d at his feet. From this state He was
rouzed by the necessity of flight, and the danger of being found in
Antonia's apartment. He had no desire to profit by the execution of
his crime. Antonia now appeared to him an object of disgust. A deadly
cold had usurped the place of that warmth which glowed in his bosom:
No ideas offered themselves to his mind but those of death and guilt,
of present shame and future punishment. Agitated by remorse and fear
He prepared for flight: Yet his terrors did not so compleatly master
his recollection, as to prevent his taking the precautions necessary
for his safety. He replaced the pillow upon the bed, gathered up his
garments, and with the fatal Talisman in his hand, bent his unsteady
steps towards the door. Bewildered by fear, He fancied that his flight
was opposed by Legions of Phantoms; Whereever He turned, the disfigured
Corse seemed to lie in his passage, and it was long before He succeeded
in reaching the door. The enchanted Myrtle produced its former effect.
The door opened, and He hastened down the staircase. He entered the
Abbey unobserved, and having shut himself into his Cell, He abandoned
his soul to the tortures of unavailing remorse, and terrors of
impending detection.

CHAPTER II

Tell us, ye Dead, will none of you in pity
To those you left behind disclose the secret?
O! That some courteous Ghost would blab it out,
What 'tis you are, and we must shortly be.
I've heard that Souls departed have sometimes
Fore-warned Men of their deaths:
'Twas kindly done
To knock, and give the alarum.
Blair.

Ambrosio shuddered at himself, when He reflected on his rapid advances
in iniquity. The enormous crime which He had just committed filled him
with real horror. The murdered Elvira was continually before his eyes,
and his guilt was already punished by the agonies of his conscience.
Time, however, considerably weakened these impressions: One day passed
away, another followed it, and still not the least suspicion was thrown
upon him. Impunity reconciled him to his guilt: He began to resume
his spirits; and as his fears of detection died away, He paid less
attention to the reproaches of remorse. Matilda exerted herself to
quiet his alarms. At the first intelligence of Elvira's death, She
seemed greatly affected, and joined the Monk in deploring the unhappy
catastrophe of his adventure: But when She found his agitati