then added, in a folemn voice, which frequently trembled with the agitation of his heart, "Farewell, Emily, you will always be the only object of my tenderness. Sometimes you will think of the unhappy Valancourt, and it will be with pity, though it may not be with esteem. O! what is the whole

world to me, without you-without your

esteem !"

He checked himself-" I am falling again into the error I have just lamented. I must not intrude longer upon your patience, or I fhall relapfe into defpair."

He once more bade Emily adieu, preffed her hand to his lips, looked at her, for the last time, and hurried out of the

room.

Emily remained in the chair, where he had left her, oppreffed with a pain at her heart, which scarcely permitted her to breathe, and liftening to his departing fteps, finking fainter and fainter, as he croffed the hall. She was, at length, roused by the

VOL. IV.

C.

voice

voice of the Countess in the garden, and, her attention being then awakened, the first object, which struck her fight, was the vacant chair, where Valancourt had fat. The tears, which had been, for fome time, repreffed by the kind of astonishment, that followed his departure, now came to her relief, and she was, at length, fufficiently composed to return to her own room.

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

"This is no mortal business, nor no found

That the earth owes !".

SHAKESPEARE.

WE now return to the mention of Montoni, whofe rage and disappointment were foon loft in nearer interefts, than any, which the unhappy Emily had awakened. His depredations having exceeded their usual limits, and reached an extent, at which neither the timidity of the then commercial fenate of Venice, nor their hope of his occafional affiftance would permit them to connive, the fame effort, it was refolved, should complete the fuppreffion of his power and the correction of his outrages. While a corps of confiderable strength was upon the point of receiving orders to march for Udolpho, a young officer, prompted partly by refentC 2 ment,

ment, for fome injury, received from Montoni, and partly by the hope of diftinction, folicited an interview with the Minister, who directed the enterprise. To him he represented, that the fituation of Udolpho rendered it too strong to be taken by open force, except after fome tedious operations; that Montoni had lately fhewn how capable he was of adding to its ftrength all the advantages, which could be derived from the skill of a commander; that fo confiderable a body of troops, as that allotted to the expedition, could not approach Udolpho without his knowledge, and that it was not for the honour of the republic to have a large part of its regular force employed, for fuch a time as the fiege of Udolpho would require, upon the attack of a handful of banditti. The object of the expedition, he thought, might be accomplished much more fafely and speedily by mingling contrivance with force. It was poffible to meet Montoni and his party, without their walls, and to attack them then; or, by ap

proaching

proaching the fortress, with the secrecy, confiftent with the march of smaller bodies of troops, to take advantage either of the treachery, or negligence of fome of his party, and to rush unexpectedly upon the whole even in the caftle of Udolpho.

This advice was seriously attended to, and the officer, who gave it, received the command of the troops, demanded for his purpose. His first efforts were accordingly those of contrivance alone. In the neighbourhood of Udolpho, he waited till he had fecured the affistance of feveral of the condottieri, of whom he found none, that he addreffed, unwilling to punith their imperious mafter and to fecure their own pardon from the senate. He learned alfo the number of Montoni's troops, and that it had been much increased, fince his late fucceffes. The conclufion of his plan was foon effected. Having returned with his party, who received the watch-word and other affiftance from their friends within, Montoni and his officers were furprised by one divifion, who had