He invited the travellers
present to judge for themselves whether Mr. Westwick's bedroom
was to blame for Mr. Westwick's sleepless nights; and he especially
appealed to a grey-headed gentleman, a guest at the breakfast-table
of an English traveller, to take the lead in the investigation.
'This is Doctor Bruno, our first physician in Venice,' he explained.
'I appeal to him to say if there are any unhealthy influences in
Mr. Westwick's room.'
Introduced to Number Fourteen, the doctor looked round him with a certain
appearance of interest which was noticed by everyone present. 'The last
time I was in this room,' he said, 'was on a melancholy occasion.
It was before the palace was changed into an hotel. I was in
professional attendance on an English nobleman who died here.'
One of the persons present inquired the name of the nobleman.
Doctor Bruno answered (without the slightest suspicion that he was
speaking before a brother of the dead man), 'Lord Montbarry.'
Henry quietly left the room, without saying a word to anybody.
He was not, in any sense of the term, a superstitious man.
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