床头灯英语5000词纯英文：闹鬼的旅馆(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)

作者：（英）威尔基·柯林斯

出版社：航空工业出版社

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

床头灯英语5000词纯英文：闹鬼的旅馆试读：

Countess Narona 娜罗拉伯爵夫人：骗嫁赫伯特·约翰·韦斯特威克（第一任蒙巴里勋爵），后同她哥哥里瓦男爵一起将其谋害。

Baron Rivar 里瓦男爵：娜罗拉伯爵夫人的哥哥，与伯爵夫人共同谋害了赫伯特·约翰·韦斯特威克（第一任蒙巴里勋爵）。

Herbert John Westwick（Baron Montbarry）赫伯特·约翰·韦斯特威克（第一任蒙巴里勋爵）：因受娜罗拉伯爵夫人的引诱，抛弃自己的未婚妻阿格尼丝·洛克伍德，转与娜罗拉伯爵夫人结婚，被骗购买10000英镑的人寿保险，后被娜罗拉伯爵夫人与里瓦男爵合谋杀害，其财产及保险赔偿金为娜罗拉伯爵夫人继承。

Stephen Robert 史蒂芬·罗伯特：蒙巴里勋爵的大弟弟，后继承了他的爵位，成为第二任蒙巴里勋爵。

Ella 埃拉：史蒂芬的妻子，阿格尼丝的好友。

Francis 弗朗西斯：蒙巴里勋爵的二弟弟，伦敦戏院的经理。

Henry 亨利：蒙巴里勋爵的小弟弟，后来成为威尼斯宫殿旅馆的股东，他一直深爱着阿格尼丝。

Lady Barville 巴维尔夫人：蒙巴里勋爵的妹妹，嫁给西奥多·巴维尔爵士为妻。

Anne 安妮：蒙巴里勋爵的妹妹，是彼得·诺布里先生的孀妻，又被称为诺布里夫人。

Agnes Lockwood 阿格尼丝·洛克伍德：原为蒙巴里勋爵的未婚妻，后被蒙巴里抛弃，最后与蒙巴里的小弟弟亨利结婚。

Emily（Mrs. Ferrari）艾米丽（费拉里太太）：结婚前又名艾米丽·比德威尔，多年前是阿格尼丝在乡村学校教书时最喜爱的学生，后来做了其女仆。然后她嫁给了一个名叫费拉里、做旅行随从的意大利人。

Ferrari费拉里：做旅行随从的意大利人，后来给蒙巴里勋爵夫妇做旅行随从，最后病死在威尼斯，成了被娜罗拉伯爵夫人利用来谋害蒙巴里勋爵的帮凶。

故事梗概

本书叙述了蒙巴里勋爵在抛弃善良的未婚妻阿格尼丝转而娶邪恶的娜罗拉伯爵夫人后神秘死亡的事件。蒙巴里勋爵因受娜罗拉伯爵夫人的引诱，抛弃自己的未婚妻阿格尼丝·洛克伍德，转与娜罗拉伯爵夫人结婚，被骗购买10000英镑的人寿保险，后被娜罗拉伯爵夫人与其兄长里瓦男爵合谋杀害后，其财产及保险赔偿金为娜罗拉伯爵夫人所继承。

故事的神秘之处在于，娜罗拉伯爵夫人和里瓦男爵谋杀蒙巴里勋爵的阴谋，从表面上看是无懈可击的。蒙巴里勋爵在威尼斯租下了一座旧宫殿，和新婚妻子伯爵夫人以及里瓦男爵，带着一个英国女仆和一个旅行随从费拉里一起住在宫殿里。

蒙巴里勋爵在威尼斯宫殿过着足不出户的隐居生活。一天他患了感冒，后感冒转变成了支气管炎，意大利的两位名医都无法控制住他的病情，最后勋爵死于支气管炎，并埋葬在威尼斯。由于勋爵生前在英国的保险公司买了10000英镑的巨额人寿保险，面对巨额的保险理赔，保险公司成立了专门的调查委员会，前往威尼斯展开调查。经过一番调查，证明勋爵完全是自然死亡——死于支气管炎恶化成肺炎。调查没有发现任何可疑的证据，除了一个疑点——勋爵的旅行随从费拉里神秘失踪。在勋爵死亡前，旅行随从费拉里就离奇失踪了，而此前英国女仆也辞职离开了威尼斯宫殿。后来又调查旅行随从费拉里远在英国的妻子，得悉，费拉里在失踪前曾给家里写过三封信，信里表达了对威尼斯宫殿枯燥生活的厌倦，以及对里瓦男爵和伯爵夫人的暧昧关系的不满，可是由于能按时得到勋爵发放的薪水，他还是不愿效仿英国女仆辞职离开勋爵。至于他的离奇失踪，他的妻子也大惑不解，她怀疑是伯爵夫人和男爵谋害了她的丈夫，而随后她收到的从意大利匿名寄来的1000英镑，显然是勋爵对她不幸失去丈夫所给的抚恤金。保险公司只有遵守协议，给伯爵夫人赔付了10000英镑。之后伯爵夫人和男爵就前往美国去了。

勋爵生前居住过的威尼斯宫殿被改造成了一家旅馆。旅馆开张后，勋爵的兄弟姐妹和阿格尼丝都先后来到旅馆居住，可大都受到了神秘的超自然力的影响：小弟弟亨利在旅馆失眠、失去食欲；妹妹诺布里夫人在旅馆住两个晚上，便连续两晚做相同的噩梦；弟弟弗朗西斯则闻到奇怪恶心的气味；最恐怖的事情是阿格尼丝夜晚看到了人头出现。后来，在陷入疯狂状态的伯爵夫人无意识的指引下，才揭开了勋爵遇害的真相。前　　言

◆　英语是语言的帝国

全球60亿人中，有3.8亿人的母语是英语，2.5亿人的第二母语是英语，12.3亿人学习英语，33.6亿人和英语有关。全世界电视节目的75％、电子邮件的80％、网络的85％、软件源代码的100％都使用英语。40～50年后，全球将有50％的人精通英语。全球约有6000种语言，21世纪末其中的90％将消亡。届时英语作为主导语言的地位将进一步得到提升。

目前中国大约有4亿人在学英语，超过英国和美国的人口总和，这是中国努力与时代接轨、与国际接轨的一个重要标志，大量中国人熟练掌握国际通用语言是中华民族走向繁荣富强的必要保障。

◆　全民学英语运动

中国近20年来兴起了一场轰轰烈烈的全民学英语的运动。其规模之大，范围之广，古今中外前所未有。

学生、教师、公务员、公司职员、商店店员、出租车司机等，各行各业，都在学英语。其学习过程的漫长，也令人感叹。从幼儿园、小学、中学、大学、硕士、博士，到毕业工作，出国，直至退休，一直都在学，英语的学习可谓是终生性的。

◆　英语学了多年之后的尴尬

中国人学了多年英语之后，如果冷静地反省一下多年努力的成效，不难发现自己的英语水平令人十分尴尬。这里将具体表现列举一二。

●　读任何原版的英语杂志，如Times（时代）、Newsweek（新闻周刊）、The Economists（经济学家），或者原版小说，如Jane Eyre（简·爱）、Gone with the Wind（飘）等，必须借助词典，因为我们随时都可能读不懂。即便查阅大部头的词典，我们常常还是不能理解文意，将文意理解得面目全非。最为可悲的是我们中很多人已经屈从于这种一知半解的阅读状态，甚至有人还荒唐地认为英语本身就是一门模模糊糊的语言，这样当然就更谈不上尝到读原汁原味英语的乐趣了。

●　学习和探索专业知识的主流载体仍然是汉语。但我们必须清楚：整个现代科学体系基本是用英语来描述和表达的，译成汉语会有一定程度的失真，而且必然导致滞后。

●　英语表达是一个更大的问题。主要体现在用英语写作以及用英语深入交谈上。事实上，大多数人只能用简单的英语来进行粗略的表述，无法顺利地参加国际学术会议或者进行国际贸易谈判。即便是学术水平很高的专家，在国际刊物上发表论文时，只能请仅懂英语不懂专业的人翻译。一篇在很多老外眼中不伦不类的论文就这样产生了。客观地讲，即使采用不太高的标准来衡量，在中国英语学习的失败率也应该在99％以上。

◆　来自西方的教育理念

中国人读英语有个缺点，学习缺乏渐进性。他们习惯于读满篇都是生词的文章，以为这样“收获”才最大。结果他们的阅读不断地被查词典打断，一小时只能看两三页，读起来自然索然无味，最后只能作罢。这是中国人学英语的通病！读的文章几乎全部达到了语言学家所说的“frustration level”（使学生感到沮丧的程度）。

西方的语言学家和心理学家对英语学习者的阅读状况进行了大量的研究，结论令人非常吃惊：最适宜阅读的难度比我们长期所处的、我们所习惯的、我们头脑中定位的难度要低得多！只有文中生词量小到足以保证阅读的持续性时，语言吸收的效果才最好，语言水平的提高也最快。举个形象的例子：上山是从峭壁直接艰难攀登还是走平缓的盘山路好？显然，能够从峭壁登顶者寥寥无几！即使其能勉强成功，也远远落后于沿坦途行进者。

◆　犹太民族的启示

曾经有人说：全世界的金钱装在美国人的口袋里，而美国人的金钱却装在犹太人的脑袋里。据统计，犹太人占世界总人口约0.3％，却掌握着世界经济命脉。在全世界最富有的企业家中，犹太人占50％以上。无论是过去和现在，在知名的经济巨头中犹太人占有绝对的比例。如第一个亿万巨富、石油大王洛克菲勒，“美国股神”巴菲特，华尔街的缔造者摩根，花旗集团董事长威尔，“打开个人计算机直销大门”的戴尔，坐在全球软件头把交椅“甲骨文公司”的艾利森，华纳电影公司创办人华纳，电影世界的领头羊斯皮尔伯格，他们都是犹太人。

犹太人成就的背后就是他们的噬书习惯。联合国教科文组织调查表明，全世界读书最多的民族是犹太民族。其中以色列在人均拥有图书和出版社以及每年人均读书的比例上，超过了世界上任何一个国家，成为世界之最，平均每人每年读书64本。与之反差很大的是中华民族，平均每人每年读书0.7本。这之中有阅读习惯的中国人虽占5％，却掌握着中国80％的财富。一句话，阅读，特别是经典名著的阅读，是一个人和民族崛起的最根本方法。

阅读不能改变人生的起点，但它可以改变人生的终点。不论出身高贵与卑贱，阅读都能改变人生的坐标和轨迹。

◆　通往英语自由境界的阶梯

英语的自由境界指的是用英语自由地学习和工作；自由地阅读英文原版书刊和资料；自如地用英语表达和交流；自然地用英语进行思维；自主地用英语撰写论文和著作。

一个英语达到自由境界的人，他的生活也常常是令人羡慕的。清晨随手拿起一份国外的报纸或者杂志，一边喝着浓浓的咖啡，一边轻松、惬意地阅读。可以用英语自由地进行实质性的交谈和撰写书面材料。能够自由地在英文网页上荡漾，能够随时了解国外的最新科技动态或最新的商贸行情。自己的生存空间不再受到国界的限制，无论是交友、择偶，还是发展自己的事业，都有更宽的、跨国度的选择。

有一定英语基础的读者要想“修成正果”，达到英语的自由境界，最缺少的就是可读之书。市面上的英语读物粗粗看来似乎琳琅满目，但稍一细读就会发现这些语料要么是难度过低，词汇量只有一、两千词的相当于中学水平的简写本；要么是令人望而生畏、读之更是倍受挫折的原著，语料难度脱节甚至是“代沟”，严重地阻碍了英语中高级学习者对英语的掌握。床头灯英语5000词系列填补了这方面的空白，为读者打造了到达英语自由境界的阶梯。

◆　本套读物的特色——真正适合中高级英语学习者的原汁原味英语读物

●　难度适中：本套读物用英语中核心5000词写成，对于难以理解之处均有注释，使你躺在床上不用翻词典就能顺利地读下去，在不知不觉中走向英语自由境界。

●　语言地道：美国作家执笔，用流畅的现代英语写成，并保留了原著的语言特色。

●　选材经典：皆为一生中不可不读的作品，读之可提高英语水平、积淀西方文化和提高人生境界。

●　情节曲折：让你徜徉在一个又一个迥异奇妙的书中世界。

……

◆　“床头灯”英语系列读物的使用方法：

●　整个床头灯系列包含儿童、中学生、3000词、5000词、6500词等不同层次。你可以选择不用查字典你就能保证阅读的持续性的级别进入，这个级别最少读30本，体会一下用英语读懂名著的感觉——英语形成语感、自信心增强。然后乘胜追击，读下一个级别的，每个级别读30本以上。

●　使用床头灯英语学习读本（英汉对照版）练写作：看书中汉语部分，然后你试着翻译成英文，再把你翻译的英文与书上的英文对比。

本套读物是通向英语自由王国的钥匙，是通往英语最高境界的签证。在中国走向世界的道路上，英语水平决定工资水平！让每天阅读半小时“床头灯”成为你生活中的一部分。我相信这才是英语成功的真谛。

与股神巴菲特吃一顿午餐要花几百万美金，这使人们注意到了与名人交流的昂贵。而与比巴菲特更著名的大家近距离沟通，只需要去读“床头灯”。王若平　于北京THE FIRST PARTChapter 1

In the year 1860, the reputation of Doctor Wybrow, as a London physician reached its highest point. It was reported on good authority that he was a recipient of one of the largest incomes derived from the practice of medicine in modern times.

One afternoon, when the doctor had just taken his lunch after a hard morning's work in his consulting room, and with a formidable list of visits to patients at their own houses to fill up the rest of his day — a servant announced that a lady wished to speak to him.

"Who is she?" the doctor asked. "A stranger?"

"Yes, sir."

"I see no strangers outside of consulting hours. Tell her what the hours are, and send her away."

"I have told her, sir, but she won't go."

"Won't go? Well, has this stubborn woman given her name?"

"No, sir. She refused to give any name — she said she wouldn't keep you five minutes, and the matter was too important to wait till tomorrow. She is waiting in the next consulting room."

Doctor Wybrow considered for a moment. His knowledge of women (professionally speaking) rested on the ripe experience of more than thirty years; he had met with them in all their varieties — especially the variety which knows nothing of the value of time. A glance at his watch informed him that he must soon begin his rounds among the patients who were waiting for him at their own houses. He decided he must leave without seeing this persistent woman.

"Is the carriage at the door?" he asked.

"Yes, sir."

He then ordered his servant to leave the mystery woman undisturbed in the consulting room while he took his leave. He quietly went into the hall, followed by the servant on tiptoe.

Did the lady in the consulting room suspect him or did his shoes creak? Was her sense of hearing unusually keen?

Whatever the explanation may be, the event that actually happened was beyond all doubt. Exactly as Doctor Wybrow passed his consulting room, the door opened — the lady appeared on the threshold — and laid her hand on his arm.

"I beg you, sir, not to go away without letting me speak to you first."

The accent was foreign; the tone was low and firm. Her fingers closed gently, and yet resolutely, on the doctor's arm. Neither her language nor her action had the slightest effect in inclining him to grant her request. The influence that instantly stopped him, on the way to his carriage, was the silent influence of her face.

The startling contrast between her corpselike complexion and the intense life and light, the glittering metallic brightness in her large black eyes, held him literally spellbound.

She was no doubt a beautiful person — with only the serious drawback being her frightening complexion, and a complete lack of tenderness in the expression of her eyes.

Apart from his first emotion of surprise, the doctor may be described as having an overpowering feeling of professional curiosity. The case might prove to be something entirely new in his professional experience.

"It looks like it," he thought, "and it's worth waiting for."

She perceived that she had produced a strong impression of some kind upon him, and dropped her hold on his arm.

"You have comforted many miserable women in your time," She said. "Comfort one more today."

For the first time, for many a long years, the doctor felt his pulse quicken its beat, in the presence of a patient.

The mystery woman then abruptly said, "I have a painful question to ask."

"What is it?"

"I want to know, if you please, whether I am in danger of going mad?" she said shortly.

Some men might have been amused, and some might have been alarmed. Doctor Wybrow was only conscious of a sense of disappointment.

"Why do you come to me?" he asked sharply. "Why don't you consult a doctor whose specialty is treating the insane?"

"I don't go to a doctor of that sort," she quickly responded, "for the very reason that he is a specialist: he has the fatal habit of judging everybody by lines and rules. I come to you because my case is outside of all lines and rules, and because you are famous in your profession for the discovery of mysteries in disease. Are you satisfied?"

He was more than satisfied — perhaps this could indeed be something new in his professional career, after all. Besides, she was correctly informed about his professional position. The capacity which had raised him to fame and fortune was his ability to discover remote diseases.

"Let me try to see if I can figure out what is the matter with you," he answered.

After a thorough examination and many inquiries about her health, the doctor could find nothing.

"I can find nothing the matter with you. I can't even account for the extraordinary paleness of your complexion. You completely puzzle me."

"The paleness of my complexion is nothing," she answered, a little impatiently. "In my early life I had a narrow escape from death by poisoning. I have never had color in my complexion since, but that is of no importance. I believed in you, and you have disappointed me." Her head dropped on her breast. " And so it ends!" She said to herself bitterly.

The doctor was touched. Perhaps it might be more correct to say that his pride was a little hurt.

"It could still end in the right way," he remarked, "if you choose to help me. I might be able to prove that there is no cause for alarm and unless you admit me to your confidence I can do no more."

She rose, and paced around 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 replied. "I have only my own impressions to confess — and you will very likely think me a fool when you hear what they are."

She sat down again. In the plainest possible words, she began the strangest and wildest confession that had ever reached the doctor's ears.

注释

undisturbed ［ndistbd］ 1.没受到干扰的，安静的（disturb vt.弄乱，打扰)

creak ［krik］ v.吱吱作响；吱吱嘎嘎地响

overpowering ［uvpauri］ adj.无法抵抗的，压倒性的

capacity ［kpsiti］ n.容量；才能，能力；身份，职位

confession ［knfen］ n.供认，承认，招供Chapter 2

"It is one fact, sir, that I am a widow," she said. "It is another fact, that I am going to be married again. My future 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 me abroad. That lady was of his own blood and family. She is 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, that I would discover the affair — he told me the truth. I was naturally offended. He had his excuse ready; he showed me a letter from the lady herself, releasing him from his engagement. I never read a more noble, a more brave letter, in my life. I cried over it — I who have no tears for sadness of my own! If the letter had left him any hope of being forgiven, I would have absolutely refused to marry him. But the firmness of it — without anger, without a word of reproach — left him no hope of returning to her. And now, in a week (I tremble as I think of it) we are to be married.

"Yesterday, I was among the visitors at one of your English lunch parties. A lady, a perfect stranger to me, happened to take a chair near me and we were introduced 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. I truly admired her. I felt for her — though I had no reason to justify my actions.

"In her defence, I have reason to believe that the circumstances had been explained to her, and that she understood I was in no way to blame. Still, when I rose and met the woman's eyes looking at me, I turned cold from head to foot, trembling, knowing what a deadly panic of fear was for the first time in my life."

"Was there anything in her expression, when you first looked at her, which took you by surprise?"

"She was perfectly polite, though there was natural curiosity to see the woman who had been preferred over herself. And perhaps some astonishment as well because she surely didn't see a more engaging and more beautiful person. If I could have gotten to the door, I would have run out of the room, she frightened me! I was not even able to stand up. I simply stared horrorstruck at the calm blue eyes that were looking at me with quiet, gentle surprise. I felt her soul in them, looking into mine. I tell you, that woman is destined, without knowing it herself to have negative affects on my life. Her innocent eyes held hidden wicked capabilities that I was not aware, until just then. If I commit errors in my life, if I am ever guilty of crimes she will exact the revenge, without any guilt of her own. In one moment I felt all this — and I suppose my face showed it.

"After leaving that dreadful place, I went to the man who will marry and begged him to release me from my promise. He refused. I declared I would break my engagement. He showed me letters from his sisters, brothers, and his dear friends — all begging him to think again before he married; all repeating reports of me in Paris, Vienna, and London, which are full of wicked lies. 'If you refuse to marry me,' he said, 'you admit that these reports are true. You admit that you are afraid to face society as my wife.' How could I respond? He was right. If I persisted in my refusal, I would destroy my good reputation. Thus, I consented to let the wedding take place as we had arranged it.

"I have come here the following morning, convinced that the woman is to have a fatal influence over my life. Now, I am here with one question, for one man. For the last time, sir, what am I — an evil spirit who has seen the vengeful angel? Or only a poor mad woman, misled by the delusion of an insane mind? "

Doctor Wybrow, painfully impressed by what he had heard was now determined to close the interview. The longer he had listened to her, the more convinced he became this woman was wicked. He tried vainly to think of her as a person to be pitied, a person with a terribly sensitive imagination who is conscious of the capacities for evil which lie asleep in us all and striving earnestly to open her heart. Still, his efforts were in vain. He had an unsettling instinct to doubt her words.

"I have already given you my opinion," he said. "Medically speaking, there is nothing wrong with you. I cannot diagnose you. I can only say that you should perhaps look for spiritual rather than for medial advice. You can be assured, however, that what you have said to me shall not leave this room."

"Is that all?" she asked.

"That is all," he answered.

With those words she stood up. Her wild black eyes looked upward, with an expression of despair, stubborn and horrible in its silent agony. The doctor turned away his head, unable to endure the sight of it.

As the servant closed the door on her, a sudden impulse of curiosity — utterly uncharacteristic of him — sprang up in the doctor's mind, and he immediately ordered his servant to follow the mysterious woman home to find out her name. Soon after, the servant rushed into the doctor's office, reporting the lady's name to be Countess Narona.

The doctor later decided to dine at the gentlemen's club, knowing this mysterious Countess would certainly be a topic of conversation there, and he was most eager to hear what the world said of her.

注释

firmness ［fmnis］ n.坚定；坚硬；稳定

tremble ［trembl］ vi./ n.颤抖，哆嗦；摇晃；担心，焦虑

justify ［dstifai］ vt.证明…正当（或有理），为…辩护

panic ［pnik］ n.恐（惊）慌 v.（使）恐慌，（使）惊慌失措

wicked ［wikid］ adj.邪恶的，恶劣的，缺德的；淘气的

dreadful［dredful］ adj.糟透了的；极端的；可怕的，令人畏惧的

vengeful ［vemdful］ adj.复仇心重的，报复的

delusion ［dilun］ n.错觉，谬见，妄想

utterly ［tli］ adv.完全地，十足地Chapter 3

Settled into the smoking room of his favored dining club, Doctor Wybrow lit his cigar, and looked around him, discouraged by the weary flow of conversation. But, when the doctor inquired if anybody knew the Countess Narona, he was answered by something resembling a shout of astonishment. Never, the group agreed, had such an absurd question been asked before! Every human creature, with the slightest claim to a place in society, knew the Countess Narona, an adventurer, with one of the worst reputations in all of Europe. She was openly described as having a deathlike complexion and the glittering eyes. Soon enough, every member of the club was contributing his own little stock of scandal stories to the history of the Countess.

It was doubtful that she had ever been married to the royalty whose widow she was assumed to be. It was doubtful that the man who accompanied her in her travels Baron Rivar, who called himself her brother, was her brother at all. Reports pointed to the Baron as a gambler at every "table" on the continent. Reports whispered that his so — called sister had narrowly escaped being arrested in connection with a famous trial for poisoning in Vienna. Others reported that she had been known in Milan as a spy for Austria. Still others insisted that her "apartment" in Paris had been reported to the police as nothing less than a private gambling house, and that her presence in England was the result of this discovery.

The doctor was surprised to hear the name of her intended husband. His friends in the smoking room were humored by his ignorance on such a well known topic. They informed him that Countess Narona had borrowed money from the esteemed Lord Montbarry, and had then deceived him into proposing. The younger members of the club then eagerly informed the doctor of this most unlikely match, detailing that not one of Lord Montbarry's five siblings agreed to be present at the wedding, all of whom were furious at his decision to marry such an evil person, rather than their beloved cousin.

The doctor soon discovered that he had already heard of the favored cousin they referred to, through the Countess's confession of the lady deserted by Lord Montbarry. Her name was Agnes Lockwood. She was described as more attractive than the Countess, and as also being the younger woman of the two. All the members of the club strongly agreed that Montbarry's decision was certainly a terrible one. They soon changed topics and the doctor went home, but his dark curiosity about the Countess was not set at rest yet.

On the day of the wedding, after struggling with himself, he actually sacrificed his patients and their money, and slipped away secretly to see the marriage. Until the end of his life, he was angry with anybody who reminded him of what he had done that day!

Four people only stood before the priest — the bride and bridegroom and their two witnesses. One of these was an elderly woman, who might have been the Countess's companion or maid; the other was undoubtedly her brother, Baron Rivar.

Lord Montbarry, in my opinion, was a middle — aged ordinary military man: nothing was in the least remarkable or distinguished him either in face or figure. Baron Rivar looked dashing with bold eyes and curly hair. The only odd and rather unsettling point about him was that he looked not the least bit like his sister. The Countess presented nothing in her plain dress that was worth a second look. On the surface, there wasn't a less interesting and less romantic marriage than this.

The Doctor anticipated the appearance of somebody with some terrible secret, commissioned to forbid the progress of the service. Nothing in the shape of that event occurred — nothing extraordinary, nothing dramatic. At last, the couple was bound fast together as man and wife. As they walked out of the church, the Countess noticed the

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