Themoneymodifiesthisview——unfavourablysofarasMr。Ferrariisconcerned。Istillbelieveheiskeepingoutoftheway。ButI
nowsayheispaidforkeepingoutoftheway——andthatbank-notethereonthetableisthepriceofhisabsence,sentbytheguiltypersonstohiswife。’
Mrs。Ferrari’swaterygreyeyesbrightenedsuddenly;Mrs。Ferrari’sdulldrab-colouredcomplexionbecameenlivenedbyaglowofbrilliantred。
’It’sfalse!’shecried。’It’saburningshametospeakofmyhusbandinthatway!’
’ItoldyouIshouldoffendyou!’saidMr。Troy。
Agnesinterposedoncemore——intheinterestsofpeace。Shetooktheoffendedwife’shand;sheappealedtothelawyertoreconsiderthatsideofhistheorywhichreflectedharshlyonFerrari。
Whileshewasstillspeaking,theservantinterruptedherbyenteringtheroomwithavisiting-card。ItwasthecardofHenryWestwick;
andtherewasanominousrequestwrittenonitinpencil。
’Ibringbadnews。Letmeseeyouforaminutedownstairs。’
Agnesimmediatelylefttheroom。
AlonewithMrs。Ferrari,Mr。Troypermittedhisnaturalkindnessofhearttoshowitselfonthesurfaceatlast。Hetriedtomakehispeacewiththecourier’swife。
’Youhaveeveryclaim,mygoodsoul,toresentareflectioncastuponyourhusband,’hebegan。’ImayevensaythatIrespectyouforspeakingsowarmlyinhisdefence。Atthesametime,remember,thatIambound,insuchaseriousmatterasthis,totellyouwhatisreallyinmymind。
Icanhavenointentionofoffendingyou,seeingthatIamatotalstrangertoyouandtoMr。Ferrari。Athousandpoundsisalargesumofmoney;andapoormanmayexcusablybetemptedbyittodonothingworsethantokeepoutofthewayforawhile。
Myonlyinterest,actingonyourbehalf,istogetatthetruth。
Ifyouwillgivemetime,Iseenoreasontodespairoffindingyourhusbandyet。’
Ferrari’swifelistened,withoutbeingconvinced:hernarrowlittlemind,filledtoitsextremecapacitybyherunfavourableopinionofMr。Troy,hadnoroomleftfortheprocessofcorrectingitsfirstimpression。
’Iammuchobligedtoyou,sir,’wasallshesaid。Hereyesweremorecommunicative——hereyesadded,intheirlanguage,’Youmaysaywhatyouplease;Iwillneverforgiveyoutomydyingday。’
Mr。Troygaveitup。Hecomposedlywheeledhischairaround,puthishandsinhispockets,andlookedoutofwindow。
Afteranintervalofsilence,thedrawing-roomdoorwasopened。
Mr。Troywheeledroundagainbrisklytothetable,expectingtoseeAgnes。
Tohissurprisethereappeared,inherplace,aperfectstrangertohim——
agentleman,intheprimeoflife,withamarkedexpressionofpainandembarrassmentonhishandsomeface。HelookedatMr。Troy,andbowedgravely。
’IamsounfortunateastohavebroughtnewstoMissAgnesLockwoodwhichhasgreatlydistressedher,’hesaid。’Shehasretiredtoherroom。
Iamrequestedtomakeherexcuses,andtospeaktoyouinherplace。’
Havingintroducedhimselfinthoseterms,henoticedMrs。Ferrari,andheldouthishandtoherkindly。’Itissomeyearssincewelastmet,Emily,’hesaid。’Iamafraidyouhavealmostforgottenthe\"MasterHenry\"ofoldtimes。’Emily,insomelittleconfusion,madeheracknowledgments,andbeggedtoknowifshecouldbeofanyusetoMissLockwood。’Theoldnurseiswithher,’Henryanswered;
’theywillbebetterlefttogether。’HeturnedoncemoretoMr。Troy。
’Ioughttotellyou,’hesaid,’thatmynameisHenryWestwick。IamtheyoungerbrotherofthelateLordMontbarry。’
’ThelateLordMontbarry!’Mr。Troyexclaimed。
’MybrotherdiedatVeniceyesterdayevening。Thereisthetelegram。’
Withthatstartlinganswer,hehandedthepapertoMr。Troy。
Themessagewasinthesewords:
’LadyMontbarry,Venice。ToStephenRobertWestwick,Newbury’sHotel,London。Itisuselesstotakethejourney。
LordMontbarrydiedofbronchitis,at8。40thisevening。
Allneedfuldetailsbypost。’
’Wasthisexpected,sir?’thelawyerasked。
’Icannotsaythatithastakenusentirelybysurprise,Henryanswered。
’MybrotherStephen(whoisnowtheheadofthefamily)receivedatelegramthreedayssince,informinghimthatalarmingsymptomshaddeclaredthemselves,andthatasecondphysicianhadbeencalledin。
HetelegraphedbacktosaythathehadleftIrelandforLondon,onhiswaytoVenice,andtodirectthatanyfurthermessagemightbesenttohishotel。Thereplycameinasecondtelegram。
ItannouncedthatLordMontbarrywasinastateofinsensibility,andthat,inhisbriefintervalsofconsciousness,herecognisednobody。
MybrotherwasadvisedtowaitinLondonforlaterinformation。
Thethirdtelegramisnowinyourhands。ThatisallIknow,uptothepresenttime。’
Happeningtolookatthecourier’swife,Mr。Troywasstruckbytheexpressionofblankfearwhichshoweditselfinthewoman’sface。
’Mrs。Ferrari,’hesaid,’haveyouheardwhatMr。Westwickhasjusttoldme?’
’Everywordofit,sir。’
’Haveyouanyquestionstoask?’
’No,sir。’
’Youseemtobealarmed,’thelawyerpersisted。’Isitstillaboutyourhusband?’
’Ishallneverseemyhusbandagain,sir。Ihavethoughtsoallalong,asyouknow。Ifeelsureofitnow。’
’Sureofit,afterwhatyouhavejustheard?’
’Yes,sir。’
’Canyoutellmewhy?’
’No,sir。It’safeelingIhave。Ican’ttellwhy。’
’Oh,afeeling?’Mr。Troyrepeated,inatoneofcompassionatecontempt。
’Whenitcomestofeelings,mygoodsoul——!’Heleftthesentenceunfinished,androsetotakehisleaveofMr。Westwick。Thetruthis,hebegantofeelpuzzledhimself,andhedidnotchoosetoletMrs。Ferrariseeit。’Accepttheexpressionofmysympathy,sir,’
hesaidtoMr。Westwickpolitely。’Iwishyougoodevening。’
HenryturnedtoMrs。Ferrariasthelawyerclosedthedoor。
’Ihaveheardofyourtrouble,Emily,fromMissLockwood。IsthereanythingIcandotohelpyou?’
’Nothing,sir,thankyou。Perhaps,Ihadbettergohomeafterwhathashappened?Iwillcallto-morrow,andseeifIcanbeofanyusetoMissAgnes。Iamverysorryforher。’Shestoleaway,withherformalcurtsey,hernoiselessstep,andherobstinateresolutiontotakethegloomiestviewofherhusband’scase。
HenryWestwicklookedroundhiminthesolitudeofthelittledrawing-room。
Therewasnothingtokeephiminthehouse,andyethelingeredinit。
ItwassomethingtobeevennearAgnes——toseethethingsbelongingtoherthatwerescatteredabouttheroom。There,inthecorner,washerchair,withherembroideryonthework-tablebyitsside。
Onthelittleeaselnearthewindowwasherlastdrawing,notquitefinishedyet。Thebookshehadbeenreadinglayonthesofa,withhertinypencil-caseinittomarktheplaceatwhichshehadleftoff。Oneafteranother,helookedattheobjectsthatremindedhimofthewomanwhomheloved——tookthemuptenderly——
andlaidthemdownagainwithasigh。Ah,howfar,howunattainablyfarfromhim,shewasstill!’ShewillneverforgetMontbarry,’
hethoughttohimselfashetookuphishattogo。’Notoneofusfeelshisdeathasshefeelsit。Miserable,miserablewretch——howshelovedhim!’
Inthestreet,asHenryclosedthehouse-door,hewasstoppedbyapassingacquaintance——awearisomeinquisitiveman——
doublyunwelcometohim,atthatmoment。’Sadnews,Westwick,thisaboutyourbrother。Ratheranunexpecteddeath,wasn’tit?
WeneverheardattheclubthatMontbarry’slungswereweak。
Whatwilltheinsuranceofficesdo?’
Henrystarted;hehadneverthoughtofhisbrother’slifeinsurance。
Whatcouldtheofficesdobutpay?Adeathbybronchitis,certifiedbytwophysicians,wassurelytheleastdisputableofalldeaths。’Iwishyouhadn’tputthatquestionintomyhead!’hebrokeoutirritably。
’Ah!’saidhisfriend,’youthinkthewidowwillgetthemoney?
SodoI!sodoI!’
CHAPTERVII
Somedayslater,theinsuranceoffices(twoinnumber)
receivedtheformalannouncementofLordMontbarry’sdeath,fromherladyship’sLondonsolicitors。Thesuminsuredineachofficewasfivethousandpounds——onwhichoneyear’spremiumonlyhadbeenpaid。Inthefaceofsuchapecuniaryemergencyasthis,theDirectorsthoughtitdesirabletoconsidertheirposition。
Themedicaladvisersofthetwooffices,whohadrecommendedtheinsuranceofLordMontbarry’slife,werecalledintocouncilovertheirownreports。Theresultexcitedsomeinterestamongpersonsconnectedwiththebusinessoflifeinsurance。
Withoutabsolutelydecliningtopaythemoney,thetwooffices(actinginconcert)decidedonsendingacommissionofinquirytoVenice,’forthepurposeofobtainingfurtherinformation。’
Mr。Troyreceivedtheearliestintelligenceofwhatwasgoingon。
HewroteatoncetocommunicatehisnewstoAgnes;adding,whatheconsideredtobeavaluablehint,inthesewords:
’Youareintimatelyacquainted,Iknow,withLadyBarville,thelateLordMontbarry’seldestsister。Thesolicitorsemployedbyherhusbandarealsothesolicitorstooneofthetwoinsuranceoffices。
TheremaypossiblybesomethinginthereportofthecommissionofinquirytouchingonFerrari’sdisappearance。Ordinarypersonswouldnotbepermitted,ofcourse,toseesuchadocument。
Butasisterofthelatelordissoneararelativeastobeanexceptiontogeneralrules。IfSirTheodoreBarvilleputsitonthatfooting,thelawyers,eveniftheydonotallowhiswifetolookatthereport,willatleastansweranydiscreetquestionsshemayaskreferringtoit。Letmehearwhatyouthinkofthissuggestion,atyourearliestconvenience。’
Thereplywasreceivedbyreturnofpost。AgnesdeclinedtoavailherselfofMr。Troy’sproposal。
’Myinterference,innocentasitwas,’shewrote,’hasalreadybeenproductiveofsuchdeplorableresults,thatIcannotanddarenotstiranyfurtherinthecaseofFerrari。
IfIhadnotconsentedtoletthatunfortunatemanrefertomebyname,thelateLordMontbarrywouldneverhaveengagedhim,andhiswifewouldhavebeensparedthemiseryandsuspensefromwhichsheissufferingnow。Iwouldnotevenlookatthereporttowhichyoualludeifitwasplacedinmyhands——IhaveheardmorethanenoughalreadyofthathideouslifeinthepalaceatVenice。
IfMrs。FerrarichoosestoaddressherselftoLadyBarville(withyourassistance),thatisofcoursequiteanotherthing。
But,eveninthiscase,Imustmakeitapositiveconditionthatmynameshallnotbementioned。Forgiveme,dearMr。Troy!
Iamveryunhappy,andveryunreasonable——butIamonlyawoman,andyoumustnotexpecttoomuchfromme。’
Foiledinthisdirection,thelawyernextadvisedmakingtheattempttodiscoverthepresentaddressofLadyMontbarry’sEnglishmaid。
Thisexcellentsuggestionhadonedrawback:itcouldonlybecarriedoutbyspendingmoney——andtherewasnomoneytospend。
Mrs。Ferrarishrankfromthebareideaofmakinganyuseofthethousand-poundnote。Ithadbeendepositedinthesafekeepingofabank。Ifitwasevenmentionedinherhearing,sheshudderedandreferredtoit,withmelodramaticfervour,as’myhusband’sblood-money!’
So,understressofcircumstances,theattempttosolvethemysteryofFerrari’sdisappearancewassuspendedforawhile。
Itwasthelastmonthoftheyear1860。Thecommissionofinquirywasalreadyatwork;havingbegunitsinvestigationsonDecember6。
Onthe10th,thetermforwhichthelateLordMontbarryhadhiredtheVenetianpalace,expired。NewsbytelegramreachedtheinsuranceofficesthatLadyMontbarryhadbeenadvisedbyherlawyerstoleaveforLondonwithaslittledelayaspossible。BaronRivar,itwasbelieved,wouldaccompanyhertoEngland,butwouldnotremaininthatcountry,unlesshisserviceswereabsolutelyrequiredbyherladyship。
TheBaron,’wellknownasanenthusiasticstudentofchemistry,’
hadheardofcertainrecentdiscoveriesinconnectionwiththatscienceintheUnitedStates,andwasanxioustoinvestigatethempersonally。
Theseitemsofnews,collectedbyMr。Troy,weredulycommunicatedtoMrs。Ferrari,whoseanxietyaboutherhusbandmadeherafrequent,atoofrequent,visitoratthelawyer’soffice。Sheattemptedtorelatewhatshehadheardtohergoodfriendandprotectress。
Agnessteadilyrefusedtolisten,andpositivelyforbadeanyfurtherconversationrelatingtoLordMontbarry’swife,nowthatLordMontbarrywasnomore。’YouhaveMr。Troytoadviseyou,’shesaid;
’andyouarewelcometowhatlittlemoneyIcanspare,ifmoneyiswanted。AllIaskinreturnisthatyouwillnotdistressme。
Iamtryingtoseparatemyselffromremembrances——’hervoicefaltered;
shepausedtocontrolherself——’fromremembrances,’sheresumed,’whicharesadderthaneversinceIhaveheardofLordMontbarry’sdeath。
Helpmebyyoursilencetorecovermyspirits,ifIcan。Letmehearnothingmore,untilIcanrejoicewithyouthatyourhusbandisfound。’
Timeadvancedtothe13thofthemonth;andmoreinformationoftheinterestingsortreachedMr。Troy。Thelaboursoftheinsurancecommissionhadcometoanend——thereporthadbeenreceivedfromVeniceonthatday。
CHAPTERVIII
Onthe14ththeDirectorsandtheirlegaladvisersmetforthereadingofthereport,withcloseddoors。ThesewerethetermsinwhichtheCommissionersrelatedtheresultsoftheirinquiry:
’Privateandconfidential。
’WehavethehonourtoinformourDirectorsthatwearrivedinVeniceonDecember6,1860。OnthesamedayweproceededtothepalaceinhabitedbyLordMontbarryatthetimeofhislastillnessanddeath。
’WewerereceivedwithallpossiblecourtesybyLadyMontbarry’sbrother,BaronRivar。\"Mysisterwasherhusband’sonlyattendantthroughouthisillness,\"theBaroninformedus。\"Sheisoverwhelmedbygriefandfatigue——orshewouldhavebeenheretoreceiveyoupersonally。
Whatareyourwishes,gentlemen?andwhatcanIdoforyouinherladyship’splace?\"
’Inaccordancewithourinstructions,weansweredthatthedeathandburialofLordMontbarryabroadmadeitdesirabletoobtainmorecompleteinformationrelatingtohisillness,andtothecircumstanceswhichhadattendedit,thancouldbeconveyedinwriting。
Weexplainedthatthelawprovidedforthelapseofacertainintervaloftimebeforethepaymentofthesumassured,andweexpressedourwishtoconducttheinquirywiththemostrespectfulconsiderationforherladyship’sfeelings,andfortheconvenienceofanyothermembersofthefamilyinhabitingthehouse。
’TothistheBaronreplied,\"Iamtheonlymemberofthefamilylivinghere,andIandthepalaceareentirelyatyourdisposal。\"
Fromfirsttolastwefoundthisgentlemanperfectlystraighforward,andmostamiablywillingtoassistus。
’Withtheoneexceptionofherladyship’sroom,wewentoverthewholeofthepalacethesameday。Itisanimmenseplaceonlypartiallyfurnished。ThefirstfloorandpartofthesecondfloorweretheportionsofitthathadbeeninhabitedbyLordMontbarryandthemembersofthehousehold。Wesawthebedchamber,atoneextremityofthepalace,inwhichhislordshipdied,andthesmallroomcommunicatingwithit,whichheusedasastudy。
Nexttothiswasalargeapartmentorhall,thedoorsofwhichhehabituallykeptlocked,hisobjectbeing(aswewereinformed)
topursuehisstudiesuninterruptedlyinperfectsolitude。
Ontheothersideofthelargehallwerethebedchamberoccupiedbyherladyship,andthedressing-roominwhichthemaidsleptprevioustoherdepartureforEngland。Beyondthesewerethediningandreceptionrooms,openingintoanantechamber,whichgaveaccesstothegrandstaircaseofthepalace。
’Theonlyinhabitedroomsonthesecondfloorwerethesitting-roomandbedroomoccupiedbyBaronRivar,andanotherroomatsomedistancefromit,whichhadbeenthebedroomofthecourierFerrari。
’Theroomsonthethirdfloorandonthebasementwerecompletelyunfurnished,andinaconditionofgreatneglect。
Weinquirediftherewasanythingtobeseenbelowthebasement——
andwewereatonceinformedthattherewerevaultsbeneath,whichwewereatperfectlibertytovisit。
’Wewentdown,soastoleavenopartofthepalaceunexplored。
Thevaultswere,itwasbelieved,usedasdungeonsintheoldtimes——
say,somecenturiessince。Airandlightwereonlypartiallyadmittedtothesedismalplacesbytwolongshaftsofwindingconstruction,whichcommunicatedwiththebackyardofthepalace,andtheopeningsofwhich,highabovetheground,wereprotectedbyirongratings。
Thestonestairsleadingdownintothevaultscouldbeclosedatwillbyaheavytrap-doorinthebackhall,whichwefoundopen。
TheBaronhimselfledthewaydownthestairs。Weremarkedthatitmightbeawkwardifthattrap-doorfelldownandclosedtheopeningbehindus。
TheBaronsmiledattheidea。\"Don’tbealarmed,gentlemen,\"hesaid;
\"thedoorissafe。Ihadaninterestinseeingtoitmyself,whenwefirstinhabitedthepalace。Myfavouritestudyisthestudyofexperimentalchemistry——andmyworkshop,sincewehavebeeninVenice,isdownhere。\"
’Theselastwordsexplainedacurioussmellinthevaults,whichwenoticedthemomentweenteredthem。Wecanonlydescribethesmellbysayingthatitwasofatwofoldsort——faintlyaromatic,asitwere,initsfirsteffect,butwithsomeafter-odourverysickeninginournostrils。TheBaron’sfurnacesandretorts,andotherthings,werealltheretospeakforthemselves,togetherwithsomepackagesofchemicals,havingthenameandaddressofthepersonwhohadsuppliedthemplainlyvisibleontheirlabels。
\"Notapleasantplaceforstudy,\"BaronRivarobserved,\"butmysisteristimid。Shehasahorrorofchemicalsmellsandexplosions——
andshehasbanishedmetotheselowerregions,sothatmyexperimentsmayneitherbesmeltnorheard。\"Heheldouthishands,onwhichwehadnoticedthatheworeglovesinthehouse。\"Accidentswillhappensometimes,\"hesaid,\"nomatterhowcarefulamanmaybe。
Iburntmyhandsseverelyintryinganewcombinationtheotherday,andtheyareonlyrecoveringnow。\"
’Wementiontheseotherwiseunimportantincidents,inordertoshowthatourexplorationofthepalacewasnotimpededbyanyattemptatconcealment。Wewereevenadmittedtoherladyship’sownroom——
onasubsequentoccasion,whenshewentouttotaketheair。
Ourinstructionsrecommendedustoexaminehislordship’sresidence,becausetheextremeprivacyofhislifeatVenice,andtheremarkabledepartureoftheonlytwoservantsinthehouse,mighthavesomesuspiciousconnectionwiththenatureofhisdeath。
Wefoundnothingtojustifysuspicion。
’Astohislordship’sretiredwayoflife,wehaveconversedonthesubjectwiththeconsulandthebanker——theonlytwostrangerswhoheldanycommunicationwithhim。Hecalledonceatthebanktoobtainmoneyonhisletterofcredit,andexcusedhimselffromacceptinganinvitationtovisitthebankerathisprivateresidence,onthegroundofdelicatehealth。Hislordshipwrotetothesameeffectonsendinghiscardtotheconsul,toexcusehimselffrompersonallyreturningthatgentleman’svisittothepalace。
Wehaveseentheletter,andwebegtoofferthefollowingcopyofit。
\"ManyyearspassedinIndiahaveinjuredmyconstitution。
Ihaveceasedtogointosociety;theoneoccupationofmylifenowisthestudyofOrientalliterature。TheairofItalyisbetterformethantheairofEngland,orIshouldneverhavelefthome。
Prayaccepttheapologiesofastudentandaninvalid。Theactivepartofmylifeisatanend。\"Theself-seclusionofhislordshipseemstoustobeexplainedinthesebrieflines。Wehavenot,however,onthataccountsparedourinquiriesinotherdirections。
Nothingtoexciteasuspicionofanythingwronghascometoourknowledge。
’Astothedepartureofthelady’smaid,wehaveseenthewoman’sreceiptforherwages,inwhichitisexpresslystatedthatsheleftLadyMontbarry’sservicebecauseshedislikedtheContinent,andwishedtogetbacktoherowncountry。ThisisnotanuncommonresultoftakingEnglishservantstoforeignparts。
LadyMontbarryhasinformedusthatsheabstainedfromengaginganothermaidinconsequenceoftheextremedislikewhichhislordshipexpressedtohavingstrangersinthehouse,inthestateofhishealthatthattime。
’ThedisappearanceofthecourierFerrariis,initself,unquestionablyasuspiciouscircumstance。NeitherherladyshipnortheBaroncanexplainit;andnoinvestigationthatwecouldmakehasthrownthesmallestlightonthisevent,orhasjustifiedusinassociatingit,directlyorindirectly,withtheobjectofourinquiry。
WehaveevengonethelengthofexaminingtheportmanteauwhichFerrarileftbehindhim。Itcontainsnothingbutclothesandlinen——
nomoney,andnotevenascrapofpaperinthepocketsoftheclothes。
Theportmanteauremainsinchargeofthepolice。
’WehavealsofoundopportunitiesofspeakingprivatelytotheoldwomanwhoattendstotheroomsoccupiedbyherladyshipandtheBaron。
Shewasrecommendedtofillthissituationbythekeeperoftherestaurantwhohassuppliedthemealstothefamilythroughouttheperiodoftheirresidenceatthepalace。Hercharacterismostfavourablyspokenof。Unfortunately,herlimitedintelligencemakesherofnovalueasawitness。Wewerepatientandcarefulinquestioningher,andwefoundherperfectlywillingtoanswerus;butwecouldelicitnothingwhichisworthincludinginthepresentreport。
’Ontheseconddayofourinquiries,wehadthehonourofaninterviewwithLadyMontbarry。Herladyshiplookedmiserablywornandill,andseemedtobequiteatalosstounderstandwhatwewantedwithher。
BaronRivar,whointroducedus,explainedthenatureofourerrandinVenice,andtookpainstoassureherthatitwasapurelyformaldutyonwhichwewereengaged。Havingsatisfiedherladyshiponthispoint,hediscreetlylefttheroom。
’ThequestionswhichweaddressedtoLadyMontbarryrelatedmainly,ofcourse,tohislordship’sillness。Theanswers,givenwithgreatnervousnessofmanner,butwithouttheslightestappearanceofreserve,informedusofthefactsthatfollow:
’LordMontbarryhadbeenoutoforderforsometimepast——
nervousandirritable。HefirstcomplainedofhavingtakencoldonNovember13last;hepassedawakefulandfeverishnight,andremainedinbedthenextday。Herladyshipproposedsendingformedicaladvice。
Herefusedtoallowhertodothis,sayingthathecouldquiteeasilybehisowndoctorinsuchatriflingmatterasacold。Somehotlemonadewasmadeathisrequest,withaviewtoproducingperspiration。
LadyMontbarry’smaidhavingleftheratthattime,thecourierFerrari(thentheonlyservantinthehouse)wentouttobuythelemons。
Herladyshipmadethedrinkwithherownhands。Itwassuccessfulinproducingperspiration——andLordMontbarryhadsomehoursofsleepafterwards。Laterintheday,havingneedofFerrari’sservices,LadyMontbarryrangforhim。Thebellwasnotanswered。
BaronRivarsearchedfortheman,inthepalaceandoutofit,invain。
FromthattimeforthnotatraceofFerraricouldbediscovered。
ThishappenedonNovember14。
’Onthenightofthe14th,thefeverishsymptomsaccompanyinghislordship’scoldreturned。TheywereinpartperhapsattributabletotheannoyanceandalarmcausedbyFerrari’smysteriousdisappearance。
Ithadbeenimpossibletoconcealthecircumstance,ashislordshiprangrepeatedlyforthecourier;insistingthatthemanshouldrelieveLadyMontbarryandtheBaronbytakingtheirplacesduringthenightathisbedside。
’Onthe15th(thedayonwhichtheoldwomanfirstcametodothehousework),hislordshipcomplainedofsorethroat,andofafeelingofoppressiononthechest。Onthisday,andagainonthe16th,herladyshipandtheBaronentreatedhimtoseeadoctor。Hestillrefused。\"Idon’twantstrangefacesaboutme;mycoldwillrunitscourse,inspiteofthedoctor,\"——
thatwashisanswer。Onthe17thhewassomuchworsethatitwasdecidedtosendformedicalhelpwhetherhelikeditornot。
BaronRivar,afterinquiryattheconsul’s,securedtheservicesofDoctorBruno,wellknownasaneminentphysicianinVenice;
withtheadditionalrecommendationofhavingresidedinEngland,andhavingmadehimselfacquaintedwithEnglishformsofmedicalpractice。
’Thusfarouraccountofhislordship’sillnesshasbeenderivedfromstatementsmadebyLadyMontbarry。Thenarrativewillnowbemostfitlycontinuedinthelanguageofthedoctor’sownreport,herewithsubjoined。
’\"MymedicaldiaryinformsmethatIfirstsawtheEnglishLordMontbarry,onNovember17。Hewassufferingfromasharpattackofbronchitis。
Someprecioustimehadbeenlost,throughhisobstinateobjectiontothepresenceofamedicalmanathisbedside。Generallyspeaking,heappearedtobeinadelicatestateofhealth。Hisnervoussystemwasoutoforder——hewasatoncetimidandcontradictory。
WhenIspoketohiminEnglish,heansweredinItalian;
andwhenItriedhiminItalian,hewentbacktoEnglish。
Itmatteredlittle——themaladyhadalreadymadesuchprogressthathecouldonlyspeakafewwordsatatime,andthoseinawhisper。
’\"Iatonceappliedthenecessaryremedies。Copiesofmyprescriptions(withtranslationintoEnglish)accompanythepresentstatement,andarelefttospeakforthemselves。
’\"ForthenextthreedaysIwasinconstantattendanceonmypatient。
Heansweredtotheremediesemployed——improvingslowly,butdecidedly。
IcouldconscientiouslyassureLadyMontbarrythatnodangerwastobeapprehendedthusfar。Shewasindeedamostdevotedwife。
Ivainlyendeavouredtoinducehertoaccepttheservicesofacompetentnurse;shewouldallownobodytoattendonherhusbandbutherself。Nightanddaythisestimablewomanwasathisbedside。
Inherbriefintervalsofrepose,herbrotherwatchedthesickmaninherplace。Thisbrotherwas,Imustsay,verygoodcompany,intheintervalswhenwehadtimeforalittletalk。Hedabbledinchemistry,downinthehorridunder-watervaultsofthepalace;
andhewantedtoshowmesomeofhisexperiments。Ihaveenoughofchemistryinwritingprescriptions——andIdeclined。Hetookitquitegood-humouredly。
’\"Iamstrayingawayfrommysubject。Letmereturntothesicklord。
’\"Uptothe20th,then,thingswentwellenough。Iwasquiteunpreparedforthedisastrouschangethatshoweditself,whenIpaidLordMontbarrymymorningvisitonthe21st。
Hehadrelapsed,andseriouslyrelapsed。Examininghimtodiscoverthecause,Ifoundsymptomsofpneumonia——thatistosay,inunmedicallanguage,inflammationofthesubstanceofthelungs。
Hebreathedwithdifficulty,andwasonlypartiallyabletorelievehimselfbycoughing。Imadethestrictestinquiries,andwasassuredthathismedicinehadbeenadministeredascarefullyasusual,andthathehadnotbeenexposedtoanychangesoftemperature。
ItwaswithgreatreluctancethatIaddedtoLadyMontbarry’sdistress;
butIfeltbound,whenshesuggestedaconsultationwithanotherphysician,toownthatItoothoughttherewasreallyneedforit。
’\"Herladyshipinstructedmetosparenoexpense,andtogetthebestmedicalopinioninItaly。Thebestopinionwashappilywithinourreach。
ThefirstandforemostofItalianphysiciansisTorelloofPadua。
Isentaspecialmessengerforthegreatman。Hearrivedontheeveningofthe21st,andconfirmedmyopinionthatpneumoniahadsetin,andthatourpatient’slifewasindanger。Itoldhimwhatmytreatmentofthecasehadbeen,andheapprovedofitineveryparticular。
Hemadesomevaluablesuggestions,and(atLadyMontbarry’sexpressrequest)heconsentedtodeferhisreturntoPaduauntilthefollowingmorning。
’\"Webothsawthepatientatintervalsinthecourseofthenight。
Thedisease,steadilyadvancing,setourutmostresistanceatdefiance。
InthemorningDoctorTorellotookhisleave。’Icanbeofnofurtheruse,’hesaidtome。’Themanispastallhelp——andheoughttoknowit。’
’\"LaterinthedayIwarnedmylord,asgentlyasIcould,thathistimehadcome。Iaminformedthatthereareseriousreasonsformystatingwhatpassedbetweenusonthisoccasion,indetail,andwithoutanyreserve。Icomplywiththerequest。
’\"LordMontbarryreceivedtheintelligenceofhisapproachingdeathwithbecomingcomposure,butwithacertaindoubt。Hesignedtometoputmyeartohismouth。Hewhisperedfaintly,’Areyousure?’
Itwasnotimetodeceivehim;Isaid,’Positivelysure。’
Hewaitedalittle,gaspingforbreath,andthenhewhisperedagain,’Feelundermypillow。’Ifoundunderhispillowaletter,sealedandstamped,readyforthepost。Hisnextwordswerejustaudibleandnomore——’Postityourself。’Ianswered,ofcourse,thatIwoulddoso——andIdidposttheletterwithmyownhand。
Ilookedattheaddress。ItwasdirectedtoaladyinLondon。
ThestreetIcannotremember。ThenameIcanperfectlyrecall:
itwasanItalianname——’Mrs。Ferrari。’
’\"Thatnightmylordnearlydiedofasphyxia。Igothimthroughitforthetime;andhiseyesshowedthatheunderstoodmewhenItoldhim,thenextmorning,thatIhadpostedtheletter。Thiswashislasteffortofconsciousness。WhenIsawhimagainhewassunkinapathy。
Helingeredinastateofinsensibility,supportedbystimulants,untilthe25th,anddied(unconscioustothelast)ontheeveningofthatday。
’\"Astothecauseofhisdeath,itseems(ifImaybeexcusedforsayingso)simplyabsurdtoaskthequestion。Bronchitis,terminatinginpneumonia——thereisnomoredoubtthatthis,andthisonly,wasthemaladyofwhichheexpired,thanthattwoandtwomakefour。
DoctorTorello’sownnoteofthecaseisaddedheretoaduplicateofmycertificate,inorder(asIaminformed)tosatisfysomeEnglishofficesinwhichhislordship’slifewasinsured。
TheEnglishofficesmusthavebeenfoundedbythatcelebratedsaintanddoubter,mentionedintheNewTestament,whosenamewasThomas!\"
’DoctorBruno’sevidenceendshere。
’RevertingforamomenttoourinquiriesaddressedtoLadyMontbarry,wehavetoreportthatshecangiveusnoinformationonthesubjectoftheletterwhichthedoctorpostedatLordMontbarry’srequest。
Whenhislordshipwroteit?whatitcontained?whyhekeptitasecretfromLadyMontbarry(andfromtheBaronalso);
andwhyheshouldwriteatalltothewifeofhiscourier?thesearequestionstowhichwefinditsimplyimpossibletoobtainanyreplies。Itseemsevenuselesstosaythatthematterisopentosuspicion。Suspicionimpliesconjectureofsomekind——
andtheletterundermylord’spillowbafflesallconjecture。
ApplicationtoMrs。Ferrarimayperhapsclearupthemystery。
HerresidenceinLondonwillbeeasilydiscoveredattheItalianCouriers’
Office,GoldenSquare。
’Havingarrivedatthecloseofthepresentreport,wehavenowtodrawyourattentiontotheconclusionwhichisjustifiedbytheresultsofourinvestigation。
’TheplainquestionbeforeourDirectorsandourselvesappearstobethis:HastheinquiryrevealedanyextraordinarycircumstanceswhichrenderthedeathofLordMontbarryopentosuspicion?
Theinquiryhasrevealedextraordinarycircumstancesbeyondalldoubt——suchasthedisappearanceofFerrari,theremarkableabsenceofthecustomaryestablishmentofservantsinthehouse,andthemysteriousletterwhichhislordshipaskedthedoctortopost。
Butwhereistheproofthatanyoneofthesecircumstancesisassociated——suspiciouslyanddirectlyassociated——withtheonlyeventwhichconcernsus,theeventofLordMontbarry’sdeath?
Intheabsenceofanysuchproof,andinthefaceoftheevidenceoftwoeminentphysicians,itisimpossibletodisputethestatementonthecertificatethathislordshipdiedanaturaldeath。
Wearebound,therefore,toreport,thattherearenovalidgroundsforrefusingthepaymentofthesumforwhichthelateLordMontbarry’slifewasassured。
’Weshallsendtheselinestoyoubythepostofto-morrow,December10;leavingtimetoreceiveyourfurtherinstructions(ifany),inreplytoourtelegramofthiseveningannouncingtheconclusionoftheinquiry。’
CHAPTERIX
’Now,mygoodcreature,whateveryouhavetosaytome,outwithitatonce!Idon’twanttohurryyouneedlessly;
butthesearebusinesshours,andIhaveotherpeople’saffairstoattendtobesidesyours。’
AddressingFerrari’swife,withhisusualbluntgood-humour,intheseterms,Mr。Troyregisteredthelapseoftimebyaglanceatthewatchonhisdesk,andthenwaitedtohearwhathisclienthadtosaytohim。
’It’ssomethingmore,sir,abouttheletterwiththethousand-poundnote,’
Mrs。Ferraribegan。’Ihavefoundoutwhosentittome。’
Mr。Troystarted。’Thisisnewsindeed!’hesaid。’Whosentyoutheletter?’
’LordMontbarrysentit,sir。’
ItwasnoteasytotakeMr。Troybysurprise。ButMrs。Ferrarithrewhimcompletelyoffhisbalance。Forawhilehecouldonlylookatherinsilentsurprise。’Nonsense!’hesaid,assoonashehadrecoveredhimself。’Thereissomemistake——
itcan’tbe!’
’Thereisnomistake,’Mrs。Ferrarirejoined,inhermostpositivemanner。
’Twogentlemenfromtheinsuranceofficescalledonmethismorning,toseetheletter。Theywerecompletelypuzzled——especiallywhentheyheardofthebank-noteinside。Buttheyknowwhosenttheletter。
Hislordship’sdoctorinVeniceposteditathislordship’srequest。
Gotothegentlemenyourself,sir,ifyoudon’tbelieveme。
TheywerepoliteenoughtoaskifIcouldaccountforLordMontbarry’swritingtomeandsendingmethemoney。Igavethemmyopiniondirectly——
Isaiditwaslikehislordship’skindness。’
’Likehislordship’skindness?’Mr。Troyrepeated,inblankamazement。
’Yes,sir!LordMontbarryknewme,likealltheothermembersofhisfamily,whenIwasatschoolontheestateinIreland。
Ifhecouldhavedoneit,hewouldhaveprotectedmypoordearhusband。
ButhewashelplesshimselfinthehandsofmyladyandtheBaron——
andtheonlykindthinghecoulddowastoprovideformeinmywidowhood,likethetruenoblemanhewas!’
’Averyprettyexplanation!’saidMr。Troy。’Whatdidyourvisitorsfromtheinsuranceofficesthinkofit?’
’TheyaskedifIhadanyproofofmyhusband’sdeath。’
’Andwhatdidyousay?’
’Isaid,\"Igiveyoubetterthanproof,gentlemen;Igiveyoumypositiveopinion。\"’
’Thatsatisfiedthem,ofcourse?’
’Theydidn’tsaysoinwords,sir。Theylookedateachother——
andwishedmegood-morning。’
’Well,Mrs。Ferrari,unlessyouhavesomemoreextraordinarynewsforme,IthinkIshallwishyougood-morningtoo。
Icantakeanoteofyourinformation(verystartlinginformation,Iown);and,intheabsenceofproof,Icandonomore。’
’Icanprovideyouwithproof,sir——ifthatisallyouwant,’
saidMrs。Ferrari,withgreatdignity。’Ionlywishtoknow,first,whetherthelawjustifiesmeindoingit。
Youmayhaveseeninthefashionableintelligenceofthenewspapers,thatLadyMontbarryhasarrivedinLondon,atNewbury’sHotel。
Iproposetogoandseeher。’
’Thedeuceyoudo!MayIaskforwhatpurpose?’
Mrs。Ferrariansweredinamysteriouswhisper。’Forthepurposeofcatchingherinatrap!Ishan’tsendinmyname——Ishallannouncemyselfasapersononbusiness,andthefirstwordsIsaytoherwillbethese:\"Icome,mylady,toacknowledgethereceiptofthemoneysenttoFerrari’swidow。\"Ah!youmaywellstart,Mr。Troy!Italmosttakesyouoffyourguard,doesn’tit?
Makeyourmindeasy,sir;Ishallfindtheproofthateverybodyasksmeforinherguiltyface。Letheronlychangecolourbytheshadowofashade——lethereyesonlydropforhalfaninstant——
Ishalldiscoverher!TheonethingIwanttoknowis,doesthelawpermitit?’
’Thelawpermitsit,’Mr。Troyansweredgravely;’butwhetherherladyshipwillpermitit,isquiteanotherquestion。Haveyoureallycourageenough,Mrs。Ferrari,tocarryoutthisnotableschemeofyours?
Youhavebeendescribedtome,byMissLockwood,asratheranervous,timidsortofperson——and,ifImaytrustmyownobservation,Ishouldsayyoujustifythedescription。’
’Ifyouhadlivedinthecountry,sir,insteadoflivinginLondon,’
Mrs。Ferrarireplied,’youwouldsometimeshaveseenevenasheepturnonadog。IamfarfromsayingthatIamaboldwoman——
quitethereverse。ButwhenIstandinthatwretch’spresence,andthinkofmymurderedhusband,theoneofustwowhoislikelytobefrightenedisnotme。Iamgoingtherenow,sir。Youshallhearhowitends。
Iwishyougood-morning。’
Withthosebravewordsthecourier’swifegatheredhermantleabouther,andwalkedoutoftheroom。
Mr。Troysmiled——notsatirically,butcompassionately。
’Thelittlesimpleton!’hethoughttohimself。’IfhalfofwhattheysayofLadyMontbarryistrue,Mrs。Ferrariandhertraphavebutapoorprospectbeforethem。Iwonderhowitwillend?’
AllMr。Troy’sexperiencefailedtoforewarnhimofhowitdidend。