At length the clock struck twelve; she opened the door to listen, if
any noise was in the castle, and heard only distant shouts of riot and
laughter, echoed feebly along the gallery. She guessed, that the Signor
and his guests were at the banquet. 'They are now engaged for the
night,' said she; 'and Valancourt will soon be here.' Having softly
closed the door, she paced the room with impatient steps, and often went
to the casement to listen for the lute; but all was silent, and, her
agitation every moment increasing, she was at length unable to support
herself, and sat down by the window. Annette, whom she detained, was, in
the meantime, as loquacious as usual; but Emily heard scarcely any thing
she said, and having at length risen to the casement, she distinguished
the chords of the lute, struck with an expressive hand, and then the
voice, she had formerly listened to, accompanied it. Now rising love they fann'd, now pleasing dole
They breath'd in tender musings through the heart;
And now a graver, sacred strain they stole,
As when seraphic hands an hymn impart!
Emily wept in doubtful joy and tenderness; and, when the strain ceased,
she considered it as a signal, that Valancourt was about to leave the
prison. Soon after, she heard steps in the corridor;--they were the
light, quick steps of hope; she could scarcely support herself, as they
approached, but opening the door of the apartment, she advanced to meet
Valancourt, and, in the next moment, sunk in the arms of a stranger. His
voice--his countenance instantly convinced her, and she fainted away.
On reviving, she found herself supported by the stranger, who was
watching over her recovery, with a countenance of ineffable tenderness
and anxiety. She had no spirits for reply, or enquiry; she asked no
questions, but burst into tears, and disengaged herself from his
arms; when the expression of his countenance changed to surprise and
disappointment, and he turned to Ludovico, for an explanation; Annette
soon gave the information, which Ludovico could not. 'O, sir!' said
she, in a voice, interrupted with sobs; 'O, sir! you are not the other
Chevalier.
We expected Monsieur Valancourt, but you are not he! O
Ludovico! how could you deceive us so? my poor lady will never recover
it--never!' The stranger, who now appeared much agitated, attempted to
speak, but his words faltered; and then striking his hand against his
forehead, as if in sudden despair, he walked abruptly to the other end
of the corridor.
Suddenly, Annette dried her tears, and spoke to Ludovico. 'But,
perhaps,' said she, 'after all, the other Chevalier is not this: perhaps
the Chevalier Valancourt is still below.' Emily raised her head.
'No,' replied Ludovico, 'Monsieur Valancourt never was below, if this
gentleman is not he.' 'If you, sir,' said Ludovico, addressing the
stranger, 'would but have had the goodness to trust me with your name,
this mistake had been avoided.' 'Most true,' replied the stranger,
speaking in broken Italian, 'but it was of the utmost consequence to me,
that my name should be concealed from Montoni. Madam,' added he then,
addressing Emily in French, 'will you permit me to apologize for the
pain I have occasioned you, and to explain to you alone my name, and the
circumstance, which has led me into this error? I am of France;--I am
your countryman;--we are met in a foreign land.' Emily tried to
compose her spirits; yet she hesitated to grant his request. At length,
desiring, that Ludovico would wait on the stair-case, and detaining
Annette, she told the stranger, that her woman understood very little
Italian, and begged he would communicate what he wished to say, in that
language.--