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The Haunted Hotel-Part5_WILKIE COLLINS (1824-1899)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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back with her to her home in Ireland. 'Come and keep me company



while my husband is away. My three little girls will make you

their playfellow, and the only stranger you will meet is the governess,



whom I answer for your likingbeforehand. Pack up your things,

and I will call for you to-morrow on my way to the train.'



In those hearty terms the invitation was given. Agnes thankfully

accepted it. For three happy months she lived under the roof



of her friend. The girls hung round her in tears at her departure;

the youngest of them wanted to go back with Agnes to London.



Half in jest, half in earnest, she said to her old friend at parting,

'If your governess leaves you, keep the place open for me.'



Mrs. Westwick laughed. The wiser children took it seriously,

and promised to let Agnes know.



On the very day when Miss Lockwood returned to London, she was recalled

to those associations with the past which she was most anxious to forget.



After the first kissings and greetings were over, the old nurse

(who had been left in charge at the lodgings) had some startling



information to communicate, derived from the courier's wife.

'Here has been little Mrs. Ferrari, my dear, in a dreadful state



of mind, inquiring when you would be back. Her husband has left

Lord Montbarry, without a word of warning--and nobody knows what has



become of him.'

Agnes looked at her in astonishment. 'Are you sure of what you



are saying?' she asked.

The nurse was quite sure. 'Why, Lord bless you! the news comes



from the couriers' office in Golden Square--from the secretary,

Miss Agnes, the secretary himself!' Hearing this, Agnes began to feel



alarmed as well as surprised. It was still early in the evening.

She at once sent a message to Mrs. Ferrari, to say that she



had returned.

In an hour more the courier's wife appeared, in a state of agitation



which it was not easy to control. Her narrative, when she was at last

able to speak connectedly, entirely confirmed the nurse's report of it.



After hearing from her husband with tolerable regularity from Paris,

Rome, and Venice, Emily had twice written to him afterwards--



and had received no reply. Feeling uneasy, she had gone to the office

in Golden Square, to inquire if he had been heard of there.



The post of the morning had brought a letter to the secretary from

a courier then at Venice. It contained startling news of Ferrari.



His wife had been allowed to take a copy of it, which she now handed to

Agnes to read.



The writer stated that he had recently arrived in Venice.

He had previously heard that Ferrari was with Lord and Lady Montbarry,



at one of the old Venetian palaces which they had hired for a term.

Being a friend of Ferrari, he had gone to pay him a visit.



Ringing at the door that opened on the canal, and failing to make

anyone hear him, he had gone round to a side entrance opening



on one of the narrow lanes of Venice. Here, standing at the door

(as if she was waiting for him to try that way next), he found a pale



woman with magnificent dark eyes, who proved to be no other than Lady

Montbarry herself.



She asked, in Italian, what he wanted. He answered that he wanted

to see the courier Ferrari, if it was quite convenient.



She at once informed him that Ferrari had left the palace,

without assigning any reason, and without even leaving an address at



which his monthly salary (then due to him) could be paid. Amazed at

this reply, the courier inquired if any person had offended Ferrari,



or quarrelled with him. The lady answered, 'To my knowledge,

certainly not. I am Lady Montbarry; and I can positively assure you



that Ferrari was treated with the greatest kindness in this house.

We are as much astonished as you are at his extraordinary disappearance.



If you should hear of him, pray let us know, so that we may at least

pay him the money which is due.'



After one or two more questions (quite readily answered) relating to

the date and the time of day at which Ferrari had left the palace,



the courier took his leave.

He at once entered on the necessary investigations--without the slightest



result so far as Ferrari was concerned. Nobody had seen him.

Nobody appeared to have been taken into his confidence.



Nobody knew anything (that is to say, anything of the slightest importance)

even about persons so distinguished as Lord and Lady Montbarry.






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