The Mysteries of Udolpho

What reason have you to think it is Monsieur Valancourt, who sings? But

hark! now the voice swells louder! Do you recollect those tones? I fear

to trust my own judgment.' 'I never happened to hear the Chevalier

sing, Mademoiselle,' replied Annette, who, as Emily was disappointed to

perceive, had no stronger reason for concluding this to be Valancourt,

than that the musician must be a Frenchman. Soon after, she heard the

song of the fishing-house, and distinguished her own name, which was

repeated so distinctly, that Annette had heard it also. She trembled,

sunk into a chair by the window, and Annette called aloud, 'Monsieur

Valancourt! Monsieur Valancourt!' while Emily endeavoured to check her,

but she repeated the call more loudly than before, and the lute and the

voice suddenly stopped. Emily listened, for some time, in a state

of intolerable suspense; but, no answer being returned, 'It does not

signify, Mademoiselle,' said Annette; 'it is the Chevalier, and I will

speak to him.' 'No, Annette,' said Emily, 'I think I will speak myself;

if it is he, he will know my voice, and speak again.' 'Who is it,' said

she, 'that sings at this late hour?'

A long silence ensued, and, having repeated the question, she perceived

some faint accents, mingling in the blast, that swept by; but the sounds

were so distant, and passed so suddenly, that she could scarcely hear

them, much less distinguish the words they uttered, or recognise the

voice. After another pause, Emily called again; and again they heard

a voice, but as faintly as before; and they perceived, that there were

other circumstances, besides the strength, and direction of the wind, to

content with; for the great depth, at which the casements were fixed in

the castle walls, contributed, still more than the distance, to prevent

articulated sounds from being understood, though general ones were

easily heard. Emily, however, ventured to believe, from the circumstance

of her voice alone having been answered, that the stranger was

Valancourt, as well as that he knew her, and she gave herself up to

speechless joy.

Annette, however, was not speechless.--She renewed

her calls, but received no answer; and Emily, fearing, that a further

attempt, which certainly was, as present, highly dangerous, might expose

them to the guards of the castle, while it could not perhaps terminate

her suspense, insisted on Annette's dropping the enquiry for this night;

though she determined herself to question Ludovico, on the subject, in

the morning, more urgently than she had yet done. She was now enabled

to say, that the stranger, whom she had formerly heard, was still in

the castle, and to direct Ludovico to that part of it, in which he was

confined.