the haunted hotel-第31部分

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







'You　forget　that　you　had　accepted　the　exchange　of　rooms　before　I



reached　Venice；'　Henry　replied。　　'I　felt　strongly　tempted　to　tell　you；



even　thenbut　your　sleeping　arrangements　for　the　night　were



all　made；　I　should　only　have　inconvenienced　and　alarmed　you。



I　waited　till　the　morning；　after　hearing　from　my　brother　that



you　had　yourself　seen　to　your　security　from　any　intrusion。



How　that　intrusion　was　accomplished　it　is　impossible　to　say。



I　can　only　declare　that　the　Countess's　presence　by　your　bedside



last　night　was　no　dream　of　yours。　　On　her　own　authority　I　can　testify



that　it　was　a　reality。'







'On　her　own　authority？'　　Agnes　repeated　eagerly。　　'Have　you　seen



her　this　morning？'







'I　have　seen　her　not　ten　minutes　since。'







'What　was　she　doing？'







She　was　busily　engaged　in　writing。　　I　could　not　even　get　her　to　look



at　me　until　I　thought　of　mentioning　your　name。'







'She　remembered　me；　of　course？'







'She　remembered　you　with　some　difficulty。　　Finding　that　she　wouldn't　answer



me　on　any　other　terms；　I　questioned　her　as　if　I　had　come　direct　from　you。



Then　she　spoke。　　She　not　only　admitted　that　she　had　the　same　superstitious



motive　for　placing　you　in　that　room　which　she　had　acknowledged



to　Francisshe　even　owned　that　she　had　been　by　your　bedside；



watching　through　the　night；　〃to　see　what　you　saw；〃　as　she　expressed　it。



Hearing　this；　I　tried　to　persuade　her　to　tell　me　how　she　got　into



the　room。　　Unluckily；　her　manuscript　on　the　table　caught　her　eye；



she　returned　to　her　writing。　　〃The　Baron　wants　money；〃　she　said；



〃I　must　get　on　with　my　play。〃　　What　she　saw　or　dreamed　while　she　was



in　your　room　last　night；　it　is　at　present　impossible　to　discover。



But　judging　by　my　brother's　account　of　her；　as　well　as　by　what　I



remember　of　her　myself；　some　recent　influence　has　been　at　work　which



has　produced　a　marked　change　in　this　wretched　woman　for　the　worse。



Her　mind　（since　last　night；　perhaps）　is　partially　deranged。



One　proof　of　it　is　that　she　spoke　to　me　of　the　Baron　as　if　he　were



still　a　living　man。　　When　Francis　saw　her；　she　declared　that　the　Baron



was　dead；　which　is　the　truth。　　The　United　States　Consul　at　Milan



showed　us　the　announcement　of　the　death　in　an　American　newspaper。



So　far　as　I　can　see；　such　sense　as　she　still　possesses　seems　to　be



entirely　absorbed　in　one　absurd　ideathe　idea　of　writing　a　play



for　Francis　to　bring　out　at　his　theatre。　　He　admits　that　he　encouraged



her　to　hope　she　might　get　money　in　this　way。　　I　think　he　did　wrong。



Don't　you　agree　with　me？'







Without　heeding　the　question；　Agnes　rose　abruptly　from　her　chair。







'Do　me　one　more　kindness；　Henry；'　she　said。　　'Take　me　to　the　Countess



at　once。'







Henry　hesitated。　　'Are　you　composed　enough　to　see　her；　after　the　shock



that　you　have　suffered？'　he　asked。







She　trembled；　the　flush　on　her　face　died　away；　and　left　it　deadly　pale。



But　she　held　to　her　resolution。　　'You　have　heard　of　what　I　saw　last　night？'



she　said　faintly。







'Don't　speak　of　it！'　　Henry　interposed。　　'Don't　uselessly



agitate　yourself。'







'I　must　speak！　　My　mind　is　full　of　horrid　questions　about　it。



I　know　I　can't　identify　itand　yet　I　ask　myself　over　and　over　again；



in　whose　likeness　did　it　appear？　　Was　it　in　the　likeness　of　Ferrari？



or　was　it？'　she　stopped；　shuddering。　　'The　Countess　knows；　I　must



see　the　Countess！'　she　resumed　vehemently。　　'Whether　my　courage　fails



me　or　not；　I　must　make　the　attempt。　　Take　me　to　her　before　I　have　time



to　feel　afraid　of　it！'







Henry　looked　at　her　anxiously。　　'If　you　are　really　sure　of　your



own　resolution；'　he　said；　'I　agree　with　youthe　sooner　you　see



her　the　better。　　You　remember　how　strangely　she　talked　of　your



influence　over　her；　when　she　forced　her　way　into　your　room　in　London？'







'I　remember　it　perfectly。　　Why　do　you　ask？'







'For　this　reason。　　In　the　present　state　of　her　mind；　I　doubt　if　she



will　be　much　longer　capable　of　realizing　her　wild　idea　of　you　as　the



avenging　angel　who　is　to　bring　her　to　a　reckoning　for　her　evil　deeds。



It　may　be　well　to　try　what　your　influence　can　do　while　she　is　still



capable　of　feeling　it。'







He　waited　to　hear　what　Agnes　would　say。　　She　took　his　arm　and　led



him　in　silence　to　the　door。







They　ascended　to　the　second　floor；　and；　after　knocking；



entered　the　Countess's　room。







She　was　still　busily　engaged　in　writing。　　When　she　looked　up　from



the　paper；　and　saw　Agnes；　a　vacant　expression　of　doubt　was　the　only



expression　in　her　wild　black　eyes。　　After　a　few　moments；　the　lost



remembrances　and　associations　appeared　to　return　slowly　to　her　mind。



The　pen　dropped　from　her　hand。　　Haggard　and　trembling；　she　looked　closer



at　Agnes；　and　recognised　her　at　last。　　'Has　the　time　come　already？'



she　said　in　low　awe…struck　tones。　　'Give　me　a　little　longer　respite；



I　haven't　done　my　writing　yet！'







She　dropped　on　her　knees；　and　held　out　her　clasped　hands　entreatingly。



Agnes　was　far　from　having　recovered；　after　the　shock　that　she　had



suffered　in　the　night：　　her　nerves　were　far　from　being　equal　to　the



strain　that　was　now　laid　on　them。　　She　was　so　startled　by　the　change



in　the　Countess；　that　she　was　at　a　loss　what　to　say　or　to　do　next。



Henry　was　obliged　to　speak　to　her。　　'Put　your　questions　while　you



have　the　chance；'　he　said；　lowering　his　voice。　　'See！　the　vacant　look



is　coming　over　her　face　again。'







Agnes　tried　to　rally　her　courage。　　'You　were　in　my　room　last　night'







she　began。　　Before　she　could　add　a　word　more；　the　Countess　lifted



her　hands；　and　wrung　them　above　her　head　with　a　low　moan　of　horror。



Agnes　shrank　back；　and　turned　as　if　to　leave　the　room。　　Henry　stopped　her；



and　whispered　to　her　to　try　again。　　She　obeyed　him　after　an　effort。



'I　slept　last　night　in　the　room　that　you　gave　up　to　me；'　she　resumed。



'I　saw'







The　Countess　suddenly　rose　to　her　feet。　　'No　more　of　that；'　she　cried。



'Oh；　Jesu　Maria！　do　you　think　I　want　to　be　told　what　you　saw？



Do　you　think　I　don't　know　what　it　means　for　you　and　for　me？



Decide　for　yourself；　Miss。　Examine　your　own　mind。　　Are　you　well



assured　that　the　day　of　reckoning　has　come　at　last？　　Are　you　ready



to　follow　me　back；　through　the　crimes　of　the　past；　to　the　secrets　of



the　dead？'







She　returned　again　to　the　writing…table；　without　waiting　to　be　answered。



Her　eyes　flashed；　she　looked　like　her　old　self　once　more　as　she　spoke。



It　was　only　for　a　moment。　　The　old　ardour　and　impetuosity　were



nearly　worn　out。　　Her　head　sank；　she　sighed　heavily　as　she　unlocked



a　desk　which　stood　on　the　table。　　Opening　a　drawer　in　the　desk；



she　took　out　a　leaf　of　vellum；　covered　with　faded　writing。



Some　ragged　ends　of　silken　thread　were　still　attached　to　the　leaf；



as　if　it　had　been　torn　out　of　a　book。







'Can　you　read　Italian？'　she　asked；　handing　the　leaf　to　Agnes。







Agnes　answered　silently　by　an　inclination　of　her　head。







'The　leaf；'　the　Countess　proceeded；　'once　belonged　to　a　book　in　the　old



library　of　the　palace；　while　this　building　was　still　a　palace。



By　whom　it　was　torn　out　you　have　no　need　to　know。　　For　what　purpose



it　was　torn　out　you　may　discover　for　yourself；　if　you　will。



Read　it　firstat　the　fifth　line　from　the　top　of　the　page。'







Agnes　felt　the　serious　necessity　of　composing　herself。



'Give　me　a　chair；'　she　said　to　Henry；　'and　I　will　do　my　best。'



He　placed　himself　behind　her　chair　so　that　he　could　look　over　her



shoulder　and　help　her　to　understand　the　writing　on　the　leaf。



Rendered　into　English；　it　ran　as　follows：







　　　　　I　have　now　completed　my　literary　survey　of　the　first



floor　of　the　palace。　　At　the　desire　of　my　noble　and　gracious　patron；



the　lord　of　this　glorious　edifice；　I　next　ascend　to　the　second　floor；



and　continue　my　catalogue　or　description　of　the　pictures；



decorations；　and　other　treasures　of　art　therein　contained。



Let　me　begin　with　the　corner　room　at　the　western　extremity　of　the　palace；



called　the　Room　of　the　Caryatides；　from　the　statues　which　support



the　mantel…piece。　This　work　is　of　comparatively　recent　execution：



it　dates　from　the　eighteenth　century　only；　and　reveals　the　corrupt



taste　of　the　period　in　every　part　of　it。　　Still；　there　is　a　certain



interest　which　attaches　to　the　mantel…piece：　it　conceals　a　cleverly



constructed　hiding…place；　between　the　floor　of　the　room　and　the　ceiling



of　the　room　beneath；　which　was　made　during　the　last　evil　days



of　the　Inquisition　in　Venice；　and　which　is　reported　to　have　saved



an　ancestor　of　my　gracious　lord　pursued　by　that　terrible　tribunal。



The　machinery　of　this　curious　place　of　concealment　has　been　kept



in　good　order　by　the　present　lord；　as　a　species　of　curiosity。



He　condescended　to　show　me　the　method　of　working　it。



Approaching　the　two　Caryatides；　rest　your　hand　on　the　forehead



（midway　between　the　eyebrows）　of　the　figure　which　is　on　your　left



as　you　stand　opposite　to　the　fireplace；　then　press　the　head　inwards



as　if　you　were　pushing　it　against　the　wall　behind。　　By　doing　this；



you　set　in　motion　the　hidden　machinery　in　the　wall　which　turns



the　hearthstone　on　a　pivot；　and　discloses　the　hollow　place　below。



There　is　room　enough　in　it　for　a　man　to　lie　easily　at　full　length。



The　method　of　closing　the　cavity　again　is　equally　simple。　　Place　both



your　hands　on　the　temples　of　the　figures；　pull　as