The Mysteries of Udolpho

'Theresa had been surprised by a visit from M. Quesnel, some time before

the receipt of this letter, who was accompanied by a stranger that

viewed the premises with much curiosity.'

Towards the conclusion of his letter, which is dated a week after this

sentence, Valancourt adds, 'I have received a summons from my regiment,

and I join it without regret, since I am shut out from the scenes that

are so interesting to my heart. I rode to La Vallee this morning, and

heard that the new tenant was arrived, and that Theresa was gone. I

should not treat the subject thus familiarly if I did not believe you

to be uninformed of this disposal of your house; for your satisfaction I

have endeavoured to learn something of the character and fortune of your

tenant, but without success. He is a gentleman, they say, and this is

all I can hear. The place, as I wandered round the boundaries, appeared

more melancholy to my imagination, than I had ever seen it. I wished

earnestly to have got admittance, that I might have taken another leave

of your favourite plane-tree, and thought of you once more beneath

its shade: but I forbore to tempt the curiosity of strangers: the

fishing-house in the woods, however, was still open to me; thither I

went, and passed an hour, which I cannot even look back upon without

emotion. O Emily! surely we are not separated for ever--surely we shall

live for each other!'

This letter brought many tears to Emily's eyes; tears of tenderness and

satisfaction on learning that Valancourt was well, and that time and

absence had in no degree effaced her image from his heart. There were

passages in this letter which particularly affected her, such as those

describing his visits to La Vallee, and the sentiments of delicate

affection that its scenes had awakened. It was a considerable time

before her mind was sufficiently abstracted from Valancourt to feel

the force of his intelligence concerning La Vallee. That Mons. Quesnel

should let it, without even consulting her on the measure, both

surprised and shocked her, particularly as it proved the absolute

authority he thought himself entitled to exercise in her affairs. It is

true, he had proposed, before she left France, that the chateau should

be let, during her absence, and to the oeconomical prudence of this she

had nothing to object; but the committing what had been her father's

villa to the power and caprice of strangers, and the depriving herself

of a sure home, should any unhappy circumstances make her look back to

her home as an asylum, were considerations that made her, even then,

strongly oppose the measure. Her father, too, in his last hour, had

received from her a solemn promise never to dispose of La Vallee; and

this she considered as in some degree violated if she suffered the place

to be let.