the haunted hotel-第6节

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to　Henry；　leaning　on　the　mantel…piece；　and　looking　into　the　fire。



He　took　the　chair　to　which　she　had　pointed；　with　a　strange



contradiction　of　expression　in　his　face：　　the　tears　were　in　his　eyes；



while　the　brows　above　were　knit　close　in　an　angry　frown。



He　muttered　to　himself；　'Damn　him！'







She　rallied　her　courage；　and　looked　at　him　again　when　she　spoke。



'Well；　Henry；　and　why　are　you　going　away？'







'I　am　out　of　spirits；　Agnes；　and　I　want　a　change。'







She　paused　before　she　spoke　again。　　His　face　told　her　plainly



that　he　was　thinking　of　her　when　he　made　that　reply。　　She　was



grateful　to　him；　but　her　mind　was　not　with　him：　　her　mind　was　still



with　the　man　who　had　deserted　her。　　She　turned　round　again　to　the　fire。







'Is　it　true；'　she　asked；　after　a　long　silence；　'that　they　have　been



married　to…day？'







He　answered　ungraciously　in　the　one　necessary　word：'Yes。'







'Did　you　go　to　the　church？'







He　resented　the　question　with　an　expression　of　indignant　surprise。



'Go　to　the　church？'　he　repeated。　　'I　would　as　soon　go　to'



He　checked　himself　there。　　'How　can　you　ask？'　he　added　in　lower　tones。



'I　have　never　spoken　to　Montbarry；　I　have　not　even　seen　him；



since　he　treated　you　like　the　scoundrel　and　the　fool　that



he　is。'







She　looked　at　him　suddenly；　without　saying　a　word。



He　understood　her；　and　begged　her　pardon。　　But　he　was　still　angry。



'The　reckoning　comes　to　some　men；'　he　said；　'even　in　this　world。



He　will　live　to　rue　the　day　when　he　married　that　woman！'







Agnes　took　a　chair　by　his　side；　and　looked　at　him　with　a　gentle　surprise。







'Is　it　quite　reasonable　to　be　so　angry　with　her；　because　your



brother　preferred　her　to　me？'　she　asked。







Henry　turned　on　her　sharply。　　'Do　you　defend　the　Countess；



of　all　the　people　in　the　world？'







'Why　not？'　　Agnes　answered。　　'I　know　nothing　against　her。



On　the　only　occasion　when　we　met；　she　appeared　to　be　a　singularly　timid；



nervous　person；　looking　dreadfully　ill；　and　being　indeed　so　ill　that　she



fainted　under　the　heat　of　my　room。　　Why　should　we　not　do　her　justice？



We　know　that　she　was　innocent　of　any　intention　to　wrong　me；　we　know



that　she　was　not　aware　of　my　engagement'







Henry　lifted　his　hand　impatiently；　and　stopped　her。



'There　is　such　a　thing　as　being　too　just　and　too　forgiving！'



he　interposed。　　'I　can't　bear　to　hear　you　talk　in　that　patient　way；



after　the　scandalously　cruel　manner　in　which　you　have　been　treated。



Try　to　forget　them　both；　Agnes。　　I　wish　to　God　I　could　help　you　to



do　it！'







Agnes　laid　her　hand　on　his　arm。　　'You　are　very　good　to　me；　Henry；



but　you　don't　quite　understand　me。　　I　was　thinking　of　myself



and　my　trouble　in　quite　a　different　way；　when　you　came　in。



I　was　wondering　whether　anything　which　has　so　entirely　filled　my　heart；



and　so　absorbed　all　that　is　best　and　truest　in　me；　as　my　feeling



for　your　brother；　can　really　pass　away　as　if　it　had　never　existed。



I　have　destroyed　the　last　visible　things　that　remind　me　of　him。



In　this　world　I　shall　see　him　no　more。　　But　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？　　What　do



you　think；　Henry？　　I　can　hardly　believe　it。'







'If　you　could　bring　the　retribution　on　him　that　he　has　deserved；'



Henry　Westwick　answered　sternly；　'I　might　be　inclined　to　agree



with　you。'







As　that　reply　passed　his　lips；　the　old　nurse　appeared　again　at　the　door；



announcing　another　visitor。







'I'm　sorry　to　disturb　you；　my　dear。　　But　here　is　little　Mrs。　Ferrari



wanting　to　know　when　she　may　say　a　few　words　to　you。'







Agnes　turned　to　Henry；　before　she　replied。　　'You　remember



Emily　Bidwell；　my　favourite　pupil　years　ago　at　the　village　school；



and　afterwards　my　maid？　　She　left　me；　to　marry　an　Italian　courier；



named　Ferrariand　I　am　afraid　it　has　not　turned　out　very　well。



Do　you　mind　my　having　her　in　here　for　a　minute　or　two？'







Henry　rose　to　take　his　leave。　　'I　should　be　glad　to　see　Emily　again



at　any　other　time；'　he　said。　　'But　it　is　best　that　I　should　go　now。



My　mind　is　disturbed；　Agnes；　I　might　say　things　to　you；　if　I



stayed　here　any　longer；　whichwhich　are　better　not　said　now。



I　shall　cross　the　Channel　by　the　mail　to…night；　and　see



how　a　few　weeks'　change　will　help　me。'　　He　took　her　hand。



'Is　there　anything　in　the　world　that　I　can　do　for　you？'　he　asked



very　earnestly。　　She　thanked　him；　and　tried　to　release　her　hand。



He　held　it　with　a　tremulous　lingering　grasp。　　'God　bless　you；　Agnes！'



he　said　in　faltering　tones；　with　his　eyes　on　the　ground。



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　tim