My father and I finished our voyage (a long journey by ship). We traveled to Paris. I was very weak and tired. I needed to rest before I went home to Geneva.
My father was very kind to me. But he did not know why I was sad. He wanted me to meet new people. But I did not want to see anyone. I felt like a murderer.
I felt that I had brought death to the world. I had created the monster. Now the monster had killed my friends and family. I thought other people would hate me if they knew my secret.
My father tried to help me. He thought I was sad about the trial in Ireland. I told my father that I was the murderer. I said that William, Justine, and Clerval had died because of me.
My father was very surprised. He thought I was still sick in my mind. He thought I was suffering from delirium (a state of mind where you see or say strange things because you are sick). I did not explain about the monster.
I stayed silent because I did not want people to think I was mad. I wanted to tell the truth. But I was afraid of the horror of the story. I felt a great weight on my heart.
I became a little calmer as time passed. I did not talk about my crimes again. I tried to act normal for my father. A few days before we left Paris, I received a letter from Elizabeth.
In the letter, Elizabeth said she was happy that I was in Paris. She was worried about my health. She also asked a very important question. She asked if I loved another woman.
Elizabeth knew that our parents wanted us to marry. We had been friends since we were children. But she did not want me to marry her because of a promise. She wanted me to be happy.
Elizabeth told me that she loved me. She wanted to be my wife. But she said she would be miserable if I did not choose her freely. She told me to be honest with her.
I read the letter. I remembered the monster’s threat. The monster had said, “I will be with you on your wedding night!” I thought the monster wanted to kill me on that night.
I thought a big fight would happen. If the monster killed me, I would finally be at peace. But if I killed the monster, I would be a free man. I decided to marry Elizabeth.
I wrote a letter back to Elizabeth. I said that I loved her. I said I had one terrible secret. I promised to tell her the secret the day after the wedding.
My father and I arrived in Geneva one week later. Elizabeth was very happy to see me. But she saw that I was very thin. I still looked very sick.
Elizabeth was also different now. She was thinner and she did not laugh as much. But she was very gentle with me. She was the only person who could make me feel better.
My father wanted the wedding to happen immediately. I agreed. I wanted to make Elizabeth happy. We decided the wedding would be in ten days.
I was very afraid of the monster’s threat. But I did not understand it. I thought the monster only wanted to kill me. I did not think the monster would hurt Elizabeth.
I prepared to fight. I always carried pistols (small guns) and a knife. I watched every shadow. I thought I was ready for the monster.
The day of the wedding arrived. Elizabeth and I got married. There was a big party. Then Elizabeth and I took a boat across the lake to the town of Evian. We planned to spend the night there.
The weather was very beautiful and the sun was hot. We saw the high, snowy mountains. I held Elizabeth’s hand. I felt happy for a short time.
Elizabeth was quiet and a little sad. She looked at the clouds and the fish in the water. She tried to be happy for me. She told me that the day was very peaceful.
The sun began to go down behind the mountains. The wind was soft and smelled like flowers. We landed the boat at sunset. I felt my fear return. I knew the monster was close.