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- Уилки Коллинз
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’
We
have
the
honour
to
inform
our
Directors
that
we
arrived
in
Venice
on
December
6
,
1860
.
On
the
same
day
we
proceeded
to
the
palace
inhabited
by
Lord
Montbarry
at
the
time
of
his
last
illness
and
death
.
’
We
were
received
with
all
possible
courtesy
by
Lady
Montbarry
’
s
brother
,
Baron
Rivar
.
"
My
sister
was
her
husband
’
s
only
attendant
throughout
his
illness
,
"
the
Baron
informed
us
.
"
She
is
overwhelmed
by
grief
and
fatigue
—
or
she
would
have
been
here
to
receive
you
personally
.
What
are
your
wishes
,
gentlemen
?
and
what
can
I
do
for
you
in
her
ladyship
’
s
place
?
"
’
In
accordance
with
our
instructions
,
we
answered
that
the
death
and
burial
of
Lord
Montbarry
abroad
made
it
desirable
to
obtain
more
complete
information
relating
to
his
illness
,
and
to
the
circumstances
which
had
attended
it
,
than
could
be
conveyed
in
writing
.
We
explained
that
the
law
provided
for
the
lapse
of
a
certain
interval
of
time
before
the
payment
of
the
sum
assured
,
and
we
expressed
our
wish
to
conduct
the
inquiry
with
the
most
respectful
consideration
for
her
ladyship
’
s
feelings
,
and
for
the
convenience
of
any
other
members
of
the
family
inhabiting
the
house
.
’
To
this
the
Baron
replied
,
"
I
am
the
only
member
of
the
family
living
here
,
and
I
and
the
palace
are
entirely
at
your
disposal
.
"
From
first
to
last
we
found
this
gentleman
perfectly
straightforward
,
and
most
amiably
willing
to
assist
us
.
’
With
the
one
exception
of
her
ladyship
’
s
room
,
we
went
over
the
whole
of
the
palace
the
same
day
.
It
is
an
immense
place
only
partially
furnished
.
The
first
floor
and
part
of
the
second
floor
were
the
portions
of
it
that
had
been
inhabited
by
Lord
Montbarry
and
the
members
of
the
household
.
We
saw
the
bedchamber
,
at
one
extremity
of
the
palace
,
in
which
his
lordship
died
,
and
the
small
room
communicating
with
it
,
which
he
used
as
a
study
.
Next
to
this
was
a
large
apartment
or
hall
,
the
doors
of
which
he
habitually
kept
locked
,
his
object
being
(
as
we
were
informed
)
to
pursue
his
studies
uninterruptedly
in
perfect
solitude
.
On
the
other
side
of
the
large
hall
were
the
bedchamber
occupied
by
her
ladyship
,
and
the
dressing
-
room
in
which
the
maid
slept
previous
to
her
departure
for
England
.
Beyond
these
were
the
dining
and
reception
rooms
,
opening
into
an
antechamber
,
which
gave
access
to
the
grand
staircase
of
the
palace
.
’
The
only
inhabited
rooms
on
the
second
floor
were
the
sitting
-
room
and
bedroom
occupied
by
Baron
Rivar
,
and
another
room
at
some
distance
from
it
,
which
had
been
the
bedroom
of
the
courier
Ferrari
.
’
The
rooms
on
the
third
floor
and
on
the
basement
were
completely
unfurnished
,
and
in
a
condition
of
great
neglect
.
We
inquired
if
there
was
anything
to
be
seen
below
the
basement
—
and
we
were
at
once
informed
that
there
were
vaults
beneath
,
which
we
were
at
perfect
liberty
to
visit
.
’
We
went
down
,
so
as
to
leave
no
part
of
the
palace
unexplored
.
The
vaults
were
,
it
was
believed
,
used
as
dungeons
in
the
old
times
—
say
,
some
centuries
since
.
Air
and
light
were
only
partially
admitted
to
these
dismal
places
by
two
long
shafts
of
winding
construction
,
which
communicated
with
the
back
yard
of
the
palace
,
and
the
openings
of
which
,
high
above
the
ground
,
were
protected
by
iron
gratings
.
The
stone
stairs
leading
down
into
the
vaults
could
be
closed
at
will
by
a
heavy
trap
-
door
in
the
back
hall
,
which
we
found
open
.
The
Baron
himself
led
the
way
down
the
stairs
.
We
remarked
that
it
might
be
awkward
if
that
trap
-
door
fell
down
and
closed
the
opening
behind
us
.
The
Baron
smiled
at
the
idea
.
"
Don
’
t
be
alarmed
,
gentlemen
,
"
he
said
;
"
the
door
is
safe
.
I
had
an
interest
in
seeing
to
it
myself
,
when
we
first
inhabited
the
palace
.
My
favourite
study
is
the
study
of
experimental
chemistry
—
and
my
workshop
,
since
we
have
been
in
Venice
,
is
down
here
.
"
’
These
last
words
explained
a
curious
smell
in
the
vaults
,
which
we
noticed
the
moment
we
entered
them
.
We
can
only
describe
the
smell
by
saying
that
it
was
of
a
twofold
sort
—
faintly
aromatic
,
as
it
were
,
in
its
first
effect
,
but
with
some
after
-
odour
very
sickening
in
our
nostrils
.
The
Baron
’
s
furnaces
and
retorts
,
and
other
things
,
were
all
there
to
speak
for
themselves
,
together
with
some
packages
of
chemicals
,
having
the
name
and
address
of
the
person
who
had
supplied
them
plainly
visible
on
their
labels
.
"
Not
a
pleasant
place
for
study
,
"
Baron
Rivar
observed
,
"
but
my
sister
is
timid
.
She
has
a
horror
of
chemical
smells
and
explosions
—
and
she
has
banished
me
to
these
lower
regions
,
so
that
my
experiments
may
neither
be
smelt
nor
heard
.
