Carmilla: Chapter 3  Summary & Analysis

Laura and her companions watch the carriage drive away. The young girl asks where she is and where her mother has gone, and Madame Perrodon reassures her. The girl is glad that no one was hurt, but she cries that her mother has left her. Laura moves to comfort her, but Mademoiselle De Lafontaine advises her not to overwhelm the girl. Meanwhile, Laura’s father sends for a physician.

The girl is brought to her room by servants, and Laura waits in their sitting room. Laura describes the room, which is richly furnished but still feels homely. Madame Perrodon and Mademoiselle De Lafontaine leave the girl to sleep, and upon returning they comment on her extreme beauty. They also reference the strange-looking servants and the hideous woman that had been present in the carriage, watching them but not emerging. They assume the girl will tell them everything once she has recovered, but Laura’s father returns and says he doesn’t think that is the case.  

After the others have left, Laura asks her father what he meant by his comment. He tells her that the girl’s mother had informed him her daughter was weak and prone to seizures, but perfectly sane. She also told him her journey was of great importance, and that she would return in three months time. In the meantime, she noted that her daughter would not reveal who they were, or anything about themselves at all. Laura’s father wonders if he has done the right thing in taking in the girl, but Laura is delighted at her new companion and is anxious to speak with her.

The doctor doesn’t arrive until one o’clock in the morning, but Laura is so excited she can’t sleep. The doctor reports that the girl has suffered no injuries, and seems perfectly fine. He agrees that it would be fine for Laura to see her, and a servant reports that the girl would very much like to see Laura, as well. Laura enters the girl’s room, noting that it is one of the nicest rooms of the schloss. It contains a somber tapestry depicting Cleopatra, but this is contrasted by gold carving and rich color.

Upon approaching the girl, Laura is shocked to find that she recognizes the girl as the face that she saw as a child in her bed—the one that terrified her so greatly and which she still remembers so vividly. The girl also recognizes Laura, saying that her face has similarly haunted her since she first saw it and she has never forgotten her. Laura feels reassured by the girl’s words and, although she is overcome with shyness, she takes the girl’s hand to comfort her. The girl explains her side of the events, how she awoke one night in an unfamiliar room and heard someone crying. She saw Laura and was struck and drawn in by her beauty, so much so she crawled into bed and put her arms around Laura. They both fell asleep, but she was roused by Laura screaming and, frightened, fell out of bed and awoke again back in her own nursery. Like Laura, she has never forgotten that experience.

Laura relates her own recollection, and the girl wonders if they should be afraid of each other. However, Laura’s beauty reassures her and she instead thinks it is merely a sign that they were meant to be friends. The girl feels drawn towards Laura and wonders if she might have found her first ever friend. Laura admits she feels drawn towards the stranger as well, although this is mixed with feelings of repulsion that she is unable to explain. Although she wrestles with these emotions, her attraction wins out, as she is intrigued and engaged by her new companion.

Laura notices that the girl appears tired and she tells the girl that her the doctor thinks she should have a maid sleep in her room, but the girl insists she can only sleep alone. She hugs Laura, and after Laura leaves, she wonders about the fondness the girl has already shown her. She attributes it to the impulsive nature of young people who fall into like and love extremely quickly.

The next day they meet up again. For the most part Laura is extremely happy with her new companion. She once again praises the girl’s beauty and, now that the initial shock of recognition has worn off, they laugh at the fact that they were once frightened of each other.