the haunted hotel-第4部分

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and　Mrs。　Norbury。　　Not　one　of　the　five　will　be　present　at　the　marriage；



and　not　one　of　the　five　will　leave　a　stone　unturned　to　stop　it；



if　the　Countess　will　only　give　them　a　chance。　　Add　to　these　hostile



members　of　the　family　another　offended　relative　not　mentioned　in　the



'Peerage；'　a　young　lady'







A　sudden　outburst　of　protest　in　more　than　one　part　of　the　room　stopped



the　coming　disclosure；　and　released　the　Doctor　from　further　persecution。







'Don't　mention　the　poor　girl's　name；　it's　too　bad　to　make　a　joke　of　that



part　of　the　business；　she　has　behaved　nobly　under　shameful　provocation；



there　is　but　one　excuse　for　Montbarryhe　is　either　a　madman　or　a　fool。'



In　these　terms　the　protest　expressed　itself　on　all　sides。



Speaking　confidentially　to　his　next　neighbour；　the　Doctor



discovered　that　the　lady　referred　to　was　already　known　to　him



（through　the　Countess's　confession）　as　the　lady　deserted　by



Lord　Montbarry。　　Her　name　was　Agnes　Lockwood。　　She　was　described



as　being　the　superior　of　the　Countess　in　personal　attraction；



and　as　being　also　by　some　years　the　younger　woman　of　the　two。



Making　all　allowance　for　the　follies　that　men　committed　every　day



in　their　relations　with　women；　Montbarry's　delusion　was　still



the　most　monstrous　delusion　on　record。　　In　this　expression



of　opinion　every　man　present　agreedthe　lawyer　even　included。



Not　one　of　them　could　call　to　mind　the　innumerable　instances　in



which　the　sexual　influence　has　proved　irresistible　in　the　persons



of　women　without　even　the　pretension　to　beauty。　　The　very　members



of　the　club　whom　the　Countess　（in　spite　of　her　personal　disadvantages）



could　have　most　easily　fascinated；　if　she　had　thought　it　worth　her　while；



were　the　members　who　wondered　most　loudly　at　Montbarry's　choice　of



a　wife。







While　the　topic　of　the　Countess's　marriage　was　still　the　one　topic



of　conversation；　a　member　of　the　club　entered　the　smoking…room



whose　appearance　instantly　produced　a　dead　silence。



Doctor　Wybrow's　next　neighbour　whispered　to　him；　'Montbarry's　brother



Henry　Westwick！'







The　new…comer　looked　round　him　slowly；　with　a　bitter　smile。







'You　are　all　talking　of　my　brother；'he　said。　　'Don't　mind　me。



Not　one　of　you　can　despise　him　more　heartily　than　I　do。



Go　on；　gentlemengo　on！'







But　one　man　present　took　the　speaker　at　his　word。　　That　man　was



the　lawyer　who　had　already　undertaken　the　defence　of　the　Countess。







'I　stand　alone　in　my　opinion；'　he　said；　'and　I　am　not　ashamed　of



repeating　it　in　anybody's　hearing。　　I　consider　the　Countess　Narona　to　be



a　cruelly…treated　woman。　　Why　shouldn't　she　be　Lord　Montbarry's　wife？



Who　can　say　she　has　a　mercenary　motive　in　marrying　him？'







Montbarry's　brother　turned　sharply　on　the　speaker。　　'I　say　it！'



he　answered。







The　reply　might　have　shaken　some　men。　　The　lawyer　stood　on　his



ground　as　firmly　as　ever。







'I　believe　I　am　right；'　he　rejoined；　'in　stating　that　his　lordship's



income　is　not　more　than　sufficient　to　support　his　station　in　life；



also　that　it　is　an　income　derived　almost　entirely　from　landed　property



in　Ireland；　every　acre　of　which　is　entailed。'







Montbarry's　brother　made　a　sign；　admitting　that　he　had　no　objection



to　offer　so　far。







'If　his　lordship　dies　first；'　the　lawyer　proceeded；　'I　have　been



informed　that　the　only　provision　he　can　make　for　his　widow　consists



in　a　rent…charge　on　the　property　of　no　more　than　four　hundred　a　year。



His　retiring　pension　and　allowances；　it　is　well　known；　die　with　him。



Four　hundred　a　year　is　therefore　all　that　he　can　leave　to　the　Countess；



if　he　leaves　her　a　widow。'







'Four　hundred　a　year　is　not　all；'　was　the　reply　to　this。



'My　brother　has　insured　his　life　for　ten　thousand　pounds；



and　he　has　settled　the　whole　of　it　on　the　Countess；　in　the　event



of　his　death。'







This　announcement　produced　a　strong　sensation。　　Men　looked　at　each　other；



and　repeated　the　three　startling　words；　'Ten　thousand　pounds！'



Driven　fairly　to　the　wall；　the　lawyer　made　a　last　effort　to　defend



his　position。







'May　I　ask　who　made　that　settlement　a　condition　of　the　marriage？'



he　said。　　'Surely　it　was　not　the　Countess　herself？。'







Henry　Westwick　answered；　'it　was　the　Countess's　brother'；　and　added；



'which　comes　to　the　same　thing。'







After　that；　there　was　no　more　to　be　saidso　long；　at　least；



as　Montbarry's　brother　was　present。　　The　talk　flowed　into　other　channels；



and　the　Doctor　went　home。







But　his　morbid　curiosity　about　the　Countess　was　not　set　at　rest　yet。



In　his　leisure　moments　he　found　himself　wondering　whether　Lord



Montbarry's　family　would　succeed　in　stopping　the　marriage　after　all。



And　more　than　this；　he　was　conscious　of　a　growing　desire　to　see



the　infatuated　man　himself。　　Every　day　during　the　brief　interval　before



the　wedding；　he　looked　in　at　the　club；　on　the　chance　of　hearing　some　news。



Nothing　had　happened；　so　far　as　the　club　knew。　　The　Countess's　position



was　secure；　Montbarry's　resolution　to　be　her　husband　was　unshaken。



They　were　both　Roman　Catholics；　and　they　were　to　be　married　at



the　chapel　in　Spanish　Place。　　So　much　the　Doctor　discovered　about　them



and　no　more。







On　the　day　of　the　wedding；　after　a　feeble　struggle　with　himself；



he　actually　sacrificed　his　patients　and　their　guineas；　and　slipped



away　secretly　to　see　the　marriage。　　To　the　end　of　his　life；



he　was　angry　with　anybody　who　reminded　him　of　what　he　had　done　on



that　day！







The　wedding　was　strictly　private。　　A　close　carriage　stood　at



the　church　door；　a　few　people；　mostly　of　the　lower　class；　and　mostly



old　women；　were　scattered　about　the　interior　of　the　building。



Here　and　there　Doctor　Wybrow　detected　the　faces　of　some　of　his



brethren　of　the　club；　attracted　by　curiosity；　like　himself。



Four　persons　only　stood　before　the　altarthe　bride　and　bridegroom



and　their　two　witnesses。　　One　of　these　last　was　an　elderly　woman；



who　might　have　been　the　Countess's　companion　or　maid；　the　other



was　undoubtedly　her　brother；　Baron　Rivar。　　The　bridal　party



（the　bride　herself　included）　wore　their　ordinary　morning　costume。



Lord　Montbarry；　personally　viewed；　was　a　middle…aged　military　man



of　the　ordinary　type：　　nothing　in　the　least　remarkable　distinguished



him　either　in　face　or　figure。　　Baron　Rivar；　again；　in　his　way　was



another　conventional　representative　of　another　well…known　type。



One　sees　his　finely…pointed　moustache；　his　bold　eyes；



his　crisply…curling　hair；　and　his　dashing　carriage　of　the　head；



repeated　hundreds　of　times　over　on　the　Boulevards　of　Paris。



The　only　noteworthy　point　about　him　was　of　the　negative　sort



he　was　not　in　the　least　like　his　sister。　　Even　the　officiating



priest　was　only　a　harmless；　humble…looking　old　man；　who　went　through



his　duties　resignedly；　and　felt　visible　rheumatic　difficulties



every　time　he　bent　his　knees。　　The　one　remarkable　person；



the　Countess　herself；　only　raised　her　veil　at　the　beginning



of　the　ceremony；　and　presented　nothing　in　her　plain　dress　that　was



worth　a　second　look。　　Never；　on　the　face　of　it；　was　there　a　less



interesting　and　less　romantic　marriage　than　this。　　From　time　to　time



the　Doctor　glanced　round　at　the　door　or　up　at　the　galleries；



vaguely　anticipating　the　appearance　of　some　protesting　stranger；



in　possession　of　some　terrible　secret；　commissioned　to　forbid



the　progress　of　the　service。　　Nothing　in　the　shape　of　an　event　occurred



nothing　extraordinary；　nothing　dramatic。　　Bound　fast　together　as　man



and　wife；　the　two　disappeared；　followed　by　their　witnesses；　to　sign



the　registers；　and　still　Doctor　Wybrow　waited；　and　still　he　cherished



the　obstinate　hope　that　something　worth　seeing　must　certainly



happen　yet。







The　interval　passed；　and　the　married　couple；　returning　to　the　church；



walked　together　down　the　nave　to　the　door。　　Doctor　Wybrow



drew　back　as　they　approached。　　To　his　confusion　and　surprise；



the　Countess　discovered　him。　　He　heard　her　say　to　her　husband；



'One　moment；　I　see　a　friend。'　　Lord　Montbarry　bowed　and　waited。



She　stepped　up　to　the　Doctor；　took　his　hand；　and　wrung　it　hard。



He　felt　her　overpowering　black　eyes　looking　at　him　through



her　veil。　　'One　step　more；　you　see；　on　the　way　to　the　end！'



She　whispered　those　strange　words；　and　returned　to　her　husband。



Before　the　Doctor　could　recover　himself　and　follow　her；



Lord　and　Lady　Montbarry　had　stepped　into　their　carriage；　and　had



driven　away。







Outside　the　church　door　stood　the　three　or　four　members　of　the　club　who；



like　Doctor　Wybrow；　had　watched　the　ceremony　out　of　curiosity。



Near　them　was　the　bride's　brother；　waiting　alone。　　He　was　evidently　bent



on　seeing　the　man　whom　his　sister　had　spoken　to；　in　broad　daylight。



His　bold　eyes　rested　on　the　Doctor's　face；　with　a　momentary　flash



of　suspicion　in　them。　　The　cloud　suddenly　cleared　away；　the　Baron



smiled　with　charming　courtesy；　lifted　his　hat　to　his　sister's　friend；



and　walked　off。







The　members　constituted　themselves　into　a　club　conclave　on　the



church　steps。　　They　began　with　the　Baron。　　'Damned　ill…looking　rascal！'



They　went　on　with　Montbarry。　　'Is　he　going　to　take　that　horrid



woman　with　him　to　Ireland？'　　'Not　he！　he　can't　face　the　tenantry；



they　know　about　Agnes　Lockwood。'　　'Well；　but　where　is　he　going？'



'To　Scotland。'　　'Does　she　like　that？'　　'It's　only　for　a　fortnight；



they　come　back　to　London；　and　go　abroad。'　　'And　they　will　n