科学怪人 Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty We stopped in Paris for a while, because I was not strong enough to travel on. There my father wished me to go out and see people. He hoped that this would cure my sadness, but I could not bear to see people. How they would all hate me if they knew that I had created a monster who took pleasure in murdering them! In my despair, I told my father more than once that I was responsible for the deaths of William, Justine, and Henry. Sometimes he asked me to explain. At other times he seemed to think my words were a result of my illness. I could not explain. He would have thought I was mad. A few days before we left Paris, I received a letter from Elizabeth. My dear Victor, I am so glad that you are coming home. How much you must have suffered! I want you to find comfort and tranquility. For this reason, my dear friend,I am writing to explain something to you. You know that both your parents always wanted us to get married. We have always loved each other. but perhaps our love is the love of brother and sister, Tell me, dearest victor.do you love someone else? You have been away for many years, first in Ingolstadt and then in Britain. When you left last year, I thought maybe you were running away from me. I love you and have always dreamt of a future together with you, but I want your happiness as well as my own. Our marriage would make me miserable if I thought that you did not wish it. Believe me,victor, I love you too much to make you unhappy. Be happy, my friend. Obey me in this one request, and I will be contented. Elizabeth Geneva,18 May 17-- This letter reminded me of the monster's threat ---- 'I will be with you on your wedding night.'On that night the devil would destroy me and so destroy the only hope of happiness I had to comfort me. Sweet Elizabeth! I read her letter several times. I dreamt of the paradise of her love, but the apple was already eaten, and the angel was ready to drive me out of the garden. I decided to marry as soon as I got home. I wrote to tell her this. My letter was calm and affectionate. 'Do not be afraid, my love,' I said.'My only hope of happiness is in marrying you. I have a terrible secret. When I tell you my secret, you will understand why I have been so miserable. I will tell you on the morning after our wedding. Do not ask me about it until then.' My father was glad. He spoke of the comfort we would be to each other. He spoke of children being born to replace the loved ones we had lost. All I could think of was the monster's threat, 'I will be with you on your wedding night'. I thought it meant that he would kill me then. I was not afraid of my own death. Great God! If for one moment I had imagined what he really planned to do, I would have left home forever. I thought I was preparing my own death, but really I was preparing hers. We made the arrangements for the wedding. As the day approached, I began to feel better. The monster's threat seemed like a bad dream, but my happiness with Elizabeth seemed real and close at hand. Elizabeth looked a little sad on our wedding day. Perhaps she was thinking of the awful secret I would tell her the next morning. After the wedding, there was a party at my father's house. Then Elizabeth and I left for our honeymoon on Lake Como. Those were the last moments in my life when I felt happiness. The sun was shining. We saw Mont Saleve and, in the distance,Mont Blanc. I held Elizabeth's hand.'You look sad, Elizabeth,' I said. 'I am content,' she replied. 'Something tells me not to hope for happiness, but I will not listen. Look at the mountains and the lake, Victor. What a divine day! How happy nature appears!'