Готель з привидами

           ’IfIletyoumentionme,’shesaid,’wemustatleastdecidewhatyouaretosay.’Shewrotethewordsinthebriefestandplainestform:—’IventuretostatethatmywifehasbeenknownfromherchildhoodtoMissAgnesLockwood,whofeelssomelittleinterestinmywelfareonthataccount.’Reducedtothisonesentence,therewassurelynothinginthereferencetohernamewhichimpliedthatAgneshadpermittedit,orthatshewasevenawareofit.Afteralaststrugglewithherself,shehandedthewrittenpapertoEmily.’Yourhusbandmustcopyitexactly,withoutalteringanything,’shestipulated.’Onthatcondition,Igrantyourrequest.’Emilywasnotonlythankful—shewasreallytouched.Agneshurriedthelittlewomanoutoftheroom.’Don’tgivemetimetorepentandtakeitbackagain,’shesaid.Emilyvanished.

           ’Isthetiethatoncebounduscompletelybroken?AmIasentirelypartedfromthegoodandevilfortuneofhislifeasifwehadnevermetandneverloved?’Agneslookedattheclockonthemantel-piece.Nottenminutessince,thoseseriousquestionshadbeenonherlips.Italmostshockedhertothinkofthecommon-placemannerinwhichtheyhadalreadymetwiththeirreply.ThemailofthatnightwouldappealoncemoretoMontbarry’sremembranceofher—inthechoiceofaservant.

           Twodayslater,thepostbroughtafewgratefullinesfromEmily.Herhusbandhadgottheplace.Ferrariwasengaged,forsixmonthscertain,asLordMontbarry’scourier.