Zofloya

Victoria laments to Zofloya that Henriquez still does not love her. She expresses her longing for Lilla to die; Zofloya offers to help but says that it will be too suspicious if Lilla is killed. He tells Victoria to climb up to a high outlook near the castle the following day and await him there. A grateful Victoria tries to give Zofloya a priceless diamond, but he declines it. Early the next morning, Victoria waits at the high outcrop of rock, overlooking a waterfall. Zofloya arrives carrying Lilla, who is unconscious.

Zofloya leads Victoria to a hidden cave, where he chains up Lilla; he assures Victoria that no one will find her there. Zofloya does explain that he will bring food and necessary supplies to Lilla, while Victoria muses that she may occasionally go to the cave to torture the young girl. Zofloya and Victoria make their way back to the castle without anyone seeing them.

Henriquez realizes that Lilla is missing and begins searching frantically for her, while Victoria pretends to help. Henriquez’s grief eventually causes a fever, and he is ill for weeks. Victoria nurses him, and meanwhile Zofloya visits Lilla with food every day. Victoria speaks again of her love for Henriquez, but he reasserts that he will never love her.

Victoria tells Zofloya that Henriquez has “formally, finally and coolly reject[ed] me” (210). Zofloya asks if Victoria would want to experience Henriquez’s love if she could only do so while being mistaken for Lilla, and Victoria says she would. Zofloya explains that he has a potion that Victoria can give to Henriquez: He will become confused and delusional, leading him to mistake her for Lilla. He gives the potion to a delighted Victoria, who rushes back to the castle.

Victoria pretends to be meek and submissive towards Henriquez; she administers the potion, and he falls asleep. Henriquez awakens in the morning having dreamed of Lilla; in a state of delirium, he rushes around and comes upon Victoria, who has disguised herself in some of Lilla’s clothing. He believes she is Lilla and embraces her; Victoria claims that they are married; the two spend the evening dancing and celebrating before retiring to bed.

Henriquez wakes up, recovered from the potion, and sees Victoria lying next to him. Crazed by his betrayal, he jumps out of bed and dies by suicide, impaling himself on his sword. Victoria watches him die and then rushes to the cave where Lilla is hidden. She drags Lilla out of the cave, explaining that she intends to kill her. Lilla tries to get away and begs for mercy, but Victoria pursues her, stabbing Lilla, and then throwing her off a high cliff.

Victoria returns to the castle, where Zofloya rebukes her for hastily killing Lilla and tells her not to go into the castle. Victoria ignores him; she locks up Henriquez’s bedroom (where his body is still located) and goes to sleep. However, Victoria has a dream in which one of the servants finds Berenza’s skeleton shut up in a chest. Victoria awakens and finds Zofloya in her room; he explains that the dream is a prophecy, and the servant is indeed going to find the skeleton in a few hours. This will cause suspicion, and the body of Henriquez will quickly be found; Victoria will be incriminated and likely convicted of both murders. Victoria begs Zofloya to save her; he tells her to trust him. She will fall into a deep sleep and then be safe.

Victoria awakens to find herself in the Alps with Zofloya; he has used some sort of magic to transport her there. They quickly encounter a band of condottieri (mercenary soldiers and bandits who often lived in remote areas); Zofloya tells Victoria not to be afraid. The bandits take them to their hideout in a cave, where they bring Zofloya and Victoria to their chief. The chief is accompanied by a woman who looks familiar to Victoria. Zofloya explains to the chief that he and Victoria are seeking aid, and asks if they can stay with the bandits; the chief agrees and finds a place for Victoria to sleep in the cave.

Victoria wonders if Zofloya is going to initiate a sexual relationship, but he tenderly tells her that he will wait to claim her. When they wake up, Zofloya and Victoria go for a walk near the cave. She tells him that she thinks the chief is familiar. Victoria is anxious to get away from the bandits, but Zofloya tells her to be patient. He gloats that she will soon be his.

Time passes, and Victoria becomes dissatisfied with living in squalor amongst the bandits. She sometimes wishes to run away, but she also feels more attached to Zofloya than ever. One day, she has a vision of an angel, who tells her that she can still save her soul from damnation, but only if she gets away from Zofloya. Victoria considers trying to get away from him, but Zofloya tells her that he can read her thoughts, and seductively urges her to stay with him.

Back at the cave, some of the bandits bring in a battered and disheveled woman and a man, whom they have captured. The chief reacts violently to the sight of the man, and begins stabbing him; the woman becomes distressed while watching the chief kill her companion. Witnessing the scene, Victoria realizes that Leonardo (her brother) is the chief of the bandits and that the man and the woman are Ardolph and her mother. Leonardo proclaims his joy that he has finally had the opportunity to kill the man who seduced his mother, and believes he has avenged the family honor.

Leonardo tends to his mother’s injuries and asks what happened. The bandits explain that they found Ardolph cruelly beating Laurina, and they seized the couple. The narrative reveals that after Ardolph and Laurina left Victoria, they traveled for some time, but Ardolph began to gamble heavily, and the couple often fought.

Laurina is dying from her injuries, but she recognizes her two children and begs for their forgiveness. Leonardo readily forgives her, but Victoria refuses and taunts her mother. Leonardo rebukes his sister for her cruelty. Laurina dies, and Victoria says that their mother is to blame for all of their misfortunes. Zofloya takes Victoria aside and tells her that one of the bandits has turned against Leonardo and betrayed their hiding place to local officials. Zofloya predicts that the bandits will be attacked the following day, but he promises to keep Victoria safe.

The next day, troops arrive, and the bandits realize they are surrounded. Leonardo knows the situation is hopeless and apologizes to his mistress, whom Victoria realizes is Megalena. Recognizing that they are about to be arrested or killed, Megalena and Leonardo die by suicide. Victoria is frightened, but Zofloya magically transports her to a high precipice. He makes her promise to be his, and once she consents, he reveals that he is Satan. He drags Victoria from the precipice and down into the depths of hell.