the haunted hotel-第30部分

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beat　furiously；　without　any　assignable　cause。　　But　one　trivial



event　had　happened　during　the　interval　while　she　had　been　asleep。



The　night…light　had　gone　out；　and　the　room；　as　a　matter　of　course；



was　in　total　darkness。







She　felt　for　the　match…box；　and　paused　after　finding　it。



A　vague　sense　of　confusion　was　still　in　her　mind。　　She　was　in　no　hurry



to　light　the　match。　　The　pause　in　the　darkness　was；　for　the　moment；



agreeable　to　her。







In　the　quieter　flow　of　her　thoughts　during　this　interval；



she　could　ask　herself　the　natural　question：What　cause　had



awakened　her　so　suddenly；　and　had　so　strangely　shaken　her　nerves？



Had　it　been　the　influence　of　a　dream？　　She　had　not　dreamed



at　allor；　to　speak　more　correctly；　she　had　no　waking　remembrance



of　having　dreamed。　　The　mystery　was　beyond　her　fathoming：



the　darkness　began　to　oppress　her。　　She　struck　the　match　on　the　box；



and　lit　her　candle。







As　the　welcome　light　diffused　itself　over　the　room；　she　turned



from　the　table　and　looked　towards　the　other　side　of　the　bed。







In　the　moment　when　she　turned；　the　chill　of　a　sudden　terror　gripped



her　round　the　heart；　as　with　the　clasp　of　an　icy　hand。







She　was　not　alone　in　her　room！







Therein　the　chair　at　the　bedsidethere；　suddenly　revealed　under



the　flow　of　light　from　the　candle；　was　the　figure　of　a　woman；　reclining。



Her　head　lay　back　over　the　chair。　　Her　face；　turned　up　to　the　ceiling；



had　the　eyes　closed；　as　if　she　was　wrapped　in　a　deep　sleep。







The　shock　of　the　discovery　held　Agnes　speechless　and　helpless。



Her　first　conscious　action；　when　she　was　in　some　degree　mistress　of



herself　again；　was　to　lean　over　the　bed；　and　to　look　closer　at　the　woman



who　had　so　incomprehensibly　stolen　into　her　room　in　the　dead　of　night。



One　glance　was　enough：　　she　started　back　with　a　cry　of　amazement。



The　person　in　the　chair　was　no　other　than　the　widow　of　the　dead　Montbarry



the　woman　who　had　warned　her　that　they　were　to　meet　again；



and　that　the　place　might　be　Venice！







Her　courage　returned　to　her；　stung　into　action　by　the　natural　sense



of　indignation　which　the　presence　of　the　Countess　provoked。







'Wake　up！'　she　called　out。　　'How　dare　you　come　here？　　How　did　you　get　in？



Leave　the　roomor　I　will　call　for　help！'







She　raised　her　voice　at　the　last　words。　　It　produced　no　effect。



Leaning　farther　over　the　bed；　she　boldly　took　the　Countess



by　the　shoulder　and　shook　her。　　Not　even　this　effort　succeeded



in　rousing　the　sleeping　woman。　　She　still　lay　back　in　the　chair；



possessed　by　a　torpor　like　the　torpor　of　deathinsensible　to　sound；



insensible　to　touch。　　Was　she　really　sleeping？　　Or　had　she　fainted？







Agnes　looked　closer　at　her。　　She　had　not　fainted。　　Her　breathing



was　audible；　rising　and　falling　in　deep　heavy　gasps。　　At　intervals



she　ground　her　teeth　savagely。　　Beads　of　perspiration　stood　thickly



on　her　forehead。　　Her　clenched　hands　rose　and　fell　slowly　from　time



to　time　on　her　lap。　　Was　she　in　the　agony　of　a　dream？　or　was　she



spiritually　conscious　of　something　hidden　in　the　room？







The　doubt　involved　in　that　last　question　was　unendurable。



Agnes　determined　to　rouse　the　servants　who　kept　watch　in　the　hotel



at　night。







The　bell…handle　was　fixed　to　the　wall；　on　the　side　of　the　bed



by　which　the　table　stood。







She　raised　herself　from　the　crouching　position　which　she　had　assumed



in　looking　close　at　the　Countess；　and；　turning　towards　the　other　side



of　the　bed；　stretched　out　her　hand　to　the　bell。　　At　the　same　instant；



she　stopped　and　looked　upward。　　Her　hand　fell　helplessly　at　her　side。



She　shuddered；　and　sank　back　on　the　pillow。







What　had　she　seen？







She　had　seen　another　intruder　in　her　room。







Midway　between　her　face　and　the　ceiling；　there　hovered　a　human　head



severed　at　the　neck；　like　a　head　struck　from　the　body　by　the　guillotine。







Nothing　visible；　nothing　audible；　had　given　her　any　intelligible



warning　of　its　appearance。　　Silently　and　suddenly；　the　head　had



taken　its　place　above　her。　　No　supernatural　change　had　passed



over　the　room；　or　was　perceptible　in　it　now。　　The　dumbly…tortured



figure　in　the　chair；　the　broad　window　opposite　the　foot　of　the　bed；



with　the　black　night　beyond　it；　the　candle　burning　on　the　table



these；　and　all　other　objects　in　the　room；　remained　unaltered。



One　object　more；　unutterably　horrid；　had　been　added　to　the　rest。



That　was　the　only　changeno　more；　no　less。







By　the　yellow　candlelight　she　saw　the　head　distinctly；



hovering　in　mid…air　above　her。　　She　looked　at　it　steadfastly；



spell…bound　by　the　terror　that　held　her。







The　flesh　of　the　face　was　gone。　　The　shrivelled　skin　was　darkened



in　hue；　like　the　skin　of　an　Egyptian　mummyexcept　at　the　neck。



There　it　was　of　a　lighter　colour；　there　it　showed　spots　and　splashes



of　the　hue　of　that　brown　spot　on　the　ceiling；　which　the　child's



fanciful　terror　had　distorted　into　the　likeness　of　a　spot　of　blood。



Thin　remains　of　a　discoloured　moustache　and　whiskers；　hanging　over



the　upper　lip；　and　over　the　hollows　where　the　cheeks　had　once　been；



made　the　head　just　recognisable　as　the　head　of　a　man。　　Over　all



the　features　death　and　time　had　done　their　obliterating　work。



The　eyelids　were　closed。　　The　hair　on　the　skull；　discoloured　like



the　hair　on　the　face；　had　been　burnt　away　in　places。　　The　bluish　lips；



parted　in　a　fixed　grin；　showed　the　double　row　of　teeth。



By　slow　degrees；　the　hovering　head　（perfectly　still　when　she



first　saw　it）　began　to　descend　towards　Agnes　as　she　lay　beneath。



By　slow　degrees；　that　strange　doubly…blended　odour；　which　the



Commissioners　had　discovered　in　the　vaults　of　the　old　palace



which　had　sickened　Francis　Westwick　in　the　bed…chamber　of



the　new　hotelspread　its　fetid　exhalations　over　the　room。



Downward　and　downward　the　hideous　apparition　made　its　slow　progress；



until　it　stopped　close　over　Agnesstopped；　and　turned　slowly；



so　that　the　face　of　it　confronted　the　upturned　face　of　the　woman　in



the　chair。







There　was　a　pause。　　Then；　a　supernatural　movement　disturbed　the　rigid



repose　of　the　dead　face。







The　closed　eyelids　opened　slowly。　　The　eyes　revealed　themselves；



bright　with　the　glassy　film　of　deathand　fixed　their　dreadful　look



on　the　woman　in　the　chair。







Agnes　saw　that　look；　saw　the　eyelids　of　the　living　woman　open　slowly



like　the　eyelids　of　the　dead；　saw　her　rise；　as　if　in　obedience



to　some　silent　commandand　saw　no　more。















Her　next　conscious　impression　was　of　the　sunlight　pouring　in　at



the　window；　of　the　friendly　presence　of　Lady　Montbarry　at　the　bedside；



and　of　the　children's　wondering　faces　peeping　in　at　the　door。























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　XXIII











'。。。You　have　some　influence　over　Agnes。　　Try　what　you



can　do；　Henry；　to　make　her　take　a　sensible　view　of　the　matter。



There　is　really　nothing　to　make　a　fuss　about。　　My　wife's　maid　knocked



at　her　door　early　in　the　morning；　with　the　customary　cup　of　tea。



Getting　no　answer；　she　went　round　to　the　dressing…roomfound　the　door



on　that　side　unlockedand　discovered　Agnes　on　the　bed　in　a　fainting　fit。



With　my　wife's　help；　they　brought　her　to　herself　again；　and　she



told　the　extraordinary　story　which　I　have　just　repeated　to　you。



You　must　have　seen　for　yourself　that　she　has　been　over…fatigued；



poor　thing；　by　our　long　railway　journeys：　　her　nerves　are　out　of　order



and　she　is　just　the　person　to　be　easily　terrified　by　a　dream。



She　obstinately　refuses；　however；　to　accept　this　rational　view。



Don't　suppose　that　I　have　been　severe　with　her！　　All　that　a　man



can　do　to　humour　her　I　have　done。　　I　have　written　to　the　Countess



（in　her　assumed　name）　offering　to　restore　the　room　to　her。



She　writes　back；　positively　declining　to　return　to　it。



I　have　accordingly　arranged　（so　as　not　to　have　the　thing



known　in　the　hotel）　to　occupy　the　room　for　one　or　two　nights；



and　to　leave　Agnes　to　recover　her　spirits　under　my　wife's　care。



Is　there　anything　more　that　I　can　do？　　Whatever　questions　Agnes　has



asked　of　me　I　have　answered　to　the　best　of　my　ability；　she　knows



all　that　you　told　me　about　Francis　and　the　Countess　last　night。



But　try　as　I　may　I　can't　quiet　her　mind。　　I　have　given　up　the　attempt



in　despair；　and　left　her　in　the　drawing…room。　Go；　like　a　good　fellow；



and　try　what　you　can　do　to　compose　her。'







In　those　words；　Lord　Montbarry　stated　the　case　to　his　brother



from　the　rational　point　of　view。　　Henry　made　no　remark；　he　went



straight　to　the　drawing…room。







He　found　Agnes　walking　rapidly　backwards　and　forwards；



flushed　and　excited。　　'If　you　come　here　to　say　what　your　brother



has　been　saying　to　me；'　she　broke　out；　before　he　could　speak；



'spare　yourself　the　trouble。　　I　don't　want　common　sense



I　want　a　true　friend　who　will　believe　in　me。'







'I　am　that　friend；　Agnes；'　Henry　answered　quietly；　'and　you　know　it。'







'You　really　believe　that　I　am　not　deluded　by　a　dream？'







I　know　that　you　are　not　deludedin　one　particular；　at　least。'







'In　what　particular？'







'In　what　you　have　said　of　the　Countess。　　It　is　perfectly　true'







Agnes　stopped　him　there。　　'Why　do　I　only　hear　this　morning



that　the　Countess　and　Mrs。　James　are　one　and　the　same　person？'



she　asked　distrustfully。　　'Why　was　I　not　told　of　it　last　night？'







'You　forget　that　you　had　ac