the haunted hotel-第2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！





to　consult　me。　　Is　that　true？'







She　clasped　her　hands　in　her　lap。　　'That　is　true！'　she　said　eagerly。



'I　begin　to　believe　in　you　again。'







'Very　well。　　You　can't　expect　me　to　find　out　the　moral　cause　which　has



alarmed　you。　　I　can　positively　discover　that　there　is　no　physical



cause　of　alarm；　and　（unless　you　admit　me　to　your　confidence）



I　can　do　no　more。'







She　rose；　and　took　a　turn　in　the　room。　　'Suppose　I　tell　you？'　she　said。



'But；　mind；　I　shall　mention　no　names！'







'There　is　no　need　to　mention　names。　　The　facts　are　all　I　want。'







'The　facts　are　nothing；'　she　rejoined。　　'I　have　only　my　own　impressions



to　confessand　you　will　very　likely　think　me　a　fanciful　fool　when　you



hear　what　they　are。　　No　matter。　　I　will　do　my　best　to　content　you



I　will　begin　with　the　facts　that　you　want。　　Take　my　word　for　it；



they　won't　do　much　to　help　you。'







She　sat　down　again。　　In　the　plainest　possible　words；　she　began



the　strangest　and　wildest　confession　that　had　ever　reached



the　Doctor's　ears。























CHAPTER　II











'It　is　one　fact；　sir；　that　I　am　a　widow；'　she　said。　　'It　is　another　fact；



that　I　am　going　to　be　married　again。'







There　she　paused；　and　smiled　at　some　thought　that　occurred　to　her。



Doctor　Wybrow　was　not　favourably　impressed　by　her　smile



there　was　something　at　once　sad　and　cruel　in　it。　　It　came　slowly；



and　it　went　away　suddenly。　　He　began　to　doubt　whether　he　had　been　wise



in　acting　on　his　first　impression。　　His　mind　reverted　to　the　commonplace



patients　and　the　discoverable　maladies　that　were　waiting　for　him；



with　a　certain　tender　regret。







The　lady　went　on。







'My　approaching　marriage；'　she　said；　'has　one　embarrassing



circumstance　connected　with　it。　　The　gentleman　whose　wife　I　am　to　be；



was　engaged　to　another　lady　when　he　happened　to　meet　with　me；　abroad：



that　lady；　mind；　being　of　his　own　blood　and　family；　related　to



him　as　his　cousin。　　I　have　innocently　robbed　her　of　her　lover；



and　destroyed　her　prospects　in　life。　　Innocently；　I　saybecause　he　told



me　nothing　of　his　engagement　until　after　I　had　accepted　him。



When　we　next　met　in　Englandand　when　there　was　danger；　no　doubt；



of　the　affair　coming　to　my　knowledgehe　told　me　the　truth。



I　was　naturally　indignant。　　He　had　his　excuse　ready；　he　showed　me



a　letter　from　the　lady　herself；　releasing　him　from　his　engagement。



A　more　noble；　a　more　high…minded　letter；　I　never　read　in　my　life。



I　cried　over　itI　who　have　no　tears　in　me　for　sorrows　of　my　own！



If　the　letter　had　left　him　any　hope　of　being　forgiven；　I　would



have　positively　refused　to　marry　him。　　But　the　firmness　of　it



without　anger；　without　a　word　of　reproach；　with　heartfelt　wishes



even　for　his　happinessthe　firmness　of　it；　I　say；　left　him　no　hope。



He　appealed　to　my　compassion；　he　appealed　to　his　love　for　me。



You　know　what　women　are。　　I　too　was　soft…heartedI　said；



Very　well：　　yes！　　In　a　week　more　（I　tremble　as　I　think　of　it）



we　are　to　be　married。'







She　did　really　trembleshe　was　obliged　to　pause　and　compose　herself；



before　she　could　go　on。　　The　Doctor；　waiting　for　more　facts；



began　to　fear　that　he　stood　committed　to　a　long　story。　　'Forgive　me



for　reminding　you　that　I　have　suffering　persons　waiting　to　see　me；'



he　said。　　'The　sooner　you　can　come　to　the　point；　the　better　for　my



patients　and　for　me。'







The　strange　smileat　once　so　sad　and　so　cruelshowed　itself　again



on　the　lady's　lips。　　'Every　word　I　have　said　is　to　the　point；'



she　answered。　　'You　will　see　it　yourself　in　a　moment　more。'







She　resumed　her　narrative。







'Yesterdayyou　need　fear　no　long　story；　sir；　only　yesterday



I　was　among　the　visitors　at　one　of　your　English　luncheon　parties。



A　lady；　a　perfect　stranger　to　me；　came　in　lateafter　we　had　left



the　table；　and　had　retired　to　the　drawing…room。　She　happened



to　take　a　chair　near　me；　and　we　were　presented　to　each　other。



I　knew　her　by　name；　as　she　knew　me。　　It　was　the　woman　whom　I　had



robbed　of　her　lover；　the　woman　who　had　written　the　noble　letter。



Now　listen！　　You　were　impatient　with　me　for　not　interesting



you　in　what　I　said　just　now。　　I　said　it　to　satisfy　your　mind



that　I　had　no　enmity　of　feeling　towards　the　lady；　on　my　side。



I　admired　her；　I　felt　for　herI　had　no　cause　to　reproach　myself。



This　is　very　important；　as　you　will　presently　see。　　On　her　side；



I　have　reason　to　be　assured　that　the　circumstances　had　been　truly



explained　to　her；　and　that　she　understood　I　was　in　no　way　to　blame。



Now；　knowing　all　these　necessary　things　as　you　do；　explain　to　me；



if　you　can；　why；　when　I　rose　and　met　that　woman's　eyes　looking　at　me；



I　turned　cold　from　head　to　foot；　and　shuddered；　and　shivered；



and　knew　what　a　deadly　panic　of　fear　was；　for　the　first　time　in　my



life。'







The　Doctor　began　to　feel　interested　at　last。







'Was　there　anything　remarkable　in　the　lady's　personal　appearance？'



he　asked。







'Nothing　whatever！'　was　the　vehement　reply。　　'Here　is　the　true



description　of　her：The　ordinary　English　lady；　the　clear　cold



blue　eyes；　the　fine　rosy　complexion；　the　inanimately　polite　manner；



the　large　good…humoured　mouth；　the　too　plump　cheeks　and　chin：



these；　and　nothing　more。'







'Was　there　anything　in　her　expression；　when　you　first　looked　at　her；



that　took　you　by　surprise？'







'There　was　natural　curiosity　to　see　the　woman　who　had　been



preferred　to　her；　and　perhaps　some　astonishment　also；　not　to　see



a　more　engaging　and　more　beautiful　person；　both　those　feelings



restrained　within　the　limits　of　good　breeding；　and　both　not　lasting



for　more　than　a　few　momentsso　far　as　I　could　see。　　I　say；　〃so　far；〃



because　the　horrible　agitation　that　she　communicated　to　me　disturbed



my　judgment。　　If　I　could　have　got　to　the　door；　I　would　have　run　out



of　the　room；　she　frightened　me　so！　　I　was　not　even　able　to　stand　up



I　sank　back　in　my　chair；　I　stared　horror…struck　at　the　calm



blue　eyes　that　were　only　looking　at　me　with　a　gentle　surprise。



To　say　they　affected　me　like　the　eyes　of　a　serpent　is　to　say　nothing。



I　felt　her　soul　in　them；　looking　into　minelooking；　if　such　a　thing



can　be；　unconsciously　to　her　own　mortal　self。　　I　tell　you　my　impression；



in　all　its　horror　and　in　all　its　folly！　　That　woman　is　destined



（without　knowing　it　herself）　to　be　the　evil　genius　of　my　life。



Her　innocent　eyes　saw　hidden　capabilities　of　wickedness　in　me　that　I



was　not　aware　of　myself；　until　I　felt　them　stirring　under　her　look。



If　I　commit　faults　in　my　life　to　comeif　I　am　even　guilty　of　crimes



she　will　bring　the　retribution；　without　（as　I　firmly　believe）



any　conscious　exercise　of　her　own　will。　　In　one　indescribable



moment　I　felt　all　thisand　I　suppose　my　face　showed　it。



The　good　artless　creature　was　inspired　by　a　sort　of　gentle　alarm



for　me。　　〃I　am　afraid　the　heat　of　the　room　is　too　much　for　you；



will　you　try　my　smelling　bottle？〃　　I　heard　her　say　those　kind　words；



and　I　remember　nothing　elseI　fainted。　　When　I　recovered　my　senses；



the　company　had　all　gone；　only　the　lady　of　the　house　was　with　me。



For　the　moment　I　could　say　nothing　to　her；　the　dreadful　impression



that　I　have　tried　to　describe　to　you　came　back　to　me　with　the　coming



back　of　my　life。　　As　soon　I　could　speak；　I　implored　her　to　tell　me



the　whole　truth　about　the　woman　whom　I　had　supplanted。　　You　see；



I　had　a　faint　hope　that　her　good　character　might　not　really　be　deserved；



that　her　noble　letter　was　a　skilful　piece　of　hypocrisyin　short；



that　she　secretly　hated　me；　and　was　cunning　enough　to　hide　it。



No！　the　lady　had　been　her　friend　from　her　girlhood；　was　as　familiar



with　her　as　if　they　had　been　sistersknew　her　positively　to　be　as　good；



as　innocent；　as　incapable　of　hating　anybody；　as　the　greatest　saint



that　ever　lived。　　My　one　last　hope；　that　I　had　only　felt　an　ordinary



forewarning　of　danger　in　the　presence　of　an　ordinary　enemy；



was　a　hope　destroyed　for　ever。　　There　was　one　more　effort　I　could　make；



and　I　made　it。　　I　went　next　to　the　man　whom　I　am　to　marry。



I　implored　him　to　release　me　from　my　promise。　　He　refused。



I　declared　I　would　break　my　engagement。　　He　showed　me　letters



from　his　sisters；　letters　from　his　brothers；　and　his　dear　friends



all　entreating　him　to　think　again　before　he　made　me　his　wife；



all　repeating　reports　of　me　in　Paris；　Vienna；　and　London；



which　are　so　many　vile　lies。　　〃If　you　refuse　to　marry　me；〃　he　said；



〃you　admit　that　these　reports　are　trueyou　admit　that　you　are　afraid



to　face　society　in　the　character　of　my　wife。〃　　What　could　I　answer？



There　was　no　contradicting　himhe　was　plainly　right：　　if　I　persisted



in　my　refusal；　the　utter　destruction　of　my　reputation　would　be　the　result。



I　consented　to　let　the　wedding　take　place　as　we　had　arranged　it



and　left　him。　　The　night　has　passed。　　I　am　here；　with　my　fixed　conviction



that　innocent　woman　is　ordained　to　have　a　fatal　influence　over　my　life。



I　am　here　with　my　one　question　to　put；　to　the　one　man　who　can　answer　it。



For　the　last　time；　sir；　what　am　Ia　demon　who　has　seen　the　avenging



angel？　or　only　a　poor　mad　woman；　misled　by　the　delusion　of　a　deranged



mind？'







Doctor　Wybrow　rose　from　his　chair；　determined　to　close　the　interview。







He　was　strongly　and　painfully　impressed　by　what　he　had　heard。



The　longer　he　had　listened　to　her；　the　more　irresistibly



the　conviction　of　the　woman's　wickedness　had　forced　itself　on　him。



He　tried　vainly　to　thin