The Assignation by Edgar Allan Poe
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the assignation

by Edgar Allan Poe

stay for_me there ! i_will_not fail . to meet thee in_that hollow vale .

[_Exequy on_the death of_his wife, by Henry king, bishop of Chichester .]

ill- fated and mysterious man ! - bewildered in_the brilliancy of thine own imagination, and fallen in_the flames of thine own youth ! again in fancy I behold thee ! once more thy form hath risen before me ! - not - oh not as thou art - in_the cold valley and shadow - but as thou shouldst be - squandering away a life of magnificent meditation in_that city of dim visions, thine own Venice - which_is a star- beloved Elysium of_the sea, and_the wide windows of whose Palladian palaces look down with a deep and bitter meaning upon_the secrets of her silent waters . yes ! I repeat it - as thou shouldst be . there_are surely other worlds than this - other thoughts than_the thoughts of_the multitude - other speculations than_the speculations of_the sophist . who then shall call thy conduct into question ? who blame thee for thy visionary hours, or denounce those occupations as awasting away of life, which were but the overflowings of thine everlasting energies ?

it_was at Venice, beneath the covered archway there called the _Ponte di Sospiri_, that I met for_the third or fourth time the person of whom I speak . it_is with a confused recollection that I bring to mind the circumstances of_that meeting . yet I remember - ah ! how should I forget ? - the deep midnight, the bridge of Sighs, the beauty of woman, and_the genius of romance that stalked up and down the narrow canal .

it_was a night of unusual gloom . the great clock of_the piazza had sounded the fifth hour of_the Italian evening . the square of_the campanile lay silent and deserted, and_the lights in_the old ducal palace were dying fast away . i_was returning home from_the Piazetta, by way of_the grand canal . but as my gondola arrived opposite the mouth of_the canal San Marco, a female voice from its recesses broke suddenly upon_the night, in one wild, hysterical, and long continued shriek . startled at_the sound, I sprang upon my feet : while the gondolier, letting slip his single oar, lost it in_the pitchy darkness beyond a chance of recovery, and we were consequently left to_the guidance of_the current which here sets from_the greater into_the smaller channel . like some huge and sable- feathered condor, we were slowly drifting down towards the bridge of Sighs, when a thousand flambeaux flashing from_the windows, and down the staircases of_the ducal palace, turned all at once that deep gloom into a livid and preternatural day .

a child, slipping from_the arms of_its own mother, had fallen from an upper window of_the lofty structure into_the deep and dim canal . the quiet waters had closed placidly over their victim ; and, although my own gondola was_the only_one in sight, many a stout swimmer, already in_the stream, was seeking in vain upon_the surface, the treasure which_was to_be found, alas ! only within_the abyss . upon_the broad black marble flagstones at_the entrance of_the palace, and a few steps above the water, stood a figure which none who then saw can_have ever_since forgotten . it was_the Marchesa Aphrodite - the adoration of all Venice - the gayest of_the gay - the most lovely where all were beautiful - but still the young wife of_the old and intriguing Mentoni, and_the mother of_that fair child, her first and only_one, who now, deep beneath the murky water, was thinking in bitterness of heart upon her sweet caresses, and exhausting its little life in struggles to_call upon her name .

she stood alone . her small, bare, and silvery feet gleamed in_the black mirror of marble beneath her . her hair, not as_yet more than half loosened for_the night from its ball- room array, clustered, amid a shower of diamonds, round and round her classical head, in curls like those of_the young hyacinth .a snowy- white and gauze- like drapery seemed to_be nearly the sole covering to her delicate form ; but the mid- summer and midnight air was hot, sullen, and still, and no motion in_the statue- like form itself, stirred even the folds of_that raiment of very vapor which hung around it as_the heavy marble hangs around the Niobe . yet - strange to_say ! - her large lustrous eyes were_not turned downwards upon that grave wherein her brightest hope lay buried - but riveted in a widely different direction ! the prison of_the old republic is, i_think, the stateliest building in all Venice - but how could that lady gaze so fixedly upon it, when beneath her lay stifling her only child ? yon dark, gloomy niche, too, yawns right opposite her chamber window - what, then, could_ there be in its shadows - in its architecture - in its ivy- wreathed and solemn cornices - that_the Marchesa di Mentoni had_not wondered at a thousand times before ? nonsense ! - who does_not remember that, at_such_a_time as_this, the eye, like a shattered mirror, multiplies the images of_its sorrow, and sees in innumerable far- off places, the wo which_is close at hand ?

many steps above the Marchesa, and within_the arch of_the water- gate, stood, in full dress, the satyr- like figure of Mentoni himself . he_was occasionally occupied in thrumming a guitar, and seemed ennuye to_the very death, as at intervals he_gave directions for_the recovery of_his child .Stupified and aghast, I had myself no power to move from_the upright position I had assumed upon first hearing the shriek, and must_have presented to_the eyes of_the agitated group a spectral and ominous appearance, as with pale countenance and rigid limbs, I floated down among them in_that funereal gondola .

all efforts proved in vain . many_of_the most energetic in_the search were relaxing their exertions, and yielding to agloomy sorrow . there seemed but little hope for_the child ; ( how_much less_than for_the mother ! ) but now, from_the interior of_that dark niche which_has been already mentioned as forming a part of_the old republican prison, and as fronting the lattice of_the Marchesa, a figure muffled in a cloak, stepped out within reach of_the light, and, pausing a moment upon_the verge of_the giddy descent, plunged headlong into_the canal . as, in an instant afterwards, he stood with_the still living and breathing child within his grasp, upon_the marble flagstones by_the side of_the Marchesa, his cloak, heavy with_the drenching water, became unfastened, and, falling in folds about his feet, discovered to_the wonder- stricken spectators the graceful person of a very young man, with_the sound of whose name the greater part of Europe was then ringing .

no word spoke the deliverer . but the Marchesa ! she will now receive her child - she will press it to her heart - she will cling to its little form, and smother it with her caresses . alas ! _another's arms have taken it from_the stranger - another's arms have taken it away, and borne it afar off, unnoticed, into_the palace ! and_the Marchesa ! her lip - her beautiful lip trembles : tears are gathering in her eyes - those eyes which, like Pliny's acanthus, are " soft and almost liquid ." yes ! tears are gathering in those eyes - and_see ! the entire woman thrills throughout_the soul, and_the statue has started into life ! the pallor of_the marble countenance, the swelling of_the marble bosom, the very purity of_the marble feet, we behold suddenly flushed over with a tide of ungovernable crimson ; and a slight shudder quivers about her delicate frame, as a gentle air at Napoli about_the rich silver lilies in_the grass .

why should that lady blush ! to_this demand there_is no answer - except that, having left, in_the eager haste and terror of a mother's heart, the privacy of her own boudoir_, she has neglected to enthral her tiny feet in their slippers, and utterly forgotten to throw over her Venetian shoulders that drapery which_is their due . what other possible reason could there_have been for her so blushing ? - for_the glance of_those wild appealing eyes ? for_the unusual tumult of_that throbbing bosom ? - for_the convulsive pressure of_that trembling hand ? - that hand which fell, as Mentoni turned into_the palace, accidentally, upon_the hand of_the stranger . what reason could there_have been for_the low - the singularly low tone of_those unmeaning words which the lady uttered hurriedly in bidding him adieu ? " thou hast conquered," she said, or the murmurs of_the water deceived me ; " thou hast conquered - one hour after sunrise - we_shall meet - so let it be ! "

* * * * * * *

the tumult had subsided, the lights had died away within_the palace, and_the stranger, whom I now recognized, stood alone upon_the flags . he shook with inconceivable agitation, and_his eye glanced around in search of a gondola . I_could_not do less_than offer him the service of_my own ; and he accepted the civility .Having obtained an oar at_the water- gate, we proceeded together to_his residence, while he rapidly recovered his self- possession, and spoke of_our former slight acquaintance in terms of great apparent cordiality .

there_are some subjects upon_which I take pleasure in being minute . the person of_the stranger - let me call him by_this title, who to all the world was still a stranger - the person of_the stranger is one_of_these subjects . in height he_might_have_been below rather than above the medium size : although there were moments of intense passion when his frame actually expanded and belied the assertion . the light, almost slender symmetry of_his figure, promised more of_that ready activity which he evinced at_the bridge of Sighs, than of_that Herculean strength which he has_been known to wield without an effort, upon occasions of more dangerous emergency . with_the mouth and chin of a deity - singular, wild, full, liquid eyes, whose shadows varied from pure hazel to intense and brilliant jet - and a profusion of curling, black hair, from_which a forehead of unusual breadth gleamed forth at intervals all light and ivory - his were features than which I_have_seen none more classically regular, except, perhaps, the marble ones of_the emperor Commodus . yet his countenance was, nevertheless, one of_those which all men have seen at some period of_their lives, and_have never afterwards seen again . it had no peculiar - it had no settled predominant expression to_be fastened upon_the memory ; a countenance seen and instantly forgotten - but forgotten with a vague and never-ceasing desire of recalling it to mind . not that_the spirit of each rapid passion failed, at any_time, to throw its own distinct image upon_the mirror of_that face - but that_the mirror, mirror- like, retained no vestige of_the passion, when_the passion had departed .

upon leaving him on_the night of_our adventure, he solicited me, in what i_thought an urgent manner, to_call upon him very early the next morning . shortly after sunrise, I_found myself accordingly at his Palazzo, one of_those huge structures of gloomy, yet fantastic pomp, which tower above the waters of_the grand canal in_the vicinity of_the Rialto . i_was shown up a broad winding staircase of mosaics, into an apartment whose unparalleled splendor burst through_the opening door with an actual glare, making me blind and dizzy with luxuriousness .

I_knew my acquaintance to_be wealthy . report had spoken of_his possessions in terms which I had even ventured to_call terms of ridiculous exaggeration . but as I gazed about me, I_could_not bring myself to_believe that_the wealth of any subject in Europe could_have supplied the princely magnificence which burned and blazed around .

although, as I_say, the sun had arisen, yet the room was still brilliantly lighted up .I judge from_this circumstance, as_well as from an air of exhaustion in_the countenance of_my friend, that he had_not retired to bed during the whole of_the preceding night . in_the architecture and embellishments of_the chamber, the evident design had_been to dazzle and astound . little attention had_been paid to_the decora of what_is technically called keeping_, or to_the proprieties of nationality . the eye wandered from object to object, and rested upon none - neither the grotesques of_the Greek painters, nor the sculptures of_the best Italian days, nor the huge carvings of untutored Egypt . rich draperies in every part of_the room trembled to_the vibration of low, melancholy music, whose origin was not to_be discovered . the senses were oppressed by mingled and conflicting perfumes, reeking up from strange convolute censers, together with multitudinous flaring and flickering tongues of emerald and violet fire . the rays of_the newly risen sun poured in upon_the whole, through windows, formed each of a single pane of crimson- tinted glass .Glancing to and fro, in a thousand reflections, from curtains which rolled from their cornices like cataracts of molten silver, the beams of natural glory mingled at_length fitfully with_the artificial light, and lay weltering in subdued masses upon a carpet of rich, liquid- looking cloth of chili gold .

"Ha ! ha ! ha ! - ha ! ha ! ha ! " - laughed the proprietor, motioning me to a seat as I entered the room, and throwing himself back at full- length upon an ottoman ." I_see," said he, perceiving that I_could_not immediately reconcile myself to_the bienseance of so singular a welcome - " I_see you_are astonished at my apartment - at my statues - my pictures - my originality of conception in architecture and upholstery ! absolutely drunk, eh, with my magnificence ? but pardon me, my dear_Sir, ( here his tone of voice dropped to_the very spirit of cordiality,) pardon me for_my uncharitable laughter . you appeared so utterly astonished . besides, some things are so completely ludicrous, that a man must_ laugh or die . to die laughing, must_be the most glorious of all glorious deaths ! sir Thomas more - a very fine man was sir Thomas more - sir Thomas more died laughing, you remember . also in_the _Absurdities of Ravisius Textor, there_is a long list of characters who came to_the same magnificent end . do_you_know, however," continued he musingly, " that at Sparta ( which_is now PAL ; ochori,) at Sparta, I_say, to_the west of_the citadel, among a chaos of scarcely visible ruins, is a kind of socle_, upon_which are still legible the letters 7 ! =9 . they_are undoubtedly

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