The Mysteries of Udolpho

The Late Marquis de Villeroi

In answer to Mademoiselle Feydeau’s questions, the lady abbess declines to pronounce judgment on whether the Marquis was criminal, but warns the sisters of the terrible punishment an exasperated conscience can inflict in this life, calling it the purgatory of earthly existence. She praises the late Marchioness de Villeroi, whom she knew personally, as a paragon of virtue whose mortal remains the convent received and whose heavenly spirit, she is confident, has ascended to glory.

Vespers

The convent bell strikes for vespers as the abbess concludes, and she leads the community to chapel to intercede for the wretched and purify their souls. Deeply moved by the solemnity of the moment, Emily follows and, remembering her recently deceased father, faintly murmurs that he, too, has gone to that same heaven.

CHAPITRE VIII.

Emily’s fortunes take a decisive turn when Count de Villefort receives word from an Avignon advocate that she may now pursue her claim to Madame Montoni’s estates, a claim formerly blocked by the very person whose death has now cleared her path. Montoni himself has met an end far from triumphant: brought to trial alongside Orsino for the murder of a Venetian nobleman, Orsino suffered execution upon the wheel while Montoni, though ultimately released for lack of evidence on that specific charge, was re-imprisoned by the Venetian senate as a dangerous man and subsequently died under circumstances so doubtful and mysterious that poison was suspected. Quesnel’s sudden interest in Emily’s affairs now that she stands to inherit suggests a mercenary motive lurking beneath his newfound benevolence, for it appears his respect has been awakened not by his niece’s person but by her augmented prospects, and he proposes to meet her at Thoulouse to assist with the formalities of claiming the estate. Emily accepts his assistance with mixed feelings, resolved to return to La Vallée, the beloved home where her parents once lived, though she cannot forget that the one who might once have shared her joy in such fortune is now unworthy of it. Meanwhile, Count de Villefort confides his anxieties to Emily: he is troubled by circulating rumors of supernatural visitations that he can neither confirm nor disprove, and his household remains shaken by Ludovico’s disappearance, which has defied all attempts at explanation despite generous rewards offered for information about the missing man. Determined to discover whether any mortal or spectral cause lies behind the mystery, the Count decides to keep watch in the north apartment, an effort his son Henri agrees to share despite evident reluctance, while the Baron and others warn him against provoking whatever spirit haunts those chambers, reminding him that Ludovico’s fate may represent a terrible demonstration of its malice. The Count, dismissing such superstition if not outright incredulous, arms himself and settles into the haunted rooms with Henri, examining the chamber and oriel before drawing their chairs to the fire with wine, swords, and a lamp, prepared for whatever may emerge from the darkness.

Montoni’s Death

Montoni and Orsino were brought to trial as suspected accomplices in the murder of a Venetian nobleman. Orsino was found guilty, condemned, and executed upon the wheel. However, nothing could be found to criminate Montoni and his colleagues on this particular charge, so they were all released. Yet Montoni, deemed a dangerous person by the senate, was ordered back into confinement for other reasons. He died in a doubtful and mysterious manner, and rumors circulated that he may have been poisoned. Count de Villefort shared this intelligence with Emily through the convent, where she had been staying.

Emily’s Inheritance

With Montoni now deceased, Emily could assert her claim to her late aunt’s estates without legal opposition. M. Quesnel wrote encouraging her to pursue this inheritance and offered to assist with the necessary formalities. He advised her to meet him in Thoulouse in about three weeks to take possession of the estates. Emily also learned that La Vallée, her cherished childhood home where her parents once lived, would soon be restored to her. Despite the unexpected fortune awakening newfound kindness in her uncle, Emily felt conflicted—her beloved Valancourt was no longer worthy of sharing this good fortune. However, following the Count’s counsel, she suppressed melancholy reflections and embraced gratitude for her unexpected good fortune.