Copy Book Archive

A Solemn Duty Monsieur St Aubert falls seriously ill on a walking tour with his daughter Emily, and before the end asks an unexpected favour.

In two parts

1794
Music: Joseph Boulogne Chavalier de Saint Georges

© San Kukai, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0. Source

About this picture …

Sunset over the the River Garonne at Esconac, a few miles south of Bordeaux. The St Auberts’ château is described as lying on the banks of the Garonne, which flows northwest from its source in the Pyrenees down into the Bay of Biscay just the other side of Bordeaux.

A Solemn Duty

Part 1 of 2

Monsieur St Aubert’s wife has recently been carried off by a sudden illness. Now he too has fallen sick, a long way from home, and lies on his deathbed. At his side is his affectionate young daughter Emily, and in the little time remaining he extracts a solemn promise.
Abridged

“HEAR, then, what I am going to tell you. The closet, which adjoins my chamber at La Vallee, has a sliding board in the floor. You will know it by a remarkable knot in the wood, and by its being the next board, except one, to the wainscot, which fronts the door. At the distance of about a yard from that end, nearer the window, you will perceive a line across it, as if the plank had been joined; — the way to open it is this: — Press your foot upon the line; the end of the board will then sink, and you may slide it with ease beneath the other. Below, you will see a hollow place.”

St Aubert paused for breath, and Emily sat fixed in deep attention. “Do you understand these directions, my dear?” said he. Emily, though scarcely able to speak, assured him that she did. “When you return home, then,” he added with a deep sigh —

Jump to Part 2

Précis

As M St Aubert lay dying far from his Gascony home, he made his daughter Emily promise that when she returned there, alone, she would look underneath a certain floorboard in a particular room, and draw out from the cavity whatever she found there. At this point, however, both he and Emily were overcome by emotion. (56 / 60 words)

Part Two

© Père Igor, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0. Source

About this picture …

The château of Saint-Paul-d’Oueil, Haute-Garonne, France. M St Aubert dies on a walking tour through the Pyrenees with his daughter Emily, and close to a strange château whose history he seems to know, but of which he will not speak. That château, however, lay in sight not only of the Pyrenees (as this does) but also of the Mediterranean, and in the historic Languedoc region. The Château de Valmy in Argelès-sur-Mer is therefore perfect for position, but lacks, perhaps, the necessary atmosphere.

AT the mention of her return home, she burst into convulsive grief, and St Aubert himself wept with her. After some moments, he composed himself. “My dear child,” said he, “be comforted. When I am gone, you will not be forsaken — I leave you only in the more immediate care of that Providence, which has never yet forsaken me. Do not afflict me with this excess of grief; rather teach me by your example to bear my own.” He stopped again, and Emily, the more she endeavoured to restrain her emotion, found it the less possible to do so.

St Aubert, who now spoke with pain, resumed the subject. “That closet, my dear, — when you return home, go to it; and, beneath the board I have described, you will find a packet of written papers. Attend to me now, for the promise you have given particularly relates to what I shall direct. These papers you must burn — and, solemnly I command you, without examining them.”

Copy Book

Précis

M St Aubert asked Emily to help him face his approaching death without excessive grief, and having mastered his own emotion and calmed Emily a little, went on with his last instructions. He asked Emily to empty a certain under-floor cavity, and burn whatever she found there – stressing most particularly that everything should be burnt unread. (57 / 60 words)

Source

From ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’ (1794), by Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823).

Suggested Music

1 2

Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 3

2: Adagio

Joseph Boulogne Chavalier de Saint Georges (1745-1799)

Performed by Jean-Jacques Kantorow, with the Orchestre Bernard Thomas.

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Violin Concerto in C Major, Op. 5 No. 1

2: Andante moderato

Joseph Boulogne Chavalier de Saint Georges (1745-1799)

Performed by Jean-Jacques Kantorow, with the Orchestre Bernard Thomas.

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How To Use This Passage

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IRead it aloud, twice or more. IISummarise it in one sentence of up to 30 words. IIISummarise it in one paragraph of 40-80 words. IVMake notes on the passage, and reconstruct the original from them later on. VJot down any unfamiliar words, and make your own sentences with them later. VIMake a note of any words that surprise or impress you, and ask yourself what meaning they add to the words you would have expected to see. VIITurn any old-fashioned English into modern English. VIIITurn prose into verse, and verse into prose. IXAsk yourself what the author is trying to get you to feel or think. XHow would an artist or a photographer capture the scene? XIHow would a movie director shoot it, or a composer write incidental music for it?

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