She now retired to her bed, leaving the lamp burning on the table; but its gloomy light, inftead of difpelling her fear, affifted it; for, by its uncertain rays, fhe almoft fancied fhe faw fhapes flit paft her curtains and glide into the remote obfcurity of her chamber. The caftle clock ftruck one before the closed her eyes to fleep. СНАР. ХХ. "I think it is the weakness of mine eyes, DAYLIGHT JULIUS CASAR. AYLIGHT difpelled from Emily's mind the glooms of fuperftition, but not thofe of apprehenfion. The Count Morano was the first image, that occurred to her waking thoughts, and then came a train of anticipated evils, which fhe could neither conquer, or avoid. She rofe, and, to relieve her mind from the bufy ideas, that tormented it, compelled herfelf to notice external objects. From her cafement fhe looked out upon the wild grandeur of the scene, clofed nearly on all fides by alpine fteeps, whofe tops, peeping over each other, faded from the eye in mifty hues, while the promontories below, were dark with woods, that fwept down to their bafe, and ftretched along the narrow vallies. The rich pomp of thefe woods was particularly delightful to Emily; and fhe viewed with astonishment the fortifications of the caftle fpreading along a vast extent of rock, and now partly in decay, the grandeur of the ramparts below, and the towers and battlements and various features of the fabric above. From these her fight wandered over the cliffs and woods into the valley, along which foamed a broad and rapid stream, feen falling among the crags of an oppofite mountain, now flashing in the funbeams, and now fhadowed by overarching pines, till it was entirely concealed by their thick foliage. Again it burft from beneath this darknefs in one broad fheet of foam, and fell thundering into the vale. Nearer, towards the weft, opened the mountain vifta, which Emily had viewed with fuch fublime emotion, on her approach to the caftle: a thin dufky vapour, that rofe from the valley, overfpread its features with a fweet obfcurity. As this afcended and caught the funbeams, it kindled into a crimson tint, and touched with exquifite beauty the woods and cliffs, over which it paffed to the fummit of the mountains; then, as the veil drew up, it was delightful, to watch the gleaming objects, that progreflively disclofed themselves in the valley-the green turf-dark woods-little rocky receffes-a few peafants' huts-the foaming ftream-a herd of cattle, and various images of paftoral beauty. Then, the pine forefts brightened, and then the broad breaft of the mountains, till, at length, the mift fettled round their fummit, touching them with a ruddy glow. The features of the vifta now appeared diftinctly, and the broad deep fhadows, that fell from the lower cliffs, gave strong effect to the ftreaming fplendour above; while the mountains, gradually finking in the perfpective, appeared to fhelve into the Adriatic fea, for fuch Emily imagined to be the gleam of blueish light, that terminated the view. Thus the endeavoured to amufe her fancy, and was not unfuccessful. The breezy freshness of the morning, too, revived her. She raised her thoughts in prayer, which the felt always most difpofed to do, when viewing the fublimity of nature, and her mind recovered its ftrength. When the turned from the cafement, her eyes glanced upon the door fhe had fo carefully guarded, on the preceding night, and the now determined to examine whither it led; but, on advancing to remove the chairs, the perceived, that they were already moved a little way. Her furprife cannot eafily be imagined, when, in the next minute, fhe perceived that the door was faftened. She felt, as if she had feen an apparition. The door of the corridor was locked as she had left it, but this door, which could be fecured only on the outfide, must have been bolted, during the night. She became feriously uneafy at the thought of fleeping again in a chamber, thus liable to intrufion, fo remote,. too, as it was from the family, and the determined to mention the circumftance to Madame Montoni, and to request a change. After fome perplexity fhe found her way into the great hall, and to the room, which he had left, on the preceding night,. where breakfast was fpread, and her aunt was alone, for Montoni had been walking oyer the environs of the caftle, examining the condition of its fortifications, and talking for fometime with Carlo. Emily observed, that her aunt had been weeping, and her heart foftened towards her, with an affection, that thewed itfelf in her manner, rather than in words, while fhe carefully avoided the appearance of having noticed, that she was unhappy. She feized the opportunity of Montoni's abfence to mention the circumftance of the door, to request that he might be allowed. another apartment, and to inquire. again, concerning the occafion of their fudden journey. On the firft fubject her aunt referred her to Montoni, pofitively refusing to interfere in the affair; on the laft, fhe profeffed utter ignorance. Emily, then, with a wish of making her aunt more reconciled to her fituation, praised the grandeur of the castle and the furrounding fcenery, and endeavoured to foften every unpleafing circumstance attending it. But, though misfortune had fomewhat conquered the afperities of Madame Montoni's temper, and, by increafing her cares for herself, had taught her to feel in fome degree for others, the capricious love of rule, which nature had planted and habit had nourished in her heart, was not fubdued. She could not now deny herfelf the gratification of tyrannizing over the innocent and helpless Emily, by attempting to ridicule the tafte fhe could not feel. Her fatirical difcourfe was, however, interrupted by the entrance of Montoni, and her countenance immediately affumed a mingled expreffion of fear and refentment, while he feated himfelf at the break faft table, as if unconscious of there being any perfon but himself in the room. "Emily, as fhe obferved him in filence, faw that his countenance was darker and sterner than usual. “O could I know," faid she to herfelf," what paffes in that mind; could I know the thoughts, that are known there, I fhould no longer be condemned to this torturing fufpenfe !" Their breakfast paffed in filence, till Emily ventured to requeft, that another apartment might be allotted to her, and related the circumftance which made her with it. "I have no time to attend these idle whims," faid Montoni, "that chamber was prepared for you, and you must reft contented with it. It is not probable, that any perfon would take the trouble of going to that remote ftaircafe, for the purpose of faftening a door. If it was not faftened, when you entered the chamber, the wind, perhaps, fhook the door and made the bolts flide. But I know not why I fhould undertake to account for fo trifling an occurrence.' This explanation was by no means fatisfactory to Emily, who had obferved, that the bolts were rufted, and confequently could not be thus eafily moved; but The forbore to fay fo, and repeated her request. 22 "If you will not release yourself from the flavery of these fears," faid Montoni, fternly, "at leaft forbear to torment other's by the mention of them. Conquer fuch whims, and endeavour 19 ftrengthen your mind. No existence is more contemptible than that, which is embittered by fear." As he faid this, his eye glanced upon Madame Montoni, who coloured highly, but was still filent. Emily, wounded and difappointed, thought her fears were, in this inftance, too reasonable to deferve ridicule,. but, perceiving, that, however, they might opprefs her, she must endure them, fhe tried to withdraw her attention from the fubject. Carlo foon after entered with fome fruit: "Your Excellenza is tired after your long ramble," said he, as he fet the fruit upon the table; "but you have more to fee after breakfast. There is a place in the vaulted paffage leading to" Montoni frowned upon him, and waved his hand for him to leave the room. Carlo ftopped, looked down and then added,. as he advanced to the breakfast table, and took up the basket of fruit, "I made bold, your Excellenza, to bring fome cheries, here, for my honoured lady and my young miftrefs. Will your ladyfhip taste them, madam ?" faid Carlo, prefenting the basket, "they are very fine ones, though I gathered them myself, and from an old tree, that catches all the fouth fun; they are as big as plus, your lady fhip." "Very well, old Carle," faid Madame Montoni: "I am obliged to you." "And the young Signora, too, fhe may like fome of them," rejoined Carlo, turning with the basket to Emily, "it will do me good to fee her eat fome." "Thank you, Carlo," faid Emily taking fome cheries, and fmiling kindly. "Come, come," faid Montoni, impatiently, "enough of this. Leave the room.. But be in waiting, I fhall want you prefently." Carlo obeyed, and Montoni, foon after, went out to examine further into the state of the caftle; while Emily remained with her aunt, patiently enduring her ill humour, and endeavouring, with much sweetness, to footh her affliction, instead of refenting its effect. When Madame Montoni retired to her dreffing room, Emily endeavoured to amufe herself by a view of the castle. Through a folding door, fhe paffed from the great hall to the ramparts, which extended along the brow of the precipice, round three fides of the edifice; the fourth was guarded by the high walls of the courts, and by the gateway, through which he had paffed on the preceding evening. The grandeur of the broad ramparts, and the changing fcenery they overlooked, excited her high admiration; for the extent of the terraces allowed the fea 27 tures of the country to be feen in fuch various points of view, that they appeared to form new landfcapes. She often paused to examine the gothic magnificence of Udolpho, its proud irregularity, its lofty towers and battlements, its high arched, casements, and its flender watch towers, perched upon the corners of turrets. Then the would lean on the wall of the terrace, and, huddering, meafure with her eye the precipice below, till the dark fummits of the woods arrefted it. Wherever fhe turned, appeared mountain tops, forefts of pine and narrow glens, opening among the Apennines and retiring from the fight into inacceffible regions. While fhe thus leaned, Montoni, followed by two men, appeared, afcending a winding path, cut in the rock below. He ftopped upon a cliff, and, pointing to the ramparts, turned to his followers, and talked with much eagerness of gefticulation.Emily perceived that one of thefe men was Carlo; the other was in the dress of a peasant, and he alone seemed to be receiving the directions of Montoni. She withdrew from the walls, and purfued her walk, till fhe heard at a distance the found of carriage wheels, and then the loud bell of the portal, when it inftantly occurred to her, that Count Morano was arrived. As the haftily paffed the folding doors from the terrace, towards her own apartment, feveral perfons entered the hall, by an oppofite door. She faw them at the extremity of the arcades, and immediately retreated; but the agitation of her fpirits, and the extent and duskiness of the hall, had prevented her from diftinguishing the perfons of the ftrangers. Her fears, however, had but one object, and they had called up that object to her fancy; fhe believed that the had feen Count Morano. When the thought that they had paffed the hall, fhe ventured again to the door, and proceeded, unobferved, to her room, where The remained, agitated with apprehenfions, and liftening to every distant found. At length, hearing voices on the rampart the hartened to her window, and obferved Montoni with Signor Cavigni, walking below, converfing earneftly, and often stopping and turning towards each other, at which times their difcourfe feened to be uncommonly interesting. Of the feveral perfons who had appeared in the hall, here was Cavigni alone but Emily's alarm was foon after heightened by the fteps of fome one in the corridor, who, the apprehended, brought a meffage from the Count. In the next moment Annette appeared. "Ah! ma'amfelle," faid fhe," here is the Signor Cavigni arrived! I am fure I rejoiced to fee a chriftian person in this |