the haunted hotel-第7部分

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on　their　way　to　Italy。







Mrs。　Ferrari；　calling　the　same　evening；　informed　Agnes　that　her　husband



had　left　her　with　all　reasonable　expression　of　conjugal　kindness；



his　temper　being　improved　by　the　prospect　of　going　abroad。



But　one　other　servant　accompanied　the　travellersLady　Montbarry's　maid；



rather　a　silent；　unsociable　woman；　so　far　as　Emily　had　heard。



Her　ladyship's　brother；　Baron　Rivar；　was　already　on　the　Continent。



It　had　been　arranged　that　he　was　to　meet　his　sister　and　her　husband



at　Rome。







One　by　one　the　dull　weeks　succeeded　each　other　in　the　life　of　Agnes。



She　faced　her　position　with　admirable　courage；　seeing　her　friends；



keeping　herself　occupied　in　her　leisure　hours　with　reading　and　drawing；



leaving　no　means　untried　of　diverting　her　mind　from　the　melancholy



remembrance　of　the　past。　　But　she　had　loved　too　faithfully；



she　had　been　wounded　too　deeply；　to　feel　in　any　adequate　degree



the　influence　of　the　moral　remedies　which　she　employed。



Persons　who　met　with　her　in　the　ordinary　relations　of　life；



deceived　by　her　outward　serenity　of　manner；　agreed　that　'Miss



Lockwood　seemed　to　be　getting　over　her　disappointment。'



But　an　old　friend　and　school　companion　who　happened　to　see　her　during



a　brief　visit　to　London；　was　inexpressibly　distressed　by　the　change



that　she　detected　in　Agnes。　　This　lady　was　Mrs。　Westwick；　the　wife



of　that　brother　of　Lord　Montbarry　who　came　next　to　him　in　age；



and　who　was　described　in　the　'Peerage'　as　presumptive　heir　to　the　title。



He　was　then　away；　looking　after　his　interests　in　some　mining　property



which　he　possessed　in　America。　　Mrs。　Westwick　insisted　on　taking　Agnes



back　with　her　to　her　home　in　Ireland。　　'Come　and　keep　me　company



while　my　husband　is　away。　　My　three　little　girls　will　make　you



their　playfellow；　and　the　only　stranger　you　will　meet　is　the　governess；



whom　I　answer　for　your　liking　beforehand。　　Pack　up　your　things；



and　I　will　call　for　you　to…morrow　on　my　way　to　the　train。'



In　those　hearty　terms　the　invitation　was　given。　　Agnes　thankfully



accepted　it。　　For　three　happy　months　she　lived　under　the　roof



of　her　friend。　　The　girls　hung　round　her　in　tears　at　her　departure；



the　youngest　of　them　wanted　to　go　back　with　Agnes　to　London。



Half　in　jest；　half　in　earnest；　she　said　to　her　old　friend　at　parting；



'If　your　governess　leaves　you；　keep　the　place　open　for　me。'



Mrs。　Westwick　laughed。　　The　wiser　children　took　it　seriously；



and　promised　to　let　Agnes　know。















On　the　very　day　when　Miss　Lockwood　returned　to　London；　she　was　recalled



to　those　associations　with　the　past　which　she　was　most　anxious　to　forget。



After　the　first　kissings　and　greetings　were　over；　the　old　nurse



（who　had　been　left　in　charge　at　the　lodgings）　had　some　startling



information　to　communicate；　derived　from　the　courier's　wife。







'Here　has　been　little　Mrs。　Ferrari；　my　dear；　in　a　dreadful　state



of　mind；　inquiring　when　you　would　be　back。　　Her　husband　has　left



Lord　Montbarry；　without　a　word　of　warningand　nobody　knows　what　has



become　of　him。'







Agnes　looked　at　her　in　astonishment。　　'Are　you　sure　of　what　you



are　saying？'　she　asked。







The　nurse　was　quite　sure。　　'Why；　Lord　bless　you！　the　news　comes



from　the　couriers'　office　in　Golden　Squarefrom　the　secretary；



Miss　Agnes；　the　secretary　himself！'　　Hearing　this；　Agnes　began　to　feel



alarmed　as　well　as　surprised。　　It　was　still　early　in　the　evening。



She　at　once　sent　a　message　to　Mrs。　Ferrari；　to　say　that　she



had　returned。







In　an　hour　more　the　courier's　wife　appeared；　in　a　state　of　agitation



which　it　was　not　easy　to　control。　　Her　narrative；　when　she　was　at　last



able　to　speak　connectedly；　entirely　confirmed　the　nurse's　report　of　it。







After　hearing　from　her　husband　with　tolerable　regularity　from　Paris；



Rome；　and　Venice；　Emily　had　twice　written　to　him　afterwards



and　had　received　no　reply。　　Feeling　uneasy；　she　had　gone　to　the　office



in　Golden　Square；　to　inquire　if　he　had　been　heard　of　there。



The　post　of　the　morning　had　brought　a　letter　to　the　secretary　from



a　courier　then　at　Venice。　　It　contained　startling　news　of　Ferrari。



His　wife　had　been　allowed　to　take　a　copy　of　it；　which　she　now　handed　to



Agnes　to　read。







The　writer　stated　that　he　had　recently　arrived　in　Venice。



He　had　previously　heard　that　Ferrari　was　with　Lord　and　Lady　Montbarry；



at　one　of　the　old　Venetian　palaces　which　they　had　hired　for　a　term。



Being　a　friend　of　Ferrari；　he　had　gone　to　pay　him　a　visit。



Ringing　at　the　door　that　opened　on　the　canal；　and　failing　to　make



anyone　hear　him；　he　had　gone　round　to　a　side　entrance　opening



on　one　of　the　narrow　lanes　of　Venice。　　Here；　standing　at　the　door



（as　if　she　was　waiting　for　him　to　try　that　way　next）；　he　found　a　pale



woman　with　magnificent　dark　eyes；　who　proved　to　be　no　other　than　Lady



Montbarry　herself。







She　asked；　in　Italian；　what　he　wanted。　　He　answered　that　he　wanted



to　see　the　courier　Ferrari；　if　it　was　quite　convenient。



She　at　once　informed　him　that　Ferrari　had　left　the　palace；



without　assigning　any　reason；　and　without　even　leaving　an　address　at



which　his　monthly　salary　（then　due　to　him）　could　be　paid。　　Amazed　at



this　reply；　the　courier　inquired　if　any　person　had　offended　Ferrari；



or　quarrelled　with　him。　　The　lady　answered；　'To　my　knowledge；



certainly　not。　　I　am　Lady　Montbarry；　and　I　can　positively　assure　you



that　Ferrari　was　treated　with　the　greatest　kindness　in　this　house。



We　are　as　much　astonished　as　you　are　at　his　extraordinary　disappearance。



If　you　should　hear　of　him；　pray　let　us　know；　so　that　we　may　at　least



pay　him　the　money　which　is　due。'







After　one　or　two　more　questions　（quite　readily　answered）　relating　to



the　date　and　the　time　of　day　at　which　Ferrari　had　left　the　palace；



the　courier　took　his　leave。







He　at　once　entered　on　the　necessary　investigationswithout　the　slightest



result　so　far　as　Ferrari　was　concerned。　　Nobody　had　seen　him。



Nobody　appeared　to　have　been　taken　into　his　confidence。



Nobody　knew　anything　（that　is　to　say；　anything　of　the　slightest　importance）



even　about　persons　so　distinguished　as　Lord　and　Lady　Montbarry。



It　was　reported　that　her　ladyship's　English　maid　had　left　her；



before　the　disappearance　of　Ferrari；　to　return　to　her　relatives　in　her



own　country；　and　that　Lady　Montbarry　had　taken　no　steps　to　supply



her　place。　　His　lordship　was　described　as　being　in　delicate　health。



He　lived　in　the　strictest　retirementnobody　was　admitted　to　him；



not　even　his　own　countrymen。　　A　stupid　old　woman　was　discovered



who　did　the　housework　at　the　palace；　arriving　in　the　morning　and



going　away　again　at　night。　　She　had　never　seen　the　lost　courier



she　had　never　even　seen　Lord　Montbarry；　who　was　then　confined



to　his　room。　　Her　ladyship；　'a　most　gracious　and　adorable　mistress；'



was　in　constant　attendance　on　her　noble　husband。　　There　was　no



other　servant　then　in　the　house　（so　far　as　the　old　woman　knew）



but　herself。　　The　meals　were　sent　in　from　a　restaurant。　　My　lord；



it　was　said；　disliked　strangers。　　My　lord's　brother…in…law；　the　Baron；



was　generally　shut　up　in　a　remote　part　of　the　palace；　occupied



（the　gracious　mistress　said）　with　experiments　in　chemistry。



The　experiments　sometimes　made　a　nasty　smell。　　A　doctor　had　latterly　been



called　in　to　his　lordshipan　Italian　doctor；　long　resident　in　Venice。



Inquiries　being　addressed　to　this　gentleman　（a　physician　of　undoubted



capacity　and　respectability）；　it　turned　out　that　he　also　had　never



seen　Ferrari；　having　been　summoned　to　the　palace　（as　his　memorandum



book　showed）　at　a　date　subsequent　to　the　courier's　disappearance。



The　doctor　described　Lord　Montbarry's　malady　as　bronchitis。



So　far；　there　was　no　reason　to　feel　any　anxiety；　though　the



attack　was　a　sharp　one。　　If　alarming　symptoms　should　appear；



he　had　arranged　with　her　ladyship　to　call　in　another　physician。



For　the　rest；　it　was　impossible　to　speak　too　highly　of　my　lady；



night　and　day；　she　was　at　her　lord's　bedside。







With　these　particulars　began　and　ended　the　discoveries　made　by　Ferrari's



courier…friend。　The　police　were　on　the　look…out　for　the　lost　man



and　that　was　the　only　hope　which　could　be　held　forth　for　the　present；



to　Ferrari's　wife。







'What　do　you　think　of　it；　Miss？'　the　poor　woman　asked　eagerly。



'What　would　you　advise　me　to　do？'







Agnes　was　at　a　loss　how　to　answer　her；　it　was　an　effort　even　to



listen　to　what　Emily　was　saying。　　The　references　in　the　courier's



letter　to　Montbarrythe　report　of　his　illness；　the　melancholy



picture　of　his　secluded　lifehad　reopened　the　old　wound。



She　was　not　even　thinking　of　the　lost　Ferrari；　her　mind　was　at　Venice；



by　the　sick　man's　bedside。







'I　hardly　know　what　to　say；'　she　answered。　　'I　have　had　no　experience



in　serious　matters　of　this　kind。'







'Do　you　think　it　would　help　you；　Miss；　if　you　read　my　husband's



letters　to　me？　　There　are　only　three　of　themthey　won't　take　long



to　read。'







Agnes　compassionately　read　the　letters。







They　were　not　written　in　a　very　tender　tone。　　'Dear　Emily；'



and　'Yours　affectionately'these　conventional　phrases；



were　the　only　phrases　of　endearment　which　they　contained。



In　the　first　letter；　Lord　Montbarry　was　not　very　favourably　spoken



of：'We　leave　Paris　to…morrow。　I　don't　much　like　my　lord。



He　is　proud　and　cold；　and；　between　ourselves；　stingy　in　money　matters。



I　have　had　to　dispute　such　trifles　as　a　few　c