the black robe-第13章

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



a　conclusion　without　hospitable　remonstrance　on　the　part　of　Lady



Loring。　She　felt　for　Stella；　with　a　woman's　enthusiastic　devotion



to　the　interests　of　true　love；　and　she　had　firmly　resolved　that　a



matter　so　trifling　as　the　cultivation　of　Romayne's　mind　should



not　be　allowed　to　stand　in　the　way　of　the　far　more　important



enterprise　of　opening　his　heart　to　the　influence　of　the　sex。







〃Stay　and　lunch　with　us；〃　she　said；　when　he　held　out　his　hand　to



bid　her　good…by。







〃Thank　you；　Lady　Loring；　I　never　take　lunch。〃







〃Well；　then；　come　and　dine　with　usno　party；　only　ourselves。



Tomorrow；　and　next　day；　we　are　disengaged。　Which　day　shall　it



be？〃







Romayne　still　resisted。　〃You　are　very　kind。　In　my　state　of



health；　I　am　unwilling　to　make　engagements　which　I　may　not　be



able　to　keep。〃







Lady　Loring　was　just　as　resolute　on　her　side。　She　appealed　to



Stella。　〃Mr。　Romayne　persists；　my　dear；　in　putting　me　off　with



excuses。　Try　if　you　can　persuade　him。〃







〃_I_　am　not　likely　to　have　any　influence；　Adelaide。〃







The　tone　in　which　she　replied　struck　Romayne。　He　looked　at　her。



Her　eyes；　gravely　meeting　his　eyes；　held　him　with　a　strange



fascination。　She　was　not　herself　conscious　how　openly　all　that



was　noble　and　true　in　her　nature；　all　that　was　most　deeply　and



sensitively　felt　in　her　aspirations；　spoke　at　that　moment　in　her



look。　Romayne's　face　changed：　he　turned　pale　under　the　new



emotion　that　she　had　roused　in　him。　Lady　Loring　observed　him



attentively。







〃Perhaps　you　underrate　your　influence；　Stella？〃　she　suggested。







Stella　remained　impenetrable　to　persuasion。　〃I　have　only　been



introduced　to　Mr。　Romayne　half　an　hour　since；〃　she　said。　〃I　am



not　vain　enough　to　suppose　that　I　can　produce　a　favorable



impression　on　any　one　in　so　short　a　time。〃







She　had　expressed；　in　other　words；　Romayne's　own　idea　of　himself；



in　speaking　of　her　to　Lord　Loring。　He　was　struck　by　the



coincidence。







〃Perhaps　we　have　begun；　Miss　Eyrecourt；　by　misinterpreting　one



another；〃　he　said。　〃We　may　arrive　at　a　better　understanding　when



I　have　the　honor　of　meeting　you　again。〃







He　hesitated　and　looked　at　Lady　Loring。　She　was　not　the　woman　to



let　a　fair　opportunity　escape　her。　〃We　will　say　to…morrow



evening；〃　she　resumed；　〃at　seven　o'clock。〃







〃To…morrow；〃　said　Romayne。　He　shook　hands　with　Stella；　and　left



the　picture　gallery。







Thus　far；　the　conspiracy　to　marry　him　promised　even　more



hopefully　than　the　conspiracy　to　convert　him。　And　Father　Benwell；



carefully　instructing　Penrose　in　the　next　room；　was　not　aware　of



it！







But　the　hours；　in　their　progress；　mark　the　march　of　events　as



surely　as　they　mark　the　march　of　time。　The　day　passed；　the



evening　cameand；　with　its　coming；　the　prospects　of　the



conversion　brightened　in　their　turn。







Let　Father　Benwell　himself　relate　how　it　happenedin　an　extract



from　his　report　to　Rome；　written　the　same　evening。







〃。　。　。　I　had　arranged　with　Penrose　that　he　should　call　at　my



lodgings；　and　tell　me　how　he　had　prospered　at　the　first



performance　of　his　duties　as　secretary　to　Romayne。







〃The　moment　he　entered　the　room　the　signs　of　disturbance　in　his



face　told　me　that　something　serious　had　happened。　I　asked



directly　if　there　had　been　any　disagreement　between　Romayne　and



himself。







〃He　repeated　the　word　with　every　appearance　of　surprise。



'Disagreement？'　he　said。　'No　words　can　tell　how　sincerely　I　feel



for　Mr。　Romayne。　I　cannot　express　to　you；　Father；　how　eager　I　am



to　be　of　service　to　him！'







〃Relieved；　so　far；　I　naturally　asked　what　had　happened。　Penrose



betrayed　a　marked　embarrassment　in　answering　my　question。







〃　'I　have　innocently　surprised　a　secret；'　he　said；　'on　which　I



had　no　right　to　intrude。　All　that　I　can　honorably　tell　you；　shall



be　told。　Add　one　more　to　your　many　kindnessesdon't　command　me



to　speak；　when　it　is　my　duty　toward　a　sorely…tried　man　to　be



silent；　even　to　you。'







〃It　is　needless　to　say　that　I　abstained　from　directly　answering



this　strange　appeal。　'Let　me　hear　what　you　can　tell；'　I　replied；



'and　then　we　shall　see。'







〃Upon　this；　he　spoke。　I　need　hardly　recall　to　your　memory　how



careful　we　were；　in　first　planning　the　attempt　to　recover　the



Vange　property；　to　assure　ourselves　of　the　promise　of　success



which　the　peculiar　character　of　the　present　owner　held　out　to　us。



In　reporting　what　Penrose　said；　I　communicate　a　discovery；　which



I　venture　to　think　will　be　as　welcome　to　you；　as　it　was　to　me。







〃He　began　by　reminding　me　of　what　I　had　myself　told　him　in



speaking　of　Romayne。　'You　mentioned　having　heard　from　Lord　Loring



of　a　great　sorrow　or　remorse　from　which　he　was　suffering；'



Penrose　said。　'I　know　what　he　suffers　and　why　he　suffers；　and



with　what　noble　resignation　he　submits　to　his　affliction。　We　were



sitting　together　at　the　table；　looking　over　his　notes　and



memoranda；　when　he　suddenly　dropped　the　manuscript　from　which　he



was　reading　to　me。　A　ghastly　paleness　overspread　his　face。　He



started　up；　and　put　both　his　hands　to　his　ears　as　if　he　heard



something　dreadful；　and　was　trying　to　deafen　himself　to　it。　I　ran



to　the　door　to　call　for　help。　He　stopped　me；



　he　spoke　in　faint；　gasping　tones；　forbidding　me　to　call　any　one



in　to　witness　what　he　suffered。　It　was　not　the　first　time；　he



said；　it　would　soon　be　over。　If　I　had　not　courage　to　remain　with



him　I　could　go；　and　return　when　he　was　himself　again。　I　so　pitied



him　that　I　found　the　courage　to　remain。　When　it　was　over　he　took



me　by　the　hand；　and　thanked　me。　I　had　stayed　by　him　like　a



friend；　he　said；　and　like　a　friend　he　would　treat　me。　Sooner　or



later　（those　were　his　exact　words）　I　must　be　taken　into　his



confidenceand　it　should　be　now。　He　told　me　his　melancholy



story。　I　implore　you；　Father；　don't　ask　me　to　repeat　it！　Be



content　if　I　tell　you　the　effect　of　it　on　myself。　The　one　hope；



the　one　consolation　for　him；　is　in　our　holy　religion。　With　all　my



heart　I　devote　myself　to　his　conversionand；　in　my　inmost　soul；



I　feel　the　conviction　that　I　shall　succeed！'







〃To　this　effect；　and　in　this　tone；　Penrose　spoke。　I　abstained



from　pressing　him　to　reveal　Romayne's　confession。　The　confession



is　of　no　consequence　to　us。　You　know　how　the　moral　force　of



Arthur's　earnestness　and　enthusiasm　fortifies　his　otherwise　weak



character。　I；　too；　believe　he　will　succeed。







〃To　turn　for　a　moment　to　another　subject。　You　are　already



informed　that　there　is　a　woman　in　our　way。　I　have　my　own　idea　of



the　right　method　of　dealing　with　this　obstacle　when　it　shows



itself　more　plainly。　For　the　present；　I　need　only　assure　you　that



neither　this　woman　nor　any　woman　shall　succeed　in　her　designs　on



Romayne；　if　I　can　prevent　it。〃







Having　completed　his　report　in　these　terms；　Father　Benwell



reverted　to　the　consideration　of　his　proposed　inquiries　into　the



past　history　of　Stella's　life。







Reflection　convinced　him　that　it　would　be　unwise　to　attempt；　no



matter　how　guardedly；　to　obtain　the　necessary　information　from



Lord　Loring　or　his　wife。　If　he　assumed；　at　his　age；　to　take　a



strong　interest　in　a　Protestant　young　lady；　who　had　notoriously



avoided　him；　they　would　certainly　feel　surpriseand　surprise



might；　in　due　course　of　development；　turn　to　suspicion。







There　was　but　one　other　person　under　Lord　Loring's　roof　to　whom



he　could　address　himselfand　that　person　was　the　housekeeper。　As



an　old　servant；　possessing　Lady　Loring's　confidence；　she　might



prove　a　source　of　information　on　the　subject　of　Lady　Loring's



fair　friend；　and；　as　a　good　Catholic；　she　would　feel　flattered　by



the　notice　of　the　spiritual　director　of　the　household。







〃It　may　not　be　amiss；〃　thought　Father　Benwell；　〃if　I　try　the



housekeeper。〃







CHAPTER　VI。







THE　ORDER　OF　THE　DISHES。







WHEN　Miss　Notman　assumed　the　post　of　housekeeper　in　Lady　Loring's



service；　she　was　accurately　described　as　〃a　competent　and



respectable　person〃；　and　was　praised；　with　perfect　truth；　for　her



incorruptible　devotion　to　the　interests　of　her　employers。　On　its



weaker　side；　her　character　was　represented　by　the　wearing　of　a



youthful　wig；　and　the　erroneous　conviction　that　she　still



possessed　a　fine　figure。　The　ruling　idea　in　her　narrow　little



mind　was　the　idea　of　her　own　dignity。　Any　offense　offered　in　this



direction　oppressed　her　memory　for　days　together；　and　found　its



way　outward　in　speech　to　any　human　being　whose　attention　she



could　secure。







At　five　o'clock；　on　the　day　which　followed　his　introduction　to



Romayne；　Father　Benwell　sat　drinking　his　coffee　in　the



housekeeper's　roomto　all　appearance　as　much　at　his　ease　as　if



he　had　known　Miss　Notman　from　the　remote　days　of　her　childhood。　A



new　contribution　to　the　housekeeper's　little　library　of



devotional　works　lay　on　the　table；　and　bore　silent　witness　to　the



means　by　which　he　had　made　those　first　advances　which　had　won　him



his　present　position。　Miss　Notman's　sense　of　dignity　was　doubly



flattered。　She　had　a　priest　for　her　guest；　and　a　new　book　with



the　reverend　gentleman's　autograph　inscribed　on　the　title…page。







〃Is　your　coffee　to　your　liking；　Father？〃







〃A　little　more　sugar；　if　you　please。〃







Miss　Notman　was　proud　of　her　hand；　viewed　as　one　of　the



meritorious　details　of　her　figure。　She　took　up　the　sugar…tongs



with　suavity　and　grace；　she　dropped　the　sugar　into　the　cup　with　a



youthful　pleasure　in　ministering　to　the　minor　desires　of　her



illustrious　guest。　〃It　is　so　good　of　you；　Father；　to　honor　me　in



this　way；〃　she　saidwith　the　appearance　of　sixteen　super…induced



upon　the　reality　of　sixty。







Father　Benwell　was　an　adept　at　moral　disguises　of　all　kinds。　On



this　occasion　he　wore　the　disguise　of　pastoral　simplicity。　〃I　am



an　idle　old　man　at　this　hour　of　the　afternoon；〃　he　said。　〃I　hope



I　am　not　keeping　you　from　any　household　duties？〃







〃I　generally　enjoy　my　duties；〃　Miss　Notman　answered。　〃To…day；



they　have　not　been　so　agreeable　as　usual；　it　is　a　relief　to　me　to



have　done　with　them。　Even　my　humble　position　has　its　trials。〃







Persons　acquainted　with　Miss　Notman's　character；　hearing　these



last　words；