Charged with this message we left them, Julia courting the virulence of the malady with an assiduous intention that plainly declared her determination to share in death his grave, in opposition to his own and the Frenchman’s vehement protestations. We reached the bedside of his wife in time to receive her last recognition, who answered with a smile and pressure of the hand her husband’s last petition, and while passing away invoked, with the reviving spark of conscious vitality, the auramentee’s guardian protection of her children, should they survive, as she was aware that they had been seized with the fever in the presence of their father, who had bestowed upon them his care with the intention of returning. After bestowing upon the children his affectionate care in the fulfillment of his accepted charge, he hastened as speedily as possible to the bedside of the doomed husband, and found the dying lovers supported in each other’s arms. For Julia, in the short period of our absence, had excited the latent seeds of the infection, and was already nearing the confines of her desire. The husband, although speechless, still retained his consciousness, with the power of making known, with grateful expression, the consolation imparted from our tidings. Julia, in anticipation of death, placed her attendant in charge of the auramentee, desiring him to send her back to Italy, as she had followed her own misguided steps from affection. The auramentee promised the faithful discharge of all their wishes in the event of his own preservation. Then with a sorrowful farewell, in freedom from the bitterness of our first impressions, we left them with a sure remedy at hand for the cure of their self-inflicted unhappiness. Returning to the children, we bestowed upon them our personal care and affection until death relieved us of our charge; but the scenes that preceded their final departure from life are too harrowing for recital. Let it suffice, that on the morrow when the western hills cast their shadows over the city, under the upward halo of the setting sun, the father, mother, and children, with their cousin Julia, whose beauty was the sad cause of her own and their misery, were borne together, in their bodies’ materiality, for burial far beyond the city’s limits. The place of interment had been granted as a special mark of interest by the emperor, whose family were deeply affected by the tragic end of their protégés. The harp, violin, and dulcetina were retained by Captain Greenwood, the auramentee, as mementoes of the sad scenes described, and are held in “devout” estimation as pledges of affectionate remembrance.
Annette, the companion of Julia, while assisting in packing the instruments for shipment to Montevideo, displayed versatile accomplishments as a musician that astonished Captain Greenwood, and while playing some airs found noted in the satchels of the children, she was frequently moved to tears, and in explanation of the cause, it transpired in revelation that she was the daughter of Signor Pozzuoli, the inventor of the dulcetina, and early teacher of the children, a majority of the preserved musical annotations being of her own composition. On the day previous to the one appointed for the sailing of the steamer for Montevideo the captain proposed to introduce Annette to the consignee of a ship about to sail for Leghorn. She then declared her desire to accompany him to Montevideo, as she felt a disinclination to return to Italy, urging that her musical ability would prove amply sufficient for her support, if he would assume the character of guardian for her countenance and protection. From the mutual interest engendered from the scenes through which they had passed, the captain encouraged her decision, gladly assuming the charge of protector. In closing, the Dosch said, I have related the history of the dulcetina, with desire of enforcing the absolute necessity of the Manatitlan system of education, if the Giga race really wish to bequeath happiness from unity in the marriage alliance, as a memorial source of example to succeeding generations. As scenes of the kind are constantly increasing in an engendered series from degenerate inoculation, with thoughtful consideration its practicability must be apparent to the meanest capacity. The relation will also impress upon you the characteristic value of your late companion, when relieved from the influence of habit, as well as the discernment of Correliana, which penetrated beneath the crisp asperities of his outer husk. In the exceptions we are about to advise, you will recognize the prudence of our judgment. The “brides” will surely afford an invincible security from their incorruptible purity and goodness, which, with kindred beauty in personal endowment, would insure constancy in defiance of all the temptations that could be proffered by the most lauded belles of civilized society, even if the ages of their intended husbands were less by two thirds. The countenance of Correliana, during the recital of the Dosch, was a mirror of reflection for the grateful expression of her thoughts.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
On the third morning after our visit to the school of the ninyetas, the prætor and the tribune teachers with Correliana and her mother called at the quarters of the corps, to escort M. Hollydorf to the prætorial colonnades, as the husband elect of Luocuratia, for the fulfillment of his probationary term. After receiving the congratulations of adoption from the Heracleans, all joined in the matin song of thanksgiving in the lower fora. While the prætor and his wife were absent, aiding Luocuratia in her valedictory salutations, M. Hollydorf was entertained by Correliana and the Doschessa. In order that he might perfectly understand the premeditated process of transfer, and security achieved, Correliana stated: “The Dosch had auramentally learned your determination to make Heraclea your home three months ago, and suggested the apt adoption of your peculiarities to her disposition; but until convinced of your constancy to our customs he advised the course we have pursued. The result of your trial has proved of happier import than we anticipated, as well as of Luocuratia’s ready infilmentary adaptation for the unity of impression; but now you can rest assured that her thoughts have already become interwoven in desire with your own, so that your example will be held paramount to ours. After the bewildering maze your presence caused was dispelled, her thoughts were directed for the shadowy investment of your image with her own as a prelude for more perfect realization, with a success which imparted a trust free from doubt or fear in question of its fulfillment; in this mood I left her, promising to visit her in the evening. In keeping with my appointment, I found her awaiting my coming in the garden, in full confidence that, with my aid, whatever there might be of mystery to her veiled comprehension would be cleared for her perception’s perfect understanding. With an endearing caress, fluttering with the timidity of a newborn joy, her eyes drooping in tremulous expectation, were filled to fullness with happy anticipations, as she leaned her head upon my shoulder, invoking with attentive silence my aid for the full interpretation of her waking vision. That she might taste the cup of my own realized joy, without tantalizing prelude, I rehearsed your confided doubts and fears as the counterpart of her own, the while encircling her waist with my arm, in support of her head’s nestling repose, that the body’s medium of a sister’s affection might more fully open to her the gates of revelation; then to the trama of her love I interwove, through the shuttled impulses of her ear, the vibrating threads of your affection, until they became involved with the stamina of your stronger nature; then the rustling sigh of relief bespoke the double investment complete in the unity of confiding reciprocation. This accomplished, inasmuch as the agency of my influence could represent the responsive source of sexual alliance, for the embodiment of affection, she became so deeply absorbed with sweet meditative reflection that she was unconscious of my departure. This ingraft of affection, in surety so propitious, should engender solicitude, on your part, in behalf of your race; for enjoyment ever lacks full maturity, when we feel that there are others with the prestige of purity and goodness, who are denied our privilege from the want of kindly direction.”
To which supplication, M. Hollydorf replied:—“Truly thankful for your pleading consideration, however little my faults merit your lenity, I must ask your continued forbearance; as you can scarcely imagine from the purity of your associations, the depth of insincerity that must ever oppress and haunt me with the bitterness of reflection for my unworthiness, in accepting the boon of an alliance that so far exceeds my present capacity for just appreciation. But if the neglected germ of good intention, brambled by evil example, can be redeemed to offer an equivalent worthy of your acceptance, it shall be my constant study to withhold your memory from the past, which is beyond the reach of extenuation, by the integrity of an exampled affection.”
Correliana. “That you may feel to the full extent the confidence bestowed with Luocuratia, my father has left his written salutation for presentation, which with your permission, I will read, that it may convey to you the living warmth of a personal address.
“‘To M. Hollydorf, Director of the Heraclean Deliverers:—
“Carrissimus, acting upon the information received with advice from the Dosch and his advisers, and your own confidence imparted to my step-daughter, Correliana Adinope, affording verification of our own observations, that there exists a unity of attachment between you and her twin sister Luocuratia, we offer you with unspeakable gladness our joyful congratulations, with the sum of our united affection. In bestowing our fullest sanction, we are truly happy in being able to contribute, from our Heraclean resources, the means of perfecting our ties of grateful reciprocation, and rejoice that we have achieved the privilege of calling you by the endearing name of son, as you were in anticipation wedded to our affection. In accepting our daughter for the cultivation and solace of mutual affection, you will have our assurance of her enduring devotion, which no mischance can abate; for with her the animus of goodness exceeds in thoughtful intention the power of expression. In her affection you will find an allied support all-sufficient for happy sustenance, and in its overplus an index of the homage outflowing in reciprocation from every Heraclean. In conformity with the happy experience of our ancestors, we herewith, in addition to our verbal invitation, proffer the formality of script, with the desire that you will become a member of our household, in domiciliation, during the three months allotted for probationary exemplification of congeniality in habits necessary for unity in affectionate reciprocation. Luocuratia will return to gladden our colonnades at the approach of noontide, then with your presence our joy will overflow in thanksgiving to the Source of direction, that devised the achievement of our deliverance through your instrumentality.
Adestus.”