The Mysteries of Udolpho

This remark produced a serious enquiry, which ended in as serious an

embarrassment, for Du Pont had been rifled of nearly all his money, when

he was taken prisoner; the remainder he had given to the sentinel, who

had enabled him occasionally to leave his prison-chamber; and Ludovico,

who had for some time found a difficulty, in procuring any part of the

wages due to him, had now scarcely cash sufficient to procure necessary

refreshment at the first town, in which they should arrive.

Their poverty was the more distressing, since it would detain them

among the mountains, where, even in a town, they could scarcely consider

themselves safe from Montoni. The travellers, however, had only to

proceed and dare the future; and they continued their way through lonely

wilds and dusky vallies, where the overhanging foliage now admitted, and

then excluded the moon-light;--wilds so desolate, that they appeared, on

the first glance, as if no human being had ever trode them before. Even

the road, in which the party were, did but slightly contradict this

error, for the high grass and other luxuriant vegetation, with which it

was overgrown, told how very seldom the foot of a traveller had passed

it.

At length, from a distance, was heard the faint tinkling of a

sheep-bell; and, soon after, the bleat of flocks, and the party then

knew, that they were near some human habitation, for the light, which

Ludovico had fancied to proceed from a town, had long been concealed by

intervening mountains. Cheered by this hope, they quickened their pace

along the narrow pass they were winding, and it opened upon one of those

pastoral vallies of the Apennines, which might be painted for a scene

of Arcadia, and whose beauty and simplicity are finely contrasted by the

grandeur of the snow-topt mountains above.

The morning light, now glimmering in the horizon, shewed faintly, at

a little distance, upon the brow of a hill, which seemed to peep from

'under the opening eye-lids of the morn,' the town they were in

search of, and which they soon after reached. It was not without some

difficulty, that they there found a house, which could afford shelter

for themselves and their horses; and Emily desired they might not rest

longer than was necessary for refreshment. Her appearance excited some

surprise, for she was without a hat, having had time only to throw on

her veil before she left the castle, a circumstance, that compelled her

to regret again the want of money, without which it was impossible to

procure this necessary article of dress.

Ludovico, on examining his purse, found it even insufficient to supply

present refreshment, and Du Pont, at length, ventured to inform the

landlord, whose countenance was simple and honest, of their exact

situation, and requested, that he would assist them to pursue their

journey; a purpose, which he promised to comply with, as far as he was

able, when he learned that they were prisoners escaping from Montoni,

whom he had too much reason to hate. But, though he consented to lend

them fresh horses to carry them to the next town, he was too poor

himself to trust them with money, and they were again lamenting their

poverty, when Ludovico, who had been with his tired horses to the hovel,

which served for a stable, entered the room, half frantic with joy, in

which his auditors soon participated. On removing the saddle from one of

the horses, he had found beneath it a small bag, containing, no doubt,

the booty of one of the condottieri, who had returned from a plundering

excursion, just before Ludovico left the castle, and whose horse having

strayed from the inner court, while his master was engaged in drinking,

had brought away the treasure, which the ruffian had considered the

reward of his exploit.