The Mysteries of Udolpho

'Ludovico!' cried Annette, sobbing--'Ludovico!' 'It is not Ludovico, it is I--Mademoiselle Emily.' Annette ceased sobbing, and was silent.

'If you can open the door, let me in,' said Emily, 'here is no person to

hurt you.' 'Ludovico!--O, Ludovico!' cried Annette.

Emily now lost her patience, and her fear of being overheard increasing,

she was even nearly about to leave the door, when she considered, that

Annette might, possibly, know something of the situation of Madame

Montoni, or direct her to the turret. At length, she obtained a reply,

though little satisfactory, to her questions, for Annette knew nothing

of Madame Montoni, and only conjured Emily to tell her what was become

of Ludovico. Of him she had no information to give, and she again asked

who had shut Annette up. 'Ludovico,' said the poor girl, 'Ludovico shut me up.

When I ran away

from the dressing-room door to-day, I went I scarcely knew where, for

safety; and, in this gallery, here, I met Ludovico, who hurried me into

this chamber, and locked me up to keep me out of harm, as he said. But

he was in such a hurry himself, he hardly spoke ten words, but he told

me he would come, and let me out, when all was quiet, and he took away

the key with him. Now all these hours are passed, and I have neither

seen, or heard a word of him; they have murdered him--I know they have!'

Emily suddenly remembered the wounded person, whom she had seen borne

into the servants' hall, and she scarcely doubted, that he was Ludovico,

but she concealed the circumstance from Annette, and endeavoured to

comfort her. Then, impatient to learn something of her aunt, she again

enquired the way to the turret.

'O! you are not going, ma'amselle,' said Annette, 'for Heaven's sake, do

not go, and leave me here by myself.' 'Nay, Annette, you do not think I can wait in the gallery all night,'

replied Emily. 'Direct me to the turret; in the morning I will endeavour

to release you.' 'O holy Mary!' exclaimed Annette, 'am I to stay here by myself all

night! I shall be frightened out of my senses, and I shall die of

hunger; I have had nothing to eat since dinner!'

Emily could scarcely forbear smiling at the heterogeneous distresses of

Annette, though she sincerely pitied them, and said what she could to

sooth her. At length, she obtained something like a direction to the

east turret, and quitted the door, from whence, after many intricacies

and perplexities, she reached the steep and winding stairs of the

turret, at the foot of which she stopped to rest, and to re-animate her

courage with a sense of her duty. As she surveyed this dismal place, she

perceived a door on the opposite side of the stair-case, and, anxious

to know whether it would lead her to Madame Montoni, she tried to undraw

the bolts, which fastened it.