plied Dorothée. "I was very glad when I heard my lord the Count was coming, for this had been a fad desolate place, these many years, and we heard fuch strange noifes, fometimes, after my lady's death, that, as I told you before, my husband and I left it for a neighbouring cottage. And now, lady, I have told you all this fad hiftory, and all my thoughts, and you have promifed you know, never to give the leaft hint about it."-" I have," faid Emily, it.” " and I will be faithful to my promife, Doroth ́e;-what you have told has interested me more than you can imagine. I only wish I could prevail upon you to tell the name of the chevalier, whom you thought fo deferving of the Marchionefs.”

Dorothée, however, fteadily refused to do this, and then returned to the notice of Emily's likeness to the late Marchionefs. "There is another picture of her," added fhe, "hanging in a room of the fuite which was fhut up. It was drawn, as I have heard, before she was married, and is much

more

more like you than the miniature." When Emily expreffed a strong defire to fee this, Dorothée replied, that fhe did not wish to open those rooms; but Emily reminded her, that the Count had talked the other day of ordering them to be opened; of which Dorothée feemed to confider much, and then fhe owned, that she should feel lefs, if she went into them with Emily first, than otherwife, and at length promised to fhew the picture.

The night was too far advanced, and Emily was too much affected by the narrative of the scenes, which had passed in those apartments, to defire to vifit them at this hour; but she requested that Dorothée would return on the following night, when they were not likely to be obferved, and conduct her thither. Befides her wish to examine the portrait, fhe felt a thrilling curiofity to see the chamber, in which the Marchionefs had died, and which Dorothée had faid remained, with the bed and furniture, juft as when the corpfe was

removed

removed for interment. The folemn emotions, which the expectation of viewing fuch a scene had awakened, were in unifon with the prefent tone of her mind, depreffed by fevere difappointment. Cheerful objects rather added to, than removed this depreffion; but, perhaps, she yielded too much to her melancholy inclination, and imprudently lamented the misfortune, which no virtue of her own could have taught her to avoid, though no effort of reafon could make her look unmoved upon the felf-degradation of him, whom fhe had once esteemed and loved.

Dorothée promifed to return, on the following night, with the keys of the chambers, and then wifhed Emily good repofe, and departed. Emily, however, continued at the window, musing upon the melancholy fate of the Marchionefs and listening, in awful expectation, for a return of the mufic. But the ftillnefs of the

night remained long unbroken, except by the murmuring founds of the woods, as they waved in the breeze, and then by the diftant

VOL. IV.

D

diftant bell of the convent, ftriking one. She now withdrew from the window, and, as fhe fat at her bed-fide, indulging melancholy reveries, which the loneliness of the hour affifted, the ftillness was fuddenly interrupted, not by mufic, but by very uncommon founds, that seemed to come either from the room adjoining her own, or from one below. The terrible cataftrophe, that had been related to her, together with the mysterious circumstances, faid to have fince occurred in the chateau, had fo much fhocked her fpirits, that fhe now funk, for a moment, under the weakness of fuperftition. The founds, however, did not return, and fhe retired, to forget in fleep the difaftrous ftory fhe had heard.

CHAP. IV.

Now it is the time of night,

That, the graves all gaping wide,
Every one lets forth his sprite,

In the church-way path to glide."

SHAKSPEARE.

ON the next night, about the fame hour as before, Dorothée came to Emily's chamber, with the keys of that suit of rooms, which had been particularly appropriated to the late Marchionefs. These extended along the north fide of the chateau, forming part of the old building; and, as Emily's room was in the fouth, they had to pafs over a great extent. of the castle, and by the chambers of several of the family, whofe obfervations Dorothée was anxious to avoid, fince it might excite enquiry and raise reports, fuch as would displease the Count. She, therefore, requested that Emily would wait half an hour, before they ventured forth, that

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