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room of the house； and that you have no right to be here？〃
〃I know it is the haunted room；〃 I answered； 〃but why have I no
right to be here？〃
〃Oh； I don't know；〃 she said。 〃There is one of those tiresome
Mervyn traditions against allowing unmarried girls to sleep in this
room。 I believe two girls died in it a hundred and fifty years
ago； or something of that sort。〃
〃But I should think that people； married or unmarried； must have
died in nearly every room in the house；〃 I objected。
〃Oh； yes； of course they have；〃 said Lucy； 〃but once you come
across a bit of superstition in this family； it is of no use to ask
for reasons。 However； this particular bit is too ridiculous even
for George。 Owing to Mr。 Leslie having come to…day； we must use
every room in the house： it is intolerable having a stranger here；
and you are the only relation staying with us。 I pointed all that
out to George； and he agreed that； under the circumstances； it
would be absurd not to put you here。〃
〃I am quite agreeable；〃 I answered； 〃and； indeed； I think I am
rather favored in having a room where the last recorded death
appears to have taken place a hundred and fifty years ago；
particularly as I should think that there can be scarcely anything
now left in it which was here then； except； of course； the
cabinet。〃
The room had； in fact； been entirely done up and refurnished by my
uncle； and was as bright and modern…looking an apartment as you
could wish to see。 It was large； and the walls were covered with
one of those white and gold papers which were fashionable thirty
years ago。 Opposite us； as we stood warming our backs before the
fire； was the beda large double one； hung with a pretty shade of
pale blue。 Material of the same color covered the comfortable
modern furniture； and hung from gilded cornices before the two
windows which pierced the side of the room on our left。 Between
them stood the toilet…table； all muslin； blue ribbons； and silver。
The carpet was a gray and blue Brussels one。 The whole effect was
cheerful； though I fear inartistic； and sadly out of keeping with
the character of the house。 The exception to these remarks was； as
I had observed； the famous closed cabinet； to which I have more
than once alluded。 It stood against the same wall of the room as
that in which the fireplace was； and on our rightthat is； on that
side of the fireplace which was farthest from the windows。 As I
spoke； I turned to go and look at it； and Lucy followed me。 Many
an hour as a child had I passed in front of it； fingering the seven
carved brass handles； or rather buttons； which were ranged down its
center。 They all slid； twisted； or screwed with the greatest ease；
and apparently like many another ingeniously contrived lock； but
neither I nor any one else had ever yet succeeded in sliding；
twisting； or screwing them after such a fashion as to open the
closed doors of the cabinet。 No one yet had robbed them of their
secret since first it was placed there three hundred years ago by
the old lady and her faithful Italian。 It was a beautiful piece of
workmanship； was this tantalizing cabinet。 Carved out of some dark
foreign wood； the doors and panels were richly inlaid with lapis…
lazuli； ivory； and mother…of…pearl； among which were twisted
delicately chased threads of gold and silver。 Above the doors；
between them and the cornice； lay another mystery； fully as
tormenting as was the first。 In a smooth strip of wood about an
inch wide； and extending along the whole breadth of the cabinet；
was inlaid a fine pattern in gold wire。 This at first sight seemed
to consist of a legend or motto。 On looking closer； however；
though the pattern still looked as if it was formed out of
characters of the alphabet curiously entwined together； you found
yourself unable to fix upon any definite word； or even letter。 You
looked again and again； and the longer that you looked the more
certain became your belief that you were on the verge of discovery。
If you could approach the mysterious legend from a slightly
different point of view； or look at it from another distance； the
clew to the puzzle would be seized； and the words would stand forth
clear and legible in your sight。 But the clew never had been
discovered； and the motto； if there was one； remained unread。
For a few minutes we stood looking at the cabinet in silence； and
then Lucy gave a discontented little sigh。 〃There's another
tiresome piece of superstition；〃 she exclaimed； 〃by far the
handsomest piece of furniture in the house stuck away here in a
bedroom which is hardly ever used。 Again and again have I asked
George to let me have it moved downstairs； but he won't hear of
it。〃
〃Was it not placed here by Dame Alice herself？〃 I inquired a little
reproachfully； for I felt that Lucy was not treating the cabinet
with the respect which it really deserved。
〃Yes； so they say；〃 she answered； and the tone of light contempt in
which she spoke was now pierced by a not unnatural pride in the
romantic mysteries of her husband's family。 〃She placed it here；
and it is said； you know； that when the closed cabinet is opened；
and the mysterious motto is read； the curse will depart from the
Mervyn family。〃
〃But why don't they break it open？〃 I asked； impatiently。 〃I am
sure that I would never have remained all my life in a house with a
thing like that； and not found out in some way or another what was
inside it。〃
〃Oh； but that would be quite fatal；〃 answered she。 〃The curse can
only be removed when the cabinet is opened as Dame Alice intended
it to be； in an orthodox fashion。 If you were to force it open；
that could never happen； and the curse would therefore remain for
ever。〃
〃And what is the curse？〃 I asked； with very different feelings to
those with which I had timidly approached the same subject with
Alan。 Lucy was not a Mervyn； and not a person to inspire awe under
any circumstances。 My instincts were right again； for she turned
away with a slight shrug of her shoulders。
〃I have no idea；〃 she said。 〃George and Alan always look
portentously solemn and gloomy whenever one mentions the subject；
so I don't。 If you ask me for the truth； I believe it to be a pure
invention； devised by the Mervyns for the purpose of delicately
accounting for some of the disreputable actions of their ancestors。
For you know； Evie；〃 she added； with a little laugh； 〃the less said
about the character of the family into which your aunt and I have
married the better。〃
The remark made me angry； I don't know why； and I answered stiffly；
that as far as I was acquainted with them； I at least saw nothing
to complain of。
〃Oh； as regards the present generation； no；except for that poor；
wretched Jack；〃 acquiesced Lucy； with her usual imperturbable good…
humor。
〃And as regards the next？〃 I suggested； smiling； and already
ashamed of my little temper。
〃The next is perfect； of course；poor dear boys。〃 She sighed as
she spoke； and I wondered whether she was really as unconscious as
she generally appeared to be of the strange dissatisfaction with
which her husband seemed to regard his children。 Anyhow the
mention of them had evidently changed her mood； and almost directly
afterwards； with the remark that she must go and look after her
guests； who had all arrived by now； she left me to myself。
For some minutes I sat by the bright fire； lost in aimless；
wandering thought； which began with Dame Alice and her cabinet； and
which ended somehow with Alan's face； as I had last seen it looking
up at me in front of the hall…door。 When I had reached that point；
I roused myself to decide that I had dreamt long enough； and that
it was quite time to go down to the guests and to tea。 I
accordingly donned my best teagown； arranged my hair； and proceeded
towards the drawing…room。 My way there lay through the great
central hall。 This apartment was approached from most of the
bedrooms in the house through a large； arched doorway at one end of
it； which communicated directly with the great staircase。 My
bedroom； however； which； as I have said； lay among the private
apartments of the house； opened into a passage which led into a
broad gallery； or upper chamber； stretching right across the end of
the hall。 From this you descended by means of a small staircase in
oak； whose carved balustrade； bending round the corner of the hall；
formed one of the prettiest features of the picturesque old room。
The barrier which ran along the front of the gallery was in solid
oak； and of such a height that； unless standing close up to it； you
could neither see nor be seen by the occupants of the room below。
On approaching this gallery I heard voices in the hall。 They were
George's and Alan's； evidently in hot discussion。 As I issued from
the passage； George was speaking； and his voice had that
exasperated tone in which an angry man tries to bring to a close an
argument in which he has lost his temper。 〃For heaven's sake leave
it alone； Alan； I neither can nor will interfere。 We have enough
to bear from these cursed traditions as it is； without adding one
which has no foundation whatever to justify ita mere contempti