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I n Venice he met his brother, Lord Surbiton, who happened to have come over from Corfu (26) in his yacht. The two young men spent a delightful fortnight together. In the morning they rode on the Lido (27) or glided up and down the green canals in their long black gondola; in the afternoon they usually entertained visitors on the yacht; and in the evening they dined at Florian's (28) and smoked innumerable cigarettes on the Piazza. Yet somehow Lord Arthur was not happy. Every day he studied the obituary column in The Times, expecting to see a notice of Lady Clementina's death, but every day he was disappointed. He began to be afraid that some accident had happened to her, and often regretted that he had prevented her taking the aconitine when she had been so anxious to try its effect. Sibyl's letters, too, though full of love, and trust, and tenderness, were often very sad in their tone, and sometimes he used to think that he was parted from her for ever.
他在威尼斯碰上了哥哥瑟比顿勋爵，后者刚巧乘着自己的游艇从科孚岛那边来到了这里。两个年轻人一起度过了愉快的两个星期。早上他们会去丽都岛上骑马，或者坐着长长的黑色贡多拉在碧绿的运河里漫游；下午他们通常会在游艇上招待客人；晚上他们会去弗洛里安咖啡馆吃饭，然后在圣马可广场上抽掉不计其数的雪茄。然而不知怎的，亚瑟勋爵过得并不开心。他每天都在仔细阅读《泰晤士报》的讣告专栏，希望看到克莱门蒂娜夫人过世的启事，但却总是以失望告终。他开始担心她是不是出了什么意外，还常常后悔自己在她急不可耐要尝试乌头碱的时候阻止了她。西比尔的信中虽然写满了爱意、信任和温柔，但也往往洋溢着哀伤的情绪。有些时候，他不免觉得自己跟她已成永诀。
After a fortnight Lord Surbiton got bored with Venice, and determined to run down the coast to Ravenna (29) as he heard that there was some capital cock-shooting in the Pinetum. Lord Arthur, at first, refused absolutely to come, but Surbiton, of whom he was extremely fond, finally persuaded him that if he stayed at Danieli's (30) by himself he would be moped to death, and on the morning of the 15th they started, with a strong nor' -east wind blowing, and a rather choppy sea. The sport was excellent, and the free, open-air life brought the colour back to Lord Arthur's cheeks, but about the 22nd he became anxious about Lady Clementina, and, in spite of Surbiton's remonstrances, came back to Venice by train.
As he stepped out of his gondola on to the hotel steps, the proprietor came forward to meet him with a sheaf of telegrams. Lord Arthur snatched them out of his hand, and tore them open. Everything had been successful. Lady Clementina had died quite suddenly on the night of the 17th!
His first thought was for Sibyl, and he sent her off a telegram announcing his immediate return to London. He then ordered his valet to pack his things for the night mail, sent his gondoliers about five times their proper fare, and ran up to his sitting-room with a light step and a buoyant heart. There he found three letters waiting for him. One was from Sibyl herself, full of sympathy and condolence. The others were from his mother, and from Lady Clementina's solicitor. It seemed that the old lady had dined with the Duchess that very night, had delighted everyone by her wit and esprit, but had gone home somewhat early, complaining of heartburn. In the morning she was found dead in her bed, having apparently suffered no pain. Sir Matthew Reid had been sent for at once, but, of course, there was nothing to be done, and she was to be buried on the 22nd at Beauchamp Chalcote. A few days before she died she had made her will, and left Lord Arthur her little house in Curzon Street, and all her furniture, personal effects, and pictures, with the exception of her collection of miniatures, which was to go to her sister, Lady Margaret Rufford, and her amethyst necklace, which Sibyl Merton was to have. The property was not of much value; but Mr Mansfield, the solicitor, was extremely anxious for Lord Arthur to return at once, if possible, as there were a great many bills to be paid, and Lady Clementina had never kept any regular accounts.
两个星期过去了，厌倦了威尼斯的瑟比顿勋爵决定顺着海岸南下拉韦纳，因为他听说那儿的松树园有非常不错的猎野鸡活动。亚瑟勋爵一开始表示坚决不去，可他非常喜欢的瑟比顿最终说服了他，让他相信独自留在丹尼利酒店只会闷死。第十五天的早晨，他们便借着强劲的东北风驶入了动荡不安的海面。猎野鸡的活动十分精彩，自由自在的户外生活也让亚瑟勋爵的双颊恢复了神采。可是，到了第二十二天，他又一次被克莱门蒂娜夫人的事情弄得心神不宁，于是不顾瑟比顿的反对，坐火车回到了威尼斯。
亚瑟勋爵下了贡多拉，走上酒店门口的台阶，酒店老板拿着一沓电报上前来迎候他。他一把抓过电报，随即撕开了封套。大功已然告成。第十七天夜里，克莱门蒂娜夫人突然间死去了！
他首先想到了西比尔，于是发电报告诉她自己将马上赶回伦敦。这之后，他让男仆收拾行装准备赶当晚的邮递火车，用约摸五倍的船钱打发了贡多拉船夫，跟着便心情愉快、步履轻盈地跑进自己的起居室，在房里发现了三封写给自己的信。其中一封是西比尔本人写来的，里面充满了同情和抚慰，另两封则分别来自他的母亲和克莱门蒂娜夫人的律师。事情经过似乎是这样的：那天晚上这位老夫人刚巧和公爵夫人一起进了晚餐，席间谈笑风生，让大家开心不已。不过，她后来抱怨自己心口疼，早早地回了家。
Lord Arthur was very much touched by Lady Clementina's kind remembrance of him, and felt that Mr Podgers had a great deal to answer for. His love of Sibyl, however, dominated every other emotion, and the consciousness that he had done his duty gave him peace and comfort. When he arrived at Charing Cross (31) he felt perfectly happy.
The Mertons received him very kindly, Sibyl made him promise that he would never again allow anything to come between them, and the marriage was fixed for the 7th June. Life seemed to him once more bright and beautiful, and all his old gladness came back to him again.
One day, however, as he was going over the house in Curzon Street, in company with Lady Clementina's solicitor and Sibyl herself, burning packages of faded letters, and turning out drawers of odd rubbish, the young girl suddenly gave a little cry of delight.
到了第二天早上，人们发现她死在了自己的床上，死之前显然没受什么罪。马修·里德爵士立刻奉命前来，不过当然，他也是无力回天。她将于第二十二日在比彻姆·查尔科特公墓下葬。去世之前几天，她立了一份遗嘱，把自己在克尔宋街的小房子以及所有家具、私人物品和图画留给了亚瑟勋爵，只有她的微缩模型收藏和紫水晶项链除外，那两样东西分别由她妹妹玛格丽特·拉福德夫人和西比尔·默顿继承。她那幢房子值不了多少钱，但律师曼斯菲尔德先生还是十分着急，希望亚瑟勋爵在可能的情况下即刻返回，因为未付的账单已经堆积如山，克莱门蒂娜夫人又从来都不记账。
克莱门蒂娜夫人的拳拳记挂令亚瑟勋爵深受感动，他由此认为波杰斯先生实在是罪大恶极。不过，对西比尔的爱压倒了其他所有情感，再想到任务已经完成，他更是觉得平静与快慰。到达查令十字车站的时候，他的心情已经好得不能再好了。
默顿一家十分亲切地接待了他，西比尔让他许诺绝不再让任何事物分隔他俩，而他们的婚期也定在了六月七日。生活又一次变得光明美好，从前的所有喜悦也重新回到了他的身上。
一天，克莱门蒂娜夫人的律师和西比尔正陪着他收拾克尔宋街的那幢房子，烧毁一捆捆泛黄的信件，清出一屉屉古怪的垃圾。
'What have you found, Sibyl?' said Lord Arthur, looking up from his work, and smiling.
'This lovely little silver bonbonnière, Arthur. Isn't it quaint and Dutch? Do give it to me! I know amethysts won't become me till I am over eighty.'
It was the box that had held the aconitine.
Lord Arthur started, and a faint blush came into his cheek. He had almost entirely forgotten what he had done, and it seemed to him a curious coincidence that Sibyl, for whose sake he had gone through all that terrible anxiety, should have been the first to remind him of it.
'Of course you can have it, Sibyl. I gave it to poor Lady Clem myself.'
'Oh! thank you, Arthur; and may I have the bonbon too? I had no notion that Lady Clementina liked sweets. I thought she was far too intellectual.'
Lord Arthur grew deadly pale, and a horrible idea crossed his mind.
'Bonbon, Sibyl? What do you mean?' he said in a slow, hoarse voice.
'There is one in it, that is all. It looks quite old and dusty, and I have not the slightest intention of eating it. What is the matter, Arthur? How white you look!'
Lord Arthur rushed across the room, and seized the box. Inside it was the amber-coloured capsule, with its poison-bubble. Lady Clementina had died a natural death after all!
突然之间，年轻的女孩儿发出了一声喜悦的叫喊。
“你找着什么了，西比尔？”亚瑟勋爵停下手里的事情，抬起头笑着问道。
“一个可爱的银制小糖果盒，亚瑟。这东西挺有趣的，不是吗？把它给我吧！要我说，要到八十岁以后我才适合戴紫水晶的东西。”
她拿的正是装过乌头碱胶囊的那个盒子。
亚瑟勋爵吃了一惊，脸上泛起了淡淡的红晕。他几乎完全忘了自己做过的那件事情，可西比尔却第一个给了他提醒。在他看来，这实在是一种离奇的巧合，因为他之前那段恐怖紧张的经历正是为了西比尔的缘故。
“你当然可以拿去，西比尔。那东西就是我送给克莱姆夫人的。”
“噢！谢谢你，亚瑟。这粒糖也给我好吗？我以前觉得克莱门蒂娜夫人特别睿智，不知道她还喜欢吃糖。”
亚瑟勋爵一下子面如死灰，心头涌上一个可怕的想法。
“糖吗，西比尔？你说什么？”他慢慢地说道，声音嘶哑。
“里面有粒糖，就是这样。它看起来已经放了很久，上面都有灰尘了，我可一点儿也不想吃。怎么啦，亚瑟？你的脸色好苍白啊！”
亚瑟勋爵冲到房间对过，一把抢过了那个盒子。那粒琥珀色的胶囊还在里面，胶囊里的毒液也依然如故。说来说去，克莱门蒂娜夫人原来是自然死亡的！
The shock of the discovery was almost too much for him. He flung the capsule into the fire, and sank on the sofa with a cry of despair.
这一发现所造成的打击几乎让亚瑟勋爵无法承受。他把胶囊扔进火里，绝望地大叫一声，瘫倒在沙发上。