The Haunted Hotel | Page 5

eagerly. 'I begin
to believe in you again.'
'Very well. You can't expect me to find out the moral cause which has
alarmed you. I can positively discover that there is no physical cause of
alarm; and (unless you admit me to your confidence) I can do no more.'
She rose, and took a turn in the room. 'Suppose I tell you?' she said.
'But, mind, I shall mention no names!'
'There is no need to mention names. The facts are all I want.'
'The facts are nothing,' she rejoined. 'I have only my own impressions
to confess--and you will very likely think me a fanciful fool when you
hear what they are. No matter. I will do my best to content you-- I will
begin with the facts that you want. Take my word for it, they won't do
much to help you.'
She sat down again. In the plainest possible words, she began the
strangest and wildest confession that had ever reached the Doctor's
ears.
CHAPTER II
'It is one fact, sir, that I am a widow,' she said. 'It is another fact, that I
am going to be married again.'
There she paused, and smiled at some thought that occurred to her.

Doctor Wybrow was not favourably impressed by her smile-- there was
something at once sad and cruel in it. It came slowly, and it went away
suddenly. He began to doubt whether he had been wise in acting on his
first impression. His mind reverted to the commonplace patients and
the discoverable maladies that were waiting for him, with a certain
tender regret.
The lady went on.
'My approaching marriage,' she said, 'has one embarrassing
circumstance connected with it. The gentleman whose wife I am to be,
was engaged to another lady when he happened to meet with me,
abroad: that lady, mind, being of his own blood and family, related to
him as his cousin. I have innocently robbed her of her lover, and
destroyed her prospects in life. Innocently, I say--because he told me
nothing of his engagement until after I had accepted him. When we
next met in England--and when there was danger, no doubt, of the
affair coming to my knowledge--he told me the truth. I was naturally
indignant. He had his excuse ready; he showed me a letter from the
lady herself, releasing him from his engagement. A more noble, a more
high-minded letter, I never read in my life. I cried over it--I who have
no tears in me for sorrows of my own! If the letter had left him any
hope of being forgiven, I would have positively refused to marry him.
But the firmness of it-- without anger, without a word of reproach, with
heartfelt wishes even for his happiness--the firmness of it, I say, left
him no hope. He appealed to my compassion; he appealed to his love
for me. You know what women are. I too was soft-hearted--I said, Very
well: yes! In a week more (I tremble as I think of it) we are to be
married.'
She did really tremble--she was obliged to pause and compose herself,
before she could go on. The Doctor, waiting for more facts, began to
fear that he stood committed to a long story. 'Forgive me for reminding
you that I have suffering persons waiting to see me,' he said. 'The
sooner you can come to the point, the better for my patients and for
me.'
The strange smile--at once so sad and so cruel--showed itself again on

the lady's lips. 'Every word I have said is to the point,' she answered.
'You will see it yourself in a moment more.'
She resumed her narrative.
'Yesterday--you need fear no long story, sir; only yesterday-- I was
among the visitors at one of your English luncheon parties. A lady, a
perfect stranger to me, came in late--after we had left the table, and had
retired to the drawing-room. She happened to take a chair near me; and
we were presented to each other. I knew her by name, as she knew me.
It was the woman whom I had robbed of her lover, the woman who had
written the noble letter. Now listen! You were impatient with me for
not interesting you in what I said just now. I said it to satisfy your mind
that I had no enmity of feeling towards the lady, on my side. I admired
her, I felt for her--I had no cause to reproach myself. This is very
important, as you will presently see. On her side, I have reason to be
assured that the circumstances had been truly explained to her, and that
she understood I was in no way to blame. Now, knowing all these
necessary things as you do, explain to me,