the haunted hotel-第39部分

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Lord　Montbarry　took　his　brother's　hand。







'You　are　a　good　fellow；　Henry；'　he　said；　'but　are　you　quite



sure　that　you　have　not　been　needlessly　distressing　yourself？



Because　some　of　this　crazy　creature's　writing　accidentally　tells



what　we　know　to　be　the　truth；　does　it　follow　that　all　the　rest　is



to　be　relied　on　to　the　end？'







'There　is　no　possible　doubt　of　it；'　Henry　replied。







'No　possible　doubt？'　his　brother　repeated。　　'I　shall　go



on　with　my　reading；　Henryand　see　what　justification



there　may　be　for　that　confident　conclusion　of　yours。'







He　read　on　steadily；　until　he　had　reached　the　end　of　the　Second　Act。



Then　he　looked　up。







'Do　you　really　believe　that　the　mutilated　remains　which　you



discovered　this　morning　are　the　remains　of　our　brother？'　he　asked。



'And　do　you　believe　it　on　such　evidence　as　this？'







Henry　answered　silently　by　a　sign　in　the　affirmative。







Lord　Montbarry　checked　himselfevidently　on　the　point　of　entering



an　indignant　protest。







'You　acknowledge　that　you　have　not　read　the　later　scenes



of　the　piece；'　he　said。　　'Don't　be　childish；　Henry！　　If　you



persist　in　pinning　your　faith　on　such　stuff　as　this；　the　least



you　can　do　is　to　make　yourself　thoroughly　acquainted　with　it。



Will　you　read　the　Third　Act？　　No？　　Then　I　shall　read　it　to　you。'







He　turned　to　the　Third　Act；　and　ran　over　those　fragmentary　passages



which　were　clearly　enough　written　and　expressed　to　be　intelligible



to　the　mind　of　a　stranger。







'Here　is　a　scene　in　the　vaults　of　the　palace；'　he　began。　　'The　victim



of　the　conspiracy　is　sleeping　on　his　miserable　bed；　and　the　Baron



and　the　Countess　are　considering　the　position　in　which　they　stand。



The　Countess　（as　well　as　I　can　make　it　out）　has　raised　the　money



that　is　wanted　by　borrowing　on　the　security　of　her　jewels　at　Frankfort；



and　the　Courier　upstairs　is　still　declared　by　the　Doctor　to　have



a　chance　of　recovery。　　What　are　the　conspirators　to　do；　if　the　man



does　recover？　　The　cautious　Baron　suggests　setting　the　prisoner　free。



If　he　ventures　to　appeal　to　the　law；　it　is　easy　to　declare　that　he　is



subject　to　insane　delusion；　and　to　call　his　own　wife　as　witness。



On　the　other　hand；　if　the　Courier　dies；　how　is　the　sequestrated



and　unknown　nobleman　to　be　put　out　of　the　way？　　Passively；　by　letting



him　starve　in　his　prison？　　No：　　the　Baron　is　a　man　of　refined　tastes；



he　dislikes　needless　cruelty。　　The　active　policy　remains



say；　assassination　by　the　knife　of　a　hired　bravo？　　The　Baron



objects　to　trusting　an　accomplice；　also　to　spending　money　on　anyone



but　himself。　　Shall　they　drop　their　prisoner　into　the　canal？



The　Baron　declines　to　trust　water；　water　will　show　him　on　the　surface。



Shall　they　set　his　bed　on　fire？　　An　excellent　idea；　but　the　smoke



might　be　seen。　　No：　　the　circumstances　being　now　entirely　altered；



poisoning　him　presents　the　easiest　way　out　of　it。　　He　has　simply



become　a　superfluous　person。　　The　cheapest　poison　will　do。



Is　it　possible；　Henry；　that　you　believe　this　consultation　really



took　place？'







Henry　made　no　reply。　　The　succession　of　the　questions　that　had　just



been　read　to　him；　exactly　followed　the　succession　of　the　dreams



that　had　terrified　Mrs。　Norbury；　on　the　two　nights　which　she　had



passed　in　the　hotel。　　It　was　useless　to　point　out　this　coincidence



to　his　brother。　　He　only　said；　'Go　on。'







Lord　Montbarry　turned　the　pages　until　he　came　to　the　next



intelligible　passage。







'Here；'　he　proceeded；　'is　a　double　scene　on　the　stageso　far　as　I　can



understand　the　sketch　of　it。　　The　Doctor　is　upstairs；　innocently　writing



his　certificate　of　my　Lord's　decease；　by　the　dead　Courier's　bedside。



Down　in　the　vaults；　the　Baron　stands　by　the　corpse　of　the　poisoned　lord；



preparing　the　strong　chemical　acids　which　are　to　reduce　it



to　a　heap　of　ashesSurely；　it　is　not　worth　while　to　trouble



ourselves　with　deciphering　such　melodramatic　horrors　as　these？



Let　us　get　on！　let　us　get　on！'







He　turned　the　leaves　again；　attempting　vainly　to　discover　the　meaning



of　the　confused　scenes　that　followed。　　On　the　last　page　but　one；



he　found　the　last　intelligible　sentences。







'The　Third　Act　seems　to　be　divided；'　he　said；　'into　two　Parts



or　Tableaux。　　I　think　I　can　read　the　writing　at　the　beginning



of　the　Second　Part。　　The　Baron　and　the　Countess　open　the　scene。



The　Baron's　hands　are　mysteriously　concealed　by　gloves。



He　has　reduced　the　body　to　ashes　by　his　own　system　of　cremation；



with　the　exception　of　the　head'







Henry　interrupted　his　brother　there。　　'Don't　read　any　more！'



he　exclaimed。







'Let　us　do　the　Countess　justice；'　Lord　Montbarry　persisted。



'There　are　not　half　a　dozen　lines　more　that　I　can　make　out！



The　accidental　breaking　of　his　jar　of　acid　has　burnt　the　Baron's



hands　severely。　　He　is　still　unable　to　proceed　to　the　destruction



of　the　headand　the　Countess　is　woman　enough　（with　all　her　wickedness）



to　shrink　from　attempting　to　take　his　placewhen　the　first　news



is　received　of　the　coming　arrival　of　the　commission　of　inquiry



despatched　by　the　insurance　offices。　　The　Baron　feels　no　alarm。



Inquire　as　the　commission　may；　it　is　the　natural　death　of　the　Courier



（in　my　Lord's　character）　that　they　are　blindly　investigating。



The　head　not　being　destroyed；　the　obvious　alternative　is　to　hide　it



and　the　Baron　is　equal　to　the　occasion。　　His　studies　in　the　old　library



have　informed　him　of　a　safe　place　of　concealment　in　the　palace。



The　Countess　may　recoil　from　handling　the　acids　and　watching　the　process



of　cremation；　but　she　can　surely　sprinkle　a　little　disinfecting



powder'







'No　more！'　　Henry　reiterated。　　'No　more！'







'There　is　no　more　that　can　be　read；　my　dear　fellow。　　The　last　page



looks　like　sheer　delirium。　　She　may　well　have　told　you　that　her



invention　had　failed　her！'







'Face　the　truth　honestly；　Stephen；　and　say　her　memory。'







Lord　Montbarry　rose　from　the　table　at　which　he　had　been　sitting；



and　looked　at　his　brother　with　pitying　eyes。







'Your　nerves　are　out　of　order；　Henry；'　he　said。　　'And　no　wonder；



after　that　frightful　discovery　under　the　hearth…stone。　We　won't　dispute



about　it；　we　will　wait　a　day　or　two　until　you　are　quite　yourself　again。



In　the　meantime；　let　us　understand　each　other　on　one　point　at　least。



You　leave　the　question　of　what　is　to　be　done　with　these　pages　of　writing



to　me；　as　the　head　of　the　family？'







'I　do。'







Lord　Montbarry　quietly　took　up　the　manuscript；　and　threw　it



into　the　fire。　　'Let　this　rubbish　be　of　some　use；'　he　said；



holding　the　pages　down　with　the　poker。　　'The　room　is　getting　chilly



the　Countess's　play　will　set　some　of　these　charred　logs　flaming　again。'



He　waited　a　little　at　the　fire…place；　and　returned　to　his　brother。



'Now；　Henry；　I　have　a　last　word　to　say；　and　then　I　have　done。



I　am　ready　to　admit　that　you　have　stumbled；　by　an　unlucky　chance；



on　the　proof　of　a　crime　committed　in　the　old　days　of　the　palace；



nobody　knows　how　long　ago。　　With　that　one　concession；　I　dispute



everything　else。　　Rather　than　agree　in　the　opinion　you　have　formed；



I　won't　believe　anything　that　has　happened。　　The　supernatural



influences　that　some　of　us　felt　when　we　first　slept　in　this　hotel



your　loss　of　appetite；　our　sister's　dreadful　dreams；　the　smell　that



overpowered　Francis；　and　the　head　that　appeared　to　AgnesI　declare　them



all　to　be　sheer　delusions！　　I　believe　in　nothing；　nothing；　nothing！'



He　opened　the　door　to　go　out；　and　looked　back　into　the　room。



'Yes；'　he　resumed；　'there　is　one　thing　I　believe　in。　　My　wife　has



committed　a　breach　of　confidenceI　believe　Agnes　will　marry　you。



Good　night；　Henry。　　We　leave　Venice　the　first　thing　to…morrow



morning。







So　Lord　Montbarry　disposed　of　the　mystery　of　The　Haunted　Hotel。























POSTSCRIPT











A　last　chance　of　deciding　the　difference　of　opinion　between



the　two　brothers　remained　in　Henry's　possession。　　He　had　his　own



idea　of　the　use　to　which　he　might　put　the　false　teeth　as　a　means



of　inquiry　when　he　and　Ms　fellow…travellers　returned　to　England。







The　only　surviving　depositary　of　the　domestic　history　of



the　family　in　past　years；　was　Agnes　Lockwood's　old　nurse。



Henry　took　his　first　opportunity　of　trying　to　revive　her　personal



recollections　of　the　deceased　Lord　Montbarry。　　But　the　nurse　had　never



forgiven　the　great　man　of　the　family　for　his　desertion　of　Agnes；



she　flatly　refused　to　consult　her　memory。　　'Even　the　bare　sight



of　my　lord；　when　I　last　saw　him　in　London；'　said　the　old　woman；



'made　my　finger…nails　itch　to　set　their　mark　on　his　face。



I　was　sent　on　an　errand　by　Miss　Agnes；　and　I　met　him　coming　out



of　his　dentist's　doorand；　thank　God；　that's　the　last　I　ever　saw



of　him！'







Thanks　to　the　nurse's　quick　temper　and　quaint　way　of　expressing



herself；　the　object　of　Henry's　inquiries　was　gained　already！



He　ventured　on　asking　if　she　had　noticed　the　situation　of　the　house。



She　had　noticed；　and　still　remembered　the　situation



did　Master　Henry　suppose　she　had　lost　the　use　of　her　senses；



because　she　happened　to　be　nigh　on　eighty　years　old？　　The　same　day；



he　took　the　false　teeth　to　the　dentist；　and　set　all　further　doubt



（if　doubt　had　still　been　possible）　at　rest　for　ever。　　The　teeth　had



been　made　for　the　first　Lord　Montbarry。







Henry　never　revealed　the　existence　of　this　la