the black robe-第36章

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I　was　punctual　to　my　appointment。　We　drove　together　to　the



asylum。







There　is　no　need　for　me　to　trouble　you　with　a　narrative　of　what　I



sawfavored　by　Doctor　Wybrow's　introductionat　the　French　boy's



bedside。　It　was　simply　a　repetition　of　what　I　had　already　heard。



There　he　lay；　at　the　height　of　the　fever；　asking；　in　the



intervals　of　relief；　intelligent　questions　relating　to　the



medicines　administered　to　him；　and　perfectly　understanding　the



answers。　He　was　only　irritable　when　we　asked　him　to　take　his



memory　back　to　the　time　before　his　illness；　and　then　he　answered



in　French；　〃I　haven't　got　a　memory。〃







But　I　have　something　else　to　tell　you；　which　is　deserving　of　your



best　attention。　The　envelope　and　its　inclosures　（addressed　to



〃Bernard　Winterfield；　Esqre。〃）　are　in　my　possession。　The



Christian　name　sufficiently　identifies　the　inscription　with　the



Winterfield　whom　I　know。







The　circumstances　under　which　the　discovery　was　made　were　related



to　me　by　the　proprietor　of　the　asylum。







When　the　boy　was　brought　to　the　house；　two　French　ladies　（his



mother　and　sister）　accompanied　him。　and　mentioned　what　had　been



their　own　domestic　experience　of　the　case。　They　described　the



wandering　propensities　which　took　the　lad　away　from　home；　and　the



odd　concealment　of　his　waistcoat；　on　the　last　occasion　when　he



had　returned　from　one　of　his　vagrant　outbreaks。







On　his　first　night　at　the　asylum；　he　became　excited　by　finding



himself　in　a　strange　place。　It　was　necessary　to　give　　him　a



composing　draught。　On　goin　g　to　bed；　he　was　purposely　not



prevented　from　hiding　his　waistcoat　under　the　pillow；　as　usual。







When　the　sedative　had　produced　its　effect；　the　attendant　easily



possessed　himself　of　the　hidden　garment。　It　was　the　plain　duty　of



the　master　of　the　house　to　make　sure　that　nothing　likely　to　be



turned　to　evil　uses　was　concealed　by　a　patient。　The　seal　which



had　secured　the　envelope　was　found；　on　examination；　to　have　been



broken。







〃I　would　not　have　broken　the　seal　myself；〃　our　host　added。　〃But；



as　things　were；　I　thought　it　my　duty　to　look　at　the　inclosures。



They　refer　to　private　affairs　of　Mr。　Winterfield；　in　which　he　is



deeply　interested；　and　they　ought　to　have　been　long　since　placed



in　his　possession。　I　need　hardly　say　that　I　consider　myself　bound



to　preserve　the　strictest　silence　as　to　what　I　have　read。　An



envelope；　containing　some　blank　sheets　of　paper；　was　put　back　in



the　boy's　waistcoat；　so　that　he　might　feel　it　in　its　place　under



the　lining；　when　he　woke。　The　original　envelope　and　inclosures



（with　a　statement　of　circumstances　signed　by　my　assistant　and



myself）　have　been　secured　under　another　cover；　sealed　with　my　own



seal。　I　have　done　my　best　to　discover　Mr。　Bernard　Winterfield。　He



appears　not　to　live　in　London。　At　least　I　failed　to　find　his　name



in　the　Directory。　I　wrote　next；　mentioning　what　had　happened；　to



the　English　gentleman　to　whom　I　send　reports　of　the　lad's　health。



He　couldn't　help　me。　A　second　letter　to　the　French　ladies　only



produced　the　same　result。　I　own　I　should　be　glad　to　get　rid　of　my



responsibility　on　honorable　terms。〃







All　this　was　said　in　the　boy's　presence。　He　lay　listening　to　it



as　if　it　had　been　a　story　told　of　some　one　else。　I　could　not



resist　the　useless　desire　to　question　him。　Not　speaking　French



myself　（although　I　can　read　the　language）；　I　asked　Doctor　Wybrow



and　his　friend　to　interpret　for　me。







My　questions　led　to　nothing。　The　French　boy　knew　no　more　about



the　stolen　envelope　than　I　did。







There　was　no　discoverable　motive；　mind；　for　suspecting　him　of



imposing　on　us。　When　I　said；　〃Perhaps　you　stole　it？〃　he　answered



quite　composedly；　〃Very　likely；　they　tell　me　I　have　been　mad；　I



don't　remember　it　myself；　but　mad　people　do　strange　things。〃　I



tried　him　again。　〃Or；　perhaps；　you　took　it　away　out　of　mischief？〃



〃Yes。〃　〃And　you　broke　the　seal；　and　looked　at　the　papers？〃　〃I



dare　say。〃　〃And　then　you　kept　them　hidden；　thinking　they　might　be



of　some　use　to　you？　Or　perhaps　feeling　ashamed　of　what　you　had



done；　and　meaning　to　restore　them　if　you　got　the　opportunity？〃



〃You　know　best；　sir。〃　The　same　result　followed　when　we　tried　to



find　out　where　he　had　been；　and　what　people　had　taken　care　of



him；　during　his　last　vagrant　escape　from　home。　It　was　a　new



revelation　to　him　that　he　had　been　anywhere。　With　evident



interest；　he　applied　to　us　to　tell　him　where　he　had　wandered　to；



and　what　people　he　had　seen！







So　our　last　attempts　at　enlightenment　ended。　We　came　to　the　final



question　of　how　to　place　the　papers；　with　the　least　possible　loss



of　time；　in　Mr。　Winterfield's　hands。







His　absence　in　Paris　having　been　mentioned；　I　stated　plainly　my



own　position　toward　him　at　the　present　time。







〃Mr。　Winterfield　has　made　an　appointment　with　me　to　call　at　his



hotel；　on　his　return　to　London；〃　I　said。　〃I　shall　probably　be　the



first　friend　who　sees　him。　If　you　will　trust　me　with　your　sealed



packet；　in　consideration　of　these　circumstances；　I　will　give　you



a　formal　receipt　for　it　in　Doctor　Wybrow's　presenceand　I　will



add　any　written　pledge　that　you　may　require　on　my　part；　acting　as



Mr。　Winterfield's　representative　and　friend。　Perhaps　you　would



like　a　reference　as　well？〃







He　made　a　courteous　reply。　〃A　friend　of　Dr。　Wybrow's；〃　he　said；



〃requires　no　other　reference。〃







〃Excuse　me；〃　I　persisted。　〃I　had　the　honor　of　meeting　Doctor



Wybrow；　for　the　first　time；　yesterday。　Permit　me　to　refer　you　to



Lord　Loring；　who　has　long　known　me　as　his　spiritual　director　and



friend。〃







This　account　of　myself　settled　the　matter。　I　drew　out　the



necessary　securitiesand　I　have　all　the　papers　lying　before　me



on　my　desk　at　this　moment。







You　remember　how　seals　were　broken；　and　impressed　again；　at　the



Roman　post…office；　in　the　revolutionary　days　when　we　were　both



young　men？　Thanks　to　the　knowledge　then　obtained；　the



extraordinary　events　which　once　associated　Mr。　Winterfield　and



Miss　Eyrecourt　are　at　last　plainly　revealed　to　me。　Copies　of　the



papers　are　in　my　possession；　and　the　originals　are　sealed　again；



with　the　crest　of　the　proprietor　of　the　asylum；　as　if　nothing　had



happened。　I　make　no　attempt　to　excuse　myself。　You　know　our



motto：THE　END　JUSTIFIES　THE　MEANS。







I　don't　propose　to　make　any　premature　use　of　the　information



which　I　have　obtained。　The　first　and　foremost　necessity；　as　I



have　already　reminded　you；　is　to　give　Penrose　the　undisturbed



opportunity　of　completing　the　conversion　of　Romayne。　During　this



interval；　my　copies　of　the　papers　are　at　the　disposal　of　my



reverend　brethren　at　headquarters。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　







THE　STOLEN　PAPERS。（COPIES。）







_Number　One。From　Emma　Winterfield　to　Bernard　Winterfield。_







4　Maidwell　Buildings；　Belhaven。







How　shall　I　address　you？　Dear　Bernard；　or　Sir？　It　doesn't　matter。



I　am　going　to　do　one　of　the　few　good　actions　of　my　life：　and



familiarities　or　formalities　matter　nothing　to　a　woman　who　lies



on　her　deathbed。







YesI　have　met　with　another　accident。　Shortly　after　the　date　of



our　separation；　you　heard；　I　think；　of　the　fall　in　the　circus



that　fractured　my　skull？　On　that　occasion；　a　surgical　operation；



and　a　bit　of　silver　plate　in　place　of　the　bone；　put　me　right



again。　This　time　it　has　been　the　kick　of　a　horse；　in　the　stables。



Some　internal　injury　is　the　consequence。　I　may　die　to…morrow；　or



live　till　next　week。　Anywaythe　doctor　has　confessed　itmy　time



has　come。







Mind　one　thing。　The　drinkthat　vile　habit　which　lost　me　your



love　and　banished　me　from　your　housethe　drink　is　not　to　blame



for　this　last　misfortune。　Only　the　day　before　it　happened　I　had



taken　the　pledge；　under　persuasion　of　the　good　rector　here；　the



Reverend　Mr。　Fennick。　It　is　he　who　has　brought　me　to　make　this



confession；　and　who　takes　it　down　in　writing　at　my　bedside。　Do



you　remember　how　I　once　hated　the　very　name　of　a　parsonand　when



you　proposed；　in　joke；　to　marry　me　before　the　registrar；　how　I



took　it　in　downright　earnest；　and　kept　you　to　your　word？　We　poor



horse…riders　and　acrobats　only　knew　clergymen　as　the　worst



enemies　we　hadalways　using　their　influence　to　keep　the　people



out　of　our　show；　and　the　bread　out　of　our　mouths。　If　I　had　met



with　Mr。　Fennick　in　my　younger　days；　what　a　different　woman　I



might　have　been！







Well；　regrets　of　that　kind　are　useless　now。　I　am　truly　sorry；



Bernard；　for　the　evil　that　I　have　done　to　you；　and　I　ask　your



pardon　with　a　contrite　heart。







You　will　at　least　allow　it　in　my　favor　that　your　drunken　wife



knew　she　was　unworthy　of　you。　I　refused　to　accept　the　allowance



that　you　offered　to　me。　I　respected　your　name。　For　seven　years



from　the　time　of　our　separation　I　returned　to　my　profession　under



an　assumed　name　and　never　troubled　you。　The　one　thing　I　could　not



do　was　to　forget　you。　If　you　were　infatuated　by　my　unlucky



beauty；　I　loved　devotedly　on　my　side。　The　well…born　gentleman　who



had　sacrificed　everything　for　my　sake；　was　something　more　than



mortal　in　my　estimation；　he　wasno！　I　won't　shock　the　good　man



who　writes　this　by　saying　what　he　was。　Besides；　what　do　you　care



for　my　thoughts　of　you　now？







If　you　had　only　been　content　to　remain　as　I　left　youor　if　I　had



not　found　out　that　you　were　in　love　with　Miss　Eyrecourt；　and　were



likely　to　marry　her；　in　the　belief　that　death　had　released　you



from　meI　should　have　lived　and　died；　doing　you　no　other　injury



than　the　first　great　injury　of　consenting　to　be　your　wife。







But　I　made　the　discoveryit　doesn't　matter　how。　Our　circus　was



in　Devonshire　at　the　time。　My　jealous　rage　maddened　me；　and　I　had



a　wicked　admirer　in　a　man　who　was　old　enough　to　be　my　father。　I



let　him　suppose　that　the　way　to　my　favor　lay　through　helping　my



revenge　on　the　woman　who　was　about　to　take　my　place。　He　found　the



money　to　have　you　watched　at　home　and　abroad；　he　put　the　false



announcement　of　my　death　in　the　daily　newspapers；　to　complete



your　delusion；　he　baffled　the　inquiries　made　through　your　lawyers



to　obtain　positive　proof　of　my　death。　And　last；　and　（in　those



wicked　days）　best　service　of　all　he　took　me　to　Brussels　and



posted　me　at　the　door　of　the　English　church；　so　that　your　lawful



wife　（with　her　ma