he called abruptly to his brother, 'Come out, Stephen, and let

us smoke!'



As soon as the two brothers were at liberty to speak together privately,

Henry explained the motive which had led to his strange inquiries



about the bedrooms. Francis had informed him of the meeting with

the Countess at Venice, and of all that had followed it; and Henry now



carefully repeated the narrative to his brother in all its details.

'I am not satisfied,' he added, 'about that woman's purpose in giving



up her room. Without alarming the ladies by telling them what I

have just told you, can you not warn Agnes to be careful in securing



her door?'

Lord Montbarry replied, that the warning had been already



given by his wife, and that Agnes might be trusted to take

good care of herself and her little bed-fellow. For the rest,



he looked upon the story of the Countess and her superstitions

as a piece of theatricalexaggeration, amusing enough in itself,



but unworthy of a moment's serious attention.

While the gentlemen were absent from the hotel, the room which had



been already associated with so many startling circumstances,

became the scene of another strange event in which Lady Montbarry's



eldest child was concerned.

Little Marian had been got ready for bed as usual, and had



(so far) taken hardly any notice of the new room. As she knelt

down to say her prayers, she happened to look up at that part



of the ceiling above her which was just over the head of the bed.

The next instant she alarmed Agnes, by starting to her feet



with a cry of terror, and pointing to a small brown spot

on one of the white panelled spaces of the carved ceiling.



'It's a spot of blood!' the child exclaimed. 'Take me away!

I won't sleep here!'



Seeing plainly that it would be useless to reason with her while she

was in the room, Agnes hurriedly wrapped Marian in a dressing-gown,



and carried her back to her mother in the drawing-room. Here,

the ladies did their best to soothe and reassure the trembling girl.



The effort proved to be useless; the impression that had been

produced on the young and sensitive mind was not to be removed



by persuasion. Marian could give no explanation of the panic

of terror that had seized her. She was quite unable to say why



the spot on the ceiling looked like the colour of a spot of blood.

She only knew that she should die of terror if she saw it again.



Under these circumstances, but one alternative was left. It was

arranged that the child should pass the night in the room occupied



by her two younger sisters and the nurse.

In half an hour more, Marian was peacefully asleep with her arm



around her sister's neck. Lady Montbarry went back with Agnes

to her room to see the spot on the ceiling which had so strangely



frightened the child. It was so small as to be only just perceptible,

and it had in all probability been caused by the carelessness



of a workman, or by a dripping from water accidentally spilt

on the floor of the room above.



'I really cannot understand why Marian should place such a shocking

interpretation on such a trifling thing,' Lady Montbarry remarked.



'I suspect the nurse is in some way answerable for what has happened,'

Agnes suggested. 'She may quite possibly have been telling



Marian some tragicnursery story which has left its mischievous

impression behind it. Persons in her position are sadly ignorant



of the danger of exciting a child's imagination. You had better

caution the nurse to-morrow.'



Lady Montbarry looked round the room with admiration. 'Is it

not prettily decorated?' she said. 'I suppose, Agnes, you don't



mind sleeping here by yourself.?'

Agnes laughed. 'I feel so tired,' she replied, 'that I was thinking



of bidding you good-night, instead of going back to the drawing-room.'

Lady Montbarry turned towards the door. 'I see your jewel-case on



the table,' she resumed. 'Don't forget to lock the other door there,

in the dressing-room.'



'I have already seen to it, and tried the key myself,' said Agnes.

'Can I be of any use to you before I go to bed?'

• suggestion [sə´dʒestʃən] n.建议，提议；暗示 (初中英语单词)


• breeze [bri:z] n.微风；不费力的事 (初中英语单词)


• persuade [pə´sweid] v.(被)说服；使相信 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• mourning [´mɔ:niŋ] n.悲伤；治丧；戴孝 (初中英语单词)


• writer [´raitə] n.作者；作家 (初中英语单词)


• polite [pə´lait] a.有礼貌的；温和的 (初中英语单词)


• extreme [ik´stri:m] a.尽头的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)


• downstairs [,daun´steəz] ad.在楼下 a.楼下的 (初中英语单词)


• impression [im´preʃən] n.印刷；印象；效果 (初中英语单词)


• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)


• graceful [´greisfəl] a.优美的，流畅的 (初中英语单词)


• unusual [ʌn´ju:ʒuəl] a.不平常的；异常的 (初中英语单词)


• principal [´prinsəpəl] a.主要的 n.负责人 (初中英语单词)


• security [si´kjuəriti] n.安全；证券；抵押品 (初中英语单词)


• departure [di´pɑ:tʃə] n.离开，出发 (初中英语单词)


• advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)


• conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)


• silently [´sailəntli] ad.寂静地；沉默地 (初中英语单词)


• refuge [´refju:dʒ] v.&n.避难(所)；庇护 (初中英语单词)


• manager [´mænidʒə] n.经理；管理人；干事 (初中英语单词)


• interfere [,intə´fiə] vi.干涉；妨碍；打扰 (初中英语单词)


• victory [´viktəri] n.胜利，战胜 (初中英语单词)


• terror [´terə] n.恐怖；惊骇 (初中英语单词)


• advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)


• abruptly [ə´brʌptli] ad.突然地；粗鲁地 (初中英语单词)


• companion [kəm´pæniən] n.同伴；同事；伴侣 (初中英语单词)


• motive [´məutiv] n.动机；主题 a.运动的 (初中英语单词)


• absent [´æbsənt, əb´sent] a.不在的 vt.使缺席 (初中英语单词)


• instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)


• plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)


• useless [´ju:sləs] a.无用的，无价值的 (初中英语单词)


• persuasion [pə´sweiʒən] n.说服(力)；劝说；见解 (初中英语单词)


• explanation [,eksplə´neiʃən] n.解释；说明；辩解 (初中英语单词)


• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)


• trifling [´traifliŋ] a.微小的；轻浮的 (初中英语单词)


• suspect [´sʌspekt, sə´spekt] v.怀疑；觉得 n.嫌疑犯 (初中英语单词)


• imagination [i,mædʒi´neiʃən] n.想象(力) (初中英语单词)


• admiration [,ædmə´reiʃən] n.赞赏，钦佩 (初中英语单词)


• sleeping [´sli:piŋ] n.&a.睡着(的) (初中英语单词)


• gladly [´glædli] ad.愉快地，高兴地 (高中英语单词)


• sensitive [´sensitiv] a.敏感的；感光的 (高中英语单词)


• vainly [´veinli] ad.虚荣地；自负地 (高中英语单词)


• housekeeper [´haus,ki:pə] n.主妇，女管家 (高中英语单词)


• luggage [´lʌgidʒ] n.行李；皮箱 (高中英语单词)


• personally [´pə:sənəli] ad.亲自；就个人来说 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• massive [´mæsiv] a.厚实的；魁伟的 (高中英语单词)


• recess [ri´ses] n.休息；休会 (高中英语单词)


• inferior [in´fiəriə] n.下级的 n.下级；晚辈 (高中英语单词)


• commonly [´kɔmənli] ad.一般地；通常 (高中英语单词)


• corridor [´kɔridɔ:] n.走廊；指定航路 (高中英语单词)


• solitary [´sɔlitəri] a.独居的；孤独的 (高中英语单词)


• needless [´ni:dləs] a.不必要的；无用的 (高中英语单词)


• toilet [´tɔilit] n.梳妆(台)；卫生间 (高中英语单词)


• amusing [ə´mju:ziŋ] a.有趣的 (高中英语单词)


• decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)


• escort [´eskɔ:t] n.伴随者；警卫(队) (高中英语单词)


• eldest [´eldist] a.最年长的 (高中英语单词)


• venice [´venis] n.威尼斯 (高中英语单词)


• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)


• narrative [´nærətiv] a.叙述的 n.记事 (高中英语单词)


• startling [´stɑ:tliŋ] a.惊人的 (高中英语单词)


• soothe [su:ð] vt.安慰；镇定；减轻 (高中英语单词)


• reassure [,ri:ə´ʃuə] vt.使放心 (高中英语单词)


• probability [,prɔbə´biliti] n.或有；可能性 (高中英语单词)


• workman [´wə:kmən] n.工人；工作人员 (高中英语单词)


• tragic [´trædʒik] a.悲剧的；悲惨的 (高中英语单词)


• nursery [´nə:səri] n.托儿所；苗床；养鱼场 (高中英语单词)


• fascination [,fæsi´neiʃən] n.魅力；强烈爱好 (英语四级单词)


• balcony [´bælkəni] n.阳台；(戏院的)楼厅 (英语四级单词)


• wardrobe [´wɔ:drəub] n.衣柜；全部服装 (英语四级单词)


• conveniently [kən´vi:njəntli] ad.方便地；合宜地 (英语四级单词)


• staircase [´steəkeis] n.楼梯 =stairway (英语四级单词)


• compartment [kəm´pɑ:tmənt] n.间隔；隔室 (英语四级单词)


• thieves [θi:vz] thief的复数 (英语四级单词)


• conventional [kən´venʃənəl] a.常规的；协定的 (英语四级单词)


• winning [´winiŋ] n.&a.胜利(的) (英语四级单词)


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• venetian [vi´ni:ʃ(ə)n] a.威尼斯城的 (英语四级单词)


• warning [´wɔ:niŋ] n.警告；前兆 a.预告的 (英语四级单词)


• theatrical [θi´ætrikəl] a.戏院的；戏剧(性)的 (英语四级单词)


• unworthy [ʌn´wə:ði] a.不值得的；不足道的 (英语四级单词)


• hurriedly [´hʌridli] ad.仓促地，忙乱地 (英语四级单词)


• alternative [ɔ:l´tə:nətiv] a.二中选一的 n.选择 (英语四级单词)


• lagoon [lə´gu:n] n.濒海湖，泻湖 (英语六级单词)


• discreet [di´skri:t] a.谨慎的，考虑周到的 (英语六级单词)


• exquisitely [´ekswizit] ad.精巧地，优美地 (英语六级单词)


• countess [´kauntis] n.伯爵夫人；女伯爵 (英语六级单词)


• latent [´leitənt] a.潜在的，潜伏的 (英语六级单词)


• exaggeration [ig,zædʒə´reiʃən] n.夸张，夸大 (英语六级单词)


• peacefully [´pisfuli] ad.平静地；安宁地 (英语六级单词)


• accidentally [,æksi´dentəli] ad.偶然地 (英语六级单词)