Отель с привидениями
Chapter XI
Asshelistened,herfacesettledslowlyintoanexpressionofhardandtearlesssorrow.Therewasamarkedchangeinhervoicewhenshespokenext.Itexpressedthatlastworstresignationwhichhasdonewithhope.
’Yougoodinnocentcreature,’shesaid,’whatdoesyouramiableforgivenessmatter?Whatareyourpoorlittlewrongs,inthereckoningforgreaterwrongswhichisdemandedofme?Iamnottryingtofrightenyou,Iamonlymiserableaboutmyself.Doyouknowwhatitistohaveafirmpresentimentofcalamitythatiscomingtoyou—andyettohopethatyourownpositiveconvictionwillnotprovetrue?WhenIfirstmetyou,beforemymarriage,andfirstfeltyourinfluenceoverme,Ihadthathope.Itwasastarvelingsortofhopethatlivedalingeringlifeinmeuntilto-day.Youstruckitdead,whenyouansweredmyquestionaboutFerrari.’
’HowhaveIdestroyedyourhopes?’Agnesasked.’WhatconnectionistherebetweenmypermittingFerraritousemynametoLordMontbarry,andthestrangeanddreadfulthingsyouaresayingtomenow?’
’Thetimeisnear,MissLockwood,whenyouwilldiscoverthatforyourself.Inthemeanwhile,youshallknowwhatmyfearofyouis,intheplainestwordsIcanfind.OnthedaywhenItookyourherofromyouandblightedyourlife—Iamfirmlypersuadedofit!—youweremadetheinstrumentoftheretributionthatmysinsofmanyyearshaddeserved.Oh,suchthingshavehappenedbeforeto-day!Onepersonhas,beforenow,beenthemeansofinnocentlyripeningthegrowthofevilinanother.Youhavedonethatalready—andyouhavemoretodoyet