the haunted hotel-第32部分

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your　hands　on　the　temples　of　the　figures；　pull　as　if　you　were　pulling



it　towards　youand　the　hearthstone　will　revolve　into　its　proper



position　again。







'You　need　read　no　farther；'　said　the　Countess。　　'Be　careful



to　remember　what　you　have　read。'







She　put　back　the　page　of　vellum　in　her　writing…desk；　locked　it；



and　led　the　way　to　the　door。







'Come！'　she　said；　'and　see　what　the　mocking　Frenchman　called　〃The



beginning　of　the　end。〃　　'







Agnes　was　barely　able　to　rise　from　her　chair；　she　trembled　from　head



to　foot。　　Henry　gave　her　his　arm　to　support　her。　　'Fear　nothing；'



he　whispered；　'I　shall　be　with　you。'







The　Countess　proceeded　along　the　westward　corridor；　and　stopped



at　the　door　numbered　Thirty…eight。　This　was　the　room　which　had



been　inhabited　by　Baron　Rivar　in　the　old　days　of　the　palace：



it　was　situated　immediately　over　the　bedchamber　in　which　Agnes　had



passed　the　night。　　For　the　last　two　days　the　room　had　been　empty。



The　absence　of　luggage　in　it；　when　they　opened　the　door；　showed　that　it



had　not　yet　been　let。







'You　see？'　said　the　Countess；　pointing　to　the　carved　figure　at



the　fire…place；　'and　you　know　what　to　do。　　Have　I　deserved　that　you



should　temper　justice　with　mercy？'　she　went　on　in　lower　tones。



'Give　me　a　few　hours　more　to　myself。　　The　Baron　wants　money



I　must　get　on　with　my　play。'







She　smiled　vacantly；　and　imitated　the　action　of　writing　with　her　right



hand　as　she　pronounced　the　last　words。　　The　effort　of　concentrating



her　weakened　mind　on　other　and　less　familiar　topics　than　the　constant



want　of　money　in　the　Baron's　lifetime；　and　the　vague　prospect



of　gain　from　the　still　unfinished　play；　had　evidently　exhausted



her　poor　reserves　of　strength。　　When　her　request　had　been　granted；



she　addressed　no　expressions　of　gratitude　to　Agnes；　she　only　said；



'Feel　no　fear；　miss；　of　my　attempting　to　escape　you。　　Where　you　are；



there　I　must　be　till　the　end　comes。'







Her　eyes　wandered　round　the　room　with　a　last　weary　and　stupefied　look。



She　returned　to　her　writing　with　slow　and　feeble　steps；　like　the　steps



of　an　old　woman。























CHAPTER　XXIV











Henry　and　Agnes　were　left　alone　in　the　Room　of　the　Caryatides。







The　person　who　had　written　the　description　of　the　palace



probably　a　poor　author　or　artisthad　correctly　pointed　out



the　defects　of　the　mantel…piece。　Bad　taste；　exhibiting　itself



on　the　most　costly　and　splendid　scale；　was　visible　in　every　part



of　the　work。　　It　was　nevertheless　greatly　admired　by　ignorant



travellers　of　all　classes；　partly　on　account　of　its　imposing　size；



and　partly　on　account　of　the　number　of　variously…coloured　marbles



which　the　sculptor　had　contrived　to　introduce　into　his　design。



Photographs　of　the　mantel…piece　were　exhibited　in　the　public　rooms；



and　found　a　ready　sale　among　English　and　American　visitors　to



the　hotel。







Henry　led　Agnes　to　the　figure　on　the　left；　as　they　stood　facing　the　empty



fire…place。　'Shall　I　try　the　experiment；'　he　asked；　'or　will　you？'



She　abruptly　drew　her　arm　away　from　him；　and　turned　back　to　the　door。



'I　can't　even　look　at　it；'　she　said。　　'That　merciless　marble　face



frightens　me！'







Henry　put　his　hand　on　the　forehead　of　the　figure。　　'What　is　there



to　alarm　you；　my　dear；　in　this　conventionally　classical　face？'



he　asked　jestingly。　　Before　he　could　press　the　head　inwards；



Agnes　hurriedly　opened　the　door。　　'Wait　till　I　am　out　of　the　room！'



she　cried。　　'The　bare　idea　of　what　you　may　find　there　horrifies　me！'



She　looked　back　into　the　room　as　she　crossed　the　threshold。



'I　won't　leave　you　altogether；'　she　said；　'I　will　wait　outside。'







She　closed　the　door。　　Left　by　himself；　Henry　lifted　his　hand　once



more　to　the　marble　forehead　of　the　figure。







For　the　second　time；　he　was　checked　on　the　point　of　setting



the　machinery　of　the　hiding…place　in　motion。　　On　this　occasion；



the　interruption　came　from　an　outbreak　of　friendly　voices



in　the　corridor。　　A　woman's　voice　exclaimed；　'Dearest　Agnes；



how　glad　I　am　to　see　you　again！'　　A　man's　voice　followed；



offering　to　introduce　some　friend　to　'Miss　Lockwood。'　　A　third　voice



（which　Henry　recognised　as　the　voice　of　the　manager　of　the　hotel）



became　audible　next；　directing　the　housekeeper　to　show　the　ladies



and　gentlemen　the　vacant　apartments　at　the　other　end　of　the　corridor。



'If　more　accommodation　is　wanted；'　the　manager　went　on；　'I　have　a



charming　room　to　let　here。'　　He　opened　the　door　as　he　spoke；　and　found



himself　face　to　face　with　Henry　Westwick。







'This　is　indeed　an　agreeable　surprise；　sir！'　said　the　manager　cheerfully。



'You　are　admiring　our　famous　chimney…piece；　I　see。　　May　I　ask；



Mr。　Westwick；　how　you　find　yourself　in　the　hotel；　this　time？



Have　the　supernatural　influences　affected　your　appetite　again？'







'The　supernatural　influences　have　spared　me；　this　time；'　Henry　answered。



'Perhaps　you　may　yet　find　that　they　have　affected　some　other　member



of　the　family。'　　He　spoke　gravely；　resenting　the　familiar　tone　in



which　the　manager　had　referred　to　his　previous　visit　to　the　hotel。



'Have　you　just　returned？'　he　asked；　by　way　of　changing　the　topic。







'Just　this　minute；　sir。　　I　had　the　honour　of　travelling　in　the　same



train　with　friends　of　yours　who　have　arrived　at　the　hotel



Mr。　and　Mrs。　Arthur　Barville；　and　their　travelling　companions。



Miss　Lockwood　is　with　them；　looking　at　the　rooms。　　They　will　be　here



before　long；　if　they　find　it　convenient　to　have　an　extra　room　at



their　disposal。'







This　announcement　decided　Henry　on　exploring　the　hiding…place；



before　the　interruption　occurred。　　It　had　crossed　his　mind；



when　Agnes　left　him；　that　he　ought　perhaps　to　have　a　witness；



in　the　not　very　probable　event　of　some　alarming　discovery　taking　place。



The　too…familiar　manager；　suspecting　nothing；　was　there　at　his　disposal。



He　turned　again　to　the　Caryan　figure；　maliciously　resolving　to　make



the　manager　his　witness。







'I　am　delighted　to　hear　that　our　friends　have　arrived　at　last；'　he　said。



'Before　I　shake　hands　with　them；　let　me　ask　you　a　question　about



this　queer　work　of　art　here。　　I　see　photographs　of　it　downstairs。



Are　they　for　sale？'







'Certainly；　Mr。　Westwick！'







'Do　you　think　the　chimney…piece　is　as　solid　as　it　looks？'



Henry　proceeded。　　'When　you　came　in；　I　was　just　wondering　whether　this



figure　here　had　not　accidentally　got　loosened　from　the　wall　behind　it。'



He　laid　his　hand　on　the　marble　forehead；　for　the　third　time。



'To　my　eye；　it　looks　a　little　out　of　the　perpendicular。



I　almost　fancied　I　could　jog　the　head　just　now；　when　I　touched　it。'



He　pressed　the　head　inwards　as　he　said　those　words。







A　sound　of　jarring　iron　was　instantly　audible　behind　the　wall。



The　solid　hearthstone　in　front　of　the　fire…place　turned　slowly



at　the　feet　of　the　two　men；　and　disclosed　a　dark　cavity　below。



At　the　same　moment；　the　strange　and　sickening　combination　of　odours；



hitherto　associated　with　the　vaults　of　the　old　palace　and　with　the



bed…chamber　beneath；　now　floated　up　from　the　open　recess；　and　filled



the　room。







The　manager　started　back。　　'Good　God；　Mr。　Westwick！'　he　exclaimed；



'what　does　this　mean？'







Remembering；　not　only　what　his　brother　Francis　had　felt



in　the　room　beneath；　but　what　the　experience　of　Agnes　had　been



on　the　previous　night；　Henry　was　determined　to　be　on　his　guard。



'I　am　as　much　surprised　as　you　are；'　was　his　only　reply。







'Wait　for　me　one　moment；　sir；'　said　the　manager。　　'I　must　stop



the　ladies　and　gentlemen　outside　from　coming　in。'







He　hurried　awaynot　forgetting　to　close　the　door　after　him。



Henry　opened　the　window；　and　waited　there　breathing　the　purer　air。



Vague　apprehensions　of　the　next　discovery　to　come；　filled　his　mind



for　the　first　time。　　He　was　doubly　resolved；　now；　not　to　stir　a　step　in



the　investigation　without　a　witness。







The　manager　returned　with　a　wax　taper　in　his　hand；　which　he　lighted



as　soon　as　he　entered　the　room。







'We　need　fear　no　interruption　now；'　he　said。　　'Be　so　kind；



Mr。　Westwick；　as　to　hold　the　light。　　It　is　my　business　to　find



out　what　this　extraordinary　discovery　means。'







Henry　held　the　taper。　　Looking　into　the　cavity；　by　the　dim　and



flickering　light；　they　both　detected　a　dark　object　at　the　bottom　of　it。



'I　think　I　can　reach　the　thing；'　the　manager　remarked；　'if　I　lie　down；



and　put　my　hand　into　the　hole。'







He　knelt　on　the　floorand　hesitated。　　'Might　I　ask　you；　sir；　to　give



me　my　gloves？'　he　said。　　'They　are　in　my　hat；　on　the　chair　behind　you。'







Henry　gave　him　the　gloves。　　'I　don't　know　what　I　may　be　going



to　take　hold　of；'　the　manager　explained；　smiling　rather　uneasily



as　he　put　on　his　right　glove。







He　stretched　himself　at　full　length　on　the　floor；　and　passed　his　right



arm　into　the　cavity。　　'I　can't　say　exactly　what　I　have　got　hold　of；'



he　said。　　'But　I　have　got　it。'







Half　raising　himself；　he　drew　his　hand　out。







The　next　instant；　he　started　to　his　feet　with　a　shriek　of　terror。



A　human　head　dropped　from　his　nerveless　grasp　on　the　floor；



and　rolled　to　Henry's　feet。　　It　was　the　hideous　head　that　Agnes



had　seen　hovering　above　her；　in　the　vision　of　the　night！







The　two　men　looked　at　each　other；　both　struck　speechless　by　the　same



emotion　of　horror。　　The　manager　was　the　first　to　cont