Готель з привидами
Chapter XI
’Ifwhat?’Henryasked.
’IfMissLockwoodforcesmetoit.’
Agneslistenedinastonishment.’Forceyoutoit?’sherepeated.’HowcanIdothat?Doyoumeantosaymywillisstrongerthanyours?’
’Doyoumeantosaythatthecandledoesn’tburnthemoth,whenthemothfliesintoit?’LadyMontbarryrejoined.’Haveyoueverheardofsuchathingasthefascinationofterror?Iamdrawntoyoubyafascinationofterror.Ihavenorighttovisityou,Ihavenowishtovisityou:youaremyenemy.Forthefirsttimeinmylife,againstmyownwill,Isubmittomyenemy.See!Iamwaitingbecauseyoutoldmetowait—andthefearofyou(Iswearit!)creepsthroughmewhileIstandhere.Oh,don’tletmeexciteyourcuriosityoryourpity!FollowtheexampleofMr.Westwick.Behardandbrutalandunforgiving,likehim.Grantmemyrelease.Tellmetogo.’
ThefrankandsimplenatureofAgnescoulddiscoverbutoneintelligiblemeaninginthisstrangeoutbreak.
’Youaremistakeninthinkingmeyourenemy,’shesaid.’ThewrongyoudidmewhenyougaveyourhandtoLordMontbarrywasnotintentionallydone.Iforgaveyoumysufferingsinhislifetime.Iforgiveyouevenmorefreelynowthathehasgone.’
Henryheardherwithmingledemotionsofadmirationanddistress.’Saynomore!’heexclaimed.’Youaretoogoodtoher;sheisnotworthyofit.’
TheinterruptionpassedunheededbyLadyMontbarry.ThesimplewordsinwhichAgneshadrepliedseemedtohaveabsorbedthewholeattentionofthisstrangely-changeablewoman.
