The Mysteries of Udolpho

'Yet Monsieur Valancourt'--said her aunt. 'O, madam!' interrupted Emily,

anticipating what she would have said, 'do not let me glance on that

subject: do not let my mind be stained with a wish so shockingly

self-interested.' She immediately changed the topic, and continued with

Madame Montoni, till she withdrew to her apartment for the night.

At that hour, the castle was perfectly still, and every inhabitant of

it, except herself, seemed to have retired to rest. As she passed along

the wide and lonely galleries, dusky and silent, she felt forlorn

and apprehensive of--she scarcely knew what; but when, entering the

corridor, she recollected the incident of the preceding night, a dread

seized her, lest a subject of alarm, similar to that, which had befallen

Annette, should occur to her, and which, whether real, or ideal, would,

she felt, have an almost equal effect upon her weakened spirits. The

chamber, to which Annette had alluded, she did not exactly know, but

understood it to be one of those she must pass in the way to her own;

and, sending a fearful look forward into the gloom, she stepped lightly

and cautiously along, till, coming to a door, from whence issued a low

sound, she hesitated and paused; and, during the delay of that moment,

her fears so much increased, that she had no power to move from the

spot.

Believing, that she heard a human voice within, she was somewhat

revived; but, in the next moment, the door was opened, and a person,

whom she conceived to be Montoni, appeared, who instantly started back,

and closed it, though not before she had seen, by the light that burned

in the chamber, another person, sitting in a melancholy attitude by the

fire. Her terror vanished, but her astonishment only began, which was

now roused by the mysterious secrecy of Montoni's manner, and by

the discovery of a person, whom he thus visited at midnight, in an

apartment, which had long been shut up, and of which such extraordinary

reports were circulated.

While she thus continued hesitating, strongly prompted to watch

Montoni's motions, yet fearing to irritate him by appearing to notice

them, the door was again opened cautiously, and as instantly closed as

before. She then stepped softly to her chamber, which was the next

but one to this, but, having put down her lamp, returned to an obscure

corner of the corridor, to observe the proceedings of this half-seen

person, and to ascertain, whether it was indeed Montoni.

Having waited in silent expectation for a few minutes, with her eyes

fixed on the door, it was again opened, and the same person appeared,

whom she now knew to be Montoni. He looked cautiously round, without

perceiving her, then, stepping forward, closed the door, and left the

corridor. Soon after, Emily heard the door fastened on the inside, and

she withdrew to her chamber, wondering at what she had witnessed.