the haunted hotel-第5部分

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they　come　back　to　London；　and　go　abroad。'　　'And　they　will　never　return



to　England；　eh？'　　'Who　can　tell？　　Did　you　see　how　she　looked　at　Montbarry；



when　she　had　to　lift　her　veil　at　the　beginning　of　the　service？



In　his　place；　I　should　have　bolted。　　Did　you　see　her；　Doctor？'



By　this　time；　Doctor　Wybrow　had　remembered　his　patients；　and　had　heard



enough　of　the　club　gossip。　　He　followed　the　example　of　Baron　Rivar；



and　walked　off。







'One　step　more；　you　see；　on　the　way　to　the　end；'　he　repeated　to　himself；



on　his　way　home。　　'What　end？'























CHAPTER　IV











On　the　day　of　the　marriage　Agnes　Lockwood　sat　alone　in　the　little



drawing…room　of　her　London　lodgings；　burning　the　letters　which　had



been　written　to　her　by　Montbarry　in　the　bygone　time。







The　Countess's　maliciously　smart　description　of　her；



addressed　to　Doctor　Wybrow；　had　not　even　hinted　at　the　charm



that　most　distinguished　Agnesthe　artless　expression　of　goodness



and　purity　which　instantly　attracted　everyone　who　approached　her。



She　looked　by　many　years　younger　than　she　really　was。　　With　her　fair



complexion　and　her　shy　manner；　it　seemed　only　natural　to　speak　of　her



as　'a　girl；'　although　she　was　now　really　advancing　towards　thirty



years　of　age。　　She　lived　alone　with　an　old　nurse　devoted　to　her；



on　a　modest　little　income　which　was　just　enough　to　support　the　two。



There　were　none　of　the　ordinary　signs　of　grief　in　her　face；



as　she　slowly　tore　the　letters　of　her　false　lover　in　two；　and　threw



the　pieces　into　the　small　fire　which　had　been　lit　to　consume　them。



Unhappily　for　herself；　she　was　one　of　those　women　who　feel　too　deeply



to　find　relief　in　tears。　　Pale　and　quiet；　with　cold　trembling　fingers；



she　destroyed　the　letters　one　by　one　without　daring　to　read　them　again。



She　had　torn　the　last　of　the　series；　and　was　still　shrinking



from　throwing　it　after　the　rest　into　the　swiftly　destroying　flame；



when　the　old　nurse　came　in；　and　asked　if　she　would　see　'Master　Henry；'



meaning　that　youngest　member　of　the　Westwick　family；　who　had　publicly



declared　his　contempt　for　his　brother　in　the　smoking…room　of



the　club。







Agnes　hesitated。　　A　faint　tinge　of　colour　stole　over　her　face。







There　had　been　a　long　past　time　when　Henry　Westwick　had　owned



that　he　loved　her。　　She　had　made　her　confession　to　him；



acknowledging　that　her　heart　was　given　to　his　eldest　brother。



He　had　submitted　to　his　disappointment；　and　they　had　met



thenceforth　as　cousins　and　friends。　　Never　before　had　she



associated　the　idea　of　him　with　embarrassing　recollections。



But　now；　on　the　very　day　when　his　brother's　marriage　to　another



woman　had　consummated　his　brother's　treason　towards　her；　there　was



something　vaguely　repellent　in　the　prospect　of　seeing　him。



The　old　nurse　（who　remembered　them　both　in　their　cradles）



observed　her　hesitation；　and　sympathising　of　course　with　the　man；



put　in　a　timely　word　for　Henry。　　'He　says；　he's　going　away；　my　dear；



and　he　only　wants　to　shake　hands；　and　say　good…bye。'　This　plain



statement　of　the　case　had　its　effect。　　Agnes　decided　on　receiving



her　cousin。







He　entered　the　room　so　rapidly　that　he　surprised　her　in　the　act



of　throwing　the　fragments　of　Montbarry's　last　letter　into　the　fire。



She　hurriedly　spoke　first。







'You　are　leaving　London　very　suddenly；　Henry。　　Is　it　business？



or　pleasure？'







Instead　of　answering　her；　he　pointed　to　the　flaming　letter；



and　to　some　black　ashes　of　burnt　paper　lying　lightly　in　the　lower



part　of　the　fireplace。







'Are　you　burning　letters？'







'Yes。'







'His　letters？'







'Yes。'







He　took　her　hand　gently。　　'I　had　no　idea　I　was　intruding　on　you；



at　a　time　when　you　must　wish　to　be　alone。　　Forgive　me；　AgnesI　shall



see　you　when　I　return。'







She　signed　to　him；　with　a　faint　smile；　to　take　a　chair。







'We　have　known　one　another　since　we　were　children；'　she　said。



'Why　should　I　feel　a　foolish　pride　about　myself　in　your　presence？　why



should　I　have　any　secrets　from　you？　　I　sent　back　all　your　brother's



gifts　to　me　some　time　ago。　　I　have　been　advised　to　do　more；　to　keep



nothing　that　can　remind　me　of　himin　short；　to　burn　his　letters。



I　have　taken　the　advice；　but　I　own　I　shrank　a　little　from　destroying



the　last　of　the　letters。　　Nonot　because　it　was　the　last；



but　because　it　had　this　in　it。'　　She　opened　her　hand；　and　showed



him　a　lock　of　Montbarry's　hair；　tied　with　a　morsel　of　golden　cord。



'Well！　well！　let　it　go　with　the　rest。'







She　dropped　it　into　the　flame。　　For　a　while；　she　stood　with　her　back



to　Henry；　leaning　on　the　mantel…piece；　and　looking　into　the　fire。



He　took　the　chair　to　which　she　had　pointed；　with　a　strange



contradiction　of　expression　in　his　face：　　the　tears　were　in　his　eyes；



while　the　brows　above　were　knit　close　in　an　angry　frown。



He　muttered　to　himself；　'Damn　him！'







She　rallied　her　courage；　and　looked　at　him　again　when　she　spoke。



'Well；　Henry；　and　why　are　you　going　away？'







'I　am　out　of　spirits；　Agnes；　and　I　want　a　change。'







She　paused　before　she　spoke　again。　　His　face　told　her　plainly



that　he　was　thinking　of　her　when　he　made　that　reply。　　She　was



grateful　to　him；　but　her　mind　was　not　with　him：　　her　mind　was　still



with　the　man　who　had　deserted　her。　　She　turned　round　again　to　the　fire。







'Is　it　true；'　she　asked；　after　a　long　silence；　'that　they　have　been



married　to…day？'







He　answered　ungraciously　in　the　one　necessary　word：'Yes。'







'Did　you　go　to　the　church？'







He　resented　the　question　with　an　expression　of　indignant　surprise。



'Go　to　the　church？'　he　repeated。　　'I　would　as　soon　go　to'



He　checked　himself　there。　　'How　can　you　ask？'　he　added　in　lower　tones。



'I　have　never　spoken　to　Montbarry；　I　have　not　even　seen　him；



since　he　treated　you　like　the　scoundrel　and　the　fool　that



he　is。'







She　looked　at　him　suddenly；　without　saying　a　word。



He　understood　her；　and　begged　her　pardon。　　But　he　was　still　angry。



'The　reckoning　comes　to　some　men；'　he　said；　'even　in　this　world。



He　will　live　to　rue　the　day　when　he　married　that　woman！'







Agnes　took　a　chair　by　his　side；　and　looked　at　him　with　a　gentle　surprise。







'Is　it　quite　reasonable　to　be　so　angry　with　her；　because　your



brother　preferred　her　to　me？'　she　asked。







Henry　turned　on　her　sharply。　　'Do　you　defend　the　Countess；



of　all　the　people　in　the　world？'







'Why　not？'　　Agnes　answered。　　'I　know　nothing　against　her。



On　the　only　occasion　when　we　met；　she　appeared　to　be　a　singularly　timid；



nervous　person；　looking　dreadfully　ill；　and　being　indeed　so　ill　that　she



fainted　under　the　heat　of　my　room。　　Why　should　we　not　do　her　justice？



We　know　that　she　was　innocent　of　any　intention　to　wrong　me；　we　know



that　she　was　not　aware　of　my　engagement'







Henry　lifted　his　hand　impatiently；　and　stopped　her。



'There　is　such　a　thing　as　being　too　just　and　too　forgiving！'



he　interposed。　　'I　can't　bear　to　hear　you　talk　in　that　patient　way；



after　the　scandalously　cruel　manner　in　which　you　have　been　treated。



Try　to　forget　them　both；　Agnes。　　I　wish　to　God　I　could　help　you　to



do　it！'







Agnes　laid　her　hand　on　his　arm。　　'You　are　very　good　to　me；　Henry；



but　you　don't　quite　understand　me。　　I　was　thinking　of　myself



and　my　trouble　in　quite　a　different　way；　when　you　came　in。



I　was　wondering　whether　anything　which　has　so　entirely　filled　my　heart；



and　so　absorbed　all　that　is　best　and　truest　in　me；　as　my　feeling



for　your　brother；　can　really　pass　away　as　if　it　had　never　existed。



I　have　destroyed　the　last　visible　things　that　remind　me　of　him。



In　this　world　I　shall　see　him　no　more。　　But　is　the　tie　that　once　bound　us；



completely　broken？　　Am　I　as　entirely　parted　from　the　good　and　evil



fortune　of　his　life　as　if　we　had　never　met　and　never　loved？　　What　do



you　think；　Henry？　　I　can　hardly　believe　it。'







'If　you　could　bring　the　retribution　on　him　that　he　has　deserved；'



Henry　Westwick　answered　sternly；　'I　might　be　inclined　to　agree



with　you。'







As　that　reply　passed　his　lips；　the　old　nurse　appeared　again　at　the　door；



announcing　another　visitor。







'I'm　sorry　to　disturb　you；　my　dear。　　But　here　is　little　Mrs。　Ferrari



wanting　to　know　when　she　may　say　a　few　words　to　you。'







Agnes　turned　to　Henry；　before　she　replied。　　'You　remember



Emily　Bidwell；　my　favourite　pupil　years　ago　at　the　village　school；



and　afterwards　my　maid？　　She　left　me；　to　marry　an　Italian　courier；



named　Ferrariand　I　am　afraid　it　has　not　turned　out　very　well。



Do　you　mind　my　having　her　in　here　for　a　minute　or　two？'







Henry　rose　to　take　his　leave。　　'I　should　be　glad　to　see　Emily　again



at　any　other　time；'　he　said。　　'But　it　is　best　that　I　should　go　now。



My　mind　is　disturbed；　Agnes；　I　might　say　things　to　you；　if　I



stayed　here　any　longer；　whichwhich　are　better　not　said　now。



I　shall　cross　the　Channel　by　the　mail　to…night；　and　see



how　a　few　weeks'　change　will　help　me。'　　He　took　her　hand。



'Is　there　anything　in　the　world　that　I　can　do　for　you？'　he　asked



very　earnestly。　　She　thanked　him；　and　tried　to　release　her　hand。



He　held　it　with　a　tremulous　lingering　grasp。　　'God　bless　you；　Agnes！'



he　said　in　faltering　tones；　with　his　eyes　on　the　ground。



Her　face　flushed　again；　and　the　next　instant　turned　paler



than　ever；　she　knew　his　heart　as　well　as　he　knew　it　himself



she　was　too　distre