The Mysteries of Udolpho

The company heads to the city of Turin. Madame Montoni wants to linger in the city for sightseeing, but Montoni tells her they will stay only long enough to restock their rations. Montoni is brusque with his wife throughout the journey. As they cross Milan, Montoni dresses up as an Italian soldier and talks increasingly about warfare and violence. His behavior toward Madame Montoni worsens when they arrive at his estate, located on the grand canal in Venice. Emily marvels at the grandeur of Montoni’s palace. Montoni leaves Madame Montoni alone at home and goes away with Cavigni. Madame Montoni looks crestfallen.

Montoni and Cavigni stay out partying all night. After he returns, Montoni invites his group of friends—Signor Bertolini, Signor Orsino, Count Morano, and Signora Livona—to dinner. Madame Montoni receives them poorly, angry that her husband preferred their company to hers. The group goes out in gondolas for a ride. Montoni looks around for a casino where he can gamble. Montoni disappears shortly and returns in the morning after having lost considerable money at a casino. He and Madame Montoni fight.

Meanwhile, Count Morano invites Emily and Madame Montoni to the opera. After attending the opera, Emily decides she prefers the beauty of nature to the artificiality of the opera. In the following weeks, Morano courts Emily aggressively. Emily is “highly disgusted at his perseverance” (294). The Montonis favor Morano’s suit since he is very rich. Cavigni is uncomfortable with Morano’s courting of Emily. Madame Montoni had initially spoken of visiting the Castle di Udolpho in the Apennines, arousing hopes of a countryside visit in Emily. However, the trip seems to be forgotten in the wake of Morano’s courting of Emily.

Emily gets a letter from Valancourt saying that M. Quesnel has leased out La Vallee and dismissed Theresa. Emily is appalled Quesnel would lease out her father’s property without her permission. However, she feels her disapproval would be best conveyed to Quesnel in person. Montoni, who has received similar news from Quesnel, asks Emily to write her acquiescence to M. Quesnel. Emily does so, saying it is now useless for her to object to the matter to which Quesnel refers. Montoni is happy with the way she has framed her letter.

Morano kisses Emily’s hand without her consent and asks her to come away alone with him on a gondola ride. When Emily refuses, Morano accuses her of playing with him, since she has written to Quesnel accepting his affections. Emily realizes Montoni may have tricked her into writing her acquiescence to Morano’s proposal, instead of the lease of La Vallee. Montoni pretends he is innocent. Morano says Montoni has misled him and vows to protect Emily from his high-handedness. Emily retires to her rooms, feeling helpless about her isolation. She ponders her future course of action. She cannot now return to La Vallee, neither would she want to live with the Quesnels. She decides the convent in Languedoc near which her father passed away may be her best option.

Madame Montoni does not support Emily’s refusal of Count Morano and taunts her for being too picky. Morano does not visit for several days. Emily and the Montonis visit the Quesnels at the villa of Miarenti, which M. Quesnel inherited.

Emily had hoped the Quesnels would support her in her refusal to marry Morano. But now she feels the “cruelly exerted authority” (331) of both Montoni and Quesnel forcing her to entertain Morano. Morano, who had left Emily alone in Venice, begins visiting Emily again in Miarenti. Pride prevents Emily from confessing her love for Valancourt to Morano. The group return to Venice where Montoni’s behavior becomes even more tyrannical. He tells Emily that if she does not marry Count Morano, her “punishment shall exceed [her] expectation” (333). Emily decides to suffer Montoni’s punishment rather than be forced into marriage to a man she does not love.

Talk of Emily and Morano’s wedding is briefly sidelined when Signor Orsino—one of Morano’s friends—visits the house in a state of agitation. He wants to hide in Montoni’s palace since he is being sought by the Senate for a plot to stab a Venetian nobleman. After Orsino leaves Montoni’s mansion a few days later, Montoni announces that Emily’s wedding will be held the next morning. Although it should be obvious to Morano that Emily does not want the wedding, he is too intoxicated by his passion to notice her despair. Madame Montoni takes bridal ornaments from the Count to Emily’s chambers, trying to convince Emily that the marriage will make her happy. She asks Emily to stop thinking about Valancourt and “get rid of all those fantastical notions about love” (339). That night, Emily is beset with nightmares and terrible visions.

The next morning, Annette, Madame Montoni’s housekeeper, tells Emily Montoni came home in a terrible mood and has ordered everyone to depart Venice without delay. The group leaves for the Castle di Udolpho in the Apennine mountains. Emily fears Montoni may have planned the trip to further isolate her and force her submission into marriage, but she is pleased to see neither Morano nor Cavigni travelling with them. Emily tries to learn the reason for their sudden departure from Montoni, but Montoni’s manner toward Emily during the journey is extremely severe.

Udolpho is situated in the midst of a thick pine forest on top of a mountain. The castle looks Gothic, intimidating, and dark. At the castle, Annette tells Emily the rumors that Udolpho is haunted by ghosts and fairies. Emily humors her and then asks Annette to abandon such ridiculous fancies. On the way to Emily’s rooms, they find a painting covered by a thick, black veil. Annette refuses to unveil the picture as she has heard terrible things about it. Annette cannot reveal its secret to Emily as she has been forbidden from doing so.

Annette does tell Emily about the missing “lady of Udolpho,” or Signora Laurentini. The signora was the rightful owner of the castle and a distant relative of Montoni. Montoni wanted to marry her. When she refused because she was in love with someone else, Montoni became furious. One evening, the lady went out for a walk among the trees and never returned. It is now said her ghost can be seen in the castle during the nights. Montoni laid claim to the castle, being the lady’s next heir. After Annette leaves, Emily notices a door in her room leading to a stairway. Emily decides to explore the stairway later.

The next day Emily finds the door to the stairway locked from the outside. It is clear someone bolted the door deliberately, and Emily wants to change her rooms. Montoni dismisses her request, refusing to entertain her “idle whims” (372). Emily feels agitated by the dismissal and tries to distract herself by exploring the castle. Curious about the veiled picture from the night before, Emily lifts the cover off the portrait. She does not find a picture underneath the cloth and faints in surprise. She decides to spend the rest of the day with Madame Montoni to keep her mind off her fears.

Meanwhile, Annette tells Emily that Montoni’s friends Cavigni and Verezzi are in Udolpho. Emily learns that Orsino is missing; the cavalier Orsino stabbed is dead. The news agitates Montoni, who gathers his men and starts having the palace fortified, even getting a cannon repaired. Emily and Madame Montoni spot Condittieri (mercenary soldiers) near the castle. Emily also thinks she has glimpsed Morano.

Emily retires to bed, fretting about the sudden turn of events. She is awakened by Manchon barking at an intruder. This turns out to be Morano, who may have entered Emily’s room through the secret stairway. Emily asks Morano to immediately leave. Morano says he is here to rescue her from Montoni’s “villainy” (400) since Montoni offered to sell Emily to Morano. He begs Emily to run away with him, but Emily upbraids Morano for ever entertaining Montoni’s offer. Morano orders his servant to kidnap Emily. Just then, Montoni and his stewards enter the rooms. The stewards rescue Emily from Morano’s servants.

Montoni and Morano duel. Montoni wounds Morano and wants him thrown out of the castle immediately. Emily asks for clemency for the sake of humanity. A confused Montoni leaves briefly to attend to his own injuries. Morano begs Emily for forgiveness and her good wishes, which she grants. Morano insinuates Montoni is a murderer, which causes Verezzi to threaten him. Emily asks Morano to leave, which he does. Montoni arrives on the scene and accuses Emily of having conspired with Morano. Emily denies the accusation, but Montoni ignores her.