第71部分(第6/7 頁)

dles　saw　the　most　depressing　room　on　which　ever　I　had　set　eyes。

It　was　enormous；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　back　wall　stood　a　four…post　bed　with　black　hangings　and；　I　think；　black　hearse…plumes　at　the　corners。　Round　the　walls　were　old；　full…length　family　portraits　of　a　singularly　grim　description　—　I　imagine　they　must　have　been　memorial　pictures　—　while　over　the　mantelpiece　sat　an　awful　old　seventeenth…century　woman　who　held　a　skull　in　her　hands。　This　very　skull；　by　the　way；　was　kept　in　a　cupboard　upstairs；　where　I　saw　the　thing；　which　had　something　to　do　with　the　history　of　the　family；　or　rather　of　that　which　preceded　it　in　the　ownership　of　the　castle　and　estate。　Everything　about　the　chamber　was　in　thorough　keeping　with　that　skull；　even　the　coal…box　was　black　and　shaped　like　a　sarcophagus！

“This；”　said　Cochrane　—　a　lover　of　cheerful　surroundings　—　in　a　feeble　voice；　“is　no　doubt　the　place　where　these　people　have　been　laid　out　for　generations！”

Remembering　the　horrible　“black　bed”　in　the　Verney　Memoirs；　which　used　to　be　carted　from　house　to　house　whenever　a　death　was　expected　in　the　family；　I　agreed　with　him；　and　departed；　wishing　him　pleasant　dreams　and　a　good　night’s　rest。

So　huge　was　that　castle　—　built；　I　believe；　in　the　time　of　King　John　—　that　in　the　morning　we　were　utterly　unable　to　find　our　way　to　the　breakfast…room。　Up　and　down　passages　we　wandered；　till　at　last　we　saw　a　table　with　writing　materials　on　it；　and　sat　down　there　to　answer　letters；　until　ultimately　we　were　retrieved。

Another　strange　experience　was　when　we　found　ourselves　in　a　bachelor　house；　of　which　the　host；　poor　fellow　—　having；　we　understood；　been　crossed　in　love　—　was　in　the　habit　of　looking　upon　the　wine　when　it　was　red。　In　that　house　there　was　practically　noth