the haunted hotel-第9部分

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Complete　the　case；　my　good　ladycomplete　the　case。



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



The　〃two　wretches〃　who　murdered　Mr。　Ferrari　would　hardly　put



their　hands　in　their　pockets　and　send　you　a　thousand　pounds。



Who　is　iteh？　　I　see　the　post…mark　on　the　letter　is　〃Venice。〃



Have　you　any　friend　in　that　interesting　city；　with　a　large　heart；



and　a　purse　to　correspond；　who　has　been　let　into　the　secret　and　who　wishes



to　console　you　anonymously？'







It　was　not　easy　to　reply　to　this。　　Mrs。　Ferrari　began　to　feel



the　first　inward　approaches　of　something　like　hatred　towards　Mr。　Troy。



'I　don't　understand　you；　sir；'　she　answered。　　'I　don't　think　this　is



a　joking　matter。'







Agnes　interfered；　for　the　first　time。　　She　drew　her　chair　a　little



nearer　to　her　legal　counsellor　and　friend。







'What　is　the　most　probable　explanation；　in　your　opinion？'



she　asked。







'I　shall　offend　Mrs。　Ferrari　if　I　tell　you；'　Mr。　Troy　answered。







'No；　sir；　you　won't！'　cried　Mrs。　Ferrari；　hating　Mr。　Troy



undisguisedly　by　this　time。







The　lawyer　leaned　back　in　his　chair。　　'Very　well；'　he　said；　in　his



most　good…humoured　manner。　　'Let's　have　it　out。　　Observe；　madam；



I　don't　dispute　your　view　of　the　position　of　affairs　at　the　palace



in　Venice。　　You　have　your　husband's　letters　to　justify　you；



and　you　have　also　the　significant　fact　that　Lady　Montbarry's



maid　did　really　leave　the　house。　　We　will　say；　then；　that　Lord



Montbarry　has　presumably　been　made　the　victim　of　a　foul　wrong



that　Mr。　Ferrari　was　the　first　to　find　it　outand　that　the　guilty



persons　had　reason　to　fear；　not　only　that　he　would　acquaint　Lord



Montbarry　with　his　discovery；　but　that　he　would　be　a　principal　witness



against　them　if　the　scandal　was　made　public　in　a　court　of　law。



Now　mark！　　Admitting　all　this；　I　draw　a　totally　different



conclusion　from　the　conclusion　at　which　you　have　arrived。



Here　is　your　husband　left　in　this　miserable　household　of　three；



under　very　awkward　circumstances　for　him。　　What　does　he　do？



But　for　the　bank…note　and　the　written　message　sent　to　you　with　it；



I　should　say　that　he　had　wisely　withdrawn　himself　from　association



with　a　disgraceful　discovery　and　exposure；　by　taking　secretly　to　flight。



The　money　modifies　this　viewunfavourably　so　far　as　Mr。　Ferrari



is　concerned。　　I　still　believe　he　is　keeping　out　of　the　way。　　But　I



now　say　he　is　paid　for　keeping　out　of　the　wayand　that　bank…note　there



on　the　table　is　the　price　of　his　absence；　sent　by　the　guilty　persons　to



his　wife。'







Mrs。　Ferrari's　watery　grey　eyes　brightened　suddenly；　Mrs。　Ferrari's



dull　drab…coloured　complexion　became　enlivened　by　a　glow　of　brilliant　red。







'It's　false！'　she　cried。　　'It's　a　burning　shame　to　speak　of　my



husband　in　that　way！'







'I　told　you　I　should　offend　you！'　said　Mr。　Troy。







Agnes　interposed　once　morein　the　interests　of　peace。　　She　took



the　offended　wife's　hand；　she　appealed　to　the　lawyer　to　reconsider



that　side　of　his　theory　which　reflected　harshly　on　Ferrari。



While　she　was　still　speaking；　the　servant　interrupted　her　by　entering



the　room　with　a　visiting…card。　It　was　the　card　of　Henry　Westwick；



and　there　was　an　ominous　request　written　on　it　in　pencil。



'I　bring　bad　news。　　Let　me　see　you　for　a　minute　downstairs。'



Agnes　immediately　left　the　room。







Alone　with　Mrs。　Ferrari；　Mr。　Troy　permitted　his　natural　kindness



of　heart　to　show　itself　on　the　surface　at　last。　　He　tried　to　make



his　peace　with　the　courier's　wife。







'You　have　every　claim；　my　good　soul；　to　resent　a　reflection　cast　upon



your　husband；'　he　began。　　'I　may　even　say　that　I　respect　you　for　speaking



so　warmly　in　his　defence。　　At　the　same　time；　remember；　that　I　am　bound；



in　such　a　serious　matter　as　this；　to　tell　you　what　is　really　in　my　mind。



I　can　have　no　intention　of　offending　you；　seeing　that　I　am　a　total



stranger　to　you　and　to　Mr。　Ferrari。　　A　thousand　pounds　is　a　large



sum　of　money；　and　a　poor　man　may　excusably　be　tempted　by　it



to　do　nothing　worse　than　to　keep　out　of　the　way　for　a　while。



My　only　interest；　acting　on　your　behalf；　is　to　get　at　the　truth。



If　you　will　give　me　time；　I　see　no　reason　to　despair　of　finding　your



husband　yet。'







Ferrari's　wife　listened；　without　being　convinced：　　her　narrow　little　mind；



filled　to　its　extreme　capacity　by　her　unfavourable　opinion　of　Mr。　Troy；



had　no　room　left　for　the　process　of　correcting　its　first　impression。



'I　am　much　obliged　to　you；　sir；'　was　all　she　said。　　Her　eyes　were



more　communicativeher　eyes　added；　in　their　language；　'You　may　say



what　you　please；　I　will　never　forgive　you　to　my　dying　day。'







Mr。　Troy　gave　it　up。　　He　composedly　wheeled　his　chair　around；



put　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　and　looked　out　of　window。







After　an　interval　of　silence；　the　drawing…room　door　was　opened。







Mr。　Troy　wheeled　round　again　briskly　to　the　table；　expecting　to　see　Agnes。



To　his　surprise　there　appeared；　in　her　place；　a　perfect　stranger　to　him



a　gentleman；　in　the　prime　of　life；　with　a　marked　expression　of　pain



and　embarrassment　on　his　handsome　face。　　He　looked　at　Mr。　Troy；



and　bowed　gravely。







'I　am　so　unfortunate　as　to　have　brought　news　to　Miss　Agnes　Lockwood



which　has　greatly　distressed　her；'　he　said。　　'She　has　retired　to　her　room。



I　am　requested　to　make　her　excuses；　and　to　speak　to　you　in　her　place。'







Having　introduced　himself　in　those　terms；　he　noticed　Mrs。　Ferrari；



and　held　out　his　hand　to　her　kindly。　　'It　is　some　years　since　we



last　met；　Emily；'　he　said。　　'I　am　afraid　you　have　almost　forgotten



the　〃Master　Henry〃　of　old　times。'　　Emily；　in　some　little　confusion；



made　her　acknowledgments；　and　begged　to　know　if　she　could　be　of　any



use　to　Miss　Lockwood。　　'The　old　nurse　is　with　her；'　Henry　answered；



'they　will　be　better　left　together。'　　He　turned　once　more　to　Mr。　Troy。



'I　ought　to　tell　you；'　he　said；　'that　my　name　is　Henry　Westwick。　　I　am



the　younger　brother　of　the　late　Lord　Montbarry。'







'The　late　Lord　Montbarry！'　　Mr。　Troy　exclaimed。







'My　brother　died　at　Venice　yesterday　evening。　　There　is　the　telegram。'



With　that　startling　answer；　he　handed　the　paper　to　Mr。　Troy。







The　message　was　in　these　words：







'Lady　Montbarry；　Venice。　　To　Stephen　Robert　Westwick；



Newbury's　Hotel；　London。　　It　is　useless　to　take　the　journey。



Lord　Montbarry　died　of　bronchitis；　at　8。40　this　evening。



All　needful　details　by　post。'







'Was　this　expected；　sir？'　the　lawyer　asked。







'I　cannot　say　that　it　has　taken　us　entirely　by　surprise；　Henry　answered。



'My　brother　Stephen　（who　is　now　the　head　of　the　family）　received　a



telegram　three　days　since；　informing　him　that　alarming　symptoms　had



declared　themselves；　and　that　a　second　physician　had　been　called　in。



He　telegraphed　back　to　say　that　he　had　left　Ireland　for　London；



on　his　way　to　Venice；　and　to　direct　that　any　further　message



might　be　sent　to　his　hotel。　　The　reply　came　in　a　second　telegram。



It　announced　that　Lord　Montbarry　was　in　a　state　of　insensibility；



and　that；　in　his　brief　intervals　of　consciousness；　he　recognised　nobody。



My　brother　was　advised　to　wait　in　London　for　later　information。



The　third　telegram　is　now　in　your　hands。　　That　is　all　I　know；　up　to　the



present　time。'







Happening　to　look　at　the　courier's　wife；　Mr。　Troy　was　struck



by　the　expression　of　blank　fear　which　showed　itself　in　the　woman's　face。







'Mrs。　Ferrari；'　he　said；　'have　you　heard　what　Mr。　Westwick　has



just　told　me？'







'Every　word　of　it；　sir。'







'Have　you　any　questions　to　ask？'







'No；　sir。'







'You　seem　to　be　alarmed；'　the　lawyer　persisted。　　'Is　it　still



about　your　husband？'







'I　shall　never　see　my　husband　again；　sir。　　I　have　thought　so　all　along；



as　you　know。　　I　feel　sure　of　it　now。'







'Sure　of　it；　after　what　you　have　just　heard？'







'Yes；　sir。'







'Can　you　tell　me　why？'







'No；　sir。　　It's　a　feeling　I　have。　　I　can't　tell　why。'







'Oh；　a　feeling？'　　Mr。　Troy　repeated；　in　a　tone　of　compassionate　contempt。



'When　it　comes　to　feelings；　my　good　soul！'　He　left　the　sentence



unfinished；　and　rose　to　take　his　leave　of　Mr。　Westwick。　　The　truth　is；



he　began　to　feel　puzzled　himself；　and　he　did　not　choose　to　let



Mrs。　Ferrari　see　it。　　'Accept　the　expression　of　my　sympathy；　sir；'



he　said　to　Mr。　Westwick　politely。　　'I　wish　you　good　evening。'







Henry　turned　to　Mrs。　Ferrari　as　the　lawyer　closed　the　door。



'I　have　heard　of　your　trouble；　Emily；　from　Miss　Lockwood。　　Is　there



anything　I　can　do　to　help　you？'







'Nothing；　sir；　thank　you。　　Perhaps；　I　had　better　go　home　after



what　has　happened？　　I　will　call　to…morrow；　and　see　if　I　can　be　of



any　use　to　Miss　Agnes。　　I　am　very　sorry　for　her。'　　She　stole　away；



with　her　formal　curtsey；　her　noiseless　step；　and　her　obstinate



resolution　to　take　the　gloomiest　view　of　her　husband's　case。







Henry　Westwick　looked　round　him　in　the　solitude　of　the　little　drawing…room。



There　was　nothing　to　keep　him　in　the　house；　and　yet　he　lingered　in　it。



It　was　something　to　be　even　near　Agnesto　see　the　things　belonging



to　her　that　were　scattered　about　the　room。　　There；　in　the　corner；



was　her　chair；　with　her　embroidery　on　the　work…table　by　its　side。



On　the　little　easel　near　the　window　was　her　last　drawing；　not　quite



finished　yet。　　The　book　she　had　been　reading　lay　on　the　sofa；



with　her　tiny