‘On her own authority?’ Agnes repeated eagerly.  ’Have you seen her this morning?’

‘I have seen her not ten minutes since.’

‘What was she doing?’

She was busily engaged in writing.  I could not even get her to look at me until I thought of mentioning your name.’

‘She remembered me, of course?’

’She remembered you with some difficulty.  Finding that she wouldn’t answer me on any other terms, I questioned her as if I had come direct from you.  Then she spoke.  She not only admitted that she had the same superstitious motive for placing you in that room which she had acknowledged to Francis—­she even owned that she had been by your bedside, watching through the night, “to see what you saw,” as she expressed it.  Hearing this, I tried to persuade her to tell me how she got into the room.  Unluckily, her manuscript on the table caught her eye; she returned to her writing.  “The Baron wants money,” she said; “I must get on with my play.”  What she saw or dreamed while she was in your room last night, it is at present impossible to discover.  But judging by my brother’s account of her, as well as by what I remember of her myself, some recent influence has been at work which has produced a marked change in this wretched woman for the worse.  Her mind (since last night, perhaps) is partially deranged.  One proof of it is that she spoke to me of the Baron as if he were still a living man.  When Francis saw her, she declared that the Baron was dead, which is the truth.  The United States Consul at Milan showed us the announcement of the death in an American newspaper.  So far as I can see, such sense as she still possesses seems to be entirely absorbed in one absurd idea—­the idea of writing a play for Francis to bring out at his theatre.  He admits that he encouraged her to hope she might get money in this way.  I think he did wrong.  Don’t you agree with me?’

Without heeding the question, Agnes rose abruptly from her chair.

‘Do me one more kindness, Henry,’ she said.  ’Take me to the Countess at once.’

Henry hesitated.  ’Are you composed enough to see her, after the shock that you have suffered?’ he asked.

She trembled, the flush on her face died away, and left it deadly pale.  But she held to her resolution.  ‘You have heard of what I saw last night?’ she said faintly.

‘Don’t speak of it!’ Henry interposed.  ’Don’t uselessly agitate yourself.’

’I must speak!  My mind is full of horrid questions about it.  I know I can’t identify it—­and yet I ask myself over and over again, in whose likeness did it appear?  Was it in the likeness of Ferrari? or was it—?’ she stopped, shuddering.  ’The Countess knows, I must see the Countess!’ she resumed vehemently.  ’Whether my courage fails me or not, I must make the attempt.  Take me to her before I have time to feel afraid of it!’

Henry looked at her anxiously.  ’If you are really sure of your own resolution,’ he said, ’I agree with you—­the sooner you see her the better.  You remember how strangely she talked of your influence over her, when she forced her way into your room in London?’