Готель з привидами

           Thevalethadotherfriendstowhomherelatedthecircumstancesinhisturn.Induecourseoftime,thenarrative,passingfrommouthtomouth,reachedtheearsofthemanager.Heinstantlysawthatthecreditofthehotelwasindanger,unlesssomethingwasdonetoretrievethecharacteroftheroomnumberedFourteen.Englishtravellers,wellacquaintedwiththepeerageoftheirnativecountry,informedhimthatHenryWestwickandMrs.NorburywerebynomeanstheonlymembersoftheMontbarryfamily.Curiositymightbringmoreofthemtothehotel,afterhearingwhathadhappened.Themanager’singenuityeasilyhitontheobviousmeansofmisleadingthem,inthiscase.Thenumbersofalltheroomswereenamelledinblue,onwhitechinaplates,screwedtothedoors.Heorderedanewplatetobeprepared,bearingthenumber,’13A’;andhekepttheroomempty,afteritstenantforthetimebeinghadgoneaway,untiltheplatewasready.Hethenre-numberedtheroom;placingtheremovedNumberFourteenonthedoorofhisownroom(onthesecondfloor),which,notbeingtolet,hadnotpreviouslybeennumberedatall.Bythisdevice,NumberFourteendisappearedatonceandforeverfromthebooksofthehotel,asthenumberofabedroomtolet.

           Havingwarnedtheservantstobewareofgossipingwithtravellers,onthesubjectofthechangednumbers,underpenaltyofbeingdismissed,themanagercomposedhismindwiththereflectionthathehaddonehisdutytohisemployers