’IsMr。HenryWestwickalone?’
AgnesinstantlyrecognisedthevoiceoftheCountess。Shehurriedtoaseconddoor,whichcommunicatedwithoneofthebedrooms。
’Don’tlethercomenearme!’shewhisperednervously。’Goodnight,Henry!goodnight!’
IfHenrycould,byaneffortofwill,havetransportedtheCountesstotheuttermostendsoftheearth,hewouldhavemadetheeffortwithoutremorse。Asitwas,heonlyrepeated,moreirritablythanever,’Comein!’
Sheenteredtheroomslowlywithhereverlastingmanuscriptinherhand。
Herstepwasunsteady;adarkflushappearedonherface,inplaceofitscustomarypallor;hereyeswerebloodshotandwidelydilated。
InapproachingHenry,sheshowedastrangeincapabilityofcalculatingherdistances——shestruckagainstthetablenearwhichhehappenedtobesitting。Whenshespoke,herarticulationwasconfused,andherpronunciationofsomeofthelongerwordswashardlyintelligible。
Mostmenwouldhavesuspectedherofbeingundertheinfluenceofsomeintoxicatingliquor。Henrytookatruerview——hesaid,asheplacedachairforher,’Countess,Iamafraidyouhavebeenworkingtoohard:
youlookasifyouwantedrest。’
Sheputherhandtoherhead。’Myinventionhasgone,’shesaid。
’Ican’twritemyfourthact。It’sallablank——allablank!’
Henryadvisedhertowaittillthenextday。’Gotobed,’hesuggested;
andtrytosleep。’
Shewavedherhandimpatiently。’Imustfinishtheplay,’
sheanswered。’Ionlywantahintfromyou。Youmustknowsomethingaboutplays。Yourbrotherhasgotatheatre。
Youmustoftenhaveheardhimtalkaboutfourthandfifthacts——
youmusthaveseenrehearsals,andalltherestofit。’
SheabruptlythrustthemanuscriptintoHenry’shand。’Ican’treadittoyou,’shesaid;’IfeelgiddywhenIlookatmyownwriting。
Justrunyoureyeoverit,there’sagoodfellow——andgivemeahint。’
Henryglancedatthemanuscript。Hehappenedtolookatthelistofthepersonsofthedrama。AshereadthelisthestartedandturnedabruptlytotheCountess,intendingtoaskherforsomeexplanation。
Thewordsweresuspendedonhislips。Itwasbuttooplainlyuselesstospeaktoher。Herheadlaybackontherailofthechair。
Sheseemedtobehalfasleepalready。Theflushonherfacehaddeepened:shelookedlikeawomanwhowasindangerofhavingafit。
Herangthebell,anddirectedthemanwhoansweredittosendoneofthechambermaidsupstairs。HisvoiceseemedtopartiallyrousetheCountess;sheopenedhereyesinaslowdrowsyway。
’Haveyoureadit?’sheasked。
Itwasnecessaryasamereactofhumanitytohumourher。
’Iwillreaditwillingly,’saidHenry,’ifyouwillgoupstairstobed。YoushallhearwhatIthinkofitto-morrowmorning。
Ourheadswillbeclearer,weshallbebetterabletomakethefourthactinthemorning。’
Thechambermaidcameinwhilehewasspeaking。’Iamafraidtheladyisill,’Henrywhispered。’Takeheruptoherroom。’
ThewomanlookedattheCountessandwhisperedback,’Shallwesendforadoctor,sir?’
Henryadvisedtakingherupstairsfirst,andthenaskingthemanager’sopinion。Therewasgreatdifficultyinpersuadinghertorise,andacceptthesupportofthechambermaid’sarm。
Itwasonlybyreiteratedpromisestoreadtheplaythatnight,andtomakethefourthactinthemorning,thatHenryprevailedontheCountesstoreturntoherroom。
Lefttohimself,hebegantofeelacertainlanguidcuriosityinrelationtothemanuscript。Helookedoverthepages,readingalinehereandalinethere。Suddenlyhechangedcolourasheread——
andlookedupfromthemanuscriptlikeamanbewildered。
’GoodGod!whatdoesthismean?’hesaidtohimself。
HiseyesturnednervouslytothedoorbywhichAgneshadlefthim。
Shemightreturntothedrawing-room,shemightwanttoseewhattheCountesshadwritten。Helookedbackagainatthepassagewhichhadstartledhim——consideredwithhimselfforamoment——
and,snatchinguptheunfinishedplay,suddenlyandsoftlylefttheroom。
CHAPTERXXVI
Enteringhisownroomontheupperfloor,Henryplacedthemanuscriptonhistable,openatthefirstleaf。Hisnerveswereunquestionablyshaken;hishandtrembledasheturnedthepages,hestartedatchancenoisesonthestaircaseofthehotel。
Thescenario,oroutline,oftheCountess’splaybeganwithnoformalprefatoryphrases。Shepresentedherselfandherworkwiththeeasyfamiliarityofanoldfriend。
’Allowme,dearMr。FrancisWestwick,tointroducetoyouthepersonsinmyproposedPlay。Beholdthem,arrangedsymmetricallyinaline。
’MyLord。TheBaron。TheCourier。TheDoctor。TheCountess。
’Idon’ttroublemyself,yousee,toinvestfictitiousfamilynames。
Mycharactersaresufficientlydistinguishedbytheirsocialtitles,andbythestrikingcontrastwhichtheypresentonewithanother。
TheFirstActopens——
’No!BeforeIopentheFirstAct,Imustannounce,injusticetomyself,thatthisPlayisentirelytheworkofmyowninvention。Iscorntoborrowfromactualevents;and,whatismoreextraordinarystill,IhavenotstolenoneofmyideasfromtheModernFrenchdrama。
AsthemanagerofanEnglishtheatre,youwillnaturallyrefusetobelievethis。Itdoesn’tmatter。Nothingmatters——excepttheopeningofmyfirstact。
’WeareatHomburg,inthefamousSalond’Or,attheheightoftheseason。
TheCountess(exquisitelydressed)isseatedatthegreentable。
Strangersofallnationsarestandingbehindtheplayers,venturingtheirmoneyoronlylookingon。MyLordisamongthestrangers。
HeisstruckbytheCountess’spersonalappearance,inwhichbeautiesanddefectsarefantasticallymingledinthemostattractivemanner。
HewatchestheCountess’sgame,andplaceshismoneywhereheseesherdepositherownlittlestake。Shelooksroundathim,andsays,\"Don’ttrusttomycolour;Ihavebeenunluckythewholeevening。
Placeyourstakeontheothercolour,andyoumayhaveachanceofwinning。\"MyLord(atrueEnglishman)blushes,bows,andobeys。
TheCountessprovestobeaprophet。Shelosesagain。MyLordwinstwicethesumthathehasrisked。
’TheCountessrisesfromthetable。Shehasnomoremoney,andsheoffersmyLordherchair。
’Insteadoftakingit,hepolitelyplaceshiswinningsinherhand,andbegshertoaccepttheloanasafavourtohimself。
TheCountessstakesagain,andlosesagain。MyLordsmilessuperbly,andpressesasecondloanonher。Fromthatmomentherluckturns。
Shewins,andwinslargely。Herbrother,theBaron,tryinghisfortuneinanotherroom,hearsofwhatisgoingon,andjoinsmyLordandtheCountess。
’Payattention,ifyouplease,totheBaron。Heisdelineatedasaremarkableandinterestingcharacter。
’Thisnoblepersonhasbegunlifewithasingle-mindeddevotiontothescienceofexperimentalchemistry,verysurprisinginayoungandhandsomemanwithabrilliantfuturebeforehim。AprofoundknowledgeoftheoccultscienceshaspersuadedtheBaronthatitispossibletosolvethefamousproblemcalledthe\"Philosopher’sStone。\"
Hisownpecuniaryresourceshavelongsincebeenexhaustedbyhiscostlyexperiments。Hissisterhasnextsuppliedhimwiththesmallfortuneatherdisposal:reservingonlythefamilyjewels,placedinthechargeofherbankerandfriendatFrankfort。
TheCountess’sfortunealsobeingswallowedup,theBaronhasinafatalmomentsoughtfornewsuppliesatthegamingtable。
Heproves,atstartingonhisperilouscareer,tobeafavouriteoffortune;winslargely,and,alas!profaneshisnobleenthusiasmforsciencebyyieldinghissoultotheall-debasingpassionofthegamester。
’AttheperiodofthePlay,theBaron’sgoodfortunehasdesertedhim。
Heseeshiswaytoacrowningexperimentinthefatalsearchafterthesecretoftransmutingthebaserelementsintogold。
Buthowishetopaythepreliminaryexpenses?Destiny,likeamockingecho,answers,How?
’Willhissister’swinnings(withmyLord’smoney)provelargeenoughtohelphim?Eagerforthisresult,hegivestheCountesshisadvicehowtoplay。Fromthatdisastrousmomenttheinfectionofhisownadversefortunespreadstohissister。Shelosesagain,andagain——
losestothelastfarthing。
’TheamiableandwealthyLordoffersathirdloan;
butthescrupulousCountesspositivelyrefusestotakeit。
Onleavingthetable,shepresentsherbrothertomyLord。
Thegentlemenfallintopleasanttalk。MyLordasksleavetopayhisrespectstotheCountess,thenextmorning,atherhotel。
TheBaronhospitablyinviteshimtobreakfast。MyLordaccepts,withalastadmiringglanceattheCountesswhichdoesnotescapeherbrother’sobservation,andtakeshisleaveforthenight。
’Alonewithhissister,theBaronspeaksoutplainly。\"Ouraffairs,\"
hesays,\"areinadesperatecondition,andmustfindadesperateremedy。
Waitformehere,whileImakeinquiriesaboutmyLord。
Youhaveevidentlyproducedastrongimpressiononhim。Ifwecanturnthatimpressionintomoney,nomatteratwhatsacrifice,thethingmustbedone。\"
’TheCountessnowoccupiesthestagealone,andindulgesinasoliloquywhichdevelopshercharacter。
’Itisatonceadangerousandattractivecharacter。
Immensecapacitiesforgoodareimplantedinhernature,sidebysidewithequallyremarkablecapacitiesforevil。
Itrestswithcircumstancestodevelopeithertheoneortheother。
Beingapersonwhoproducesasensationwherevershegoes,thisnobleladyisnaturallymadethesubjectofallsortsofscandalousreports。
Tooneofthesereports(whichfalselyandabominablypointstotheBaronasherloverinsteadofherbrother)shenowreferswithjustindignation。
ShehasjustexpressedherdesiretoleaveHomburg,astheplaceinwhichthevilecalumnyfirsttookitsrise,whentheBaronreturns,overhearsherlastwords,andsaystoher,\"Yes,leaveHomburgbyallmeans;providedyouleaveitinthecharacterofmyLord’sbetrothedwife!\"
’TheCountessisstartledandshocked。SheproteststhatshedoesnotreciprocatemyLord’sadmirationforher。Sheevengoesthelengthofrefusingtoseehimagain。TheBaronanswers,\"Imustpositivelyhavecommandofmoney。Takeyourchoice,betweenmarryingmyLord’sincome,intheinterestofmygranddiscovery——
orleavemetosellmyselfandmytitletothefirstrichwomanoflowdegreewhoisreadytobuyme。\"
’TheCountesslistensinsurpriseanddismay。IsitpossiblethattheBaronisinearnest?Heishorriblyinearnest。
\"Thewomanwhowillbuyme,\"hesays,\"isinthenextroomtousatthismoment。SheisthewealthywidowofaJewishusurer。
ShehasthemoneyIwanttoreachthesolutionofthegreatproblem。
Ihaveonlytobethatwoman’shusband,andtomakemyselfmasterofuntoldmillionsofgold。TakefiveminutestoconsiderwhatIhavesaidtoyou,andtellmeonmyreturnwhichofusistomarryforthemoneyIwant,youorI。\"
’Asheturnsaway,theCountessstopshim。
’Allthenoblestsentimentsinhernatureareexaltedtothehighestpitch。\"Whereisthetruewoman,\"sheexclaims,\"whowantstimetoconsummatethesacrificeofherself,whenthemantowhomsheisdevoteddemandsit?Shedoesnotwantfiveminutes——
shedoesnotwantfiveseconds——sheholdsoutherhandtohim,andshesays,Sacrificemeonthealtarofyourglory!Takeasstepping-stonesonthewaytoyourtriumph,mylove,myliberty,andmylife!\"
’Onthisgrandsituationthecurtainfalls。Judgingbymyfirstact,Mr。Westwick,tellmetruly,anddon’tbeafraidofturningmyhead:——
AmInotcapableofwritingagoodplay?’
HenrypausedbetweentheFirstandSecondActs;reflecting,notonthemeritsoftheplay,butonthestrangeresemblancewhichtheincidentssofarpresentedtotheincidentsthathadattendedthedisastrousmarriageofthefirstLordMontbarry。
WasitpossiblethattheCountess,inthepresentconditionofhermind,supposedherselftobeexercisingherinventionwhenshewasonlyexercisinghermemory?
Thequestioninvolvedconsiderationstooserioustobemadethesubjectofahastydecision。Reservinghisopinion,Henryturnedthepage,anddevotedhimselftothereadingofthenextact。
Themanuscriptproceededasfollows:——
’TheSecondActopensatVenice。Anintervaloffourmonthshaselapsedsincethedateofthesceneatthegamblingtable。
Theactionnowtakesplaceinthereception-roomofoneoftheVenetianpalaces。
’TheBaronisdiscovered,alone,onthestage。HerevertstotheeventswhichhavehappenedsincethecloseoftheFirstAct。
TheCountesshassacrificedherself;themercenarymarriagehastakenplace——butnotwithoutobstacles,causedbydifferenceofopiniononthequestionofmarriagesettlements。
’Privateinquiries,institutedinEngland,haveinformedtheBaronthatmyLord’sincomeisderivedchieflyfromwhatiscalledentailedproperty。
Incaseofaccidents,heissurelyboundtodosomethingforhisbride?
Lethim,forexample,insurehislife,forasumproposedbytheBaron,andlethimsosettlethemoneythathiswidowshallhaveit,ifhediesfirst。
’MyLordhesitates。TheBaronwastesnotimeinuselessdiscussion。
\"Letusbyallmeans\"(hesays)\"considerthemarriageasbrokenoff。\"
MyLordshiftshisground,andpleadsforasmallersumthanthesumproposed。TheBaronbrieflyreplies,\"Ineverbargain。\"
Mylordisinlove;thenaturalresultfollows——hegivesway。
’Sofar,theBaronhasnocausetocomplain。ButmyLord’sturncomes,whenthemarriagehasbeencelebrated,andwhenthehoneymoonisover。
TheBaronhasjoinedthemarriedpairatapalacewhichtheyhavehiredinVenice。Heisstillbentonsolvingtheproblemofthe\"Philosopher’sStone。\"Hislaboratoryissetupinthevaultsbeneaththepalace——sothatsmellsfromchemicalexperimentsmaynotincommodetheCountess,inthehigherregionsofthehouse。
Theoneobstacleinthewayofhisgranddiscoveryis,asusual,thewantofmoney。Hispositionatthepresenttimehasbecometrulycritical。Heowesdebtsofhonourtogentlemeninhisownrankoflife,whichmustpositivelybepaid;andheproposes,inhisownfriendlymanner,toborrowthemoneyofmyLord。
MyLordpositivelyrefuses,intherudestterms。TheBaronappliestohissistertoexerciseherconjugalinfluence。Shecanonlyanswerthathernoblehusband(beingnolongerdistractedlyinlovewithher)
nowappearsinhistruecharacter,asoneofthemeanestmenliving。
Thesacrificeofthemarriagehasbeenmade,andhasalreadyproveduseless。
’SuchisthestateofaffairsattheopeningoftheSecondAct。
’TheentranceoftheCountesssuddenlydisturbstheBaron’sreflections。
Sheisinastateborderingonfrenzy。Incoherentexpressionsofrageburstfromherlips:itissometimebeforeshecansufficientlycontrolherselftospeakplainly。Shehasbeendoublyinsulted——
first,byamenialpersoninheremployment;secondly,byherhusband。
Hermaid,anEnglishwoman,hasdeclaredthatshewillservetheCountessnolonger。Shewillgiveupherwages,andreturnatoncetoEngland。Beingaskedherreasonforthisstrangeproceeding,sheinsolentlyhintsthattheCountess’sserviceisnoserviceforanhonestwoman,sincetheBaronhasenteredthehouse。
TheCountessdoes,whatanyladyinherpositionwoulddo;
sheindignantlydismissesthewretchonthespot。
’MyLord,hearinghiswife’svoiceraisedinanger,leavesthestudyinwhichheisaccustomedtoshuthimselfupoverhisbooks,andaskswhatthisdisturbancemeans。TheCountessinformshimoftheoutrageouslanguageandconductofhermaid。
MyLordnotonlydeclareshisentireapprovalofthewoman’sconduct,butexpresseshisownabominabledoubtsofhiswife’sfidelityinlanguageofsuchhorriblebrutalitythatnoladycouldpolluteherlipsbyrepeatingit。\"IfIhadbeenaman,\"theCountesssays,\"andifIhadhadaweaponinmyhand,Iwouldhavestruckhimdeadatmyfeet!\"
’TheBaron,listeningsilentlysofar,nowspeaks。\"Permitmetofinishthesentenceforyou,\"hesays。\"Youwouldhavestruckyourhusbanddeadatyourfeet;andbythatrashact,youwouldhavedeprivedyourselfoftheinsurancemoneysettledonthewidow——
theverymoneywhichiswantedtorelieveyourbrotherfromtheunendurablepecuniarypositionwhichhenowoccupies!\"
’TheCountessgravelyremindstheBaronthatthisisnojokingmatter。
AfterwhatmyLordhassaidtoher,shehaslittledoubtthathewillcommunicatehisinfamoussuspicionstohislawyersinEngland。
Ifnothingisdonetopreventit,shemaybedivorcedanddisgraced,andthrownontheworld,withnoresourcebutthesaleofherjewelstokeepherfromstarving。
’Atthismoment,theCourierwhohasbeenengagedtotravelwithmyLordfromEnglandcrossesthestagewithalettertotaketothepost。
TheCountessstopshim,andaskstolookattheaddressontheletter。
Shetakesitfromhimforamoment,andshowsittoherbrother。
ThehandwritingismyLord’s;andtheletterisdirectedtohislawyersinLondon。
’TheCourierproceedstothepost-office。TheBaronandtheCountesslookateachotherinsilence。Nowordsareneeded。
Theythoroughlyunderstandthepositioninwhichtheyareplaced;
theyclearlyseetheterribleremedyforit。Whatistheplainalternativebeforethem?Disgraceandruin——or,myLord’sdeathandtheinsurancemoney!
’TheBaronwalksbackwardsandforwardsingreatagitation,talkingtohimself。TheCountesshearsfragmentsofwhatheissaying。
HespeaksofmyLord’sconstitution,probablyweakenedinIndia——
ofacoldwhichmyLordhascaughttwoorthreedayssince——
oftheremarkablemannerinwhichsuchslightthingsascoldssometimesendinseriousillnessanddeath。
’HeobservesthattheCountessislisteningtohim,andasksifshehasanythingtopropose。Sheisawomanwho,withmanydefects,hasthegreatmeritofspeakingout。\"Istherenosuchthingasaseriousillness,\"sheasks,\"corkedupinoneofthosebottlesofyoursinthevaultsdownstairs?\"
’TheBaronanswersbygravelyshakinghishead。Whatisheafraidof?——
apossibleexaminationofthebodyafterdeath?No:hecansetanypost-mortemexaminationatdefiance。Itistheprocessofadministeringthepoisonthathedreads。AmansodistinguishedasmyLordcannotbetakenseriouslyillwithoutmedicalattendance。
WherethereisaDoctor,thereisalwaysdangerofdiscovery。
Then,again,thereistheCourier,faithfultomyLordaslongasmyLordpayshim。EveniftheDoctorseesnothingsuspicious,theCouriermaydiscoversomething。Thepoison,todoitsworkwiththenecessarysecrecy,mustberepeatedlyadministeredingraduateddoses。
Onetriflingmiscalculationormistakemayrousesuspicion。
Theinsuranceofficesmayhearofit,andmayrefusetopaythemoney。
Asthingsare,theBaronwillnotriskit,andwillnotallowhissistertoriskitinhisplace。
’MyLordhimselfisthenextcharacterwhoappears。HehasrepeatedlyrungfortheCourier,andthebellhasnotbeenanswered。
\"Whatdoesthisinsolencemean?\"
’TheCountess(speakingwithquietdignity——forwhyshouldherinfamoushusbandhavethesatisfactionofknowinghowdeeplyhehaswoundedher?)remindsmyLordthattheCourierhasgonetothepost。
MyLordaskssuspiciouslyifshehaslookedattheletter。
TheCountessinformshimcoldlythatshehasnocuriosityabouthisletters。Referringtothecoldfromwhichheissuffering,sheinquiresifhethinksofconsultingamedicalman。
MyLordanswersroughlythatheisquiteoldenoughtobecapableofdoctoringhimself。
’Ashemakesthisreply,theCourierappears,returningfromthepost。
MyLordgiveshimorderstogooutagainandbuysomelemons。
Heproposestotryhotlemonadeasameansofinducingperspirationinbed。Inthatwayhehasformerlycuredcolds,andinthatwayhewillcurethecoldfromwhichheissufferingnow。
’TheCourierobeysinsilence。Judgingbyappearances,hegoesveryreluctantlyonthisseconderrand。
’MyLordturnstotheBaron(whohasthusfartakennopartintheconversation)andaskshim,inasneeringtone,howmuchlongerheproposestoprolonghisstayinVenice。TheBaronanswersquietly,\"Letusspeakplainlytooneanother,myLord。
Ifyouwishmetoleaveyourhouse,youhaveonlytosaytheword,andIgo。\"MyLordturnstohiswife,andasksifshecansupportthecalamityofherbrother’sabsence——layingagrosslyinsultingemphasisontheword\"brother。\"TheCountesspreservesherimpenetrablecomposure;nothinginherbetraysthedeadlyhatredwithwhichsheregardsthetitledruffianwhohasinsultedher。
\"Youaremasterinthishouse,myLord,\"isallshesays。\"Doasyouplease。\"
’MyLordlooksathiswife;looksattheBaron——andsuddenlyaltershistone。DoesheperceiveinthecomposureoftheCountessandherbrothersomethinglurkingunderthesurfacethatthreatenshim?
Thisisatleastcertain,hemakesaclumsyapologyforthelanguagethathehasused。(Abjectwretch!)
’MyLord’sexcusesareinterruptedbythereturnoftheCourierwiththelemonsandhotwater。
’TheCountessobservesforthefirsttimethatthemanlooksill。
Hishandstrembleasheplacesthetrayonthetable。MyLordordershisCouriertofollowhim,andmakethelemonadeinthebedroom。
TheCountessremarksthattheCourierseemshardlycapableofobeyinghisorders。Hearingthis,themanadmitsthatheisill。He,too,issufferingfromacold;hehasbeenkeptwaitinginadraughtattheshopwhereheboughtthelemons;hefeelsalternatelyhotandcold,andhebegspermissiontoliedownforalittlewhileonhisbed。
’Feelingherhumanityappealedto,theCountessvolunteerstomakethelemonadeherself。MyLordtakestheCourierbythearm,leadshimaside,andwhispersthesewordstohim:
\"Watchher,andseethatsheputsnothingintothelemonade;
thenbringittomewithyourownhands;and,then,gotobed,ifyoulike。\"
’Withoutawordmoretohiswife,ortotheBaron,myLordleavestheroom。
’TheCountessmakesthelemonade,andtheCouriertakesittohismaster。
’Returning,onthewaytohisownroom,heissoweak,andfeels,hesays,sogiddy,thatheisobligedtosupporthimselfbythebacksofthechairsashepassesthem。TheBaron,alwaysconsideratetopersonsoflowdegree,offershisarm。
\"Iamafraid,mypoorfellow,\"hesays,\"thatyouarereallyill。\"
TheCouriermakesthisextraordinaryanswer:\"It’salloverwithme,Sir:
Ihavecaughtmydeath。\"
’TheCountessisnaturallystartled。\"Youarenotanoldman,\"
shesays,tryingtorousetheCourier’sspirits。\"Atyourage,catchingcolddoesn’tsurelymeancatchingyourdeath?\"TheCourierfixeshiseyesdespairinglyontheCountess。
\"Mylungsareweak,myLady,\"hesays;\"Ihavealreadyhadtwoattacksofbronchitis。Thesecondtime,agreatphysicianjoinedmyowndoctorinattendanceonme。Heconsideredmyrecoveryalmostinthelightofamiracle。Takecareofyourself,\"hesaid。\"Ifyouhaveathirdattackofbronchitis,ascertainlyastwoandtwomakefour,youwillbeadeadman。Ifeelthesameinwardshivering,myLady,thatIfeltonthosetwoformeroccasions——andItellyouagain,IhavecaughtmydeathinVenice。\"
’Speakingsomecomfortingwords,theBaronleadshimtohisroom。
TheCountessisleftaloneonthestage。
’Sheseatsherself,andlookstowardsthedoorbywhichtheCourierhasbeenledout。\"Ah!mypoorfellow,\"shesays,\"ifyoucouldonlychangeconstitutionswithmyLord,whatahappyresultwouldfollowfortheBaronandforme!Ifyoucouldonlygetcuredofatrumperycoldwithalittlehotlemonade,andifhecouldonlycatchhisdeathinyourplace——!\"
’Shesuddenlypauses——considersforawhile——andspringstoherfeet,withacryoftriumphantsurprise:thewonderful,theunparalleledideahascrossedhermindlikeaflashoflightning。
Makethetwomenchangenamesandplaces——andthedeedisdone!
Wherearetheobstacles?RemovemyLord(byfairmeansorfoul)
fromhisroom;andkeephimsecretlyprisonerinthepalace,toliveordieasfuturenecessitymaydetermine。PlacetheCourierinthevacantbed,andcallinthedoctortoseehim——ill,inmyLord’scharacter,and(ifhedies)dyingundermyLord’sname!’
ThemanuscriptdroppedfromHenry’shands。Asickeningsenseofhorroroverpoweredhim。ThequestionwhichhadoccurredtohismindatthecloseoftheFirstActofthePlayassumedanewandterribleinterestnow。AsfarasthesceneoftheCountess’ssoliloquy,theincidentsoftheSecondActhadreflectedtheeventsofhislatebrother’slifeasfaithfullyastheincidentsoftheFirstAct。
Wasthemonstrousplot,revealedinthelineswhichhehadjustread,theoffspringoftheCountess’smorbidimagination?orhadshe,inthiscasealso,deludedherselfwiththeideathatshewasinventingwhenshewasreallywritingundertheinfluenceofherownguiltyremembrancesofthepast?Ifthelatterinterpretationwerethetrueone,hehadjustreadthenarrativeofthecontemplatedmurderofhisbrother,plannedincoldbloodbyawomanwhowasatthatmomentinhabitingthesamehousewithhim。While,tomakethefatalitycomplete,Agnesherselfhadinnocentlyprovidedtheconspiratorswiththeonemanwhowasfittedtobethepassiveagentoftheircrime。
Eventhebaredoubtthatitmightbesowasmorethanhecouldendure。
Helefthisroom;resolvedtoforcethetruthoutoftheCountess,ortodenounceherbeforetheauthoritiesasamurderessatlarge。
Arrivedatherdoor,hewasmetbyapersonjustleavingtheroom。
Thepersonwasthemanager。Hewashardlyrecognisable;helookedandspokelikeamaninastateofdesperation。
’Oh,goin,ifyoulike!’hesaidtoHenry。’Markthis,sir!
Iamnotasuperstitiousman;butIdobegintobelievethatcrimescarrytheirowncursewiththem。Thishotelisunderacurse。
Whathappensinthemorning?Wediscoveracrimecommittedintheolddaysofthepalace。Thenightcomes,andbringsanotherdreadfuleventwithit——adeath;asuddenandshockingdeath,inthehouse。
Goin,andseeforyourself!Ishallresignmysituation,Mr。Westwick:Ican’tcontendwiththefatalitiesthatpursuemehere!’
Henryenteredtheroom。
TheCountesswasstretchedonherbed。Thedoctorononeside,andthechambermaidontheother,werestandinglookingather。
Fromtimetotime,shedrewaheavystertorousbreath,likeapersonoppressedinsleeping。’Isshelikelytodie?’
Henryasked。
’Sheisdead,’thedoctoranswered。’Deadoftheruptureofablood-vesselonthebrain。Thosesoundsthatyouheararepurelymechanical——
theymaygoonforhours。’
Henrylookedatthechambermaid。Shehadlittletotell。
TheCountesshadrefusedtogotobed,andhadplacedherselfatherdesktoproceedwithherwriting。Findingituselesstoremonstratewithher,themaidhadlefttheroomtospeaktothemanager。
Intheshortestpossibletime,thedoctorwassummonedtothehotel,andfoundtheCountessdeadonthefloor。Therewasthistotell——
andnomore。
Lookingatthewriting-tableashewentout,HenrysawthesheetofpaperonwhichtheCountesshadtracedherlastlinesofwriting。
Thecharacterswerealmostillegible。Henrycouldjustdistinguishthewords,’FirstAct,’and’PersonsoftheDrama。’ThelostwretchhadbeenthinkingofherPlaytothelast,andhadbegunitalloveragain!
CHAPTERXXVII
Henryreturnedtohisroom。
Hisfirstimpulsewastothrowasidethemanuscript,andnevertolookatitagain。Theonechanceofrelievinghismindfromthedreadfuluncertaintythatoppressedit,byobtainingpositiveevidenceofthetruth,wasachanceannihilatedbytheCountess’sdeath。
Whatgoodpurposecouldbeserved,whatreliefcouldheanticipate,ifhereadmore?
Hewalkedupanddowntheroom。Afteraninterval,histhoughtstookanewdirection;thequestionofthemanuscriptpresenteditselfunderanotherpointofview。Thusfar,hisreadinghadonlyinformedhimthattheconspiracyhadbeenplanned。
Howdidheknowthattheplanhadbeenputinexecution?
Themanuscriptlayjustbeforehimonthefloor。Hehesitated;
thenpickeditup;and,returningtothetable,readonasfollows,fromthepointatwhichhehadleftoff。
’WhiletheCountessisstillabsorbedintheboldyetsimplecombinationofcircumstanceswhichshehasdiscovered,theBaronreturns。
HetakesaseriousviewofthecaseoftheCourier;itmaybenecessary,hethinks,tosendformedicaladvice。Noservantisleftinthepalace,nowtheEnglishmaidhastakenherdeparture。TheBaronhimselfmustfetchthedoctor,ifthedoctorisreallyneeded。
’\"Letushavemedicalhelp,byallmeans,\"hissisterreplies。
\"ButwaitandhearsomethingthatIhavetosaytoyoufirst。\"
ShethenelectrifiestheBaronbycommunicatingherideatohim。Whatdangerofdiscoveryhavetheytodread?
MyLord’slifeinVenicehasbeenalifeofabsoluteseclusion:
nobodybuthisbankerknowshim,evenbypersonalappearance。
Hehaspresentedhisletterofcreditasaperfectstranger;
andheandhisbankerhaveneverseeneachothersincethatfirstvisit。Hehasgivennoparties,andgonetonoparties。
Onthefewoccasionswhenhehashiredagondolaortakenawalk,hehasalwaysbeenalone。Thankstotheatrocioussuspicionwhichmakeshimashamedofbeingseenwithhiswife,hehasledtheverylifewhichmakestheproposedenterpriseeasyofaccomplishment。
’ThecautiousBaronlistens——butgivesnopositiveopinion,asyet。
\"SeewhatyoucandowiththeCourier,\"hesays;\"andIwilldecidewhenIheartheresult。OnevaluablehintImaygiveyoubeforeyougo。
Yourmaniseasilytemptedbymoney——ifyouonlyofferhimenough。
Theotherday,Iaskedhim,injest,whathewoulddoforathousandpounds。Heanswered,’Anything。’Bearthatinmind;andofferyourhighestbidwithoutbargaining。\"
’ThescenechangestotheCourier’sroom,andshowsthepoorwretchwithaphotographicportraitofhiswifeinhishand,crying。
TheCountessenters。
’Shewiselybeginsbysympathisingwithhercontemplatedaccomplice。
Heisdulygrateful;heconfideshissorrowstohisgraciousmistress。
Nowthathebelieveshimselftobeonhisdeath-bed,hefeelsremorseforhisneglectfultreatmentofhiswife。Hecouldresignhimselftodie;
butdespairoverpowershimwhenheremembersthathehassavednomoney,andthathewillleavehiswidow,withoutresources,tothemercyoftheworld。
’Onthishint,theCountessspeaks。\"Supposeyouwereaskedtodoaperfectlyeasything,\"shesays;\"andsupposeyouwererewardedfordoingitbyapresentofathousandpounds,asalegacyforyourwidow?\"
’TheCourierraiseshimselfonhispillow,andlooksattheCountesswithanexpressionofincreduloussurprise。Shecanhardlybecruelenough(hethinks)tojokewithamaninhismiserableplight。
Willshesayplainlywhatthisperfectlyeasythingis,thedoingofwhichwillmeetwithsuchamagnificentreward?
’TheCountessanswersthatquestionbyconfidingherprojecttotheCourier,withouttheslightestreserve。
’Someminutesofsilencefollowwhenshehasdone。TheCourierisnotweakenoughyettospeakwithoutstoppingtothinkfirst。
StillkeepinghiseyesontheCountess,hemakesaquaintlyinsolentremarkonwhathehasjustheard。\"Ihavenothithertobeenareligiousman;butIfeelmyselfonthewaytoit。
Sinceyourladyshiphasspokentome,IbelieveintheDevil。\"
ItistheCountess’sinteresttoseethehumoroussideofthisconfessionoffaith。Shetakesnooffence。Sheonlysays,\"Iwillgiveyouhalfanhourbyyourself,tothinkovermyproposal。
Youareindangerofdeath。Decide,inyourwife’sinterests,whetheryouwilldieworthnothing,ordieworthathousandpounds。\"
’Leftalone,theCourierseriouslyconsidershisposition——
anddecides。Heriseswithdifficulty;writesafewlinesonaleaftakenfromhispocket-book;and,withslowandfalteringsteps,leavestheroom。
’TheCountess,returningattheexpirationofthehalf-hour’sinterval,findstheroomempty。Whilesheiswondering,theCourieropensthedoor。Whathashebeendoingoutofhisbed?Heanswers,\"Ihavebeenprotectingmyownlife,mylady,onthebarechancethatImayrecoverfromthebronchitisforthethirdtime。
IfyouortheBaronattemptstohurrymeoutofthisworld,ortodeprivemeofmythousandpoundsreward,Ishalltellthedoctorwherehewillfindafewlinesofwriting,whichdescribeyourladyship’splot。Imaynothavestrengthenough,inthecasesupposed,tobetrayyoubymakingacompleteconfessionwithmyownlips;
butIcanemploymylastbreathtospeakthehalf-dozenwordswhichwilltellthedoctorwhereheistolook。Thosewords,itisneedlesstoadd,willbeaddressedtoyourLadyship,ifIfindyourengagementstowardsmefaithfullykept。\"
’Withthisaudaciouspreface,heproceedstostatetheconditionsonwhichhewillplayhispartintheconspiracy,anddie(ifhedoesdie)
worthathousandpounds。
’EithertheCountessortheBaronaretotastethefoodanddrinkbroughttohisbedside,inhispresence,andeventhemedicineswhichthedoctormayprescribeforhim。Asforthepromisedsumofmoney,itistobeproducedinonebank-note,foldedinasheetofpaper,onwhichalineistobewritten,dictatedbytheCourier。
Thetwoenclosuresarethentobesealedupinanenvelope,addressedtohiswife,andstampedreadyforthepost。Thisdone,theletteristobeplacedunderhispillow;theBaronortheCountessbeingatlibertytosatisfythemselves,daybyday,attheirowntime,thattheletterremainsinitsplace,withthesealunbroken,aslongasthedoctorhasanyhopeofhispatient’srecovery。
Thelaststipulationfollows。TheCourierhasaconscience;andwithaviewtokeepingiteasy,insiststhatheshallbeleftinignoranceofthatpartoftheplotwhichrelatestothesequestrationofmyLord。
Notthathecaresparticularlywhatbecomesofhismiserlymaster——
buthedoesdisliketakingotherpeople’sresponsibilitiesonhisownshoulders。
’Theseconditionsbeingagreedto,theCountesscallsintheBaron,whohasbeenwaitingeventsinthenextroom。
’HeisinformedthattheCourierhasyieldedtotemptation;
butheisstilltoocautioustomakeanycompromisingremarks。
Keepinghisbackturnedonthebed,heshowsabottletotheCountess。
Itislabelled\"Chloroform。\"SheunderstandsthatmyLordistoberemovedfromhisroominaconvenientstateofinsensibility。
Inwhatpartofthepalaceishetobehidden?Astheyopenthedoortogoout,theCountesswhispersthatquestiontotheBaron。TheBaronwhispersback,\"Inthevaults!\"
Thecurtainfalls。’
CHAPTERXXVIII
SotheSecondActended。
TurningtotheThirdAct,Henrylookedwearilyatthepagesasheletthemslipthroughhisfingers。Bothinmindandbody,hebegantofeeltheneedofrepose。
Inoneimportantrespect,thelaterportionofthemanuscriptdifferedfromthepageswhichhehadjustbeenreading。
Signsofanoverwroughtbrainshowedthemselves,hereandthere,astheoutlineoftheplayapproacheditsend。Thehandwritinggrewworseandworse。Someofthelongersentenceswereleftunfinished。
Intheexchangeofdialogue,questionsandanswerswerenotalwaysattributedrespectivelytotherightspeaker。Atcertainintervalsthewriter’sfailingintelligenceseemedtorecoveritselfforawhile;
onlytorelapseagain,andtolosethethreadofthenarrativemorehopelesslythanever。
AfterreadingoneortwoofthemorecoherentpassagesHenryrecoiledfromtheever-darkeninghorrorofthestory。Heclosedthemanuscript,heartsickandexhausted,andthrewhimselfonhisbedtorest。
Thedooropenedalmostatthesamemoment。LordMontbarryenteredtheroom。
’WehavejustreturnedfromtheOpera,’hesaid;’andwehaveheardthenewsofthatmiserablewoman’sdeath。Theysayyouspoketoherinherlastmoments;andIwanttohearhowithappened。’
’Youshallhearhowithappened,’Henryanswered;’andmorethanthat。
Youarenowtheheadofthefamily,Stephen;andIfeelbound,inthepositionwhichoppressesme,toleaveyoutodecidewhatoughttobedone。’
Withthoseintroductorywords,hetoldhisbrotherhowtheCountess’splayhadcomeintohishands。’Readthefirstfewpages,’hesaid。
’Iamanxioustoknowwhetherthesameimpressionisproducedonbothofus。’
BeforeLordMontbarryhadgothalf-waythroughtheFirstAct,hestopped,andlookedathisbrother。’Whatdoesshemeanbyboastingofthisasherowninvention?’heasked。’Wasshetoocrazytorememberthatthesethingsreallyhappened?’
ThiswasenoughforHenry:thesameimpressionhadbeenproducedonbothofthem。’Youwilldoasyouplease,’hesaid。
’Butifyouwillbeguidedbyme,spareyourselfthereadingofthosepagestocome,whichdescribeourbrother’sterribleexpiationofhisheartlessmarriage。’
’Haveyoureaditall,Henry?’
’Notall。Ishrankfromreadingsomeofthelatterpartofit。
NeitheryounorIsawmuchofourelderbrotherafterweleftschool;
and,formypart,Ifelt,andneverscrupledtoexpressmyfeeling,thathebehavedinfamouslytoAgnes。ButwhenIreadthatunconsciousconfessionofthemurderousconspiracytowhichhefellavictim,Iremembered,withsomethinglikeremorse,thatthesamemotherboreus。
Ihavefeltforhimto-night,whatIamashamedtothinkIneverfeltforhimbefore。’
LordMontbarrytookhisbrother’shand。
’Youareagoodfellow,Henry,’hesaid;’butareyouquitesurethatyouhavenotbeenneedlesslydistressingyourself?
Becausesomeofthiscrazycreature’swritingaccidentallytellswhatweknowtobethetruth,doesitfollowthatalltherestistobereliedontotheend?’
’Thereisnopossibledoubtofit,’Henryreplied。
’Nopossibledoubt?’hisbrotherrepeated。’Ishallgoonwithmyreading,Henry——andseewhatjustificationtheremaybeforthatconfidentconclusionofyours。’
Hereadonsteadily,untilhehadreachedtheendoftheSecondAct。
Thenhelookedup。
’Doyoureallybelievethatthemutilatedremainswhichyoudiscoveredthismorningaretheremainsofourbrother?’heasked。
’Anddoyoubelieveitonsuchevidenceasthis?’
Henryansweredsilentlybyasignintheaffirmative。
LordMontbarrycheckedhimself——evidentlyonthepointofenteringanindignantprotest。
’Youacknowledgethatyouhavenotreadthelaterscenesofthepiece,’hesaid。’Don’tbechildish,Henry!Ifyoupersistinpinningyourfaithonsuchstuffasthis,theleastyoucandoistomakeyourselfthoroughlyacquaintedwithit。
WillyoureadtheThirdAct?No?ThenIshallreadittoyou。’
HeturnedtotheThirdAct,andranoverthosefragmentarypassageswhichwereclearlyenoughwrittenandexpressedtobeintelligibletothemindofastranger。
’Hereisasceneinthevaultsofthepalace,’hebegan。’Thevictimoftheconspiracyissleepingonhismiserablebed;andtheBaronandtheCountessareconsideringthepositioninwhichtheystand。
TheCountess(aswellasIcanmakeitout)hasraisedthemoneythatiswantedbyborrowingonthesecurityofherjewelsatFrankfort;
andtheCourierupstairsisstilldeclaredbytheDoctortohaveachanceofrecovery。Whataretheconspiratorstodo,ifthemandoesrecover?ThecautiousBaronsuggestssettingtheprisonerfree。
Ifheventurestoappealtothelaw,itiseasytodeclarethatheissubjecttoinsanedelusion,andtocallhisownwifeaswitness。
Ontheotherhand,iftheCourierdies,howisthesequestratedandunknownnoblemantobeputoutoftheway?Passively,bylettinghimstarveinhisprison?No:theBaronisamanofrefinedtastes;
hedislikesneedlesscruelty。Theactivepolicyremains——
say,assassinationbytheknifeofahiredbravo?TheBaronobjectstotrustinganaccomplice;alsotospendingmoneyonanyonebuthimself。Shalltheydroptheirprisonerintothecanal?
TheBarondeclinestotrustwater;waterwillshowhimonthesurface。
Shalltheysethisbedonfire?Anexcellentidea;butthesmokemightbeseen。No:thecircumstancesbeingnowentirelyaltered,poisoninghimpresentstheeasiestwayoutofit。Hehassimplybecomeasuperfluousperson。Thecheapestpoisonwilldo。——
Isitpossible,Henry,thatyoubelievethisconsultationreallytookplace?’
Henrymadenoreply。Thesuccessionofthequestionsthathadjustbeenreadtohim,exactlyfollowedthesuccessionofthedreamsthathadterrifiedMrs。Norbury,onthetwonightswhichshehadpassedinthehotel。Itwasuselesstopointoutthiscoincidencetohisbrother。Heonlysaid,’Goon。’
LordMontbarryturnedthepagesuntilhecametothenextintelligiblepassage。
’Here,’heproceeded,’isadoublesceneonthestage——sofarasIcanunderstandthesketchofit。TheDoctorisupstairs,innocentlywritinghiscertificateofmyLord’sdecease,bythedeadCourier’sbedside。
Downinthevaults,theBaronstandsbythecorpseofthepoisonedlord,preparingthestrongchemicalacidswhicharetoreduceittoaheapofashes——Surely,itisnotworthwhiletotroubleourselveswithdecipheringsuchmelodramatichorrorsasthese?
Letusgeton!letusgeton!’
Heturnedtheleavesagain;attemptingvainlytodiscoverthemeaningoftheconfusedscenesthatfollowed。Onthelastpagebutone,hefoundthelastintelligiblesentences。
’TheThirdActseemstobedivided,’hesaid,’intotwoPartsorTableaux。IthinkIcanreadthewritingatthebeginningoftheSecondPart。TheBaronandtheCountessopenthescene。
TheBaron’shandsaremysteriouslyconcealedbygloves。
Hehasreducedthebodytoashesbyhisownsystemofcremation,withtheexceptionofthehead——’
Henryinterruptedhisbrotherthere。’Don’treadanymore!’
heexclaimed。
’LetusdotheCountessjustice,’LordMontbarrypersisted。
’TherearenothalfadozenlinesmorethatIcanmakeout!
TheaccidentalbreakingofhisjarofacidhasburnttheBaron’shandsseverely。Heisstillunabletoproceedtothedestructionofthehead——andtheCountessiswomanenough(withallherwickedness)
toshrinkfromattemptingtotakehisplace——whenthefirstnewsisreceivedofthecomingarrivalofthecommissionofinquirydespatchedbytheinsuranceoffices。TheBaronfeelsnoalarm。
Inquireasthecommissionmay,itisthenaturaldeathoftheCourier(inmyLord’scharacter)thattheyareblindlyinvestigating。
Theheadnotbeingdestroyed,theobviousalternativeistohideit——
andtheBaronisequaltotheoccasion。Hisstudiesintheoldlibraryhaveinformedhimofasafeplaceofconcealmentinthepalace。
TheCountessmayrecoilfromhandlingtheacidsandwatchingtheprocessofcremation;butshecansurelysprinklealittledisinfectingpowder——’
’Nomore!’Henryreiterated。’Nomore!’
’Thereisnomorethatcanberead,mydearfellow。Thelastpagelookslikesheerdelirium。Shemaywellhavetoldyouthatherinventionhadfailedher!’
’Facethetruthhonestly,Stephen,andsayhermemory。’
LordMontbarryrosefromthetableatwhichhehadbeensitting,andlookedathisbrotherwithpityingeyes。
’Yournervesareoutoforder,Henry,’hesaid。’Andnowonder,afterthatfrightfuldiscoveryunderthehearth-stone。Wewon’tdisputeaboutit;wewillwaitadayortwountilyouarequiteyourselfagain。
Inthemeantime,letusunderstandeachotherononepointatleast。
Youleavethequestionofwhatistobedonewiththesepagesofwritingtome,astheheadofthefamily?’
’Ido。’
LordMontbarryquietlytookupthemanuscript,andthrewitintothefire。’Letthisrubbishbeofsomeuse,’hesaid,holdingthepagesdownwiththepoker。’Theroomisgettingchilly——
theCountess’splaywillsetsomeofthesecharredlogsflamingagain。’
Hewaitedalittleatthefire-place,andreturnedtohisbrother。
’Now,Henry,Ihavealastwordtosay,andthenIhavedone。
Iamreadytoadmitthatyouhavestumbled,byanunluckychance,ontheproofofacrimecommittedintheolddaysofthepalace,nobodyknowshowlongago。Withthatoneconcession,Idisputeeverythingelse。Ratherthanagreeintheopinionyouhaveformed,Iwon’tbelieveanythingthathashappened。Thesupernaturalinfluencesthatsomeofusfeltwhenwefirstsleptinthishotel——
yourlossofappetite,oursister’sdreadfuldreams,thesmellthatoverpoweredFrancis,andtheheadthatappearedtoAgnes——Ideclarethemalltobesheerdelusions!Ibelieveinnothing,nothing,nothing!’
Heopenedthedoortogoout,andlookedbackintotheroom。
’Yes,’heresumed,’thereisonethingIbelievein。Mywifehascommittedabreachofconfidence——IbelieveAgneswillmarryyou。
Goodnight,Henry。WeleaveVenicethefirstthingto-morrowmorning。
SoLordMontbarrydisposedofthemysteryofTheHauntedHotel。
POSTSCRIPT
AlastchanceofdecidingthedifferenceofopinionbetweenthetwobrothersremainedinHenry’spossession。HehadhisownideaoftheusetowhichhemightputthefalseteethasameansofinquirywhenheandMsfellow-travellersreturnedtoEngland。
Theonlysurvivingdepositaryofthedomestichistoryofthefamilyinpastyears,wasAgnesLockwood’soldnurse。
HenrytookhisfirstopportunityoftryingtoreviveherpersonalrecollectionsofthedeceasedLordMontbarry。ButthenursehadneverforgiventhegreatmanofthefamilyforhisdesertionofAgnes;
sheflatlyrefusedtoconsulthermemory。’Eventhebaresightofmylord,whenIlastsawhiminLondon,’saidtheoldwoman,’mademyfinger-nailsitchtosettheirmarkonhisface。
IwassentonanerrandbyMissAgnes;andImethimcomingoutofhisdentist’sdoor——and,thankGod,that’sthelastIeversawofhim!’
Thankstothenurse’squicktemperandquaintwayofexpressingherself,theobjectofHenry’sinquirieswasgainedalready!
Heventuredonaskingifshehadnoticedthesituationofthehouse。
Shehadnoticed,andstillrememberedthesituation——
didMasterHenrysupposeshehadlosttheuseofhersenses,becauseshehappenedtobenighoneightyyearsold?Thesameday,hetookthefalseteethtothedentist,andsetallfurtherdoubt(ifdoubthadstillbeenpossible)atrestforever。TheteethhadbeenmadeforthefirstLordMontbarry。
Henryneverrevealedtheexistenceofthislastlinkinthechainofdiscoverytoanylivingcreature,hisbrotherStephenincluded。
Hecarriedhisterriblesecretwithhimtothegrave。
Therewasoneothereventinthememorablepastonwhichhepreservedthesamecompassionatesilence。LittleMrs。Ferrarineverknewthatherhusbandhadbeen——not,asshesupposed,theCountess’svictim——
buttheCountess’saccomplice。ShestillbelievedthatthelateLordMontbarryhadsentherthethousand-poundnote,andstillrecoiledfrommakinguseofapresentwhichshepersistedindeclaringhad’thestainofherhusband’sbloodonit。’Agnes,withthewidow’sentireapproval,tookthemoneytotheChildren’sHospital;
andspentitinaddingtothenumberofthebeds。
Inthespringofthenewyear,themarriagetookplace。
AtthespecialrequestofAgnes,themembersofthefamilyweretheonlypersonspresentattheceremony。Therewasnoweddingbreakfast——
andthehoneymoonwasspentintheretirementofacottageonthebanksoftheThames。
Duringthelastfewdaysoftheresidenceofthenewlymarriedcouplebytheriverside,LadyMontbarry’schildrenwereinvitedtoenjoyaday’splayinthegarden。Theeldestgirloverheard(andreportedtohermother)alittleconjugaldialoguewhichtouchedonthetopicofTheHauntedHotel。
’Henry,Iwantyoutogivemeakiss。’
’Thereitis,mydear。’
’NowIamyourwife,mayIspeaktoyouaboutsomething?’
’Whatisit?’
’SomethingthathappenedthedaybeforeweleftVenice。
YousawtheCountess,duringthelasthoursofherlife。
Won’tyoutellmewhethershemadeanyconfessiontoyou?’
’Noconsciousconfession,Agnes——andthereforenoconfessionthatI
needdistressyoubyrepeating。’
’Didshesaynothingaboutwhatshesaworheard,onthatdreadfulnightinmyroom?’
’Nothing。Weonlyknowthathermindneverrecoveredtheterrorofit。’
Agneswasnotquitesatisfied。Thesubjecttroubledher。
Evenherownbriefintercoursewithhermiserablerivalofotherdayssuggestedquestionsthatperplexedher。
SherememberedtheCountess’sprediction。’Youhavetobringmetothedayofdiscovery,andtothepunishmentthatismydoom。’
Hadthepredictionsimplyfaded,likeothermortalprophecies?——
orhaditbeenfulfilledontheterriblenightwhenshehadseentheapparition,andwhenshehadinnocentlytemptedtheCountesstowatchherinherroom?
Letit,however,berecorded,amongtheothervirtuesofMrs。HenryWestwick,thatsheneveragainattemptedtopersuadeherhusbandintobetrayinghissecrets。Othermen’swives,hearingofthisextraordinaryconduct(andbeingtrainedinthemodernschoolofmoralsandmanners),naturallyregardedherwithcompassionatecontempt。TheyspokeofAgnes,fromthattimeforth,as’ratheranold-fashionedperson。’
Isthatall?
Thatisall。
IstherenoexplanationofthemysteryofTheHauntedHotel?
Askyourselfifthereisanyexplanationofthemysteryofyourownlifeanddeath。——Farewell。