the black robe-第58章

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the　day　when　they　first　metand　she　remembers　regretfully　that



other　love；　of　years　since；　which　was　love　of　steadier　and　slower



growth。　To　her　shame　she　confesses　that　she　failed　to　set　you　the



example　of　duty　and　self…restraint　when　you　two　happened　to　be



alone　yesterday。　She　leaves　it　to　my　discretion　to　tell　you　that



you　must　see　her　for　the　future；　always　in　the　presence　of　some



other　person。　Make　no　reference　to　this　when　you　next　meet；　and



understand　that　she　has　only　spoken　to　me　instead　of　to　her



mother；　because　she　fears　that　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　might　use　harsh



words；　and　distress　you　again；　as　she　once　distressed　you　in



England。　If　you　will　take　my　advice；　you　will　ask　permission　to



go　away　again　on　your　travels。〃







It　matters　nothing　what　I　said　in　reply。　Let　me　only　relate　that



we　were　interrupted　by　the　appearance　of　the　nursemaid　at　the



pavilion　door。







She　led　the　child　by　the　hand。　Among　his　first　efforts　at



speaking；　under　his　mother's　instruction；　had　been　the　effort　to



call　me　Uncle　Bernard。　He　had　now　got　as　far　as　the　first



syllable　of　my　Christian　name；　and　he　had　come　to　me　to　repeat



his　lesson。　Resting　his　little　hands　on　my　knees；　he　looked　up　at



me　with　his　mother's　eyes；　and　said；　〃Uncle　Ber'。〃　A　trifling



incident；　but；　at　that　moment；　it　cut　me　to　the　heart。　I　could



only　take　the　boy　in　my　arms；　and　look　at　Madame　Villeray。　The



good　woman　felt　for　me。　I　saw　tears　in　her　eyes。







No！　no　more　writing　about　myself。　I　close　the　book　again。







Eighth　Extract。







July　3。A　letter　has　reached　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　this　morning；　from



Doctor　Wybrow。　It　is　dated；　〃Castel　Gandolpho；　near　Rome。〃　Here



the　doctor　is　established　during　the　hot　monthsand　here　he　has



seen　Romayne；　in　attendance　on　the　〃Holy　Father；〃　in　the　famous



summer　palace　of　the　Popes。　How　he　obtained　the　interview　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　is　not　informed。　To　a　man　of　his　celebrity；　doors　are



no　doubt　opened　which　remain　closed　to　persons　less　widely　known。







〃I　have　performed　my　promise；〃　he　writes　〃and　I　may　say　for



myself　that　I　spoke　with　every　needful　precaution。　The　result　a



little　startled　me。　Romayne　was　not　merely　unprepared　to　hear　of



the　birth　of　his　childhe　was　physically　and　morally　incapable



of　sustaining　the　shock　of　the　disclosure。　For　the　moment；　I



thought　he　had　been　seized　with　a　fit　of　catalepsy。　He　moved；



however；　when　I　tried　to　take　his　hand　to　feel　the



pulseshrinking　back　in　his　chair；　and　feebly　signing　to　me　to



leave　him。　I　committed　him　to　the　care　of　his　servant。　The　next



day　I　received　a　letter　from　one　of　his　priestly　colleagues；



informing　me　that　he　was　slowly　recovering　after　the　shock　that　I



had　inflicted；　and　requesting　me　to　hold　no　further　communication



with　him；　either　personally　or　by　letter。　I　wish　I　could　have



sent　you　a　more　favorable　report　of　my　interference　in　this



painful　matter。　Perhaps　you　or　your　daughter　may　hear　from　him。〃







July　4…9。No　letter　has　been　received。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　is　uneasy。



Stella；　on　the　contrary；　seems　to　be　relieved。







July　10。A　letter　has　arrived　from　London；　addressed　to　Stella



by　Romayne's　English　lawyers。　The　income　which　Mrs。　Romayne　has



refused　for　herself　is　to　be　legally　settled　on　her　child。



Technical　particulars　follow；　which　it　is　needless　to　repeat



here。







By　return　of　post；　Stella　has　answered　the　lawyers；　declaring



that；　so　long　as　she　lives；　and　has　any　influence　over　her　son；



he　shall　not　touch　the　offered　income。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　Monsieur



and　Madame　Villerayand　even　Matildaentreated　her　not　to　send



the　letter。　To　my　thinking；　Stella　acted　with　becoming　spirit。



Though　there　is　no　entail；　still　Vange　Abbey　is　morally　the　boy's



birthrightit　is　a　cruel　wrong　to　offer　him　anything　else。







July　11。For　the　second　time　I　have　proposed　to　leave　St。



Germain。　The　presence　of　the　third　person；　whenever　I　am　in　her



company；　is　becoming　unendurable　to　me。　She　still　uses　her



influence　to　defer　my　departure。　〃Nobody　sympathizes　with　me；〃



she　said；　〃but　you。〃







I　am　failing　to　keep　my　promise　to　myself；　not　to　write　about



myself。　But　there　is　some　little　excuse　this　time。　For　the　relief



of　my　own　conscience；　I　may　surely　place　it　on　record　that　I　have



tried　to　do　what　is　right。　It　is　not　my　fault　if　I　remain　at　St。



Germain；　insensible　to　Madame　Villeray's　warning。







Ninth　Extract。







September　13。Terrible　news　from　Rome　of　the　Jesuit　Mission　to



Arizona。







The　Indians　have　made　a　night　attack　on　the　new　mission…house。



The　building　is　burned　to　the　ground；　and　the　missionaries　have



been　massacredwith　the　exception　of　two　priests；　carried　away



captive。　The　names　of　the　priests　are　not　known。　News　of　the



atrocity　has　been　delayed　four　months　on　its　way　to　Europe；　owing



partly　to　the　civil　war　in　the　United　States；　and　partly　to



disturbances　in　Central　America。







Looking　at　the　_Times_　（which　we　receive　regularly　at　St。



Germain）；　I　found　this　statement　confirmed　in　a　short



paragraphbut　here　also　the　names　of　the　two　prisoners　failed　to



appear。







Our　one　present　hope　of　getting　any　further　information　seems　to



me　to　depend　on　our　English　newspaper。　The　_Times_　stands　alone



as　the　one　public　journal　which　has　the　whole　English　nation　for



volunteer　contributors。　In　their　troubles　at　home；　they　appeal　to



the　Editor。　In　their　travels　abroad；　over　civilized　and　savage



regions　alike；　if　they　meet　with　an　adventure　worth　mentioning



they　tell　it　to　the　Editor。　If　any　one　of　our　countrymen　knows



anything　of　this　dreadful　massacre；　I　foresee　with　certainty



where　we　shall　find　the　information　in　print。







Soon　after　my　arrival　here；　Stella　had　told　me　of　her　memorable



conversation　with　Penrose　in　the　garden　at　Ten　Acres　Lodge。　I　was



well　acquainted　with　the　nature　of　her　obligation　to　the　young



priest；　but　I　was　not　prepared　for　the　outbreak　of　grief　which



escaped　her　when　she　had　read　the　telegram　from　Rome。　She



actually　went　the　length　of　saying；　〃I　shall　never　enjoy　another



happy　moment　till　I　know　whether　Penrose　is　one　of　the　two　living



priests！〃







The　inevitable　third　person　with　us；　this　morning；　was　Monsieur



Villeray。　Sitting　at　the　window　with　a　book　in　his



handsometimes　reading；　sometimes　looking　at　the　garden　with　the



eye　of　a　fond　horticulturisthe　discovered　a　strange　cat　among



his　flower　beds。　Forgetful　of　every　other　consideration；　the　old



gentleman　hobbled　out　to　drive　away　the　intruder；　and　left　us



together。







I　spoke　to　Stella；　in　words　which　I　would　now　give　everything　I



possess　to　recall。　A　detestable　jealousy　took　possession　of　me。　I



meanly　hinted　that　Penrose　could　claim　no　great　merit　（in　the



matter　of　Romayne's　conversion）　for　yielding　to　the　entreaties　of



a　beautiful　woman　who　had　fascinated　him；　though　he　might　be



afraid　to　own　it。　She　protested　against　my　unworthy



insinuationbut　she　failed　to　make　me　ashamed　of　myself。　Is　a



woman　ever　ignorant　of　the　influence　which　her　beauty　exercises



over　a　man？　I　went　on；　like　the　miserable　creature　that　I　was；



from　bad　to　worse。







〃Excuse　me；〃　I　said；　〃if　I　have　unintentionally　made　you　angry。　I



ought　to　have　known　that　I　was　treading　on　delicate　ground。　Your



interest　in　Penrose　may　be　due　to　a　warmer　motive　than　a　sense　of



obligation。〃







She　turned　away　from　mesa　dly；　not　angrilyintending；　as　it



appeared；　to　leave　the　room　in　silence。　Arrived　at　the　door；　she



altered　her　mind；　and　came　back。







〃Even　if　you　insult　me；　Bernard；　I　am　not　able　to　resent　it；〃　she



said；　very　gently。　_I_　once　wronged　_you_I　have　no　right　to



complain　of　your　now　wronging　me。　I　will　try　to　forget　it。〃







She　held　out　her　hand。　She　raised　her　eyesand　looked　at　me。







It　was　not　her　fault；　I　alone　am　to　blame。　In　another　moment　she



was　in　my　arms。　I　held　her　to　my　breastI　felt　the　quick　beating



of　her　heart　on　meI　poured　out　the　wild　confession　of　my



sorrow；　my　shame；　my　loveI　tasted　again　and　again　and　again　the



sweetness　of　her　lips。　She　put　her　arms　round　my　neck　and　drew



her　head　back　with　a　long　sigh。　〃Be　merciful　to　my　weakness；〃　she



whispered。　〃We　must　meet　no　more。〃







She　pushed　me　back　from　her；　with　a　trembling　hand；　and　left　the



room。







I　have　broken　my　resolution　not　to　write　about　myselfbut　there



is　no　egotism；　there　is　a　sincere　sense　of　humiliation　in　me；



when　I　record　this　confession　of　misconduct。　I　can　make　but　one



atonementI　must　at　once　leave　St。　Germain。　Now；　when　it　is　too



late；　I　feel　how　hard　for　me　this　life　of　constant　repression　has



been。







Thus　far　I　had　written；　when　the　nursemaid　brought　me　a　little



note；　addressed　in　pencil。　No　answer　was　required。







The　few　lines　were　in　Stella's　handwriting：　〃You　must　not　leave



us　too　suddenly；　or　you　may　excite　my　mother's　suspicions。　Wait



until　you　receive　letters　from　England；　and　make　them　the　pretext



for　your　departure。S。〃







I　never　thought　of　her　mother。　She　is　right。　Even　if　she　were



wrong；　I　must　obey　her。







September　14。The　letters　from　England　have　arrived。　One　of　them



presents　me　with　the　necessary　excuse　for　my　departure；　ready



made。　My　proposal　for　the　purchase　of　the　yacht　is　accepted。　The



sailing…master　and　crew　have　refused　all　offers　of　engagement；



and　are　waiting　at　Cowes　for　my　orders。　Here　is　an　absolute



necessity　for　my　return　to　England。







The　newspaper　arrived　with　the　letters。　My　anticipations　have



been　realized。　Yesterday's　paragraph　has　produced　another



volunteer　contributor。　An　Englishman　just　returned　from　Central



America；　after　traveling　in　Arizona；　writes　to　the　_Times。_　He



publishes　his　name　and　addressand　he　declares　that　he　has



himself　seen　the　two　captive　priests。







The　name　of　this　correspondent　carries　its　own　guarantee　with　it。



He　is　no　less　a　person　than　Mr。　Murthwaitethe　well…known



traveler　in　India；　who　discovered　the　lost　diamond　called　〃the



Moonstone；〃　set　in　the　forehead　of　a　Hindoo　idol。　He　writes　to



the　editor　as　follows：







〃SirI　can　tell　you　something　of　the　two　Jesuit　priests　who　were



the　sole　survivors　of　the　massacre　in　the　Santa　Cruz　Valley　four



months　since。







〃I　was　traveling　at　the　time　in