The Mysteries of Udolpho

Having restored the venerable Mons. Bonnac to his rejoicing family, he

hurried from Paris to Estuviere; and, in the delight of having made the

wretched happy, forgot, for a while, his own misfortunes. Soon, however,

he remembered, that he had thrown away the fortune, without which he

could never hope to marry Emily; and life, unless passed with her,

now scarcely appeared supportable; for her goodness, refinement, and

simplicity of heart, rendered her beauty more enchanting, if possible,

to his fancy, than it had ever yet appeared. Experience had taught

him to understand the full value of the qualities, which he had before

admired, but which the contrasted characters he had seen in the world

made him now adore; and these reflections, increasing the pangs of

remorse and regret, occasioned the deep dejection, that had accompanied

him even into the presence of Emily, of whom he considered himself no

longer worthy

. To the ignominy of having received pecuniary obligations

from the Marchioness Chamfort, or any other lady of intrigue, as the

Count De Villefort had been informed, or of having been engaged in the

depredating schemes of gamesters, Valancourt had never submitted; and

these were some of such scandals as often mingle with truth, against the

unfortunate. Count De Villefort had received them from authority which

he had no reason to doubt, and which the imprudent conduct he had

himself witnessed in Valancourt, had certainly induced him the more

readily to believe.

Being such as Emily could not name to the Chevalier,

he had no opportunity of refuting them; and, when he confessed

himself to be unworthy of her esteem, he little suspected, that he was

confirming to her the most dreadful calumnies. Thus the mistake had been

mutual, and had remained so, when Mons. Bonnac explained the conduct of

his generous, but imprudent young friend to Du Pont, who, with severe

justice, determined not only to undeceive the Count on this subject, but

to resign all hope of Emily. Such a sacrifice as his love rendered

this, was deserving of a noble reward, and Mons. Bonnac, if it had been

possible for him to forget the benevolent Valancourt, would have wished

that Emily might accept the just Du Pont.

When the Count was informed of the error he had committed, he was

extremely shocked at the consequence of his credulity, and the account

which Mons. Bonnac gave of his friend's situation, while at Paris,

convinced him, that Valancourt had been entrapped by the schemes of a

set of dissipated young men, with whom his profession had partly obliged

him to associate, rather than by an inclination to vice; and, charmed

by the humanity, and noble, though rash generosity, which his conduct

towards Mons. Bonnac exhibited, he forgave him the transient errors,

that had stained his youth, and restored him to the high degree of

esteem, with which he had regarded him, during their early acquaintance.