The Mysteries of Udolpho

A faint ray still glimmered under the opposite door, but so great, and,

perhaps, so just was her horror of that chamber, that she would not

again have tempted its secrets, though she had been certain of obtaining

the light so important to her safety. She was still breathing with

difficulty, and resting at the end of the passage, when she heard a

rustling sound, and then a low voice, so very near her, that it seemed

close to her ear; but she had presence of mind to check her emotions,

and to remain quite still; in the next moment, she perceived it to be

the voice of Verezzi, who did not appear to know, that she was there,

but to have spoken to himself. 'The air is fresher here,' said he: 'this

should be the corridor.'

Perhaps, he was one of those heroes, whose

courage can defy an enemy better than darkness, and he tried to rally

his spirits with the sound of his own voice. However this might be,

he turned to the right, and proceeded, with the same stealing steps,

towards Emily's apartment, apparently forgetting, that, in darkness,

she could easily elude his search, even in her chamber; and, like an

intoxicated person, he followed pertinaciously the one idea, that had

possessed his imagination.

The moment she heard his steps steal away, she left her station and

moved softly to the other end of the corridor, determined to trust

again to chance, and to quit it by the first avenue she could find; but,

before she could effect this, light broke upon the walls of the gallery,

and, looking back, she saw Verezzi crossing it towards her chamber.

She now glided into a passage, that opened on the left, without, as

she thought, being perceived; but, in the next instant, another light,

glimmering at the further end of this passage, threw her into new

terror.

While she stopped and hesitated which way to go, the pause

allowed her to perceive, that it was Annette, who advanced, and

she hurried to meet her: but her imprudence again alarmed Emily,

on perceiving whom, she burst into a scream of joy, and it was some

minutes, before she could be prevailed with to be silent, or to release

her mistress from the ardent clasp, in which she held her. When, at

length, Emily made Annette comprehend her danger, they hurried

towards Annette's room, which was in a distant part of the castle.

No apprehensions, however, could yet silence the latter. 'Oh dear

ma'amselle,' said she, as they passed along, 'what a terrified time have

I had of it! Oh! I thought I should have died an hundred times! I never

thought I should live to see you again! and I never was so glad to see

any body in my whole life, as I am to see you now.' 'Hark!' cried Emily,

'we are pursued; that was the echo of steps!' 'No, ma'amselle,' said

Annette, 'it was only the echo of a door shutting; sound runs along

these vaulted passages so, that one is continually deceived by it; if

one does but speak, or cough, it makes a noise as loud as a cannon.'