Signor Montoni, as you say, may be angry if he hears of it.

But what inquiries were made concerning the lady ?' 'O! a great deal, indeed, ma'amselle, for the Signor laid claim to the castle directly, as being the next heir, and they said, that is, the judges, or the senators, or somebody of that sort, said, he could not take possession of it till so many years were gone by, and then, if, after all, the lady could not be found, why she would be as good as dead, and the castle would be his own; and so it is his own.

But the story went round, and many strange reports were spread, so very strange, ma'amselle, that I shall not tell them.' 'That is stranger still, Annette,' said Emily, smiling, and rousing herself from her reverie.

'But, when Signora Laurentini was afterwards seen in the castle, did nobody speak to her ?' 'Speak--speak to her!' cried Annette, with a look of terror; 'no, to be sure.' 'And why not ?' rejoined Emily, willing to hear further.
'Holy Mother! speak to a spirit!' 'But what reason had they to conclude it was a spirit, unless they had approached, and spoken to it ?' 'O ma'amselle, I cannot tell.

How can you ask such shocking questions?
But nobody ever saw it come in, or go out of the castle; and it was in one place now, and then the next minute in quite another part of the castle; and then it never spoke, and, if it was alive, what should it do in the castle if it never spoke?
Several parts of the castle have never been gone into since, they say, for that very reason.' 'What, because it never spoke ?' said Emily, trying to laugh away the fears that began to steal upon her.--'No, ma'amselle, no;' replied Annette, rather angrily 'but because something has been seen there.