Iamfilledwithpresentimentswhichmakethiswickedlifeofmineonelongterrortome。Itdoesn’tmatter,justnow,whattheyare。
Enoughthattheyabsolutelygovernme——theydrivemeoverlandandseaattheirownhorriblewill;theyareinme,andtorturingme,atthismoment!Whydon’tIresistthem?Ha!butIdoresistthem。
Iamtrying(withthehelpofthegoodpunch)toresistthemnow。
AtintervalsIcultivatethedifficultvirtueofcommonsense。
Sometimes,soundsensemakesahopefulwomanofme。Atonetime,Ihadthehopethatwhatseemedrealitytomewasonlymaddelusion,afterall——IevenaskedthequestionofanEnglishdoctor!
Atothertimes,othersensibledoubtsofmyselfbesetme。
Neverminddwellingonthemnow——italwaysendsintheoldterrorsandsuperstitionstakingpossessionofmeagain。Inaweek’stime,IshallknowwhetherDestinydoesindeeddecidemyfutureforme,orwhetherIdecideitformyself。Inthelastcase,myresolutionistoabsorbthisself-tormentingfancyofmineintheoccupationthatIhavetoldyouofalready。Doyouunderstandmealittlebetternow?And,ourbusinessbeingsettled,dearMr。Westwick,shallwegetoutofthishotroomintothenicecoolairagain?’
Theyrosetoleavethecafe。FrancisprivatelyconcludedthatthemaraschinopunchofferedtheonlydiscoverableexplanationofwhattheCountesshadsaidtohim。
CHAPTERXX
’ShallIseeyouagain?’sheasked,assheheldoutherhandtotakeleave。’Itisquiteunderstoodbetweenus,Isuppose,abouttheplay?’
Francisrecalledhisextraordinaryexperienceofthateveninginthere-numberedroom。’MystayinVeniceisuncertain,’hereplied。
’Ifyouhaveanythingmoretosayaboutthisdramaticventureofyours,itmaybeaswelltosayitnow。Haveyoudecidedonasubjectalready?
IknowthepublictasteinEnglandbetterthanyoudo——Imightsaveyousomewasteoftimeandtrouble,ifyouhavenotchosenyoursubjectwisely。’
’Idon’tcarewhatsubjectIwriteabout,solongasIwrite,’
sheansweredcarelessly。’Ifyouhavegotasubjectinyourhead,giveittome。Ianswerforthecharactersandthedialogue。’
’Youanswerforthecharactersandthedialogue,’Francisrepeated。
’That’saboldwayofspeakingforabeginner!IwonderifI
shouldshakeyoursublimeconfidenceinyourself,ifIsuggestedthemostticklishsubjecttohandlewhichisknowntothestage?
Whatdoyousay,Countess,toenteringthelistswithShakespeare,andtryingadramawithaghostinit?Atruestory,mind!foundedoneventsinthisverycityinwhichyouandIareinterested。’
Shecaughthimbythearm,anddrewhimawayfromthecrowdedcolonnadeintothesolitarymiddlespaceofthesquare。
’Nowtellme!’shesaideagerly。’Here,wherenobodyisnearus。
HowamIinterestedinit?How?how?’
Stillholdinghisarm,sheshookhiminherimpatiencetohearthecomingdisclosure。Foramomenthehesitated。Thusfar,amusedbyherignorantbeliefinherself,hehadmerelyspokeninjest。
Now,forthefirsttime,impressedbyherirresistibleearnestness,hebegantoconsiderwhathewasaboutfromamoreseriouspointofview。
Withherknowledgeofallthathadpassedintheoldpalace,beforeitstransformationintoanhotel,itwassurelypossiblethatshemightsuggestsomeexplanationofwhathadhappenedtohisbrother,andsister,andhimself。Or,failingtodothis,shemightaccidentallyrevealsomeeventinherownexperiencewhich,actingasahinttoacompetentdramatist,mightprovetobethemakingofaplay。
Theprosperityofhistheatrewashisoneseriousobjectinlife。
’Imaybeonthetraceofanother\"CorsicanBrothers,\"’hethought。
’Anewpieceofthatsortwouldbetenthousandpoundsinmypocket,atleast。’
Withthesemotives(worthyofthesingle-hearteddevotiontodramaticbusinesswhichmadeFrancisasuccessfulmanager)
herelated,withoutfurtherhesitation,whathisownexperiencehadbeen,andwhattheexperienceofhisrelativeshadbeen,inthehauntedhotel。HeevendescribedtheoutbreakofsuperstitiousterrorwhichhadescapedMrs。Norbury’signorantmaid。
’Sadstuff,ifyoulookatitreasonably,’heremarked。
’Butthereissomethingdramaticinthenotionoftheghostlyinfluencemakingitselffeltbytherelationsinsuccession,astheyoneafteranotherenterthefatalroom——untiltheonechosenrelativecomeswhowillseetheUnearthlyCreature,andknowtheterribletruth。
Materialforaplay,Countess——first-ratematerialforaplay!’
Therehepaused。Sheneithermovednorspoke。Hestoopedandlookedcloserather。
Whatimpressionhadheproduced?Itwasanimpressionwhichhisutmostingenuityhadfailedtoanticipate。Shestoodbyhisside——
justasshehadstoodbeforeAgneswhenherquestionaboutFerrariwasplainlyansweredatlast——likeawomanturnedtostone。
Hereyeswerevacantandrigid;allthelifeinherfacehadfadedoutofit。Francistookherbythehand。Herhandwasascoldasthepavementthattheywerestandingon。Heaskedherifshewasill。
Notamuscleinhermoved。Hemightaswellhavespokentothedead。
’Surely,’hesaid,’youarenotfoolishenoughtotakewhatI
havebeentellingyouseriously?’
Herlipsmovedslowly。Asitseemed,shewasmakinganefforttospeaktohim。
’Louder,’hesaid。’Ican’thearyou。’
Shestruggledtorecoverpossessionofherself。Afaintlightbegantosoftenthedullcoldstareofhereyes。Inamomentmoreshespokesothathecouldhearher。
’Ineverthoughtoftheotherworld,’shemurmured,inlowdulltones,likeawomantalkinginhersleep。
HermindhadgonebacktothedayofherlastmemorableinterviewwithAgnes;shewasslowlyrecallingtheconfessionthathadescapedher,thewarningwordswhichshehadspokenatthatpasttime。
Necessarilyincapableofunderstandingthis,Francislookedatherinperplexity。Shewentoninthesamedullvacanttone,steadilyfollowingoutherowntrainofthought,withherheedlesseyesonhisface,andherwanderingmindfarawayfromhim。
’Isaidsometriflingeventwouldbringustogetherthenexttime。
Iwaswrong。Notriflingeventwillbringustogether。
IsaidImightbethepersonwhotoldherwhathadbecomeofFerrari,ifsheforcedmetoit。ShallIfeelsomeotherinfluencethanhers?
Willheforcemetoit?Whensheseeshim,shallIseehimtoo?’
Herheadsankalittle;herheavyeyelidsdroppedslowly;
sheheavedalonglowwearysigh。Francisputherarminhis,andmadeanattempttorouseher。
’Come,Countess,youarewearyandover-wrought。Wehavehadenoughtalkingto-night。Letmeseeyousafebacktoyourhotel。
Isitfarfromhere?’
Shestartedwhenhemoved,andobligedhertomovewithhim,asifhehadsuddenlyawakenedheroutofadeepsleep。
’Notfar,’shesaidfaintly。’Theoldhotelonthequay。
Mymind’sinastrangestate;Ihaveforgottenthename。’
’Danieli’s?’
’Yes!’
Heledheronslowly。SheaccompaniedhiminsilenceasfarastheendofthePiazzetta。There,whenthefullviewofthemoonlitLagoonrevealeditself,shestoppedhimasheturnedtowardstheRivadegliSchiavoni。’Ihavesomethingtoaskyou。
Iwanttowaitandthink。’
Sherecoveredherlostidea,afteralongpause。
’Areyougoingtosleepintheroomto-night?’sheasked。
Hetoldherthatanothertravellerwasinpossessionoftheroomthatnight。’Butthemanagerhasreserveditformeto-morrow,’
headded,’ifIwishtohaveit。’
’No,’shesaid。’Youmustgiveitup。’
’Towhom?’
’Tome!’
Hestarted。’AfterwhatIhavetoldyou,doyoureallywishtosleepinthatroomto-morrownight?’
’Imustsleepinit。’
’Areyounotafraid?’
’Iamhorriblyafraid。’
’SoIshouldhavethought,afterwhatIhaveobservedinyouto-night。
Whyshouldyoutaketheroom?youarenotobligedtooccupyit,unlessyoulike。’
’IwasnotobligedtogotoVenice,whenIleftAmerica,’sheanswered。
’AndyetIcamehere。Imusttaketheroom,andkeeptheroom,until——’
Shebrokeoffatthosewords。’Nevermindtherest,’shesaid。
’Itdoesn’tinterestyou。’
Itwasuselesstodisputewithher。Francischangedthesubject。
’Wecandonothingto-night,’hesaid。’Iwillcallonyouto-morrowmorning,andhearwhatyouthinkofitthen。’
Theymovedonagaintothehotel。Astheyapproachedthedoor,FrancisaskedifshewasstayinginVeniceunderherownname。
Sheshookherhead。’Asyourbrother’swidow,Iamknownhere。
AsCountessNarona,Iamknownhere。Iwanttobeunknown,thistime,tostrangersinVenice;IamtravellingunderacommonEnglishname。’
Shehesitated,andstoodstill。’Whathascometome?’
shemutteredtoherself。’SomethingsIremember;andsomeIforget。
IforgotDanieli’s——andnowIforgetmyEnglishname。’
Shedrewhimhurriedlyintothehallofthehotel,onthewallofwhichhungalistofvisitors’names。Runningherfingerslowlydownthelist,shepointedtotheEnglishnamethatshehadassumed:——’Mrs。James。’
’Rememberthatwhenyoucallto-morrow,’shesaid。’Myheadisheavy。
Goodnight。’
Franciswentbacktohisownhotel,wonderingwhattheeventsofthenextdaywouldbringforth。Anewturninhisaffairshadtakenplaceinhisabsence。Ashecrossedthehall,hewasrequestedbyoneoftheservantstowalkintotheprivateoffice。
Themanagerwaswaitingtherewithagravelypre-occupiedmanner,asifhehadsomethingserioustosay。HeregrettedtohearthatMr。FrancisWestwickhad,likeothermembersofthefamily,discoveredserioussourcesofdiscomfortinthenewhotel。
HehadbeeninformedinstrictconfidenceofMr。Westwick’sextraordinaryobjectiontotheatmosphereofthebedroomupstairs。
Withoutpresumingtodiscussthematter,hemustbegtobeexcusedfromreservingtheroomforMr。Westwickafterwhathadhappened。
Francisansweredsharply,alittleruffledbythetoneinwhichthemanagerhadspokentohim。’Imight,verypossibly,havedeclinedtosleepintheroom,ifyouhadreservedit,’hesaid。
’Doyouwishmetoleavethehotel?’
Themanagersawtheerrorthathehadcommitted,andhastenedtorepairit。’Certainlynot,sir!Wewilldoourbesttomakeyoucomfortablewhileyoustaywithus。Ibegyourpardon,ifIhavesaidanythingtooffendyou。Thereputationofanestablishmentlikethisisamatterofveryseriousimportance。
MayIhopethatyouwilldousthegreatfavourtosaynothingaboutwhathashappenedupstairs?ThetwoFrenchgentlemenhavekindlypromisedtokeepitasecret。’
ThisapologyleftFrancisnopolitealternativebuttograntthemanager’srequest。’ThereisanendtotheCountess’swildscheme,’hethoughttohimself,asheretiredforthenight。
’SomuchthebetterfortheCountess!’
Heroselatethenextmorning。InquiringforhisParisianfriends,hewasinformedthatboththeFrenchgentlemenhadleftforMilan。
Ashecrossedthehall,onhiswaytotherestaurant,henoticedtheheadporterchalkingthenumbersoftheroomsonsomearticlesofluggagewhichwerewaitingtogoupstairs。
Onetrunkattractedhisattentionbytheextraordinarynumberofoldtravellinglabelsleftonit。Theporterwasmarkingitatthemoment——andthenumberwas,’13A。’Francisinstantlylookedatthecardfastenedonthelid。ItborethecommonEnglishname,’Mrs。James’!Heatonceinquiredaboutthelady。Shehadarrivedearlythatmorning,andshewasthenintheReadingRoom。
Lookingintotheroom,hediscoveredaladyinitalone。
Advancingalittlenearer,hefoundhimselffacetofacewiththeCountess。
Shewasseatedinadarkcorner,withherheaddownandherarmscrossedoverherbosom。’Yes,’shesaid,inatoneofwearyimpatience,beforeFranciscouldspeaktoher。’Ithoughtitbestnottowaitforyou——Ideterminedtogetherebeforeanybodyelsecouldtaketheroom。’
’Haveyoutakenitforlong?’Francisasked。
’YoutoldmeMissLockwoodwouldbehereinaweek’stime。
Ihavetakenitforaweek。’
’WhathasMissLockwoodtodowithit?’
’Shehaseverythingtodowithit——shemustsleepintheroom。
Ishallgivetheroomuptoherwhenshecomeshere。’
Francisbegantounderstandthesuperstitiouspurposethatshehadinview。’Areyou(aneducatedwoman)reallyofthesameopinionasmysister’smaid!’heexclaimed。’Assumingyourabsurdsuperstitiontobeaseriousthing,youaretakingthewrongmeanstoproveittrue。IfIandmybrotherandsisterhaveseennothing,howshouldAgnesLockwooddiscoverwhatwasnotrevealedtous?
SheisonlydistantlyrelatedtotheMontbarrys——sheisonlyourcousin。’
’ShewasnearertotheheartoftheMontbarrywhoisdeadthananyofyou,’theCountessansweredsternly。’Tothelastdayofhislife,mymiserablehusbandrepentedhisdesertionofher。
Shewillseewhatnoneofyouhaveseen——sheshallhavetheroom。’
Francislistened,utterlyatalosstoaccountforthemotivesthatanimatedher。’Idon’tseewhatinterestyouhaveintryingthisextraordinaryexperiment,’hesaid。
’Itismyinterestnottotryit!ItismyinteresttoflyfromVenice,andneverseteyesonAgnesLockwoodoranyofyourfamilyagain!’
’Whatpreventsyoufromdoingthat?’
Shestartedtoherfeetandlookedathimwildly。’Iknownomorewhatpreventsmethanyoudo!’sheburstout。’Somewillthatisstrongerthanminedrivesmeontomydestruction,inspiteofmyownself!’
Shesuddenlysatdownagain,andwavedherhandforhimtogo。
’Leaveme,’shesaid。’Leavemetomythoughts。’
Francislefther,firmlypersuadedbythistimethatshewasoutofhersenses。Fortherestoftheday,hesawnothingofher。
Thenight,sofarasheknew,passedquietly。Thenextmorninghebreakfastedearly,determiningtowaitintherestaurantfortheappearanceoftheCountess。Shecameinandorderedherbreakfastquietly,lookingdullandwornandself-absorbed,asshehadlookedwhenhelastsawher。Hehastenedtohertable,andaskedifanythinghadhappenedinthenight。
’Nothing,’sheanswered。
’Youhaverestedaswellasusual?’
’Quiteaswellasusual。Haveyouhadanylettersthismorning?
Haveyouheardwhensheiscoming?’
’Ihavehadnoletters。Areyoureallygoingtostayhere?
Hasyourexperienceoflastnightnotalteredtheopinionwhichyouexpressedtomeyesterday?’
’Notintheleast。’
ThemomentarygleamofanimationwhichhadcrossedherfacewhenshequestionedhimaboutAgnes,diedoutofitagainwhenheansweredher。
Shelooked,shespoke,sheeatherbreakfast,withavacantresignation,likeawomanwhohaddonewithhopes,donewithinterests,donewitheverythingbutthemechanicalmovementsandinstinctsoflife。
Franciswentout,onthecustomarytravellers’pilgrimagetotheshrinesofTitianandTintoret。Aftersomehoursofabsence,hefoundaletterwaitingforhimwhenhegotbacktothehotel。
ItwaswrittenbyhisbrotherHenry,anditrecommendedhimtoreturntoMilanimmediately。TheproprietorofaFrenchtheatre,recentlyarrivedfromVenice,wastryingtoinducethefamousdancerwhomFrancishadengagedtobreakfaithwithhimandacceptahighersalary。
Havingmadethisstartlingannouncement,HenryproceededtoinformhisbrotherthatLordandLadyMontbarry,withAgnesandthechildren,wouldarriveinVeniceinthreedaysmore。’Theyknownothingofouradventuresatthehotel,’Henrywrote;’andtheyhavetelegraphedtothemanagerfortheaccommodationthattheywant。
TherewouldbesomethingabsurdlysuperstitiousinourgivingthemawarningwhichwouldfrightentheladiesandchildrenoutofthebesthotelinVenice。Weshallbeastrongpartythistime——toostrongapartyforghosts!Ishallmeetthetravellersontheirarrival,ofcourse,andtrymyluckagainatwhatyoucalltheHauntedHotel。
ArthurBarvilleandhiswifehavealreadygotasfarontheirwayasTrent;
andtwoofthelady’srelationshavearrangedtoaccompanythemonthejourneytoVenice。’
NaturallyindignantattheconductofhisParisiancolleague,FrancismadehispreparationsforreturningtoMilanbythetrainofthatday。
Onhiswayout,heaskedthemanagerifhisbrother’stelegramhadbeenreceived。Thetelegramhadarrived,and,tothesurpriseofFrancis,theroomswerealreadyreserved。’Ithoughtyouwouldrefusetoletanymoreofthefamilyintothehouse,’hesaidsatirically。
Themanageranswered(withtheduedashofrespect)inthesametone。
’Number13Aissafe,sir,intheoccupationofastranger。
IamtheservantoftheCompany;andIdarenotturnmoneyoutofthehotel。’
Hearingthis,Francissaidgood-bye——andsaidnothingmore。
Hewasashamedtoacknowledgeittohimself,buthefeltanirresistiblecuriositytoknowwhatwouldhappenwhenAgnesarrivedatthehotel。Besides,’Mrs。James’hadreposedaconfidenceinhim。
Hegotintohisgondola,respectingtheconfidenceof’Mrs。James。’
Towardseveningonthethirdday,LordMontbarryandhistravellingcompanionsarrived,punctualtotheirappointment。
’Mrs。James,’sittingatthewindowofherroomwatchingforthem,sawthenewLordlandfromthegondolafirst。Hehandedhiswifetothesteps。Thethreechildrenwerenextcommittedtohiscare。
Lastofall,Agnesappearedinthelittleblackdoorwayofthegondolacabin,and,takingLordMontbarry’shand,passedinherturntothesteps。Sheworenoveil。Assheascendedtothedoorofthehotel,theCountess(eyeingherthroughanopera-glass)
noticedthatshepausedtolookattheoutsideofthebuilding,andthatherfacewasverypale。
CHAPTERXXI
LordandLadyMontbarrywerereceivedbythehousekeeper;
themanagerbeingabsentforadayortwoonbusinessconnectedwiththeaffairsofthehotel。
Theroomsreservedforthetravellersonthefirstfloorwerethreeinnumber;consistingoftwobedroomsopeningintoeachother,andcommunicatingontheleftwithadrawing-room。Completesofar,thearrangementsprovedtobelesssatisfactoryinreferencetothethirdbedroomrequiredforAgnesandfortheeldestdaughterofLordMontbarry,whousuallysleptwithherontheirtravels。
Thebed-chamberontherightofthedrawing-roomwasalreadyoccupiedbyanEnglishwidowlady。Otherbedchambersattheotherendofthecorridorwerealsoletineverycase。TherewasaccordinglynoalternativebuttoplaceatthedisposalofAgnesacomfortableroomonthesecondfloor。LadyMontbarryvainlycomplainedofthisseparationofoneofthemembersofhertravellingpartyfromtherest。
Thehousekeeperpolitelyhintedthatitwasimpossibleforhertoaskothertravellerstogiveuptheirrooms。Shecouldonlyexpressherregret,andassureMissLockwoodthatherbed-chamberonthesecondfloorwasoneofthebestroomsinthatpartofthehotel。
Ontheretirementofthehousekeeper,LadyMontbarrynoticedthatAgneshadseatedherselfapart,feelingapparentlynointerestinthequestionofthebedrooms。Wassheill?No;shefeltalittleunnervedbytherailwayjourney,andthatwasall。
Hearingthis,LordMontbarryproposedthatsheshouldgooutwithhim,andtrytheexperimentofhalfanhour’swalkinthecooleveningair。
Agnesgladlyacceptedthesuggestion。TheydirectedtheirstepstowardsthesquareofSt。Mark,soastoenjoythebreezeblowingoverthelagoon。ItwasthefirstvisitofAgnestoVenice。
Thefascinationofthewonderfulcityofthewatersexerteditsfullinfluenceoverhersensitivenature。Theproposedhalf-hourofthewalkhadpassedaway,andwasfastexpandingtohalfanhourmore,beforeLordMontbarrycouldpersuadehiscompaniontorememberthatdinnerwaswaitingforthem。Astheyreturned,passingunderthecolonnade,neitherofthemnoticedaladyindeepmourning,loiteringintheopenspaceofthesquare。
ShestartedassherecognisedAgneswalkingwiththenewLordMontbarry——
hesitatedforamoment——andthenfollowedthem,atadiscreetdistance,backtothehotel。
LadyMontbarryreceivedAgnesinhighspirits——withnewsofaneventwhichhadhappenedinherabsence。
Shehadnotleftthehotelmorethantenminutes,beforealittlenoteinpencilwasbroughttoLadyMontbarrybythehousekeeper。
Thewriterprovedtobenolessapersonthanthewidowladywhooccupiedtheroomontheothersideofthedrawing-room,whichherladyshiphadvainlyhopedtosecureforAgnes。
WritingunderthenameofMrs。James,thepolitewidowexplainedthatshehadheardfromthehousekeeperofthedisappointmentexperiencedbyLadyMontbarryinthematteroftherooms。
Mrs。Jameswasquitealone;andaslongasherbed-chamberwasairyandcomfortable,itmatterednothingtoherwhethershesleptonthefirstorthesecondfloorofthehouse。ShehadaccordinglymuchpleasureinproposingtochangeroomswithMissLockwood。
Herluggagehadalreadybeenremoved,andMissLockwoodhadonlytotakepossessionoftheroom(Number13A),whichwasnowentirelyatherdisposal。
’IimmediatelyproposedtoseeMrs。James,’LadyMontbarrycontinued,’andtothankherpersonallyforherextremekindness。
ButIwasinformedthatshehadgoneout,withoutleavingwordatwhathourshemightbeexpectedtoreturn。Ihavewrittenalittlenoteofthanks,sayingthatwehopetohavethepleasureofpersonallyexpressingoursenseofMrs。James’scourtesyto-morrow。Inthemeantime,Agnes,Ihaveorderedyourboxestoberemoveddownstairs。Go!——andjudgeforyourself,mydear,ifthatgoodladyhasnotgivenuptoyoutheprettiestroominthehouse!’
Withthosewords,LadyMontbarryleftMissLockwoodtomakeahastytoiletfordinner。
ThenewroomatonceproducedafavourableimpressiononAgnes。
Thelargewindow,openingintoabalcony,commandedanadmirableviewofthecanal。ThedecorationsonthewallsandceilingwereskilfullycopiedfromtheexquisitelygracefuldesignsofRaphaelintheVatican。Themassivewardrobepossessedcompartmentsofunusualsize,inwhichdoublethenumberofdressesthatAgnespossessedmighthavebeenconvenientlyhungatfulllength。
Intheinnercorneroftheroom,neartheheadofthebedstead,therewasarecesswhichhadbeenturnedintoalittledressing-room,andwhichopenedbyaseconddoorontheinferiorstaircaseofthehotel,commonlyusedbytheservants。Noticingtheseaspectsoftheroomataglance,Agnesmadethenecessarychangeinherdress,asquicklyaspossible。Onherwaybacktothedrawing-roomshewasaddressedbyachambermaidinthecorridorwhoaskedforherkey。
’Iwillputyourroomtidyforthenight,Miss,’thewomansaid,’andIwillthenbringthekeybacktoyouinthedrawing-room。’
Whilethechambermaidwasatherwork,asolitarylady,loiteringaboutthecorridorofthesecondstorey,waswatchingheroverthebannisters。
Afterawhile,themaidappeared,withherpailinherhand,leavingtheroombywayofthedressing-roomandthebackstairs。
Asshepassedoutofsight,theladyonthesecondfloor(noother,itisneedlesstoadd,thantheCountessherself)ranswiftlydownthestairs,enteredthebed-chamberbytheprincipaldoor,andhidherselfintheemptysidecompartmentofthewardrobe。
Thechambermaidreturned,completedherwork,lockedthedoorofthedressing-roomontheinnerside,lockedtheprincipalentrance-dooronleavingtheroom,andreturnedthekeytoAgnesinthedrawing-room。
Thetravellerswerejustsittingdowntotheirlatedinner,whenoneofthechildrennoticedthatAgneswasnotwearingherwatch。
Hadsheleftitinherbed-chamberinthehurryofchangingherdress?
Sherosefromthetableatonceinsearchofherwatch;LadyMontbarryadvisingher,asshewentout,toseetothesecurityofherbed-chamber,intheeventoftherebeingthievesinthehouse。Agnesfoundherwatch,forgottenonthetoilettable,asshehadanticipated。
BeforeleavingtheroomagainsheactedonLadyMontbarry’sadvice,andtriedthekeyinthelockofthedressing-roomdoor。Itwasproperlysecured。Sheleftthebed-chamber,lockingthemaindoorbehindher。
Immediatelyonherdeparture,theCountess,oppressedbytheconfinedairinthewardrobe,venturedonsteppingoutofherhidingplaceintotheemptyroom。
Enteringthedressing-room,shelistenedatthedoor,untilthesilenceoutsideinformedherthatthecorridorwasempty。Uponthis,sheunlockedthedoor,and,passingout,closeditagainsoftly;
leavingittoallappearance(whenviewedontheinnerside)
ascarefullysecuredasAgneshadseenitwhenshetriedthekeyinthelockwithherownhand。
WhiletheMontbarryswerestillatdinner,HenryWestwickjoinedthem,arrivingfromMilan。
Whenheenteredtheroom,andagainwhenheadvancedtoshakehandswithher,AgneswasconsciousofalatentfeelingwhichsecretlyreciprocatedHenry’sunconcealedpleasureonmeetingheragain。
Foramomentonly,shereturnedhislook;andinthatmomentherownobservationtoldherthatshehadsilentlyencouragedhimtohope。
Shesawitinthesuddenglowofhappinesswhichoverspreadhisface;
andsheconfusedlytookrefugeintheusualconventionalinquiriesrelatingtotherelativeswhomhehadleftatMilan。
Takinghisplaceatthetable,HenrygaveamostamusingaccountofthepositionofhisbrotherFrancisbetweenthemercenaryopera-dancerononeside,andtheunscrupulousmanageroftheFrenchtheatreontheother。Mattershadproceededtosuchextremities,thatthelawhadbeencalledontointerfere,andhaddecidedthedisputeinfavourofFrancis。OnwinningthevictorytheEnglishmanagerhadatonceleftMilan,recalledtoLondonbytheaffairsofhistheatre。
Hewasaccompaniedonthejourneyback,ashehadbeenaccompaniedonthejourneyout,byhissister。Resolved,afterpassingtwonightsofterrorintheVenetianhotel,nevertoenteritagain,Mrs。Norburyaskedtobeexcusedfromappearingatthefamilyfestival,onthegroundofill-health。Atherage,travellingfatiguedher,andshewasgladtotakeadvantageofherbrother’sescorttoreturntoEngland。
Whilethetalkatthedinner-tableflowedeasilyonward,theevening-timeadvancedtonight——anditbecamenecessarytothinkofsendingthechildrentobed。
AsAgnesrosetoleavetheroom,accompaniedbytheeldestgirl,sheobservedwithsurprisethatHenry’smannersuddenlychanged。
Helookedseriousandpre-occupied;andwhenhisniecewishedhimgoodnight,heabruptlysaidtoher,’Marian,Iwanttoknowwhatpartofthehotelyousleepin?’Marian,puzzledbythequestion,answeredthatshewasgoingtosleep,asusual,with’AuntAgnes。’
Notsatisfiedwiththatreply,Henrynextinquiredwhetherthebedroomwasneartheroomsoccupiedbytheothermembersofthetravellingparty。
Answeringforthechild,andwonderingwhatHenry’sobjectcouldpossiblybe,AgnesmentionedthepolitesacrificemadetoherconveniencebyMrs。James。’Thankstothatlady’skindness,’
shesaid,’MarianandIareonlyontheothersideofthedrawing-room。’
Henrymadenoremark;helookedincomprehensiblydiscontentedasheopenedthedoorforAgnesandhercompaniontopassout。
Afterwishingthemgoodnight,hewaitedinthecorridoruntilhesawthementerthefatalcorner-room——andthenhecalledabruptlytohisbrother,’Comeout,Stephen,andletussmoke!’
Assoonasthetwobrotherswereatlibertytospeaktogetherprivately,Henryexplainedthemotivewhichhadledtohisstrangeinquiriesaboutthebedrooms。FrancishadinformedhimofthemeetingwiththeCountessatVenice,andofallthathadfollowedit;andHenrynowcarefullyrepeatedthenarrativetohisbrotherinallitsdetails。
’Iamnotsatisfied,’headded,’aboutthatwoman’spurposeingivingupherroom。WithoutalarmingtheladiesbytellingthemwhatI
havejusttoldyou,canyounotwarnAgnestobecarefulinsecuringherdoor?’
LordMontbarryreplied,thatthewarninghadbeenalreadygivenbyhiswife,andthatAgnesmightbetrustedtotakegoodcareofherselfandherlittlebed-fellow。Fortherest,helookeduponthestoryoftheCountessandhersuperstitionsasapieceoftheatricalexaggeration,amusingenoughinitself,butunworthyofamoment’sseriousattention。
Whilethegentlemenwereabsentfromthehotel,theroomwhichhadbeenalreadyassociatedwithsomanystartlingcircumstances,becamethesceneofanotherstrangeeventinwhichLadyMontbarry’seldestchildwasconcerned。
LittleMarianhadbeengotreadyforbedasusual,andhad(sofar)takenhardlyanynoticeofthenewroom。Asshekneltdowntosayherprayers,shehappenedtolookupatthatpartoftheceilingaboveherwhichwasjustovertheheadofthebed。
ThenextinstantshealarmedAgnes,bystartingtoherfeetwithacryofterror,andpointingtoasmallbrownspotononeofthewhitepanelledspacesofthecarvedceiling。
’It’saspotofblood!’thechildexclaimed。’Takemeaway!
Iwon’tsleephere!’
Seeingplainlythatitwouldbeuselesstoreasonwithherwhileshewasintheroom,AgneshurriedlywrappedMarianinadressing-gown,andcarriedherbacktohermotherinthedrawing-room。Here,theladiesdidtheirbesttosootheandreassurethetremblinggirl。
Theeffortprovedtobeuseless;theimpressionthathadbeenproducedontheyoungandsensitivemindwasnottoberemovedbypersuasion。Mariancouldgivenoexplanationofthepanicofterrorthathadseizedher。Shewasquiteunabletosaywhythespotontheceilinglookedlikethecolourofaspotofblood。
Sheonlyknewthatsheshoulddieofterrorifshesawitagain。
Underthesecircumstances,butonealternativewasleft。Itwasarrangedthatthechildshouldpassthenightintheroomoccupiedbyhertwoyoungersistersandthenurse。
Inhalfanhourmore,Marianwaspeacefullyasleepwithherarmaroundhersister’sneck。LadyMontbarrywentbackwithAgnestoherroomtoseethespotontheceilingwhichhadsostrangelyfrightenedthechild。Itwassosmallastobeonlyjustperceptible,andithadinallprobabilitybeencausedbythecarelessnessofaworkman,orbyadrippingfromwateraccidentallyspiltontheflooroftheroomabove。
’IreallycannotunderstandwhyMarianshouldplacesuchashockinginterpretationonsuchatriflingthing,’LadyMontbarryremarked。
’Isuspectthenurseisinsomewayanswerableforwhathashappened,’
Agnessuggested。’ShemayquitepossiblyhavebeentellingMariansometragicnurserystorywhichhasleftitsmischievousimpressionbehindit。Personsinherpositionaresadlyignorantofthedangerofexcitingachild’simagination。Youhadbettercautionthenurseto-morrow。’
LadyMontbarrylookedroundtheroomwithadmiration。’Isitnotprettilydecorated?’shesaid。’Isuppose,Agnes,youdon’tmindsleepingherebyyourself。?’
Agneslaughed。’Ifeelsotired,’shereplied,’thatIwasthinkingofbiddingyougood-night,insteadofgoingbacktothedrawing-room。’
LadyMontbarryturnedtowardsthedoor。’Iseeyourjewel-caseonthetable,’sheresumed。’Don’tforgettolocktheotherdoorthere,inthedressing-room。’
’Ihavealreadyseentoit,andtriedthekeymyself,’saidAgnes。
’CanIbeofanyusetoyoubeforeIgotobed?’
’No,mydear,thankyou;Ifeelsleepyenoughtofollowyourexample。
Goodnight,Agnes——andpleasantdreamsonyourfirstnightinVenice。’
CHAPTERXXII
HavingclosedandsecuredthedooronLadyMontbarry’sdeparture,Agnesputonherdressing-gown,and,turningtoheropenboxes,beganthebusinessofunpacking。Inthehurryofmakinghertoiletfordinner,shehadtakenthefirstdressthatlayuppermostinthetrunk,andhadthrownhertravellingcostumeonthebed。
Shenowopenedthedoorsofthewardrobeforthefirsttime,andbegantohangherdressesonthehooksinthelargecompartmentononeside。
Afterafewminutesonlyofthisoccupation,shegrewwearyofit,anddecidedonleavingthetrunksastheywere,untilthenextmorning。
Theoppressivesouthwind,whichhadblownthroughouttheday,stillprevailedatnight。Theatmosphereoftheroomfeltclose;
Agnesthrewashawloverherheadandshoulders,and,openingthewindow,steppedintothebalconytolookattheview。
Thenightwasheavyandovercast:nothingcouldbedistinctlyseen。
Thecanalbeneaththewindowlookedlikeablackgulf;
theoppositehouseswerebarelyvisibleasarowofshadows,dimlyrelievedagainstthestarlessandmoonlesssky。
Atlongintervals,thewarningcryofabelatedgondolierwasjustaudible,asheturnedthecornerofadistantcanal,andcalledtoinvisibleboatswhichmightbeapproachinghiminthedarkness。
Nowandthen,thenearerdipofanoarinthewatertoldoftheviewlesspassageofothergondolasbringingguestsbacktothehotel。
Exceptingtheseraresounds,themysteriousnight-silenceofVenicewasliterallythesilenceofthegrave。
Leaningontheparapetofthebalcony,Agneslookedvacantlyintotheblackvoidbeneath。Herthoughtsrevertedtothemiserablemanwhohadbrokenhispledgedfaithtoher,andwhohaddiedinthathouse。
SomechangeseemedtohavecomeoverhersinceherarrivalinVenice;
somenewinfluenceappearedtobeatwork。Forthefirsttimeinherexperienceofherself,compassionandregretwerenottheonlyemotionsarousedinherbytheremembranceofthedeadMontbarry。
Akeensenseofthewrongthatshehadsuffered,neveryetfeltbythatgentleandforgivingnature,wasfeltbyitnow。
ShefoundherselfthinkingofthebygonedaysofherhumiliationalmostasharshlyasHenryWestwickhadthoughtofthem——
shewhohadrebukedhimthelasttimehehadspokenslightinglyofhisbrotherinherpresence!Asuddenfearanddoubtofherself,startledherphysicallyaswellasmorally。Sheturnedfromtheshadowyabyssofthedarkwaterasifthemysteryandthegloomofithadbeenanswerablefortheemotionswhichhadtakenherbysurprise。
Abruptlyclosingthewindow,shethrewasidehershawl,andlitthecandlesonthemantelpiece,impelledbyasuddencravingforlightinthesolitudeofherroom。
Thecheeringbrightnessroundher,contrastingwiththeblackgloomoutside,restoredherspirits。Shefeltherselfenjoyingthelightlikeachild!
Woulditbewell(sheaskedherself)togetreadyforbed?No!Thesenseofdrowsyfatiguethatshehadfelthalfanhoursincewasgone。
Shereturnedtothedullemploymentofunpackingherboxes。
Afterafewminutesonly,theoccupationbecameirksometoheroncemore。
Shesatdownbythetable,andtookupaguide-book。’SupposeI
informmyself,’shethought,’onthesubjectofVenice?’
Herattentionwanderedfromthebook,beforeshehadturnedthefirstpageofit。
TheimageofHenryWestwickwasthepresidingimageinhermemorynow。
Recallingtheminutestincidentsanddetailsoftheevening,shecouldthinkofnothingwhichpresentedhimunderotherthanafavourableandinterestingaspect。Shesmiledtoherselfsoftly,hercolourrosebyfinegradations,asshefeltthefullluxuryofdwellingontheperfecttruthandmodestyofhisdevotiontoher。
Wasthedepressionofspiritsfromwhichshehadsufferedsopersistentlyonhertravelsattributable,byanychance,totheirlongseparationfromeachother——embitteredperhapsbyherownvainregretwhensherememberedherharshreceptionofhiminParis?
Suddenlyconsciousofthisboldquestion,andoftheself-abandonmentwhichitimplied,shereturnedmechanicallytoherbook,distrustingtheunrestrainedlibertyofherownthoughts。
Whatlurkingtemptationstoforbiddentendernessfindtheirhiding-placesinawoman’sdressing-gown,whensheisaloneinherroomatnight!
WithherheartinthetombofthedeadMontbarry,couldAgneseventhinkofanotherman,andthinkoflove?Howshameful!howunworthyofher!
Forthesecondtime,shetriedtointerestherselfintheguide-book——
andoncemoreshetriedinvain。Throwingthebookaside,sheturneddesperatelytotheoneresourcethatwasleft,toherluggage——resolvedtofatigueherselfwithoutmercy,untilshewaswearyenoughandsleepyenoughtofindasaferefugeinbed。
Forsomelittletime,shepersistedinthemonotonousoccupationoftransferringherclothesfromhertrunktothewardrobe。
Thelargeclockinthehall,strikingmid-night,remindedherthatitwasgettinglate。Shesatdownforamomentinanarm-chairbythebedside,torest。
Thesilenceinthehousenowcaughtherattention,andheldit——
helditdisagreeably。Waseverybodyinbedandasleepbutherself?
Surelyitwastimeforhertofollowthegeneralexample?Withacertainirritablenervoushaste,sheroseagainandundressedherself。
’Ihavelosttwohoursofrest,’shethought,frowningatthereflectionofherselfintheglass,asshearrangedherhairforthenight。
’Ishallbegoodfornothingto-morrow!’
Shelitthenight-light,andextinguishedthecandles——
withoneexception,whichsheremovedtoalittletable,placedonthesideofthebedoppositetothesideoccupiedbythearm-chair。
Havingputhertravelling-boxofmatchesandtheguide-booknearthecandle,incaseshemightbesleeplessandmightwanttoread,sheblewoutthelight,andlaidherheadonthepillow。
Thecurtainsofthebedwereloopedbacktolettheairpassfreelyoverher。Lyingonherleftside,withherfaceturnedawayfromthetable,shecouldseethearm-chairbythedimnight-light。Ithadachintzcovering——representinglargebunchesofrosesscatteredoverapalegreenground。Shetriedtowearyherselfintodrowsinessbycountingoverandoveragainthebunchesofrosesthatwerevisiblefromherpointofview。
Twiceherattentionwasdistractedfromthecounting,bysoundsoutside——
bytheclockchimingthehalf-hourpasttwelve;andthenagain,bythefallofapairofbootsontheupperfloor,thrownouttobecleaned,withthatbarbarousdisregardofthecomfortofotherswhichisobservableinhumanitywhenitinhabitsanhotel。
Inthesilencethatfollowedthesepassingdisturbances,Agneswentoncountingtherosesonthearm-chair,moreandmoreslowly。Beforelong,sheconfusedherselfinthefigures——triedtobegincountingagain——
thoughtshewouldwaitalittlefirst——felthereyelidsdrooping,andherheadreclininglowerandloweronthepillow——sighedfaintly——
andsankintosleep。
Howlongthatfirstsleeplasted,sheneverknew。Shecouldonlyremember,intheafter-time,thatshewokeinstantly。
Everyfacultyandperceptioninherpassedtheboundarylinebetweeninsensibilityandconsciousness,sotospeak,ataleap。
Withoutknowingwhy,shesatupsuddenlyinthebed,listeningforsheknewnotwhat。Herheadwasinawhirl;herheartbeatfuriously,withoutanyassignablecause。Butonetrivialeventhadhappenedduringtheintervalwhileshehadbeenasleep。
Thenight-lighthadgoneout;andtheroom,asamatterofcourse,wasintotaldarkness。