Chapter: CHAPTER XIV



  Call up him, that left half told
 The story of Cambuscan bold.
     MILTON

On the following morning, as Emily sat in the parlour adjoining the
library, reflecting on the scene of the preceding night, Annette rushed
wildly into the room, and, without speaking, sunk breathless into a
chair. It was some time before she could answer the anxious enquiries of
Emily, as to the occasion of her emotion, but, at length, she exclaimed,
'I have seen his ghost, madam, I have seen his ghost!'

'Who do you mean?' said Emily, with extreme impatience.

'It came in from the hall, madam,' continued Annette, 'as I was crossing
to the parlour.'

'Who are you speaking of?' repeated Emily, 'Who came in from the hall?

'It was dressed just as I have seen him, often and often,' added
Annette. 'Ah! who could have thought--'

Emily's patience was now exhausted, and she was reprimanding her for
such idle fancies, when a servant entered the room, and informed her,
that a stranger without begged leave to speak with her.

It immediately occurred to Emily, that this stranger was Valancourt, and
she told the servant to inform him, that she was engaged, and could not
see any person.

The servant, having delivered his message, returned with one from the
stranger, urging the first request, and saying, that he had something of
consequence to communicate; while Annette, who had hitherto sat
silent and amazed, now started up, and crying, 'It is Ludovico!--it is
Ludovico!' ran out of the room. Emily bade the servant follow her, and,
if it really was Ludovico, to shew him into the parlour.

In a few minutes, Ludovico appeared, accompanied by Annette, who, as
joy rendered her forgetful of all rules of decorum towards her mistress,
would not suffer any person to be heard, for some time, but herself.
Emily expressed surprise and satisfaction, on seeing Ludovico in safety,
and the first emotions increased, when he delivered letters from
Count De Villefort and the Lady Blanche, informing her of their late
adventure, and of their present situation at an inn among the Pyrenees,
where they had been detained by the illness of Mons. St. Foix, and the
indisposition of Blanche, who added, that the Baron St. Foix was just
arrived to attend his son to his chateau, where he would remain till the
perfect recovery of his wounds, and then return to Languedoc, but that
her father and herself purposed to be at La Vallee, on the following
day. She added, that Emily's presence would be expected at the
approaching nuptials, and begged she would be prepared to proceed, in
a few days to Chateau-le-Blanc. For an account of Ludovico's adventure,
she referred her to himself; and Emily, though much interested,
concerning the means, by which he had disappeared from the north
apartments, had the forbearance to suspend the gratification of her
curiosity, till he had taken some refreshment, and had conversed with
Annette, whose joy, on seeing him in safety, could not have been more
extravagant, had he arisen from the grave.

Meanwhile, Emily perused again the letters of her friends, whose
expressions of esteem and kindness were very necessary consolations
to her heart, awakened as it was by the late interview to emotions of
keener sorrow and regret.

The invitation to Chateau-le-Blanc was pressed with so much kindness by
the Count and his daughter, who strengthened it by a message from the
Countess, and the occasion of it was so important to her friend, that
Emily could not refuse to accept it, nor, though she wished to remain
in the quiet shades of her native home, could she avoid perceiving the
impropriety of remaining there alone, since Valancourt was again in the
neighbourhood. Sometimes, too, she thought, that change of scenery and
the society of her friends might contribute, more than retirement, to
restore her to tranquillity.

When Ludovico again appeared, she desired him to give a detail of his
adventure in the north apartments, and to tell by what means he became a
companion of the banditti, with whom the Count had found him.

He immediately obeyed, while Annette, who had not yet had leisure to
ask him many questions, on the subject, prepared to listen, with a
countenance of extreme curiosity, venturing to remind her lady of her
incredulity, concerning spirits, in the castle of Udolpho, and of
her own sagacity in believing in them; while Emily, blushing at the
consciousness of her late credulity, observed, that, if Ludovico's
adventure could justify Annette's superstition, he had probably not been
here to relate it.

Ludovico smiled at Annette, and bowed to Emily, and then began as
follows:

'You may remember, madam, that, on the night, when I sat up in the north
chamber, my lord, the Count, and Mons. Henri accompanied me thither, and
that, while they remained there, nothing happened to excite any alarm.
When they were gone I made a fire in the bed-room, and, not being
inclined to sleep, I sat down on the hearth with a book I had brought
with me to divert my mind. I confess I did sometimes look round the
chamber, with something like apprehension--'

'O very like it, I dare say,' interrupted Annette, 'and I dare say too,
if the truth was known, you shook from head to foot.'

'Not quite so bad as that,' replied Ludovico, smiling, 'but several
times, as the wind whistled round the castle, and shook the old
casements, I did fancy I heard odd noises, and, once or twice, I got up
and looked about me; but nothing was to be seen, except the grim figures
in the tapestry, which seemed to frown upon me, as I looked at them.
I had sat thus for above an hour,' continued Ludovico, 'when again I
thought I heard a noise, and glanced my eyes round the room, to discover
what it came from, but, not perceiving any thing, I began to read
again, and, when I had finished the story I was upon, I felt drowsy, and
dropped asleep. But presently I was awakened by the noise I had heard
before, and it seemed to come from that part of the chamber, where the
bed stood; and then, whether it was the story I had been reading that
affected my spirits, or the strange reports, that had been spread of
these apartments, I don't know, but, when I looked towards the bed
again, I fancied I saw a man's face within the dusky curtains.'

At the mention of this, Emily trembled, and looked anxiously,
remembering the spectacle she had herself witnessed there with Dorothee.

'I confess, madam, my heart did fail me, at that instant,' continued
Ludovico, 'but a return of the noise drew my attention from the bed, and
I then distinctly heard a sound, like that of a key, turning in a lock,
but what surprised me more was, that I saw no door where the sound
seemed to come from. In the next moment, however, the arras near the
bed was slowly lifted, and a person appeared behind it, entering from
a small door in the wall. He stood for a moment as if half retreating,
with his head bending under the arras which concealed the upper part of
his face except his eyes scowling beneath the tapestry as he held it;
and then, while he raised it higher, I saw the face of another man
behind, looking over his shoulder. I know not how it was, but, though
my sword was upon the table before me, I had not the power just then to
seize it, but sat quite still, watching them, with my eyes half shut as
if I was asleep. I suppose they thought me so, and were debating what
they should do, for I heard them whisper, and they stood in the same
posture for the value of a minute, and then, I thought I perceived other
faces in the duskiness beyond the door, and heard louder whispers.'

'This door surprises me,' said Emily, 'because I understood, that
the Count had caused the arras to be lifted, and the walls examined,
suspecting, that they might have concealed a passage through which you
had departed.'

'It does not appear so extraordinary to me, madam,' replied Ludovico,
'that this door should escape notice, because it was formed in a narrow
compartment, which appeared to be part of the outward wall, and, if the
Count had not passed over it, he might have thought it was useless to
search for a door where it seemed as if no passage could communicate
with one; but the truth was, that the passage was formed within the
wall itself.--But, to return to the men, whom I saw obscurely beyond the
door, and who did not suffer me to remain long in suspense, concerning
their design. They all rushed into the room, and surrounded me, though
not before I had snatched up my sword to defend myself. But what could
one man do against four? They soon disarmed me, and, having fastened my
arms, and gagged my mouth, forced me through the private door, leaving
my sword upon the table, to assist, as they said, those who should come
in the morning to look for me, in fighting against the ghosts. They then
led me through many narrow passages, cut, as I fancied, in the walls,
for I had never seen them before, and down several flights of steps,
till we came to the vaults underneath the castle; and then opening
a stone door, which I should have taken for the wall itself, we went
through a long passage, and down other steps cut in the solid rock, when
another door delivered us into a cave. After turning and twining about,
for some time, we reached the mouth of it, and I found myself on the
sea-beach at the foot of the cliffs, with the chateau above. A boat was
in waiting, into which the ruffians got, forcing me along with them,
and we soon reached a small vessel, that was at anchor, where other men
appeared, when setting me aboard, two of the fellows who had seized me,
followed, and the other two rowed back to the shore, while we set sail.
I soon found out what all this meant, and what was the business of these
men at the chateau. We landed in Rousillon, and, after lingering
several days about the shore, some of their comrades came down from the
mountains, and carried me with them to the fort, where I remained till
my Lord so unexpectedly arrived, for they had taken good care to prevent
my running away, having blindfolded me, during the journey, and, if they
had not done this, I think I never could have found my road to any town,
through the wild country we traversed. After I reached the fort I was
watched like a prisoner, and never suffered to go out, without two or
three companions, and I became so weary of life, that I often wished to
get rid of it.'

'Well, but they let you talk,' said Annette, 'they did not gagg you
after they got you away from the chateau, so I don't see what reason
there was to be so very weary of living; to say nothing about the chance
you had of seeing me again.'

Ludovico smiled, and Emily also, who enquired what was the motive of
these men for carrying him off.

'I soon found out, madam,' resumed Ludovico, 'that they were pirates,
who had, during many years, secreted their spoil in the vaults of the
castle, which, being so near the sea, suited their purpose well. To
prevent detection they had tried to have it believed, that the chateau
was haunted, and, having discovered the private way to the north
apartments, which had been shut up ever since the death of the lady
marchioness, they easily succeeded. The housekeeper and her husband, who
were the only persons, that had inhabited the castle, for some years,
were so terrified by the strange noises they heard in the nights, that
they would live there no longer; a report soon went abroad, that it
was haunted, and the whole country believed this the more readily, I
suppose, because it had been said, that the lady marchioness had died
in a strange way, and because my lord never would return to the place
afterwards.'

'But why,' said Emily, 'were not these pirates contented with the
cave--why did they think it necessary to deposit their spoil in the
castle?'

'The cave, madam,' replied Ludovico, 'was open to any body, and their
treasures would not long have remained undiscovered there, but in the
vaults they were secure so long as the report prevailed of their being
haunted. Thus then, it appears, that they brought at midnight, the
spoil they took on the seas, and kept it till they had opportunities of
disposing of it to advantage. The pirates were connected with Spanish
smugglers and banditti, who live among the wilds of the Pyrenees, and
carry on various kinds of traffic, such as nobody would think of; and
with this desperate horde of banditti I remained, till my lord arrived.
I shall never forget what I felt, when I first discovered him--I almost
gave him up for lost! but I knew, that, if I shewed myself, the banditti
would discover who he was, and probably murder us all, to prevent their
secret in the chateau being detected. I, therefore, kept out of my
lord's sight, but had a strict watch upon the ruffians, and determined,
if they offered him or his family violence, to discover myself, and
fight for our lives. Soon after, I overheard some of them laying a most
diabolical plan for the murder and plunder of the whole party, when I
contrived to speak to some of my lord's attendants, telling them what
was going forward, and we consulted what was best to be done; meanwhile
my lord, alarmed at the absence of the Lady Blanche, demanded her, and
the ruffians having given some unsatisfactory answer, my lord and Mons.
St. Foix became furious, so then we thought it a good time to discover
the plot, and rushing into the chamber, I called out, "Treachery! my
lord count, defend yourself!" His lordship and the chevalier drew their
swords directly, and a hard battle we had, but we conquered at last, as,
madam, you are already informed of by my Lord Count.'

'This is an extraordinary adventure,' said Emily, 'and much praise
is due, Ludovico, to your prudence and intrepidity. There are some
circumstances, however, concerning the north apartments, which still
perplex me; but, perhaps, you may be able to explain them. Did you ever
hear the banditti relate any thing extraordinary of these rooms?'

'No, madam,' replied Ludovico, 'I never heard them speak about the
rooms, except to laugh at the credulity of the old housekeeper, who
once was very near catching one of the pirates; it was since the Count
arrived at the chateau, he said, and he laughed heartily as he related
the trick he had played off.'

A blush overspread Emily's cheek, and she impatiently desired Ludovico
to explain himself.

'Why, my lady,' said he, 'as this fellow was, one night in the bed-room,
he heard somebody approaching through the next apartment, and not having
time to lift up the arras, and unfasten the door, he hid himself in
the bed just by. There he lay for some time in as great a fright, I
suppose--'

'As you was in,' interrupted Annette, 'when you sat up so boldly to
watch by yourself.'

'Aye,' said Ludovico, 'in as great a fright as he ever made any body
else suffer; and presently the housekeeper and some other person came up
to the bed, when he, thinking they were going to examine it, bethought
him, that his only chance of escaping detection, was by terrifying them;
so he lifted up the counterpane, but that did not do, till he raised his
face above it, and then they both set off, he said, as if they had seen
the devil, and he got out of the rooms undiscovered.'

Emily could not forbear smiling at this explanation of the deception,
which had given her so much superstitious terror, and was surprised,
that she could have suffered herself to be thus alarmed, till she
considered, that, when the mind has once begun to yield to the weakness
of superstition, trifles impress it with the force of conviction. Still,
however, she remembered with awe the mysterious music, which had been
heard, at midnight, near Chateau-le-Blanc, and she asked Ludovico if he
could give any explanation of it; but he could not.

'I only know, madam,' he added, 'that it did not belong to the pirates,
for I have heard them laugh about it, and say, they believed the devil
was in league with them there.'

'Yes, I will answer for it he was,' said Annette, her countenance
brightening, 'I was sure all along, that he or his spirits had something
to do with the north apartments, and now you see, madam, I am right at
last.'

'It cannot be denied, that his spirits were very busy in that part of
the chateau,' replied Emily, smiling. 'But I am surprised, Ludovico,
that these pirates should persevere in their schemes, after the arrival
of the Count; what could they expect but certain detection?'

'I have reason to believe, madam,' replied Ludovico, 'that it was their
intention to persevere no longer than was necessary for the removal of
the stores, which were deposited in the vaults; and it appeared, that
they had been employed in doing so from within a short period after the
Count's arrival; but, as they had only a few hours in the night for
this business, and were carrying on other schemes at the same time, the
vaults were not above half emptied, when they took me away. They gloried
exceedingly in this opportunity of confirming the superstitious reports,
that had been spread of the north chambers, were careful to leave every
thing there as they had found it, the better to promote the deception,
and frequently, in their jocose moods, would laugh at the consternation,
which they believed the inhabitants of the castle had suffered upon
my disappearing, and it was to prevent the possibility of my betraying
their secret, that they had removed me to such a distance. From that
period they considered the chateau as nearly their own; but I found from
the discourse of their comrades, that, though they were cautious, at
first, in shewing their power there, they had once very nearly betrayed
themselves. Going, one night, as was their custom, to the north chambers
to repeat the noises, that had occasioned such alarm among the servants,
they heard, as they were about to unfasten the secret door, voices in
the bed-room. My lord has since told me, that himself and M. Henri
were then in the apartment, and they heard very extraordinary sounds of
lamentation, which it seems were made by these fellows, with their usual
design of spreading terror; and my lord has owned, he then felt somewhat
more, than surprise; but, as it was necessary to the peace of his
family, that no notice should be taken, he was silent on the subject,
and enjoined silence to his son.'

Emily, recollecting the change, that had appeared in the spirits of
the Count, after the night, when he had watched in the north room, now
perceived the cause of it; and, having made some further enquiries upon
this strange affair, she dismissed Ludovico, and went to give orders for
the accommodation of her friends, on the following day.

In the evening, Theresa, lame as she was, came to deliver the ring, with
which Valancourt had entrusted her, and, when she presented it, Emily
was much affected, for she remembered to have seen him wear it often
in happier days. She was, however, much displeased, that Theresa had
received it, and positively refused to accept it herself, though to
have done so would have afforded her a melancholy pleasure. Theresa
entreated, expostulated, and then described the distress of Valancourt,
when he had given the ring, and repeated the message, with which he had
commissioned her to deliver it; and Emily could not conceal the extreme
sorrow this recital occasioned her, but wept, and remained lost in
thought.

'Alas! my dear young lady!' said Theresa, 'why should all this be? I
have known you from your infancy, and it may well be supposed I love
you, as if you was my own, and wish as much to see you happy. M.
Valancourt, to be sure, I have not known so long, but then I have reason
to love him, as though he was my own son. I know how well you love one
another, or why all this weeping and wailing?' Emily waved her hand for
Theresa to be silent, who, disregarding the signal, continued, 'And
how much you are alike in your tempers and ways, and, that, if you were
married, you would be the happiest couple in the whole province--then
what is there to prevent your marrying? Dear dear! to see how some
people fling away their happiness, and then cry and lament about it,
just as if it was not their own doing, and as if there was more pleasure
in wailing and weeping, than in being at peace. Learning, to be sure,
is a fine thing, but, if it teaches folks no better than that, why I had
rather be without it; if it would teach them to be happier, I would say
something to it, then it would be learning and wisdom too.'

Age and long services had given Theresa a privilege to talk, but
Emily now endeavoured to check her loquacity, and, though she felt
the justness of some of her remarks, did not choose to explain the
circumstances, that had determined her conduct towards Valancourt. She,
therefore, only told Theresa, that it would much displease her to hear
the subject renewed; that she had reasons for her conduct, which she did
not think it proper to mention, and that the ring must be returned, with
an assurance, that she could not accept it with propriety; and, at
the same time, she forbade Theresa to repeat any future message
from Valancourt, as she valued her esteem and kindness. Theresa was
afflicted, and made another attempt, though feeble, to interest her
for Valancourt, but the unusual displeasure, expressed in Emily's
countenance, soon obliged her to desist, and she departed in wonder and
lamentation.

To relieve her mind, in some degree, from the painful recollections,
that intruded upon it, Emily busied herself in preparations for the
journey into Languedoc, and, while Annette, who assisted her, spoke with
joy and affection of the safe return of Ludovico, she was considering
how she might best promote their happiness, and determined, if it
appeared, that his affection was as unchanged as that of the simple and
honest Annette, to give her a marriage portion, and settle them on some
part of her estate. These considerations led her to the remembrance of
her father's paternal domain, which his affairs had formerly compelled
him to dispose of to M. Quesnel, and which she frequently wished to
regain, because St. Aubert had lamented, that the chief lands of his
ancestors had passed into another family, and because they had been his
birth-place and the haunt of his early years. To the estate at Tholouse
she had no peculiar attachment, and it was her wish to dispose of this,
that she might purchase her paternal domains, if M. Quesnel could be
prevailed on to part with them, which, as he talked much of living in
Italy, did not appear very improbable.

 Annette's seen a ghost! She storms into Emily's parlour, shaken from head to toe. Yep, the ghost is her sweetheart Ludovico, returned from his adventure beyond the haunted room. Ludovico also bears news that the Count de Villeforte and Blanche are on their way for a visit to La Vallee. Guess they haven't had enough excitement. It's time for Ludovico to tell his crazy story. Emily's practically salivating. Back when Ludovico was waiting up all night for the ghost to arrive, he was surprised to see a man's face. He also hears the distinct sound of a key being turned in a lock. Before Ludovico can say boo, a bunch of men rush out of a secret door in the wall and bind and gag him. Then they take him through a series of passages in the walls of the chateau, finally leading into a cave by the sea. From there, his jailers take him on a boat to the same fort the de Villefortes recently stumbled upon. Yep, the "ghosts" in the Marchioness's room are actually the Smugglers. Pick your jaw off the ground. And it turns out the Smugglers are also pirates by trade, using the Marchioness's room to keep all their stolen goods. Em has a pretty good question: why would the Smugglers go to the trouble to hide all their stuff in the chateau? And Ludovico has the answer. People were always going into the Smugglers' cave. But no one is going into a supposedly haunted room. Anyway, Ludovico happened to hear the ruffians talking about harming the de Villefortes. Ludovico to the rescue! The little wheels in Em's mind are turning. She wants to give Annette and Ludovico a marriage portion and settle them somewhere in her estate. Good lass.

