酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

The Haunted Hotel-Part23_WILKIE COLLINS (1824-1899)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页
me or not, I must make the attempt. Take me to her before I have time

to feel afraid of it!'



Henry looked at her anxiously. 'If you are really sure of your

own resolution,' he said, 'I agree with you--the sooner you see



her the better. You remember how strangely she talked of your

influence over her, when she forced her way into your room in London?'



'I remember it perfectly. Why do you ask?'

'For this reason. In the present state of her mind, I doubt if she



will be much longer capable of realizing her wild idea of you as the

avenging angel who is to bring her to a reckoning for her evil deeds.



It may be well to try what your influence can do while she is still

capable of feeling it.'



He waited to hear what Agnes would say. She took his arm and led

him in silence to the door.



They ascended to the second floor, and, after knocking,

entered the Countess's room.



She was still busily engaged in writing. When she looked up from

the paper, and saw Agnes, a vacant expression of doubt was the only



expression in her wild black eyes. After a few moments, the lost

remembrances and associations appeared to return slowly to her mind.



The pen dropped from her hand. Haggard and trembling, she looked closer

at Agnes, and recognised her at last. 'Has the time come already?'



she said in low awe-struck tones. 'Give me a little longer respite,

I haven't done my writing yet!'



She dropped on her knees, and held out her clasped hands entreatingly.

Agnes was far from having recovered, after the shock that she had



suffered in the night: her nerves were far from being equal to the

strain that was now laid on them. She was so startled by the change



in the Countess, that she was at a loss what to say or to do next.

Henry was obliged to speak to her. 'Put your questions while you



have the chance,' he said, lowering his voice. 'See! the vacant look

is coming over her face again.'



Agnes tried to rally her courage. 'You were in my room last night--'

she began. Before she could add a word more, the Countess lifted



her hands, and wrung them above her head with a low moan of horror.

Agnes shrank back, and turned as if to leave the room. Henry stopped her,



and whispered to her to try again. She obeyed him after an effort.

'I slept last night in the room that you gave up to me,' she resumed.



'I saw--'

The Countess suddenly rose to her feet. 'No more of that,' she cried.



'Oh, Jesu Maria! do you think I want to be told what you saw?

Do you think I don't know what it means for you and for me?



Decide for yourself, Miss. Examine your own mind. Are you well

assured that the day of reckoning has come at last? Are you ready



to follow me back, through the crimes of the past, to the secrets of

the dead?'



She returned again to the writing-table, without waiting to be answered.

Her eyes flashed; she looked like her old self once more as she spoke.



It was only for a moment. The old ardour and impetuosity were

nearly worn out. Her head sank; she sighed heavily as she unlocked



a desk which stood on the table. Opening a drawer in the desk,

she took out a leaf of vellum, covered with faded writing.



Some ragged ends of silken thread were still attached to the leaf,

as if it had been torn out of a book.



'Can you read Italian?' she asked, handing the leaf to Agnes.

Agnes answered silently by an inclination of her head.



'The leaf,' the Countess proceeded, 'once belonged to a book in the old

library of the palace, while this building was still a palace.



By whom it was torn out you have no need to know. For what purpose

it was torn out you may discover for yourself, if you will.



Read it first--at the fifth line from the top of the page.'

Agnes felt the serious necessity of composing herself.



'Give me a chair,' she said to Henry; 'and I will do my best.'

He placed himself behind her chair so that he could look over her



shoulder and help her to understand the writing on the leaf.

Rendered into English, it ran as follows:--



I have now completed my literarysurvey of the first

floor of the palace. At the desire of my noble and gracious patron,



the lord of this gloriousedifice, I next ascend to the second floor,

and continue my catalogue or description of the pictures,



decorations, and other treasures of art therein contained.

Let me begin with the corner room at the westernextremity of the palace,






文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号