The Mysteries of Udolpho

'That is stranger still, Annette,' said Emily, smiling, and rousing

herself from her reverie. 'But, when Signora Laurentini was afterwards

seen in the castle, did nobody speak to her?' 'Speak--speak to her!' cried Annette, with a look of terror; 'no, to be

sure.' 'And why not?' rejoined Emily, willing to hear further. '

Holy Mother! speak to a spirit!' 'But what reason had they to conclude it was a spirit, unless they had

approached, and spoken to it?' 'O ma'amselle, I cannot tell. How can you

ask such shocking questions? But nobody ever saw it come in, or go out

of the castle; and it was in one place now, and then the next minute in

quite another part of the castle; and then it never spoke, and, if it

was alive, what should it do in the castle if it never spoke? Several

parts of the castle have never been gone into since, they say, for that

very reason.' 'What, because it never spoke?' said Emily, trying to laugh away the

fears that began to steal upon her.--'No, ma'amselle, no;' replied

Annette, rather angrily 'but because something has been seen there. They

say, too, there is an old chapel adjoining the west side of the castle,

where, any time at midnight, you may hear such groans!--it makes one

shudder to think of them!--and strange sights have been seen there--'

'Pr'ythee, Annette, no more of these silly tales,' said Emily.

'Silly tales, ma'amselle! O, but I will tell you one story about this,

if you please, that Caterina told me. It was one cold winter's night

that Caterina (she often came to the castle then, she says, to keep old

Carlo and his wife company, and so he recommended her afterwards to the

Signor, and she has lived here ever since) Caterina was sitting with

them in the little hall, says Carlo, "I wish we had some of those figs

to roast, that lie in the store-closet, but it is a long way off, and I

am loath to fetch them; do, Caterina," says he, "for you are young and

nimble, do bring us some, the fire is in nice trim for roasting them;

they lie," says he, "in such a corner of the store-room, at the end of

the north-gallery; here, take the lamp," says he, "and mind, as you go

up the great stair-case, that the wind, through the roof, does not blow

it out." So, with that, Caterina took the lamp--Hush! ma'amselle, I

surely heard a noise!' Emily, whom Annette had now infected with her own terrors, listened

attentively; but every thing was still, and Annette proceeded: