The Mysteries of Udolpho

The death of her father and mother in the same year left her to her own

discretion, under the dangerous circumstances attendant on youth

and beauty. She was fond of company, delighted with admiration, yet

disdainful of the opinion of the world, when it happened to contradict

her inclinations; had a gay and brilliant wit, and was mistress of

all the arts of fascination. Her conduct was such as might have been

expected, from the weakness of her principles and the strength of her

passions.

Among her numerous admirers was the late Marquis de Villeroi, who, on

his tour through Italy, saw Laurentini at Venice, where she usually

resided, and became her passionate adorer. Equally captivated by the

figure and accomplishments of the Marquis, who was at that period one of

the most distinguished noblemen of the French court, she had the art so

effectually to conceal from him the dangerous traits of her character

and the blemishes of her late conduct, that he solicited her hand in

marriage.

Before the nuptials were concluded, she retired to the castle of

Udolpho, whither the Marquis followed, and, where her conduct, relaxing

from the propriety, which she had lately assumed, discovered to him

the precipice, on which he stood. A minuter enquiry than he had before

thought it necessary to make, convinced him, that he had been deceived

in her character, and she, whom he had designed for his wife, afterwards

became his mistress.

Having passed some weeks at Udolpho, he was called abruptly to France,

whither he returned with extreme reluctance, for his heart was still

fascinated by the arts of Laurentini, with whom, however, he had on

various pretences delayed his marriage; but, to reconcile her to this

separation, he now gave repeated promises of returning to conclude

the nuptials, as soon as the affair, which thus suddenly called him to

France, should permit.

Soothed, in some degree, by these assurances, she suffered him to

depart; and, soon after, her relative, Montoni, arriving at Udolpho,

renewed the addresses, which she had before refused, and which she now

again rejected. Meanwhile, her thoughts were constantly with the Marquis

de Villeroi, for whom she suffered all the delirium of Italian love,

cherished by the solitude, to which she confined herself; for she

had now lost all taste for the pleasures of society and the gaiety of

amusement.

Her only indulgences were to sigh and weep over a miniature

of the Marquis; to visit the scenes, that had witnessed their happiness,

to pour forth her heart to him in writing, and to count the weeks, the

days, which must intervene before the period that he had mentioned as

probable for his return. But this period passed without bringing

him; and week after week followed in heavy and almost intolerable

expectation. During this interval, Laurentini's fancy, occupied

incessantly by one idea, became disordered; and, her whole heart being

devoted to one object, life became hateful to her, when she believed

that object lost.