the black robe-第18章

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view。　He　was　too　well　acquainted　with　the　insatiable　interest　of



women　in　looking　at　other　women　to　force　himself　into　notice。　The



ladies　made　their　remarks　on　the　pretensions　to　beauty　and　to



taste　in　dress　among　the　throng　of　visitorsand　Father　Benwell



waited　by　them；　and　listened　with　the　resignation　of　a　modest



young　man。　Patience；　being　a　virtue；　is　sometimes　its　own　reward。



Two　gentlemen；　evidently　interested　in　the　pictures；　approached



the　priest。　He　drew　back；　with　his　ready　politeness；　to　let　them



see　the　picture　before　which　he　happened　to　be　standing。







The　movement　disturbed　Stella。　She　turned　sharplynoticed　one　of



the　gentlemen；　the　taller　of　the　twobecame　deadly　paleand



instantly　quitted　the　gallery。　Lady　Loring；　looking　where　Stella



had　looked；　frowned　angrily　and　followed　Miss　Eyrecourt　into　the



library。　Wise　Father　Benwell　let　them　go；　and　concentrated　his



attention　on　the　person　who　had　been　the　object　of　this　startling



recognition。







Unquestionably　a　gentlemanwith　light　hair　and　complexionwith



a　bright　benevolent　face　and　keen　intelligent　blue



eyesapparently　still　in　the　prime　of　life。　Such　was　Father



Benwell's　first　impression　of　the　stranger。　He　had　evidently　seen



Miss　Eyrecourt　at　the　moment　when　she　first　noticed　him；　and　he



too　showed　signs　of　serious　agitation。　His　face　flushed　deeply；



and　his　eyes　expressed；　not　merely　surprise；　but　distress。　He



turned　to　his　friend。　〃This　place　is　hot；〃　he　said；　〃let　us　get



out　of　it！〃







〃My　dear　Winterfield！〃　the　friend　remonstrated；　〃we　haven't　seen



half　the　pictures　yet。〃







〃Excuse　me　if　I　leave　you；〃　the　other　replied。　〃I　am　used　to　the



free　air　of　the　country。　Let　us　meet　again　this　evening。　Come　and



dine　with　me。　The　same　address　as　usualDerwent's　Hotel。〃







With　those　words　he　hurried　out；　making　his　way；　without



ceremony；　through　the　crowd　in　the　picture　gallery。







Father　Benwell　returned　to　the　library。　It　was　quite　needless　to



trouble　himself　further　about　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　or　her　address。



〃Thanks　to　Lord　Loring's　picture　gallery；〃　he　thought；　〃I　have



found　the　man！〃







He　took　up　his　pen　and　made　a　little　memorandum〃Winterfield。



Derwent's　Hotel。〃







CHAPTER　X。







FATHER　BENWELL'S　CORRESPONDENCE。







I。







_To　Mr。　Bitrake。　Private　and　Confidential。_







SIRI　understand　that　your　connection　with　the　law　does　not



exclude　your　occasional　superintendence　of　confidential



inquiries；　which　are　not　of　a　nature　to　injure　your　professional



position。　The　inclosed　letter　of　introduction　will　satisfy　you



that　I　am　incapable　of　employing　your　experience　in　a　manner



unbecoming　to　you；　or　to　myself。







The　inquiry　that　I　propose　to　you　relates　to　a　gentleman　named



Winterfield。　He　is　now　staying　in　London；　at　Derwent's　Hotel；　and



is　expected　to　remain　there　for　a　week　from　the　present　date。　His



place　of　residence　is　on　the　North　Devonshire　coast；　and　is　well



known　in　that　locality　by　the　name　of　Beaupark　House。







The　range　of　my　proposed　inquiry　dates　back　over　the　last　four　or



five　yearscertainly　not　more。　My　object　is　to　ascertain；　as



positively　as　may　be；　whether；　within　this　limit　of　time；　events



in　Mr。　Winterfield's　life　have　connected　him　with　a　young　lady



named　Miss　Stella　Eyrecourt。　If　this　proves　to　be　the　case　it　is



essential　that　I　should　be　made　acquainted　with　the　whole　of　the



circumstances。







I　have　now　informed　you　of　all　that　I　want　to　know。　Whatever　the



information　may　be；　it　is　most　important　that　it　shall　be



information　which　I　can　implicitly　trust。　Please　address　to　me；



when　you　write；　under　cover　to　the　friend　whose　letter　I　inclose。







I　beg　your　acceptanceas　time　is　of　importanceof　a　check　for



preliminary　expenses；　and　remain；　sir；　your　faithful　servant；







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AMBROSE　BENWELL。







II。







_To　the　Secretary；　Society　of　Jesus；　Rome。_







I　inclose　a　receipt　for　the　remittance　which　your　last　letter



confides　to　my　care。　Some　of　the　money　has　been　already　used　in



prosecuting　inquiries；　the　result　of　which　will；　as　I　hope　and



believe；　enable　me　to　effectually　protect　Romayne　from　the



advances　of　the　woman　who　is　bent　on　marrying　him。







You　tell　me　that　our　Reverend　Fathers；　lately　sitting　in　council



on　the　Vange　Abbey　affair；　are　anxious　to　hear　if　any　positive



steps　have　yet　been　taken　toward　the　conversion　of　Romayne。　I　am



happily　able　to　gratify　their　wishes；　as　you　shall　now　see。







Yesterday；　I　called　at　Romayne's　hotel　to　pay　one　of　those



occasional　visits　which　help　to　keep　up　our　acquaintance。　He　was



out；　and　Penrose　（for　whom　I　asked　next）　was　with　him。　Most



fortunately；　as　the　event　proved；　I　had　not　seen　Penrose；　or



heard　from　him；　for　some　little　time；　and　I　thought　it　desirable



to　judge　for　myself　of　the　progress　that　he　was　making　in　the



confidence　of　his　employer。　I　said　I　would　wait。　The　hotel



servant　knows　me　by　sight。　I　was　shown　into　Romayne's



waiting…room。







This　room　is　so　small　as　to　be　a　mere　cupboard。　It　is　lighted　by



a　glass　fanlight　over　the　door　which　opens　from　the　passage；　and



is　supplied　with　air　（in　the　absence　of　a　fireplace）　by　a



ventilator　in　a　second　door；　which　communicates　with　Romayne's



study。　Looking　about　me；　so　far；　I　crossed　to　the　other　end　of



the　study；　and　discovered　a　dining…room　and　two　bedrooms



beyondthe　set　of　apartments　being　secluded；　by　means　of　a　door



at　the　end　of　the　passage；　from　the　other　parts　of　the　hotel。　I



trouble　you　with　these　details　in　order　that　you　may　understand



the　events　that　followed。







I　returned　to　the　waiting…room；　not　forgetting　of　course　to　close



the　door　of　communication。







Nearly　an　hour　must　have　passed　before　I　heard　footsteps　in　the



passage。　The　study　door　was　opened；



　and　the　voices　of　persons　entering　the　room　reached　me　through



the　ventilator。　I　recognized　Romayne；　Penroseand　Lord　Loring。







The　first　words　exchanged　among　them　informed　me　that　Romayne　and



his　secretary　had　overtaken　Lord　Loring　in　the　street；　as　he　was



approaching　the　hotel　door。　The　three　had　entered　the　house



togetherat　a　time；　probably；　when　the　servant　who　had　admitted



me　was　out　of　the　way。　However　it　may　have　happened；　there　I　was；



forgotten　in　the　waiting…room！







Could　I　intrude　myself　（on　a　private　conversation　perhaps）　as　an



unannounced　and　unwelcome　visitor？　And　could　I　help　it；　if　the



talk　found　its　way　to　me　through　the　ventilator；　along　with　the



air　that　I　breathed？　If　our　Reverend　Fathers　think　I　was　to



blame；　I　bow　to　any　reproof　which　their　strict　sense　of　propriety



may　inflict　on　me。　In　the　meantime；　I　beg　to　repeat　the



interesting　passages　in　the　conversation；　as　nearly　word　for　word



as　I　can　remember　them。







His　lordship；　as　the　principal　personage　in　social　rank；　shall　be



reported　first。　He　said：　〃More　than　a　week　has　passed；　Romayne；



and　we　have　neither　seen　you　nor　heard　from　you。　Why　have　you



neglected　us？〃







Here；　judging　by　certain　sounds　that　followed；　Penrose　got　up



discreetly；　and　left　the　room。　Lord　Loring　went　on。







He　said　to　Romayne：　〃Now　we　are　alone；　I　may　speak　to　you　more



freely。　You　and　Stella　seemed　to　get　on　together　admirably　that



evening　when　you　dined　with　us。　Have　you　forgotten　what　you　told



me　of　her　influence　over　you？　Or　have　you　altered　your



opinionand　is　that　the　reason　why　you　keep　away　from　us？〃







Romayne　answered：　〃My　opinion　remains　unchanged。　All　that　I　said



to　you　of　Miss　Eyrecourt；　I　believe　as　firmly　as　ever。〃







His　lordship　remonstrated；　naturally　enough。　〃Then　why　remain



away　from　the　good　influence？　Whyif　it　really　_can_　be



controlledrisk　another　return　of　that　dreadful　nervous



delusion？〃







〃I　have　had　another　return。〃







〃Which；　as　you　yourself　believe；　might　have　been　prevented！



Romayne；　you　astonish　me。〃







There　was　a　time　of　silence；　before　Romayne　answered　this。　He　was



a　little　mysterious　when　he　did　reply。　〃You　know　the　old　saying；



my　good　friendof　two　evils；　choose　the　least。　I　bear　my



sufferings　as　one　of　two　evils；　and　the　least　of　the　two。〃







Lord　Loring　appeared　to　feel　the　necessity　of　touching　a　delicate



subject　with　a　light　hand。　He　said；　in　his　pleasant　way：　〃Stella



isn't　the　other　evil；　I　suppose？〃







〃Most　assuredly　not。〃







〃Then　what　is　it？〃







Romayne　answered；　almost　passionately：　〃My　own　weakness　and



selfishness！　Faults　which　I　must　resist；　or　become　a　mean　and



heartless　man。　For　me；　the　worst　of　the　two　evils　is　there。　I



respect　and　admire　Miss　EyrecourtI　believe　her　to　be　a　woman　in



a　thousanddon't　ask　me　to　see　her　again！　Where　is　Penrose？　Let



us　talk　of　something　else。〃







Whether　this　wild　way　of　speaking　offended　Lord　Loring；　or　only



discouraged　him；　I　cannot　say。　I　heard　him　take　his　leave　in



these　words：　〃You　have　disappointed　me；　Romayne。　We　will　talk　of



something　else　the　next　time　we　meet。〃　The　study　door　was　opened



and　closed。　Romayne　was　left　by　himself。







Solitude　was　apparently　not　to　his　taste　just　then。　I　heard　him



call　to　Penrose。　I　heard　Penrose　ask：　〃Do　you　want　me？〃







Romayne　answered：　〃God　knows　I　want　a　friendand　I　have　no



friend　near　me　but　you！　Major　Hynd　is　away；　and　Lord　Loring　is



offended　with　me。〃







Penrose　asked　why。







Romayne；　thereupon；　entered　on　the　necessary　explanation。　As　a



priest　writing　to　priests；　I　pass　over　details　utterly



uninteresting　to　us。　The　substance　of　what　he　said　amounted　to



this：　Miss　Eyrecourt　had　produced　an　impression　on　him　which　was



new　to　him　in　his　experience　of　women。　If　he　saw　more　of　her；　it



might　endI　ask　your　pardon　for　repeating　the　ridiculous



expressionin　his　〃falling　in　love　with　her。〃　In　this　condition



of　mind　or　body；　whichever　it　may　be；　he　would　probably　be



incapable　of　the　self…control　which　he　had　hitherto　practiced。　If



she　consented　to　devote　her　life　to　him；　he　might　accept　the



cruel　sacrifice。　Rather　than　do　this；　he　would　keep　away　from



her；　for　her　dear　sakeno　matter　what　he　might　suffer；　or　whom



he　might　offend。







Imagine　any　human　being；　out　of　a　lunatic　asylum；　talking　in　th