Nightmare Abbey | Page 9

a German convent, but Mr Toobad described
her as being fully impressed with the truth of his Ahrimanic
philosophy,[4] and being altogether as gloomy and antithalian a young
lady as Mr Glowry himself could desire for the future mistress of
Nightmare Abbey. She had a great fortune in her own right, which was

not, as we have seen, without its weight in inducing Mr Glowry to set
his heart upon her as his daughter-in-law that was to be; he was
therefore very much disturbed by Scythrop's untoward attachment to
Marionetta. He condoled on the occasion with Mr Toobad; who said,
that he had been too long accustomed to the intermeddling of the devil
in all his affairs, to be astonished at this new trace of his cloven claw;
but that he hoped to outwit him yet, for he was sure there could be no
comparison between his daughter and Marionetta in the mind of any
one who had a proper perception of the fact, that, the world being a
great theatre of evil, seriousness and solemnity are the characteristics of
wisdom, and laughter and merriment make a human being no better
than a baboon. Mr Glowry comforted himself with this view of the
subject, and urged Mr Toobad to expedite his daughter's return from
Germany. Mr Toobad said he was in daily expectation of her arrival in
London, and would set off immediately to meet her, that he might lose
no time in bringing her to Nightmare Abbey. 'Then,' he added, 'we shall
see whether Thalia or Melpomene--whether the Allegra or the
Penserosa--will carry off the symbol of victory.'--'There can be no
doubt,' said Mr Glowry, 'which way the scale will incline, or Scythrop
is no true scion of the venerable stem of the Glowries.'
* * * * *
CHAPTER V
Marionetta felt secure of Scythrop's heart; and notwithstanding the
difficulties that surrounded her, she could not debar herself from the
pleasure of tormenting her lover, whom she kept in a perpetual fever.
Sometimes she would meet him with the most unqualified affection;
sometimes with the most chilling indifference; rousing him to anger by
artificial coldness--softening him to love by eloquent tenderness--or
inflaming him to jealousy by coquetting with the Honourable Mr
Listless, who seemed, under her magical influence, to burst into sudden
life, like the bud of the evening primrose. Sometimes she would sit by
the piano, and listen with becoming attention to Scythrop's pathetic
remonstrances; but, in the most impassioned part of his oratory, she
would convert all his ideas into a chaos, by striking up some Rondo

Allegro, and saying, 'Is it not pretty?' Scythrop would begin to storm;
and she would answer him with,
'Zitti, zitti, piano, piano, Non facciamo confusione,'
or some similar facezia, till he would start away from her, and enclose
himself in his tower, in an agony of agitation, vowing to renounce her,
and her whole sex, for ever; and returning to her presence at the
summons of the billet, which she never failed to send with many
expressions of penitence and promises of amendment. Scythrop's
schemes for regenerating the world, and detecting his seven golden
candle-sticks, went on very slowly in this fever of his spirit.
Things proceeded in this train for several days; and Mr Glowry began
to be uneasy at receiving no intelligence from Mr Toobad; when one
evening the latter rushed into the library, where the family and the
visitors were assembled, vociferating, 'The devil is come among you,
having great wrath!' He then drew Mr Glowry aside into another
apartment, and after remaining some time together, they re-entered the
library with faces of great dismay, but did not condescend to explain to
any one the cause of their discomfiture.
The next morning, early, Mr Toobad departed. Mr Glowry sighed and
groaned all day, and said not a word to any one. Scythrop had
quarrelled, as usual, with Marionetta, and was enclosed in his tower, in
a fit of morbid sensibility. Marionetta was comforting herself at the
piano, with singing the airs of _Nina pazza per amore_; and the
Honourable Mr Listless was listening to the harmony, as he lay supine
on the sofa, with a book in his hand, into which he peeped at intervals.
The Reverend Mr Larynx approached the sofa, and proposed a game at
billiards.
THE HONOURABLE MR LISTLESS
Billiards! Really I should be very happy; but, in my present exhausted
state, the exertion is too much for me. I do not know when I have been
equal to such an effort. (_He rang the bell for his valet. Fatout entered_.)
Fatout! when did I play at billiards last?

FATOUT
De fourteen December de last year, Monsieur. (Fatout bowed and
retired.)
THE HONOURABLE MR LISTLESS
So it was. Seven months ago. You see, Mr Larynx; you