按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
… 〃You went to meet some one；〃 I cried； 〃this is your mystery。〃
She grew dreadfully white； and said； 〃I went to meet no one。〃 …
〃Can't you tell the truth？〃 I exclaimed。 〃I have told it；〃 she
replied。 I was mad； frantic； I don't know what I said； but I said
terrible things to her。 Finally I rushed out of the house。 She
wrote me a letter the next day； I sent it back unopened； and
started for Norway with Alan Colville。 After a month I came back；
and the first thing I saw in the MORNING POST was the death of Lady
Alroy。 She had caught a chill at the Opera； and had died in five
days of congestion of the lungs。 I shut myself up and saw no one。
I had loved her so much； I had loved her so madly。 Good God！ how I
had loved that woman！'
'You went to the street； to the house in it？' I said。
'Yes；' he answered。
'One day I went to Cumnor Street。 I could not help it； I was
tortured with doubt。 I knocked at the door； and a respectable…
looking woman opened it to me。 I asked her if she had any rooms to
let。 〃Well； sir；〃 she replied； 〃the drawing…rooms are supposed to
be let； but I have not seen the lady for three months； and as rent
is owing on them； you can have them。〃 … 〃Is this the lady？〃 I said；
showing the photograph。 〃That's her； sure enough；〃 she exclaimed；
〃and when is she coming back； sir？〃 … 〃The lady is dead；〃 I
replied。 〃Oh sir； I hope not！〃 said the woman； 〃she was my best
lodger。 She paid me three guineas a week merely to sit in my
drawing…rooms now and then。〃 〃She met some one here？〃 I said； but
the woman assured me that it was not so； that she always came
alone； and saw no one。 〃What on earth did she do here？〃 I cried。
〃She simply sat in the drawing…room； sir； reading books； and
sometimes had tea；〃 the woman answered。 I did not know what to
say； so I gave her a sovereign and went away。 Now； what do you
think it all meant？ You don't believe the woman was telling the
truth？'
'I do。'
'Then why did Lady Alroy go there？'
'My dear Gerald；' I answered； 'Lady Alroy was simply a woman with a
mania for mystery。 She took these rooms for the pleasure of going
there with her veil down； and imagining she was a heroine。 She had
a passion for secrecy； but she herself was merely a Sphinx without
a secret。'
'Do you really think so？'
'I am sure of it；' I replied。
He took out the morocco case； opened it； and looked at the
photograph。 'I wonder？' he said at last。