the haunted hotel-第37节

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he　perceived　a　thin　little　plate　of　gold；　with　three　false　teeth



attached　to　it；　which　had　apparently　dropped　out　（loosened　by　the　shock）



when　the　manager　let　the　head　fall　on　the　floor。







The　importance　of　this　discovery；　and　the　necessity　of　not　too



readily　communicating　it　to　others；　instantly　struck　Henry。



Here　surely　was　a　chanceif　any　chance　remainedof　identifying



the　shocking　relic　of　humanity　which　lay　before　him；　the　dumb　witness



of　a　crime！　　Acting　on　this　idea；　he　took　possession　of　the　teeth；



purposing　to　use　them　as　a　last　means　of　inquiry　when　other　attempts



at　investigation　had　been　tried　and　had　failed。







He　went　back　again　to　the　window：　　the　solitude　of　the　room　began



to　weigh　on　his　spirits。　　As　he　looked　out　again　at　the　view；



there　was　a　soft　knock　at　the　door。　　He　hastened　to　open　it



and　checked　himself　in　the　act。　　A　doubt　occurred　to　him。　　Was　it



the　manager　who　had　knocked？　　He　called　out；　'Who　is　there？'







The　voice　of　Agnes　answered　him。　　'Have　you　anything　to　tell　me；　Henry？'







He　was　hardly　able　to　reply。　　'Not　just　now；'　he　said；　confusedly。



'Forgive　me　if　I　don't　open　the　door。　　I　will　speak　to　you



a　little　later。'







The　sweet　voice　made　itself　heard　again；　pleading　with　him　piteously。



'Don't　leave　me　alone；　Henry！　　I　can't　go　back　to　the　happy



people　downstairs。'







How　could　he　resist　that　appeal？　　He　heard　her　sighhe　heard　the　rustling



of　her　dress　as　she　moved　away　in　despair。　　The　very　thing　that　he　had



shrunk　from　doing　but　a　few　minutes　since　was　the　thing　that　he　did　now！



He　joined　Agnes　in　the　corridor。　　She　turned　as　she　heard　him；



and　pointed；　trembling；　in　the　direction　of　the　closed　room。



'Is　it　so　terrible　as　that？'　she　asked　faintly。







He　put　his　arm　round　her　to　support　her。　　A　thought　came　to　him



as　he　looked　at　her；　waiting　in　doubt　and　fear　for　his　reply。



'You　shall　know　what　I　have　discovered；'　he　said；　'if　you　will　first　put



on　your　hat　and　cloak；　and　come　out　with　me。'







She　was　naturally　surprised。　　'Can　you　tell　me　your　object　in　going　out？'



she　asked。







He　owned　what　his　object　was　unreservedly。　　'I　want；　before　all　things；'



he　said；　'to　satisfy　your　mind　and　mine；　on　the　subject　of



Montbarry's　death。　　I　am　going　to　take　you　to　the　doctor　who　attended



him　in　his　illness；　and　to　the　consul　who　followed　him　to　the　grave。'







Her　eyes　rested　on　Henry　gratefully。　　'Oh；　how　well　you　understand　me！'



she　said。　　The　manager　joined　them　at　the　same　moment；　on　his　way



up　the　stairs。　　Henry　gave　him　the　key　of　the　room；　and　then　called



to　the　servants　in　the　hall　to　have　a　gondola　ready　at　the　steps。



'Are　you　leaving　the　hotel？'　the　manager　asked。　　'In　search　of　evidence；'



Henry　whispered；　pointing　to　the　key。　　'If　the　authorities　want　me；



I　shall　be　back　in　an　hour。'























CHAPTER　XXV











The　day　had　advanced　to　evening。　　Lord　Montbarry　and　the　bridal



party　had　gone　to　the　Opera。　　Agnes　alone；　pleading　the　excuse



of　fatigue；　remained　at　the　hotel。　　Having　kept　up　appearances



by　accompanying　his　friends　to　the　theatre；　Henry　Westwick　slipped



away　after　the　first　act；　and　joined　Agnes　in　the　drawing…room。







'Have　you　thought　of　what　I　said　to　you　earlier　in　the　day？'



he　asked；　taking　a　chair　at　her　side。　　'Do　you　agree　with　me



that　the　one　dreadful　doubt　which　oppressed　us　both　is　at　least　set



at　rest？'







Agnes　shook　her　head　sadly。　　'I　wish　I　could　agree　with　you；　Henry



I　wish　I　could　honestly　say　that　my　mind　is　at　ease。'







The　answer　would　have　discouraged　most　men。　　Henry's　patience



（where　Agnes　was　concerned）　was　equal　to　any　demands　on　it。







'If　you　will　only　look　back　at　the　events　of　the　day；'　he　said；



'you　must　surely　admit　that　we　have　not　been　completely　baffled。



Remember　how　Dr。　Bruno　disposed　of　our　doubts：〃After　thirty　years



of　medical　practice；　do　you　think　I　am　likely　to　mistake　the　symptoms



of　death　by　bronchitis？〃　　If　ever　there　was　an　unanswerable　question；



there　it　is！　　Was　the　consul's　testimony　doubtful　in　any　part　of　it？



He　called　at　the　palace　to　offer　his　services；　after　hearing　of　Lord



Montbarry's　death；　he　arrived　at　the　time　when　the　coffin　was　in　the　house；



he　himself　saw　the　corpse　placed　in　it；　and　the　lid　screwed　down。



The　evidence　of　the　priest　is　equally　beyond　dispute。　　He　remained



in　the　room　with　the　coffin；　reciting　the　prayers　for　the　dead；



until　the　funeral　left　the　palace。　　Bear　all　these　statements



in　mind；　Agnes；　and　how　can　you　deny　that　the　question　of　Montbarry's



death　and　burial　is　a　question　set　at　rest？　　We　have　really



but　one　doubt　left：　　we　have　still　to　ask　ourselves　whether



the　remains　which　I　discovered　are　the　remains　of　the　lost　courier；



or　not。　　There　is　the　case；　as　I　understand　it。　　Have　I　stated



it　fairly？'







Agnes　could　not　deny　that　he　had　stated　it　fairly。







〃Then　what　prevents　you　from　experiencing　the　same　sense　of　relief



that　I　feel？'　　Henry　asked。







'What　I　saw　last　night　prevents　me；'　Agnes　answered。　　'When　we　spoke



of　this　subject；　after　our　inquiries　were　over；　you　reproached　me



with　taking　what　you　called　the　superstitious　view。　　I　don't　quite



admit　thatbut　I　do　acknowledge　that　I　should　find　the　superstitious



view　intelligible　if　I　heard　it　expressed　by　some　other　person。



Remembering　what　your　brother　and　I　once　were　to　each　other　in　the



bygone　time；　I　can　understand　the　apparition　making　itself　visible



to　me；　to　claim　the　mercy　of　Christian　burial；　and　the　vengeance　due



to　a　crime。　　I　can　even　perceive　some　faint　possibility　of　truth



in　the　explanation　which　you　described　as　the　mesmeric　theory



that　what　I　saw　might　be　the　result　of　magnetic　influence　communicated



to　me；　as　I　lay　between　the　remains　of　the　murdered　husband　above　me



and　the　guilty　wife　suffering　the　tortures　of　remorse　at　my　bedside。



But　what　I　do　not　understand　is；　that　I　should　have　passed　through



that　dreadful　ordeal；　having　no　previous　knowledge　of　the　murdered



man　in　his　lifetime；　or　only　knowing　him　（if　you　suppose　that　I　saw



the　apparition　of　Ferrari）　through　the　interest　which　I　took　in　his　wife。



I　can't　dispute　your　reasoning；　Henry。　　But　I　feel　in　my　heart



of　hearts　that　you　are　deceived。　　Nothing　will　shake　my　belief



that　we　are　still　as　far　from　having　discovered　the　dreadful　truth



as　ever。'







Henry　made　no　further　attempt　to　dispute　with　her。　　She　had



impressed　him　with　a　certain　reluctant　respect　for　her　own　opinion；



in　spite　of　himself。







'Have　you　thought　of　any　better　way　of　arriving　at　the　truth？'



he　asked。　　'Who　is　to　help　us？　　No　doubt　there　is　the　Countess；



who　has　the　clue　to　the　mystery　in　her　own　hands。　　But；　in　the　present



state　of　her　mind；　is　her　testimony　to　be　trustedeven　if　she



were　willing　to　speak？　　Judging　by　my　own　experience；　I　should　say



decidedly　not。'







'You　don't　mean　that　you　have　seen　her　again？'　　Agnes　eagerly　interposed。







'Yes。　　I　disturbed　her　once　more　over　her　endless　writing；



and　I　insisted　on　her　speaking　out　plainly。'







'Then　you　told　her　what　you　found　when　you　opened　the　hiding…place？'







'Of　course　I　did！'　　Henry　replied。　　'I　said　that　I　held　her　responsible



for　the　discovery；　though　I　had　not　mentioned　her　connection　with　it



to　the　authorities　as　yet。　　She　went　on　with　her　writing　as　if　I　had



spoken　in　an　unknown　tongue！　　I　was　equally　obstinate；　on　my　side。



I　told　her　plainly　that　the　head　had　been　placed　under　the　care



of　the　police；　and　that　the　manager　and　I　had　signed　our　declarations



and　given　our　evidence。　　She　paid　not　the　slightest　heed　to　me。



By　way　of　tempting　her　to　speak；　I　added　that　the　whole　investigation



was　to　be　kept　a　secret；　and　that　she　might　depend　on　my　discretion。



For　the　moment　I　thought　I　had　succeeded。　　She　looked　up



from　her　writing　with　a　passing　flash　of　curiosity；　and　said；



〃What　are　they　going　to　do　with　it？〃meaning；　I　suppose；　the　head。



I　answered　that　it　was　to　be　privately　buried；　after　photographs



of　it　had　first　been　taken。　　I　even　went　the　length　of　communicating



the　opinion　of　the　surgeon　consulted；　that　some　chemical　means　of



arresting　decomposition　had　been　used　and　had　only　partially　succeeded



and　I　asked　her　point…blank　if　the　surgeon　was　right？　　The　trap　was　not



a　bad　onebut　it　completely　failed。　　She　said　in　the　coolest　manner；



〃Now　you　are　here；　I　should　like　to　consult