The Mysteries of Udolpho

'Dear madam,' said she, 'why do you start so? one would think you knew

what has happened.' 'What has happened?' said Emily, in a faltering voice, and trying to

command her emotion. 'The night before last, you know, madam'-'I know nothing, Annette,' replied her lady in a more hurried voice. 'The night before last, madam, there was a robber in the garden.' 'A robber!' said Emily, in an eager, yet doubting tone. 'I suppose he was a robber, madam. What else could he be?' 'Where did you see him, Annette?' rejoined Emily, looking round her, and

turning back towards the chateau

. 'It was not I that saw him, madam, it was Jean the gardener. It was

twelve o'clock at night, and, as he was coming across the court to go

the back way into the house, what should he see--but somebody walking in

the avenue, that fronts the garden gate! So, with that, Jean guessed how

it was, and he went into the house for his gun.'

'His gun!' exclaimed Emily. 'Yes, madam, his gun; and then he came out into the court to watch him.

Presently, he sees him come slowly down the avenue, and lean over the

garden gate, and look up at the house for a long time; and I warrant he

examined it well, and settled what window he should break in at.'

'But the gun,' said Emily--'the gun!' 'Yes, madam, all in good time.

Presently, Jean says, the robber opened

the gate, and was coming into the court, and then he thought proper to

ask him his business: so he called out again, and bade him say who he

was, and what he wanted. But the man would do neither; but turned upon

his heel, and passed into the garden again. Jean knew then well enough

how it was, and so he fired after him.' 'Fired!' exclaimed Emily.

'Yes, madam, fired off his gun; but, Holy Virgin! what makes you look

so pale, madam? The man was not killed,--I dare say; but if he was, his

comrades carried him off: for, when Jean went in the morning, to look

for the body, it was gone, and nothing to be seen but a track of blood

on the ground. Jean followed it, that he might find out where the man

got into the garden, but it was lost in the grass, and'-

Annette was interrupted: for Emily's spirits died away, and she would

have fallen to the ground, if the girl had not caught her, and supported

her to a bench, close to them.