Entry into the Overhanging Woods
Once Ugo finds a flint and lights the torch, the men lead the mules into the overhanging cypress and sycamore woods that line the glen, navigating broken, brush-filled ground. Emily is terrified of the deep, dark woods, convinced the men are taking her there to murder her on Montoni’s orders, and begs them to stay on the open glen path instead, arguing the woods are more dangerous during the thunderstorm.
CHAPITRE VI.
Chapter VI follows Emily’s journey through a storm-lashed mountainous woodland alongside her guides Bertrand and Ugo, as tensions flare between the two men and the group travels toward an unknown destination linked to Signor Montoni.
Bertrand and Ugo’s Dispute
Bertrand insists the group should take cover under the woods to avoid enemy patrols, citing his own history of courage but noting they cannot fight off large numbers of opponents. Ugo contemptuously mocks Bertrand’s fear, claiming he could defeat any number of enemies, and would leave Bertrand safely hidden in a dry ditch to watch him rout the foe. The exchange quickly escalates into a violent altercation.
The Thunderstorm
The men’s fight is interrupted by distant thunder that rolls steadily closer, eventually bursting overhead with such force it seems to shake the earth to its core. Lightning flashes between tree trunks, and the distant mountains appear to be wreathed in livid flame. Emily feels less fear of the storm than her companions, as other, more pressing terrors occupy her mind.
Under the Chestnut Tree
The group rests beneath an enormous chestnut tree, propping their pikes in the ground; Emily watches lightning dance along the pike points before running down them into the earth. Bertrand complains about the storm, jokes about turning priest to pray, and asks Ugo if he carries a rosary; Ugo retorts that only cowards carry rosaries, and he carries a sword for fighting instead. After another peal of thunder echoes through the mountains, Ugo proposes they continue moving to avoid losing time, arguing the thick tree boughs will shelter them as well as the chestnut tree. The group sets back into the woods, where the rising wind rushes through the branches, brightens the torch they carry, and illuminates gloomy recesses that Ugo notes are suitable wolf habitats.
The Moonlit Valley
After nearly an hour of travel through the woods, the storm passes and the group emerges onto an open mountain brow overlooking a wide, misty moonlit valley. The valley is bordered to the north and east by the Apennine mountains, and stretches into the lowlands of Tuscany to the west and south. Emily’s spirits lift, reasoning that if her guides intended to harm her, they would have done so in the isolated woods where the act would go unseen. She admires the valley’s tranquil beauty, contrasting it with the gloomy landscapes she has recently inhabited, and briefly wonders if Montoni truly selected such a lovely spot for cruel purposes, before concluding it is the valley’s inhabitants, not the spot itself, that align with Montoni’s plans. Bertrand points out the sea to the west, and Ugo states their destination is a chestnut wood by a moonlit brook in the valley.
The Rustic Cottage
The group soon reaches the edge of the chestnut wood lining the valley brook, and spots a light streaming from a distant cottage window. They follow the brook to the cottage, where Bertrand knocks loudly. A man opens an upper casement, asks what they want, then descends to let them into a neat rustic cottage and calls his wife to bring refreshments for the travellers.
The Sallow Peasant
Emily observes the peasant is tall but not robust, with a sallow complexion and shrewd, cunning eyes that do not inspire trust. Ugo impatiently demands supper, asserting his unquestioned authority in the cottage. The peasant explains he received Signor Montoni’s letter three hours prior, and he and his wife had given up on the group arriving and gone to bed, before asking how they fared in the storm. Ugo complains they fared poorly and demands more wine and food immediately. The peasant serves all the cottage has to offer: ham, wine, figs, and unusually large, flavorful grapes.
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