The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice

  CHAPTER XXVII

  Henry returned to his room.

  His first impulse was to throw aside the manuscript, and never to lookat it again. The one chance of relieving his mind from the dreadfuluncertainty that oppressed it, by obtaining positive evidence of thetruth, was a chance annihilated by the Countess's death. What goodpurpose could be served, what relief could he anticipate, if he readmore?

  He walked up and down the room. After an interval, his thoughts took anew direction; the question of the manuscript presented itself underanother point of view. Thus far, his reading had only informed himthat the conspiracy had been planned. How did he know that the planhad been put in execution?

  The manuscript lay just before him on the floor. He hesitated; thenpicked it up; and, returning to the table, read on as follows, from thepoint at which he had left off.