the haunted hotel-第27部分

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'She　has　everything　to　do　with　itshe　must　sleep　in　the　room。



I　shall　give　the　room　up　to　her　when　she　comes　here。'







Francis　began　to　understand　the　superstitious　purpose　that　she



had　in　view。　　'Are　you　（an　educated　woman）　really　of　the　same



opinion　as　my　sister's　maid！'　he　exclaimed。　　'Assuming　your　absurd



superstition　to　be　a　serious　thing；　you　are　taking　the　wrong　means



to　prove　it　true。　　If　I　and　my　brother　and　sister　have　seen　nothing；



how　should　Agnes　Lockwood　discover　what　was　not　revealed　to　us？



She　is　only　distantly　related　to　the　Montbarrysshe　is　only



our　cousin。'







'She　was　nearer　to　the　heart　of　the　Montbarry　who　is　dead　than



any　of　you；'　the　Countess　answered　sternly。　　'To　the　last　day



of　his　life；　my　miserable　husband　repented　his　desertion　of　her。



She　will　see　what　none　of　you　have　seenshe　shall　have　the　room。'







Francis　listened；　utterly　at　a　loss　to　account　for　the　motives



that　animated　her。　　'I　don't　see　what　interest　you　have　in　trying



this　extraordinary　experiment；'　he　said。







'It　is　my　interest　not　to　try　it！　　It　is　my　interest　to　fly　from　Venice；



and　never　set　eyes　on　Agnes　Lockwood　or　any　of　your　family　again！'







'What　prevents　you　from　doing　that？'







She　started　to　her　feet　and　looked　at　him　wildly。　　'I　know　no　more　what



prevents　me　than　you　do！'　she　burst　out。　　'Some　will　that　is　stronger



than　mine　drives　me　on　to　my　destruction；　in　spite　of　my　own　self！'



She　suddenly　sat　down　again；　and　waved　her　hand　for　him　to　go。



'Leave　me；'　she　said。　　'Leave　me　to　my　thoughts。'







Francis　left　her；　firmly　persuaded　by　this　time　that　she　was　out



of　her　senses。　　For　the　rest　of　the　day；　he　saw　nothing　of　her。



The　night；　so　far　as　he　knew；　passed　quietly。　　The　next　morning



he　breakfasted　early；　determining　to　wait　in　the　restaurant



for　the　appearance　of　the　Countess。　　She　came　in　and　ordered



her　breakfast　quietly；　looking　dull　and　worn　and　self…absorbed；



as　she　had　looked　when　he　last　saw　her。　　He　hastened　to　her　table；



and　asked　if　anything　had　happened　in　the　night。







'Nothing；'　she　answered。







'You　have　rested　as　well　as　usual？'







'Quite　as　well　as　usual。　　Have　you　had　any　letters　this　morning？



Have　you　heard　when　she　is　coming？'







'I　have　had　no　letters。　　Are　you　really　going　to　stay　here？



Has　your　experience　of　last　night　not　altered　the　opinion　which　you



expressed　to　me　yesterday？'







'Not　in　the　least。'







The　momentary　gleam　of　animation　which　had　crossed　her　face　when　she



questioned　him　about　Agnes；　died　out　of　it　again　when　he　answered　her。



She　looked；　she　spoke；　she　eat　her　breakfast；　with　a　vacant　resignation；



like　a　woman　who　had　done　with　hopes；　done　with　interests；



done　with　everything　but　the　mechanical　movements　and　instincts



of　life。







Francis　went　out；　on　the　customary　travellers'　pilgrimage　to



the　shrines　of　Titian　and　Tintoret。　　After　some　hours　of　absence；



he　found　a　letter　waiting　for　him　when　he　got　back　to　the　hotel。



It　was　written　by　his　brother　Henry；　and　it　recommended　him　to



return　to　Milan　immediately。　　The　proprietor　of　a　French　theatre；



recently　arrived　from　Venice；　was　trying　to　induce　the　famous　dancer



whom　Francis　had　engaged　to　break　faith　with　him　and　accept　a



higher　salary。







Having　made　this　startling　announcement；　Henry　proceeded　to　inform



his　brother　that　Lord　and　Lady　Montbarry；　with　Agnes　and　the　children；



would　arrive　in　Venice　in　three　days　more。　　'They　know　nothing



of　our　adventures　at　the　hotel；'　Henry　wrote；　'and　they　have



telegraphed　to　the　manager　for　the　accommodation　that　they　want。



There　would　be　something　absurdly　superstitious　in　our　giving　them



a　warning　which　would　frighten　the　ladies　and　children　out　of　the　best



hotel　in　Venice。　　We　shall　be　a　strong　party　this　timetoo　strong



a　party　for　ghosts！　　I　shall　meet　the　travellers　on　their　arrival；



of　course；　and　try　my　luck　again　at　what　you　call　the　Haunted　Hotel。



Arthur　Barville　and　his　wife　have　already　got　as　far　on　their　way　as　Trent；



and　two　of　the　lady's　relations　have　arranged　to　accompany　them　on



the　journey　to　Venice。'







Naturally　indignant　at　the　conduct　of　his　Parisian　colleague；



Francis　made　his　preparations　for　returning　to　Milan　by　the　train



of　that　day。







On　his　way　out；　he　asked　the　manager　if　his　brother's　telegram　had



been　received。　　The　telegram　had　arrived；　and；　to　the　surprise　of　Francis；



the　rooms　were　already　reserved。　　'I　thought　you　would　refuse　to　let



any　more　of　the　family　into　the　house；'　he　said　satirically。



The　manager　answered　（with　the　due　dash　of　respect）　in　the　same　tone。



'Number　13　A　is　safe；　sir；　in　the　occupation　of　a　stranger。



I　am　the　servant　of　the　Company；　and　I　dare　not　turn　money　out　of



the　hotel。'







Hearing　this；　Francis　said　good…byeand　said　nothing　more。



He　was　ashamed　to　acknowledge　it　to　himself；　but　he　felt　an



irresistible　curiosity　to　know　what　would　happen　when　Agnes　arrived



at　the　hotel。　　Besides；　'Mrs。　James'　had　reposed　a　confidence　in　him。



He　got　into　his　gondola；　respecting　the　confidence　of　'Mrs。　James。'















Towards　evening　on　the　third　day；　Lord　Montbarry　and　his　travelling



companions　arrived；　punctual　to　their　appointment。







'Mrs。　James；'　sitting　at　the　window　of　her　room　watching　for　them；



saw　the　new　Lord　land　from　the　gondola　first。　　He　handed　his　wife



to　the　steps。　　The　three　children　were　next　committed　to　his　care。



Last　of　all；　Agnes　appeared　in　the　little　black　doorway　of　the



gondola　cabin；　and；　taking　Lord　Montbarry's　hand；　passed　in　her



turn　to　the　steps。　　She　wore　no　veil。　　As　she　ascended　to　the　door



of　the　hotel；　the　Countess　（eyeing　her　through　an　opera…glass）



noticed　that　she　paused　to　look　at　the　outside　of　the　building；



and　that　her　face　was　very　pale。























CHAPTER　XXI











Lord　and　Lady　Montbarry　were　received　by　the　housekeeper；



the　manager　being　absent　for　a　day　or　two　on　business　connected



with　the　affairs　of　the　hotel。







The　rooms　reserved　for　the　travellers　on　the　first　floor　were



three　in　number；　consisting　of　two　bedrooms　opening　into　each　other；



and　communicating　on　the　left　with　a　drawing…room。　Complete　so　far；



the　arrangements　proved　to　be　less　satisfactory　in　reference



to　the　third　bedroom　required　for　Agnes　and　for　the　eldest　daughter



of　Lord　Montbarry；　who　usually　slept　with　her　on　their　travels。



The　bed…chamber　on　the　right　of　the　drawing…room　was　already　occupied



by　an　English　widow　lady。　　Other　bedchambers　at　the　other　end



of　the　corridor　were　also　let　in　every　case。　　There　was　accordingly



no　alternative　but　to　place　at　the　disposal　of　Agnes　a　comfortable



room　on　the　second　floor。　　Lady　Montbarry　vainly　complained　of　this



separation　of　one　of　the　members　of　her　travelling　party　from　the　rest。



The　housekeeper　politely　hinted　that　it　was　impossible　for　her



to　ask　other　travellers　to　give　up　their　rooms。　　She　could　only



express　her　regret；　and　assure　Miss　Lockwood　that　her　bed…chamber



on　the　second　floor　was　one　of　the　best　rooms　in　that　part　of



the　hotel。







On　the　retirement　of　the　housekeeper；　Lady　Montbarry　noticed



that　Agnes　had　seated　herself　apart；　feeling　apparently　no　interest



in　the　question　of　the　bedrooms。　　Was　she　ill？　　No；　she　felt



a　little　unnerved　by　the　railway　journey；　and　that　was　all。



Hearing　this；　Lord　Montbarry　proposed　that　she　should　go　out　with　him；



and　try　the　experiment　of　half　an　hour's　walk　in　the　cool　evening　air。



Agnes　gladly　accepted　the　suggestion。　　They　directed　their　steps



towards　the　square　of　St。　Mark；　so　as　to　enjoy　the　breeze　blowing



over　the　lagoon。　　It　was　the　first　visit　of　Agnes　to　Venice。



The　fascination　of　the　wonderful　city　of　the　waters　exerted　its



full　influence　over　her　sensitive　nature。　　The　proposed　half…hour



of　the　walk　had　passed　away；　and　was　fast　expanding　to　half



an　hour　more；　before　Lord　Montbarry　could　persuade　his　companion



to　remember　that　dinner　was　waiting　for　them。　　As　they　returned；



passing　under　the　colonnade；　neither　of　them　noticed　a　lady



in　deep　mourning；　loitering　in　the　open　space　of　the　square。



She　started　as　she　recognised　Agnes　walking　with　the　new　Lord　Montbarry



hesitated　for　a　momentand　then　followed　them；　at　a　discreet　distance；



back　to　the　hotel。







Lady　Montbarry　received　Agnes　in　high　spiritswith　news　of　an　event



which　had　happened　in　her　absence。







She　had　not　left　the　hotel　more　than　ten　minutes；　before　a　little



note　in　pencil　was　brought　to　Lady　Montbarry　by　the　housekeeper。



The　writer　proved　to　be　no　less　a　person　than　the　widow　lady



who　occupied　the　room　on　the　other　side　of　the　drawing…room；



which　her　ladyship　had　vainly　hoped　to　secure　for　Agnes。



Writing　under　the　name　of　Mrs。　James；　the　polite　widow　explained



that　she　had　heard　from　the　housekeeper　of　the　disappointment



experienced　by　Lady　Montbarry　in　the　matter　of　the　rooms。



Mrs。　James　was　quite　alone；　and　as　long　as　her　bed…chamber　was　airy



and　comfortable；　it　mattered　nothing　to　her　whether　she　slept　on



the　first　or　the　second　floor　of　the　house。　　She　had　accordingly



much　pleasure　in　proposing　to　change　rooms　with　Miss　Lockwood。



Her　luggage　had　already　been　removed；　and　Miss　Lockwood　had　only　to



take　possession　of　the　room　（Number　13　A）；　which　was　now　entirely　at



her