The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice

  'Allow me, dear Mr. Francis Westwick, to introduce to you the personsin my proposed Play. Behold them, arranged symmetrically in a line.

  'My Lord. The Baron. The Courier. The Doctor. The Countess.

  'I don't trouble myself, you see, to invest fictitious family names.My characters are sufficiently distinguished by their social titles,and by the striking contrast which they present one with another.

  The First Act opens-- 'No! Before I open the First Act, I mustannounce, injustice to myself, that this Play is entirely the work ofmy own invention. I scorn to borrow from actual events; and, what ismore extraordinary still, I have not stolen one of my ideas from theModern French drama. As the manager of an English theatre, you willnaturally refuse to believe this. It doesn't matter. Nothingmatters--except the opening of my first act.

  'We are at Homburg, in the famous Salon d'Or, at the height of theseason. The Countess (exquisitely dressed) is seated at the greentable. Strangers of all nations are standing behind the players,venturing their money or only looking on. My Lord is among thestrangers. He is struck by the Countess's personal appearance, inwhich beauties and defects are fantastically mingled in the mostattractive manner. He watches the Countess's game, and places hismoney where he sees her deposit her own little stake. She looks roundat him, and says, "Don't trust to my colour; I have been unlucky thewhole evening. Place your stake on the other colour, and you may havea chance of winning." My Lord (a true Englishman) blushes, bows, andobeys. The Countess proves to be a prophet. She loses again. My Lordwins twice the sum that he has risked.

  'The Countess rises from the table. She has no more money, and sheoffers my Lord her chair.

  'Instead of taking it, he politely places his winnings in her hand, andbegs her to accept the loan as a favour to himself. The Countessstakes again, and loses again. My Lord smiles superbly, and presses asecond loan on her. From that moment her luck turns. She wins, andwins largely. Her brother, the Baron, trying his fortune in anotherroom, hears of what is going on, and joins my Lord and the Countess.

  'Pay attention, if you please, to the Baron. He is delineated as aremarkable and interesting character.

  'This noble person has begun life with a single-minded devotion to thescience of experimental chemistry, very surprising in a young andhandsome man with a brilliant future before him. A profound knowledgeof the occult sciences has persuaded the Baron that it is possible tosolve the famous problem called the "Philosopher's Stone." His ownpecuniary resources have long since been exhausted by his costlyexperiments. His sister has next supplied him with the small fortuneat her disposal: reserving only the family jewels, placed in thecharge of her banker and friend at Frankfort. The Countess's fortunealso being swallowed up, the Baron has in a fatal moment sought for newsupplies at the gaming table. He proves, at starting on his perilouscareer, to be a favourite of fortune; wins largely, and, alas! profaneshis noble enthusiasm for science by yielding his soul to theall-debasing passion of the gamester.

  'At the period of the Play, the Baron's good fortune has deserted him.He sees his way to a crowning experiment in the fatal search after thesecret of transmuting the baser elements into gold. But how is he topay the preliminary expenses? Destiny, like a mocking echo, answers,How?

  'Will his sister's winnings (with my Lord's money) prove large enoughto help him? Eager for this result, he gives the Countess his advicehow to play. From that disastrous moment the infection of his ownadverse fortune spreads to his sister. She loses again, andagain--loses to the last farthing.

  'The amiable and wealthy Lord offers a third loan; but the scrupulousCountess positively refuses to take it. On leaving the table, shepresents her brother to my Lord. The gentlemen fall into pleasanttalk. My Lord asks leave to pay his respects to the Countess, the nextmorning, at her hotel. The Baron hospitably invites him to breakfast.My Lord accepts, with a last admiring glance at the Countess which doesnot escape her brother's observation, and takes his leave for the night.

  'Alone with his sister, the Baron speaks out plainly. "Our affairs,"he says, "are in a desperate condition, and must find a desperateremedy. Wait for me here, while I make inquiries about my Lord. Youhave evidently produced a strong impression on him. If we can turnthat impression into money, no matter at what sacrifice, the thing mustbe done."

  'The Countess now occupies the stage alone, and indulges in a soliloquywhich develops her character.

  'It is at once a dangerous and attractive character. Immensecapacities for good are implanted in her nature, side by side withequally remarkable capacities for evil. It rests with circumstances todevelop either the one or the other. Being a person who produces asensation wherever she goes, this noble lady is naturally made thesubject of all sorts of scandalous reports. To one of these reports(which falsely and abominably points to the Baron as her lover insteadof her brother) she now refers with just indignation. She has justexpressed her desire to leave Homburg, as the place in which the vilecalumny first took its rise, when the Baron returns, overhears her lastwords, and says to her, "Yes, leave Homburg by all means; provided youleave it in the character of my Lord's betrothed wife!"

  'The Countess is startled and shocked. She protests that she does notreciprocate my Lord's admiration for her. She even goes the length ofrefusing to see him again. The Baron answers, "I must positively havecommand of money. Take your choice, between marrying my Lord's income,in the interest of my grand discovery--or leave me to sell myself andmy title to the first rich woman of low degree who is ready to buy me."

  'The Countess listens in surprise and dismay. Is it possible that theBaron is in earnest? He is horribly in earnest. "The woman who willbuy me," he says, "is in the next room to us at this moment. She isthe wealthy widow of a Jewish usurer. She has the money I want toreach the solution of the great problem. I have only to be thatwoman's husband, and to make myself master of untold millions of gold.Take five minutes to consider what I have said to you, and tell me onmy return which of us is to marry for the money I want, you or I."

  'As he turns away, the Countess stops him.

  'All the noblest sentiments in her nature are exalted to the highestpitch. "Where is the true woman," she exclaims, "who wants time toconsummate the sacrifice of herself, when the man to whom she isdevoted demands it? She does not want five minutes--she does not wantfive seconds--she holds out her hand to him, and she says, Sacrifice meon the altar of your glory! Take as stepping-stones on the way to yourtriumph, my love, my liberty, and my life!"

  'On this grand situation the curtain falls. Judging by my first act,Mr. Westwick, tell me truly, and don't be afraid of turning my head:--Am I not capable of writing a good play?'