Chapter: CHAPTER VIII



 Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd,
 Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell,
 Be thy intents wicked, or charitable,

 I will speak to thee.
     HAMLET

Count de Villefort, at length, received a letter from the advocate at
Avignon, encouraging Emily to assert her claim to the estates of the
late Madame Montoni; and, about the same time, a messenger arrived from
Monsieur Quesnel with intelligence, that made an appeal to the law on
this subject unnecessary, since it appeared, that the only person, who
could have opposed her claim, was now no more. A friend of Monsieur
Quesnel, who resided at Venice, had sent him an account of the death
of Montoni who had been brought to trial with Orsino, as his supposed
accomplice in the murder of the Venetian nobleman. Orsino was found
guilty, condemned and executed upon the wheel, but, nothing being
discovered to criminate Montoni, and his colleagues, on this charge,
they were all released, except Montoni, who, being considered by the
senate as a very dangerous person, was, for other reasons, ordered again
into confinement, where, it was said, he had died in a doubtful and
mysterious manner, and not without suspicion of having been poisoned.
The authority, from which M. Quesnel had received this information,
would not allow him to doubt its truth, and he told Emily, that she had
now only to lay claim to the estates of her late aunt, to secure them,
and added, that he would himself assist in the necessary forms of this
business. The term, for which La Vallee had been let being now also
nearly expired, he acquainted her with the circumstance, and advised her
to take the road thither, through Tholouse, where he promised to meet
her, and where it would be proper for her to take possession of the
estates of the late Madame Montoni; adding, that he would spare her
any difficulties, that might occur on that occasion from the want of
knowledge on the subject, and that he believed it would be necessary for
her to be at Tholouse, in about three weeks from the present time.

An increase of fortune seemed to have awakened this sudden kindness in
M. Quesnel towards his niece, and it appeared, that he entertained more
respect for the rich heiress, than he had ever felt compassion for the
poor and unfriended orphan.

The pleasure, with which she received this intelligence, was clouded
when she considered, that he, for whose sake she had once regretted
the want of fortune, was no longer worthy of sharing it with her; but,
remembering the friendly admonition of the Count, she checked this
melancholy reflection, and endeavoured to feel only gratitude for
the unexpected good, that now attended her; while it formed no
inconsiderable part of her satisfaction to know, that La Vallee, her
native home, which was endeared to her by it's having been the residence
of her parents, would soon be restored to her possession. There she
meant to fix her future residence, for, though it could not be compared
with the chateau at Tholouse, either for extent, or magnificence, its
pleasant scenes and the tender remembrances, that haunted them, had
claims upon her heart, which she was not inclined to sacrifice to
ostentation. She wrote immediately to thank M. Quesnel for the active
interest he took in her concerns, and to say, that she would meet him at
Tholouse at the appointed time.

When Count de Villefort, with Blanche, came to the convent to give
Emily the advice of the advocate, he was informed of the contents of
M. Quesnel's letter, and gave her his sincere congratulations, on
the occasion; but she observed, that, when the first expression
of satisfaction had faded from his countenance, an unusual gravity
succeeded, and she scarcely hesitated to enquire its cause.

'It has no new occasion,' replied the Count; 'I am harassed and
perplexed by the confusion, into which my family is thrown by their
foolish superstition. Idle reports are floating round me, which I can
neither admit to be true, or prove to be false; and I am, also, very
anxious about the poor fellow, Ludovico, concerning whom I have not been
able to obtain information. Every part of the chateau and every part of
the neighbourhood, too, has, I believe, been searched, and I know not
what further can be done, since I have already offered large rewards
for the discovery of him. The keys of the north apartment I have not
suffered to be out of my possession, since he disappeared, and I mean to
watch in those chambers, myself, this very night.'

Emily, seriously alarmed for the Count, united her entreaties with those
of the Lady Blanche, to dissuade him from his purpose.

'What should I fear?' said he. 'I have no faith in supernatural combats,
and for human opposition I shall be prepared; nay, I will even promise
not to watch alone.'

'But who, dear sir, will have courage enough to watch with you?' said
Emily.

'My son,' replied the Count. 'If I am not carried off in the night,'
added he, smiling, 'you shall hear the result of my adventure,
tomorrow.'

The Count and Lady Blanche, shortly afterwards, took leave of Emily, and
returned to the chateau, where he informed Henri of his intention, who,
not without some secret reluctance, consented to be the partner of his
watch; and, when the design was mentioned after supper, the Countess was
terrified, and the Baron, and M. Du Pont joined with her in entreating,
that he would not tempt his fate, as Ludovico had done. 'We know not,'
added the Baron, 'the nature, or the power of an evil spirit; and
that such a spirit haunts those chambers can now, I think, scarcely be
doubted. Beware, my lord, how you provoke its vengeance, since it has
already given us one terrible example of its malice. I allow it may be
probable, that the spirits of the dead are permitted to return to the
earth only on occasions of high import; but the present import may be
your destruction.'

The Count could not forbear smiling; 'Do you think then, Baron,' said
he, 'that my destruction is of sufficient importance to draw back
to earth the soul of the departed? Alas! my good friend, there is no
occasion for such means to accomplish the destruction of any individual.
Wherever the mystery rests, I trust I shall, this night, be able to
detect it. You know I am not superstitious.'

'I know that you are incredulous,' interrupted the Baron.

'Well, call it what you will, I mean to say, that, though you know I am
free from superstition--if any thing supernatural has appeared, I doubt
not it will appear to me, and if any strange event hangs over my house,
or if any extraordinary transaction has formerly been connected with it,
I shall probably be made acquainted with it. At all events I will invite
discovery; and, that I may be equal to a mortal attack, which in good
truth, my friend, is what I most expect, I shall take care to be well
armed.'

The Count took leave of his family, for the night, with an assumed
gaiety, which but ill concealed the anxiety, that depressed his spirits,
and retired to the north apartments, accompanied by his son and followed
by the Baron, M. Du Pont and some of the domestics, who all bade him
good night at the outer door. In these chambers every thing appeared
as when he had last been here; even in the bed-room no alteration was
visible, where he lighted his own fire, for none of the domestics could
be prevailed upon to venture thither. After carefully examining the
chamber and the oriel, the Count and Henri drew their chairs upon the
hearth, set a bottle of wine and a lamp before them, laid their swords
upon the table, and, stirring the wood into a blaze, began to converse
on indifferent topics. But Henri was often silent and abstracted, and
sometimes threw a glance of mingled awe and curiosity round the gloomy
apartment; while the Count gradually ceased to converse, and sat either
lost in thought, or reading a volume of Tacitus, which he had brought to
beguile the tediousness of the night.

 The Count de Villeforte's been looking into Em's claim to her late aunt's properties, and he's got good news. Kind of. Orsino was executed for murdering the nobleman, while Montoni died in a mysterious manner. There are some whispers that someone finally got him with poison. Since there's no more dispute over the property, it's looking good that Em will get to stake her claim. But the Count can't solve all his problems that easily. Servants are gossiping even more since Ludovico disappeared. Obvious solution: the Count himself will stay overnight in the haunted room with his only son, Henri. Really, it's a flawless plan. The guys settle in for a root-tootin' night full of scary ghosts and mayhem.

