"exhausted by grief and lassitude the wretched old man lay almost motionless"

Parsons takes a detour at this point that I love. Rather than staying with her protagonist on her journey to Parish, instead she follows Joseph and his wife Bertha for a bit. When Matilda and Albert leave, Joseph is inexplicably staying at his post and waiting to get murdered for no reason I can think of.

What's more, he can't tell Bertha anything because she is an old woman and therefore can keep no secrets.... Hey, it's Parsons' logic, not mine.

So a few days later Joseph goes into town on the horse Matilda road in on and left because she had the carriage now.  In town a man starts following him and then asks about the horse. Joseph hedges and leave. He goes back to the castle, but "He was however followed at a distance..."

Men come in and make threats. It's another one of those bits where you really see the cultural attitudes on class. An unknown rich man comes into their home, starts asking questions and making threats, saying, "answer truly, no harm shall happen to you, else you must look to the consequence," And Joseph and Bertha aren't angry or affronted or say he can't do this. By their whole attitude, it's clear they know he can do this. He's a gentleman and their better and can do anything he likes, even kill them and there are no repercussions. They are at his mercy. The ultimate in privilege.

Well, not a king, but he is still royalty.

The attitude goes as far as Parsons explaining why Joseph is so resourceful and intelligent by giving him a backstory of, "a tolerable education, and had better expectations, but the wars had carried off his friends and little possessions." My favorite line displaying this is, "...his sentiments were above his condition." Because lower class people lack intelligence or abilities. Just ask the 1%.

Back to the story.

It is Matilda's evil, lecherous uncle, Count Weimar!!

He's trying to find Matilda and Albert.  "...The lady you have had here is my niece, who has eloped from my care, and seduced my servant to steal the horse you rode to day, and go off with her." (I knew Albert's intentions were dishonorable. But Matilda seduced him! Wow. Go Matilda.-- not what Parsons means though. I just have a dirty mind.)

Bertha tells everything she knows, which isn't much. Joseph hedges, saying, "Sir, money would not tempt me to do a wrong thing, but as you say it will be for the young lady's advantage, to do her service I will obey you." And then tells the evil count nothing anyway. Tricky, tricky Joseph.

Bertha has no such scruples and was born lower class, a woman, and is now old, so not very bright by Parsons' view. She has no compunction in taking the count's money. He gives her 2 crowns and asks her to try to get more information out of Joseph promising more money if she succeeds. She is no match for Joseph's intellect and laments looking at a crown, "what a pity now I can't tell where [Matilda] is; a hundred of these would make one happy for life."  (I really think Parsons hated old women.) But she had told the uncle that Matilda was headed for Paris, so he leaves.

But there are more evil counts to fear! Count Wolfenbach shows up.  He says that he will be selling the castle and is going to move Joseph and Bertha, along with the neighboring couple so they will have some friends (and you know, poor people can just be up and moved at will. Still true) to a better castle that he says he has. How soon can he go. He's rather put out when Joseph says they'll need a few days to settle up their business and get ready. The poor. So unreasonable!

There is a lack of Prince Humperdinck gifs. I had to settle for an image.

Bertha wants to run and tell the neighbors right away, but Joseph says no. He doesn't trust the count, and while he's not absolutely sure it was the count who kidnapped Victoria, he's being careful. At this the count and his men ride off to stay in the town rather than sleep in his own castle.... because story reasons. Such as when Joseph hears voices when he goes to check the abandoned apartments we know the Count has snuck back and is going to cause trouble. (Joseph, you should have run when you had the chance.)

The next morning Joseph gets a letter from Matilda saying she is safe in Paris and Victoria's sister extends the invitation to Joseph and Bertha as well, figuring Victoria won't be going back there if she is alive and to reward them for faithful service. Bertha is even happier and they (Finally!!!) start making plans to gtfo.

Too little, too late.

Joseph wakes up in the middle of the night and smells smoke. He opens the door and "flames burst in upon him." He escapes, but the building collapses on Bertha and "she was smothered in the ruins." Joseph grabs the horse and rides away from the wreckage in grief and fear. Finally he stops, "and threw himself on the ground. 'Bertha! my dear Bertha, I have lost thee for ever;... why did I fly, - why did I not perish in the fire with my wife?'"

But "providence" intervenes and "conducted a carriage that way, with a lady and a gentleman in it, and two attendants on horseback." They see him and take pity on him and help. And then Parsons returns to Matilda. If I remember right, there is only a passing comment on Joseph later. He never shows up again. But after spending so much time with him helping and taking care of Matilda, I'd gotten a little fond of him. I'm glad Parsons showed us what happened to him and Bertha. Of course, it also shows just how evil and murderous Count Wolfenbach is. To kill a servant he lit the whole castle on fire! (Hope that was insured.) That is some crazy ass evil.