Annette Liberated
Annette arrived weeping for Ludovico, though Emily learned he still lived despite his terrible wounds. The initial report of his death had been exaggerated. Carlo had freed her from confinement, and she now brought Emily what intelligence she could gather about Madame Montoni, though she could learn nothing satisfactory.
Days of Anxiety
Two uneventful days passed with no word about Madame Montoni. Emily remained in her chamber, mourning for her aunt, though she was now unmolested and could obtain food safely with Annette’s assistance.
Midnight Vigil
Unable to sleep, Emily rose and went to her casement. She gazed upon the silent, dark landscape—the mountains, castle towers, and a lone sentinel on the ramparts. The scene’s tranquility contrasted sharply with the violent passions within the castle. She reflected on her former happiness with her parents, now lost, and wept for what they would have suffered knowing her fate.
She recognized the same planet she had seen on the night before her father’s death in Languedoc, and remembered his conversation about departed souls and the solemn music she had once heard—music that had filled her tender heart with superstitious meaning.
The Mysterious Music
As Emily stood at the casement, sweet music suddenly floated through the night air. Though she tried to reason herself into composure, she found the sound most soothing and enchanting, for it had been long since she had heard anything resembling melody in Udolpho. The strain seemed to come from below, somewhere in or near the castle, then appeared to recede, tremble faintly, and cease entirely.
The strangeness of hearing music at midnight in a place where no harmony had sounded for years left her deeply affected. She wondered if it might have been her deceased father, speaking to comfort her regarding the matter that had occupied their last conversation. Though her reason dismissed such notions, her imagination wavered toward wild conjecture, especially when she considered the mysterious disappearance of the castle’s former owner. She resolved to watch the following night at the same hour to see if the music would return.
CHAPTER XII
Opening with a Shakespearean epigraph, this chapter centers on Emily St. Aubert’s experiences at Udolpho: she learns of the unexpected arrival of Signor Orsino, a man linked to a past Venetian murder, grapples with rumors of a ghostly former lady of the castle and mysterious nocturnal music, arranges a clandestine dusk meeting with castle porter Barnardine on the east rampart, and receives shocking then relieving news about the fate of her missing aunt, Madame Montoni.
Annette Announces Signor Orsino’s Presence at Udolpho
Annette rushes breathless to Emily’s apartment to announce that the man previously believed to be a hidden prisoner in the castle is actually Signor Orsino, whom she encountered on the rampart below, revealing he is free and currently residing at Udolpho.
Annette Describes Her Unexpected Rampart Meeting with Orsino
Annette recounts the details of her unexpected meeting with Orsino on the rampart, describing his tall, stern appearance, distinctive high hat feather from their time in Venice, and her concealed fear when greeting him, leaving Emily shocked to learn the man responsible for a Venetian gentleman’s death is hiding in the castle.
Mysterious Nocturnal Music and Rumors of the Former Lady’s Ghost
Emily initially wonders if Orsino is responsible for the mysterious music she heard the prior night, but Annette notes he has no musical skill and only drum and trumpet music is played in the castle, then mentions dreaming of the late lady of the castle’s ghost, reviving Emily’s terrible, long-held suspicions about the fate of her missing aunt, Madame Montoni.
Porter Barnardine Requests a Clandestine Meeting with Emily
Annette informs Emily that castle porter Barnardine urgently wishes to speak with her about matters of great importance, but cannot visit her corridor for fear of being discovered by Signor Montoni, and requests she meet him either via secret roundabout passages or on the east rampart at dusk to avoid drawing attention.
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