the haunted hotel-第21部分

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of　the　dancers　for　himself；　before　he　joined　the　bride　and　bridegroom。



His　widowed　sister；　having　friends　at　Florence　whom　she　was　anxious



to　see；　readily　accompanied　him。　　The　Montbarrys　remained　at　Paris；



until　it　was　time　to　present　themselves　at　the　family　meeting　in　Venice。



Henry　found　them　still　in　the　French　capital；　when　he　arrived　from　London



on　his　way　to　the　opening　of　the　new　hotel。







Against　Lady　Montbarry's　advice；　he　took　the　opportunity　of



renewing　his　addresses　to　Agnes。　　He　could　hardly　have　chosen



a　more　unpropitious　time　for　pleading　his　cause　with　her。



The　gaieties　of　Paris　（quite　incomprehensibly　to　herself　as　well



as　to　everyone　about　her）　had　a　depressing　effect　on　her　spirits。



She　had　no　illness　to　complain　of；　she　shared　willingly　in　the　ever…varying



succession　of　amusements　offered　to　strangers　by　the　ingenuity



of　the　liveliest　people　in　the　worldbut　nothing　roused　her：



she　remained　persistently　dull　and　weary　through　it　all。



In　this　frame　of　mind　and　body；　she　was　in　no　humour　to　receive



Henry's　ill…timed　addresses　with　favour；　or　even　with　patience：



she　plainly　and　positively　refused　to　listen　to　him。　　'Why　do　you　remind



me　of　what　I　have　suffered？'　she　asked　petulantly。　　'Don't　you　see



that　it　has　left　its　mark　on　me　for　life？'







'I　thought　I　knew　something　of　women　by　this　time；'　Henry　said；



appealing　privately　to　Lady　Montbarry　for　consolation。　　'But　Agnes



completely　puzzles　me。　　It　is　a　year　since　Montbarry's　death；　and　she



remains　as　devoted　to　his　memory　as　if　he　had　died　faithful　to　her



she　still　feels　the　loss　of　him；　as　none　of　us　feel　it！'







'She　is　the　truest　woman　that　ever　breathed　the　breath　of　life；'



Lady　Montbarry　answered。　　'Remember　that；　and　you　will　understand　her。



Can　such　a　woman　as　Agnes　give　her　love　or　refuse　it；



according　to　circumstances？　　Because　the　man　was　unworthy　of　her；



was　he　less　the　man　of　her　choice？　　The　truest　and　best　friend　to　him



（little　as　he　deserved　it）　in　his　lifetime；　she　naturally



remains　the　truest　and　best　friend　to　his　memory　now。



If　you　really　love　her；　wait；　and　trust　to　your　two　best　friends



to　time　and　to　me。　　There　is　my　advice；　let　your　own　experience



decide　whether　it　is　not　the　best　advice　that　I　can　offer。



Resume　your　journey　to　Venice　to…morrow；　and　when　you　take　leave　of　Agnes；



speak　to　her　as　cordially　as　if　nothing　had　happened。'







Henry　wisely　followed　this　advice。　　Thoroughly　understanding　him；



Agnes　made　the　leave…taking　friendly　and　pleasant　on　her　side。



When　he　stopped　at　the　door　for　a　last　look　at　her；　she　hurriedly　turned



her　head　so　that　her　face　was　hidden　from　him。　　Was　that　a　good　sign？



Lady　Montbarry；　accompanying　Henry　down　the　stairs；　said；　'Yes；　decidedly！



Write　when　you　get　to　Venice。　　We　shall　wait　here　to　receive　letters



from　Arthur　and　his　wife；　and　we　shall　time　our　departure　for



Italy　accordingly。'







A　week　passed；　and　no　letter　came　from　Henry。　　Some　days　later；



a　telegram　was　received　from　him。　　It　was　despatched　from　Milan；



instead　of　from　Venice；　and　it　brought　this　strange　message：'I　have



left　the　hotel。　　Will　return　on　the　arrival　of　Arthur　and　his　wife。



Address；　meanwhile；　Albergo　Reale；　Milan。'







Preferring　Venice　before　all　other　cities　of　Europe；　and　having



arranged　to　remain　there　until　the　family　meeting　took　place；



what　unexpected　event　had　led　Henry　to　alter　his　plans？　and　why



did　he　state　the　bare　fact；　without　adding　a　word　of　explanation？



Let　the　narrative　follow　himand　find　the　answer　to　those　questions



at　Venice。























CHAPTER　XVII











The　Palace　Hotel；　appealing　for　encouragement　mainly　to　English



and　American　travellers；　celebrated　the　opening　of　its　doors；



as　a　matter　of　course；　by　the　giving　of　a　grand　banquet；



and　the　delivery　of　a　long　succession　of　speeches。







Delayed　on　his　journey；　Henry　Westwick　only　reached　Venice



in　time　to　join　the　guests　over　their　coffee　and　cigars。



Observing　the　splendour　of　the　reception　rooms；　and　taking



note　especially　of　the　artful　mixture　of　comfort　and　luxury　in



the　bedchambers；　he　began　to　share　the　old　nurse's　view　of　the　future；



and　to　contemplate　seriously　the　coming　dividend　of　ten　per　cent。



The　hotel　was　beginning　well；　at　all　events。　　So　much　interest



in　the　enterprise　had　been　aroused；　at　home　and　abroad；



by　profuse　advertising；　that　the　whole　accommodation　of　the　building



had　been　secured　by　travellers　of　all　nations　for　the　opening　night。



Henry　only　obtained　one　of　the　small　rooms　on　the　upper　floor；



by　a　lucky　accidentthe　absence　of　the　gentleman　who　had　written



to　engage　it。　　He　was　quite　satisfied；　and　was　on　his　way　to　bed；



when　another　accident　altered　his　prospects　for　the　night；　and　moved　him



into　another　and　a　better　room。







Ascending　on　his　way　to　the　higher　regions　as　far　as　the　first　floor



of　the　hotel；　Henry's　attention　was　attracted　by　an　angry　voice　protesting；



in　a　strong　New　England　accent；　against　one　of　the　greatest



hardships　that　can　be　inflicted　on　a　citizen　of　the　United　States



the　hardship　of　sending　him　to　bed　without　gas　in　his　room。







The　Americans　are　not　only　the　most　hospitable　people　to　be　found



on　the　face　of　the　earththey　are　（under　certain　conditions）



the　most　patient　and　good…tempered　people　as　well。　　But　they　are　human；



and　the　limit　of　American　endurance　is　found　in　the　obsolete　institution



of　a　bedroom　candle。　　The　American　traveller；　in　the　present　case；



declined　to　believe　that　his　bedroom　was　in　a　complete　finished　state



without　a　gas…burner。　The　manager　pointed　to　the　fine　antique　decorations



（renewed　and　regilt）　on　the　walls　and　the　ceiling；　and　explained



that　the　emanations　of　burning　gas…light　would　certainly　spoil



them　in　the　course　of　a　few　months。　　To　this　the　traveller　replied



that　it　was　possible；　but　that　he　did　not　understand　decorations。



A　bedroom　with　gas　in　it　was　what　he　was　used　to；　was　what　he　wanted；



and　was　what　he　was　determined　to　have。　　The　compliant　manager



volunteered　to　ask　some　other　gentleman；　housed　on　the　inferior



upper　storey　（which　was　lit　throughout　with　gas）；　to　change　rooms。



Hearing　this；　and　being　quite　willing　to　exchange　a　small　bedchamber



for　a　large　one；　Henry　volunteered　to　be　the　other　gentleman。



The　excellent　American　shook　hands　with　him　on　the　spot。　　'You　are



a　cultured　person；　sir；'　he　said；　'and　you　will　no　doubt　understand



the　decorations。'







Henry　looked　at　the　number　of　the　room　on　the　door　as　he　opened　it。



The　number　was　Fourteen。







Tired　and　sleepy；　he　naturally　anticipated　a　good　night's　rest。



In　the　thoroughly　healthy　state　of　his　nervous　system；　he　slept



as　well　in　a　bed　abroad　as　in　a　bed　at　home。　　Without　the　slightest



assignable　reason；　however；　his　just　expectations　were　disappointed。



The　luxurious　bed；　the　well…ventilated　room；　the　delicious　tranquillity



of　Venice　by　night；　all　were　in　favour　of　his　sleeping　well。



He　never　slept　at　all。　　An　indescribable　sense　of　depression　and



discomfort　kept　him　waking　through　darkness　and　daylight　alike。



He　went　down　to　the　coffee…room　as　soon　as　the　hotel　was　astir；



and　ordered　some　breakfast。　　Another　unaccountable　change



in　himself　appeared　with　the　appearance　of　the　meal。　　He　was



absolutely　without　appetite。　　An　excellent　omelette；　and　cutlets



cooked　to　perfection；　he　sent　away　untastedhe；　whose　appetite



never　failed　him；　whose　digestion　was　still　equal　to　any　demands



on　it！







The　day　was　bright　and　fine。　　He　sent　for　a　gondola；　and　was　rowed



to　the　Lido。







Out　on　the　airy　Lagoon；　he　felt　like　a　new　man。　　He　had　not　left



the　hotel　ten　minutes　before　he　was　fast　asleep　in　the　gondola。



Waking；　on　reaching　the　landing…place；　he　crossed　the　Lido；



and　enjoyed　a　morning's　swim　in　the　Adriatic。　　There　was　only　a　poor



restaurant　on　the　island；　in　those　days；　but　his　appetite　was　now　ready



for　anything；　he　ate　whatever　was　offered　to　him；　like　a　famished　man。



He　could　hardly　believe；　when　he　reflected　on　it；　that　he　had　sent



away　untasted　his　excellent　breakfast　at　the　hotel。







Returning　to　Venice；　he　spent　the　rest　of　the　day　in　the　picture…galleries



and　the　churches。　　Towards　six　o'clock　his　gondola　took　him　back；



with　another　fine　appetite；　to　meet　some　travelling　acquaintances



with　whom　he　had　engaged　to　dine　at　the　table　d'hote。







The　dinner　was　deservedly　rewarded　with　the　highest　approval　by　every



guest　in　the　hotel　but　one。　　To　Henry's　astonishment；　the　appetite



with　which　he　had　entered　the　house　mysteriously　and　completely　left



him　when　he　sat　down　to　table。　　He　could　drink　some　wine；　but　he　could



literally　eat　nothing。　　'What　in　the　world　is　the　matter　with　you？'



his　travelling　acquaintances　asked。　　He　could　honestly　answer；



'I　know　no　more　than　you　do。'







When　night　came；　he　gave　his　comfortable　and　beautiful　bedroom



another　trial。　　The　result　of　the　second　experiment　was　a　repetition



of　the　result　of　the　first。　　Again　he　felt　the　all…pervading　sense



of　depression　and　discomfort。　　Again　he　passed　a　sleepless　night。



And　once　more；　when　he　tried　to　eat　his　breakfast；　his　appetite



completely　failed　him！







This　personal　experience　of　the　new　hotel　was　too　extraordinary



to　be　passed　over　in　silence。　　Henry　mentioned　it　to　his　friends



in　the　public　room；　in　the　hearing