the haunted hotel-第12部分

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



most　fitly　continued　in　the　language　of　the　doctor's　own　report；



herewith　subjoined。







'〃My　medical　diary　informs　me　that　I　first　saw　the　English　Lord　Montbarry；



on　November　17。　　He　was　suffering　from　a　sharp　attack　of　bronchitis。



Some　precious　time　had　been　lost；　through　his　obstinate　objection



to　the　presence　of　a　medical　man　at　his　bedside。　　Generally　speaking；



he　appeared　to　be　in　a　delicate　state　of　health。　　His　nervous



system　was　out　of　orderhe　was　at　once　timid　and　contradictory。



When　I　spoke　to　him　in　English；　he　answered　in　Italian；



and　when　I　tried　him　in　Italian；　he　went　back　to　English。



It　mattered　littlethe　malady　had　already　made　such　progress



that　he　could　only　speak　a　few　words　at　a　time；　and　those　in



a　whisper。







'〃I　at　once　applied　the　necessary　remedies。　　Copies　of　my　prescriptions



（with　translation　into　English）　accompany　the　present　statement；



and　are　left　to　speak　for　themselves。







'〃For　the　next　three　days　I　was　in　constant　attendance　on　my　patient。



He　answered　to　the　remedies　employedimproving　slowly；　but　decidedly。



I　could　conscientiously　assure　Lady　Montbarry　that　no　danger　was



to　be　apprehended　thus　far。　　She　was　indeed　a　most　devoted　wife。



I　vainly　endeavoured　to　induce　her　to　accept　the　services　of　a



competent　nurse；　she　would　allow　nobody　to　attend　on　her　husband



but　herself。　　Night　and　day　this　estimable　woman　was　at　his　bedside。



In　her　brief　intervals　of　repose；　her　brother　watched　the　sick　man



in　her　place。　　This　brother　was；　I　must　say；　very　good　company；



in　the　intervals　when　we　had　time　for　a　little　talk。　　He　dabbled



in　chemistry；　down　in　the　horrid　under…water　vaults　of　the　palace；



and　he　wanted　to　show　me　some　of　his　experiments。　　I　have　enough　of



chemistry　in　writing　prescriptionsand　I　declined。　　He　took　it　quite



good…humouredly。







'〃I　am　straying　away　from　my　subject。　　Let　me　return　to　the　sick　lord。







'〃Up　to　the　20th；　then；　things　went　well　enough。　　I　was　quite



unprepared　for　the　disastrous　change　that　showed　itself；



when　I　paid　Lord　Montbarry　my　morning　visit　on　the　21st。



He　had　relapsed；　and　seriously　relapsed。　　Examining　him　to　discover



the　cause；　I　found　symptoms　of　pneumoniathat　is　to　say；



in　unmedical　language；　inflammation　of　the　substance　of　the　lungs。



He　breathed　with　difficulty；　and　was　only　partially　able　to　relieve



himself　by　coughing。　　I　made　the　strictest　inquiries；　and　was　assured



that　his　medicine　had　been　administered　as　carefully　as　usual；



and　that　he　had　not　been　exposed　to　any　changes　of　temperature。



It　was　with　great　reluctance　that　I　added　to　Lady　Montbarry's　distress；



but　I　felt　bound；　when　she　suggested　a　consultation　with



another　physician；　to　own　that　I　too　thought　there　was　really　need



for　it。







'〃Her　ladyship　instructed　me　to　spare　no　expense；　and　to　get　the　best



medical　opinion　in　Italy。　　The　best　opinion　was　happily　within　our　reach。



The　first　and　foremost　of　Italian　physicians　is　Torello　of　Padua。



I　sent　a　special　messenger　for　the　great　man。　　He　arrived　on　the　evening



of　the　21　st；　and　confirmed　my　opinion　that　pneumonia　had　set　in；



and　that　our　patient's　life　was　in　danger。　　I　told　him　what　my　treatment



of　the　case　had　been；　and　he　approved　of　it　in　every　particular。



He　made　some　valuable　suggestions；　and　（at　Lady　Montbarry's



express　request）　he　consented　to　defer　his　return　to　Padua　until



the　following　morning。







'〃We　both　saw　the　patient　at　intervals　in　the　course　of　the　night。



The　disease；　steadily　advancing；　set　our　utmost　resistance　at　defiance。



In　the　morning　Doctor　Torello　took　his　leave。　　'I　can　be　of　no



further　use；'　he　said　to　me。　　'The　man　is　past　all　helpand　he　ought



to　know　it。'







'〃Later　in　the　day　I　warned　my　lord；　as　gently　as　I　could；



that　his　time　had　come。　　I　am　informed　that　there　are　serious　reasons



for　my　stating　what　passed　between　us　on　this　occasion；　in　detail；



and　without　any　reserve。　　I　comply　with　the　request。







'〃Lord　Montbarry　received　the　intelligence　of　his　approaching　death



with　becoming　composure；　but　with　a　certain　doubt。　　He　signed　to　me



to　put　my　ear　to　his　mouth。　　He　whispered　faintly；　'Are　you　sure？'



It　was　no　time　to　deceive　him；　I　said；　'Positively　sure。'



He　waited　a　little；　gasping　for　breath；　and　then　he　whispered　again；



'Feel　under　my　pillow。'　　I　found　under　his　pillow　a　letter；



sealed　and　stamped；　ready　for　the　post。　　His　next　words　were　just



audible　and　no　more'Post　it　yourself。'　　I　answered；　of　course；



that　I　would　do　soand　I　did　post　the　letter　with　my　own　hand。



I　looked　at　the　address。　　It　was　directed　to　a　lady　in　London。



The　street　I　cannot　remember。　　The　name　I　can　perfectly　recall：



it　was　an　Italian　name'Mrs。　Ferrari。'







'〃That　night　my　lord　nearly　died　of　asphyxia。　　I　got　him　through　it



for　the　time；　and　his　eyes　showed　that　he　understood　me　when　I　told　him；



the　next　morning；　that　I　had　posted　the　letter。　　This　was　his　last



effort　of　consciousness。　　When　I　saw　him　again　he　was　sunk　in　apathy。



He　lingered　in　a　state　of　insensibility；　supported　by　stimulants；



until　the　25th；　and　died　（unconscious　to　the　last）　on　the　evening　of



that　day。







'〃As　to　the　cause　of　his　death；　it　seems　（if　I　may　be　excused　for



saying　so）　simply　absurd　to　ask　the　question。　　Bronchitis；　terminating



in　pneumoniathere　is　no　more　doubt　that　this；　and　this　only；



was　the　malady　of　which　he　expired；　than　that　two　and　two　make　four。



Doctor　Torello's　own　note　of　the　case　is　added　here　to　a　duplicate



of　my　certificate；　in　order　（as　I　am　informed）　to　satisfy



some　English　offices　in　which　his　lordship's　life　was　insured。



The　English　offices　must　have　been　founded　by　that　celebrated　saint



and　doubter；　mentioned　in　the　New　Testament；　whose　name　was　Thomas！〃















'Doctor　Bruno's　evidence　ends　here。







'Reverting　for　a　moment　to　our　inquiries　addressed　to　Lady　Montbarry；



we　have　to　report　that　she　can　give　us　no　information　on　the　subject



of　the　letter　which　the　doctor　posted　at　Lord　Montbarry's　request。



When　his　lordship　wrote　it？　what　it　contained？　why　he　kept



it　a　secret　from　Lady　Montbarry　（and　from　the　Baron　also）；



and　why　he　should　write　at　all　to　the　wife　of　his　courier？　these



are　questions　to　which　we　find　it　simply　impossible　to　obtain



any　replies。　　It　seems　even　useless　to　say　that　the　matter　is



open　to　suspicion。　　Suspicion　implies　conjecture　of　some　kind



and　the　letter　under　my　lord's　pillow　baffles　all　conjecture。



Application　to　Mrs。　Ferrari　may　perhaps　clear　up　the　mystery。



Her　residence　in　London　will　be　easily　discovered　at　the　Italian　Couriers'



Office；　Golden　Square。







'Having　arrived　at　the　close　of　the　present　report；　we　have　now



to　draw　your　attention　to　the　conclusion　which　is　justified



by　the　results　of　our　investigation。







'The　plain　question　before　our　Directors　and　ourselves　appears



to　be　this：　　Has　the　inquiry　revealed　any　extraordinary　circumstances



which　render　the　death　of　Lord　Montbarry　open　to　suspicion？



The　inquiry　has　revealed　extraordinary　circumstances　beyond



all　doubtsuch　as　the　disappearance　of　Ferrari；　the　remarkable



absence　of　the　customary　establishment　of　servants　in　the　house；



and　the　mysterious　letter　which　his　lordship　asked　the　doctor　to　post。



But　where　is　the　proof　that　any　one　of　these　circumstances



is　associatedsuspiciously　and　directly　associatedwith　the　only



event　which　concerns　us；　the　event　of　Lord　Montbarry's　death？



In　the　absence　of　any　such　proof；　and　in　the　face　of　the　evidence



of　two　eminent　physicians；　it　is　impossible　to　dispute　the　statement



on　the　certificate　that　his　lordship　died　a　natural　death。



We　are　bound；　therefore；　to　report；　that　there　are　no　valid　grounds　for



refusing　the　payment　of　the　sum　for　which　the　late　Lord　Montbarry's　life



was　assured。







'We　shall　send　these　lines　to　you　by　the　post　of　to…morrow；



December　10；　leaving　time　to　receive　your　further　instructions



（if　any）；　in　reply　to　our　telegram　of　this　evening　announcing



the　conclusion　of　the　inquiry。'























CHAPTER　IX











'Now；　my　good　creature；　whatever　you　have　to　say　to　me；



out　with　it　at　once！　　I　don't　want　to　hurry　you　needlessly；



but　these　are　business　hours；　and　I　have　other　people's　affairs



to　attend　to　besides　yours。'







Addressing　Ferrari's　wife；　with　his　usual　blunt　good…humour；



in　these　terms；　Mr。　Troy　registered　the　lapse　of　time　by　a　glance



at　the　watch　on　his　desk；　and　then　waited　to　hear　what　his　client



had　to　say　to　him。







'It's　something　more；　sir；　about　the　letter　with　the　thousand…pound　note；'



Mrs。　Ferrari　began。　　'I　have　found　out　who　sent　it　to　me。'







Mr。　Troy　started。　　'This　is　news　indeed！'　he　said。　　'Who　sent　you



the　letter？'







'Lord　Montbarry　sent　it；　sir。'







It　was　not　easy　to　take　Mr。　Troy　by　surprise。　　But　Mrs。　Ferrari



threw　him　completely　off　his　balance。　　For　a　while　he　could



only　look　at　her　in　silent　surprise。　　'Nonsense！'　he　said；



as　soon　as　he　had　recovered　himself。　　'There　is　some　mistake



it　can't　be！'







'There　is　no　mistake；'　Mrs。　Ferrari　rejoined；　in　her　most　positive　manner。



'Two　gentlemen　from　the　insurance　offices　called　on　me　this　morning；



to　see　the　letter。　　They　were　completely　puzzledespecially