'We have met with nothing like it in Italy,'
they said; 'you may rely on our recommending you to all our friends.'
On the day when Number Fourteen was again vacant, an English lady
travelling alone with her maid arrived at the hotel, saw the room,
and at once engaged it.
The lady was Mrs. Norbury. She had left Francis Westwick at Milan,
occupied in negotiating for the appearance at his theatre of
the new dancer at the Scala. Not having heard to the contrary,
Mrs. Norbury supposed that Arthur Barville and his wife had already
arrived at Venice. She was more interested in meeting the young
married couple than in awaiting the result of the hard bargaining
which delayed the engagement of the new dancer; and she volunteered
to make her brother's apologies, if his theatrical business caused
him to be late in keeping his appointment at the honeymoon festival.
Mrs. Norbury's experience of Number Fourteen differed entirely
from her brother Henry's experience of the room.
Failing asleep as readily as usual, her repose was disturbed
by a succession of frightful dreams; the central figure in every
one of them being the figure of her dead brother, the first
Lord Montbarry.
Pages:
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186