the black robe-第34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！





mention　it　to　Mrs。　Romayne；〃　he　said。　〃And　what　of　it？〃







〃Pardon　me　for　reminding　you　that　Mrs。　Romayne　has　Protestant



prejudices；〃　I　rejoined。　〃Mr。　Winterfield　would；　I　fear；　not　be



very　welcome　to　her　as　the　friend　of　a　Catholic　priest。〃







He　was　almost　angry　with　me　for　suggesting　the　very　explanation



which　had　proved　so　acceptable　to　Winterfield。







〃Nonsense！〃　he　cried。　〃My　wife　is　far　too　well…bred　a　woman　to



let　her　prejudices　express　themselves　in　_that_　way。



Winterfield's　personal　appearance　must　have　inspired　her　with



some　unreasonable　antipathy；　or〃







He　stopped；　and　turned　away　thoughtfully　to　the　window。　Some



vague　suspicion　had　probably　entered　his　mind；　which　he　had　only



become　aware　of　at　that　moment；　and　which　he　was　not　quite　able



to　realize　as　yet。　I　did　my　best　to　encourage　the　new　train　of



thought。







〃What　other　reason　_can_　there　be？〃　I　asked。







He　turned　on　me　sharply。　〃I　don't　know。　Do　you？〃







I　ventured　on　a　courteous　remonstrance。　〃My　dear　sir！　if　you



can't　find　another　reason；　how　can　I？　It　must　have　been　a　sudden



antipathy；　as　you　say。　Such　things　do　happen　between　strangers。　I



suppose　I　am　right　in　assuming　that　Mrs。　Romayne　and　Mr。



Winterfield　are　strangers？〃







His　eyes　flashed　with　a　sudden　sinister　brightnessthe　new　idea



had　caught　light　in　his　mind。　〃They　_met_　as　strangers；〃　he　said。







There　he　stopped　again；　and　returned　to　the　window。　I　felt　that　I



might　lose　the　place　I　had　gained　in　his　confidence　if　I　pressed



the　subject　any　further。　Besides；　I　had　my　reasons　for　saying　a



word　about　Penrose　next。　As　it　happened；　I　had　received　a　letter



from　him；　relating　to　his　present　employment；　and　sending　kindest



regards　to　his　dear　friend　and　master　in　the　postscript。







I　gave　the　message。　Romayne　looked　round；　with　an　instant　change



in　his　face。　The　mere　sound　of　Penrose's　name　seemed　to　act　as　a



relief　to　the　gloom　and　suspicion　that　had　oppressed　him　the



moment　before。　〃You　don't　know　how　I　miss　the　dear　gentle　little



fellow；〃　he　said；　sadly。







〃Why　not　write　to　him？〃　I　suggested。　〃He　would　be　so　glad　to　hear



from　you　again。〃







〃I　don't　know　where　to　write。〃







〃Did　I　not　send　you　his　address　when　I　forwarded　your　letter　to



him？〃







〃No。〃







〃Then　let　me　atone　for　my　forgetfulness　at　once。〃







I　wrote　down　the　address；　and　took　my　leave。







As　I　approached　the　door　I　noticed　on　a　side　table　the　Catholic



volumes　which　Penrose　left　with　Romayne。　One　of　them　was　open；



with　a　pencil　lying　beside　it。　I　thought　that　a　good　signbut　I



said　nothing。







Romayne　pressed　my　hand　at　parting。　〃You　have　been　very　kind　and



friendly；　Father　Benwell；〃　he　said。　〃I　shall　be　glad　to　see　you



again。〃







Don't　mention　it　in　quarters　where　it　might　do　me　harm。　Do　you



know；　I　really　pitied　him。　He　has　sacrificed　everything　to　his



marriageand　his　marriage　has　disappointed　him。　He　was　even



reduced　to　be　friendly　with　Me。







Of　course　when　the　right　time　comes　I　shall　give　Penrose　leave　of



absence。　Do　you　foresee；　as　I　do；　the　speedy　return　of　〃the　dear



gentle　little　fellow〃　to　his　old　employment；　the　resumed　work　of



conversion　advancing　more　rapidly　than　ever；　and　the　jealousy　of



the　Protestant　wife　aggravating　the　false　position　in　which　she



is　already　placed　by　her　equivocal　reception　of　Winterfield？　You



may　answer　this　by　reminding　me　of　the　darker　side　of　the



prospect。　An　heir　may　be　born；　and　the　heir's　mother；　backed　by



general　opinion；　may　insistif　there　is　any　hesitation　in　the



matteron　asserting　the　boy's　natural　right　to　succeed　his



father。







Patience；　my　reverend　colleague！　There　is　no　threatening　of　any



such　calamity　yet。　And；　even　if　it　happens；　don't　forget　that



Romayne　has　inherited　a　second　fortune。　The　Vange　estate　has　an



estimated　value。　If　the　act　of　restitution　represented　that　value



in　ready　money；　do　you　think　the　Church　would　discourage　a　good



convert　by　refusing　his　check？　You　know　better　than　thatand　so



do　I。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　







The　next　day　I　called　to　inquire　how　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　was　getting



on。　The　report　was　favorable。　Three　days　later　I　called　again。



The　report　was　still　more　encouraging。　I　was　also　informed　that



Mrs。　Romayne　had　returned　to　Ten　Acres　Lodge。







Much　of　my　success　in　life　has　been　achieved　by　never　being　in　a



hurry。　I　was　not　in　a　hurry　now。　Time　sometimes　brings



opportunitiesand　opportunities　are　worth　waiting　for。







Let　me　make　this　clear　by　an　example。







A　man　of　headlong　disposition；　in　my　place；　would　have　probably



spoken　of　Miss　Eyrecourt's　marriage　to　Romayne　at　his　first



meeting　with　Winterfield；　and　would　have　excited　their　distrust；



and　put　them　respectively　on　their　guard；　without　obtaining　any



useful　result。　I　can；　at　any　time；　make　the　disclosure　to　Romayne



which　informs　him　that　his　wife　had　been　Winterfield's　guest　in



Devonshire；　when　she　affected　to　meet　her　former　host　on　the



footing　of　a　stranger。　In　the　meanwhile；　I　give　Penrose　ample



opportunity　for　innocently　widening　the　breach　between　husband



and　wife。







You　see；　I　hope；　that　if　I　maintain　a　passive　position；　it　is　not



from　indolence　or　discouragement。　Now　we　may　get　on。







After　an　interval　of　a　few　days　more　I　decided　on　making　further



inquiries　at　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　house。　This　time；　when　I　left　my



card；　I　sent　a　message；　asking　if　the　lady　could　receive　me。



Shall　I　own　my　weakness？　She　possesses　all　the　information　that　I



want；　and　she　has　twice　baffled　my　inquiries。　Under　these



humiliating　circumstances；　it　is　part　of　the　priestly　pugnacity



of　my　disposition　to　inquire　again。







I　was　invited　to　go　upstairs。







The　front　and　back　drawing…rooms　of　the　house　were　thrown　into



one。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　was　being　gently　moved　backward　and　forward



in　a　chair　on　wheels；　propelled　by　her　maid；　two　gentlemen　being



present；　visitors　like　myself。　In　spite　of　rouge　and　loosely



folded　lace　and　flowing　draperies；　she　presented　a　deplorable



spectacle。　The　bodily　part　of　her　looked　like　a　dead　woman；



painted　and　revivedwhile　the　moral　part；　in　the　strongest



contrast；　was　just　as　lively　as　ever。







〃So　glad　to　see　you　again；　Father　Benwell；　and　so　much　obliged　by



your　kind　inquiries。　I　am　quite　well；　though　the　doctor　won't



admit　it。　Isn't　it　funny　to　see　me　being　wheeled　about；　like　a



child　in　a　perambulator？　Returning　to　first　principles；　I　call



it。　You　see　it's　a　law　of　my　nature　that　I　must　go　about。　The



doctor　won't　let　me　go　about　outside　the　house；　so　I　go　about



inside　the　house。　Matilda　is　the　nurse；　and　I　am　the　baby　who



will　learn　to　walk　some　of　these　days。　Are　you　tired；　Matilda？



No？　Then　give　me　another　turn；　there's　a　good　creature。　Movement；



perpetual　movement；　is　a　law　of　Nature。　Oh；　dear　no；　doctor；　I



didn't　make　that　discovery　for　myself。　Some　eminent　scientific



person　mentioned　it　in　a　lecture。　The　ugliest　man　I　ever　saw。　Now



back　again；　Matilda。　Let　me　introduce　you　to　my　friends；　Father



Benwell。　Introducing　is　out　of　fashion；　I　know。　But　I　am　one　of



the　few　women　who　can　resist　the　tyranny　of　fashion。　I　like



introducing　people。　Sir　John　DroneFather　Benwell。　Father



BenwellDoctor　Wybrow。　Ah；　yes；　you　know　the　doctor　by



reputation？　Shall　I　give　you　his　character？　Personally　charming；



professionally　detestable。　Pardon　my　impudence；　doctor；　it　is　one



of　the　consequences　of　the　overflowing　state　of　my　health。



Another　turn；　Matildaand　a　little　faster　this　time。　Oh；　how　I



wish　I　was　traveling　by　railway！〃







There；　her　breath　failed　her。　She　reclined　in　her　chair；　and



fanned　herself　silentlyfor　a　while。







I　was　now　able　to　turn　my　attention　to　the　two　visitors。　Sir　John



Drone；　it　was　easy　to　see；　would　be　no　obstacle　to　confidential



conversation　with　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　An　excellent　country　gentleman；



with　the　bald　head；　the　ruddy　complexion；　and　the　inexhaustible



capacity　for　silence；　so　familiar　to　us　in　English　societythere



you　have　the　true　description　of　Sir　John。　But　the　famous



physician　was　quite　another　sort　of　man。　I　had　only　to　look　at



him；　and　to　feel　myself　condemned　to　small　talk　while　_he_　was　in



the　room。







You　have　always　heard　of　it　in　my　correspondence；　whenever　I　have



been　in　the　wrong。　I　was　in　the　wrong　again　nowI　had　forgotten



the　law　of　chances。　Capricious　Fortune；　after　a　long　interval；



was　about　to　declare　herself　again　in　my　favor；　by　means　of　the



very　woman　who　had　twice　already　got　the　better　of　me。　What　a



recompense　for　my　kind　inquiries　after　Mrs。　Eyrecourt！　She



recovered　breath　enough　to　begin　talking　again。







〃Dear　me；　how　dull　you　are！〃　she　said　to　us。　〃Why　don't　you　amuse



a　poor　prisoner　confined　to　the　house？　Rest　a　little；　Matilda；　or



you　will　be　falling　ill　next。　Doctor！　is　this　your　last



professional　visit？〃







〃Promise　to　take　care　of　yourself；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　and　I　will



confess　that　the　professional　visits　are　over。　I　come　here　to…day



only　as　a　friend。〃







〃You　best　of　men！　Do　me　another　favor。　Enliven　our　dullness。　Tell



us　some　interesting　story　about　a　patient。　These　great　doctors；



Sir　John；　pass　their　lives　in　a　perfect　atmosphere　of　romance。



Dr。　Wybrow's　consulting…room　is　like　your　confessional；　Father



Benwell。　The　most　fascinating　sins　and　sorrows　are　poured　into



his　ears。　What　is　the　last　romance　in　real　life；　doctor；　that　has



asked　you　to　treat　it　medically？　We　don't　want　names　and



placeswe　are　good　children；　we　only　want　a　story。〃







Dr。　Wybrow　looked　at　me　with　a　smile。







〃It　is　impossible　to　persuade　ladies；〃　he　said；　〃that　we；　too；



are　father…confessors　in　our　way。　The　first　duty　of　a　doctor；



Mrs。　Eyrecourt〃







〃Is　to　cure　people；　of　course；〃　she　interposed　in　her　smartest



manner。







The　doctor　answered　seriously。　〃No；　indeed。　That　is　only　the



second　duty。　Our　first　duty　is　invariably　to　respect　the



confidence　of　our　patients。　However；〃　he　resumed　in　his　easier



tone；　〃I　happen　to　have　seen　a　patient　to…day；　under



circumstances　which　the　rules　of　professional　honor　do　not　forbid



me　to　mention。　I　don't　know；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　whether