the haunted hotel-第33部分

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



emotion　of　horror。　　The　manager　was　the　first　to　control　himself。



'See　to　the　door；　for　God's　sake！'　he　said。　　'Some　of　the　people



outside　may　have　heard　me。'







Henry　moved　mechanically　to　the　door。







Even　when　he　had　his　hand　on　the　key；　ready　to　turn　it　in　the　lock



in　case　of　necessity；　he　still　looked　back　at　the　appalling　object



on　the　floor。　　There　was　no　possibility　of　identifying　those　decayed



and　distorted　features　with　any　living　creature　whom　he　had　seen



and；　yet；　he　was　conscious　of　feeling　a　vague　and　awful　doubt



which　shook　him　to　the　soul。　　The　questions　which　had　tortured



the　mind　of　Agnes；　were　now　his　questions　too。　　He　asked　himself；



'In　whose　likeness　might　I　have　recognised　it　before　the　decay　set　in？



The　likeness　of　Ferrari？　or　the　likeness　of？'　He　paused　trembling；



as　Agnes　had　paused　trembling　before　him。　　Agnes！　　The　name；



of　all　women's　names　the　dearest　to　him；　was　a　terror　to　him　now！



What　was　he　to　say　to　her？　　What　might　be　the　consequence　if　he　trusted　her



with　the　terrible　truth？







No　footsteps　approached　the　door；　no　voices　were　audible　outside。



The　travellers　were　still　occupied　in　the　rooms　at　the　eastern　end　of



the　corridor。







In　the　brief　interval　that　had　passed；　the　manager　had　sufficiently



recovered　himself　to　be　able　to　think　once　more　of　the　first



and　foremost　interests　of　his　lifethe　interests　of　the　hotel。



He　approached　Henry　anxiously。







'If　this　frightful　discovery　becomes　known；'　he　said；　'the　closing



of　the　hotel　and　the　ruin　of　the　Company　will　be　the　inevitable　results。



I　feel　sure　that　I　can　trust　your　discretion；　sir；　so　far？'







'You　can　certainly　trust　me；'　Henry　answered。　　'But　surely　discretion



has　its　limits；'　he　added；　'after　such　a　discovery　as　we　have　made？'







The　manager　understood　that　the　duty　which　they　owed　to　the　community；



as　honest　and　law…abiding　men；　was　the　duty　to　which　Henry　now　referred。



'I　will　at　once　find　the　means；'　he　said；　'of　conveying　the　remains



privately　out　of　the　house；　and　I　will　myself　place　them　in　the　care



of　the　police　authorities。　　Will　you　leave　the　room　with　me？　or　do　you



not　object　to　keep　watch　here；　and　help　me　when　I　return？'







While　he　was　speaking；　the　voices　of　the　travellers　made　themselves



heard　again　at　the　end　of　the　corridor。　　Henry　instantly　consented



to　wait　in　the　room。　　He　shrank　from　facing　the　inevitable　meeting



with　Agnes　if　he　showed　himself　in　the　corridor　at　that　moment。







The　manager　hastened　his　departure；　in　the　hope　of　escaping　notice。



He　was　discovered　by　his　guests　before　he　could　reach　the　head



of　the　stairs。　　Henry　heard　the　voices　plainly　as　he　turned　the　key。



While　the　terrible　drama　of　discovery　was　in　progress　on　one　side



of　the　door；　trivial　questions　about　the　amusements　of　Venice；



and　facetious　discussions　on　the　relative　merits　of　French　and



Italian　cookery；　were　proceeding　on　the　other。　　Little　by　little；



the　sound　of　the　talking　grew　fainter。　　The　visitors；　having　arranged



their　plans　of　amusement　for　the　day；　were　on　their　way　out　of　the　hotel。



In　a　minute　or　two；　there　was　silence　once　more。







Henry　turned　to　the　window；　thinking　to　relieve　his　mind　by　looking



at　the　bright　view　over　the　canal。　　He　soon　grew　wearied　of　the



familiar　scene。　　The　morbid　fascination　which　seems　to　be　exercised　by　all



horrible　sights；　drew　him　back　again　to　the　ghastly　object　on　the　floor。







Dream　or　reality；　how　had　Agnes　survived　the　sight　of　it？



As　the　question　passed　through　his　mind；　he　noticed　for　the　first



time　something　lying　on　the　floor　near　the　head。　　Looking　closer；



he　perceived　a　thin　little　plate　of　gold；　with　three　false　teeth



attached　to　it；　which　had　apparently　dropped　out　（loosened　by　the　shock）



when　the　manager　let　the　head　fall　on　the　floor。







The　importance　of　this　discovery；　and　the　necessity　of　not　too



readily　communicating　it　to　others；　instantly　struck　Henry。



Here　surely　was　a　chanceif　any　chance　remainedof　identifying



the　shocking　relic　of　humanity　which　lay　before　him；　the　dumb　witness



of　a　crime！　　Acting　on　this　idea；　he　took　possession　of　the　teeth；



purposing　to　use　them　as　a　last　means　of　inquiry　when　other　attempts



at　investigation　had　been　tried　and　had　failed。







He　went　back　again　to　the　window：　　the　solitude　of　the　room　began



to　weigh　on　his　spirits。　　As　he　looked　out　again　at　the　view；



there　was　a　soft　knock　at　the　door。　　He　hastened　to　open　it



and　checked　himself　in　the　act。　　A　doubt　occurred　to　him。　　Was　it



the　manager　who　had　knocked？　　He　called　out；　'Who　is　there？'







The　voice　of　Agnes　answered　him。　　'Have　you　anything　to　tell　me；　Henry？'







He　was　hardly　able　to　reply。　　'Not　just　now；'　he　said；　confusedly。



'Forgive　me　if　I　don't　open　the　door。　　I　will　speak　to　you



a　little　later。'







The　sweet　voice　made　itself　heard　again；　pleading　with　him　piteously。



'Don't　leave　me　alone；　Henry！　　I　can't　go　back　to　the　happy



people　downstairs。'







How　could　he　resist　that　appeal？　　He　heard　her　sighhe　heard　the　rustling



of　her　dress　as　she　moved　away　in　despair。　　The　very　thing　that　he　had



shrunk　from　doing　but　a　few　minutes　since　was　the　thing　that　he　did　now！



He　joined　Agnes　in　the　corridor。　　She　turned　as　she　heard　him；



and　pointed；　trembling；　in　the　direction　of　the　closed　room。



'Is　it　so　terrible　as　that？'　she　asked　faintly。







He　put　his　arm　round　her　to　support　her。　　A　thought　came　to　him



as　he　looked　at　her；　waiting　in　doubt　and　fear　for　his　reply。



'You　shall　know　what　I　have　discovered；'　he　said；　'if　you　will　first　put



on　your　hat　and　cloak；　and　come　out　with　me。'







She　was　naturally　surprised。　　'Can　you　tell　me　your　object　in　going　out？'



she　asked。







He　owned　what　his　object　was　unreservedly。　　'I　want；　before　all　things；'



he　said；　'to　satisfy　your　mind　and　mine；　on　the　subject　of



Montbarry's　death。　　I　am　going　to　take　you　to　the　doctor　who　attended



him　in　his　illness；　and　to　the　consul　who　followed　him　to　the　grave。'







Her　eyes　rested　on　Henry　gratefully。　　'Oh；　how　well　you　understand　me！'



she　said。　　The　manager　joined　them　at　the　same　moment；　on　his　way



up　the　stairs。　　Henry　gave　him　the　key　of　the　room；　and　then　called



to　the　servants　in　the　hall　to　have　a　gondola　ready　at　the　steps。



'Are　you　leaving　the　hotel？'　the　manager　asked。　　'In　search　of　evidence；'



Henry　whispered；　pointing　to　the　key。　　'If　the　authorities　want　me；



I　shall　be　back　in　an　hour。'























CHAPTER　XXV











The　day　had　advanced　to　evening。　　Lord　Montbarry　and　the　bridal



party　had　gone　to　the　Opera。　　Agnes　alone；　pleading　the　excuse



of　fatigue；　remained　at　the　hotel。　　Having　kept　up　appearances



by　accompanying　his　friends　to　the　theatre；　Henry　Westwick　slipped



away　after　the　first　act；　and　joined　Agnes　in　the　drawing…room。







'Have　you　thought　of　what　I　said　to　you　earlier　in　the　day？'



he　asked；　taking　a　chair　at　her　side。　　'Do　you　agree　with　me



that　the　one　dreadful　doubt　which　oppressed　us　both　is　at　least　set



at　rest？'







Agnes　shook　her　head　sadly。　　'I　wish　I　could　agree　with　you；　Henry



I　wish　I　could　honestly　say　that　my　mind　is　at　ease。'







The　answer　would　have　discouraged　most　men。　　Henry's　patience



（where　Agnes　was　concerned）　was　equal　to　any　demands　on　it。







'If　you　will　only　look　back　at　the　events　of　the　day；'　he　said；



'you　must　surely　admit　that　we　have　not　been　completely　baffled。



Remember　how　Dr。　Bruno　disposed　of　our　doubts：〃After　thirty　years



of　medical　practice；　do　you　think　I　am　likely　to　mistake　the　symptoms



of　death　by　bronchitis？〃　　If　ever　there　was　an　unanswerable　question；



there　it　is！　　Was　the　consul's　testimony　doubtful　in　any　part　of　it？



He　called　at　the　palace　to　offer　his　services；　after　hearing　of　Lord



Montbarry's　death；　he　arrived　at　the　time　when　the　coffin　was　in　the　house；



he　himself　saw　the　corpse　placed　in　it；　and　the　lid　screwed　down。



The　evidence　of　the　priest　is　equally　beyond　dispute。　　He　remained



in　the　room　with　the　coffin；　reciting　the　prayers　for　the　dead；



until　the　funeral　left　the　palace。　　Bear　all　these　statements



in　mind；　Agnes；　and　how　can　you　deny　that　the　question　of　Montbarry's



death　and　burial　is　a　question　set　at　rest？　　We　have　really



but　one　doubt　left：　　we　have　still　to　ask　ourselves　whether



the　remains　which　I　discovered　are　the　remains　of　the　lost　courier；



or　not。　　There　is　the　case；　as　I　understand　it。　　Have　I　stated



it　fairly？'







Agnes　could　not　deny　that　he　had　stated　it　fairly。







〃Then　what　prevents　you　from　experiencing　the　same　sense　of　relief



that　I　feel？'　　Henry　asked。







'What　I　saw　last　night　prevents　me；'　Agnes　answered。　　'When　we　spoke



of　this　subject；　after　our　inquiries　were　over；　you　reproached　me



with　taking　what　you　called　the　superstitious　view。　　I　don't　quite



admit　thatbut　I　do　acknowledge　that　I　should　find　the　superstitious



view　intelligible　if　I　heard　it　expressed　by　some　other　person。



Remembering　what　your　brother　and　I　once　were　to　each　other　in　the



bygone　time；　I　can　understand　the　apparition　making　itself　visible



to　me；　to　claim　the　mercy　of　Christian　burial；　and　the　vengeance　due



to　a　crime。　　I　can　even　perceive　some　faint　possibility　of　truth



in　the　explanation