Alexis; or, the Cottage in the Woods. ALEXIS; ΟΥ, THE COTTAGE IN THE WOODS. An original Novel, from the French. PART FIRST. Alexis is received in the Cottage.The latter defcribed.-Character of its inhabitants.-Alexis relates his adventures. B CHAPTER İV. THE MAN IN A MASK. Y this time I had been three months at the college of Navarre, and received no other vifit than that of Mrs. Delys, who came to fec us fometimes. She became very intimate with Mr. Dumont, and we made a mutual exchange of books, which were our only pleafure. Uncertain, if I fhould ever difcover my parents, I armed myfelf with patience, and was contented with my lot, when one day my man Vincent informed Mr. Dumont, that a gentleman in an elegant carriage had juft alighted, and wished to speak to him in private. My preceptor goes to meet him-both enter another apartment, and wait together about an hour. So long an interview began to make me uneafy, but Mr. Dumont joined me, and faid in a whisper, with great appearance of joy, This is the perfon who in trufted me with your education, and whom I fuppofe to be your father. He has just given me fifty more louis d'ors, for your fecond quarter, and defires you to take a dancing, drawing, and mufic-mafier. Oh! he will bring you up a little prince!" 64 289 ftriking resemblance, which, as I tween you. "Oh!" cried I, "let him appear as he likes-let me but fee him! Let me bathe his feet with my tears.' 99 "Stop, ftop," faid Dumont, "be moderate, and fave appearances.' Mr. Dumont left me, and returned a moment after with the stranger, who had actually masked his face. "You must grant, my amiable friends, that I was much difconcerted What counteat fuch a moment. No doubt ĺ nance could I keep! was to wait till he should spe‹k to Nevertheless I could me firft. hardly forbear throwing myself into his arms, and you shall hear the whole account of a scene fo interefting to me, and which, as long as I live, fhall be engraved on my memory. 1 faluted the unknowa perfon with refpect, and he beckoned me to be feated. Vincent gave us chairs, and left the apartment. I perceived that the man in a mask was tottering, and agitated by a trouble, which it was in vain for him to conceal. At laft he fat down, and began to examine me; I could collect from the heaving of his breast that his heart was beating, and that he could fcarcely fetch breath. All these tokens ferved to confirm my doubts, but, far more trembling and moved than he, I dared not to look at him, or make the finalleft geflure. This dumb fcene had lafted long, when Mr. Dumont, fenfible that it affected us too much, haftened to interrupt it with addreffing himself to me. "Alexis," faid he, "this is the gentleman who is so good as to fup"Ah, fir," interrupted I, "can-ply your wants, and to have you not I fee him?"" This is what I asked," answered he, "but he much objected against that favour; at Laft he complied, on condition of his putting on a mask before you: no doubt he does it to hide that VOL. XXII. parents than their choice of f worthy a preceptor."--" Who told yo" fid the stranger, "that Mr. Dumont has been chofen by your pare ts?" Why, fir, have I no parents?" "Unfortunate hoy! may't thou never know them!" Oh! heaven! you know them well; you know them, tir ?" "No quelions, if you pleafe."-" Ah! hould you fee my father, tell him tell him that his little Alexis cannot live without embracing him, without falling at his feet! he fecks him through nathe ever fince he was born; he calls aloud to him; he ferutinizes every eye, every face,but alas! nobody his heard his cries"-"Unreafonable boy! what would't thou have?" Pil fee my father! I'll prefs him to my heart!"—" He cannot fhov himfelf to you, he cannot indeed!" Is Ire, then, barbaros, hard-hearted, inflexible? A, does not the voice of nature appeal to his paternal breaft? He is obliged to life her voice, nay, can he who loves fo well do it"-"You move me!"-" You thed tears; ah, let me fee them from your refpectable face. Throw away, pray throw away this deceitful malk; it does not become the man of feeling, fir, here I lie at your feet; in pity no longer concal-my father; I conjure you by your own, if he yet be living; I can fee your perplexity! Woll, if you love him, if he is dear to you, you cannot reprove my filial emotions! Alas, behold my tears, they fall; they overflow your. hand! you push my hand away; cruel fir, what have I done to you! O my God! all forfake me all, all forfake ine !" at me, lift up his hands to heaveri, and exclaimed in a piercing toneOh! is my fault! I would not -Why have I teen him? Uafortunate child!” "But he relapfed again into filence, and when I faw that nothing could move him, I became furious; in a moment my eyes were dry, and with a noble firmnets I made an effort to triumph over myfelf. In a tone of refpect and trance, I faid -“Well, fir, I fe you are fully bent on my despair, I know what refolution is left for me. Since F have no parer's who love me, I have nothing to tie me to naturs. What thould I do? what fate awaits ine! Shame, misfortune, and ignominy. But I am refolved to die, nd rid my family of a burthen, which I am forty to fee they find too heavy for them. Farewel, fir, tarowel Dumont, an everlasting farewel. "Whither would you?" cried the ftranger, holding out his hand to me, "do you know that your death would cause the death of your father?"-"Ah! it is you," I exclaimed, throwing myself into his arm3. "What does he lav."-" It is you, yes, it is you I am fure: nature hath poke, you are my father." Leave me, my fon-O! how could I utter this word!"— "I'v fon! Welcome charming name, that for the foft time falutes my cars, how fweet art thou to my heart!" Here my father took off his maik, prefenting to me a noble, inteiting coun enance, overflowing with tears. He takes me into his arms, prefies his ardent lips to mine, and retains me in his embrace for Here I dropt upon the floor in an fome minutes. Sweet preffure of agony of grief. Mr. Dumont, moved paternal rendernefs! I had never by my appearance, exhorted and in-felt you before! how dear were treated the stranger to put an end to my fufferings, whift the latter, who, with the livelieft emotions, was struggling, fobbing, and looking thefe embraces! I wept, laughed, and committed a thousand extravagancies, and we were all three like distracted perfons. I fay aN three, for Alexis; or, the Cottage in the Woods. 291 for Mr. Dumont, whom this fcene ever watch over you and your hidm ted to rears. who fhared our edication.?? fadne's, now thared.our joy; in a we were in a manner ele t fied at the fame in lant by variou fentimers, which glided through our trave with the greatest rapidity. to you. ༈རྗ Mr. Dumont and I gazed on this atonifhing man, who laid upon us uch fingular iniunctions; and, una quainted with his misfor nes which infpired us with the mot lively conce n, we ju ged them to be of the moth all ting kind, as he 1 a' deprived himself fo lng of the fight of a fon, hermed to engot his tend re's, and to whom, evin when caretling him, he dared not to reveal cither his name or his rank. At length he rofe to leave us, and after beflowing upon me fresha car-les and tokens of tende reía, he pulled out of his fob a most valuable watch, ornament.d ith iamonds; Here," fad he, " my Alexis, let this put you in mind of our fir interview."-"O heaven! what do you pr pore? I do not want frich a gift."—"Tak it, I fay, thinko, me robin t'e dick flrikes ten!" What do you mean?". "Tremble to hear one day the ex A ter my father had given vent to his fenfibility, le made us a ain fit down, and adrefics me thus: "My ton, I have ha the iron ret motives to remain unknown to you, -and fill prefve their. You have jult torn rom me a fecret which ough to have died with me. But 1 hill not repent if you promise to ob y the laws I m now to pref ribe In the hut place, I forbid you to afk me the legit quetion repet ng my name and quality. It may tuflice you to know that you are born a nobleman, in order to prevent you from com hitting an aftin unworthy of your d fent: but I cannot tell you who I am-my life and your own would foon be at flake. In the fe, ond place, I forbid you to foliov me, or explanation of this myftery." prefs the falleft curiosity to know me farther. Should I find you guilty of this, I shall abandon and never fee you again. Thele laws aftonish you, I can believe; but I am compelled to preferibe them. Alas! you have made my life the fummit of numan wretchednefs. It is your birth that has made me commit a crime the moa-do not urge me to proced; you would punith my imprudence! I will vifit youI will write to you, bût never, never fha 1 you know my name! As for you, Mr. Dumont, I need not exact of you the fame circumlocction of conduct. You are an honest man: I am fure of it. The perfon at whofe house I became acquainte with you ha given me an account of your mis ortures. They do ou credit. Adieu, my fon; be aflured that I fhall never forfake you, and With thefe words he left us, ftruck damb with this fecond trait of his character; but at last the pleafure of having found my father, made me forget every thing elf, and "I only wifhed to prove my fbmillion to him, by making rapid advances in the path of knowledge under the aufpices of Mr. Dumont. It was Licky Vincent had not leen this fene; we were refolved to conceal. it from him, to prevent his making fuch enquiries to know my father, as we would not have attempted ourre'ves, fo much did we will to compy with the orders he had given me.. Mr. Dumont was not miftakên in having been told that I was fo mach like my father: I was in leed his very portrait, and upon recol. lectin, I rememb red to have seen him many times next me when I Pp2 went |