The Mysteries of Udolpho

'May she so, lady?' said he. 'You shall know no more, then;' and he was

going, though slowly, when Emily's anxiety, overcoming the resentment

and fear, which the man's behaviour had roused, she desired him to stay,

and bade Annette retire. 'The Signora is alive,' said he, 'for me. She is my prisoner, though;

his excellenza has shut her up in the chamber over the great gates of

the court, and I have the charge of her. I was going to have told you,

you might see her--but now--'

Emily, relieved from an unutterable load of anguish by this speech, had

now only to ask Barnardine's forgiveness, and to conjure, that he would

let her visit her aunt. He complied with less reluctance, than she expected, and told her, that,

if she would repair, on the following night, when the Signor was retired

to rest, to the postern-gate of the castle, she should, perhaps, see

Madame Montoni. Amid all the thankfulness, which Emily felt for this concession,

she thought she observed a malicious triumph in his manner, when he

pronounced the last words; but, in the next moment, she dismissed the

thought, and, having again thanked him, commended her aunt to his

pity, and assured him, that she would herself reward him, and would

be punctual to her appointment, she bade him good night, and retired,

unobserved, to her chamber. It was a considerable time, before

the tumult of joy, which Barnardine's unexpected intelligence had

occasioned, allowed Emily to think with clearness, or to be conscious of

the real dangers, that still surrounded Madame Montoni and herself.

When this agitation subsided, she perceived, that her aunt was yet the

prisoner of a man, to whose vengeance, or avarice, she might fall a

sacrifice; and, when she further considered the savage aspect of the

person, who was appointed to guard Madame Montoni, her doom appeared to

be already sealed, for the countenance of Barnardine seemed to bear the

stamp of a murderer; and, when she had looked upon it, she felt inclined

to believe, that there was no deed, however black, which he might not be

prevailed upon to execute. These reflections brought to her remembrance

the tone of voice, in which he had promised to grant her request to

see his prisoner; and she mused upon it long in uneasiness and doubt.

Sometimes, she even hesitated, whether to trust herself with him at the

lonely hour he had appointed; and once, and only once, it struck her,

that Madame Montoni might be already murdered, and that this ruffian was

appointed to decoy herself to some secret place, where her life also

was to be sacrificed to the avarice of Montoni, who then would claim

securely the contested estates in Languedoc. The consideration of the

enormity of such guilt did, at length, relieve her from the belief

of its probability, but not from all the doubts and fears, which a

recollection of Barnardine's manner had occasioned. From these subjects,

her thoughts, at length, passed to others; and, as the evening advanced,

she remembered, with somewhat more than surprise, the music she had

heard, on the preceding night, and now awaited its return, with more

than curiosity.