Франкенштейн
Chapter 5
Coleridge’s"AncientMariner."
Continuingthus,Icameatlengthoppositetotheinnatwhichthevariousdiligencesandcarriagesusuallystopped.HereIpaused,Iknewnotwhy;butIremainedsomeminuteswithmyeyesfixedonacoachthatwascomingtowardsmefromtheotherendofthestreet.AsitdrewnearerIobservedthatitwastheSwissdiligence;itstoppedjustwhereIwasstanding,andonthedoorbeingopened,IperceivedHenryClerval,who,onseeingme,instantlysprungout."MydearFrankenstein,"exclaimedhe,"howgladIamtoseeyou!Howfortunatethatyoushouldbehereattheverymomentofmyalighting!"
NothingcouldequalmydelightonseeingClerval;hispresencebroughtbacktomythoughtsmyfather,Elizabeth,andallthosescenesofhomesodeartomyrecollection.Igraspedhishand,andinamomentforgotmyhorrorandmisfortune;Ifeltsuddenly,andforthefirsttimeduringmanymonths,calmandserenejoy.Iwelcomedmyfriend,therefore,inthemostcordialmanner,andwewalkedtowardsmycollege.ClervalcontinuedtalkingforsometimeaboutourmutualfriendsandhisowngoodfortuneinbeingpermittedtocometoIngolstadt."Youmayeasilybelieve,"saidhe,"howgreatwasthedifficultytopersuademyfatherthatallnecessaryknowledgewasnotcomprisedinthenobleartofbookkeeping;and,indeed,IbelieveIlefthimincreduloustothelast,forhisconstantanswertomyunweariedentreatieswasthesameasthatoftheDutchschoolmasterinTheVicarofWakefield:‘IhavetenthousandflorinsayearwithoutGreek,IeatheartilywithoutGreek.’Buthisaffectionformeatlengthovercamehisdislikeoflearning,andhehaspermittedmetoundertakeavoyageofdiscoverytothelandofknowledge."
