the haunted hotel-第16部分

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



days　to　come？　　Or；　if　you　must　think　of　the　time　that　is　passed；



can　you　not　look　back　to　the　time　when　I　first　loved　you？'







She　sighed　as　he　put　the　question。　　'Spare　me　Henry；'　she　answered　sadly。



'Say　no　more！'







The　colour　again　rose　in　her　cheeks；　her　hand　trembled　in　his。



She　looked　lovely；　with　her　eyes　cast　down　and　her　bosom　heaving　gently。



At　that　moment　he　would　have　given　everything　he　had　in　the　world



to　take　her　in　his　arms　and　kiss　her。　　Some　mysterious　sympathy；



passing　from　his　hand　to　hers；　seemed　to　tell　her　what　was　in　his　mind。



She　snatched　her　hand　away；　and　suddenly　looked　up　at　him。



The　tears　were　in　her　eyes。　　She　said　nothing；　she　let　her　eyes



speak　for　her。　　They　warned　himwithout　anger；　without　unkindness



but　still　they　warned　him　to　press　her　no　further　that　day。







'Only　tell　me　that　I　am　forgiven；'　he　said；　as　he　rose　from　the　sofa。







'Yes；'　she　answered　quietly；　'you　are　forgiven。'







'I　have　not　lowered　myself　in　your　estimation；　Agnes？'







'Oh；　no！'







'Do　you　wish　me　to　leave　you？'







She　rose；　in　her　turn；　from　the　sofa；　and　walked　to　her　writing…table



before　she　replied。　　The　unfinished　letter　which　she　had　been　writing



when　Lady　Montbarry　interrupted　her；　lay　open　on　the　blotting…book。



As　she　looked　at　the　letter；　and　then　looked　at　Henry；　the　smile



that　charmed　everybody　showed　itself　in　her　face。







'You　must　not　go　just　yet；'　she　said：　　'I　have　something　to　tell　you。



I　hardly　know　how　to　express　it。　　The　shortest　way　perhaps　will　be　to　let



you　find　it　out　for　yourself。　　You　have　been　speaking　of　my　lonely



unprotected　life　here。　　It　is　not　a　very　happy　life；　HenryI　own　that。'



She　paused；　observing　the　growing　anxiety　of　his　expression



as　he　looked　at　her；　with　a　shy　satisfaction　that　perplexed　him。



'Do　you　know　that　I　have　anticipated　your　idea？'　she　went　on。



'I　am　going　to　make　a　great　change　in　my　lifeif　your　brother



Stephen　and　his　wife　will　only　consent　to　it。'　　She　opened　the　desk



of　the　writing…table　while　she　spoke；　took　a　letter　out；　and　handed　it



to　Henry。







He　received　it　from　her　mechanically。　　Vague　doubts；　which　he　hardly



understood　himself；　kept　him　silent。　　It　was　impossible　that　the　'change



in　her　life'　of　which　she　had　spoken　could　mean　that　she　was　about



to　be　marriedand　yet　he　was　conscious　of　a　perfectly　unreasonable



reluctance　to　open　the　letter。　　Their　eyes　met；　she　smiled　again。



'Look　at　the　address；'　she　said。　　'You　ought　to　know　the　handwriting



but　I　dare　say　you　don't。'







He　looked　at　the　address。　　It　was　in　the　large；　irregular；



uncertain　writing　of　a　child。　　He　opened　the　letter　instantly。







'Dear　Aunt　Agnes；Our　governess　is　going　away。　　She　has　had　money



left　to　her；　and　a　house　of　her　own。　　We　have　had　cake　and　wine



to　drink　her　health。　　You　promised　to　be　our　governess　if　we



wanted　another。　　We　want　you。　　Mamma　knows　nothing　about　this。



Please　come　before　Mamma　can　get　another　governess。　　Your　loving　Lucy；



who　writes　this。　　Clara　and　Blanche　have　tried　to　write　too。



But　they　are　too　young　to　do　it。　　They　blot　the　paper。'







'Your　eldest　niece；'　Agnes　explained；　as　Henry　looked　at　her　in　amazement。



'The　children　used　to　call　me　aunt　when　I　was　staying　with　their



mother　in　Ireland；　in　the　autumn。　　The　three　girls　were　my



inseparable　companionsthey　are　the　most　charming　children　I　know。



It　is　quite　true　that　I　offered　to　be　their　governess；　if　they



ever　wanted　one；　on　the　day　when　I　left　them　to　return　to　London。



I　was　writing　to　propose　it　to　their　mother；　just　before　you　came。'







'Not　seriously！'　　Henry　exclaimed。







Agnes　placed　her　unfinished　letter　in　his　hand。　　Enough　of　it　had　been



written　to　show　that　she　did　seriously　propose　to　enter　the　household



of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Stephen　Westwick　as　governess　to　their　children！



Henry's　bewilderment　was　not　to　be　expressed　in　words。







'They　won't　believe　you　are　in　earnest；'　he　said。







'Why　not？'　　Agnes　asked　quietly。







'You　are　my　brother　Stephen's　cousin；　you　are　his　wife's　old　friend。'







'All　the　more　reason；　Henry；　for　trusting　me　with　the　charge



of　their　children。'







'But　you　are　their　equal；　you　are　not　obliged　to　get　your　living



by　teaching。　　There　is　something　absurd　in　your　entering　their



service　as　a　governess！'







'What　is　there　absurd　in　it？　　The　children　love　me；　the　mother　loves　me；



the　father　has　shown　me　innumerable　instances　of　his　true　friendship



and　regard。　　I　am　the　very　woman　for　the　placeand；　as　to　my　education；



I　must　have　completely　forgotten　it　indeed；　if　I　am　not　fit　to　teach



three　children　the　eldest　of　whom　is　only　eleven　years　old。



You　say　I　am　their　equal。　　Are　there　no　other　women　who　serve



as　governesses；　and　who　are　the　equals　of　the　persons　whom



they　serve？　　Besides；　I　don't　know　that　I　am　their　equal。



Have　I　not　heard　that　your　brother　Stephen　was　the　next　heir　to



the　title？　　Will　he　not　be　the　new　lord？　　Never　mind　answering　me！



We　won't　dispute　whether　I　mn　right　or　wrong　in　turning　governess



we　will　wait　the　event。　　I　am　weary　of　my　lonely　useless　existence　here；



and　eager　to　make　my　life　more　happy　and　more　useful；　in　the　household



of　all　others　in　which　I　should　like　most　to　have　a　place。



If　you　will　look　again；　you　will　see　that　I　have　these　personal



considerations　still　to　urge　before　I　finish　my　letter。



You　don't　know　your　brother　and　his　wife　as　well　as　I　do；　if　you　doubt



their　answer。　　I　believe　they　have　courage　enough　and　heart　enough　to



say　Yes。'







Henry　submitted　without　being　convinced。







He　was　a　man　who　disliked　all　eccentric　departures　from　custom　and　routine；



and　he　felt　especially　suspicious　of　the　change　proposed　in　the　life



of　Agnes。　　With　new　interests　to　occupy　her　mind；　she　might　be　less



favourably　disposed　to　listen　to　him；　on　the　next　occasion　when



he　urged　his　suit。　　The　influence　of　the　'lonely　useless　existence'



of　which　she　complained；　was　distinctly　an　influence　in　his　favour。



While　her　heart　was　empty；　her　heart　was　accessible。



But　with　his　nieces　in　full　possession　of　it；　the　clouds　of　doubt



overshadowed　his　prospects。　　He　knew　the　sex　well　enough　to　keep



these　purely　selfish　perplexities　to　himself。　　The　waiting　policy　was



especially　the　policy　to　pursue　with　a　woman　as　sensitive　as　Agnes。



If　he　once　offended　her　delicacy　he　was　lost。　　For　the　moment　he　wisely



controlled　himself　and　changed　the　subject。







'My　little　niece's　letter　has　had　an　effect；'　he　said；



'which　the　child　never　contemplated　in　writing　it。　　She　has　just



reminded　me　of　one　of　the　objects　that　I　had　in　calling　on　you　to…day。'







Agnes　looked　at　the　child's　letter。　　'How　does　Lucy　do　that？'



she　asked。







'Lucy's　governess　is　not　the　only　lucky　person　who　has　had　money



left　her；'　Henry　answered。　　'Is　your　old　nurse　in　the　house？'







'You　don't　mean　to　say　that　nurse　has　got　a　legacy？'







'She　has　got　a　hundred　pounds。　　Send　for　her；　Agnes；　while　I　show



you　the　letter。'







He　took　a　handful　of　letters　from　his　pocket；　and　looked　through　them；



while　Agnes　rang　the　bell。　　Returning　to　him；　she　noticed　a　printed



letter　among　the　rest；　which　lay　open　on　the　table。　　It　was　a



'prospectus；'　and　the　title　of　it　was　'Palace　Hotel　Company　of　Venice



（Limited）。'　The　two　words；　'Palace'　and　'Venice；'　instantly　recalled



her　mind　to　the　unwelcome　visit　of　Lady　Montbarry。　　'What　is　that？'



she　asked；　pointing　to　the　title。







Henry　suspended　his　search；　and　glanced　at　the　prospectus。



'A　really　promising　speculation；'　he　said。　　'Large　hotels　always



pay　well；　if　they　are　well　managed。　　I　know　the　man　who　is　appointed



to　be　manager　of　this　hotel　when　it　is　opened　to　the　public；



and　I　have　such　entire　confidence　in　him　that　I　have　become　one　of



the　shareholders　of　the　Company。'







The　reply　did　not　appear　to　satisfy　Agnes。　　'Why　is　the　hotel



called　the　〃Palace　Hotel〃？'　she　inquired。







Henry　looked　at　her；　and　at　once　penetrated　her　motive　for　asking



the　question。　　'Yes；'　he　said；　'it　is　the　palace　that　Montbarry



hired　at　Venice；　and　it　has　been　purchased　by　the　Company　to　be



changed　into　an　hotel。'







Agnes　turned　away　in　silence；　and　took　a　chair　at　the　farther



end　of　the　room。　　Henry　had　disappointed　her。　　His　income　as　a



younger　son　stood　in　need；　as　she　well　knew；　of　all　the　additions



that　he　could　make　to　it　by　successful　speculation。　　But　she　was



unreasonable　enough；　nevertheless；　to　disapprove　of　his　attempting



to　make　money　already　out　of　the　house　in　which　his　brother　had　died。



Incapable　of　understanding　this　purely　sentimental　view　of　a　plain



matter　of　business；　Henry　returned　to　his　papers；　in　some　perplexity



at　the　sudden　change　in　the　manner　of　Agnes　towards　him。



Just　as　he　found　the　letter　of　which　he　was　in　search；　the　nurse



made　her　appearance。　　He　glanced　at　Agnes；　expecting　that　she　would



speak　first。　　She　never　even　looked　up　when　the　nurse　came　in。



It　was　left　to　Henry　to　tell　the　old　woman　why　the　bell　had　summoned　her



to　the　drawing…room。







'Well；　nurse；'　he　said；　'you　have　had　a　windfall　of　luck。



You　have　had　a　legacy　left　you　of　a　hundred　pounds。'







The　nurse　showed　no　outward　signs　of　exultation。