The Mysteries of Udolpho

'Sorry!' said Emily, and wept the more. 'But how long is it since you

have seen him?' 'Not this many a day, mademoiselle.'

'When did you hear of him?' enquired Emily, with increased emotion.

'Alas! never since he went away so suddenly into Languedoc; and he was

but just come from Paris then, or I should have seen him, I am sure.

Quarter day is gone by long since, and, as I said, no money for me; and

I begin to fear some harm has happened to him: and if I was not so far

from Estuviere and so lame, I should have gone to enquire before this

time; and I have nobody to send so far.'

Emily's anxiety, as to the fate of Valancourt, was now scarcely

endurable, and, since propriety would not suffer her to send to the

chateau of his brother, she requested that Theresa would immediately

hire some person to go to his steward from herself, and, when he asked

for the quarterage due to her, to make enquiries concerning Valancourt.

But she first made Theresa promise never to mention her name in this

affair, or ever with that of the Chevalier Valancourt; and her

former faithfulness to M. St. Aubert induced Emily to confide in her

assurances.

Theresa now joyfully undertook to procure a person for this

errand, and then Emily, after giving her a sum of money to supply her

with present comforts, returned, with spirits heavily oppressed, to her

home, lamenting, more than ever, that an heart, possessed of so much

benevolence as Valancourt's, should have been contaminated by the vices

of the world, but affected by the delicate affection, which his kindness

to her old servant expressed for herself.