Dorothée Recounts the Marchioness’s Death
The Count sends for Dorothée and exacts a promise of silence concerning all extraordinary occurrences. Dorothée then relates the particulars of the Marchioness de Villeroi’s death, some of which the Count already knows and others of which surprise and agitate him. After listening, the Count withdraws to his closet for several hours; when he reappears, the solemnity of his manner surprises and alarms Emily, though she voices nothing.
Mons. Du Pont’s Renewed Suit to Emily
A week after Ludovico’s disappearance, most of the Count’s guests depart. The arrival of Mons. Du Pont—his face bright with the same ardour that once drove him from Château-le-Blanc—embarrasses and distresses Emily, who is received with reserve by her and presented with an encouraging smile by the Count. Du Pont quickly reads Emily’s manner, and his countenance falls into the languor of despondency. The following day, he seeks her out and renews his suit, which Emily meets with real concern, assurances of esteem and friendship, and a second rejection that leaves him in a state claiming her tenderest compassion.
Emily Resolves to Return to the Convent
More sensible than ever of the impropriety of remaining at the château, Emily immediately seeks the Count and communicates her intention of returning to the convent.
The Count Counsels Emily Against Sorrow
The Count responds with affectionate concern, observing the illusion she is encouraging and warning that indulging the belief of an irrecoverable shock will subdue the strength of her mind and discolour her future views with melancholy. He seeks to dissipate the illusion and awaken her to a sense of her danger.
CHAPTER VII
In Chapter VII, the Count of Duvarney counsels Emily St. Aubert on matters of the heart following Valancourt’s supposed death, urging her to consider the worthy M. Du Pont. Emily firmly resists any notion of a second attachment and soon departs for the convent of St. Claire, where the nuns regale her with tales of the late Marquis de Villeroi, the former owner of Château-le-Blanc, and his mysterious, possibly criminal past. The chapter closes with the convent’s evening devotions.
The Count’s Counsel
The Count gently but firmly counsels Emily, who has just learned of Valancourt’s death, arguing that her grief, if indulged in solitude, will only deepen with time. Drawing on his own youthful suffering, he warns her against romantic brooding and praises Du Pont’s sensibility, family, and fortune. He asks only that Emily check her mournful thoughts, engage with present realities, and allow herself to consider the possibility of future happiness.
Emily’s Resolve
Emily receives the Count’s advice with gratitude but resolutely insists that her heart can never accept a second attachment and that she cannot regard Du Pont with anything beyond friendship. She thanks the Count warmly for his kindness, promises to follow his counsel on every other matter, and accepts his future invitations—on the condition that Du Pont be absent. When the Count teasingly hints at bringing an uninvited guest, Emily’s distress silences the conversation, and the Count relents.
Return to the Convent
After taking leave of Emily, the Count informs the Countess, who expresses polite regret at Emily’s departure. Emily sends word to the lady abbess and withdraws to the convent on the following evening, accompanied by Du Pont’s visible sorrow and the Count’s consoling assurances. She is warmly welcomed back into the tranquil community, where the maternal abbess and the nuns renew their kindness toward her.
Tales of the Château
On the evening of Emily’s return, the nuns gather in the convent parlour after supper to discuss the strange events at Château-le-Blanc and the disappearance of Ludovico, which they generally ascribe to supernatural causes. Sister Frances recalls the château’s long-held reputation as a haunted place and suggests that its former owner, the late Marquis, may have had crimes to answer for. Mademoiselle Feydeau, a boarder, presses for details of the Marquis’s reputed offenses.
Sister Agnes
A nun called Sister Agnes, who has listened in solemn silence, suddenly declares that she can speak to the matter, asserting that God alone can judge the late Marquis. When Mademoiselle Feydeau mildly presses her for an opinion, Sister Agnes grows strangely intense, declaring the word “displeasing” inadequate, and abruptly leaves the room to pray. Emily is struck by her wild and solemn manner, while Sister Frances and the abbess suggest that her intellects are sometimes disordered.
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