the black robe-第19章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





he　might　offend。







Imagine　any　human　being；　out　of　a　lunatic　asylum；　talking　in　this



way。　Shall　I　own　to　you；　my　reverend　colleague；　how　this　curious



self…exposure　struck　me？　As　I　listened　to　Romayne；　I　felt



grateful　to　the　famous　Council　which　definitely　forbade　the



priests　of　the　Catholic　Church　to　marry。　_We_　might　otherwise



have　been　morally　enervated　by　the　weakness　which　degrades



Romayneand　priests　might　have　become　instruments　in　the　hands



of　women。







But　you　will　be　anxious　to　hear　what　Penrose　did　under　the



circumstances。　For　the　moment；　I　can　tell　you　this；　he　startled



me。







Instead　of　seizing　the　opportunity；　and　directing　Romayne's　mind



to　the　consolations　of　religion；　Penrose　actually　encouraged　him



to　reconsider　his　decision。　All　the　weakness　of　my　poor　little



Arthur's　character　showed　itself　in　his　next　words。







He　said　to　Romayne：　〃It　may　be　wrong　in　me　to　speak　to　you　as



freely　as　I　wish　to　speak。　But　you　have　so　generously　admitted　me



to　your　confidenceyou　have　been　so　considerate　and　so　kind



toward　methat　I　feel　an　interest　in　your　happiness；　which



perhaps　makes　me　over　bold。　Are　you　very　sure　that　some　such



entire　change　in　your　life　as　your　marriage　might　not　end　in



delivering　you　from　your　burden？　If　such　a　thing　could　be；　is　it



wrong　to　suppose　that　your　wife's　good　influence　over　you　might



be　the　means　of　making　your　marriage　a　happy　one？　I　must　not



presume　to　offer　an　opinion　on　such　a　subject。　It　is　only　my



gratitude；　my　true　attachment　to　you　that　ventures　to　put　the



question。　Are　you　conscious　of　having　given　this　matterso



serious　a　matter　for　yousufficient　thought？〃







Make　your　mind　easy；　reverend　sir！　Romayne's　answer　set



everything　right。







He　said：　〃I　have　thought　of　it　till　I　could　think　no　longer。　I



still　believe　that　sweet　woman　might　control　the　torment　of　the



voice。　But　could　she　deliver　me　from　the　remorse　perpetually



gnawing　at　my　heart？　I　feel　as　murderers　feel。　In　taking　another



man's　lifea　man　who　had　not　even　injured　me！I　have　committed



the　one　unatonable　and　unpardonable　sin。　Can　any　human　creature's



influence　make　me　forget　that？　No　more　of　itno　more。　Come！　Let



us　take　refuge　in　our　books。〃







Those　words　touched　Penrose　in　the　right　place。　Now；　as　I



understand　his　scruples；　he　felt　that　he　might　honorably　speak



out。　His　zeal　more　than　balanced　his　weakness；　as　you　will



presently　see。







He　was　loud；　he　was　positive；　when　I　heard　him　next。　〃No！〃　he



burst　out；　〃your　refuge　is　not　in　books；　and　not　in　the　barren



religious　forms　which　call　themselves　Protestant。　Dear　master；



the　peace　of　mind；　which　you　believe　you　have　lost　forever；　you



will　find　again　in　the　divine　wisdom　and　compassion　of　the　holy



Catholic　Church。　There　is　the　remedy　for　all　that　you　suffer！



There　is　the　new　life　that　will　yet　make　you　a　happy　man！〃







I　repeat　what　he　said；　so　far；　merely　to　satisfy　you　that　we　can



trust　his　enthusiasm；　when　it　is　once　roused。　Nothing　will



discourage；　nothing　will　defeat　him　now。　He　spoke　with　all　the



eloquence　of　convictionusing　the　necessary　arguments　with　a



force　and　feeling　which　I　have　rarely　heard　equaled。　Romayne's



silence　vouched　for　the　effect　on　him。　He　is　not　the　man　to



listen　patiently　to　reasoning　which　he　thinks　he　can　overthrow。







Having　heard　enough　to　satisfy　me　that　Penrose　had　really　begun



the　good　work；　I　quietly　slipped　out　of　the　waiting…room　and　left



the　hotel。







To…day　being　Sunday；　I　shall　not　lose　a　post　if　I　keep　my　letter



open　until　to…morrow。　I　have　already　sent　a　note　to　Penrose；



asking　him　to　call　on　me　at　his　earliest　convenience。　There　may



be　more　news　for　you　before　post　time。







Monday；　10　A。M。。







There　_is_　more　news。　Penrose　has　just　left　me。







His　first　proceeding；　of　course；　was　to　tell　me　what　I　had



already　discovered　for　myself。　He　is　modest；　as　usual；　about　the



prospect　of　success　which　awaits　him。　But　he　has　induced　Romayne



to　suspend　his　historical　studies　for　a　few　days；　and　to　devote



his　attention　to　the　books　which　we　are　accustomed　to　recommend



for　perusal　in　such　cases　　as　his。　This　is　un　questionably　a　great



gain　at　starting。







But　my　news　is　not　at　an　end　yet。　Romayne　is　actually　playing　our



gamehe　has　resolved　definitely　to　withdraw　himself　from　the



influence　of　Miss　Eyrecourt！　In　another　hour　he　and　Penrose　will



have　left　London。　Their　destination　is　kept　a　profound　secret。



All　letters　addressed　to　Romayne　are　to　be　sent　to　his　bankers。







The　motive　for　this　sudden　resolution　is　directly　traceable　to



Lady　Loring。







Her　ladyship　called　at　the　hotel　yesterday　evening；　and　had　a



private　interview　with　Romayne。　Her　object；　no　doubt；　was　to



shake　his　resolution；　and　to　make　him　submit　himself　again　to



Miss　Eyrecourt's　fascinations。　What　means　of　persuasion　she　used



to　effect　this　purpose　is　of　course　unknown　to　us。　Penrose　saw



Romayne　after　her　ladyship's　departure；　and　describes　him　as



violently　agitated。　I　can　quite　understand　it。　His　resolution　to



take　refuge　in　secret　flight　（it　is　really　nothing　less）　speaks



for　itself　as　to　the　impression　produced　on　him；　and　the　danger



from　which；　for　the　time　at　least；　we　have　escaped。







Yes！　I　say　〃for　the　time　at　least。〃　Don't　let　our　reverend



fathers　suppose　that　the　money　expended　on　my　private　inquiries



has　been　money　thrown　away。　Where　these　miserable　love　affairs



are　concerned；　women　are　daunted　by　no　adverse　circumstances　and



warned　by　no　defeat。　Romayne　has　left　London；　in　dread　of　his　own



weaknesswe　must　not　forget　that。　The　day　may　yet　come　when



nothing　will　interpose　between　us　and　failure　but　my　knowledge　of



events　in　Miss　Eyrecourt's　life。







For　the　present；　there　is　no　more　to　be　said。







CHAPTER　XI。







STELLA　ASSERTS　HERSELF。







Two　days　after　Father　Benwell　had　posted　his　letter　to　Rome；　Lady



Loring　entered　her　husband's　study；　and　asked　eagerly　if　he　had



heard　any　news　of　Romayne。







Lord　Loring　shook　his　head。　〃As　I　told　you　yesterday；〃　he　said；



〃the　proprietor　of　the　hotel　can　give　me　no　information。　I　went



myself　this　morning　to　the　bankers；　and　saw　the　head　partner。　He



offered　to　forward　letters；　but　he　could　do　no　more。　Until



further　notice；　he　was　positively　enjoined　not　to　disclose



Romayne's　address　to　anybody。　How　does　Stella　bear　it？〃







〃In　the　worst　possible　way；〃　Lady　Loring　answered。　〃In　silence。〃







〃Not　a　word　even　to　you？〃







〃Not　a　word。〃







At　that　reply；　the　servant　interrupted　them　by　announcing　the



arrival　of　a　visitor；　and　presenting　his　card。　Lord　Loring



started；　and　handed　it　to　his　wife。　The　card　bore　the　name　of



〃Major　Hynd；〃　and　this　line　was　added　in　pencil：　〃On　business



connected　with　Mr。　Romayne。　〃







〃Show　him　in　directly！〃　cried　Lady　Loring。







Lord　Loring　remonstrated。　〃My　dear！　perhaps　I　had　better　see　this



gentleman　alone？〃







〃Certainly　notunless　you　wish　to　drive　me　into　committing　an



act　of　the　most　revolting　meanness！　If　you　send　me　away　I　shall



listen　at　the　door。〃







Major　Hynd　was　shown　in；　and　was　duly　presented　to　Lady　Loring。



After　making　the　customary　apologies；　he　said：　〃I　returned　to



London　last　night；　expressly　to　see　Romayne　on　a　matter　of



importance。　Failing　to　discover　his　present　address　at　the　hotel；



I　had　the　hope　that　your　lordship　might　be　able　to　direct　me　to



our　friend。〃







I　am　sorry　to　say　I　know　no　more　than　you　do；〃　Lord　Loring



replied。　〃Romayne's　present　address　is　a　secret　confided　to　his



bankers；　and　to　no　one　else。　I　will　give　you　their　names；　if　you



wish　to　write　to　him。







Major　Hynd　hesitated。　〃I　am　not　quite　sure　that　it　would　be



discreet　to　write　to　him；　under　the　circumstances。〃







Lady　Loring　could　no　longer　keep　silence。　〃Is　it　possible；　Major



Hynd；　to　tell　us　what　the　circumstances　are？〃　she　asked。　〃I　am



almost　as　old　a　friend　of　Romayne　as　my　husbandand　I　am　very



anxious　about　him。〃







The　Major　looked　embarrassed。　〃I　can　hardly　answer　your



ladyship；〃　he　said；　〃without　reviving　painful　recollections〃







Lady　Loring's　impatience　interrupted　the　Major's　apologies。　〃Do



you　mean　the　duel？〃　she　inquired。







Lord　Loring　interposed。　〃I　should　tell　you；　Major　Hynd；　that　Lady



Loring　is　as　well　informed　as　I　am　of　what　happened　at　Boulogne；



and　of　the　deplorable　result；　so　far　as　Romayne　is　concerned。　If



you　still　wish　to　speak　to　me　privately；　I　will　ask　you　to



accompany　me　into　the　next　room。〃







Major　Hynd's　embarrassment　vanished。　〃After　what　you　tell　me；〃　he



said；　〃I　hope　to　be　favored　with　Lady　Loring's　advice。　You　both



know　that　Romayne　fought　the　fatal　duel　with　a　son　of　the　French



General　who　had　challenged　him。　When　we　returned　to　England；　we



heard　that　the　General　and　his　family　had　been　driven　away　from



Boulogne　by　pecuniary　difficulties。　Romayne；　against　my　advice；



wrote　to　the　surgeon　who　had　been　present　at　the　duel；　desiring



that　the　General's　place　of　retreat　might　be　discovered；　and



expressing　his　wish　to　assist　the　family　anonymously；　as　their



Unknown　Friend。　The　motive；　of　course；　was；　in　his　own　words；　'to



make　some　little　atonement　to　the　poor　people　whom　he　had



wronged。'　I　thought　it　a　rash　proceeding　at　the　time；　and　I　am



confirmed　in　my　opinion　by　a　letter　from　the　surgeon；　received



yesterday。　Will　you　kindly　read　it　to　Lady　Loring？〃







He　handed　the　letter　to　Lord　Loring。　Translated　from　the　French；



it　ran　as　follows：















〃SIRI　am　at　last　able　to　answer　Mr。　Romayne's　letter



definitely；　with　the　courteous　assistance　of　the　French　Consul　in



London；　to　whom　I　applied　when　other　means　of　investigation　had



produced　no　result。







〃A　week　since　the　General　died；　circumstances　connected　with　the



burial　expenses　informed　the　Consul　that　he　had　taken　refuge　from



his　creditors；　not　in　Paris　as　we　supposed；　but　in　London。　The



address　is；　Number　10；　Camp's　Hill；　Islington。　I　should　also　add



that　the　General；　for　obvious　reasons；　lived　in　London　under　the



assumed　name　of　Marillac。　It　will　be　necessary；　therefore；　to



inquire　for　his　widow　by　the　name　of　Madame　Marillac。