the haunted hotel-第22部分

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



in　the　public　room；　in　the　hearing　of　the　manager。　　The　manager；



naturally　zealous　in　defence　of　the　hotel；　was　a　little　hurt　at　the



implied　reflection　cast　on　Number　Fourteen。　　He　invited　the　travellers



present　to　judge　for　themselves　whether　Mr。　Westwick's　bedroom



was　to　blame　for　Mr。　Westwick's　sleepless　nights；　and　he　especially



appealed　to　a　grey…headed　gentleman；　a　guest　at　the　breakfast…table



of　an　English　traveller；　to　take　the　lead　in　the　investigation。



'This　is　Doctor　Bruno；　our　first　physician　in　Venice；'　he　explained。



'I　appeal　to　him　to　say　if　there　are　any　unhealthy　influences　in



Mr。　Westwick's　room。'







Introduced　to　Number　Fourteen；　the　doctor　looked　round　him　with　a　certain



appearance　of　interest　which　was　noticed　by　everyone　present。　　'The　last



time　I　was　in　this　room；'　he　said；　'was　on　a　melancholy　occasion。



It　was　before　the　palace　was　changed　into　an　hotel。　　I　was　in



professional　attendance　on　an　English　nobleman　who　died　here。'



One　of　the　persons　present　inquired　the　name　of　the　nobleman。



Doctor　Bruno　answered　（without　the　slightest　suspicion　that　he　was



speaking　before　a　brother　of　the　dead　man）；　'Lord　Montbarry。'







Henry　quietly　left　the　room；　without　saying　a　word　to　anybody。







He　was　not；　in　any　sense　of　the　term；　a　superstitious　man。　　But　he　felt；



nevertheless；　an　insurmountable　reluctance　to　remaining　in　the　hotel。



He　decided　on　leaving　Venice。　　To　ask　for　another　room　would　be；



as　he　could　plainly　see；　an　offence　in　the　eyes　of　the　manager。



To　remove　to　another　hotel；　would　be　to　openly　abandon　an



establishment　in　the　success　of　which　he　had　a　pecuniary　interest。



Leaving　a　note　for　Arthur　Barville；　on　his　arrival　in　Venice；



in　which　he　merely　mentioned　that　he　had　gone　to　look　at　the



Italian　lakes；　and　that　a　line　addressed　to　his　hotel　at　Milan



would　bring　him　back　again；　he　took　the　afternoon　train　to　Padua



and　dined　with　his　usual　appetite；　and　slept　as　well　as　ever



that　night。







The　next　day；　a　gentleman　and　his　wife　（perfect　strangers



to　the　Montbarry　family）；　returning　to　England　by　way　of　Venice；



arrived　at　the　hotel　and　occupied　Number　Fourteen。







Still　mindful　of　the　slur　that　had　been　cast　on　one　of　his



best　bedchambers；　the　manager　took　occasion　to　ask　the　travellers



the　next　morning　how　they　liked　their　room。　　They　left　him　to　judge



for　himself　how　well　they　were　satisfied；　by　remaining　a　day　longer



in　Venice　than　they　had　originally　planned　to　do；　solely　for



the　purpose　of　enjoying　the　excellent　accommodation　offered　to　them



by　the　new　hotel。　　'We　have　met　with　nothing　like　it　in　Italy；'



they　said；　'you　may　rely　on　our　recommending　you　to　all　our　friends。'







On　the　day　when　Number　Fourteen　was　again　vacant；　an　English　lady



travelling　alone　with　her　maid　arrived　at　the　hotel；　saw　the　room；



and　at　once　engaged　it。







The　lady　was　Mrs。　Norbury。　　She　had　left　Francis　Westwick　at　Milan；



occupied　in　negotiating　for　the　appearance　at　his　theatre　of



the　new　dancer　at　the　Scala。　　Not　having　heard　to　the　contrary；



Mrs。　Norbury　supposed　that　Arthur　Barville　and　his　wife　had　already



arrived　at　Venice。　　She　was　more　interested　in　meeting　the　young



married　couple　than　in　awaiting　the　result　of　the　hard　bargaining



which　delayed　the　engagement　of　the　new　dancer；　and　she　volunteered



to　make　her　brother's　apologies；　if　his　theatrical　business　caused



him　to　be　late　in　keeping　his　appointment　at　the　honeymoon　festival。







Mrs。　Norbury's　experience　of　Number　Fourteen　differed　entirely



from　her　brother　Henry's　experience　of　the　room。







Failing　asleep　as　readily　as　usual；　her　repose　was　disturbed



by　a　succession　of　frightful　dreams；　the　central　figure　in　every



one　of　them　being　the　figure　of　her　dead　brother；　the　first



Lord　Montbarry。　　She　saw　him　starving　in　a　loathsome　prison；



she　saw　him　pursued　by　assassins；　and　dying　under　their　knives；



she　saw　him　drowning　in　immeasurable　depths　of　dark　water；　she　saw　him



in　a　bed　on　fire；　burning　to　death　in　the　flames；　she　saw　him　tempted



by　a　shadowy　creature　to　drink；　and　dying　of　the　poisonous　draught。



The　reiterated　horror　of　these　dreams　had　such　an　effect　on　her　that　she



rose　with　the　dawn　of　day；　afraid　to　trust　herself　again　in　bed。



In　the　old　times；　she　had　been　noted　in　the　family　as　the　one



member　of　it　who　lived　on　affectionate　terms　with　Montbarry。



His　other　sister　and　his　brothers　were　constantly　quarrelling　with　him。



Even　his　mother　owned　that　her　eldest　son　was　of　all　her　children



the　child　whom　she　least　liked。　　Sensible　and　resolute　woman



as　she　was；　Mrs。　Norbury　shuddered　with　terror　as　she　sat　at



the　window　of　her　room；　watching　the　sunrise；　and　thinking　of



her　dreams。







She　made　the　first　excuse　that　occurred　to　her；　when　her　maid



came　in　at　the　usual　hour；　and　noticed　how　ill　she　looked。



The　woman　was　of　so　superstitious　a　temperament　that　it　would　have



been　in　the　last　degree　indiscreet　to　trust　her　with　the　truth。



Mrs。　Norbury　merely　remarked　that　she　had　not　found　the　bed



quite　to　her　liking；　on　account　of　the　large　size　of　it。



She　was　accustomed　at　home；　as　her　maid　knew；　to　sleep　in　a　small　bed。



Informed　of　this　objection　later　in　the　day；　the　manager　regretted



that　he　could　only　offer　to　the　lady　the　choice　of　one　other　bedchamber；



numbered　Thirty…eight；　and　situated　immediately　over　the　bedchamber



which　she　desired　to　leave。　　Mrs。　Norbury　accepted　the　proposed　change



of　quarters。　　She　was　now　about　to　pass　her　second　night　in　the　room



occupied　in　the　old　days　of　the　palace　by　Baron　Rivar。







Once　more；　she　fell　asleep　as　usual。　　And；　once　more；　the　frightful



dreams　of　the　first　night　terrified　her；　following　each　other



in　the　same　succession。　　This　time　her　nerves；　already　shaken；



were　not　equal　to　the　renewed　torture　of　terror　inflicted　on　them。



She　threw　on　her　dressing…gown；　and　rushed　out　of　her　room



in　the　middle　of　the　night。　　The　porter；　alarmed　by　the　banging



of　the　door；　met　her　hurrying　headlong　down　the　stairs；　in　search



of　the　first　human　being　she　could　find　to　keep　her　company。



Considerably　surprised　at　this　last　new　manifestation　of　the　famous



'English　eccentricity；'　the　man　looked　at　the　hotel　register；



and　led　the　lady　upstairs　again　to　the　room　occupied　by　her　maid。



The　maid　was　not　asleep；　and；　more　wonderful　still；　was　not



even　undressed。　　She　received　her　mistress　quietly。　　When　they



were　alone；　and　when　Mrs。　Norbury　had；　as　a　matter　of　necessity；



taken　her　attendant　into　her　confidence；　the　woman　made　a　very



strange　reply。







'I　have　been　asking　about　the　hotel；　at　the　servants'



supper　to…night；'　she　said。　　'The　valet　of　one　of　the　gentlemen



staying　here　has　heard　that　the　late　Lord　Montbarry　was　the　last



person　who　lived　in　the　palace；　before　it　was　made　into　an　hotel。



The　room　he　died　in；　ma'am；　was　the　room　you　slept　in　last　night。



Your　room　tonight　is　the　room　just　above　it。　　I　said　nothing　for　fear



of　frightening　you。　　For　my　own　part；　I　have　passed　the　night　as



you　see；　keeping　my　light　on；　and　reading　my　Bible。　　In　my　opinion；



no　member　of　your　family　can　hope　to　be　happy　or　comfortable　in



this　house。'







'What　do　you　mean？'







'Please　to　let　me　explain　myself；　ma'am。　When　Mr。　Henry



Westwick　was　here　（I　have　this　from　the　valet；　too）　he　occupied



the　room　his　brother　died　in　（without　knowing　it）；　like　you。



For　two　nights　he　never　closed　his　eyes。　　Without　any　reason　for　it



（the　valet　heard　him　tell　the　gentlemen　in　the　coffee…room）



he　could　not　sleep；　he　felt　so　low　and　so　wretched　in　himself。



And　what　is　more；　when　daytime　came；　he　couldn't　even　eat　while　he　was



under　this　roof　You　may　laugh　at　me；　ma'ambut　even　a　servant



may　draw　her　own　conclusions。　　It's　my　conclusion　that　something



happened　to　my　lord；　which　we　none　of　us　know　about；　when　he　died



in　this　house。　　His　ghost　walks　in　torment　until　he　can　tell　it



and　the　living　persons　related　to　him　are　the　persons　who　feel



he　is　near　them。　　Those　persons　may　yet　see　him　in　the　time　to　come。



Don't；　pray　don't　stay　any　longer　in　this　dreadful　place！　　I　wouldn't



stay　another　night　here　myselfno；　not　for　anything　that　could　be



offered　me！'







Mrs。　Norbury　at　once　set　her　servant's　mind　at　ease　on　this　last　point。







'I　don't　think　about　it　as　you　do；'　she　said　gravely。



'But　I　should　like　to　speak　to　my　brother　of　what　has　happened。



We　will　go　back　to　Milan。'







Some　hours　necessarily　elapsed　before　they　could　leave　the　hotel；



by　the　first　train　in　the　forenoon。







In　that　interval；　Mrs。　Norbury's　maid　found　an　opportunity　of



confidentially　informing　the　valet　of　what　had　passed　between　her



mistress　and　herself。　　The　valet　had　other　friends　to　whom　he　related



the　circumstances　in　his　turn。　　In　due　course　of　time；　the　narrative；



passing　from　mouth　to　mouth；　reached　the　ears　of　the　manager。



He　instantly　saw　that　the　credit　of　the　hotel　was　in　danger；



unless　something　was　done　to　retrieve　the　character　of　the　room



numbered　Fourteen。　　English　travellers；　well　acquainted　with　the　peerage



of　their　native　country；　informed　him　that　Henry　Westwick　and



Mrs。　Norbury　were　by　no　means　the　only　members　of　the　Montbarry　family。



Curiosity　might　bring　more　of　them　to　the　hotel；　after　hearing



what　had　happened。　　Th