the haunted hotel-第24部分

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Francis　left　the　hotel；　by　the　lanes　that　led　to　the　Square　of　St。　Mark。



The　night…breeze　soon　revived　him。　　He　was　able　to　light　a　cigar；



and　to　think　quietly　over　what　had　happened。























CHAPTER　XIX











Avoiding　the　crowd　under　the　colonnades；　Francis　walked　slowly　up



and　down　the　noble　open　space　of　the　square；　bathed　in　the　light



of　the　rising　moon。







Without　being　aware　of　it　himself；　he　was　a　thorough　materialist。



The　strange　effect　produced　on　him　by　the　roomfollowing　on　the　other



strange　effects　produced　on　the　other　relatives　of　his　dead　brother



exercised　no　perplexing　influence　over　the　mind　of　this　sensible　man。



'Perhaps；'　he　reflected；　'my　temperament　is　more　imaginative　than　I



supposed　it　to　beand　this　is　a　trick　played　on　me　by　my　own　fancy？



Or；　perhaps；　my　friend　is　right；　something　is　physically　amiss　with　me？



I　don't　feel　ill；　certainly。　　But　that　is　no　safe　criterion　sometimes。



I　am　not　going　to　sleep　in　that　abominable　room　to…night



I　can　well　wait　till　to…morrow　to　decide　whether　I　shall　speak



to　a　doctor　or　not。　　In　the　mean　time；　the　hotel　doesn't　seem　likely



to　supply　me　with　the　subject　of　a　piece。　　A　terrible　smell　from　an



invisible　ghost　is　a　perfectly　new　idea。　　But　it　has　one　drawback。



If　I　realise　it　on　the　stage；　I　shall　drive　the　audience　out　of



the　theatre。'







As　his　strong　common　sense　arrived　at　this　facetious　conclusion；



he　became　aware　of　a　lady；　dressed　entirely　in　black；　who　was



observing　him　with　marked　attention。　　'Am　I　right　in　supposing



you　to　be　Mr。　Francis　Westwick？'　the　lady　asked；　at　the　moment



when　he　looked　at　her。







'That　is　my　name；　madam。　　May　I　inquire　to　whom　I　have　the　honour



of　speaking？'







'We　have　only　met　once；'　she　answered　a　little　evasively；　'when　your　late



brother　introduced　me　to　the　members　of　his　family。　　I　wonder　if　you



have　quite　forgotten　my　big　black　eyes　and　my　hideous　complexion？'



She　lifted　her　veil　as　she　spoke；　and　turned　so　that　the　moonlight



rested　on　her　face。







Francis　recognised　at　a　glance　the　woman　of　all　others　whom



he　most　cordially　dislikedthe　widow　of　his　dead　brother；



the　first　Lord　Montbarry。　　He　frowned　as　he　looked　at　her。



His　experience　on　the　stage；　gathered　at　innumerable　rehearsals



with　actresses　who　had　sorely　tried　his　temper；　had　accustomed



him　to　speak　roughly　to　women　who　were　distasteful　to　him。



'I　remember　you；'　he　said。　　'I　thought　you　were　in　America！'







She　took　no　notice　of　his　ungracious　tone　and　manner；　she　simply



stopped　him　when　he　lifted　his　hat；　and　turned　to　leave　her。







'Let　me　walk　with　you　for　a　few　minutes；'　she　quietly　replied。



'I　have　something　to　say　to　you。'







He　showed　her　his　cigar。　　'I　am　smoking；'he　said。







'I　don't　mind　smoking。'







After　that；　there　was　nothing　to　be　done　（short　of　downright　brutality）



but　to　yield。　　He　did　it　with　the　worst　possible　grace。



'Well？'　he　resumed。　　'What　do　you　want　of　me？'







'You　shall　hear　directly；　Mr。　Westwick。　　Let　me　first



tell　you　what　my　position　is。　　I　am　alone　in　the　world。



To　the　loss　of　my　husband　has　now　been　added　another　bereavement；



the　loss　of　my　companion　in　America；　my　brotherBaron　Rivar。'







The　reputation　of　the　Baron；　and　the　doubt　which　scandal　had　thrown　on



his　assumed　relationship　to　the　Countess；　were　well　known　to　Francis。



'Shot　in　a　gambling…saloon？'　he　asked　brutally。







'The　question　is　a　perfectly　natural　one　on　your　part；'　she　said；



with　the　impenetrably　ironical　manner　which　she　could　assume　on



certain　occasions。　　'As　a　native　of　horse…racing　England；　you　belong



to　a　nation　of　gamblers。　　My　brother　died　no　extraordinary　death；



Mr。　Westwick。　　He　sank；　with　many　other　unfortunate　people；



under　a　fever　prevalent　in　a　Western　city　which　we　happened　to　visit。



The　calamity　of　his　loss　made　the　United　States　unendurable　to　me。



I　left　by　the　first　steamer　that　sailed　from　New　Yorka　French　vessel



which　brought　me　to　Havre。　　I　continued　my　lonely　journey　to　the　South



of　France。　　And　then　I　went　on　to　Venice。'







'What　does　all　this　matter　to　me？'　　Francis　thought　to　himself。



She　paused；　evidently　expecting　him　to　say　something。　　'So　you　have　come



to　Venice？'　he　said　carelessly。　　'Why？'







'Because　I　couldn't　help　it；'　she　answered。







Francis　looked　at　her　with　cynical　curiosity。　　'That　sounds　odd；'



he　remarked。　　'Why　couldn't　you　help　it？'







'Women　are　accustomed　to　act　on　impulse；'　she　explained。



'Suppose　we　say　that　an　impulse　has　directed　my　journey？　　And　yet；



this　is　the　last　place　in　the　world　that　I　wish　to　find　myself　in。



Associations　that　I　detest　are　connected　with　it　in　my　mind。



If　I　had　a　will　of　my　own；　I　would　never　see　it　again。



I　hate　Venice。　　As　you　see；　however；　I　am　here。　　When　did　you



meet　with　such　an　unreasonable　woman　before？　　Never；　I　am　sure！'



She　stopped；　eyed　him　for　a　moment；　and　suddenly　altered　her　tone。



'When　is　Miss　Agnes　Lockwood　expected　to　be　in　Venice？'



she　asked。







It　was　not　easy　to　throw　Francis　off　his　balance；



but　that　extraordinary　question　did　it。　　'How　the



devil　did　you　know　that　Miss　Lockwood　was　coming　to　Venice？'　he　exclaimed。







She　laugheda　bitter　mocking　laugh。　　'Say；　I　guessed　it！'







Something　in　her　tone；　or　perhaps　something　in　the　audacious



defiance　of　her　eyes　as　they　rested　on　him；　roused　the　quick



temper　that　was　in　Francis　Warwick。　　'Lady　Montbarry！'　he　began。







'Stop　there！'　she　interposed。　　'Your　brother　Stephen's　wife　calls



herself　Lady　Montbarry　now。　　I　share　my　title　with　no　woman。



Call　me　by　my　name　before　I　committed　the　fatal　mistake　of　marrying



your　brother。　　Address　me；　if　you　please；　as　Countess　Narona。'







'Countess　Narona；'　Francis　resumed；　'if　your　object　in　claiming



my　acquaintance　is　to　mystify　me；　you　have　come　to　the　wrong　man。



Speak　plainly；　or　permit　me　to　wish　you　good　evening。'







'If　your　object　is　to　keep　Miss　Lockwood's　arrival　in　Venice　a　secret；'



she　retorted；　'speak　plainly；　Mr。　Westwick；　on　your　side；



and　say　so。'







Her　intention　was　evidently　to　irritate　him；　and　she　succeeded。



'Nonsense！'　he　broke　out　petulantly。　　'My　brother's　travelling



arrangements　are　secrets　to　nobody。　　He　brings　Miss　Lockwood　here；



with　Lady　Montbarry　and　the　children。　　As　you　seem　so　well　informed；



perhaps　you　know　why　she　is　coming　to　Venice？'







The　Countess　had　suddenly　become　grave　and　thoughtful。　　She　made　no　reply。



The　two　strangely　associated　companions；　having　reached　one　extremity



of　the　square；　were　now　standing　before　the　church　of　St。　Mark。



The　moonlight　was　bright　enough　to　show　the　architecture



of　the　grand　cathedral　in　its　wonderful　variety　of　detail。



Even　the　pigeons　of　St。　Mark　were　visible；　in　dark　closely　packed　rows；



roosting　in　the　archways　of　the　great　entrance　doors。







'I　never　saw　the　old　church　look　so　beautiful　by　moonlight；'



the　Countess　said　quietly；　speaking；　not　to　Francis；　but　to　herself。



'Good…bye；　St。　Mark's　by　moonlight！　　I　shall　not　see　you　again。'







She　turned　away　from　the　church；　and　saw　Francis　listening



to　her　with　wondering　looks。　　'No；'　she　resumed；　placidly　picking



up　the　lost　thread　of　the　conversation；　'I　don't　know　why　Miss



Lockwood　is　coming　here；　I　only　know　that　we　are　to　meet　in　Venice。'







'By　previous　appointment？'







'By　Destiny；'　she　answered；　with　her　head　on　her　breast；　and　her



eyes　on　the　ground。　　Francis　burst　out　laughing。　　'Or；　if　you　like



it　better；'　she　instantly　resumed；　'by　what　fools　call　Chance。'



Francis　answered　easily；　out　of　the　depths　of　his　strong　common　sense。



'Chance　seems　to　be　taking　a　queer　way　of　bringing　the　meeting　about；'



he　said。　　'We　have　all　arranged　to　meet　at　the　Palace　Hotel。



How　is　it　that　your　name　is　not　on　the　Visitors'　List？　　Destiny　ought



to　have　brought　you　to　the　Palace　Hotel　too。'







She　abruptly　pulled　down　her　veil。　　'Destiny　may　do　that　yet！'　she　said。



'The　Palace　Hotel？'　she　repeated；　speaking　once　more　to　herself。



'The　old　hell；　transformed　into　the　new　purgatory。　　The　place　itself！



Jesu　Maria！　the　place　itself！'　　She　paused　and　laid　her　hand　on　her



companion's　arm。　　'Perhaps　Miss　Lockwood　is　not　going　there　with　the　rest



of　you？'　she　burst　out　with　sudden　eagerness。　　'Are　you　positively



sure　she　will　be　at　the　hotel？'







'Positively！　　Haven't　I　told　you　that　Miss　Lockwood　travels　with　Lord



and　Lady　Montbarry？　and　don't　you　know　that　she　is　a　member　of　the　family？



You　will　have　to　move；　Countess；　to　our　hotel。'







She　was　perfectly　impenetrable　to　the　bantering　tone　in　which　he　spoke。



'Yes；'　she　said　faintly；　'I　shall　have　to　move　to　your　hotel。'



Her　hand　was　still　on　his　armhe　could　feel　her　shivering　from　head



to　foot　while　she　spoke。　　Heartily　as　he　disliked　and　distrusted　her；



the　common　instinct　of　humanity　obliged　him　to　ask　if　she



felt　cold。







'Yes；'　she　said。　　'Cold　and　faint。'







'Cold　and　faint；　Countess；　on　such　a　night　as　this？'







'The　night　has　nothing　to　do　with　it；　Mr。　Westwick。　　How　do　you　suppose



the　criminal　feels　on　the　scaffold；　while　the　hangman　is　putting



the　rope　around　his　neck？　　Cold　and　faint；　too；　I　should　think。



Excuse　my　grim　fancy。　　You　see；　Destiny　has　got　the　rope　round　my　neck



and　I　feel　it。'







S