Отель с привидениями
Chapter XX
’Assumingyourabsurdsuperstitiontobeaseriousthing,youaretakingthewrongmeanstoproveittrue.IfIandmybrotherandsisterhaveseennothing,howshouldAgnesLockwooddiscoverwhatwasnotrevealedtous?SheisonlydistantlyrelatedtotheMontbarrys—sheisonlyourcousin.’
’ShewasnearertotheheartoftheMontbarrywhoisdeadthananyofyou,’theCountessansweredsternly.’Tothelastdayofhislife,mymiserablehusbandrepentedhisdesertionofher.Shewillseewhatnoneofyouhaveseen—sheshallhavetheroom.’
Francislistened,utterlyatalosstoaccountforthemotivesthatanimatedher.’Idon’tseewhatinterestyouhaveintryingthisextraordinaryexperiment,’hesaid.
’Itismyinterestnottotryit!ItismyinteresttoflyfromVenice,andneverseteyesonAgnesLockwoodoranyofyourfamilyagain!’
’Whatpreventsyoufromdoingthat?’
Shestartedtoherfeetandlookedathimwildly.’Iknownomorewhatpreventsmethanyoudo!’sheburstout.’Somewillthatisstrongerthanminedrivesmeontomydestruction,inspiteofmyownself!’Shesuddenlysatdownagain,andwavedherhandforhimtogo.’Leaveme,’shesaid.’Leavemetomythoughts.’
Francislefther,firmlypersuadedbythistimethatshewasoutofhersenses.Fortherestoftheday,hesawnothingofher.Thenight,sofarasheknew,passedquietly.Thenextmorninghebreakfastedearly,determiningtowaitintherestaurantfortheappearanceoftheCountess.
