the haunted hotel-第25部分

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and　I　feel　it。'







She　looked　about　her。　　They　were　at　that　moment　close　to　the　famous



cafe　known　as　'Florian's。'　'Take　me　in　there；'　she　said；



'I　must　have　something　to　revive　me。　　You　had　better　not　hesitate。



You　are　interested　in　reviving　me。　　I　have　not　said　what　I　wanted　to　say



to　you　yet。　　It's　business；　and　it's　connected　with　your　theatre。'







Wondering　inwardly　what　she　could　possibly　want　with　his　theatre；



Francis　reluctantly　yielded　to　the　necessities　of　the　situation；



and　took　her　into　the　cafe。　　He　found　a　quiet　corner　in　which　they　could



take　their　places　without　attracting　notice。　　'What　will　you　have？'



he　inquired　resignedly。　　She　gave　her　own　orders　to　the　waiter；



without　troubling　him　to　speak　for　her。







'Maraschino。　　And　a　pot　of　tea。'







The　waiter　stared；　Francis　stared。　　The　tea　was　a　novelty



（in　connection　with　maraschino）　to　both　of　them。　　Careless　whether



she　surprised　them　or　not；　she　instructed　the　waiter；　when　her



directions　had　been　complied　with；　to　pour　a　large　wine…glass…full



of　the　liqueur　into　a　tumbler；　and　to　fill　it　up　from　the　teapot。



'I　can't　do　it　for　myself；'　she　remarked；　'my　hand　trembles　so。'



She　drank　the　strange　mixture　eagerly；　hot　as　it　was。　　'Maraschino　punch



will　you　taste　some　of　it？'　she　said。　　'I　inherit　the　discovery



of　this　drink。　　When　your　English　Queen　Caroline　was　on　the　Continent；



my　mother　was　attached　to　her　Court。　　That　much　injured　Royal



Person　invented；　in　her　happier　hours；　maraschino　punch。



Fondly　attached　to　her　gracious　mistress；　my　mother　shared　her　tastes。



And　I；　in　my　turn；　learnt　from　my　mother。　　Now；　Mr。　Westwick；



suppose　I　tell　you　what　my　business　is。　　You　are　manager　of　a　theatre。



Do　you　want　a　new　play？'







'I　always　want　a　new　playprovided　it's　a　good　one。'







'And　you　pay；　if　it's　a　good　one？'







'I　pay　liberallyin　my　own　interests。'







'If　I　write　the　play；　will　you　read　it？'







Francis　hesitated。　　'What　has　put　writing　a　play　into　your　head？'



he　asked。







'Mere　accident；'　she　answered。　　'I　had　once　occasion　to　tell　my　late



brother　of　a　visit　which　I　paid　to　Miss　Lockwood；　when　I　was　last



in　England。　　He　took　no　interest　at　what　happened　at　the　interview；



but　something　struck　him　in　my　way　of　relating　it。　　He　said；



〃You　describe　what　passed　between　you　and　the　lady　with　the　point



and　contrast　of　good　stage　dialogue。　　You　have　the　dramatic　instinct



try　if　you　can　write　a　play。　　You　might　make　money。〃　　That　put　it　into



my　head。'







Those　last　words　seemed　to　startle　Francis。　　'Surely　you　don't



want　money！'　he　exclaimed。







'I　always　want　money。　　My　tastes　are　expensive。　　I　have　nothing



but　my　poor　little　four　hundred　a　yearand　the　wreck　that　is　left



of　the　other　money：　　about　two　hundred　pounds　in　circular　notes



no　more。'







Francis　knew　that　she　was　referring　to　the　ten　thousand　pounds　paid



by　the　insurance　offices。　　'All　those　thousands　gone　already！'



he　exclaimed。







She　blew　a　little　puff　of　air　over　her　fingers。　　'Gone　like　that！'



she　answered　coolly。







'Baron　Rivar？'







She　looked　at　him　with　a　flash　of　anger　in　her　hard　black　eyes。







'My　affairs　are　my　own　secret；　Mr。　Westwick。　　I　have　made　you



a　proposaland　you　have　not　answered　me　yet。　　Don't　say　No；



without　thinking　first。　　Remember　what　a　life　mine　has　been。



I　have　seen　more　of　the　world　than　most　people；　playwrights　included。



I　have　had　strange　adventures；　I　have　heard　remarkable　stories；



I　have　observed；　I　have　remembered。　　Are　there　no　materials；　here　in



my　head；　for　writing　a　playif　the　opportunity　is　granted　to　me？'



She　waited　a　moment；　and　suddenly　repeated　her　strange　question



about　Agnes。







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







'What　has　that　to　do　with　your　new　play；　Countess？'







The　Countess　appeared　to　feel　some　difficulty　in　giving　that　question



its　fit　reply。　　She　mixed　another　tumbler　full　of　maraschino　punch；



and　drank　one　good　half　of　it　before　she　spoke　again。







'It　has　everything　to　do　with　my　new　play；'　was　all　she　said。



'Answer　me。'　　Francis　answered　her。







'Miss　Lockwood　may　be　here　in　a　week。　　Or；　for　all　I　know



to　the　contrary；　sooner　than　that。'







'Very　well。　　If　I　am　a　living　woman　and　a　free　woman　in　a　week's　time



or　if　I　am　in　possession　of　my　senses　in　a　week's　time　（don't　interrupt　me；



I　know　what　I　am　talking　about）I　shall　have　a　sketch　or　outline



of　my　play　ready；　as　a　specimen　of　what　I　can　do。　　Once　again；



will　you　read　it？'







'I　will　certainly　read　it。　　But；　Countess；　I　don't　understand'







She　held　up　her　hand　for　silence；　and　finished　the　second　tumbler



of　maraschino　punch。







'I　am　a　living　enigmaand　you　want　to　know　the　right　reading　of　me；'



she　said。　　'Here　is　the　reading；　as　your　English　phrase　goes；



in　a　nutshell。　　There　is　a　foolish　idea　in　the　minds　of　many　persons



that　the　natives　of　the　warm　climates　are　imaginative　people。



There　never　was　a　greater　mistake。　　You　will　find　no　such



unimaginative　people　anywhere　as　you　find　in　Italy；　Spain；　Greece；



and　the　other　Southern　countries。　　To　anything　fanciful；



to　anything　spiritual；　their　minds　are　deaf　and　blind　by　nature。



Now　and　then；　in　the　course　of　centuries；　a　great　genius　springs



up　among　them；　and　he　is　the　exception　which　proves　the　rule。



Now　see！　　I；　though　I　am　no　geniusI　am；　in　my　little　way



（as　I　suppose）；　an　exception　too。　　To　my　sorrow；　I　have　some　of　that



imagination　which　is　so　common　among　the　English　and　the　Germans



so　rare　among　the　Italians；　the　Spaniards；　and　the　rest　of　them！



And　what　is　the　result？　　I　think　it　has　become　a　disease　in　me。



I　am　filled　with　presentiments　which　make　this　wicked　life　of　mine



one　long　terror　to　me。　　It　doesn't　matter；　just　now；　what　they　are。



Enough　that　they　absolutely　govern　methey　drive　me　over　land



and　sea　at　their　own　horrible　will；　they　are　in　me；　and　torturing　me；



at　this　moment！　　Why　don't　I　resist　them？　　Ha！　but　I　do　resist　them。



I　am　trying　（with　the　help　of　the　good　punch）　to　resist　them　now。



At　intervals　I　cultivate　the　difficult　virtue　of　common　sense。



Sometimes；　sound　sense　makes　a　hopeful　woman　of　me。　　At　one　time；



I　had　the　hope　that　what　seemed　reality　to　me　was　only　mad　delusion；



after　allI　even　asked　the　question　of　an　English　doctor！



At　other　times；　other　sensible　doubts　of　myself　beset　me。



Never　mind　dwelling　on　them　nowit　always　ends　in　the　old　terrors



and　superstitions　taking　possession　of　me　again。　　In　a　week's　time；



I　shall　know　whether　Destiny　does　indeed　decide　my　future　for　me；



or　whether　I　decide　it　for　myself。　　In　the　last　case；　my　resolution



is　to　absorb　this　self…tormenting　fancy　of　mine　in　the　occupation



that　I　have　told　you　of　already。　　Do　you　understand　me　a　little



better　now？　　And；　our　business　being　settled；　dear　Mr。　Westwick；



shall　we　get　out　of　this　hot　room　into　the　nice　cool　air



again？'







They　rose　to　leave　the　cafe。　　Francis　privately　concluded　that



the　maraschino　punch　offered　the　only　discoverable　explanation



of　what　the　Countess　had　said　to　him。























CHAPTER　XX











'Shall　I　see　you　again？'　she　asked；　as　she　held　out　her　hand



to　take　leave。　　'It　is　quite　understood　between　us；　I　suppose；



about　the　play？'







Francis　recalled　his　extraordinary　experience　of　that　evening　in



the　re…numbered　room。　　'My　stay　in　Venice　is　uncertain；'　he　replied。



'If　you　have　anything　more　to　say　about　this　dramatic　venture　of　yours；



it　may　be　as　well　to　say　it　now。　　Have　you　decided　on　a　subject　already？



I　know　the　public　taste　in　England　better　than　you　doI　might　save



you　some　waste　of　time　and　trouble；　if　you　have　not　chosen　your



subject　wisely。'







'I　don't　care　what　subject　I　write　about；　so　long　as　I　write；'



she　answered　carelessly。　　'If　you　have　got　a　subject　in　your　head；



give　it　to　me。　　I　answer　for　the　characters　and　the　dialogue。'







'You　answer　for　the　characters　and　the　dialogue；'　Francis　repeated。



'That's　a　bold　way　of　speaking　for　a　beginner！　　I　wonder　if　I



should　shake　your　sublime　confidence　in　yourself；　if　I　suggested



the　most　ticklish　subject　to　handle　which　is　known　to　the　stage？



What　do　you　say；　Countess；　to　entering　the　lists　with　Shakespeare；



and　trying　a　drama　with　a　ghost　in　it？　　A　true　story；　mind！　founded



on　events　in　this　very　city　in　which　you　and　I　are　interested。'







She　caught　him　by　the　arm；　and　drew　him　away　from　the　crowded



colonnade　into　the　solitary　middle　space　of　the　square。



'Now　tell　me！'　she　said　eagerly。　　'Here；　where　nobody　is　near　us。



How　am　I　interested　in　it？　　How？　how？'







Still　holding　his　arm；　she　shook　him　in　her　impatience　to　hear



the　coming　disclosure。　　For　a　moment　he　hesitated。　　Thus　far；



amused　by　her　ignorant　belief　in　herself；　he　had　merely　spoken　in　jest。



Now；　for　the　first　time；　impressed　by　her　irresistible　earnestness；



he　began　to　consider　what　he　was　about　from　a　more　serious　point　of　view。



With　her　knowledge　of　all　that　had　passed　in　the　old　palace；



before　its　transformation　into　an　hotel；　it　was　surely　possible　that　she



might　suggest　some　explanation　of　what　had　happened　to　his　brother；



and　sister；　and　himself。　　Or；　failing　to　do　this；　she　might　accidentally



reveal　some　event　in　her　own　experience　whi