the haunted hotel-第34部分

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



in　the　explanation　which　you　described　as　the　mesmeric　theory



that　what　I　saw　might　be　the　result　of　magnetic　influence　communicated



to　me；　as　I　lay　between　the　remains　of　the　murdered　husband　above　me



and　the　guilty　wife　suffering　the　tortures　of　remorse　at　my　bedside。



But　what　I　do　not　understand　is；　that　I　should　have　passed　through



that　dreadful　ordeal；　having　no　previous　knowledge　of　the　murdered



man　in　his　lifetime；　or　only　knowing　him　（if　you　suppose　that　I　saw



the　apparition　of　Ferrari）　through　the　interest　which　I　took　in　his　wife。



I　can't　dispute　your　reasoning；　Henry。　　But　I　feel　in　my　heart



of　hearts　that　you　are　deceived。　　Nothing　will　shake　my　belief



that　we　are　still　as　far　from　having　discovered　the　dreadful　truth



as　ever。'







Henry　made　no　further　attempt　to　dispute　with　her。　　She　had



impressed　him　with　a　certain　reluctant　respect　for　her　own　opinion；



in　spite　of　himself。







'Have　you　thought　of　any　better　way　of　arriving　at　the　truth？'



he　asked。　　'Who　is　to　help　us？　　No　doubt　there　is　the　Countess；



who　has　the　clue　to　the　mystery　in　her　own　hands。　　But；　in　the　present



state　of　her　mind；　is　her　testimony　to　be　trustedeven　if　she



were　willing　to　speak？　　Judging　by　my　own　experience；　I　should　say



decidedly　not。'







'You　don't　mean　that　you　have　seen　her　again？'　　Agnes　eagerly　interposed。







'Yes。　　I　disturbed　her　once　more　over　her　endless　writing；



and　I　insisted　on　her　speaking　out　plainly。'







'Then　you　told　her　what　you　found　when　you　opened　the　hiding…place？'







'Of　course　I　did！'　　Henry　replied。　　'I　said　that　I　held　her　responsible



for　the　discovery；　though　I　had　not　mentioned　her　connection　with　it



to　the　authorities　as　yet。　　She　went　on　with　her　writing　as　if　I　had



spoken　in　an　unknown　tongue！　　I　was　equally　obstinate；　on　my　side。



I　told　her　plainly　that　the　head　had　been　placed　under　the　care



of　the　police；　and　that　the　manager　and　I　had　signed　our　declarations



and　given　our　evidence。　　She　paid　not　the　slightest　heed　to　me。



By　way　of　tempting　her　to　speak；　I　added　that　the　whole　investigation



was　to　be　kept　a　secret；　and　that　she　might　depend　on　my　discretion。



For　the　moment　I　thought　I　had　succeeded。　　She　looked　up



from　her　writing　with　a　passing　flash　of　curiosity；　and　said；



〃What　are　they　going　to　do　with　it？〃meaning；　I　suppose；　the　head。



I　answered　that　it　was　to　be　privately　buried；　after　photographs



of　it　had　first　been　taken。　　I　even　went　the　length　of　communicating



the　opinion　of　the　surgeon　consulted；　that　some　chemical　means　of



arresting　decomposition　had　been　used　and　had　only　partially　succeeded



and　I　asked　her　point…blank　if　the　surgeon　was　right？　　The　trap　was　not



a　bad　onebut　it　completely　failed。　　She　said　in　the　coolest　manner；



〃Now　you　are　here；　I　should　like　to　consult　you　about　my　play；



I　am　at　a　loss　for　some　new　incidents。〃　　Mind！　there　was　nothing



satirical　in　this。　　She　was　really　eager　to　read　her　wonderful



work　to　meevidently　supposing　that　I　took　a　special　interest



in　such　things；　because　my　brother　is　the　manager　of　a　theatre！



I　left　her；　making　the　first　excuse　that　occurred　to　me。



So　far　as　I　am　concerned；　I　can　do　nothing　with　her。



But　it　is　possible　that　your　influence　may　succeed　with　her　again；



as　it　has　succeeded　already。　　Will　you　make　the　attempt；　to　satisfy



your　own　mind？　　She　is　still　upstairs；　and　I　am　quite　ready　to



accompany　you。'







Agnes　shuddered　at　the　bare　suggestion　of　another　interview



with　the　Countess。







'I　can't！　I　daren't！'　she　exclaimed。　　'After　what　has　happened



in　that　horrible　room；　she　is　more　repellent　to　me　than　ever。



Don't　ask　me　to　do　it；　Henry！　　Feel　my　handyou　have　turned　me　as　cold



as　death　only　with　talking　of　it！'







She　was　not　exaggerating　the　terror　that　possessed　her。



Henry　hastened　to　change　the　subject。







'Let　us　talk　of　something　more　interesting；'　he　said。　　'I　have



a　question　to　ask　you　about　yourself。　　Am　I　right　in　believing



that　the　sooner　you　get　away　from　Venice　the　happier　you　will　be？'







'Right？'　she　repeated　excitedly。　　'You　are　more　than　right！



No　words　can　say　how　I　long　to　be　away　from　this　horrible　place。



But　you　know　how　I　am　situatedyou　heard　what　Lord　Montbarry　said



at　dinner…time？'







'Suppose　he　has　altered　his　plans；　since　dinner…time？'　Henry　suggested。







Agnes　looked　surprised。　　'I　thought　he　had　received　letters　from



England　which　obliged　him　to　leave　Venice　to…morrow；'　she　said。







'Quite　true；'　Henry　admitted。　　'He　had　arranged　to　start



for　England　to…morrow；　and　to　leave　you　and　Lady　Montbarry



and　the　children　to　enjoy　your　holiday　in　Venice；　under　my　care。



Circumstances　have　occurred；　however；　which　have　forced　him



to　alter　his　plans。　　He　must　take　you　all　back　with　him　to…morrow



because　I　am　not　able　to　assume　the　charge　of　you。　　I　am　obliged



to　give　up　my　holiday　in　Italy；　and　return　to　England　too。'







Agnes　looked　at　him　in　some　little　perplexity：　　she　was　not　quite



sure　whether　she　understood　him　or　not。







'Are　you　really　obliged　to　go　back？'　she　asked。







Henry　smiled　as　he　answered　her。　　'Keep　the　secret；'　he　said；



'or　Montbarry　will　never　forgive　me！'







She　read　the　rest　in　his　face。　　'Oh！'　she　exclaimed；　blushing　brightly；



'you　have　not　given　up　your　pleasant　holiday　in　Italy　on　my　account？'







'I　shall　go　back　with　you　to　England；　Agnes。　　That　will　be　holiday



enough　for　me。'







She　took　his　hand　in　an　irrepressible　outburst　of　gratitude。



'How　good　you　are　to　me！'　she　murmured　tenderly。　　'What　should　I　have



done　in　the　troubles　that　have　come　to　me；　without　your　sympathy？



I　can't　tell　you；　Henry；　how　I　feel　your　kindness。'







She　tried　impulsively　to　lift　his　hand　to　her　lips。　　He　gently



stopped　her。　　'Agnes；'　he　said；　'are　you　beginning　to　understand



how　truly　I　love　you？'







That　simple　question　found　its　own　way　to　her　heart。　　She　owned



the　whole　truth；　without　saying　a　word。　　She　looked　at　him



and　then　looked　away　again。







He　drew　her　nearer　to　him。　　'My　own　darling！'　he　whispered



and　kissed　her。　　Softly　and　tremulously；　the　sweet　lips　lingered；



and　touched　his　lips　in　return。　　Then　her　head　drooped。



She　put　her　arms　round　his　neck；　and　hid　her　face　on　his　bosom。



They　spoke　no　more。















The　charmed　silence　had　lasted　but　a　little　while；　when　it　was



mercilessly　broken　by　a　knock　at　the　door。







Agnes　started　to　her　feet。　　She　placed　herself　at　the　piano；



the　instrument　being　opposite　to　the　door；　it　was　impossible；



when　she　seated　herself　on　the　music…stool；　for　any　person



entering　the　room　to　see　her　face。　　Henry　called　out　irritably；



'Come　in。'







The　door　was　not　opened。　　The　person　on　the　other　side　of　it　asked



a　strange　question。







'Is　Mr。　Henry　Westwick　alone？'







Agnes　instantly　recognised　the　voice　of　the　Countess。　　She　hurried



to　a　second　door；　which　communicated　with　one　of　the　bedrooms。



'Don't　let　her　come　near　me！'　she　whispered　nervously。　　'Good　night；



Henry！　good　night！'







If　Henry　could；　by　an　effort　of　will；　have　transported　the　Countess



to　the　uttermost　ends　of　the　earth；　he　would　have　made　the　effort



without　remorse。　　As　it　was；　he　only　repeated；　more　irritably　than　ever；



'Come　in！'







She　entered　the　room　slowly　with　her　everlasting　manuscript　in　her　hand。



Her　step　was　unsteady；　a　dark　flush　appeared　on　her　face；　in　place



of　its　customary　pallor；　her　eyes　were　bloodshot　and　widely　dilated。



In　approaching　Henry；　she　showed　a　strange　incapability　of　calculating



her　distancesshe　struck　against　the　table　near　which　he　happened



to　be　sitting。　　When　she　spoke；　her　articulation　was　confused；　and　her



pronunciation　of　some　of　the　longer　words　was　hardly　intelligible。



Most　men　would　have　suspected　her　of　being　under　the　influence　of　some



intoxicating　liquor。　　Henry　took　a　truer　viewhe　said；　as　he　placed



a　chair　for　her；　'Countess；　I　am　afraid　you　have　been　working　too　hard：



you　look　as　if　you　wanted　rest。'







She　put　her　hand　to　her　head。　　'My　invention　has　gone；'　she　said。



'I　can't　write　my　fourth　act。　　It's　all　a　blankall　a　blank！'







Henry　advised　her　to　wait　till　the　next　day。　　'Go　to　bed；'　he　suggested；



and　try　to　sleep。'







She　waved　her　hand　impatiently。　　'I　must　finish　the　play；'



she　answered。　　'I　only　want　a　hint　from　you。　　You　must　know



something　about　plays。　　Your　brother　has　got　a　theatre。



You　must　often　have　heard　him　talk　about　fourth　and　fifth　acts



you　must　have　seen　rehearsals；　and　all　the　rest　of　it。'



She　abruptly　thrust　the　manuscript　into　Henry's　hand。　　'I　can't　read



it　to　you；'　she　said；　'I　feel　giddy　when　I　look　at　my　own　writing。



Just　run　your　eye　over　it；　there's　a　good　fellowand　give　me



a　hint。'







Henry　glanced　at　the　manuscript。　　He　happened　to　look　at　the　list



of　the　persons　of　the　drama。　　As　he　read　the　list　he　started　and　turned



abruptly　to　the　Countess；　intending　to　ask　her　for　some　explanation。



The　words　were　suspended　on　his　lips。　　It　was　but　too　plainly　useless



to　speak　to　her。　　Her　head　lay　back　on　the　rail　of　the　chair。



She　seemed　to　be　half　asleep　already。　　The　flush　on　her　face



had　deepened：　　she　looked　like　a　woman　who　was　in　danger　of　having



a　fit。