the haunted hotel-第6部分

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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　distressed　to　speak。　　He　lifted　her　hand　to　his　lips；



kissed　it　fervently；　and；　without　looking　at　her　again；　left　the　room。



The　nurse　hobbled　after　him　to　the　head　of　the　stairs：　　she　had　not



forgotten　the　time　when　the　younger　brother　had　been　the　unsuccessful



rival　of　the　elder　for　the　hand　of　Agnes。　　'Don't　be　down…hearted；



Master　Henry；'　whispered　the　old　woman；　with　the　unscrupulous　common



sense　of　persons　in　the　lower　rank　of　life。　　'Try　her　again；　when　you



come　back！'







Left　alone　for　a　few　moments；　Agnes　took　a　turn　in　the　room；



trying　to　compose　herself。　　She　paused　before　a　little　water…colour



drawing　on　the　wall；　which　had　belonged　to　her　mother：　　it　was　her



own　portrait　when　she　was　a　child。　　'How　much　happier　we　should　be；'



she　thought　to　herself　sadly；　'if　we　never　grew　up！'







The　courier's　wife　was　shown　ina　little　meek　melancholy　woman；



with　white　eyelashes；　and　watery　eyes；　who　curtseyed　deferentially



and　was　troubled　with　a　small　chronic　cough。　　Agnes　shook　hands



with　her　kindly。　　'Well；　Emily；　what　can　I　do　for　you？'







The　courier's　wife　made　rather　a　strange　answer：　　'I'm　afraid



to　tell　you；　Miss。'







'Is　it　such　a　very　difficult　favour　to　grant？　　Sit　down；　and　let



me　hear　how　you　are　going　on。　　Perhaps　the　petition　will　slip



out　while　we　are　talking。　　How　does　your　husband　behave　to　you？'







Emily's　light　grey　eyes　looked　more　watery　than　ever。



She　shook　her　head　and　sighed　resignedly。　　'I　have　no　positive



complaint　to　make　against　him；　Miss。　But　I'm　afraid　he　doesn't



care　about　me；　and　he　seems　to　take　no　interest　in　his　home



I　may　almost　say　he's　tired　of　his　home。　　It　might　be　better



for　both　of　us；　Miss；　if　he　went　travelling　for　a　while



not　to　mention　the　money；　which　is　beginning　to　be　wanted　sadly。'



She　put　her　handkerchief　to　her　eyes；　and　sighed　again　more　resignedly



than　ever。







'I　don't　quite　understand；'　said　Agnes。　　'I　thought　your　husband



had　an　engagement　to　take　some　ladies　to　Switzerland　and　Italy？'







'That　was　his　ill…luck；　Miss。　One　of　the　ladies　fell　ill



and　the　others　wouldn't　go　without　her。　　They　paid　him　a　month's　salary



as　compensation。　　But　they　had　engaged　him　for　the　autumn　and　winter



and　the　loss　is　serious。'







'I　am　sorry　to　hear　it；　Emily。　　Let　us　hope　he　will　soon　have



another　chance。'







'It's　not　his　turn；　Miss；　to　be　recommended　when　the　next　applications



come　to　the　couriers'　office。　　You　see；　there　are　so　many　of　them



out　of　employment　just　now。　　If　he　could　be　privately　recommended'



She　stopped；　and　left　the　unfinished　sentence　to　speak　for　itself。







Agnes　understood　her　directly。　　'You　want　my　recommendation；'



she　rejoined。　　'Why　couldn't　you　say　so　at　once？'







Emily　blushed。　　'It　would　be　such　a　chance　for　my　husband；'



she　answered　confusedly。　　'A　letter；　inquiring　for　a　good　courier



（a　six　months'　engagement；　Miss！）　came　to　the　office　this　morning。



It's　another　man's　turn　to　be　chosenand　the　secretary　will



recommend　him。　　If　my　husband　could　only　send　his　testimonials　by　the



same　postwith　just　a　word　in　your　name；　Missit　might　turn　the　scale；



as　they　say。　　A　private　recommendation　between　gentlefolks　goes　so　far。'



She　stopped　again；　and　sighed　again；　and　looked　down　at　the　carpet；



as　if　she　had　some　private　reason　for　feeling　a　little　ashamed



of　herself。







Agnes　began　to　be　rather　weary　of　the　persistent　tone　of　mystery



in　which　her　visitor　spoke。　　'If　you　want　my　interest　with　any



friend　of　mine；'　she　said；　'why　can't　you　tell　me　the　name？'







The　courier's　wife　began　to　cry。　　'I'm　ashamed　to　tell　you；　Miss。'







For　the　first　time；　Agnes　spoke　sharply。　　'Nonsense；　Emily！



Tell　me　the　name　directlyor　drop　the　subjectwhichever　you



like　best。'







Emily　made　a　last　desperate　effort。　　She　wrung　her　handkerchief



hard　in　her　lap；　and　let　off　the　name　as　if　she　had　been　letting



off　a　loaded　gun：'Lord　Montbarry！'







Agnes　rose　and　looked　at　her。







'You　have　disappointed　me；'　she　said　very　quietly；　but　with　a　look



which　the　courier's　wife　had　never　seen　in　her　face　before。



'Knowing　what　you　know；　you　ought　to　be　aware　that　it　is　impossible



for　me　to　communicate　with　Lord　Montbarry。　　I　always　supposed　you



had　some　delicacy　of　feeling。　　I　am　sorry　to　find　that　I　have



been　mistaken。'







Weak　as　she　was；　Emily　had　spirit　enough　to　feel　the　reproof。



She　walked　in　her　meek　noiseless　way　to　the　door。　　'I　beg　your　pardon；



Miss。　I　am　not　quite　so　bad　as　you　think　me。　　But　I　beg　your　pardon；



all　the　same。'







She　opened　the　door。　　Agnes　called　her　back。　　There　was　something



in　the　woman's　apology　that　appealed　irresistibly　to　her　just　and



generous　nature。　　'Come；'　she　said；　'we　must　not　part　in　this　way。



Let　me　not　misunderstand　you。　　What　is　it　that　you　expected　me



to　do？'







Emily　was　wise　enough　to　answer　this　time　without　any　reserve。



'My　husband　will　send　his　testimonials；　Miss；　to　Lord　Montbarry



in　Scotland。　　I　only　wanted　you　to　let　him　say　in　his　letter



that　his　wife　has　been　known　to　you　since　she　was　a　child；



and　that　you　feel　some　little　interest　in　his　welfare　on　that　account。



I　don't　ask　it　now；　Miss。　You　have　made　me　understand　that　I



was　wrong。'







Had　she　really　been　wrong？　　Past　remembrances；　as　well　as　present



troubles；　pleaded　powerfully　with　Agnes　for　the　courier's　wife。



'It　seems　only　a　small　favour　to　ask；'　she　said；　speaking　under



the　impulse　of　kindness　which　was　the　strongest　impulse　in　her　nature。



'But　I　am　not　sure　that　I　ought　to　allow　my　name　to　be　mentioned　in　your



husband's　letter。　　Let　me　hear　again　exactly　what　he　wishes　to　say。'



Emily　repeated　the　wordsand　then　offered　one　of　those　suggestions；



which　have　a　special　value　of　their　own　to　persons　unaccustomed　to　the　use



of　their　pens。　　'Suppose　you　try；　Miss；　how　it　looks　in　writing？'



Childish　as　the　idea　was；　Agnes　tried　the　experiment。　　'If　I　let　you



mention　me；'　she　said；　'we　must　at　least　decide　what　you　are　to　say。'



She　wrote　the　words　in　the　briefest　and　plainest　form：'I　venture　to　state



that　my　wife　has　been　known　from　her　childhood　to　Miss　Agnes　Lockwood；



who　feels　some　little　interest　in　my　welfare　on　that　account。'



Reduced　to　this　one　sentence；　there　was　surely　nothing　in　the　reference



to　her　name　which　implied　that　Agnes　had　permitted　it；　or　that　she



was　even　aware　of　it。　　After　a　last　struggle　with　herself；　she　handed



the　written　paper　to　Emily。　　'Your　husband　must　copy　it　exactly；



without　altering　anything；'　she　stipulated。　　'On　that　condition；



I　grant　your　request。'　　Emily　was　not　only　thankfulshe　was



really　touched。　　Agnes　hurried　the　little　woman　out　of　the　room。



'Don't　give　me　time　to　repent　and　take　it　back　again；'　she　said。



Emily　vanished。







'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？'　　Agnes　looked　at　the　clock　on　the　mantel…piece。



Not　ten　minutes　since；　those　serious　questions　had　been　on　her　lips。



It　almost　shocked　her　to　think　of　the　common…place　manner　in



which　they　had　already　met　with　their　reply。　　The　mail　of　that



night　would　appeal　once　more　to　Montbarry's　remembrance　of　her



in　the　choice　of　a　servant。







Two　days　later；　the　post　brought　a　few　grateful　lines　from　Emily。



Her　husband　had　got　the　place。　　Ferrari　was　engaged；　for　six



months　certain；　as　Lord　Montbarry's　courier。































THE　SECOND　PART























CHAPTER　V











After　only　one　week　of　travelling　in　Scotland；　my　lord　and　my　lady



returned　unexpectedly　to　London。　　Introduced　to　the　mountains　and



lakes　of　the　Highlands；　her　ladyship　positively　declined　to　improve



her　acquaintance　with　them。　　When　she　was　asked　for　her　reason；



she　answered　with　a　Roman　brevity；　'I　have　seen　Switzerland。'







For　a　week　more；　the　newly…married　couple　remained　in　London；



in　the　strictest　retirement。　　On　one　day　in　that　week　the　nurse



returned　in　a　state　of　most　uncustomary　excitement　from　an　errand　on



which　Agnes　had　sent　her。　　Passing　the　door　of　a　fashionable　dentist；



she　had　met　Lord　Montbarry　himself　just　leaving　the　house。



The　good　woman's　report　described　him；　with　malicious　pleasure；



as　looking　wretchedly　ill。　　'His　cheeks　are　getting　hollow；



my　dear；　and　his　beard　is　turning　grey。　　I　hope　the　dentist



hurt　him！'







Knowing　how　heartily　her　faithful　old　servant　hated　the　man　who



had　deserted　her；　Agnes　made　due　allowance　for　a　large　infusion



of　exaggeration　in　the　picture　presented　to　her。　　The　main　impression



produced　on　her　mind　was　an　impression　of　nervous　uneasiness。



If　she　trusted　herself　in　the　streets　by　daylight　while　Lord



Montbarry　remained　in　London；　how　could　she　be　sure　that　his　next



chance…meeting　might　not　be　a　meeting　with　herself？　　She　waited　at　home；



privately　ashamed　of　her　own　undignified　conduct；　for　the　next　two　days。



On　the　third　day　the　fashionable　intelligence　of　the　newspapers



announced　the　departure　of　Lord　and　Lady　Montbarry　for　Paris；



on　their　way　to　Italy。







Mrs。　Ferrari；　calling　the　same　evening；　informed　Agnes　t