the black robe-第12章

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answered　Romayne　（agreeing　with　him；　it　is　needless　to　say）；



there　was　a　tender　persuasiveness　in　her　tones；　shyly　inviting



him　still　to　speak　to　her　and　still　to　look　at　her；　which　would



in　itself　have　told　Father　Benwell　the　truth；　even　if　he　had　not



been　in　a　position　to　see　her　face。　Confirmed　in　his　doubts　of



her；　he　looked；　with　concealed　suspicion；　at　Lady　Loring　next。



Sympathy　with　Stella　was　undisguisedly　expressed　to　him　in　the



honest　blue　eyes　of　Stella's　faithful　friend。







The　discussion　on　the　subject　of　the　unfortunate　picture　was



resumed　by　Lord　Loring；　who　thought　the　opinions　of　Romayne　and



Stella　needlessly　severe。　Lady　Loring；　as　usual；　agreed　with　her



husband。　While　the　general　attention　was　occupied　in　this　way；



Father　Benwell　said　a　word　to　Penrosethus　far；　a　silent



listener　to　the　discourse　on　Art。







〃Have　you　seen　the　famous　portrait　of　the　first　Lady　Loring；　by



Gainsborough？〃　he　asked。　Without　waiting　for　a　reply；　he　took



Penrose　by　the　arm；　and　led　him　away　to　the　picturewhich　had



the　additional　merit；　under　present　circumstances；　of　hanging　at



the　other　end　of　the　gallery。







〃How　do　you　like　Romayne？〃　Father　Benwell　put　the　question　in　low



peremptory　tones；　evidently　impatient　for　a　reply。







〃He　interests　me　already；〃　said　Penrose。　〃He　looks　so　ill　and　so



sad；　and　he　spoke　to　me　so　kindly〃







〃In　short；〃　Father　Benwell　interposed；　〃Romayne　has　produced　a



favorable　impression　on　you。　Let　us　get　on　to　the　next　thing。　You



must　produce　a　favorable　impression　on　Romayne。〃







Penrose　sighed。　〃With　the　best　will　to　make　myself　agreeable　to



people　whom　I　like；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　always　succeed。　They　used



to　tell　me　at　Oxford　that　I　was　shyand　I　am　afraid　that　is



against　me。　I　wish　I　possessed　some　of　your　social　advantages；



Father！〃







〃Leave　it　to　me；　son！　Are　they　still　talking　about　the　picture？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃I　have　something　more　to　say　to　you。　Have　you　noticed　the　young



lady？〃







〃I　thought　her　beautifulbut　she　looks　a　little　cold。〃







Father　Benwell　smiled。　〃When　you　are　as　old　as　I　am；〃　he　said；



〃you　will　not　believe　in　appearances　where　women　are　concerned。



Do　you　know　what　I　think　of　her？　Beautiful；　if　you　likeand



dangerous　as　well。〃







〃Dangerous！　In　what　way？〃







〃This　is　for　your　private　ear；　Arthur。　She　is　in　love　with



Romayne。　Wait　a　minute！　And　Lady　Loringunless　I　am　entirely



mistaken　in　what　I　observedknows　it　and　favors　it。　The



beautiful　Stella　may　be　the　destruction　of　all　our　hopes；　unless



we　keep　Romayne　out　of　her　way。〃







These　words　were　whispered　with　an　earnestness　and　agitation



which　surprised　Penrose。　His　superior's　equanimity　was　not　easily



overthrown。　〃Are　you　sure；　Father；　of　what　you　say？〃　he　asked。







〃I　am　quite　sureor　I　should　not　have　spoken。〃







〃Do　you　think　Mr。　Romayne　returns　the　feeling？〃







〃Not　yet；　luckily。　You　must　use　your　first　friendly　influence



over　himwhat　is　her　name？　Her　surname；　I　mean。〃







〃Eyrecourt。　Miss　Stella　Eyrecourt。〃







〃Very　well。　You　must　use　your　influence　（when　you　are　quite　sure



that　it　_is_　an　influence）　to　keep　Mr。　Romayne　away　from　Miss



Eyrecourt。〃







Penrose　looked　embarrassed。　〃I　am　afraid　I　should　hardly　know　how



to　do　that；〃　he　said　〃But　I　should　naturally；　as　his　assistant；



encourage　him　to　keep　to　his　studies。〃







Whatever　Arthur's　superior　might　privately　think　of　Arthur's



reply；　he　received　it　with　outward　indulgence。　〃That　will　come　to



the　same　thing；〃　he　said。　〃Besides；　when　I　get　the　information　I



wantthis　is　strictly　between　ourselvesI　may　be　of　some　use　in



placing　obstacles　in　the　lady's　way。〃







Penrose　started。　〃Information！〃　he　repeated。　〃What　information？〃







〃Tell　me　something　before　I　answer　you；〃　said　Father　Benwell。



〃How　old　do　you　take　Miss　Eyrecourt　to　be？〃







〃I　am　not　a　good　judge　in　such　matters。　Between　twenty　and



twenty…five；　perhaps？〃







〃We　will　take　her　age　at　that　estimate；　Arthur。　In　former　years；



I　have　had　opportunities　of　studying　women's　characters　in　the



confessional。　Can　you　guess　what　my　experience　tells　me　of　Miss



Eyrecourt？〃







〃No；　indeed！〃







〃A　lady　is　not　in　love　for　the　first　time　when　she　is　between



twenty　and　twenty…five　years　oldthat　is　my　experience；〃　said



Father　Benwell。　〃If　I　can　find　a　person　capable　of　informing　me；



I　may　make　some　valuable　discoveries　in　the　earlier　history　of



Miss　Eyrecourt's　life。　No　more；　now。　We　had　better　return　to　our



friends。〃







CHAPTER　V。







FATHER　BENWELL　MISSES。







THE　group　before　the　picture　which　had　been　the　subject　of



dispute　was　broken　up。　In　one　part　of　the　gallery；　Lady　Loring



and　Stella　were　whispering　together　on　a　sofa。　In　another　part；



Lord　Loring　was　speaking　privately　to　Romayne。







〃Do　you　think　you　will　like　Mr。　Penrose？〃　his　lordship　asked。







〃Yesso　far　as　I　can　tell　at　present。　He　seems　to　be　modest　and



intelligent。〃







〃You　are　looking　ill；　my　dear　Romayne。　Have　you　again　heard　the



voice　that　haunts　you？〃







Romayne　answered　with　evident　reluctance。　〃I　don't　know　why；〃　he



said〃but　the　dread　of　hearing　it　again　has　oppressed　me　all



this　morning。　To　tell　you　the　truth；　I　came　here　in　the　hope　that



the　change　might　relieve　me。〃







〃Has　it　done　so？〃







〃Yesthus　far。〃







〃Doesn't　that　suggest；　my　friend；　that　a　greater　change　might　be



of　use　to　you？〃







〃Don't　ask　me　about　it；　Loring！　I　can　go　through　my　ordealbut　I



hate　speaking　of　it。〃







〃Let　us　speak　of　something　else　then；〃　said　Lord　Loring。　〃What　do



you　think　of　Miss　Eyrecourt？〃







〃A　very　striking　face；　full　of　expression　and　character。　Leonardo



would　have　painted　a　noble　portrait　of　her。　But　there　is



something　in　her　manner〃　He　stopped；　unwilling　or　unable　to



finish　the　sentence。







〃Something　you　don't　like？〃　Lord　Loring　suggested。







〃No；　something　I　don't　quite　understand。　One　doesn't　expect　to



find　any　embarrassment　in　the　manner　of　a　well…bred　woman。　And



yet　she　seemed　to　be　embarrassed　when　she　spoke　to　me。　Perhaps　I



produced　an　unfortunate　impression　on　her。〃







Lord　Loring　laughed。　〃In　any　man　but　you；　Romayne；　I　should　call



that　affectation。〃







〃Why？〃　Romayne　asked；　sharply。







Lord　Loring　looked　unfeignedly　surprised。　〃My　dear　fellow；　do　you



really　think　you　are　the　sort　of　man　who　impresses　a　woman



unfavorably　at　first　sight？　For　once　in　your　life；　indulge　in　the



amiable　weakness　of　doing　yourself　justiceand　find　a　better



reason　for　Miss　Eyrecourt's　embarrassment。〃







For　the　first　time　since　he　and　his　friend　had　been　talking



together；　Romayne　turned　toward　Stella。　He　innocently　caught　her



in　the　act　of　looking　at　him。　A　younger　woman；　or　a　woman　of



weaker　character；　would　　have　looked



　away　again。　Stella's　noble　head　drooped；　her　eyes　sank　slowly；



until　they　rested　on　her　long　white　hands　crossed　upon　her　lap。



For　a　moment　more　Romayne　looked　at　her　with　steady　attention。







He　roused　himself；　and　spoke　to　Lord　Loring　in　lowered　tones。







〃Have　you　known　Miss　Eyrecourt　for　a　long　time？〃







〃She　is　my　wife's　oldest　and　dearest　friend。　I　think；　Romayne；



you　would　feel　interested　in　Stella；　if　you　saw　more　of　her。〃







Romayne　bowed　in　silent　submission　to　Lord　Loring's　prophetic



remark。　〃Let　us　look　at　the　pictures；〃　he　said；　quietly。







As　he　moved　down　the　gallery；　the　two　priests　met　him。　Father



Benwell　saw　his　opportunity　of　helping　Penrose　to　produce　a



favorable　impression。







〃Forgive　the　curiosity　of　an　old　student；　Mr。　Romayne；〃　he　said



in　his　pleasant；　cheerful　way。　〃Lord　Loring　tells　me　you　have



sent　to　the　country　for　your　books。　Do　you　find　a　London　hotel



favorable　to　study？〃







〃It　is　a　very　quiet　hotel；〃　Romayne　answered；　〃and　the　people



know　my　ways。〃　He　turned　to　Arthur。　〃I　have　my　own　set　of　rooms；



Mr。　Penrose；〃　he　continued〃with　a　room　at　your　disposal。　I　used



to　enjoy　the　solitude　of　my　house　in　the　country。　My　tastes　have



lately　changedthere　are　times　now　when　I　want　to　see　the　life



in　the　streets；　as　a　relief。　Though　we　are　in　a　hotel；　I　can



promise　that　you　will　not　be　troubled　by　interruptions；　when　you



kindly　lend　me　the　use　of　your　pen。〃







Father　Benwell　answered　before　Penrose　could　speak。　〃You　may



perhaps　find　my　young　friend's　memory　of　some　use　to　you；　Mr。



Romayne；　as　well　as　his　pen。　Penrose　has　studied　in　the　Vatican



Library。　If　your　reading　leads　you　that　way；　he　knows　more　than



most　men　of　the　rare　old　manuscripts　which　treat　of　the　early



history　of　Christianity。〃







This　delicately　managed　reference　to　the　projected　work　on　〃The



Origin　of　Religions〃　produced　its　effect。







〃I　should　like　very　much；　Mr。　Penrose；　to　speak　to　you　about



those　manuscripts；〃　Romayne　said。　〃Copies　of　some　of　them　may



perhaps　be　in　the　British　Museum。　Is　it　asking　too　much　to



inquire　if　you　are　disengaged　this　morning？〃







〃I　am　entirely　at　your　service；　Mr。　Romayne。〃







〃If　you　will　kindly　call　at　my　hotel　in　an　hour's　time；　I　shall



have　looked　over　my　notes；　and　shall　be　ready　for　you　with　a　list



of　titles　and　dates。　There　is　the　address。〃







With　those　words；　he　advanced　to　take　his　leave　of　Lady　Loring



and　Stella。







Father　Benwell　was　a　man　possessed　of　extraordinary　power　of



foresightbut　he　was　not　infallible。　Seeing　that　Romayne　was　on



the　point　of　leaving　the　house；　and　feeling　that　he　had　paved　the



way　successfully　for　Romayne's　amanuensis；　he　too　readily　assumed



that　there　was　nothing　further　to　be　gained　by　remaining　in　the



gallery。　Moreover；　the　interval　before　Penrose　called　at　the



hotel　might　be　usefully　filled　up　by　some　wise　words　of　advice；



relating　to　the　religious　uses　to　which　he　might　turn　his



intercourse　with　his　employer。　Making　one　of　his　ready　and



plausible　excuses；　he　accordingly　returned　with　Penrose　to　the



libraryand　so　committed　（as　he　himself　discovered　at　a　later



time）　one　of　the　few　mistakes　in　the　long　record　of　his　life。







In　the　meanwhile；　Romayne　was　not　permitted　to　bring　his　visit　to



a　conclusion　with