# Emily St. Aubert — The Mysteries of Udolpho character guide > Emily St. Aubert in The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Emily, Mademoiselle Emily, Charming Emily, Emily St. Aubert, the unhappy Emily, the innocent and helpless Emily **First appearance:** 0001-the-mysteries-of-udolpho ## Snapshot A tender, book-loving daughter whose courage and sensibility are forged by grief, poverty, and the long shadow of a castle she has yet to enter. ## Who they are Emily is the devoted daughter of the ailing St. Aubert, raised amid the quiet beauties of La Vallée and taught to value music, poetry, and self-command above fortune. When her father's ruin and death leave her dependent on a cold aunt and then on the predatory Montoni, her delicacy becomes both armor and wound. Her early arc matters because the reader watches a sheltered sensibility learn to endure — and to suspect. ## Relationships ### [Annette](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/annette) _friendship_ Annette is Emily's devoted and talkative servant, providing companionship and comic relief during her captivity. ### [Montoni](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/montoni) _rivalry_ Montoni is Emily's tyrannical and manipulative guardian who seeks to control her fortune and force her into a marriage. ### [Count Morano](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/count_morano) _romantic_ Count Morano is a persistent and passionate suitor who pursues Emily against her will, leading to conflict. ### [Madame Montoni](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/madame_montoni) _family_ Madame Montoni is Emily's aunt, who is initially kind but becomes weak and oppressed under her husband's control. ### [Valancourt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/valancourt) _romantic_ Valancourt is Emily's true love, a noble and sensitive man whose relationship with her is tested by separation and misunderstandings. ### [Blanche](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/blanche) _friendship_ Blanche is a kind and gentle young woman who becomes Emily's close friend and confidante at the castle. ### [Theresa](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/theresa) _friendship_ Theresa is a loyal and motherly servant who cares for Emily and supports her during difficult times. ### [Ludovico](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/ludovico) _friendship_ Ludovico is a clever and resourceful servant who aids Emily and Annette, often acting as a protector. ### [Agnes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/agnes) _psychological_ Agnes is a mysterious and tragic nun whose haunting stories and madness deeply unsettle Emily. ### [Monsieur Quesnel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/monsieur_quesnel) _family_ Monsieur Quesnel is Emily's uncle, a cold and pragmatic man who prioritizes wealth over family bonds. ### [Barnardine](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/barnardine) _rivalry_ Barnardine is a menacing and untrustworthy servant who acts as Montoni's enforcer, threatening Emily. ### [Annette](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/annette) _friendship_ Annette is Emily's devoted and talkative servant, providing companionship and comic relief during her captivity. ## In the story ### [The Mysteries of Udolpho](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/the-mysteries-of-udolpho) The protagonist, a young woman of sensibility and virtue, who is orphaned and subjected to Montoni's tyranny at Udolpho. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/i) Shown as a young woman with a taste for genius, a love of sublime nature, and a poetic sensibility; she delights in the wild recesses of the mountains and writes verses. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/ii) Grieves for her mother, receives her father's advice on self-command, and secretly observes him with a mysterious portrait. ### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/iii) Accompanies her father, showing tender concern for his health; delights in the grandeur of the mountain scenery. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/iv) Watches the dawn with delight, feels a timid sweetness when bowing to Valancourt, and later feels fear in the dark woods but is reassured by Valancourt's voice. ### [Chapter V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/v) Sings to comfort her father, gives money to the shepherd's wife, and feels melancholy about the impending separation from Valancourt. ### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/vi) Comforts her father St. Aubert after news of financial ruin, reflecting on the consolations of nature and virtue. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/vii) Receives her father's dying instructions and solemnly promises to burn the papers without reading them. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/viii) Emily returns to La Vallée, mourning her father and recalling his lessons. She struggles with melancholy but finds some solace at the convent. ### [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/ix) Grieving her father, she seeks solitude at La Vallée and revisits the fishing-house, where she meets Valancourt. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/x) Emily burns her father's papers despite temptation, experiences a hallucination of his face, and later confesses her esteem for Valancourt. ### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xi) Emily leaves La Vallée with deep sorrow, finds comfort in her father's dog Manchon, and tries to follow her father's precepts of fortitude. ### [Chapter XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xii) Emily experiences happiness in Valancourt's company but also distress at her aunt's coarse speech and the constraints placed on their relationship. She seeks solace in the pavilion, playing melancholy songs and thinking of Valancourt and Gascony. ### [Chapter XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xiii) Torn between love and duty, she resists Valancourt's pleas for a clandestine marriage and struggles with the terror of being in Montoni's power. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xiv) Leaves Toulouse with a heavy heart, receives Valancourt's letter, and is deeply moved by the Alpine scenery. ### [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xv) Deeply moved by Venetian music and moonlight, she weeps for Valancourt and composes a poem about a sea-nymph. ### [Chapter XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xvi) Writes letters to Valancourt and her uncle, avoids Morano's advances, experiences melancholy and a premonition of never seeing Valancourt again. ### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xvii) Emily is pressured by Montoni to marry Count Morano, but she steadfastly refuses. She seeks help from her aunt and Monsieur Quesnel, but finds no support. She resolves to maintain her fortitude and resist the marriage. ### [Chapter XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xviii) Emily is terrified by the sudden departure and the strange history of the castle, but finds some relief that Count Morano is not accompanying them. ### [Chapter XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xix) Emily struggles with fear and suspicion, refuses Morano's offer, and resolves to endure her situation despite her horror. ### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xx) Tries to counsel her aunt with prudence; reflects on Montoni's character and her own peril; sketches the banditti-like strangers. ### [Chapter XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxi) Valancourt's beloved; her image haunts him but gradually fades as he becomes immersed in Parisian gaiety. ### [Chapter XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxii) Intercedes for her aunt, sustains a forehead wound, and tends to Madame Montoni during her convulsions. ### [Chapter XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxiii) Visits her aunt, advises caution, is forced to wear the nuptial dress, faints after Madame Montoni is taken, and resolves to search for her aunt. ### [Chapter XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxiv) Endures confinement, seeks Montoni to plead for her aunt and Annette, and later reflects on her sorrows while listening to mysterious music. ### [Chapter XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxv) Anxious and determined, Emily arranges a secret meeting with Barnardine to learn about her aunt's fate and reflects on the mysterious music. ### [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxvi) Emily is tormented by fear and indecision, ultimately choosing to follow Barnardine to the portal despite her dread. ### [Chapter XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxvii) Emily is recovering from the shock of the abduction attempt and her aunt's death; she seeks an audience with Montoni to request permission to return to La Vallée. ### [Chapter XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxviii) Tends to her dying aunt, pleads with Montoni for her comfort, and requests to return to France. ### [Chapter XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxix) Nurses her dying aunt, confronts Montoni, and watches for the mysterious figure. ### [Chapter XXX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxx) Resolves to resist Montoni's oppression, searches for the estate papers, and feels fortified by her love for Valancourt. ### [Chapter XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxxi) Defies Montoni's demand to sign away her estates, strengthened by thoughts of Valancourt; later travels through a dark glen with guides, fearing Montoni's plans. ### [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxxii) Finds temporary tranquility in her cottage chamber, engages in sketching, and walks along the Tuscan shore, yearning for France and her past. ### [Chapter XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxxiii) Resolves to sign over her estates to Montoni, then is betrayed; confides in Ludovico about escape and Valancourt; flees from Verezzi and Bertolini. ### [Chapter XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxxiv) Emily converses with Du Pont about Montoni's crimes, plans to retire to a convent, and later anxiously awaits a meeting with the prisoner she believes is Valancourt. ### [XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxxvi) Returns to France, experiences joy and anxiety about Valancourt, and determines to write to him. ### [Chapter XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxxvii) Visits La Voisin's cottage, stays at Château-le-Blanc, returns to the convent, and corresponds with her uncle and Valancourt. ### [Chapter XXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxxviii) Anxious over Valancourt's silence; seeks the Count's advice on recovering her estates; deeply conflicted after learning of Valancourt's changed character. ### [Chapter XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xxxix) Struggles with her emotions during the meeting with Valancourt, ultimately resolves to part but agrees to a second interview. ### [Chapter XL](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xl) Struggles to maintain composure during the final parting with Valancourt, weeping silently and ultimately retreating to her room. ### [XLI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xli) Remains in Languedoc, unaware of Montoni's defeat; deeply grieving and preoccupied with Valancourt; listens to Dorothée's story about the Marchioness. ### [Chapter XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xlii) Accompanies Dorothée to the late Marchioness's chambers, experiences terror at the apparition, and tries to calm Dorothée and conceal the event from the Count. ### [Chapter XLIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xliii) Emily is deeply melancholy, haunted by recent terrors, and seeks solitude in the woods and watchtower, where she hears mysterious music and sees a figure. ### [Chapter XLIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xliv) Listens intently to the debate on spirits, recalling her own experience in the Marchioness's apartment, and decides to remain silent pending Ludovico's outcome. ### [Chapter XLV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xlv) Walks in the woods, is mistaken for Valancourt, receives counsel from the Count, and rejects M. Du Pont's suit. ### [XLVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xlvi) Receives news of Montoni's death and her inheritance; plans to return to La Vallée. ### [XLVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xlvii) Visits Sister Frances's cell to hear the story of Sister Agnes; is deeply affected by the tale and the nun's madness. ### [XLVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xlviii) Emily is the central character, experiencing anxiety over a possible sighting of Valancourt, grief for her aunt and father, and a struggle with pride and hope. ### [Chapter XLIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/xlix) Returns to La Vallée, experiences melancholy and tender pleasure revisiting her parents' home, visits Theresa, and learns of Valancourt's secret kindness. ### [LI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/li) Emily suffers anxiety over Valancourt's fate, visits Theresa's cottage, and is overwhelmed by sorrow and presentiments of death. ### [LII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/lii) Emily struggles with her emotions regarding Valancourt, prepares for her journey, and listens to Ludovico's story. ### [LIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/liii) Revived by her friend's arrival, she rejects the Count's renewed plea for Du Pont, visits the monastery, and learns of Sister Agnes's decline. ### [LIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/liv) Reflects on the dying nun's revelations about Laurentini and the Marchioness de Villeroi, and recalls her father's dying wishes. ### [LV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/lv) Receives news of her inheritance and the truth about her family; is released from painful conjectures about her birth. ### [LVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/lvi) Emily is depressed by recent discoveries and anxiety for Valancourt, but later reconciles with him after learning of his innocence. ### [Chapter LVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/chapters/lvii) Married to Valancourt; returns to La Vallée; purchases her father's estate; resigns legacy to Mons. Bonnac. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters/emily_st_aubert - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysteries_of_udolpho_se/characters