the haunted hotel-第11部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





previous　to　her　departure　for　England。　　Beyond　these　were　the　dining



and　reception　rooms；　opening　into　an　antechamber；　which　gave　access



to　the　grand　staircase　of　the　palace。







'The　only　inhabited　rooms　on　the　second　floor　were　the　sitting…room



and　bedroom　occupied　by　Baron　Rivar；　and　another　room　at　some



distance　from　it；　which　had　been　the　bedroom　of　the　courier　Ferrari。







'The　rooms　on　the　third　floor　and　on　the　basement　were



completely　unfurnished；　and　in　a　condition　of　great　neglect。



We　inquired　if　there　was　anything　to　be　seen　below　the　basement



and　we　were　at　once　informed　that　there　were　vaults　beneath；



which　we　were　at　perfect　liberty　to　visit。







'We　went　down；　so　as　to　leave　no　part　of　the　palace　unexplored。



The　vaults　were；　it　was　believed；　used　as　dungeons　in　the　old　times



say；　some　centuries　since。　　Air　and　light　were　only　partially　admitted



to　these　dismal　places　by　two　long　shafts　of　winding　construction；



which　communicated　with　the　back　yard　of　the　palace；　and　the　openings



of　which；　high　above　the　ground；　were　protected　by　iron　gratings。



The　stone　stairs　leading　down　into　the　vaults　could　be　closed　at



will　by　a　heavy　trap…door　in　the　back　hall；　which　we　found　open。



The　Baron　himself　led　the　way　down　the　stairs。　　We　remarked　that　it　might



be　awkward　if　that　trap…door　fell　down　and　closed　the　opening　behind　us。



The　Baron　smiled　at　the　idea。　　〃Don't　be　alarmed；　gentlemen；〃　he　said；



〃the　door　is　safe。　　I　had　an　interest　in　seeing　to　it　myself；



when　we　first　inhabited　the　palace。　　My　favourite　study　is　the　study



of　experimental　chemistryand　my　workshop；　since　we　have　been　in　Venice；



is　down　here。〃







'These　last　words　explained　a　curious　smell　in　the　vaults；



which　we　noticed　the　moment　we　entered　them。　　We　can　only　describe



the　smell　by　saying　that　it　was　of　a　twofold　sortfaintly　aromatic；



as　it　were；　in　its　first　effect；　but　with　some　after…odour　very



sickening　in　our　nostrils。　　The　Baron's　furnaces　and　retorts；



and　other　things；　were　all　there　to　speak　for　themselves；



together　with　some　packages　of　chemicals；　having　the　name　and　address



of　the　person　who　had　supplied　them　plainly　visible　on　their　labels。



〃Not　a　pleasant　place　for　study；〃　Baron　Rivar　observed；　〃but　my　sister



is　timid。　　She　has　a　horror　of　chemical　smells　and　explosions



and　she　has　banished　me　to　these　lower　regions；　so　that　my　experiments



may　neither　be　smelt　nor　heard。〃　　He　held　out　his　hands；　on　which　we



had　noticed　that　he　wore　gloves　in　the　house。　　〃Accidents　will



happen　sometimes；〃　he　said；　〃no　matter　how　careful　a　man　may　be。



I　burnt　my　hands　severely　in　trying　a　new　combination　the　other　day；



and　they　are　only　recovering　now。〃







'We　mention　these　otherwise　unimportant　incidents；　in　order　to　show



that　our　exploration　of　the　palace　was　not　impeded　by　any　attempt



at　concealment。　　We　were　even　admitted　to　her　ladyship's　own　room



on　a　subsequent　occasion；　when　she　went　out　to　take　the　air。



Our　instructions　recommended　us　to　examine　his　lordship's　residence；



because　the　extreme　privacy　of　his　life　at　Venice；　and　the



remarkable　departure　of　the　only　two　servants　in　the　house；



might　have　some　suspicious　connection　with　the　nature　of　his　death。



We　found　nothing　to　justify　suspicion。







'As　to　his　lordship's　retired　way　of　life；　we　have　conversed　on



the　subject　with　the　consul　and　the　bankerthe　only　two　strangers



who　held　any　communication　with　him。　　He　called　once　at　the　bank



to　obtain　money　on　his　letter　of　credit；　and　excused　himself　from



accepting　an　invitation　to　visit　the　banker　at　his　private　residence；



on　the　ground　of　delicate　health。　　His　lordship　wrote　to　the　same



effect　on　sending　his　card　to　the　consul；　to　excuse　himself



from　personally　returning　that　gentleman's　visit　to　the　palace。



We　have　seen　the　letter；　and　we　beg　to　offer　the　following　copy　of　it。



〃Many　years　passed　in　India　have　injured　my　constitution。



I　have　ceased　to　go　into　society；　the　one　occupation　of　my　life



now　is　the　study　of　Oriental　literature。　　The　air　of　Italy　is　better



for　me　than　the　air　of　England；　or　I　should　never　have　left　home。



Pray　accept　the　apologies　of　a　student　and　an　invalid。　　The　active



part　of　my　life　is　at　an　end。〃　　The　self…seclusion　of　his　lordship



seems　to　us　to　be　explained　in　these　brief　lines。　　We　have　not；



however；　on　that　account　spared　our　inquiries　in　other　directions。



Nothing　to　excite　a　suspicion　of　anything　wrong　has　come　to



our　knowledge。







'As　to　the　departure　of　the　lady's　maid；　we　have　seen　the　woman's



receipt　for　her　wages；　in　which　it　is　expressly　stated　that　she



left　Lady　Montbarry's　service　because　she　disliked　the　Continent；



and　wished　to　get　back　to　her　own　country。　　This　is　not　an



uncommon　result　of　taking　English　servants　to　foreign　parts。



Lady　Montbarry　has　informed　us　that　she　abstained　from　engaging



another　maid　in　consequence　of　the　extreme　dislike　which　his　lordship



expressed　to　having　strangers　in　the　house；　in　the　state　of　his　health



at　that　time。







'The　disappearance　of　the　courier　Ferrari　is；　in　itself；



unquestionably　a　suspicious　circumstance。　　Neither　her　ladyship　nor



the　Baron　can　explain　it；　and　no　investigation　that　we　could　make



has　thrown　the　smallest　light　on　this　event；　or　has　justified　us　in



associating　it；　directly　or　indirectly；　with　the　object　of　our　inquiry。



We　have　even　gone　the　length　of　examining　the　portmanteau　which



Ferrari　left　behind　him。　　It　contains　nothing　but　clothes　and　linen



no　money；　and　not　even　a　scrap　of　paper　in　the　pockets　of　the　clothes。



The　portmanteau　remains　in　charge　of　the　police。







'We　have　also　found　opportunities　of　speaking　privately　to　the　old



woman　who　attends　to　the　rooms　occupied　by　her　ladyship　and　the　Baron。



She　was　recommended　to　fill　this　situation　by　the　keeper　of　the　restaurant



who　has　supplied　the　meals　to　the　family　throughout　the　period



of　their　residence　at　the　palace。　　Her　character　is　most　favourably



spoken　of。　　Unfortunately；　her　limited　intelligence　makes　her　of　no



value　as　a　witness。　　We　were　patient　and　careful　in　questioning　her；



and　we　found　her　perfectly　willing　to　answer　us；　but　we　could



elicit　nothing　which　is　worth　including　in　the　present　report。







'On　the　second　day　of　our　inquiries；　we　had　the　honour　of　an　interview



with　Lady　Montbarry。　　Her　ladyship　looked　miserably　worn　and　ill；



and　seemed　to　be　quite　at　a　loss　to　understand　what　we　wanted　with　her。



Baron　Rivar；　who　introduced　us；　explained　the　nature　of　our　errand



in　Venice；　and　took　pains　to　assure　her　that　it　was　a　purely　formal　duty



on　which　we　were　engaged。　　Having　satisfied　her　ladyship　on　this　point；



he　discreetly　left　the　room。







'The　questions　which　we　addressed　to　Lady　Montbarry　related　mainly；



of　course；　to　his　lordship's　illness。　　The　answers；　given　with　great



nervousness　of　manner；　but　without　the　slightest　appearance　of　reserve；



informed　us　of　the　facts　that　follow：







'Lord　Montbarry　had　been　out　of　order　for　some　time　past



nervous　and　irritable。　　He　first　complained　of　having　taken　cold　on



November　13　last；　he　passed　a　wakeful　and　feverish　night；　and　remained



in　bed　the　next　day。　　Her　ladyship　proposed　sending　for　medical　advice。



He　refused　to　allow　her　to　do　this；　saying　that　he　could　quite　easily



be　his　own　doctor　in　such　a　trifling　matter　as　a　cold。　　Some　hot　lemonade



was　made　at　his　request；　with　a　view　to　producing　perspiration。



Lady　Montbarry's　maid　having　left　her　at　that　time；　the　courier　Ferrari



（then　the　only　servant　in　the　house）　went　out　to　buy　the　lemons。



Her　ladyship　made　the　drink　with　her　own　hands。　　It　was　successful



in　producing　perspirationand　Lord　Montbarry　had　some　hours　of



sleep　afterwards。　　Later　in　the　day；　having　need　of　Ferrari's　services；



Lady　Montbarry　rang　for　him。　　The　bell　was　not　answered。



Baron　Rivar　searched　for　the　man；　in　the　palace　and　out　of　it；　in　vain。



From　that　time　forth　not　a　trace　of　Ferrari　could　be　discovered。



This　happened　on　November　14。







'On　the　night　of　the　14th；　the　feverish　symptoms　accompanying　his



lordship's　cold　returned。　　They　were　in　part　perhaps　attributable　to



the　annoyance　and　alarm　caused　by　Ferrari's　mysterious　disappearance。



It　had　been　impossible　to　conceal　the　circumstance；　as　his　lordship



rang　repeatedly　for　the　courier；　insisting　that　the　man　should



relieve　Lady　Montbarry　and　the　Baron　by　taking　their　places　during



the　night　at　his　bedside。







'On　the　15th　（the　day　on　which　the　old　woman　first　came



to　do　the　housework）；　his　lordship　complained　of　sore　throat；



and　of　a　feeling　of　oppression　on　the　chest。　　On　this　day；



and　again　on　the　16th；　her　ladyship　and　the　Baron　entreated　him



to　see　a　doctor。　　He　still　refused。　　〃I　don't　want　strange　faces



about　me；　my　cold　will　run　its　course；　in　spite　of　the　doctor；〃



that　was　his　answer。　　On　the　17th　he　was　so　much　worse　that　it



was　decided　to　send　for　medical　help　whether　he　liked　it　or　not。



Baron　Rivar；　after　inquiry　at　the　consul's；　secured　the　services



of　Doctor　Bruno；　well　known　as　an　eminent　physician　in　Venice；



with　the　additional　recommendation　of　having　resided　in　England；



and　having　made　himself　acquainted　with　English　forms　of



medical　practice。















'Thus　far　our　account　of　his　lordship's　illness　has　been　derived



from　statements　made　by　Lady　Montbarry。　　The　narrative　will　now　be