The Mysteries of Udolpho

Valancourt Resolves the Lodging Dispute

The dispute is at length settled by Valancourt, who draws the hostess aside and proposes that she let the muleteer and his mules have the disputed room while her sons take the bed of skins intended for him, since he is content to wrap himself in his cloak and sleep on the bench by the cottage door. The hostess feels both duty and inclination to oppose this and to disappoint the muleteer, but Valancourt remains firm, and the tedious affair is finally settled.

Discovery of Valancourt’s Books

Late in the evening, St. Aubert and Emily retire to their rooms, and Valancourt to his chosen station at the cottage door, which at this mild season he prefers to a close cabin and a bed of skins. St. Aubert is somewhat surprised to find volumes of Homer, Horace, and Petrarch in his room; the name of Valancourt written in them reveals the books to be his.

CHAPTER IV

This is Chapter IV of the narrative, opening with a lyrical poem that introduces the character of the minstrel, describing his whimsical, emotionally attuned nature that finds delight in both gentle and dramatic natural scenes, and his choice to embrace rather than suppress his tender feelings of sorrow and empathy.

THE MINSTREL

The chapter opens with a poem portraying a wandering minstrel with a vivid, sensitive spirit: he takes joy in all forms of natural scenery, from calm ocean waves to storms and dark landscapes, and cherishes his moments of pity and sorrow as sweet, refusing to control or hide his tender emotions.

The Early Departure

St. Aubert wakes early, refreshed by sleep, and prepares to continue his journey. He invites the young traveler Valancourt to join him for breakfast, and Valancourt recommends the route to Beaujeu as a scenic path toward Rousillon. St. Aubert accepts the suggestion, and Valancourt offers to accompany him partway to the road junction.

The Valley of Verdure

The pair set out, with Valancourt traveling on foot beside St. Aubert’s carriage. Their path winds through a lush pastoral valley bright with greenery, dotted with groves of dwarf oak, beech, and sycamore, where herds of cattle rest under the trees, and mountain ash and weeping birch hang their foliage over the rocky slopes.

Sunrise on the Cliffs

As dawn breaks, Emily watches the sun’s light first tremble on the highest cliffs, then spread golden beams across the valley, dispersing the morning mist. The vibrant natural renewal lifts St. Aubert’s spirits, and he is moved to reflect on the Great Creator, while Valancourt points out scenic highlights to the pair, impressing St. Aubert with his unjaded, earnest love of nature.

The Parting of the Ways

After roughly a league and a half of travel, the party reaches the junction where the route to Beaujeu splits from the local road. St. Aubert is sad to part with Valancourt so soon after their short acquaintance, and Valancourt lingers, searching for reasons to delay his departure before finally taking his leave.

Valancourt’s Farewell

As Valancourt walks away, he pauses on the roadside bank, resting on his pike with folded arms, and watches the carriage depart. St. Aubert later sees him standing there in a pensive reverie, and Valancourt waves in response when St. Aubert gestures to him before he turns and leaves the area.

The Pine Forests

After parting ways with Valancourt, the landscape shifts to rugged mountains covered in dense, dark pine forests, with occasional granite peaks rising into the clouds. The small stream they followed expands into a slow, deep river that mirrors the dark overhanging woods, with sheer marble cliffs and lightning-scarred larches lining the water’s edge.

Shepherds of the Valley

The party travels a rough, rarely used mountain road, encountering only occasional solitary shepherds with their dogs moving through the valley, alongside the sounds of hidden torrents, wind rushing through the pines, and the cries of eagles and vultures circling the cliffs. St. Aubert often stops to examine the region’s abundant wild plants and aromatic herbs, while Emily wanders under the tree shade, immersed in the quiet of the wilderness.