The Mysteries of Udolpho Volume 4, Chapter 3 Summary

  • Hoo boy, Montoni was mad when Em flew the coop a couple chapters back. Let's catch up on his situation.
  • It's not looking too good for the Udolpho crew. A powerful army is about to receive orders from Venice to march on the castle.
  • A clever young officer is planning to partially take Udolpho by force while sneaking some soldiers in the castle walls.
  • Spoiler alert: the plan totally works. Montoni and his criminal bud Orsino are taken prisoner.
  • You better bet Count Morano is behind this whole shebang. He tipped off officials that Orsino was hiding out at Udolpho.
  • Meanwhile, Em has no clue what's going on back at Udolpho. That's right, we're back to Em's story.
  • Finally, Dorothée pays her a visit to fill her in on the late Marchioness's story.
  • When the Marchioness first arrived at Chateau-le-Blanc, many years ago, she was beautiful but sad. Good old Dorothée was her personal servant, so she got all the good dirt on her mistress.
  • Turns out she wanted to marry some mystery dude, but her dad made her marry the Marquis. Dorothée won't tell Em who the mystery dude is, though.
  • The Marquis was a rude guy who didn't treat the Marchioness with much respect. In fact, Dorothée says, he was kind of a jerk.
  • After some time at the chateau, the Marchioness fell suddenly and horribly ill.
  • Dorothée remembers that when the Marchioness died of her illness, her face had turned entirely black.
  • The Marquis didn't stick around to mourn his wife. He took off for the north of France, where rumor has it he died.
  • Em has a hankering to see where the Marchioness died, so she makes Dorothée promise to come back the following night to show off her late lady's chambers. Em definitely has a taste for the macabre.