the haunted hotel-第35部分

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



a　fit。







He　rang　the　bell；　and　directed　the　man　who　answered　it　to　send



one　of　the　chambermaids　upstairs。　　His　voice　seemed　to　partially



rouse　the　Countess；　she　opened　her　eyes　in　a　slow　drowsy　way。



'Have　you　read　it？'　she　asked。







It　was　necessary　as　a　mere　act　of　humanity　to　humour　her。



'I　will　read　it　willingly；'　said　Henry；　'if　you　will　go　upstairs



to　bed。　　You　shall　hear　what　I　think　of　it　to…morrow　morning。



Our　heads　will　be　clearer；　we　shall　be　better　able　to　make　the　fourth



act　in　the　morning。'







The　chambermaid　came　in　while　he　was　speaking。　　'I　am　afraid



the　lady　is　ill；'　Henry　whispered。　　'Take　her　up　to　her　room。'



The　woman　looked　at　the　Countess　and　whispered　back；　'Shall　we　send



for　a　doctor；　sir？'







Henry　advised　taking　her　upstairs　first；　and　then　asking



the　manager's　opinion。　　There　was　great　difficulty　in　persuading



her　to　rise；　and　accept　the　support　of　the　chambermaid's　arm。



It　was　only　by　reiterated　promises　to　read　the　play　that　night；



and　to　make　the　fourth　act　in　the　morning；　that　Henry　prevailed　on



the　Countess　to　return　to　her　room。







Left　to　himself；　he　began　to　feel　a　certain　languid　curiosity



in　relation　to　the　manuscript。　　He　looked　over　the　pages；　reading　a



line　here　and　a　line　there。　　Suddenly　he　changed　colour　as　he　read



and　looked　up　from　the　manuscript　like　a　man　bewildered。



'Good　God！　what　does　this　mean？'　he　said　to　himself。







His　eyes　turned　nervously　to　the　door　by　which　Agnes　had　left　him。



She　might　return　to　the　drawing…room；　she　might　want　to　see　what



the　Countess　had　written。　　He　looked　back　again　at　the　passage



which　had　startled　himconsidered　with　himself　for　a　moment



and；　snatching　up　the　unfinished　play；　suddenly　and　softly　left



the　room。























CHAPTER　XXVI











Entering　his　own　room　on　the　upper　floor；　Henry　placed　the



manuscript　on　his　table；　open　at　the　first　leaf。　　His　nerves　were



unquestionably　shaken；　his　hand　trembled　as　he　turned　the　pages；



he　started　at　chance　noises　on　the　staircase　of　the　hotel。







The　scenario；　or　outline；　of　the　Countess's　play　began　with　no



formal　prefatory　phrases。　　She　presented　herself　and　her　work



with　the　easy　familiarity　of　an　old　friend。















'Allow　me；　dear　Mr。　Francis　Westwick；　to　introduce　to　you　the　persons



in　my　proposed　Play。　　Behold　them；　arranged　symmetrically　in　a　line。







'My　Lord。　　The　Baron。　　The　Courier。　　The　Doctor。　　The　Countess。







'I　don't　trouble　myself；　you　see；　to　invest　fictitious　family　names。



My　characters　are　sufficiently　distinguished　by　their　social　titles；



and　by　the　striking　contrast　which　they　present　one　with　another。







The　First　Act　opens







'No！　　Before　I　open　the　First　Act；　I　must　announce；　injustice　to　myself；



that　this　Play　is　entirely　the　work　of　my　own　invention。　　I　scorn



to　borrow　from　actual　events；　and；　what　is　more　extraordinary　still；



I　have　not　stolen　one　of　my　ideas　from　the　Modern　French　drama。



As　the　manager　of　an　English　theatre；　you　will　naturally　refuse　to



believe　this。　　It　doesn't　matter。　　Nothing　mattersexcept　the　opening



of　my　first　act。







'We　are　at　Homburg；　in　the　famous　Salon　d'Or；　at　the　height　of　the　season。



The　Countess　（exquisitely　dressed）　is　seated　at　the　green　table。



Strangers　of　all　nations　are　standing　behind　the　players；　venturing



their　money　or　only　looking　on。　　My　Lord　is　among　the　strangers。



He　is　struck　by　the　Countess's　personal　appearance；　in　which　beauties



and　defects　are　fantastically　mingled　in　the　most　attractive　manner。



He　watches　the　Countess's　game；　and　places　his　money　where　he　sees



her　deposit　her　own　little　stake。　　She　looks　round　at　him；　and　says；



〃Don't　trust　to　my　colour；　I　have　been　unlucky　the　whole　evening。



Place　your　stake　on　the　other　colour；　and　you　may　have　a　chance



of　winning。〃　　My　Lord　（a　true　Englishman）　blushes；　bows；　and　obeys。



The　Countess　proves　to　be　a　prophet。　　She　loses　again。　　My　Lord　wins　twice



the　sum　that　he　has　risked。







'The　Countess　rises　from　the　table。　　She　has　no　more　money；



and　she　offers　my　Lord　her　chair。







'Instead　of　taking　it；　he　politely　places　his　winnings　in　her　hand；



and　begs　her　to　accept　the　loan　as　a　favour　to　himself。



The　Countess　stakes　again；　and　loses　again。　　My　Lord　smiles　superbly；



and　presses　a　second　loan　on　her。　　From　that　moment　her　luck　turns。



She　wins；　and　wins　largely。　　Her　brother；　the　Baron；　trying　his　fortune



in　another　room；　hears　of　what　is　going　on；　and　joins　my　Lord　and



the　Countess。







'Pay　attention；　if　you　please；　to　the　Baron。　　He　is　delineated



as　a　remarkable　and　interesting　character。







'This　noble　person　has　begun　life　with　a　single…minded　devotion



to　the　science　of　experimental　chemistry；　very　surprising　in　a　young



and　handsome　man　with　a　brilliant　future　before　him。　　A　profound



knowledge　of　the　occult　sciences　has　persuaded　the　Baron　that　it　is



possible　to　solve　the　famous　problem　called　the　〃Philosopher's　Stone。〃



His　own　pecuniary　resources　have　long　since　been　exhausted　by　his



costly　experiments。　　His　sister　has　next　supplied　him　with　the　small



fortune　at　her　disposal：　　reserving　only　the　family　jewels；



placed　in　the　charge　of　her　banker　and　friend　at　Frankfort。



The　Countess's　fortune　also　being　swallowed　up；　the　Baron　has



in　a　fatal　moment　sought　for　new　supplies　at　the　gaming　table。



He　proves；　at　starting　on　his　perilous　career；　to　be　a　favourite



of　fortune；　wins　largely；　and；　alas！　profanes　his　noble　enthusiasm



for　science　by　yielding　his　soul　to　the　all…debasing　passion　of



the　gamester。







'At　the　period　of　the　Play；　the　Baron's　good　fortune　has　deserted　him。



He　sees　his　way　to　a　crowning　experiment　in　the　fatal　search



after　the　secret　of　transmuting　the　baser　elements　into　gold。



But　how　is　he　to　pay　the　preliminary　expenses？　　Destiny；　like　a



mocking　echo；　answers；　How？







'Will　his　sister's　winnings　（with　my　Lord's　money）　prove　large　enough



to　help　him？　　Eager　for　this　result；　he　gives　the　Countess　his　advice



how　to　play。　　From　that　disastrous　moment　the　infection　of　his　own



adverse　fortune　spreads　to　his　sister。　　She　loses　again；　and　again



loses　to　the　last　farthing。







'The　amiable　and　wealthy　Lord　offers　a　third　loan；



but　the　scrupulous　Countess　positively　refuses　to　take　it。



On　leaving　the　table；　she　presents　her　brother　to　my　Lord。



The　gentlemen　fall　into　pleasant　talk。　　My　Lord　asks　leave　to　pay



his　respects　to　the　Countess；　the　next　morning；　at　her　hotel。



The　Baron　hospitably　invites　him　to　breakfast。　　My　Lord　accepts；



with　a　last　admiring　glance　at　the　Countess　which　does　not　escape　her



brother's　observation；　and　takes　his　leave　for　the　night。







'Alone　with　his　sister；　the　Baron　speaks　out　plainly。　　〃Our　affairs；〃



he　says；　〃are　in　a　desperate　condition；　and　must　find　a　desperate　remedy。



Wait　for　me　here；　while　I　make　inquiries　about　my　Lord。



You　have　evidently　produced　a　strong　impression　on　him。　　If　we



can　turn　that　impression　into　money；　no　matter　at　what　sacrifice；



the　thing　must　be　done。〃







'The　Countess　now　occupies　the　stage　alone；　and　indulges



in　a　soliloquy　which　develops　her　character。







'It　is　at　once　a　dangerous　and　attractive　character。



Immense　capacities　for　good　are　implanted　in　her　nature；



side　by　side　with　equally　remarkable　capacities　for　evil。



It　rests　with　circumstances　to　develop　either　the　one　or　the　other。



Being　a　person　who　produces　a　sensation　wherever　she　goes；　this　noble



lady　is　naturally　made　the　subject　of　all　sorts　of　scandalous　reports。



To　one　of　these　reports　（which　falsely　and　abominably　points　to　the　Baron



as　her　lover　instead　of　her　brother）　she　now　refers　with　just　indignation。



She　has　just　expressed　her　desire　to　leave　Homburg；　as　the　place



in　which　the　vile　calumny　first　took　its　rise；　when　the　Baron　returns；



overhears　her　last　words；　and　says　to　her；　〃Yes；　leave　Homburg



by　all　means；　provided　you　leave　it　in　the　character　of　my　Lord's



betrothed　wife！〃







'The　Countess　is　startled　and　shocked。　　She　protests　that　she



does　not　reciprocate　my　Lord's　admiration　for　her。　　She　even　goes



the　length　of　refusing　to　see　him　again。　　The　Baron　answers；



〃I　must　positively　have　command　of　money。　　Take　your　choice；



between　marrying　my　Lord's　income；　in　the　interest　of　my　grand　discovery



or　leave　me　to　sell　myself　and　my　title　to　the　first　rich　woman



of　low　degree　who　is　ready　to　buy　me。〃







'The　Countess　listens　in　surprise　and　dismay。　　Is　it　possible



that　the　Baron　is　in　earnest？　　He　is　horribly　in　earnest。



〃The　woman　who　will　buy　me；〃　he　says；　〃is　in　the　next　room　to　us



at　this　moment。　　She　is　the　wealthy　widow　of　a　Jewish　usurer。



She　has　the　money　I　want　to　reach　the　solution　of　the　great　problem。



I　have　only　to　be　that　woman's　husband；　and　to　make　myself　master　of　untold



millions　of　gold。　　Take　five　minutes　to　consider　what　I　have　said　to　you；



and　tell　me　on　my　return　which　of　us　is　to　marry　for　the　money　I　want；



you　or　I。〃







'As　he　turns　away；　the　Countess　stops　him。







'All　the　noblest　sentiments　in　her　nature　are　exalted　to



the　highest　pitch。　　〃Where　is　the　true　woman；〃　she　exclaims；



〃who　wants　time　to　consummate　the　sacrifice　of　herself；　when　the　man