The Haunted Hotel · Chapter
V explained
After a brief and unhappy trip to Scotland, Lord and Lady Montbarry return to London and then depart for Italy.
What happens
After a brief and unhappy trip to Scotland, Lord and Lady Montbarry return to London and then depart for Italy. Agnes Lockwood, still recovering from her broken engagement, visits a friend in Ireland. Upon returning to London, she learns from Mrs. Ferrari that her husband, the courier Ferrari, has disappeared without warning while serving the Montbarrys in Venice. Mrs. Ferrari receives a letter from Venice containing a Bank of England note for a thousand pounds, suggesting foul play.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Secrets
Ferrari's unexplained disappearance and the mysterious thousand-pound note suggest hidden motives and possible foul play within the Montbarry household.
Guilt and Retribution
Lord Montbarry's declining health and Agnes's lingering pain hint at the emotional consequences of past betrayals.
Characters to notice
- Agnes Lockwood
Returns to London after a three-month stay in Ireland; learns of Ferrari's disappearance and tries to comfort Mrs. Ferrari.
- Mrs. Ferrari
Distraught over her husband's disappearance; brings news from the couriers' office and later receives a mysterious thousand-pound note from Venice.
- Lord Montbarry
Returns unexpectedly from Scotland, looks ill, and departs for Italy with his wife; later reported to be in seclusion in Venice.
- Lady Montbarry
Accompanies her husband to Italy; described as gracious but involved in suspicious circumstances surrounding Ferrari's disappearance.
- Baron Rivar
Lady Montbarry's brother; joins the couple in Rome; reportedly a gambler and engaged in chemical experiments in Venice.
- Mrs. Westwick
Agnes's old friend; invites her to stay in Ireland for three months.
Key passages
“After only one week of travelling in Scotland, my lord and my lady returned unexpectedly to London.”
Lord and Lady Montbarry cut short their Scottish honeymoon and came back to London after just a week.
Highlights the couple's restless and unhappy start to their marriage.
“Her husband has left Lord Montbarry, without a word of warning—and nobody knows what has become of him.”
Ferrari abandoned his post with Lord Montbarry suddenly, and his whereabouts are unknown.
Introduces the central mystery of Ferrari's disappearance.
“To console you for the loss of your husband.”
This note is meant to comfort you after your husband's disappearance.
The cryptic message accompanying the thousand-pound note implies that Ferrari is dead or gone for good.