The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-13
c0pVRGMTEM H@07 BY GVNNG NHNG ALL R0@MTS RESERVED


 lapse.
 "oh, Mademoisene cried the maid, sinking into q chair when they hai reached the chamber. we have all been brought here to be murdered l am sure; or carried away by ghosts or something. Ludovlco says"
 "A truce to your talk of Ludovico.' said Emily, who had partially recovered her possession. Ludovico was a serV- ant of Montoni's who had fallen in love with the lively French maid, and An- nette took no pains to conceal the fact that she thought well of him.
 Examining the chamber, Emily saw that it was lined with dark larchwoo1 and the furniture was very ancient and heavy like all that she had seen in the gloomy castle. Opposite the door by which they had entered was another one open ing outward to q stone stairway that led down into the darkness. The bolt of this door was on the outside, so that 1t could not be fastened from within. A high easement looked out over a rampant, but beyond all was darkness.
 Disturbed at the fact that she was un- able to fasten the door opening on the stairway, Emily commended Annette to help her barricade the doorway with such heavy pieces of furniture as they could move, and then, loath to dismiss the maid and be left alone, gave her permls- sion to tell what it was that Ludovico had told of the history of the castle.
 Well, ma ann said Annette, you must never tell, but Ludovlco says that this castle was not always Signor Mon tonis nor his fat-ers but by some law or other it was to come to him when the lady died"
 What lady?' said Emily.
 "Oh, the Lady Laurentini; that was her name, and the Signor was in love with her: and he was some relation and she would not have him, being in love with somebody else. Holy Virgin! what noise was that?''
 Tt was only the wind" said Emily.
 Where was l? We'll she had a great temper, the lady did. well as the Sig nor; and the man she loved would not have her and went away. and-Oh, ma'am, look at that lght-see how blue 1t burns. Well, at last the Signor Mon toni left the castle and never came near 1t again for a long time, and in the mean- time the Lady Laurentini went out walk ing in the woods all alone and was never seen again. But her ghost walks about here at all hours of the night, as many of the servants who have been here De- fore can testify Holy Peter! What was that noise behind the door?"
 Emily now distinctly heard a knocking on the door leading to the corridor. An nette screamed. The door opened slowly. It was onlY old Caterina come to tell the maid that Mime. Montoni wanted her; but Emily had been so unnerved by the strange surroundings. the tales she had heard and the ghastly sight she had wit messed in the room of the portraits that she was scarcely less startled than An nette
 When the maid had left her she found 1t impossible to compose herself to sleep. .inf. anI -int1 1a- that crowded on her was the fact that for long time now she had received no letter from Valancourt. That this was not the fault of her lover she was well assured. She was convinced that Mon- toni, or her aunt, acting by his orders, had confiscated the letters she had ait tempted to send to the young man and that his had by the same agency been prevented from reaching her hands The castle clock struck one before she closed her eyes to sleep. When Emily awoke. daylight dispelled from her mind the gloom of superstition but not of appre- hension.
 She discovered that the door leading to the stairway had been locked in the night the bolt drawn on the outside-and the chairs which she had placed before 1t had, she saw, been slightly moved as If some one had attempted to enter the chamber.
 At breakfast she told Sgnor Montoai of the door and of its condition. and asked that she be assigned another chamber-if possible one nearer her aunt who Was lodged on the other side of the castle. "I have no time to attend to these idle whims," answered Montoni. That cham Der was prepared for you and you must occupy it.
 The days that followed saw the arrival of many men at Udolpho. It was evident that preparations were making for some event Of importance. At first Emily and Mnle. Monton took their meals at the table with the lord of the castle and his guests: but when the guests increased in numbers the ladies had their meals served in their rooms. Meantime Emily heard from Annette more gossip about the cas- tie and it's occupants, and learned that 1t was believed by many that the Lady Laurentin had been murdered by SlSnor Montoni or at his orders.
 One day as Emily gazed from her win dow she saw a large body of troops with glitterng spears and futtering ban ners come riding up the road to the cas- tie gates The sun shone on their bright armor and the furnished helmets of their officers The lonely girl would have en- loved the beauty of the spectacle had not the appearance of the armed band, eV1- dently expected and desired by Montoni. given her fresh cause for dlSquietude,
 The castle was now garrisoned like citadel in time of war Beneath the win dow of Emily's chamber sentries held nightly patrol. Montoni rode away Ire ouenty at the head of the troops. when the party returned after the absence Of a day or two they brought with them what were evidently the spells of their foragy and all night the castle would re- sound 10 tho sounds or deoaucherN ana drunken revelry. Sometimes bound men were brought into the castle by the r'- turning band and Annette declared that in the dungeons of the place were many prisoners taken on the forays.
 Whenever Emily saw her aunt now ste found that unhappy lady sunkcn in the deepest dejection. She treated her nioce with an unwonted and sorrowful affec- ton and often begged forgiveness for her former larshness. Her spirit was broken hy the cruel treatment she had received and the ruin of all her ambitions, ana her health was rapidly failing
 One night she drew Emily into her dressing room and poured out the story of her woes Muntoni, she said had tried in every way to induce her to give up to him her entire property, declaring that Onlv if she did so would she be allowed 10 leave the castle where she was really a prisoner now. He had threatened her with terrible fate if she persisted in her refusal but she was ohdurate. Emily begged her to comply with the Signor's demands. but with some of her old spirit Mime Montonl declared that sine would die first.
 A few days after this interview Mon toni came to sec Emily and informed her hoo, t..1-.