The Haunted Palace, or the Horrors of Ventoliene (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1801 edition. Excerpt: ...was too sacred to be trifled with. She was the daughter of his most early friend; a woman, whose past sufferings entitled her to respect and veneration, and one whose good sense should preclude every hope that his addresses would be acceptable to her, much more meet with the concurrence of her father. I heard all, and sighed involuntarily. If there is no chance for my brother, thought I, what can there possibly be for me? Yet, still, I hugged the fond delusion. "He returned in about three hours, and, soon after, we set out for home; but, before we arrived, my poor mother had breathed her last, and my father's life was thought in danger, from. the anxiety he had suffered respecting her. He received us with every ihark of pleasure and satisfaction, and we had: the happiness of seeing him recover his health and serenity. He shortly after.: -: .. proposed proposed a journey to one of his seats, which lay at a small distance from that at which we then were. My brother came of age; but, on account of our recent loss, it was not kept. He was attentive to my father, but appeared to be under considerable restraint, and studiously avoided the company of every one. My father, who had at first noticed his reserve, thought it arose from the loss we had sustained; but, v hen he observed it daily increase, he sent for the doctor, who had left us about a month, on a visit to his relations. When he arrived, my father related the melancholy of his son, and asked his opinion of the cause of it. Though the doctor guessed the reason, yet he did not choose. to avow it, but said, It would be most advisable for my father to have some conversation, himself, with my brother on the-subject, and to propose his uniting himself with..' m with a lady, whom my father had...