The Haunted Hotel / Отель с привидениями

’

Emily walked to the door.

�I beg your pardon, Miss. I am not quite so bad as you think. But I beg your pardon.’

She opened the door. Agnes called her back. There was something in the woman’s apology that appealed to her.

�Come,’ she said. �Let me not misunderstand you. What is it that you expected me to do?’

Emily was wise enough to answer this time quickly.

�My husband will send his testimonials, Miss, to Lord Montbarry in Scotland. I only wanted you to let him say in his letter that you have known his wife since she was a child, and that you feel some little interest in his welfare on that account.

I don’t ask it now, Miss. I was wrong.’

�It seems only a small favour to ask,’ Agnes said. �But I am not sure that I allow my name to be mentioned in your husband’s letter. Let me hear again exactly what he wishes to say.’

Emily repeated the words. Agnes wrote:

�I venture to state that Miss Agnes Lockwood has known my wife from her childhood, and she feels some little interest in my welfare on that account.

Then Agnes handed the written paper to Emily.

�Your husband must copy it exactly,’ she stipulated. �On that condition, I grant your request.’

Emily was thankful. Then she vanished.

Two days later, the post brought a few grateful lines from Emily. Her husband got the place. Ferrari was engaged, for six months certain, as Lord Montbarry’s courier.

The Second Part

Chapter V

After only one week in Scotland, my lord and my lady returned unexpectedly to London.

For a week more, the newly-married couple remained in London, in the strictest retirement. On one day in that week the nurse met Lord Montbarry himself. The good woman’s report described him, with malicious pleasure, as wretchedly ill.

�His cheeks are hollow, my dear, and his beard is grey. I hope the dentist hurt him!’

On the third day the newspapers announced the departure of Lord and Lady Montbarry for Paris, on their way to Italy.

Mrs. Ferrari informed Agnes that her husband’s temper was improved. One other servant accompanied the travelers – Lady Montbarry’s maid, a silent, unsociable woman. Her ladyship’s brother, Baron Rivar, was already on the Continent. He will meet his sister and her husband in Rome.

One by one the dull weeks succeeded each other in the life of Agnes. She was seeing her friends, reading and drawing. But her wound was too deep to forget.