# XIII: The Oracle Tells Me Wonders explained — The Room in the Dragon Volant

> Chapter companion for The Room in the Dragon Volant by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.

## What happens

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.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Appearance vs. Reality

The narrator is masked and costumed, yet the oracle seems to see through his disguise, revealing hidden truths about his love and the Countess.

### Love and Obsession

The narrator's intense emotional reaction to the oracle's words demonstrates his deepening obsession with the Countess.

### Fate and Free Will

The oracle's predictions and the narrator's credulous acceptance suggest a belief in fate guiding his romantic destiny.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

Consults the oracle, testing it with personal questions; is deeply affected by the accurate revelations about his romance with the Countess.

### Colonel Gaillarde

Appears in his loud, swaggering persona at the ball; consults the oracle about a widow and an Englishman.

### Marquis d'Harmonville

Accompanies the narrator, encourages him to consult the oracle, and later suggests they follow the Count.

### Count de St. Alyre

Briefly mentioned as having gone away to look for his wife.

### Countess de St. Alyre

Referenced indirectly through the oracle's whispered words, which are a direct quote from her private farewell to the narrator.

## Key lines

> I may never see you more; and, oh! that I could forget you! go—farewell—for God's sake, go!

The oracle whispers the exact words the Countess said to the narrator in private.

_This moment astonishes the narrator, as the words were supposedly known only to him and the Countess._

> What do I most long for? 'Paradise.' And what prevents my reaching it? 'A black veil.'

The narrator asks what he desires most and what stands in his way; the oracle answers 'Paradise' and 'A black veil.'

_The 'black veil' is a cryptic reference to the Countess's mourning veil, hinting at the obstacle to their love._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_room_in_the_dragon_volant_se/chapters/xiii-the-oracle-tells-me-wonders
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_room_in_the_dragon_volant_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_room_in_the_dragon_volant_se/chapters