Towards the close of day, the road wound into a deep valley. Mountains, whofe fhaggy fteeps appeared to be inacceffible, almoft furrounded it. To the eaft, a vifta opened, that exhibited the Apennines in their darkeft horrors; and the long perfpective of retiring fummits, rifing over each other, their ridges clothed with pines, exhibited a ftronger image of grandeur, than any that Emily had yet feen. The fun had just funk below the top of the mountains she was defcending, whofe long fhadow ftretched athwart the valley, but his floping rays, fhooting through an opening of the cliffs, touched with a yellow gleam the fummits of the foreft, that hung upon the oppofite fteeps, and ftreamed in full fplendour upon the towers and battlements of a caftle, that fpread its extenfive ramparts along the brow of a precipice above. The fplendour of thefe illumined objects was heightend by the contrafted fhade, which involved the valley below.

There," faid Montoni, fpeaking for the first time in several hours," is Udolpho."

Emily gazed with melancholy awe upon the caftle, which the underflood to be Montoni's; for, though it was now lighted up by the fetting fun, the gothic greatnefs of its features, and its mouldering walls of dark gray ftone, rendered it a gloomy and fublime object. As the gazed, the light died away on its walls, leaving a melancholy purple tint, which fpread deeper and deeper, as the thin vapour crept up the mountain, while the battlements above were ftill tipped with fplendour. From thofe too, the rays foon faded, and the whole edifice was invested with the folemn dufkinefs of evening. Silent, lonely and fublime, it feemed to ftand the fovereign of the fcene, and to frown defiance on all, who dared to invade its folitary reign. As the twilight deepened, its features became more awful in obfcurity, and Emily continued to gaze, till its clustering towers were alone feen, rifing over the tops of the woods, beneath whofe thick fhade the carriages foon after began to afcend.

The extent and darkness of these tall woods awakened terrific images in her mind, and fhe almost expected to fee banditti start up from under the trees. At length the carriages emerged upon a heathy rock, and, foon after, reached the caftle gates, where the deep tone of the portal bell, which was ftruck upon to give notice of their arrival, increased the fearful emotions, that had affailed Emily. While they waited till the fervant within should come to open the gates, the anxioufly furveyed the edifice: but the gloom, that overfpread it, allowed her to diftinguish little more than a part of its outline, with the maffy walls of the ram

parts, and to know, that it was vaft, ancient and dreary. From the parts fhe faw, fhe judged of the heavy ftrength and extent of the whole. The gateway before her, leading into the courts, was of gigantic fize, and was defended by two round towers, crowned by overhanging turrets, embattled, where, instead of banners, now waved long grafs and wild plants, that had taken root among the mouldering ftones, and which feemed to figh as the breeze rolled paft, over the defolation around them. The towers were united by a curtain, pierced and embattled alfo, below which appeared the pointed arch of a huge portcullis, furmounting the gates: from thefe, the walls of the ramparts extended to other towers, overlooking the precipice, whofe fhattered outline, appearing on a gleam, that lingered in the weft, told of the ravages of war. Beyond thefe all was loft in the obfcurity of evening.

While Emily gazed with awe upon the fcene, footsteps were heard within the gates, and the undrawing of bolts; after which an ancient fervant of the caftle appeared, forcing back the huge folds of the portal, to admit his lord. As the carriage-wheels rolled heavily under the portcullis, Emily's heart funk, and the feemed, as if fhe was going into her prifon; the gloomy court, into which the paffed, ferved to confirm the idea, and her imagination, ever awake to circumftance, fuggested even more terrors, than her reafon could justify..

Another gate delivered them into the fecond court, grafs-grown, and more wild than the firft, where, as fhe furveyed through the twilight its defolation-its lofty walls, overtopt with briony, mofs and nightshade, and the embattled towers that rofe above, long fuffering and murder came to her thoughts. One of those inftantaneous and unaccountable convictions which fometimes conquer even strong minds, impreffed her with its horror. The fentiment was not diminished, when the entered an extenfive gothic hall, obfcured by the gloom of evening, which a light, glimmering at a distance through a long perfpective of arches, only rendered more ftriking. As a fervant brought the lamp nearer, partial gleams fell upon the pillars and the pointed arches, forming a ftrong contraft with their fhadows, that ftretched along the pavement and the walls. The fudden journey of Montoni had prevented his people from making any other preparations for his reception, than could be had in the fhort interval, fince the arrival of the fervant, who had been fent forward from Venice; and this, in fome meafure, may account for the air of extreme defolation, that every where appeared..

The fervant, who came to light Montoni, bowed in filence, and the muscles of his countenance relaxed with no symptom of joy. Montoni noticed the falutation by a flight motion of his hand, and paffed on, while his lady, following, and looking round with a degree of furprise and discontent, which she seemed fearful of expreffing, and Emily, furveying the extent and grandeur of the hall in timid wonder, approached a marble ftaircase. The arches here opened to a lofty vault, from the centre of which hung a tripod lamp, which a fervant was haftily lighting; and the rich fretwork of the roof, a corridor, leading into feveral upper apartments, and a painted window, ftretching nearly from the pavement to the ceiling of the hall, became gradually visible.

Having croffed the foot of the ftaircafe, and paffed through an anti-room, they entered a fpacious apartment, whofe walls, wainscoted with black larch wood, the growth of the neighbouring mountains, were fcarcely diftinguishable from darkness itself. "Bring more light," faid Montoni, as he entered. The fervant fetting down his lamp, was withdrawing to obey him, when Madame Montoni obferving, that the evening air of this mountainous region was cold, and that the fhould like a fire, Montoni ordered that wood might be brought.

While he paced the room with thoughtful steps, and Madame Montoni fat filently on a couch, at the upper end of it, waiting till the fervant returned, Emily was obferving the fingular folemnity and defolation of the apartment, viewed, as it now was, by the glimmer of the fingle lamp, placed near a large Venetian mirror, that duskily reflected the scene, with the tall figure of Montoni paffing flowly along, his arms folded, and his countenance fhaded by the plume that waved in his hat.

From the contemplation of this fcene, Emily's mind proceeded to the apprehenfion of what she might fuffer in it, till the remembrance of Valancourt, far, far diftant! came to her heart, and foftened it into forrow. A heavy figh escaped her; but, trying to conceal her tears, fhe walked away to one of the high windows, that opened upon the ramparts, below which, spread the woods fhe had paffed in her approach to the caftle. But the nightfhade fat deeply on the mountains beyond, and their indented outline alone could be faintly traced on the horizon, where a red ftreak yet glimmered in the weft. The valley between was funk in darkness.

The scene within, upon which Emily turned on the opening of the door, was fcarcely lefs gloomy. The old fervant who had received them at the gates, now entered, bending under a load of

pine branches, while two of Montoni's Venetian fervants followed with lights.

"Your Excellenza is welcome to the castle," said the old man, as he raised himself from the hearth, where he had laid the wood: "it has been a lonely place a long while ; but you will excuse it, Signor, knowing we had but thort notice. It is near two years, come next feast of St. Mark, fince your Excellenza was within thefe walls."

"You have a good memory, old Carlo," faid Mantoni : "it is thereabout; and how haft thou contrived to live fo long."

"A-well-a-day, fir, with much ado; the cold winds, that blow through the caftle in winter, are almost too much for me; and I thought fometimes of asking your Excellenza to let me leave the mountains, and go down into the lowlands. But I don't know how it is—I am loath to quit these old walls I have lived in fo long."

"Well, how have you gone on in the caftle, fince I left it ?"" faid Montoni.

"Why much as ufual, Signor, only it wants a good deal of repairing. There is the north tower, fome of the battlements have tumbled down, and had liked one day to have knocked my poor wife (God reft her foul !) on the head. Your Excellenza muft know"

"Well, but the repairs," interrupted Montoni.

"Aye, the repairs," faid Carlo: "a part of the roof of the great hall has fallen in, and all the winds from the mountains rushed through it last winter, and whiftled through the whole caftle fo, that there was no keeping one's felf warm, be were one would. There, my wife and I ufed to fit fhivering over a great fire in one corner of the little hall, ready to die with cold, and""But there are no more repairs wanted," said Montoni, impatiently.

"O Lord! your Excellenza, yes-the wall of the rampart has tumbled down in three places; then, the ftairs that lead to the weft gallery, have been a long time fo bad, that it is dangerous to go up them; and the paffage leading to the great oak chamber, that overhangs the north rampart-one night laft winter I ventured to go there by my felf, and your Excellenza”"Well, well, enough of this," faid Montoni, with quickness: "I will talk more with thee to-morrow.

The fire was now lighted; Carlo fwept the hearth, placed chairs, wiped the duft from a large marble table that stood near it, and then left the room.

1

Montoni and his family drew round the fire. Madame Montoni made several attempts at converfation, but his fullen anfwers repulfed her, while Emily fat endeavouring to acquire courage enough to fpeak to him. At length, in a tremulous voice, fhe faid, "May I afk, fir, the motive of this fudden journey?" After a long paufe, fhe recovered fufficient courage to repeat the queftion.

"It does not fuit me to answer inquiries," faid Montoni, "nor does it become you to make them; time may unfold them all : but I defire I may be no further haraffed, and I recommend it to you to retire to your chamber, and to endeavour to adopt a more rational conduct, than that of yielding to fancies, and to a fenfibility, which, to call it by the gentleft name, is only a weakness."

Emily rofe to withdraw. "Good night madam," said she to her aunt, with an affumed compofure, that could not disguise her emotion.

"Good night, my dear," faid Madame Montoni, in a tone of kindnefs, which her niece had never before heard from her; and the unexpected endearment brought tears to Emily's eyes. She curtfied to Montoni, and was retiring; "But you do not know the way to your chamber," faid her aunt. Montoni called the fervant, who waited in the anti-room, and bade him fend Madame Montoni's woman, with whom, in a few minutes, Emily withdrew. "Do you know which is my room?" faid the to Annette, as they croffed the hall.

Yes, I believe I do, ma'amfelle; but this is fuch a strange rambling place! I have been loft in it already they call it the double chamber over the fouth rampart, and I went up this great ftaircafe to it. My lady's room is at the other end of the castle."

Emily afcended the marble staircase, and came to the corridor, as they paffed through which, Annette refumed her chat. "What a wild lonely place this is, ma'am ! I fhall be quite frightened to live in it. How often, and often I have wifhed my felf in France again! I little thought, when I came with my lady to fee the world, that I fhould ever be fhut up in fuch a place as this, or I would never have left my own country! This way, maʼamfelle, down this turning. I can almoft believe in giants again, and such like, for this is juft like one of their caftles; and, fome night or other; I fuppofe I fhall fee fairies too, hopping about in that great old hall, that looks more like a church, with its huge pillars, than any thing else,"