the haunted hotel-第8部分

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I　have　had　to　dispute　such　trifles　as　a　few　centimes　in　the　hotel　bill；



and　twice　already；　some　sharp　remarks　have　passed　between



the　newly…married　couple；　in　consequence　of　her　ladyship's　freedom



in　purchasing　pretty　tempting　things　at　the　shops　in　Paris。



〃I　can't　afford　it；　you　must　keep　to　your　allowance。〃　　She　has　had　to



hear　those　words　already。　　For　my　part；　I　like　her。　　She　has　the　nice；



easy　foreign　mannersshe　talks　to　me　as　if　I　was　a　human　being



like　herself。'







The　second　letter　was　dated　from　Rome。







'My　lord's　caprices'　（Ferrari　wrote）　'have　kept　us　perpetually



on　the　move。　　He　is　becoming　incurably　restless。　　I　suspect　he　is



uneasy　in　his　mind。　　Painful　recollections；　I　should　sayI　find　him



constantly　reading　old　letters；　when　her　ladyship　is　not　present。



We　were　to　have　stopped　at　Genoa；　but　he　hurried　us　on。　　The　same



thing　at　Florence。　　Here；　at　Rome；　my　lady　insists　on　resting。



Her　brother　has　met　us　at　this　place。　　There　has　been　a　quarrel　already



（the　lady's　maid　tells　me）　between　my　lord　and　the　Baron。　　The　latter



wanted　to　borrow　money　of　the　former。　　His　lordship　refused　in　language



which　offended　Baron　Rivar。　　My　lady　pacified　them；　and　made　them



shake　hands。'







The　third；　and　last　letter；　was　from　Venice。







'More　of　my　lord's　economy！　　Instead　of　staying　at　the　hotel；



we　have　hired　a　damp；　mouldy；　rambling　old　palace。　　My　lady　insists



on　having　the　best　suites　of　rooms　wherever　we　goand　the　palace



comes　cheaper　for　a　two　months'　term。　　My　lord　tried　to　get　it



for　longer；　he　says　the　quiet　of　Venice　is　good　for　his　nerves。



But　a　foreign　speculator　has　secured　the　palace；　and　is　going　to　turn



it　into　an　hotel。　　The　Baron　is　still　with　us；　and　there　have　been



more　disagreements　about　money　matters。　　I　don't　like　the　Baron



and　I　don't　find　the　attractions　of　my　lady　grow　on　me。　　She　was　much



nicer　before　the　Baron　joined　us。　　My　lord　is　a　punctual　paymaster；



it's　a　matter　of　honour　with　him；　he　hates　parting　with　his　money；



but　he　does　it　because　he　has　given　his　word。　　I　receive　my　salary



regularly　at　the　end　of　each　monthnot　a　franc　extra；　though　I



have　done　many　things　which　are　not　part　of　a　courier's　proper　work。



Fancy　the　Baron　trying　to　borrow　money　of　me！　he　is　an　inveterate　gambler。



I　didn't　believe　it　when　my　lady's　maid　first　told　me　so



but　I　have　seen　enough　since　to　satisfy　me　that　she　was　right。



I　have　seen　other　things　besides；　whichwell！　which　don't　increase



my　respect　for　my　lady　and　the　Baron。　　The　maid　says　she　means　to　give



warning　to　leave。　　She　is　a　respectable　British　female；　and　doesn't



take　things　quite　so　easily　as　I　do。　　It　is　a　dull　life　here。



No　going　into　companyno　company　at　homenot　a　creature　sees　my　lord



not　even　the　consul；　or　the　banker。　　When　he　goes　out；　he　goes　alone；



and　generally　towards　nightfall。　　Indoors；　he　shuts　himself　up



in　his　own　room　with　his　books；　and　sees　as　little　of　his　wife　and



the　Baron　as　possible。　　I　fancy　things　are　coming　to　a　crisis　here。



If　my　lord's　suspicions　are　once　awakened；　the　consequences　will



be　terrible。　　Under　certain　provocations；　the　noble　Montbarry



is　a　man　who　would　stick　at　nothing。　　However；　the　pay　is　good



and　I　can't　afford　to　talk　of　leaving　the　place；　like　my　lady's



maid。'







Agnes　handed　back　the　lettersso　suggestive　of　the　penalty　paid



already　for　his　own　infatuation　by　the　man　who　had　deserted　her！



with　feelings　of　shame　and　distress；　which　made　her　no　fit　counsellor



for　the　helpless　woman　who　depended　on　her　advice。







'The　one　thing　I　can　suggest；'　she　said；　after　first　speaking　some



kind　words　of　comfort　and　hope；　'is　that　we　should　consult　a　person



of　greater　experience　than　ours。　　Suppose　I　write　and　ask　my　lawyer



（who　is　also　my　friend　and　trustee）　to　come　and　advise　us　to…morrow



after　his　business　hours？'







Emily　eagerly　and　gratefully　accepted　the　suggestion。　　An　hour



was　arranged　for　the　meeting　on　the　next　day；　the　correspondence



was　left　under　the　care　of　Agnes；　and　the　courier's　wife　took　her　leave。







Weary　and　heartsick；　Agnes　lay　down　on　the　sofa；　to　rest　and



compose　herself。　　The　careful　nurse　brought　in　a　reviving　cup　of　tea。



Her　quaint　gossip　about　herself　and　her　occupations　while　Agnes　had



been　away；　acted　as　a　relief　to　her　mistress's　overburdened　mind。



They　were　still　talking　quietly；　when　they　were　startled　by　a　loud



knock　at　the　house　door。　　Hurried　footsteps　ascended　the　stairs。



The　door　of　the　sitting…room　was　thrown　open　violently；



the　courier's　wife　rushed　in　like　a　mad　woman。　　'He's　dead！



They've　murdered　him！'　　Those　wild　words　were　all　she　could　say。



She　dropped　on　her　knees　at　the　foot　of　the　sofaheld　out　her　hand



with　something　clasped　in　itand　fell　back　in　a　swoon。







The　nurse；　signing　to　Agnes　to　open　the　window；　took　the　necessary



measures　to　restore　the　fainting　woman。　　'What's　this？'　she　exclaimed。



'Here's　a　letter　in　her　hand。　　See　what　it　is；　Miss。'







The　open　envelope　was　addressed　（evidently　in　a　feigned　hand…writing）



to　'Mrs。　Ferrari。'　　The　post…mark　was　'Venice。'　　The　contents　of　the



envelope　were　a　sheet　of　foreign　note…paper；　and　a　folded　enclosure。







On　the　note…paper；　one　line　only　was　written。　　It　was　again



in　a　feigned　handwriting；　and　it　contained　these　words：







'To　console　you　for　the　loss　of　your　husband'







Agnes　opened　the　enclosure　next。







It　was　a　Bank　of　England　note　for　a　thousand　pounds。































CHAPTER　VI











The　next　day；　the　friend　and　legal　adviser　of　Agnes　Lockwood；



Mr。　Troy；　called　on　her　by　appointment　in　the　evening。







Mrs。　Ferraristill　persisting　in　the　conviction　of　her　husband's　death



had　sufficiently　recovered　to　be　present　at　the　consultation。



Assisted　by　Agnes；　she　told　the　lawyer　the　little　that　was



known　relating　to　Ferrari's　disappearance；　and　then　produced



the　correspondence　connected　with　that　event。　　Mr。　Troy　read



（first）　the　three　letters　addressed　by　Ferrari　to　his　wife；



（secondly）　the　letter　written　by　Ferrari's　courier…friend；



describing　his　visit　to　the　palace　and　his　interview　with



Lady　Montbarry；　and　（thirdly）　the　one　line　of　anonymous　writing



which　had　accompanied　the　extraordinary　gift　of　a　thousand　pounds



to　Ferrari's　wife。







Well　known；　at　a　later　period；　as　the　lawyer　who　acted　for　Lady　Lydiard；



in　the　case　of　theft；　generally　described　as　the　case　of　'My　Lady's　Money；'



Mr。　Troy　was　not　only　a　man　of　learning　and　experience　in　his　profession



he　was　also　a　man　who　had　seen　something　of　society　at　home　and　abroad。



He　possessed　a　keen　eye　for　character；　a　quaint　humour；　and　a　kindly



nature　which　had　not　been　deteriorated　even　by　a　lawyer's　professional



experience　of　mankind。　　With　all　these　personal　advantages；　it　is



a　question；　nevertheless；　whether　he　was　the　fittest　adviser　whom



Agnes　could　have　chosen　under　the　circumstances。　　Little　Mrs。　Ferrari；



with　many　domestic　merits；　was　an　essentially　commonplace　woman。



Mr。　Troy　was　the　last　person　living　who　was　likely　to　attract



her　sympathieshe　was　the　exact　opposite　of　a　commonplace　man。







'She　looks　very　ill；　poor　thing！'　　In　these　words　the　lawyer



opened　the　business　of　the　evening；　referring　to　Mrs。　Ferrari



as　unceremoniously　as　if　she　had　been　out　of　the　room。







'She　has　suffered　a　terrible　shock；'　Agnes　answered。







Mr。　Troy　turned　to　Mrs。　Ferrari；　and　looked　at　her　again；



with　the　interest　due　to　the　victim　of　a　shock。　　He　drummed　absently



with　his　fingers　on　the　table。　　At　last　he　spoke　to　her。







'My　good　lady；　you　don't　really　believe　that　your　husband　is　dead？'







Mrs。　Ferrari　put　her　handkerchief　to　her　eyes。　　The　word　'dead'　was



ineffectual　to　express　her　feelings。　　'Murdered！'　she　said　sternly；



behind　her　handkerchief。







'Why？　　And　by　whom？'　　Mr。　Troy　asked。







Mrs。　Ferrari　seemed　to　have　some　difficulty　in　answering。



'You　have　read　my　husband's　letters；　sir；'　she　began。　　'I　believe



he　discovered'　She　got　as　far　as　that；　and　there　she　stopped。







'What　did　he　discover？'







There　are　limits　to　human　patienceeven　the　patience　of　a　bereaved　wife。



This　cool　question　irritated　Mrs。　Ferrari　into　expressing　herself



plainly　at　last。







'He　discovered　Lady　Montbarry　and　the　Baron！'　she　answered；



with　a　burst　of　hysterical　vehemence。　　'The　Baron　is　no　more



that　vile　woman's　brother　than　I　am。　　The　wickedness　of　those　two



wretches　came　to　my　poor　dear　husband's　knowledge。　　The　lady's　maid



left　her　place　on　account　of　it。　　If　Ferrari　had　gone　away　too；



he　would　have　been　alive　at　this　moment。　　They　have　killed　him。



I　say　they　have　killed　him；　to　prevent　it　from　getting　to　Lord



Montbarry's　ears。'　　So；　in　short　sharp　sentences；　and　in　louder



and　louder　accents；　Mrs。　Ferrari　stated　her　opinion　of　the　case。







Still　keeping　his　own　view　in　reserve；　Mr。　Troy　listened



with　an　expression　of　satirical　approval。







'Very　strongly　stated；　Mrs。　Ferrari；'　he　said。　　'You　build　up　your



sentences　well；　you　clinch　your　conclusions　in　a　workmanlike　manner。



If　you　had　been　a　man；　you　would　have　made　a　good　lawyer



you　would　have　taken　juries　by　the　scruff　of　their　necks。



Complete　the　case；　my　good　ladycomplete　the　case。



Tell　us　next　who　sent　you　this　letter；　enclosing　the　bank…note。



Th