the haunted hotel-第3部分

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the　conviction　of　the　woman's　wickedness　had　forced　itself　on　him。



He　tried　vainly　to　think　of　her　as　a　person　to　be　pitieda　person



with　a　morbidly　sensitive　imagination；　conscious　of　the　capacities



for　evil　which　lie　dormant　in　us　all；　and　striving　earnestly　to　open



her　heart　to　the　counter…influence　of　her　own　better　nature；　the　effort



was　beyond　him。　　A　perverse　instinct　in　him　said；　as　if　in　words；



Beware　how　you　believe　in　her！







'I　have　already　given　you　my　opinion；'　he　said。　　'There　is　no　sign



of　your　intellect　being　deranged；　or　being　likely　to　be　deranged；



that　medical　science　can　discoveras　I　understand　it。



As　for　the　impressions　you　have　confided　to　me；　I　can　only　say



that　yours　is　a　case　（as　I　venture　to　think）　for　spiritual



rather　than　for　medical　advice。　　Of　one　thing　be　assured：



what　you　have　said　to　me　in　this　room　shall　not　pass　out　of　it。



Your　confession　is　safe　in　my　keeping。'







She　heard　him；　with　a　certain　dogged　resignation；　to　the　end。







'Is　that　all？'　she　asked。







'That　is　all；'　he　answered。







She　put　a　little　paper　packet　of　money　on　the　table。



'Thank　you；　sir。　　There　is　your　fee。'







With　those　words　she　rose。　　Her　wild　black　eyes　looked　upward；



with　an　expression　of　despair　so　defiant　and　so　horrible　in　its　silent



agony　that　the　Doctor　turned　away　his　head；　unable　to　endure　the　sight



of　it。　　The　bare　idea　of　taking　anything　from　hernot　money　only；



but　anything　even　that　she　had　touchedsuddenly　revolted　him。



Still　without　looking　at　her；　he　said；　'Take　it　back；　I　don't　want



my　fee。'







She　neither　heeded　nor　heard　him。　　Still　looking　upward；　she　said



slowly　to　herself；　'Let　the　end　come。　　I　have　done　with　the　struggle：



I　submit。'







She　drew　her　veil　over　her　face；　bowed　to　the　Doctor；　and　left



the　room。







He　rang　the　bell；　and　followed　her　into　the　hall。　　As　the　servant



closed　the　door　on　her；　a　sudden　impulse　of　curiosity



utterly　unworthy　of　him；　and　at　the　same　time　utterly　irresistible



sprang　up　in　the　Doctor's　mind。　　Blushing　like　a　boy；　he　said



to　the　servant；　'Follow　her　home；　and　find　out　her　name。'



For　one　moment　the　man　looked　at　his　master；　doubting　if　his　own　ears



had　not　deceived　him。　　Doctor　Wybrow　looked　back　at　him　in　silence。



The　submissive　servant　knew　what　that　silence　meanthe　took　his　hat



and　hurried　into　the　street。







The　Doctor　went　back　to　the　consulting…room。　A　sudden　revulsion



of　feeling　swept　over　his　mind。　　Had　the　woman　left　an　infection



of　wickedness　in　the　house；　and　had　he　caught　it？　　What　devil　had



possessed　him　to　degrade　himself　in　the　eyes　of　his　own　servant？



He　had　behaved　infamouslyhe　had　asked　an　honest　man；　a　man　who　had



served　him　faithfully　for　years；　to　turn　spy！　　Stung　by　the　bare



thought　of　it；　he　ran　out　into　the　hall　again；　and　opened　the　door。



The　servant　had　disappeared；　it　was　too　late　to　call　him　back。



But　one　refuge　from　his　contempt　for　himself　was　now　open　to　him



the　refuge　of　work。　　He　got　into　his　carriage　and　went　his　rounds　among



his　patients。







If　the　famous　physician　could　have　shaken　his　own　reputation；



he　would　have　done　it　that　afternoon。　　Never　before　had　he　made



himself　so　little　welcome　at　the　bedside。　　Never　before　had　he　put　off



until　to…morrow　the　prescription　which　ought　to　have　been　written；



the　opinion　which　ought　to　have　been　given；　to…day。　He　went　home



earlier　than　usualunutterably　dissatisfied　with　himself。







The　servant　had　returned。　　Dr。　Wybrow　was　ashamed　to　question　him。



The　man　reported　the　result　of　his　errand；　without　waiting　to



be　asked。







'The　lady's　name　is　the　Countess　Narona。　　She　lives　at'







Without　waiting　to　hear　where　she　lived；　the　Doctor　acknowledged



the　all…important　discovery　of　her　name　by　a　silent　bend　of　the　head；



and　entered　his　consulting…room。　The　fee　that　he　had　vainly　refused



still　lay　in　its　little　white　paper　covering　on　the　table。



He　sealed　it　up　in　an　envelope；　addressed　it　to　the　'Poor…box'



of　the　nearest　police…court；　and；　calling　the　servant　in；



directed　him　to　take　it　to　the　magistrate　the　next　morning。



Faithful　to　his　duties；　the　servant　waited　to　ask　the　customary　question；



'Do　you　dine　at　home　to…day；　sir？'







After　a　moment's　hesitation　he　said；　'No：　　I　shall　dine　at　the　club。'







The　most　easily　deteriorated　of　all　the　moral　qualities　is



the　quality　called　'conscience。'　　In　one　state　of　a　man's　mind；



his　conscience　is　the　severest　judge　that　can　pass　sentence　on　him。



In　another　state；　he　and　his　conscience　are　on　the　best　possible



terms　with　each　other　in　the　comfortable　capacity　of　accomplices。



When　Doctor　Wybrow　left　his　house　for　the　second　time；　he　did



not　even　attempt　to　conceal　from　himself　that　his　sole　object；



in　dining　at　the　club；　was　to　hear　what　the　world　said　of　the



Countess　Narona。























CHAPTER　III











There　was　a　time　when　a　man　in　search　of　the　pleasures　of　gossip



sought　the　society　of　ladies。　　The　man　knows　better　now。



He　goes　to　the　smoking…room　of　his　club。







Doctor　Wybrow　lit　his　cigar；　and　looked　round　him　at　his　brethren



in　social　conclave　assembled。　　The　room　was　well　filled；



but　the　flow　of　talk　was　still　languid。　　The　Doctor　innocently



applied　the　stimulant　that　was　wanted。　　When　he　inquired　if



anybody　knew　the　Countess　Narona；　he　was　answered　by　something



like　a　shout　of　astonishment。　　Never　（the　conclave　agreed）



had　such　an　absurd　question　been　asked　before！　　Every　human　creature；



with　the　slightest　claim　to　a　place　in　society；　knew　the　Countess　Narona。



An　adventuress　with　a　European　reputation　of　the　blackest　possible　colour



such　was　the　general　description　of　the　woman　with　the　deathlike



complexion　and　the　glittering　eyes。







Descending　to　particulars；　each　member　of　the　club　contributed



his　own　little　stock　of　scandal　to　the　memoirs　of　the　Countess。



It　was　doubtful　whether　she　was　really；　what　she　called　herself；



a　Dalmatian　lady。　　It　was　doubtful　whether　she　had　ever



been　married　to　the　Count　whose　widow　she　assumed　to　be。



It　was　doubtful　whether　the　man　who　accompanied　her　in　her　travels



（under　the　name　of　Baron　Rivar；　and　in　the　character　of　her　brother）



was　her　brother　at　all。　　Report　pointed　to　the　Baron　as　a　gambler　at



every　'table'　on　the　Continent。　　Report　whispered　that　his　so…called



sister　had　narrowly　escaped　being　implicated　in　a　famous　trial



for　poisoning　at　Viennathat　she　had　been　known　at　Milan　as　a　spy



in　the　interests　of　Austriathat　her　'apartment'　in　Paris　had　been



denounced　to　the　police　as　nothing　less　than　a　private　gambling…house



and　that　her　present　appearance　in　England　was　the　natural　result



of　the　discovery。　　Only　one　member　of　the　assembly　in　the　smoking…room



took　the　part　of　this　much…abused　woman；　and　declared　that　her



character　had　been　most　cruelly　and　most　unjustly　assailed。



But　as　the　man　was　a　lawyer；　his　interference　went　for　nothing：



it　was　naturally　attributed　to　the　spirit　of　contradiction　inherent



in　his　profession。　　He　was　asked　derisively　what　he　thought



of　the　circumstances　under　which　the　Countess　had　become



engaged　to　be　married；　and　he　made　the　characteristic　answer；



that　he　thought　the　circumstances　highly　creditable　to　both　parties；



and　that　he　looked　on　the　lady's　future　husband　as　a　most



enviable　man。







Hearing　this；　the　Doctor　raised　another　shout　of　astonishment　by



inquiring　the　name　of　the　gentleman　whom　the　Countess　was　about　to　marry。







His　friends　in　the　smoking…room　decided　unanimously　that　the



celebrated　physician　must　be　a　second　'Rip…van…Winkle；'　and　that



he　had　just　awakened　from　a　supernatural　sleep　of　twenty　years。



It　was　all　very　well　to　say　that　he　was　devoted　to　his　profession；



and　that　he　had　neither　time　nor　inclination　to　pick　up　fragments



of　gossip　at　dinner…parties　and　balls。　　A　man　who　did　not　know



that　the　Countess　Narona　had　borrowed　money　at　Homburg　of　no　less



a　person　than　Lord　Montbarry；　and　had　then　deluded　him　into　making



her　a　proposal　of　marriage；　was　a　man　who　had　probably　never　heard



of　Lord　Montbarry　himself。　　The　younger　members　of　the　club；



humouring　the　joke；　sent　a　waiter　for　the　'Peerage'；　and　read　aloud



the　memoir　of　the　nobleman　in　question；　for　the　Doctor's　benefit



with　illustrative　morsels　of　information　interpolated　by　themselves。







'Herbert　John　Westwick。　　First　Baron　Montbarry；　of　Montbarry；



King's　County；　Ireland。　　Created　a　Peer　for　distinguished　military



services　in　India。　　Born；　1812。　　Forty…eight　years　old；　Doctor；



at　the　present　time。　　Not　married。　　Will　be　married　next　week；



Doctor；　to　the　delightful　creature　we　have　been　talking　about。



Heir　presumptive；　his　lordship's　next　brother；　Stephen　Robert；



married　to　Ella；　youngest　daughter　of　the　Reverend　Silas　Marden；



Rector　of　Runnigate；　and　has　issue；　three　daughters。　　Younger　brothers



of　his　lordship；　Francis　and　Henry；　unmarried。　　Sisters　of　his　lordship；



Lady　Barville；　married　to　Sir　Theodore　Barville；　Bart。；　and　Anne；



widow　of　the　late　Peter　Norbury；　Esq。；　of　Norbury　Cross。



Bear　his　lordship's　relations　well　in　mind；　Doctor。　　Three　brothers



Westwick；　Stephen；　Francis；　and　Henry；　and　two　sisters；　Lady　Barville



and　Mrs。　Norbury。　　Not　one　of　the　five　will　be　present　at　the　marriage；



and　not　one　of　the　five　will　leave　a　stone　unt