The Mysteries of Udolpho

Exploration of the Abandoned North Apartment Suite

The group proceeds to the north apartments, with most château inhabitants accompanying them to the back staircase, where several servants shrink back and refuse to continue. Only the Count, Henri, and Ludovico ascend to the landing, where a crowd watches as Ludovico struggles with the unfamiliar lock; Dorothée, who lingered behind, opens the door but shrieks and retreats at the sight of the dusky chamber, causing most of the crowd to flee. The three men enter the suite, checking the first three quiet rooms that show only damp walls and decaying furniture. The Count remarks he has been too occupied to explore the rooms until now, notes the rotting damask hangings and antique furniture that will be removed, points out a heavily gilded armchair with an untold history, and observes the suite is larger than he imagined and unvisited in many years.

Count Reminisces About the Saloon’s Former Glory

The group enters the spacious saloon, which the Count identifies as the château’s former state-room where the Marchioness held assemblies for her nuptial festivities. He surveys its faded grandeur: sumptuous tapestry, long low velvet sofas with heavily carved gilded frames, inlaid marble floor, painted glass casements, and large high-quality Venetian mirrors that once reflected the brilliant crowds and blazing lights of the Marchioness’s events. The Count reflects on how the scene has changed since his youth, when the room echoed with dance and music, now only reflecting the single glimmering lamp he holds and their three forlorn figures. He notes that many of the people who once celebrated there are now dead, and reflects that years are made of moments that carry people closer to their graves, urging that such reflections should teach preparation for eternity rather than cloud present happiness without guiding to a better future.

Discovery of the Marchioness’s Bedchamber

Ludovico opens the door to the bedroom at the end of the suite, and the Count is struck by its funereal appearance, noting the dark arras drapery and the bed covered with a black velvet pall. He approaches the bed with solemnity, asks what the pall means, and Ludovico explains the Marchioness de Villeroi died in the chamber and remained there until her burial, accounting for the pall. The Count stands silently, visibly affected, then seriously asks Ludovico if his courage will support him through the night, offering to release him from his engagement without exposing him to his fellow servants’ ridicule if he admits doubt.

Ludovico Agrees to Stay the Night Alone

Ludovico hesitates, with pride and fear struggling in his breast, but pride prevails, and he insists he will follow through with his commitment. He tells the Count he will build a fire on the hearth and rely on the provisions in Henri’s basket to pass the night comfortably, and the Count warns him that if he is seriously alarmed during the night, he may come to the Count’s apartment, expressing confidence in Ludovico’s good sense and courage to resist idle fears or the remote chamber’s gloom.

Ludovico Settles In with a Book and Fire

Ludovico escorts the Count and Henri to the outer door, then closes and fastens it behind them. He checks all the rooms he passed through for hidden intruders, then returns to the bedroom, where he pauses to gaze at the portrait of the deceased Marchioness for a considerable time with attention and surprise before examining the adjacent closet and finding it empty. He kindles a wood fire in the hearth to revive his spirits, which had begun to yield to the place’s gloom and silence interrupted only by intermittent gusts of wind. He draws a small table and chair near the fire, eats the cold provisions and drinks wine from the basket, lays his sword on the table, and takes out a volume of old Provençal tales to read, planning to sleep only when weary.

Debate on Spirits Revisiting the Living

Back in the supper-room, the guests who fled the north apartments earlier question the Count about the chambers, and the conversation turns to whether spirits are permitted to revisit the earth after death, and if they can become visible to the senses. The Baron argues both propositions are probable and possible, citing respected ancient and modern authorities, while the Count is decisively opposed, leading to a long, candid debate where neither convinces the other. The audience is divided: most side with the Baron, drawn to the wonder of supernatural ideas, while others find the Count’s arguments unanswerable but assume their own lack of knowledge prevents them from refuting his points. Blanche, pale with attention, blushes when her father ridicules the superstitious ideas and tries to forget the tales she was told in her convent. Emily listens deeply, remembering an unsettling sight she witnessed in the late Marchioness’s apartment, and restrains from mentioning it to avoid upsetting the Count or facing his ridicule, deciding to stay silent until Ludovico’s night in the apartments proves whether her fears are justified.