The Room in the Dragon Volant · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Room in the Dragon Volant by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.
Chapter 1
Prologue
The narrator introduces a curious case referenced in Doctor Hesselius's essay 'Mortis Imago,' which discusses various medieval drugs and poisons, including the Vinum letiferum and others. The essay is enriched with citations from medieval and Egyptian sources, and the narrator presents the case as a story.
Chapter 2
The Room in the Dragon Volant
The narrator arrives at the Dragon Volant inn and is given a peculiar room with a mysterious locked door. He reflects on the strange events of the evening, including a warning from an old woman and his growing obsession with the Countess de St. Alyre.
Chapter 3
I: On the Road
The narrator, a young Englishman of 23, travels from Brussels to Paris in 1815 after inheriting a fortune. On the road, he encounters a broken-down carriage carrying an elderly invalid gentleman and a captivating lady in a black veil. He helps them, and later follows them to the Belle Étoile inn, where he glimpses the lady's beautiful face in a mirror before she notices him and lowers her veil.
Chapter 4
II: The Innyard of the Belle Étoile
The narrator, captivated by the beautiful Countess, attempts to learn more about her and the Count de St. Alyre after their carriage accident. He tries to rent their rooms at the Belle Étoile inn but is refused, then questions a servant about the couple, learning only that they are the Count and Countess. He sends his own servant, St. Clair, to gather more information by befriending the Count's valet.
Chapter 5
III: Death and Love Together Mated
The narrator, restless and infatuated with the Countess de St. Alyre, prepares for supper while overhearing her sing a haunting chanson about death and love. He observes the tension between the Count and Countess, and his romantic fantasies intensify as he dresses meticulously in hopes of catching her attention.
Chapter 6
IV: Monsieur Droqville
The narrator, mistaken for a Member of Parliament, receives a confidential letter intended for Mr. Stanhope Beckett from the Marquis d'Harmonville, who is traveling incognito as Monsieur Droqville. The Marquis graciously accepts the error and invites the narrator to visit him in Normandy. Later, while mooning over the carriage of the mysterious lady, the narrator is accosted by a scarred French officer who makes cryptic, threatening remarks about a red stork emblem.
Chapter 7
Supper at the Belle Étoile
The narrator attends the table-d'hôte at the Belle Étoile, where he sits with the Marquis d'Harmonville, who warns him about the dangers of Parisian gaming houses and the sophisticated rogues who prey on wealthy foreigners. The Marquis recounts his own failed attempt to break a gaming table and advises the narrator to keep his money safe. He also mentions the Comte de St. Alyre, a man of honour who is jealously protective of his much younger wife. Meanwhile, the narrator observes the pale and boastful Colonel Gaillarde, whose earlier strange outburst in the yard still unsettles him. After supper, the narrator sits alone by the fire, musing on the beautiful Countess.
Chapter 8
The Naked Sword
The narrator falls asleep after supper and has a disturbing dream in which the Countess de St. Alyre appears dead on a catafalque, pleading to be saved from being buried alive. He wakes to find Colonel Gaillarde staring at him. Later, the narrator encounters the Marquis d'Harmonville and learns more about Gaillarde's reputation. Returning to the inn, he witnesses a violent confrontation in which Gaillarde, sword drawn, blocks the Count and Countess de St. Alyre from leaving, accusing them of being vampires. The narrator steps in to defend the Countess, risking Gaillarde's attack.
Chapter 9
VII: The White Rose
The narrator, after felling Colonel Gaillarde with his walking stick, escorts the Countess de St. Alyre to her carriage. She presses a white rose into his hand as a farewell token. He bribes the innkeeper to avoid legal trouble and learns that the only available horses have been taken by Monsieur Droqville. He persuades Droqville to share his carriage to Paris. During the journey, the Marquis d'Harmonville (Droqville) becomes a companion; they drink coffee and chat, but the narrator falls into a strange, paralyzed state while the Marquis sleeps. The Marquis mistakes his paralysis for deep sleep and leaves him in the carriage while he and the servant refresh at an inn.
Chapter 10
VIII: A Three Minutes’ Visit
The narrator remains in a cataleptic state, unable to move or speak but fully aware. A stranger enters the carriage, searches his pockets, examines his letters and a white rose, and takes notes on a paper before leaving. After the Marquis returns, the narrator gradually recovers and describes the intrusion. The Marquis suspects a police agent and shares a similar story. They discuss their growing intimacy, and the Marquis offers future assistance in Paris under the alias Monsieur Droqville.
Chapter 11
IX: Gossip and Counsel
The narrator arrives in Paris and meets the Marquis d'Harmonville, who offers guidance and warnings about the city's dangers. The narrator inquires about the Count and Countess de St. Alyre, learning of their strained marriage, the Count's jealousy, and a dispute over the Countess's diamonds. The Marquis promises to secure a ticket for an upcoming masked ball at Versailles.
Chapter 12
X: The Black Veil
The narrator, after two days in Paris, receives a card for the masquerade ball from Monsieur Droqville (the Marquis d'Harmonville). A brief quarrel over a prior engagement is resolved, and the Marquis advises securing a room in Versailles. Finding all hotels full, the narrator encounters the Marquis again, who leads him to the secluded Dragon Volant inn, hinting it is haunted. They agree to meet at the ball, each wearing a domino with a colored cross for recognition.
Chapter 13
XI: The Dragon Volant
The narrator arrives at the Dragon Volant inn, a picturesque but somber building. He inquires about the nearby Château de la Carque and learns it belongs to the Count de St. Alyre, an old, possibly poor man with a young, beautiful wife. The innkeeper hints at the Count's financial troubles and the Countess's diamonds. The narrator's servant, St. Clair, recounts eerie tales of guests vanishing from the inn, deepening the narrator's sense of foreboding.
Chapter 14
XII: The Magician
The narrator attends a magnificent masked ball at Versailles, where he encounters a mysterious magician in a Chinese palanquin. The Marquis d'Harmonville introduces him to the Count de St. Alyre, who consults the magician and receives unsettlingly accurate answers about his personal life, including his marriage and a secret document. The chapter ends with the arrival of Colonel Gaillarde, bearing visible wounds from a previous encounter.
Chapter 15
XIII: The Oracle Tells Me Wonders
At a masked ball, the narrator observes the swaggering Colonel Gaillarde consulting a mysterious oracle called 'Confu.' After Gaillarde leaves, the narrator approaches the oracle himself, asking questions about his religion, love, and the Countess. The oracle astounds him by whispering the exact words the Countess had spoken to him in private, and alludes to a 'black veil' and 'violet eyes.' The Marquis d'Harmonville then suggests they find the Count, who has gone to look for his wife.
Chapter 16
XIV: Mademoiselle de la Vallière
At a masked ball, the narrator converses with a lady dressed as Mademoiselle de la Vallière. She reveals intimate knowledge of his interest in the Countess de St. Alyre and arranges a secret midnight meeting in the park. The Count de St. Alyre later avoids introducing him to his wife, confirming the lady's predictions.
Chapter 17
Strange Story of the Dragon Volant
At a masked ball, the narrator removes his mask and meets Tom Whistlewick, who introduces him to Monsieur Carmaignac. Carmaignac recounts the mysterious disappearance of the Chevalier Château Blassemare, a wealthy émigré who vanished after staying in the same room at the Dragon Volant that the narrator now occupies. The story involves a heavy bag of gold, a midnight sighting at a cemetery, and no resolution. The narrator invites both men to dine with him the next day, then returns to the inn.
Chapter 18
XVI: The Parc of the Château de la Carque
The narrator prepares for a secret midnight meeting with the Countess de St. Alyre in the park of the Château de la Carque. He scales the wall, enters the grove, and meets a masked woman who tests his loyalty by claiming her hand is as beautiful as the Countess's. When he refuses to compare, she removes her mask, revealing herself as the Countess. She expresses her love, warns him of her husband's jealousy, and instructs him to return the next night via a different route, emphasizing secrecy.
Chapter 19
XVII: The Tenant of the Palanquin
The Marquis d'Harmonville visits the narrator and asks for a ride to Paris. At the narrator's hotel, they encounter the Count de St. Alyre, who requests assistance with funeral arrangements for his cousin, Monsieur de St. Amand. The narrator agrees to handle the burial paperwork. Later, at the Dragon Volant, the narrator dines with Tom Whistlewick and Monsieur Carmaignac, who discuss the scandalous discovery of a corpse inside the palanquin from the masked ball, sparking rumors of necromancy and police investigation.
Chapter 20
XVIII: The Churchyard
After a fine dinner at the Dragon Volant, Monsieur Carmaignac recounts eerie tales of three guests who vanished from the same room the narrator occupies. The narrator later ventures to the churchyard near the Château de la Carque for a midnight meeting with the Countess, but spots Colonel Gaillarde lurking and overhears him conversing with another figure. The Countess does not appear.
Chapter 21
XIX: The Key
The narrator meets the Countess in the park at night. She reveals her plan to flee from her husband, taking her jewels, and proposes that they escape together to Switzerland. She gives him a special double key and instructions for their flight, but their meeting is nearly discovered by Colonel Gaillarde and his companion. The narrator, now deeply entangled, resolves to proceed with the dangerous scheme.
Chapter 22
XX: A High-Cauld-Cap
The narrator returns to the Dragon Volant inn after his secret meeting with the Countess. He is confronted by an old woman who warns him to leave, implying she knows his secret. He then uses the key and instructions given by the Countess to discover a hidden door and stone staircase in his room, leading to a covert exit into the park. He successfully tests the secret passage and returns to his room, placing the key under his pillow.
Chapter 23
I See Three Men in a Mirror
The narrator prepares for his secret midnight rendezvous, making financial arrangements and disguising his departure. He visits Paris, exploring Notre Dame and nearby streets, and stumbles into a curiosity shop where he sees in a mirror three men in earnest conversation: Colonel Gaillarde, the Marquis d'Harmonville, and a pale, mean-looking stranger. He avoids detection and returns to the Dragon Volant as night falls.
Chapter 24
XXII: Rapture
The narrator, in a state of passionate anticipation, sneaks out of the Dragon Volant inn and makes his way to the Château de la Carque for a clandestine meeting with the Countess. He brings a box containing thirty thousand pounds. The Countess shows him her diamonds and they plan their escape. She becomes increasingly nervous and leaves to speak with her maid, who brings coffee. While waiting, the narrator explores an adjacent room and makes a startling discovery.
Chapter 25
A Cup of Coffee
The narrator discovers a coffin in an adjoining room, leading to a tense exchange with the Countess. She explains the delay in the funeral and reassures him. After sharing coffee and liqueur, the narrator suddenly becomes paralyzed, mirroring his earlier condition. The Countess's demeanor shifts from panic to cold calculation as she secures the room and prepares to leave.
Chapter 26
XXIV: Hope
The narrator, paralyzed and unable to move, witnesses the Count de St. Alyre and the Countess de St. Alyre count and steal his money from his strong box. They discuss Planard's delay and the division of the loot, revealing their plan to murder him. Just as his last hope fades, the Marquis d'Harmonville enters the room.
Chapter 27
XXV: Despair
The narrator, paralyzed by a drug, overhears the Count, Planard, and the Countess discussing the dosage and effects of the poison administered to him. They prepare him for burial by dressing him in a nightshirt and cap, and then bring in the coffin previously seen, revealing their plan to bury him alive.
Chapter 28
XXVI: Catastrophe
The narrator recounts the aftermath of the conspiracy: the Count is executed, the Countess imprisoned, and the narrator himself becomes a figure of public ridicule. He describes the horrifying moment he was placed in a coffin and the last-minute police intervention led by Monsieur Carmaignac that saved his life. The chapter reveals the full extent of the plot, including the use of a real corpse and the Countess's paste jewels, and concludes with the narrator reflecting on the lasting moral impact of the experience.
