merciful to you, and may the Holy
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  Speaker 1: Tribunal judge you in its mercy also. Yet, stay, father,
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  Speaker 1: Stay one moment, only one moment, only one question more.
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  Speaker 1: As she spoke, she caught her pale and innocent companion
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  Speaker 1: from the palate where it slept, and held it up
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  Speaker 1: to the priest. Father, tell me, can this be the
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  Speaker 1: child of a demon? Can it be this creature that
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  Speaker 1: smiles on me, that smiles on you while you are
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  Speaker 1: mustering curses against it? Oh? Holy drops have sprinkled it
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  Speaker 1: from your own hand. Father, you have spoke holy words
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  Speaker 1: over it. Father. Let them tear me with their pincers,
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  Speaker 1: let them roast me on their flames. But will not
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  Speaker 1: my child escape, My innocent child that smiles on you,
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  Speaker 1: Holy father, dear father, look back on your child. And
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  Speaker 1: she crawled after him on her knees, holding up the
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  Speaker 1: miserable infant in her arms, whose weak cry and wasted
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  Speaker 1: frame pleaded against the dungeon life to which its infancy
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  Speaker 1: had been doomed. Fra Jose melted at the appeal, and
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  Speaker 1: he was about to bestow many a kiss and many
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  Speaker 1: a prayer on the wretched babe, when the bell again
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  Speaker 1: was sounded, and hasting away, he had but time to exclaim,
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  Speaker 1: my daughter, May God protect you, God protect me, said Isidore,
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  Speaker 1: clasping her infant to her bosom. The bell sounded again,
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  Speaker 1: and Isidor knew that the hour of her trial approached.
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  Speaker 1: End of Chapter thirty six