The Mysteries of Udolpho

Her mind was, at length, so much agitated by the consideration of her

state, and the belief, that she had seen Valancourt for the last time,

that she suddenly became very faint, and, looking round the chamber for

something, that might revive her, she observed the casements, and had

just strength to throw one open, near which she seated herself. The air

recalled her spirits, and the still moon-light, that fell upon the

elms of a long avenue, fronting the window, somewhat soothed them,

and determined her to try whether exercise and the open air would not

relieve the intense pain that bound her temples. In the chateau all was

still; and, passing down the great stair-case into the hall, from whence

a passage led immediately to the garden, she softly and unheard, as she

thought, unlocked the door, and entered the avenue. Emily passed on with

steps now hurried, and now faltering, as, deceived by the shadows

among the trees, she fancied she saw some person move in the distant

perspective, and feared, that it was a spy of Madame Montoni. Her

desire, however, to re-visit the pavilion, where she had passed so many

happy hours with Valancourt, and had admired with him the extensive

prospect over Languedoc and her native Gascony, overcame her

apprehension of being observed, and she moved on towards the terrace,

which, running along the upper garden, commanded the whole of the

lower one, and communicated with it by a flight of marble steps, that

terminated the avenue.

Having reached these steps, she paused a moment to look round, for her

distance from the chateau now increased the fear, which the stillness

and obscurity of the hour had awakened. But, perceiving nothing that

could justify it, she ascended to the terrace, where the moon-light

shewed the long broad walk, with the pavilion at its extremity, while

the rays silvered the foliage of the high trees and shrubs, that

bordered it on the right, and the tufted summits of those, that rose

to a level with the balustrade on the left, from the garden below. Her

distance from the chateau again alarming her, she paused to listen; the

night was so calm, that no sound could have escaped her, but she heard

only the plaintive sweetness of the nightingale, with the light shiver

of the leaves, and she pursued her way towards the pavilion, having

reached which, its obscurity did not prevent the emotion, that a fuller

view of its well-known scene would have excited. The lattices were

thrown back, and shewed beyond their embowered arch the moon-light

landscape, shadowy and soft; its groves, and plains extending gradually

and indistinctly to the eye, its distant mountains catching a stronger

gleam, and the nearer river reflecting the moon, and trembling to her

rays. Emily, as she approached the lattice, was sensible of the features of

this scene only as they served to bring Valancourt more immediately to

her fancy.