The Mysteries of Udolpho

'If this is a person who has designs upon the castle,' said she, 'my

curiosity may prove fatal to me; yet the mysterious music, and the

lamentations I heard, must surely have proceeded from him: if so, he

cannot be an enemy.'

She then thought of her unfortunate aunt, and, shuddering with grief

and horror, the suggestions of imagination seized her mind with all

the force of truth, and she believed, that the form she had seen was

supernatural. She trembled, breathed with difficulty, an icy coldness

touched her cheeks, and her fears for a while overcame her judgment.

Her resolution now forsook her, and she determined, if the figure should

appear, not to speak to it.

Thus the time passed, as she sat at her casement, awed by expectation,

and by the gloom and stillness of midnight; for she saw obscurely in

the moon-light only the mountains and woods, a cluster of towers, that

formed the west angle of the castle, and the terrace below; and heard

no sound, except, now and then, the lonely watch-word, passed by the

centinels on duty, and afterwards the steps of the men who came to

relieve guard, and whom she knew at a distance on the rampart by their

pikes, that glittered in the moonbeam, and then, by the few short words,

in which they hailed their fellows of the night. Emily retired within

her chamber, while they passed the casement. When she returned to

it, all was again quiet. It was now very late, she was wearied with

watching, and began to doubt the reality of what she had seen on the

preceding night; but she still lingered at the window, for her mind was

too perturbed to admit of sleep. The moon shone with a clear lustre,

that afforded her a complete view of the terrace; but she saw only a

solitary centinel, pacing at one end of it; and, at length, tired with

expectation, she withdrew to seek rest.

Such, however, was the impression, left on her mind by the music, and

the complaining she had formerly heard, as well as by the figure, which

she fancied she had seen, that she determined to repeat the watch, on

the following night.

Montoni, on the next day, took no notice of Emily's appointed visit, but

she, more anxious than before to see him, sent Annette to enquire, at

what hour he would admit her. He mentioned eleven o'clock, and Emily

was punctual to the moment; at which she called up all her fortitude

to support the shock of his presence and the dreadful recollections it

enforced. He was with several of his officers, in the cedar room;

on observing whom she paused; and her agitation increased, while he

continued to converse with them, apparently not observing her, till some

of his officers, turning round, saw Emily, and uttered an exclamation.

She was hastily retiring, when Montoni's voice arrested her, and, in a

faultering accent, she said,--'I would speak with you, Signor Montoni,

if you are at leisure.'