the haunted hotel-第13部分

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



to　see　the　letter。　　They　were　completely　puzzledespecially　when　they



heard　of　the　bank…note　inside。　　But　they　know　who　sent　the　letter。



His　lordship's　doctor　in　Venice　posted　it　at　his　lordship's　request。



Go　to　the　gentlemen　yourself；　sir；　if　you　don't　believe　me。



They　were　polite　enough　to　ask　if　I　could　account　for　Lord　Montbarry's



writing　to　me　and　sending　me　the　money。　　I　gave　them　my　opinion　directly



I　said　it　was　like　his　lordship's　kindness。'







'Like　his　lordship's　kindness？'　　Mr。　Troy　repeated；　in　blank　amazement。







'Yes；　sir！　　Lord　Montbarry　knew　me；　like　all　the　other　members



of　his　family；　when　I　was　at　school　on　the　estate　in　Ireland。



If　he　could　have　done　it；　he　would　have　protected　my　poor　dear　husband。



But　he　was　helpless　himself　in　the　hands　of　my　lady　and　the　Baron



and　the　only　kind　thing　he　could　do　was　to　provide　for　me　in　my　widowhood；



like　the　true　nobleman　he　was！'







'A　very　pretty　explanation！'　said　Mr。　Troy。　　'What　did　your　visitors



from　the　insurance　offices　think　of　it？'







'They　asked　if　I　had　any　proof　of　my　husband's　death。'







'And　what　did　you　say？'







'I　said；　〃I　give　you　better　than　proof；　gentlemen；　I　give　you



my　positive　opinion。〃'







'That　satisfied　them；　of　course？'







'They　didn't　say　so　in　words；　sir。　　They　looked　at　each　other



and　wished　me　good…morning。'







'Well；　Mrs。　Ferrari；　unless　you　have　some　more　extraordinary



news　for　me；　I　think　I　shall　wish　you　good…morning　too。



I　can　take　a　note　of　your　information　（very　startling　information；



I　own）；　and；　in　the　absence　of　proof；　I　can　do　no　more。'







'I　can　provide　you　with　proof；　sirif　that　is　all　you　want；'



said　Mrs。　Ferrari；　with　great　dignity。　　'I　only　wish



to　know；　first；　whether　the　law　justifies　me　in　doing　it。



You　may　have　seen　in　the　fashionable　intelligence　of　the　newspapers；



that　Lady　Montbarry　has　arrived　in　London；　at　Newbury's　Hotel。



I　propose　to　go　and　see　her。'







'The　deuce　you　do！　　May　I　ask　for　what　purpose？'







Mrs。　Ferrari　answered　in　a　mysterious　whisper。　　'For　the　purpose



of　catching　her　in　a　trap！　　I　shan't　send　in　my　nameI　shall



announce　myself　as　a　person　on　business；　and　the　first　words　I　say



to　her　will　be　these：　　〃I　come；　my　lady；　to　acknowledge　the　receipt



of　the　money　sent　to　Ferrari's　widow。〃　　Ah！　you　may　well　start；



Mr。　Troy！　　It　almost　takes　you　off　your　guard；　doesn't　it？



Make　your　mind　easy；　sir；　I　shall　find　the　proof　that　everybody



asks　me　for　in　her　guilty　face。　　Let　her　only　change　colour　by



the　shadow　of　a　shadelet　her　eyes　only　drop　for　half　an　instant



I　shall　discover　her！　　The　one　thing　I　want　to　know　is；　does　the　law



permit　it？'







'The　law　permits　it；'　Mr。　Troy　answered　gravely；　'but　whether　her



ladyship　will　permit　it；　is　quite　another　question。　　Have　you　really



courage　enough；　Mrs。　Ferrari；　to　carry　out　this　notable　scheme　of　yours？



You　have　been　described　to　me；　by　Miss　Lockwood；　as　rather　a　nervous；



timid　sort　of　personand；　if　I　may　trust　my　own　observation；



I　should　say　you　justify　the　description。'







'If　you　had　lived　in　the　country；　sir；　instead　of　living　in　London；'



Mrs。　Ferrari　replied；　'you　would　sometimes　have　seen　even　a　sheep



turn　on　a　dog。　　I　am　far　from　saying　that　I　am　a　bold　woman



quite　the　reverse。　　But　when　I　stand　in　that　wretch's　presence；　and　think



of　my　murdered　husband；　the　one　of　us　two　who　is　likely　to　be　frightened



is　not　me。　　I　am　going　there　now；　sir。　　You　shall　hear　how　it　ends。



I　wish　you　good…morning。'







With　those　brave　words　the　courier's　wife　gathered　her　mantle　about　her；



and　walked　out　of　the　room。







Mr。　Troy　smilednot　satirically；　but　compassionately。



'The　little　simpleton！'　he　thought　to　himself。　　'If　half　of　what



they　say　of　Lady　Montbarry　is　true；　Mrs。　Ferrari　and　her　trap



have　but　a　poor　prospect　before　them。　　I　wonder　how　it　will　end？'







All　Mr。　Troy's　experience　failed　to　forewarn　him　of　how　it　did　end。























　CHAPTER　X











In　the　mean　time；　Mrs。　Ferrari　held　to　her　resolution。



She　went　straight　from　Mr。　Troy's　office　to　Newbury's　Hotel。







Lady　Montbarry　was　at　home；　and　alone。　　But　the　authorities



of　the　hotel　hesitated　to　disturb　her　when　they　found　that　the



visitor　declined　to　mention　her　name。　　Her　ladyship's　new　maid



happened　to　cross　the　hall　while　the　matter　was　still　in　debate。



She　was　a　Frenchwoman；　and；　on　being　appealed　to；　she　settled



the　question　in　the　swift；　easy；　rational　French　way。



'Madame's　appearance　was　perfectly　respectable。　　Madame　might　have



reasons　for　not　mentioning　her　name　which　Miladi　might　approve。



In　any　case；　there　being　no　orders　forbidding　the　introduction　of　a



strange　lady；　the　matter　clearly　rested　between　Madame　and　Miladi。



Would　Madame；　therefore；　be　good　enough　to　follow　Miladi's　maid　up



the　stairs？'







In　spite　of　her　resolution；　Mrs。　Ferrari's　heart　beat　as　if　it



would　burst　out　of　her　bosom；　when　her　conductress　led　her　into



an　ante…room；　and　knocked　at　a　door　opening　into　a　room　beyond。



But　it　is　remarkable　that　persons　of　sensitively…nervous　organisation



are　the　very　persons　who　are　capable　of　forcing　themselves



（apparently　by　the　exercise　of　a　spasmodic　effort　of　will）



into　the　performance　of　acts　of　the　most　audacious　courage。



A　low；　grave　voice　from　the　inner　room　said；　'Come　in。'　　The　maid；



opening　the　door；　announced；　'A　person　to　see　you；　Miladi；　on　business；'



and　immediately　retired。　　In　the　one　instant　while　these　events　passed；



timid　little　Mrs。　Ferrari　mastered　her　own　throbbing　heart；



stepped　over　the　threshold；　conscious　of　her　clammy　hands；　dry　lips；



and　burning　head；　and　stood　in　the　presence　of　Lord　Montbarry's　widow；



to　all　outward　appearance　as　supremely　self…possessed　as　her



ladyship　herself。







It　was　still　early　in　the　afternoon；　but　the　light　in　the　room　was　dim。



The　blinds　were　drawn　down。　　Lady　Montbarry　sat　with　her　back　to



the　windows；　as　if　even　the　subdued　daylight　were　disagreeable　to　her。



She　had　altered　sadly　for　the　worse　in　her　personal　appearance；



since　the　memorable　day　when　Doctor　Wybrow　had　seen　her　in　his



consulting…room。　Her　beauty　was　goneher　face　had　fallen　away



to　mere　skin　and　bone；　the　contrast　between　her　ghastly　complexion



and　her　steely　glittering　black　eyes　was　more　startling　than　ever。



Robed　in　dismal　black；　relieved　only　by　the　brilliant　whiteness



of　her　widow's　capreclining　in　a　panther…like　suppleness　of



attitude　on　a　little　green　sofashe　looked　at　the　stranger　who　had



intruded　on　her；　with　a　moment's　languid　curiosity；　then　dropped



her　eyes　again　to　the　hand…screen　which　she　held　between　her　face



and　the　fire。　　'I　don't　know　you；'　she　said。　　'What　do　you　want



with　me？'







Mrs。　Ferrari　tried　to　answer。　　Her　first　burst　of　courage　had　already



worn　itself　out。　　The　bold　words　that　she　had　determined　to　speak



were　living　words　still　in　her　mind；　but　they　died　on　her　lips。







There　was　a　moment　of　silence。　　Lady　Montbarry　looked　round



again　at　the　speechless　stranger。　　'Are　you　deaf？'　she　asked。



There　was　another　pause。　　Lady　Montbarry　quietly　looked　back　again



at　the　screen；　and　put　another　question。　　'Do　you　want　money？'







'Money！'　　That　one　word　roused　the　sinking　spirit　of　the　courier's　wife。



She　recovered　her　courage；　she　found　her　voice。　　'Look　at　me；　my　lady；



if　you　please；'　she　said；　with　a　sudden　outbreak　of　audacity。







Lady　Montbarry　looked　round　for　the　third　time。　　The　fatal　words



passed　Mrs。　Ferrari's　lips。







'I　come；　my　lady；　to　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　the　money　sent



to　Ferrari's　widow。'







Lady　Montbarry's　glittering　black　eyes　rested　with　steady



attention　on　the　woman　who　had　addressed　her　in　those　terms。



Not　the　faintest　expression　of　confusion　or　alarm；　not　even　a　momentary



flutter　of　interest　stirred　the　deadly　stillness　of　her　face。



She　reposed　as　quietly；　she　held　the　screen　as　composedly；　as　ever。



The　test　had　been　tried；　and　had　utterly　failed。







There　was　another　silence。　　Lady　Montbarry　considered　with　herself。



The　smile　that　came　slowly　and　went　away　suddenlythe　smile



at　once　so　sad　and　so　cruelshowed　itself　on　her　thin　lips。



She　lifted　her　screen；　and　pointed　with　it　to　a　seat　at　the



farther　end　of　the　room。　　'Be　so　good　as　to　take　that　chair；'



she　said。







Helpless　under　her　first　bewildering　sense　of　failurenot　knowing



what　to　say　or　what　to　do　nextMrs。　Ferrari　mechanically　obeyed。



Lady　Montbarry；　rising　on　the　sofa　for　the　first　time；　watched　her



with　undisguised　scrutiny　as　she　crossed　the　roomthen　sank　back



into　a　reclining　position　once　more。　　'No；'　she　said　to　herself；



'the　woman　walks　steadily；　she　is　not　intoxicatedthe　only　other



possibility　is　that　she　may　be　mad。'







She　had　spoken　loud　enough　to　be　heard。　　Stung　by　the　insult；



Mrs。　Ferrari　instantly　answered　her：　　'I　am　no　more　drunk　or　mad



than　you　are！'







'No？'　said　Lady　Montbarry。　　'Then　you　are　only　insolent？



The　ignorant　English　mind　（I　have　observed）　is　apt　to　be　insolent　in



the　exercise　of　unrestrained　English　liberty。　　This　is　very　noticeable



to　us　foreigners　among　you　people　in　the　streets。　　Of　course　I　can't



be　insolent　to　you；　in　return。　　I　hardly　know　what　to　s