Carmilla, Chapter 2 summary

What happens

1. During an evening walk, the narrator’s father announces Bertha Rheinfeldt’s death and General Spielsdorf’s postponed visit.
2. The General’s letter blames a dangerous guest for Bertha’s suffering and declares his intention to hunt down a monster.
3. At the drawbridge, the governesses discuss the moon’s powers, while the narrator’s father expresses a sense of approaching trouble.
4. A passing carriage overturns after its frightened horses swerve near a stone cross and strike tree roots.
5. The narrator urges her father to shelter the injured daughter of a woman who says she cannot delay her journey.
6. After speaking privately with the narrator’s father and whispering to her daughter, the woman departs in the repaired carriage.

In this chapter

What to notice

The accusation makes welcoming strangers seem dangerous. It also places the household’s immediate offer of shelter beside the General’s account of disastrous trust.

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