The Mysteries of Udolpho

Mysterious Figure and Reluctant Return

The party proceeds slowly through near-darkness, uneven ground, and exposed tree roots, when coachman Michael stops the carriage after spotting a distant figure moving up the avenue twice. Alarmed by the isolated, eerie setting, Michael suggests turning back due to the lack of nearby houses, and St. Aubert agrees to proceed a short distance further before returning if no dwelling is found. As Michael reluctantly turns the carriage around, a deep, hollow, barely human voice calls out from the trees, causing Michael to whip the mules and speed back to the high road at full pace, ignoring the rough terrain and risk to the party. Once stopped, St. Aubert tells Emily he is very ill.

St. Aubert Faints, Emily Ventures for Help

St. Aubert leans on Emily for support as Michael stops the carriage, and Emily hears distant music that she interprets as a sign of nearby human habitation. She spots a faint château in the moonlight in the distance, but cannot reach it: St. Aubert is too ill to bear the carriage’s motion, Michael refuses to leave his mules, and Emily fears leaving her father alone or venturing into the unknown woods by herself. As St. Aubert orders Michael to proceed slowly, he suddenly faints, leaving Emily in a panic. She begs him to respond, gets Michael to fetch water from a roadside rivulet, and sprinkles it on his face, fearing he is dying. Overcoming her own fear, she commits St. Aubert to Michael’s care and ventures alone into the woods toward the music and the château she saw. The music ceases as she travels, and she becomes lost in the dark, overhanging woods, but hears Michael calling for her; she chooses to keep going, fearing her father is dying, and eventually finds a lane leading to a moonlit glade where she hears voices and sees a group of peasants.

Emily Secures Peasant Village Aid

Emily approaches a group of peasants near their scattered woodland cottages, explains her father’s sudden illness and need for help, and several villagers immediately offer assistance, following her back to the carriage. They find St. Aubert has regained consciousness, having sent Michael to search for Emily after worrying for her safety, though he remains too weak to travel far. A venerable peasant explains the distant château is uninhabited, and invites the party to stay at his nearby cottage for rest and care.

Arrival at La Voisin’s Welcoming Cottage

St. Aubert gratefully accepts the peasant’s hospitality, and the carriage follows the villagers up the lane Emily traveled to the moonlit glade. The peasants greet the party with eager curiosity, offering wine, fruit, and grapes. The carriage stops at the neat cottage of the host, La Voisin, who assists St. Aubert to alight and leads the pair to a small inner room lit only by moonlight streaming through an open casement. La Voisin brings the travelers fresh fruit, cream, and other simple provisions, then retreats to give them space, and St. Aubert feels refreshed by the cool, honeysuckle-scented air and the prospect of rest.

Conversation on Family, Loss, and Afterlife

Feeling somewhat restored, St. Aubert converses with La Voisin, who shares details of his family life: his married daughter, late wife, and young grandchildren who were dancing on the green earlier. He expresses his hope to die surrounded by his family and be reunited with his deceased wife in heaven, and asks St. Aubert if he believes disembodied spirits can revisit the earth. St. Aubert affirms his hope that he and Emily will be reunited with loved ones in the afterlife, comforting Emily, who is moved to tears by the conversation and the painful thought of losing her father. The soft moonlight and distant plaintive music add to the group’s quiet melancholy.

Mysterious Nighttime Woodland Music

St. Aubert hears the distant sweet music again and asks who is playing, noting the guitar is played skillfully. La Voisin explains the mysterious nighttime music is a long-standing local mystery: no one knows the identity of the musician, who sometimes plays accompanied by a sweet, sad voice. Locals have tried to follow the sound into the woods, but it always retreats, and many fear being led into danger, so no one has discovered the source. A local superstition holds that the music is a death warning, though La Voisin has heard it for years without harm, and it often moves him to think of his late wife. Emily is unsettled by the superstition despite her initial amusement.