the black robe-第56章

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mother。







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　writes　to　me　earnestly；　requesting；　if　I　return　by



way　of　Italy；　that　I　will　get　her　some　information　about　Romayne。



She　is　eager　to　know　whether　they　have　made　him　a　priest　yet。　I



am　also　to　discover；　if　I　can；　what　are　his　prospectswhether　he



is　as　miserable　as　he　deserves　to　bewhether　he　has　been



disappointed　in　his　expectations；　and　is　likely　to　be　brought



back　to　his　senses　in　that　wayand；　above　all；　whether　Father



Benwell　is　still　at　Rome　with　him。　My　idea　is　that　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



has　not　given　up　her　design　of　making　Romayne　acquainted　with　the



birth　of　his　son。







The　right　person　to　apply　to　for　information　is　evidently　my



banker。　He　has　been　a　resident　in　Rome　for　twenty　yearsbut　he



is　too　busy　a　man　to　be　approached；　by　an　idler　like　myself；　in



business　hours。　I　have　asked　him　to　dine　with　me　to…morrow。







March　2。My　guest　has　just　left　me。　I　am　afraid　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



will　be　sadly　disappointed　when　she　hears　what　I　have　to　tell　her







The　moment　I　mentioned　Romayne's　name；　the　banker　looked　at　me



with　an　expression　of　surprise。　〃'The　man　most　talked　about　in



Rome；〃　he　said；　〃I　wonder　you　have　not　heard　of　him　already。〃







〃Is　he　a　priest？〃







〃Certainly！　And；　what　is　more；　the　ordinary　preparations　for　the



priesthood　were　expressly　shortened　by　high　authority　on　his



account。　The　Pope　takes　the　greatest　interest　in　him；　and　as　for



the　people；　the　Italians　have　already　nicknamed　him　'the　young



cardinal。'　Don't　suppose；　as　some　of　our　countrymen　do；　that　he



is　indebted　to　his　wealth　for　the　high　position　which　he　has



already　attained。　His　wealth　is　only　one　of　the　minor　influences



in　his　favor。　The　truth　is；　he　unites　in　himself　two　opposite



qualities；　both　of　the　greatest　value　to　the　Church；　which　are



very　rarely　found　combined　in　the　same　man。　He　has　already　made　a



popular　reputation　here；　as　a　most　eloquent　and　convincing



preacher〃







〃A　preacher！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃And　a　popular　reputation！　How　do　the



Italians　understand　him？〃







The　banker　looked　puzzled。







〃Why　shouldn't　they　understand　a　man　who　addresses　them　in　their



own　language？〃　he　said。　〃Romayne　could　speak　Italian　when　he　came



hereand　since　that　time　he　has　learned　by　constant　practice　to



think　in　Italian。　While　our　Roman　season　lasts；　he　preaches



alternately　in　Italian　and　in　English。　But　I　was　speaking　of　the



two　opposite　accomplishments　which　this　remarkable　man　possesses。



Out　of　the　pulpit；　he　is　capable　of　applying　his　mind



successfully　to　the　polit　ical　necessities　of　the　Church。　As　I　am



told；　his　intellect　has　had　severe　practical　training；　by　means



of　historical　studies；　in　the　past　years　of　his　life。　Anyhow；　in



one　of　the　diplomatic　difficulties　here　between　the　Church　and



the　State；　he　wrote　a　memorial　on　the　subject；　which　the



Cardinal…Secretary　declared　to　be　a　model　of　ability　in　applying



the　experience　of　the　past　to　the　need　of　the　present　time。　If　he



doesn't　wear　himself　out；　his　Italian　nickname　may　prove



prophetically　true。　We　may　live　to　see　the　new　convert；　Cardinal



Romayne。〃







〃Are　you　acquainted　with　him　yourself？〃　I　asked。







〃No　Englishman　is　acquainted　with　him；〃　the　banker　answered。



〃There　is　a　report　of　some　romantic　event　in　his　life　which　has



led　to　his　leaving　England；　and　which　makes　him　recoil　from



intercourse　with　his　own　nation。　Whether　this　is　true　or　false；



it　is　certain　that　the　English　in　Rome　find　him　unapproachable。　I



have　even　heard　that　he　refuses　to　receive　letters　from　England。



If　you　wish　to　see　him；　you　must　do　what　I　have　doneyou　must　go



to　church　and　look　at　him　in　the　pulpit。　He　preaches　in



EnglishI　think　for　the　last　time　this　seasonon　Thursday



evening　next。　Shall　I　call　here　and　take　you　to　the　church？〃







If　I　had　followed　my　inclinations；　I　should　have　refused。　I　feel



no　sort　of　interest　in　RomayneI　might　even　say　I　feel　a



downright　antipathy　toward　him。　But　I　have　no　wish　to　appear



insensible　to　the　banker's　kindness；　and　my　reception　at　St。



Germain　depends　greatly　on　the　attention　I　show　to　Mrs。



Eyrecourt's　request。　So　it　was　arranged　that　I　should　hear　the



great　preacherwith　a　mental　reservation　on　my　part；　which



contemplated　my　departure　from　the　church　before　the　end　of　his



sermon。







But；　before　I　see　him；　I　feel　assured　of　one　thingespecially



after　what　the　banker　has　told　me。　Stella's　view　of　his　character



is　the　right　one。　The　man　who　has　deserted　her　has　no　heart　to　be



touched　by　wife　or　child。　They　are　separated　forever。







March　3。I　have　just　seen　the　landlord　of　the　hotel；　he　can　help



me　to　answer　one　of　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　questions。　A　nephew　of　his



holds　some　employment　at　the　Jesuit　headquarters　here；　adjoining



their　famous　church　_Il　Gesu_。　I　have　requested　the　young　man　to



ascertain　if　Father　Benwell　is　still　in　Romewithout　mentioning



me。　It　would　be　no　small　trial　to　my　self…control　if　we　met　in



the　street。







March　4。Good　news　this　time　for　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　as　far　as　it



goes。　Father　Benwell　has　long　since　left　Rome；　and　has　returned



to　his　regular　duties　in　England。　If　he　exercises　any　further



influence　over　Romayne；　it　must　be　done　by　letter。







March　5。I　have　returned　from　Romayne's　sermon。　This　double



renegadehas　he　not　deserted　his　religion　and　his　wife？has



failed　to　convince　my　reason。　But　he　has　so　completely　upset　my



nerves　that　I　ordered　a　bottle　of　champagne　（to　the　great



amusement　of　my　friend　the　banker）　the　moment　we　got　back　to　the



hotel。







We　drove　through　the　scantily　lighted　streets　of　Rome　to　a　small



church　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　Piazza　Navona。　To　a　more



imaginative　man　than　myself；　the　scene　when　we　entered　the



building　would　have　been　too　impressive　to　be　described　in



wordsthough　it　might　perhaps　have　been　painted。　The　one　light



in　the　place　glimmered　mysteriously　from　a　great　wax　candle；



burning　in　front　of　a　drapery　of　black　cloth；　and　illuminating



dimly　a　sculptured　representation；　in　white　marble；　of　the



crucified　Christ；　wrought　to　the　size　of　life。　In　front　of　this



ghastly　emblem　a　platform　projected；　also　covered　with　black



cloth。　We　could　penetrate　no　further　than　to　the　space　just



inside　the　door　of　the　church。　Everywhere　else　the　building　was



filled　with　standing；　sitting　and　kneeling　figures；　shadowy　and



mysterious；　fading　away　in　far　corners　into　impenetrable　gloom。



The　only　sounds　were　the　low；　wailing　notes　of　the　organ；



accompanied　at　intervals　by　the　muffled　thump　of　fanatic



worshipers　penitentially　beating　their　breasts。　On　a　sudden　the



organ　ceased；　the　self…inflicted　blows　of　the　penitents　were



heard　no　more。　In　the　breathless　silence　that　followed；　a　man



robed　in　black　mounted　the　black　platform；　and　faced　the



congregation。　His　hair　had　become　prematurely　gray；　his　face　was



of　the　ghastly　paleness　of　the　great　crucifix　at　his　side。　The



light　of　the　candle；　falling　on　him　as　he　slowly　turned　his　head；



cast　shadows　into　the　hollows　of　his　cheeks；　and　glittered　in　his



gleaming　eyes。　In　tones　low　and　trembling　at　first；　he　stated　the



subject　of　his　address。　A　week　since；　two　noteworthy　persons　had



died　in　Rome　on　the　same　day。　One　of　them　was　a　woman　of



exemplary　piety；　whose　funeral　obsequies　had　been　celebrated　in



that　church。　The　other　was　a　criminal　charged　with　homicide　under



provocation；　who　had　died　in　prison；　refusing　the　services　of　the



priestimpenitent　to　the　last。　The　sermon　followed　the　spirit　of



the　absolved　woman　to　its　eternal　reward　in　heaven；　and　described



the　meeting　with　dear　ones　who　had　gone　before；　in　terms　so



devout　and　so　touching　that　the　women　near　us；　and　even　some　of



the　men；　burst　into　tears。　Far　different　was　the　effect　produced



when　the　preacher；　filled　with　the　same　overpowering　sincerity　of



belief　which　had　inspired　his　description　of　the　joys　of　heaven；



traced　the　downward　progress　of　the　lost　man；　from　his　impenitent



death…bed　to　his　doom　in　hell。　The　dreadful　superstition　of



everlasting　torment　became　doubly　dreadful　in　the　priest's



fervent　words。　He　described　the　retributive　voices　of　the　mother



and　the　brother　of　the　murdered　man　ringing　incessantly　in　the



ears　of　the　homicide。　〃I；　who　speak　to　you；　hear　the　voices；〃　he



cried。　〃Assassin！　assassin！　where　are　you？　I　see　himI　see　the



assassin　hurled　into　his　place　in　the　sleepless　ranks　of　the



damnedI　see　him；　dripping　with　the　flames　that　burn　forever；



writhing　under　the　torments　that　are　without　respite　and　without



end。〃　The　climax　of　this　terrible　effort　of　imagination　was



reached　when　he　fell　on　his　knees　and　prayed　with　sobs　and　cries



of　entreatyprayed；　pointing　to　the　crucifix　at　his　sidethat



he　and　all　who　heard　him　might　die　the　death　of　penitent　sinners；



absolved　in　the　divinely　atoning　name　of　Christ。　The　hysterical



shrieks　of　women　rang　through　the　church。　I　could　endure　it　no



longer。　I　hurried　into　the　street；　and　breathed　again　freely；



when　I　looked　up　at　the　cloudless　beauty　of　the　night　sky；　bright



with　the　peaceful　radiance　of　the　stars。







And　this　man　was　Romayne！　I　had　last　met　with　him　among　his



delightful　works　of　art；　an　enthusiast　in　literature；　the



hospitable　master　of　a　house　filled　with　comforts　and　luxuries　to



its　remotest　corner。　And　now　I　had　seen　what　Rome　had　made　of



him。







〃Yes；〃　said　my　companion；　〃the　Ancient　Church　not　only　finds　out



the　men　who　can　best　serve　it；　but　develops　qualities　in　those



men　of　which　they　have　been　themselves　unconscious。　The　advance



which　Roman　Catholic　Christianity　has　been；　and　is　still；　making



has　its　intelligible　reason。　Thanks　to　the　great　Reformation；　the



papal　scandals　of　past　centuries　have　been　atoned　for　by　the



exemplary　lives　of　servants　of　the　Church；　in　high　places　and　low



places　alike。　If　a　new　Luther　arose　among　us；　where　would　he　now



find　abuses　sufficiently　wicked　and　widely　spread　to　shock　the



sense　of　decency　in　Christendom？　He　would　find　them　nowhereand



he　would　probably　return　to　the　respectable　shelter　of　the　Roman



sheepfold。〃







I　listened；　without　making　any　remark。　To　tell　the　truth；　I　was



thinking　of　Stella。







March　6。I　have　been　to　Civita　Vecchia；　to　give　a　little



farewell　entertainment　to　the　off