the haunted hotel-第15部分

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had　roused　her　sense　of　what　was　due　to　herself。　　She　resumed



her　reply　in　plainer　terms。







'When　Ferrari　wrote　to　the　late　Lord　Montbarry；'　she　said；　'he　did



certainly　mention　my　name。'







Even　now；　she　had　innocently　failed　to　see　the　object　which　her　visitor



had　in　view。　　Lady　Montbarry's　impatience　became　ungovernable。



She　started　to　her　feet；　and　advanced　to　Agnes。







'Was　it　with　your　knowledge　and　permission　that　Ferrari　used



your　name？'　she　asked。　　'The　whole　soul　of　my　question　is　in　that。



For　God's　sake　answer　meYes；　or　No！'







'Yes。'







That　one　word　struck　Lady　Montbarry　as　a　blow　might　have　struck　her。



The　fierce　life　that　had　animated　her　face　the　instant　before；



faded　out　of　it　suddenly；　and　left　her　like　a　woman　turned　to　stone。



She　stood；　mechanically　confronting　Agnes；　with　a　stillness　so　wrapt



and　perfect　that　not　even　the　breath　she　drew　was　perceptible　to　the　two



persons　who　were　looking　at　her。







Henry　spoke　to　her　roughly。　　'Rouse　yourself；'　he　said。



'You　have　received　your　answer。'







She　looked　round　at　him。　　'I　have　received　my　Sentence；'　she　rejoined



and　turned　slowly　to　leave　the　room。







To　Henry's　astonishment；　Agnes　stopped　her。　　'Wait　a　moment；



Lady　Montbarry。　　I　have　something　to　ask　on　my　side。　　You　have　spoken



of　Ferrari。　　I　wish　to　speak　of　him　too。'







Lady　Montbarry　bent　her　head　in　silence。　　Her　hand　trembled　as　she



took　out　her　handkerchief；　and　passed　it　over　her　forehead。



Agnes　detected　the　trembling；　and　shrank　back　a　step。　　'Is　the　subject



painful　to　you？'　she　asked　timidly。







Still　silent；　Lady　Montbarry　invited　her　by　a　wave　of　the　hand　to　go　on。



Henry　approached；　attentively　watching　his　sister…in…law。　Agnes



went　on。







'No　trace　of　Ferrari　has　been　discovered　in　England；'　she　said。



'Have　you　any　news　of　him？　　And　will　you　tell　me　（if　you　have　heard



anything）；　in　mercy　to　his　wife？'







Lady　Montbarry's　thin　lips　suddenly　relaxed　into　their　sad



and　cruel　smile。







'Why　do　you　ask　me　about　the　lost　courier？'　she　said。



'You　will　know　what　has　become　of　him；　Miss　Lockwood；　when　the　time



is　ripe　for　it。'







Agnes　started。　　'I　don't　understand　you；'　she　said。　　'How　shall　I　know？



Will　some　one　tell　me？'







'Some　one　will　tell　you。'







Henry　could　keep　silence　no　longer。　　'Perhaps；　your　ladyship



may　be　the　person？'　he　interrupted　with　ironical　politeness。







She　answered　him　with　contemptuous　ease。　　'You　may　be　right；



Mr。　Westwick。　　One　day　or　another；　I　may　be　the　person　who　tells



Miss　Lockwood　what　has　become　of　Ferrari；　if'　She　stopped；



with　her　eyes　fixed　on　Agnes。







'If　what？'　　Henry　asked。







'If　Miss　Lockwood　forces　me　to　it。'







Agnes　listened　in　astonishment。　　'Force　you　to　it？'　she　repeated。



'How　can　I　do　that？　　Do　you　mean　to　say　my　will　is　stronger



than　yours？'







'Do　you　mean　to　say　that　the　candle　doesn't　burn　the　moth；



when　the　moth　flies　into　it？'　　Lady　Montbarry　rejoined。　　'Have　you



ever　heard　of　such　a　thing　as　the　fascination　of　terror？　　I　am　drawn



to　you　by　a　fascination　of　terror。　　I　have　no　right　to　visit　you；



I　have　no　wish　to　visit　you：　　you　are　my　enemy。　　For　the　first　time



in　my　life；　against　my　own　will；　I　submit　to　my　enemy。　　See！　　I　am



waiting　because　you　told　me　to　waitand　the　fear　of　you　（I　swear　it！）



creeps　through　me　while　I　stand　here。　　Oh；　don't　let　me　excite



your　curiosity　or　your　pity！　　Follow　the　example　of　Mr。　Westwick。



Be　hard　and　brutal　and　unforgiving；　like　him。　　Grant　me　my　release。



Tell　me　to　go。'







The　frank　and　simple　nature　of　Agnes　could　discover　but　one



intelligible　meaning　in　this　strange　outbreak。







'You　are　mistaken　in　thinking　me　your　enemy；'　she　said。



'The　wrong　you　did　me　when　you　gave　your　hand　to　Lord　Montbarry　was



not　intentionally　done。　　I　forgave　you　my　sufferings　in　his　lifetime。



I　forgive　you　even　more　freely　now　that　he　has　gone。'







Henry　heard　her　with　mingled　emotions　of　admiration　and　distress。



'Say　no　more！'　he　exclaimed。　　'You　are　too　good　to　her；　she　is　not



worthy　of　it。'







The　interruption　passed　unheeded　by　Lady　Montbarry。　　The　simple



words　in　which　Agnes　had　replied　seemed　to　have　absorbed　the　whole



attention　of　this　strangely…changeable　woman。　　As　she　listened；



her　face　settled　slowly　into　an　expression　of　hard　and　tearless　sorrow。



There　was　a　marked　change　in　her　voice　when　she　spoke　next。



It　expressed　that　last　worst　resignation　which　has　done　with　hope。







'You　good　innocent　creature；'　she　said；　'what　does　your



amiable　forgiveness　matter？　　What　are　your　poor　little　wrongs；



in　the　reckoning　for　greater　wrongs　which　is　demanded　of　me？



I　am　not　trying　to　frighten　you；　I　am　only　miserable　about　myself。



Do　you　know　what　it　is　to　have　a　firm　presentiment　of　calamity　that



is　coming　to　youand　yet　to　hope　that　your　own　positive　conviction



will　not　prove　true？　　When　I　first　met　you；　before　my　marriage；



and　first　felt　your　influence　over　me；　I　had　that　hope。



It　was　a　starveling　sort　of　hope　that　lived　a　lingering　life　in　me



until　to…day。　You　struck　it　dead；　when　you　answered　my　question



about　Ferrari。'







'How　have　I　destroyed　your　hopes？'　　Agnes　asked。　　'What　connection　is



there　between　my　permitting　Ferrari　to　use　my　name　to　Lord　Montbarry；



and　the　strange　and　dreadful　things　you　are　saying　to　me　now？'







'The　time　is　near；　Miss　Lockwood；　when　you　will　discover　that



for　yourself。　　In　the　mean　while；　you　shall　know　what　my　fear　of　you　is；



in　the　plainest　words　I　can　find。　　On　the　day　when　I　took　your　hero



from　you　and　blighted　your　lifeI　am　firmly　persuaded　of　it！



you　were　made　the　instrument　of　the　retribution　that　my　sins



of　many　years　had　deserved。　　Oh；　such　things　have　happened　before



to…day！　One　person　has；　before　now；　been　the　means　of　innocently



ripening　the　growth　of　evil　in　another。　　You　have　done　that　already



and　you　have　more　to　do　yet。　　You　have　still　to　bring　me　to　the　day



of　discovery；　and　to　the　punishment　that　is　my　doom。　　We　shall



meet　againhere　in　England；　or　there　in　Venice　where　my　husband　died



and　meet　for　the　last　time。'







In　spite　of　her　better　sense；　in　spite　of　her　natural



superiority　to　superstitions　of　all　kinds；　Agnes　was　impressed



by　the　terrible　earnestness　with　which　those　words　were　spoken。



She　turned　pale　as　she　looked　at　Henry。　　'Do　you　understand　her？'



she　asked。







'Nothing　is　easier　than　to　understand　her；'　he　replied　contemptuously。



'She　knows　what　has　become　of　Ferrari；　and　she　is　confusing　you



in　a　cloud　of　nonsense；　because　she　daren't　own　the　truth。



Let　her　go！'







If　a　dog　had　been　under　one　of　the　chairs；　and　had　barked；



Lady　Montbarry　could　not　have　proceeded　more　impenetrably



with　the　last　words　she　had　to　say　to　Agnes。







'Advise　your　interesting　Mrs。　Ferrari　to　wait　a　little　longer；'



she　said。　　'You　will　know　what　has　become　of　her　husband；　and　you



will　tell　her。　　There　will　be　nothing　to　alarm　you。　　Some　trifling



event　will　bring　us　together　the　next　timeas　trifling；　I　dare　say；



as　the　engagement　of　Ferrari。　　Sad　nonsense；　Mr。　Westwick；　is　it　not？



But　you　make　allowances　for　women；　we　all　talk　nonsense。　　Good　morning；



Miss　Lockwood。'







She　opened　the　doorsuddenly；　as　if　she　was　afraid　of　being　called



back　for　the　second　timeand　left　them。























CHAPTER　XII











'Do　you　think　she　is　mad？'　　Agnes　asked。







'I　think　she　is　simply　wicked。　　False；　superstitious；　inveterately　cruel



but　not　mad。　　I　believe　her　main　motive　in　coming　here　was　to　enjoy



the　luxury　of　frightening　you。'







'She　has　frightened　me。　　I　am　ashamed　to　own　itbut　so　it　is。'







Henry　looked　at　her；　hesitated　for　a　moment；　and　seated　himself



on　the　sofa　by　her　side。







'I　am　very　anxious　about　you；　Agnes；'　he　said。　　'But　for　the　fortunate



chance　which　led　me　to　call　here　to…daywho　knows　what　that　vile



woman　might　not　have　said　or　done；　if　she　had　found　you　alone？



My　dear；　you　are　leading　a　sadly　unprotected　solitary　life。



I　don't　like　to　think　of　it；　I　want　to　see　it　changedespecially　after



what　has　happened　to…day。　No！　no！　it　is　useless　to　tell　me　that　you



have　your　old　nurse。　　She　is　too　old；　she　is　not　in　your　rank



of　lifethere　is　no　sufficient　protection　in　the　companionship



of　such　a　person　for　a　lady　in　your　position。　　Don't　mistake　me；



Agnes！　what　I　say；　I　say　in　the　sincerity　of　my　devotion　to　you。'



He　paused；　and　took　her　hand。　　She　made　a　feeble　effort　to　withdraw　it



and　yielded。　　'Will　the　day　never　come；'　he　pleaded；　'when　the　privilege



of　protecting　you　may　be　mine？　when　you　will　be　the　pride　and　joy



of　my　life；　as　long　as　my　life　lasts？'　　He　pressed　her　hand　gently。



She　made　no　reply。　　The　colour　came　and　went　on　her　face；　her　eyes



were　turned　away　from　him。　　'Have　I　been　so　unhappy　as　to　offend　you？'



he　asked。







She　answered　thatshe　said；　almost　in　a　whisper；　'No。'







'Have　I　distressed　you？'







'You　have　made　me　think　of　the　sad　days　that　are　gone。'　　She　said　no　more；



she　only　tried　to　withdraw　her　hand　from　his　for　the　second　time。



He　still　held　it；　he　lifted　it　to　his　lips。















'Can　I　never　make　you　think　of　other　days　than　thoseof　the　happier



days　to　come？