The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice

s of gossip sought the society of ladies. The man kno

he inquired if anybody knew the Countess Narona, he was answered by something like a shout of astonishment. Never (the conclave agreed) had such an absurd question been asked before! Every human creature, with the slightest cl

ble' on the Continent. Report whispered that his so-called sister had narrowly escaped being implicated in a famous trial for poisoning at Vienna-that she had been known at Milan as a spy in the interests of Austria-that her 'apartment' in Paris had been denounced to the police as nothing less than a private gambling-house-and that her present appearance in England was the natural result of the discovery. Only one member of the assembly in the smoking-room took the part of this much-abused woman, and declared th

of astonishment by inquiring the name of the g

ime nor inclination to pick up fragments of gossip at dinner-parties and balls. A man who did not know that the Countess Narona had borrowed money at Homburg of no less a person than Lord Montbarry, and had then deluded him into making her a proposal of marriage, was a man who had

ried to Ella, youngest daughter of the Reverend Silas Marden, Rector of Runnigate, and has issue, three daughters. Younger brothers of his lordship, Francis and Henry, unmarried. Sisters of his lordship, Lady Barville, married to Sir Theodore Barville, Bart.; and Anne, widow of the late Peter Norbury, Esq., of Norbury Cross. Bear his lordship's relations well in mind, Doctor.

art of the room stopped the coming disclosure,

the lady deserted by Lord Montbarry. Her name was Agnes Lockwood. She was described as being the superior of the Countess in personal attraction, and as being also by some years the younger woman of the two. Making all allowance for the follies that men committed every day in their relations with women, Montbarry's delusion was still the most monstrous delusion on record. In this expression of opinion every man present agreed-the

ber of the club entered the smoking-room whose appearance instantly produced a dead silen

d round him slowly,

Don't mind me. Not one of you can despise him m

word. That man was the lawyer who had alre

y's hearing. I consider the Countess Narona to be a cruelly-treated woman. Why shouldn'

d sharply on the speaker.

ome men. The lawyer stood on

ore than sufficient to support his station in life; also that it is an income derive

ign, admitting that he had n

consists in a rent-charge on the property of no more than four hundred a year. His retiring pension and allowances, it is

ther has insured his life for ten thousand pounds; and he has se

and repeated the three startling words, 'Ten thousand pounds!' Driven f

ondition of the marriage?' he said. 'Su

the Countess's brother'; and adde

least, as Montbarry's brother was present. The talk

nscious of a growing desire to see the infatuated man himself. Every day during the brief interval before the wedding, he looked in at the club, on the chance of hearing some news. Nothing had happened, so far as the club knew. Th

his patients and their guineas, and slipped away secretly to see the marriage. To the en

g in the least remarkable distinguished him either in face or figure. Baron Rivar, again, in his way was another conventional representative of another well-known type. One sees his finely-pointed moustache, his bold eyes, his crisply-curling hair, and his dashing carriage of the head, repeated hundreds of times over on the Boulevards of Paris. The only noteworthy point about him was of the negative sort-he was not in the least like his sister. Even the officiating priest was only a harmless, humble-looking old man, who went through his duties resignedly, and felt visible rheumatic difficulties every time he bent his knees. The one remarkable person, the Countess herself, only raised her veil at the beginning of the ce

say to her husband, 'One moment; I see a friend.' Lord Montbarry bowed and waited. She stepped up to the Doctor, took his hand, and wrung it hard. He felt her overpowering black eyes looking at him through her veil. 'One step more

other, waiting alone. He was evidently bent on seeing the man whom his sister had spoken to, in broad daylight. His bold eyes rested on the Doctor's face, with a mo

about Agnes Lockwood.' 'Well, but where is he going?' 'To Scotland.' 'Does she like that?' 'It's only for a fortnight; they come back to London, and go abroad.' 'And they will never return to England, eh?' 'Who can tell? Did you see how she looked at Montbarry, when she

ay to the end,' he repeated to hi