CHAPTERIV
OnthedayofthemarriageAgnesLockwoodsataloneinthelittledrawing-roomofherLondonlodgings,burningtheletterswhichhadbeenwrittentoherbyMontbarryinthebygonetime。
TheCountess’smaliciouslysmartdescriptionofher,addressedtoDoctorWybrow,hadnotevenhintedatthecharmthatmostdistinguishedAgnes——theartlessexpressionofgoodnessandpuritywhichinstantlyattractedeveryonewhoapproachedher。
Shelookedbymanyyearsyoungerthanshereallywas。Withherfaircomplexionandhershymanner,itseemedonlynaturaltospeakofheras’agirl,’althoughshewasnowreallyadvancingtowardsthirtyyearsofage。Shelivedalonewithanoldnursedevotedtoher,onamodestlittleincomewhichwasjustenoughtosupportthetwo。
Therewerenoneoftheordinarysignsofgriefinherface,assheslowlytorethelettersofherfalseloverintwo,andthrewthepiecesintothesmallfirewhichhadbeenlittoconsumethem。
Unhappilyforherself,shewasoneofthosewomenwhofeeltoodeeplytofindreliefintears。Paleandquiet,withcoldtremblingfingers,shedestroyedthelettersonebyonewithoutdaringtoreadthemagain。
Shehadtornthelastoftheseries,andwasstillshrinkingfromthrowingitaftertherestintotheswiftlydestroyingflame,whentheoldnursecamein,andaskedifshewouldsee’MasterHenry,’——
meaningthatyoungestmemberoftheWestwickfamily,whohadpubliclydeclaredhiscontemptforhisbrotherinthesmoking-roomoftheclub。
Agneshesitated。Afainttingeofcolourstoleoverherface。
TherehadbeenalongpasttimewhenHenryWestwickhadownedthathelovedher。Shehadmadeherconfessiontohim,acknowledgingthatherheartwasgiventohiseldestbrother。
Hehadsubmittedtohisdisappointment;andtheyhadmetthenceforthascousinsandfriends。Neverbeforehadsheassociatedtheideaofhimwithembarrassingrecollections。
Butnow,ontheverydaywhenhisbrother’smarriagetoanotherwomanhadconsummatedhisbrother’streasontowardsher,therewassomethingvaguelyrepellentintheprospectofseeinghim。
Theoldnurse(whorememberedthembothintheircradles)
observedherhesitation;andsympathisingofcoursewiththeman,putinatimelywordforHenry。’Hesays,he’sgoingaway,mydear;
andheonlywantstoshakehands,andsaygood-bye。’Thisplainstatementofthecasehaditseffect。Agnesdecidedonreceivinghercousin。
HeenteredtheroomsorapidlythathesurprisedherintheactofthrowingthefragmentsofMontbarry’slastletterintothefire。
Shehurriedlyspokefirst。
’YouareleavingLondonverysuddenly,Henry。Isitbusiness?
orpleasure?’
Insteadofansweringher,hepointedtotheflamingletter,andtosomeblackashesofburntpaperlyinglightlyinthelowerpartofthefireplace。
’Areyouburningletters?’
’Yes。’
’Hisletters?’
’Yes。’
Hetookherhandgently。’IhadnoideaIwasintrudingonyou,atatimewhenyoumustwishtobealone。Forgiveme,Agnes——IshallseeyouwhenIreturn。’
Shesignedtohim,withafaintsmile,totakeachair。
’Wehaveknownoneanothersincewewerechildren,’shesaid。
’WhyshouldIfeelafoolishprideaboutmyselfinyourpresence?whyshouldIhaveanysecretsfromyou?Isentbackallyourbrother’sgiftstomesometimeago。Ihavebeenadvisedtodomore,tokeepnothingthatcanremindmeofhim——inshort,toburnhisletters。
Ihavetakentheadvice;butIownIshrankalittlefromdestroyingthelastoftheletters。No——notbecauseitwasthelast,butbecauseithadthisinit。’Sheopenedherhand,andshowedhimalockofMontbarry’shair,tiedwithamorselofgoldencord。
’Well!well!letitgowiththerest。’
Shedroppeditintotheflame。Forawhile,shestoodwithherbacktoHenry,leaningonthemantel-piece,andlookingintothefire。
Hetookthechairtowhichshehadpointed,withastrangecontradictionofexpressioninhisface:thetearswereinhiseyes,whilethebrowsabovewereknitcloseinanangryfrown。
Hemutteredtohimself,’Damnhim!’
Sheralliedhercourage,andlookedathimagainwhenshespoke。
’Well,Henry,andwhyareyougoingaway?’
’Iamoutofspirits,Agnes,andIwantachange。’
Shepausedbeforeshespokeagain。Hisfacetoldherplainlythathewasthinkingofherwhenhemadethatreply。Shewasgratefultohim,buthermindwasnotwithhim:hermindwasstillwiththemanwhohaddesertedher。Sheturnedroundagaintothefire。
’Isittrue,’sheasked,afteralongsilence,’thattheyhavebeenmarriedto-day?’
Heansweredungraciouslyintheonenecessaryword:——’Yes。’
’Didyougotothechurch?’
Heresentedthequestionwithanexpressionofindignantsurprise。
’Gotothechurch?’herepeated。’Iwouldassoongoto——’
Hecheckedhimselfthere。’Howcanyouask?’headdedinlowertones。
’IhaveneverspokentoMontbarry,Ihavenotevenseenhim,sincehetreatedyoulikethescoundrelandthefoolthatheis。’
Shelookedathimsuddenly,withoutsayingaword。
Heunderstoodher,andbeggedherpardon。Buthewasstillangry。
’Thereckoningcomestosomemen,’hesaid,’eveninthisworld。
Hewilllivetoruethedaywhenhemarriedthatwoman!’
Agnestookachairbyhisside,andlookedathimwithagentlesurprise。
’Isitquitereasonabletobesoangrywithher,becauseyourbrotherpreferredhertome?’sheasked。
Henryturnedonhersharply。’DoyoudefendtheCountess,ofallthepeopleintheworld?’
’Whynot?’Agnesanswered。’Iknownothingagainsther。
Ontheonlyoccasionwhenwemet,sheappearedtobeasingularlytimid,nervousperson,lookingdreadfullyill;andbeingindeedsoillthatshefaintedundertheheatofmyroom。Whyshouldwenotdoherjustice?
Weknowthatshewasinnocentofanyintentiontowrongme;weknowthatshewasnotawareofmyengagement——’
Henryliftedhishandimpatiently,andstoppedher。
’Thereissuchathingasbeingtoojustandtooforgiving!’
heinterposed。’Ican’tbeartohearyoutalkinthatpatientway,afterthescandalouslycruelmannerinwhichyouhavebeentreated。
Trytoforgetthemboth,Agnes。IwishtoGodIcouldhelpyoutodoit!’
Agneslaidherhandonhisarm。’Youareverygoodtome,Henry;
butyoudon’tquiteunderstandme。Iwasthinkingofmyselfandmytroubleinquiteadifferentway,whenyoucamein。
Iwaswonderingwhetheranythingwhichhassoentirelyfilledmyheart,andsoabsorbedallthatisbestandtruestinme,asmyfeelingforyourbrother,canreallypassawayasifithadneverexisted。
Ihavedestroyedthelastvisiblethingsthatremindmeofhim。
InthisworldIshallseehimnomore。Butisthetiethatonceboundus,completelybroken?AmIasentirelypartedfromthegoodandevilfortuneofhislifeasifwehadnevermetandneverloved?Whatdoyouthink,Henry?Icanhardlybelieveit。’
’Ifyoucouldbringtheretributiononhimthathehasdeserved,’
HenryWestwickansweredsternly,’Imightbeinclinedtoagreewithyou。’
Asthatreplypassedhislips,theoldnurseappearedagainatthedoor,announcinganothervisitor。
’I’msorrytodisturbyou,mydear。ButhereislittleMrs。Ferrariwantingtoknowwhenshemaysayafewwordstoyou。’
AgnesturnedtoHenry,beforeshereplied。’YourememberEmilyBidwell,myfavouritepupilyearsagoatthevillageschool,andafterwardsmymaid?Sheleftme,tomarryanItaliancourier,namedFerrari——andIamafraidithasnotturnedoutverywell。
Doyoumindmyhavingherinhereforaminuteortwo?’
Henryrosetotakehisleave。’IshouldbegladtoseeEmilyagainatanyothertime,’hesaid。’ButitisbestthatIshouldgonow。
Mymindisdisturbed,Agnes;Imightsaythingstoyou,ifI
stayedhereanylonger,which——whicharebetternotsaidnow。
IshallcrosstheChannelbythemailto-night,andseehowafewweeks’changewillhelpme。’Hetookherhand。
’IsthereanythingintheworldthatIcandoforyou?’heaskedveryearnestly。Shethankedhim,andtriedtoreleaseherhand。
Hehelditwithatremulouslingeringgrasp。’Godblessyou,Agnes!’
hesaidinfalteringtones,withhiseyesontheground。
Herfaceflushedagain,andthenextinstantturnedpalerthanever;sheknewhisheartaswellasheknewithimself——
shewastoodistressedtospeak。Heliftedherhandtohislips,kisseditfervently,and,withoutlookingatheragain,lefttheroom。
Thenursehobbledafterhimtotheheadofthestairs:shehadnotforgottenthetimewhentheyoungerbrotherhadbeentheunsuccessfulrivaloftheelderforthehandofAgnes。’Don’tbedown-hearted,MasterHenry,’whisperedtheoldwoman,withtheunscrupulouscommonsenseofpersonsinthelowerrankoflife。’Tryheragain,whenyoucomeback!’
Leftaloneforafewmoments,Agnestookaturnintheroom,tryingtocomposeherself。Shepausedbeforealittlewater-colourdrawingonthewall,whichhadbelongedtohermother:itwasherownportraitwhenshewasachild。’Howmuchhappierweshouldbe,’
shethoughttoherselfsadly,’ifwenevergrewup!’
Thecourier’swifewasshownin——alittlemeekmelancholywoman,withwhiteeyelashes,andwateryeyes,whocurtseyeddeferentiallyandwastroubledwithasmallchroniccough。Agnesshookhandswithherkindly。’Well,Emily,whatcanIdoforyou?’
Thecourier’swifemaderatherastrangeanswer:’I’mafraidtotellyou,Miss。’
’Isitsuchaverydifficultfavourtogrant?Sitdown,andletmehearhowyouaregoingon。Perhapsthepetitionwillslipoutwhilewearetalking。Howdoesyourhusbandbehavetoyou?’
Emily’slightgreyeyeslookedmorewaterythanever。
Sheshookherheadandsighedresignedly。’Ihavenopositivecomplainttomakeagainsthim,Miss。ButI’mafraidhedoesn’tcareaboutme;andheseemstotakenointerestinhishome——
Imayalmostsayhe’stiredofhishome。Itmightbebetterforbothofus,Miss,ifhewenttravellingforawhile——
nottomentionthemoney,whichisbeginningtobewantedsadly。’
Sheputherhandkerchieftohereyes,andsighedagainmoreresignedlythanever。
’Idon’tquiteunderstand,’saidAgnes。’IthoughtyourhusbandhadanengagementtotakesomeladiestoSwitzerlandandItaly?’
’Thatwashisill-luck,Miss。Oneoftheladiesfellill——
andtheotherswouldn’tgowithouther。Theypaidhimamonth’ssalaryascompensation。Buttheyhadengagedhimfortheautumnandwinter——
andthelossisserious。’
’Iamsorrytohearit,Emily。Letushopehewillsoonhaveanotherchance。’
’It’snothisturn,Miss,toberecommendedwhenthenextapplicationscometothecouriers’office。Yousee,therearesomanyofthemoutofemploymentjustnow。Ifhecouldbeprivatelyrecommended——’
Shestopped,andlefttheunfinishedsentencetospeakforitself。
Agnesunderstoodherdirectly。’Youwantmyrecommendation,’
sherejoined。’Whycouldn’tyousaysoatonce?’
Emilyblushed。’Itwouldbesuchachanceformyhusband,’
sheansweredconfusedly。’Aletter,inquiringforagoodcourier(asixmonths’engagement,Miss!)cametotheofficethismorning。
It’sanotherman’sturntobechosen——andthesecretarywillrecommendhim。Ifmyhusbandcouldonlysendhistestimonialsbythesamepost——withjustawordinyourname,Miss——itmightturnthescale,astheysay。Aprivaterecommendationbetweengentlefolksgoessofar。’
Shestoppedagain,andsighedagain,andlookeddownatthecarpet,asifshehadsomeprivatereasonforfeelingalittleashamedofherself。
Agnesbegantoberatherwearyofthepersistenttoneofmysteryinwhichhervisitorspoke。’Ifyouwantmyinterestwithanyfriendofmine,’shesaid,’whycan’tyoutellmethename?’
Thecourier’swifebegantocry。’I’mashamedtotellyou,Miss。’
Forthefirsttime,Agnesspokesharply。’Nonsense,Emily!
Tellmethenamedirectly——ordropthesubject——whicheveryoulikebest。’
Emilymadealastdesperateeffort。Shewrungherhandkerchiefhardinherlap,andletoffthenameasifshehadbeenlettingoffaloadedgun:——’LordMontbarry!’
Agnesroseandlookedather。
’Youhavedisappointedme,’shesaidveryquietly,butwithalookwhichthecourier’swifehadneverseeninherfacebefore。
’Knowingwhatyouknow,yououghttobeawarethatitisimpossibleformetocommunicatewithLordMontbarry。Ialwayssupposedyouhadsomedelicacyoffeeling。IamsorrytofindthatIhavebeenmistaken。’
Weakasshewas,Emilyhadspiritenoughtofeelthereproof。
Shewalkedinhermeeknoiselesswaytothedoor。’Ibegyourpardon,Miss。Iamnotquitesobadasyouthinkme。ButIbegyourpardon,allthesame。’
Sheopenedthedoor。Agnescalledherback。Therewassomethinginthewoman’sapologythatappealedirresistiblytoherjustandgenerousnature。’Come,’shesaid;’wemustnotpartinthisway。
Letmenotmisunderstandyou。Whatisitthatyouexpectedmetodo?’
Emilywaswiseenoughtoanswerthistimewithoutanyreserve。
’Myhusbandwillsendhistestimonials,Miss,toLordMontbarryinScotland。Ionlywantedyoutolethimsayinhisletterthathiswifehasbeenknowntoyousinceshewasachild,andthatyoufeelsomelittleinterestinhiswelfareonthataccount。
Idon’taskitnow,Miss。YouhavemademeunderstandthatI
waswrong。’
Hadshereallybeenwrong?Pastremembrances,aswellaspresenttroubles,pleadedpowerfullywithAgnesforthecourier’swife。
’Itseemsonlyasmallfavourtoask,’shesaid,speakingundertheimpulseofkindnesswhichwasthestrongestimpulseinhernature。
’ButIamnotsurethatIoughttoallowmynametobementionedinyourhusband’sletter。Letmehearagainexactlywhathewishestosay。’
Emilyrepeatedthewords——andthenofferedoneofthosesuggestions,whichhaveaspecialvalueoftheirowntopersonsunaccustomedtotheuseoftheirpens。’Supposeyoutry,Miss,howitlooksinwriting?’
Childishastheideawas,Agnestriedtheexperiment。’IfIletyoumentionme,’shesaid,’wemustatleastdecidewhatyouaretosay。’
Shewrotethewordsinthebriefestandplainestform:——’IventuretostatethatmywifehasbeenknownfromherchildhoodtoMissAgnesLockwood,whofeelssomelittleinterestinmywelfareonthataccount。’
Reducedtothisonesentence,therewassurelynothinginthereferencetohernamewhichimpliedthatAgneshadpermittedit,orthatshewasevenawareofit。Afteralaststrugglewithherself,shehandedthewrittenpapertoEmily。’Yourhusbandmustcopyitexactly,withoutalteringanything,’shestipulated。’Onthatcondition,Igrantyourrequest。’Emilywasnotonlythankful——shewasreallytouched。Agneshurriedthelittlewomanoutoftheroom。
’Don’tgivemetimetorepentandtakeitbackagain,’shesaid。
Emilyvanished。
’Isthetiethatoncebounduscompletelybroken?AmIasentirelypartedfromthegoodandevilfortuneofhislifeasifwehadnevermetandneverloved?’Agneslookedattheclockonthemantel-piece。
Nottenminutessince,thoseseriousquestionshadbeenonherlips。
Italmostshockedhertothinkofthecommon-placemannerinwhichtheyhadalreadymetwiththeirreply。ThemailofthatnightwouldappealoncemoretoMontbarry’sremembranceofher——
inthechoiceofaservant。
Twodayslater,thepostbroughtafewgratefullinesfromEmily。
Herhusbandhadgottheplace。Ferrariwasengaged,forsixmonthscertain,asLordMontbarry’scourier。
THESECONDPART
CHAPTERV
AfteronlyoneweekoftravellinginScotland,mylordandmyladyreturnedunexpectedlytoLondon。IntroducedtothemountainsandlakesoftheHighlands,herladyshippositivelydeclinedtoimproveheracquaintancewiththem。Whenshewasaskedforherreason,sheansweredwithaRomanbrevity,’IhaveseenSwitzerland。’
Foraweekmore,thenewly-marriedcoupleremainedinLondon,inthestrictestretirement。OnonedayinthatweekthenursereturnedinastateofmostuncustomaryexcitementfromanerrandonwhichAgneshadsenther。Passingthedoorofafashionabledentist,shehadmetLordMontbarryhimselfjustleavingthehouse。
Thegoodwoman’sreportdescribedhim,withmaliciouspleasure,aslookingwretchedlyill。’Hischeeksaregettinghollow,mydear,andhisbeardisturninggrey。Ihopethedentisthurthim!’
Knowinghowheartilyherfaithfuloldservanthatedthemanwhohaddesertedher,Agnesmadedueallowanceforalargeinfusionofexaggerationinthepicturepresentedtoher。Themainimpressionproducedonhermindwasanimpressionofnervousuneasiness。
IfshetrustedherselfinthestreetsbydaylightwhileLordMontbarryremainedinLondon,howcouldshebesurethathisnextchance-meetingmightnotbeameetingwithherself?Shewaitedathome,privatelyashamedofherownundignifiedconduct,forthenexttwodays。
OnthethirddaythefashionableintelligenceofthenewspapersannouncedthedepartureofLordandLadyMontbarryforParis,ontheirwaytoItaly。
Mrs。Ferrari,callingthesameevening,informedAgnesthatherhusbandhadleftherwithallreasonableexpressionofconjugalkindness;
histemperbeingimprovedbytheprospectofgoingabroad。
Butoneotherservantaccompaniedthetravellers——LadyMontbarry’smaid,ratherasilent,unsociablewoman,sofarasEmilyhadheard。
Herladyship’sbrother,BaronRivar,wasalreadyontheContinent。
IthadbeenarrangedthathewastomeethissisterandherhusbandatRome。
OnebyonethedullweekssucceededeachotherinthelifeofAgnes。
Shefacedherpositionwithadmirablecourage,seeingherfriends,keepingherselfoccupiedinherleisurehourswithreadinganddrawing,leavingnomeansuntriedofdivertinghermindfromthemelancholyremembranceofthepast。Butshehadlovedtoofaithfully,shehadbeenwoundedtoodeeply,tofeelinanyadequatedegreetheinfluenceofthemoralremedieswhichsheemployed。
Personswhometwithherintheordinaryrelationsoflife,deceivedbyheroutwardserenityofmanner,agreedthat’MissLockwoodseemedtobegettingoverherdisappointment。’
ButanoldfriendandschoolcompanionwhohappenedtoseeherduringabriefvisittoLondon,wasinexpressiblydistressedbythechangethatshedetectedinAgnes。ThisladywasMrs。Westwick,thewifeofthatbrotherofLordMontbarrywhocamenexttohiminage,andwhowasdescribedinthe’Peerage’aspresumptiveheirtothetitle。
Hewasthenaway,lookingafterhisinterestsinsomeminingpropertywhichhepossessedinAmerica。Mrs。WestwickinsistedontakingAgnesbackwithhertoherhomeinIreland。’Comeandkeepmecompanywhilemyhusbandisaway。Mythreelittlegirlswillmakeyoutheirplayfellow,andtheonlystrangeryouwillmeetisthegoverness,whomIanswerforyourlikingbeforehand。Packupyourthings,andIwillcallforyouto-morrowonmywaytothetrain。’
Inthoseheartytermstheinvitationwasgiven。Agnesthankfullyacceptedit。Forthreehappymonthsshelivedundertheroofofherfriend。Thegirlshungroundherintearsatherdeparture;
theyoungestofthemwantedtogobackwithAgnestoLondon。
Halfinjest,halfinearnest,shesaidtoheroldfriendatparting,’Ifyourgovernessleavesyou,keeptheplaceopenforme。’
Mrs。Westwicklaughed。Thewiserchildrentookitseriously,andpromisedtoletAgnesknow。
OntheverydaywhenMissLockwoodreturnedtoLondon,shewasrecalledtothoseassociationswiththepastwhichshewasmostanxioustoforget。
Afterthefirstkissingsandgreetingswereover,theoldnurse(whohadbeenleftinchargeatthelodgings)hadsomestartlinginformationtocommunicate,derivedfromthecourier’swife。
’HerehasbeenlittleMrs。Ferrari,mydear,inadreadfulstateofmind,inquiringwhenyouwouldbeback。HerhusbandhasleftLordMontbarry,withoutawordofwarning——andnobodyknowswhathasbecomeofhim。’
Agneslookedatherinastonishment。’Areyousureofwhatyouaresaying?’sheasked。
Thenursewasquitesure。’Why,Lordblessyou!thenewscomesfromthecouriers’officeinGoldenSquare——fromthesecretary,MissAgnes,thesecretaryhimself!’Hearingthis,Agnesbegantofeelalarmedaswellassurprised。Itwasstillearlyintheevening。
SheatoncesentamessagetoMrs。Ferrari,tosaythatshehadreturned。
Inanhourmorethecourier’swifeappeared,inastateofagitationwhichitwasnoteasytocontrol。Hernarrative,whenshewasatlastabletospeakconnectedly,entirelyconfirmedthenurse’sreportofit。
AfterhearingfromherhusbandwithtolerableregularityfromParis,Rome,andVenice,Emilyhadtwicewrittentohimafterwards——
andhadreceivednoreply。Feelinguneasy,shehadgonetotheofficeinGoldenSquare,toinquireifhehadbeenheardofthere。
ThepostofthemorninghadbroughtalettertothesecretaryfromacourierthenatVenice。ItcontainedstartlingnewsofFerrari。
Hiswifehadbeenallowedtotakeacopyofit,whichshenowhandedtoAgnestoread。
ThewriterstatedthathehadrecentlyarrivedinVenice。
HehadpreviouslyheardthatFerrariwaswithLordandLadyMontbarry,atoneoftheoldVenetianpalaceswhichtheyhadhiredforaterm。
BeingafriendofFerrari,hehadgonetopayhimavisit。
Ringingatthedoorthatopenedonthecanal,andfailingtomakeanyonehearhim,hehadgoneroundtoasideentranceopeningononeofthenarrowlanesofVenice。Here,standingatthedoor(asifshewaswaitingforhimtotrythatwaynext),hefoundapalewomanwithmagnificentdarkeyes,whoprovedtobenootherthanLadyMontbarryherself。
Sheasked,inItalian,whathewanted。HeansweredthathewantedtoseethecourierFerrari,ifitwasquiteconvenient。
SheatonceinformedhimthatFerrarihadleftthepalace,withoutassigninganyreason,andwithoutevenleavinganaddressatwhichhismonthlysalary(thenduetohim)couldbepaid。Amazedatthisreply,thecourierinquiredifanypersonhadoffendedFerrari,orquarrelledwithhim。Theladyanswered,’Tomyknowledge,certainlynot。IamLadyMontbarry;andIcanpositivelyassureyouthatFerrariwastreatedwiththegreatestkindnessinthishouse。
Weareasmuchastonishedasyouareathisextraordinarydisappearance。
Ifyoushouldhearofhim,prayletusknow,sothatwemayatleastpayhimthemoneywhichisdue。’
Afteroneortwomorequestions(quitereadilyanswered)relatingtothedateandthetimeofdayatwhichFerrarihadleftthepalace,thecouriertookhisleave。
Heatonceenteredonthenecessaryinvestigations——withouttheslightestresultsofarasFerrariwasconcerned。Nobodyhadseenhim。
Nobodyappearedtohavebeentakenintohisconfidence。
Nobodyknewanything(thatistosay,anythingoftheslightestimportance)
evenaboutpersonssodistinguishedasLordandLadyMontbarry。
Itwasreportedthatherladyship’sEnglishmaidhadlefther,beforethedisappearanceofFerrari,toreturntoherrelativesinherowncountry,andthatLadyMontbarryhadtakennostepstosupplyherplace。Hislordshipwasdescribedasbeingindelicatehealth。
Helivedinthestrictestretirement——nobodywasadmittedtohim,notevenhisowncountrymen。Astupidoldwomanwasdiscoveredwhodidthehouseworkatthepalace,arrivinginthemorningandgoingawayagainatnight。Shehadneverseenthelostcourier——
shehadneverevenseenLordMontbarry,whowasthenconfinedtohisroom。Herladyship,’amostgraciousandadorablemistress,’
wasinconstantattendanceonhernoblehusband。Therewasnootherservanttheninthehouse(sofarastheoldwomanknew)
butherself。Themealsweresentinfromarestaurant。Mylord,itwassaid,dislikedstrangers。Mylord’sbrother-in-law,theBaron,wasgenerallyshutupinaremotepartofthepalace,occupied(thegraciousmistresssaid)withexperimentsinchemistry。
Theexperimentssometimesmadeanastysmell。Adoctorhadlatterlybeencalledintohislordship——anItaliandoctor,longresidentinVenice。
Inquiriesbeingaddressedtothisgentleman(aphysicianofundoubtedcapacityandrespectability),itturnedoutthathealsohadneverseenFerrari,havingbeensummonedtothepalace(ashismemorandumbookshowed)atadatesubsequenttothecourier’sdisappearance。
ThedoctordescribedLordMontbarry’smaladyasbronchitis。
Sofar,therewasnoreasontofeelanyanxiety,thoughtheattackwasasharpone。Ifalarmingsymptomsshouldappear,hehadarrangedwithherladyshiptocallinanotherphysician。
Fortherest,itwasimpossibletospeaktoohighlyofmylady;
nightandday,shewasatherlord’sbedside。
WiththeseparticularsbeganandendedthediscoveriesmadebyFerrari’scourier-friend。Thepolicewereonthelook-outforthelostman——
andthatwastheonlyhopewhichcouldbeheldforthforthepresent,toFerrari’swife。
’Whatdoyouthinkofit,Miss?’thepoorwomanaskedeagerly。
’Whatwouldyouadvisemetodo?’
Agneswasatalosshowtoanswerher;itwasanefforteventolistentowhatEmilywassaying。Thereferencesinthecourier’slettertoMontbarry——thereportofhisillness,themelancholypictureofhissecludedlife——hadreopenedtheoldwound。
ShewasnoteventhinkingofthelostFerrari;hermindwasatVenice,bythesickman’sbedside。
’Ihardlyknowwhattosay,’sheanswered。’Ihavehadnoexperienceinseriousmattersofthiskind。’
’Doyouthinkitwouldhelpyou,Miss,ifyoureadmyhusband’sletterstome?Thereareonlythreeofthem——theywon’ttakelongtoread。’
Agnescompassionatelyreadtheletters。
Theywerenotwritteninaverytendertone。’DearEmily,’
and’Yoursaffectionately’——theseconventionalphrases,weretheonlyphrasesofendearmentwhichtheycontained。
Inthefirstletter,LordMontbarrywasnotveryfavourablyspokenof:——’WeleaveParisto-morrow。Idon’tmuchlikemylord。
Heisproudandcold,and,betweenourselves,stingyinmoneymatters。
Ihavehadtodisputesuchtriflesasafewcentimesinthehotelbill;
andtwicealready,somesharpremarkshavepassedbetweenthenewly-marriedcouple,inconsequenceofherladyship’sfreedominpurchasingprettytemptingthingsattheshopsinParis。
\"Ican’taffordit;youmustkeeptoyourallowance。\"Shehashadtohearthosewordsalready。Formypart,Ilikeher。Shehasthenice,easyforeignmanners——shetalkstomeasifIwasahumanbeinglikeherself。’
ThesecondletterwasdatedfromRome。
’Mylord’scaprices’(Ferrariwrote)’havekeptusperpetuallyonthemove。Heisbecomingincurablyrestless。Isuspectheisuneasyinhismind。Painfulrecollections,Ishouldsay——Ifindhimconstantlyreadingoldletters,whenherladyshipisnotpresent。
WeweretohavestoppedatGenoa,buthehurrieduson。ThesamethingatFlorence。Here,atRome,myladyinsistsonresting。
Herbrotherhasmetusatthisplace。Therehasbeenaquarrelalready(thelady’smaidtellsme)betweenmylordandtheBaron。Thelatterwantedtoborrowmoneyoftheformer。HislordshiprefusedinlanguagewhichoffendedBaronRivar。Myladypacifiedthem,andmadethemshakehands。’
Thethird,andlastletter,wasfromVenice。
’Moreofmylord’seconomy!Insteadofstayingatthehotel,wehavehiredadamp,mouldy,ramblingoldpalace。Myladyinsistsonhavingthebestsuitesofroomswhereverwego——andthepalacecomescheaperforatwomonths’term。Mylordtriedtogetitforlonger;hesaysthequietofVeniceisgoodforhisnerves。
Butaforeignspeculatorhassecuredthepalace,andisgoingtoturnitintoanhotel。TheBaronisstillwithus,andtherehavebeenmoredisagreementsaboutmoneymatters。Idon’tliketheBaron——
andIdon’tfindtheattractionsofmyladygrowonme。ShewasmuchnicerbeforetheBaronjoinedus。Mylordisapunctualpaymaster;
it’samatterofhonourwithhim;hehatespartingwithhismoney,buthedoesitbecausehehasgivenhisword。Ireceivemysalaryregularlyattheendofeachmonth——notafrancextra,thoughI
havedonemanythingswhicharenotpartofacourier’sproperwork。
FancytheBarontryingtoborrowmoneyofme!heisaninveterategambler。
Ididn’tbelieveitwhenmylady’smaidfirsttoldmeso——
butIhaveseenenoughsincetosatisfymethatshewasright。
Ihaveseenotherthingsbesides,which——well!whichdon’tincreasemyrespectformyladyandtheBaron。Themaidsaysshemeanstogivewarningtoleave。SheisarespectableBritishfemale,anddoesn’ttakethingsquitesoeasilyasIdo。Itisadulllifehere。
Nogoingintocompany——nocompanyathome——notacreatureseesmylord——
noteventheconsul,orthebanker。Whenhegoesout,hegoesalone,andgenerallytowardsnightfall。Indoors,heshutshimselfupinhisownroomwithhisbooks,andseesaslittleofhiswifeandtheBaronaspossible。Ifancythingsarecomingtoacrisishere。
Ifmylord’ssuspicionsareonceawakened,theconsequenceswillbeterrible。Undercertainprovocations,thenobleMontbarryisamanwhowouldstickatnothing。However,thepayisgood——
andIcan’taffordtotalkofleavingtheplace,likemylady’smaid。’
Agneshandedbacktheletters——sosuggestiveofthepenaltypaidalreadyforhisowninfatuationbythemanwhohaddesertedher!——
withfeelingsofshameanddistress,whichmadehernofitcounsellorforthehelplesswomanwhodependedonheradvice。
’TheonethingIcansuggest,’shesaid,afterfirstspeakingsomekindwordsofcomfortandhope,’isthatweshouldconsultapersonofgreaterexperiencethanours。SupposeIwriteandaskmylawyer(whoisalsomyfriendandtrustee)tocomeandadviseusto-morrowafterhisbusinesshours?’
Emilyeagerlyandgratefullyacceptedthesuggestion。Anhourwasarrangedforthemeetingonthenextday;thecorrespondencewasleftunderthecareofAgnes;andthecourier’swifetookherleave。
Wearyandheartsick,Agneslaydownonthesofa,torestandcomposeherself。Thecarefulnursebroughtinarevivingcupoftea。
HerquaintgossipaboutherselfandheroccupationswhileAgneshadbeenaway,actedasarelieftohermistress’soverburdenedmind。
Theywerestilltalkingquietly,whentheywerestartledbyaloudknockatthehousedoor。Hurriedfootstepsascendedthestairs。
Thedoorofthesitting-roomwasthrownopenviolently;
thecourier’swiferushedinlikeamadwoman。’He’sdead!
They’vemurderedhim!’Thosewildwordswereallshecouldsay。
Shedroppedonherkneesatthefootofthesofa——heldoutherhandwithsomethingclaspedinit——andfellbackinaswoon。
Thenurse,signingtoAgnestoopenthewindow,tookthenecessarymeasurestorestorethefaintingwoman。’What’sthis?’sheexclaimed。
’Here’saletterinherhand。Seewhatitis,Miss。’
Theopenenvelopewasaddressed(evidentlyinafeignedhand-writing)
to’Mrs。Ferrari。’Thepost-markwas’Venice。’Thecontentsoftheenvelopewereasheetofforeignnote-paper,andafoldedenclosure。
Onthenote-paper,onelineonlywaswritten。Itwasagaininafeignedhandwriting,anditcontainedthesewords:
’Toconsoleyouforthelossofyourhusband’
Agnesopenedtheenclosurenext。
ItwasaBankofEnglandnoteforathousandpounds。
CHAPTERVI
Thenextday,thefriendandlegaladviserofAgnesLockwood,Mr。Troy,calledonherbyappointmentintheevening。
Mrs。Ferrari——stillpersistingintheconvictionofherhusband’sdeath——
hadsufficientlyrecoveredtobepresentattheconsultation。
AssistedbyAgnes,shetoldthelawyerthelittlethatwasknownrelatingtoFerrari’sdisappearance,andthenproducedthecorrespondenceconnectedwiththatevent。Mr。Troyread(first)thethreelettersaddressedbyFerraritohiswife;
(secondly)theletterwrittenbyFerrari’scourier-friend,describinghisvisittothepalaceandhisinterviewwithLadyMontbarry;and(thirdly)theonelineofanonymouswritingwhichhadaccompaniedtheextraordinarygiftofathousandpoundstoFerrari’swife。
Wellknown,atalaterperiod,asthelawyerwhoactedforLadyLydiard,inthecaseoftheft,generallydescribedasthecaseof’MyLady’sMoney,’
Mr。Troywasnotonlyamanoflearningandexperienceinhisprofession——
hewasalsoamanwhohadseensomethingofsocietyathomeandabroad。
Hepossessedakeeneyeforcharacter,aquainthumour,andakindlynaturewhichhadnotbeendeterioratedevenbyalawyer’sprofessionalexperienceofmankind。Withallthesepersonaladvantages,itisaquestion,nevertheless,whetherhewasthefittestadviserwhomAgnescouldhavechosenunderthecircumstances。LittleMrs。Ferrari,withmanydomesticmerits,wasanessentiallycommonplacewoman。
Mr。Troywasthelastpersonlivingwhowaslikelytoattracthersympathies——hewastheexactoppositeofacommonplaceman。
’Shelooksveryill,poorthing!’Inthesewordsthelawyeropenedthebusinessoftheevening,referringtoMrs。Ferrariasunceremoniouslyasifshehadbeenoutoftheroom。
’Shehassufferedaterribleshock,’Agnesanswered。
Mr。TroyturnedtoMrs。Ferrari,andlookedatheragain,withtheinterestduetothevictimofashock。Hedrummedabsentlywithhisfingersonthetable。Atlasthespoketoher。
’Mygoodlady,youdon’treallybelievethatyourhusbandisdead?’
Mrs。Ferrariputherhandkerchieftohereyes。Theword’dead’wasineffectualtoexpressherfeelings。’Murdered!’shesaidsternly,behindherhandkerchief。
’Why?Andbywhom?’Mr。Troyasked。
Mrs。Ferrariseemedtohavesomedifficultyinanswering。
’Youhavereadmyhusband’sletters,sir,’shebegan。’Ibelievehediscovered——’Shegotasfarasthat,andthereshestopped。
’Whatdidhediscover?’
Therearelimitstohumanpatience——eventhepatienceofabereavedwife。
ThiscoolquestionirritatedMrs。Ferrariintoexpressingherselfplainlyatlast。
’HediscoveredLadyMontbarryandtheBaron!’sheanswered,withaburstofhystericalvehemence。’TheBaronisnomorethatvilewoman’sbrotherthanIam。Thewickednessofthosetwowretchescametomypoordearhusband’sknowledge。Thelady’smaidleftherplaceonaccountofit。IfFerrarihadgoneawaytoo,hewouldhavebeenaliveatthismoment。Theyhavekilledhim。
Isaytheyhavekilledhim,topreventitfromgettingtoLordMontbarry’sears。’So,inshortsharpsentences,andinlouderandlouderaccents,Mrs。Ferraristatedheropinionofthecase。
Stillkeepinghisownviewinreserve,Mr。Troylistenedwithanexpressionofsatiricalapproval。
’Verystronglystated,Mrs。Ferrari,’hesaid。’Youbuildupyoursentenceswell;youclinchyourconclusionsinaworkmanlikemanner。
Ifyouhadbeenaman,youwouldhavemadeagoodlawyer——
youwouldhavetakenjuriesbythescruffoftheirnecks。
Completethecase,mygoodlady——completethecase。
Tellusnextwhosentyouthisletter,enclosingthebank-note。
The\"twowretches\"whomurderedMr。Ferrariwouldhardlyputtheirhandsintheirpocketsandsendyouathousandpounds。
Whoisit——eh?Iseethepost-markontheletteris\"Venice。\"
Haveyouanyfriendinthatinterestingcity,withalargeheart,andapursetocorrespond,whohasbeenletintothesecretandwhowishestoconsoleyouanonymously?’
Itwasnoteasytoreplytothis。Mrs。FerraribegantofeelthefirstinwardapproachesofsomethinglikehatredtowardsMr。Troy。
’Idon’tunderstandyou,sir,’sheanswered。’Idon’tthinkthisisajokingmatter。’
Agnesinterfered,forthefirsttime。Shedrewherchairalittlenearertoherlegalcounsellorandfriend。
’Whatisthemostprobableexplanation,inyouropinion?’
sheasked。
’IshalloffendMrs。FerrariifItellyou,’Mr。Troyanswered。
’No,sir,youwon’t!’criedMrs。Ferrari,hatingMr。Troyundisguisedlybythistime。
Thelawyerleanedbackinhischair。’Verywell,’hesaid,inhismostgood-humouredmanner。’Let’shaveitout。Observe,madam,Idon’tdisputeyourviewofthepositionofaffairsatthepalaceinVenice。Youhaveyourhusband’sletterstojustifyyou;
andyouhavealsothesignificantfactthatLadyMontbarry’smaiddidreallyleavethehouse。Wewillsay,then,thatLordMontbarryhaspresumablybeenmadethevictimofafoulwrong——
thatMr。Ferrariwasthefirsttofinditout——andthattheguiltypersonshadreasontofear,notonlythathewouldacquaintLordMontbarrywithhisdiscovery,butthathewouldbeaprincipalwitnessagainstthemifthescandalwasmadepublicinacourtoflaw。
Nowmark!Admittingallthis,Idrawatotallydifferentconclusionfromtheconclusionatwhichyouhavearrived。
Hereisyourhusbandleftinthismiserablehouseholdofthree,underveryawkwardcircumstancesforhim。Whatdoeshedo?
Butforthebank-noteandthewrittenmessagesenttoyouwithit,Ishouldsaythathehadwiselywithdrawnhimselffromassociationwithadisgracefuldiscoveryandexposure,bytakingsecretlytoflight。