Готель з привидами
Chapter V
’Whatwouldyouadvisemetodo?’
Agneswasatalosshowtoanswerher;itwasanefforteventolistentowhatEmilywassaying.Thereferencesinthecourier’slettertoMontbarry—thereportofhisillness,themelancholypictureofhissecludedlife—hadreopenedtheoldwound.ShewasnoteventhinkingofthelostFerrari;hermindwasatVenice,bythesickman’sbedside.
’Ihardlyknowwhattosay,’sheanswered.’Ihavehadnoexperienceinseriousmattersofthiskind.’
’Doyouthinkitwouldhelpyou,Miss,ifyoureadmyhusband’sletterstome?Thereareonlythreeofthem—theywon’ttakelongtoread.’
Agnescompassionatelyreadtheletters.
Theywerenotwritteninaverytendertone.’DearEmily,’and’Yoursaffectionately’—theseconventionalphrases,weretheonlyphrasesofendearmentwhichtheycontained.Inthefirstletter,LordMontbarrywasnotveryfavourablyspokenof:—’WeleaveParisto-morrow.Idon’tmuchlikemylord.Heisproudandcold,and,betweenourselves,stingyinmoneymatters.Ihavehadtodisputesuchtriflesasafewcentimesinthehotelbill;andtwicealready,somesharpremarkshavepassedbetweenthenewly-marriedcouple,inconsequenceofherladyship’sfreedominpurchasingprettytemptingthingsattheshopsinParis."Ican’taffordit;youmustkeeptoyourallowance."Shehashadtohearthosewordsalready.Formypart,Ilikeher.Shehasthenice,easyforeignmanners—shetalkstomeasifIwasahumanbeinglikeherself.’
ThesecondletterwasdatedfromRome.
