the black robe-第2章

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way　in　which　I　had　thought　and　spoken　of　her。　How　did　I　know　that



I　mightn't　be　wronging　an　old　friend　next；　if　I　kept　Peterkin　at



a　distance？　His　present　position　may　be　as　much　his　misfortune；



poor　fellow；　as　his　fault。　I　was　half　inclined　to　pass　him；　as



you　saybut　I　distrusted　my　own　judgment。　He　held　out　his　hand；



and　he　was　so　glad　to　see　me。　It　can't　be　helped　now。　I　shall　be



anxious　to　hear　your　opinion　of　him。〃







〃Are　we　going　to　dine　with　Captain　Peterkin？〃







〃Yes。　I　happened　to　mention　that　wretched　dinner　yesterday　at　our



hotel。　He　said；　'Come　to　my　boarding…house。　Out　of　Paris；　there



isn't　such　a　table　d'hote　in　France。'　I　tried　to　get　off　itnot



caring；　as　you　know；　to　go　among　strangersI　said　I　had　a　friend



with　me。　He　invited　you　most　cordially　to　accompany　me。　More



excuses　on　my　part　only　led　to　a　painful　result。　I　hurt



Peterkin's　feelings。　'I'm　down　in　the　world；'　he　said；　'and　I'm



not　fit　company　for　you　and　your　friends。　I　beg　your　pardon　for



taking　the　liberty　of　inviting　you！'　He　turned　away　with　the



tears　in　his　eyes。　What　could　I　do？〃







I　thought　to　myself；　〃You　could　have　lent　him　five　pounds；　and



got　rid　of　his　invitation　without　the　slightest　difficulty。〃　If　I



had　returned　in　reasonable　time　to　go　out　with　Romayne；　we　might



not　have　met　the　captainor；　if　we　had　met　him；　my　presence



would　have　prevented　the　confidential　talk　and　the　invitation



that　followed。　I　felt　I　was　to　blameand　yet；　how　could　I　help



it？　It　was　useless　to　remonstrate：　the　mischief　was　done。







We　left　the　Old　Town　on　our　right　hand；　and　drove　on；　past　a



little　colony　of　suburban　villas；　to　a　house　standing　by　itself；



surrounded　by　a　stone　wall。　As　we　crossed　the　front　garden　on　our



way　to　the　door；　I　noticed　against　the　side　of　the　house　two



kennels；　inhabited　by　two　large　watch…dogs。　Was　the　proprietor



afraid　of　thieves？







III。







THE　moment　we　were　introduced　to　the　drawing…room；　my　suspicions



of　the　company　we　were　likely　to　meet　with　were　fully　confirmed。







〃Cards；　billiards；　and　betting〃there　was　the　inscription



legibly　written　on　the　manner　and　appearance　of　Captain　Peterkin。



The　bright…eyed　yellow　old　lady　who　kept　the　boarding…house　would



have　been　worth　five　thousand　pounds　in　jewelry　alone；　if　the



ornaments　which　profusely　covered　her　had　been　genuine　precious



stones。　The　younger　ladies　present　had　their　cheeks　as　highly



rouged　and　their　eyelids　as　elaborately　penciled　in　black　as　if



they　were　going　on　the　stage；　instead　of　going　to　dinner。　We



found　these　fair　creatures　drinking　Madeira　as　a　whet　to　their



appetites。　Among　the　men；　there　were　two　who　struck　me　as　the



most　finished　and　complete　blackguards　whom　I　had　ever　met　with



in　all　my　experience；　at　home　and　abroad。　One；　with　a　brown　face



and　a　broken　nose；　was　presented　to　us　by　the　title　of



〃Commander；〃　and　was　described　as　a　person　of　great　wealth　and



distinction　in　Peru；　traveling　for　amusement。　The　other　wore　a



military　uniform　and　decorations；　and　was　spoken　of　as　〃the



General。〃　A　bold　bullying　manner；　a　fat　sodden　face；　little



leering　eyes；　and　greasy…looking　hands；　made　this　man　so



repellent　to　me　that　I　privately　longed　to　kick　him。　Romayne　had



evidently　been　announced；　before　our　arrival；　as　a　landed



gentleman　with　a　large　income。　Men　and　women　vied　in　servile



attentions　to　him。　When　we　went　into　the　dining…room；　the



fascinating　creature　who　sat　next　to　him　held　her　fan　before　her



face；　and　so　made　a　private　interview　of　it　between　the　rich



Englishman　and　herself。　With　regard　to　the　dinner；　I　shall　only



report　that　it　justified　Captain　Peterkin's　boast；　in　some　degree



at　least。　The　wine　was　good；　and　the　conversation　became　gay　to



the　verge　of　indelicacy。　Usually　the　most　temperate　of　men；



Romayne　was　tempted　by　his　neighbors　into　drinking　freely。　I　was



unfortunately　seated　at　the　opposite　extremity　of　the　table；　and



I　had　no　opportunity　of　warning　him。







The　dinner　reached　its　conclusion；　and　we　all　returned　together；



on　the　foreign　plan；　to　coffee　and　cigars　in　the　drawing…room。



The　women　smoked；　and　drank　liqueurs　as　well　as　coffee；　with　the



men。　One　of　them　went　to　the　piano；　and　a　little　impromptu　ball



followed；　the　ladies　dancing　with　their　cigarettes　in　their



mouths。　Keeping　my　eyes　and　ears　on　the　alert；　I　saw　an



innocent…looking　table；　with　a　surface　of　rosewood；　suddenly



develop　a　substance　of　green　cloth。　At　the　same　time；　a　neat



little　roulette…table　made　its　appearance　from　a　hiding…place　in



a　sofa。　Passing　near　the　venerable　landlady；　I　heard　her　ask　the



servant；　in　a　whisper；　〃if　the　dogs　were　loose？〃　After　what　I　had



observed；　I　could　only　conclude　that　the　dogs　were　used　as　a



patrol；　to　give　the　alarm　in　case　of　a　descent　of　the　police。　It



was　plainly　high　time　to　thank　Captain　Peterkin　for　his



hospitality；　and　to　take　our　leave。







〃We　have　had　enough　of　this；〃　I　whispered　to　Romayne　in　English。



〃Let　us　go。〃







In　these　days　it　is　a　delusion　to　suppose　that　you　can　speak



confidentially　in　the　English　language；　when　French　people　are



within　hearing。　One　of　the　ladies　asked　Romayne；　tenderly；　if　he



was　tired　of　her　already。　Another　reminded　him　that　it　was



raining　heavily　（as　we　could　all　hear）；　and　suggested　waiting



until　it　cleared　up。　The　hideous　General　waved　his　greasy　hand　in



the　direction　of　the　card　table；　and　said；　〃The　game　is　waiting



for　us。〃







Romayne　was　excited；　but　not　stupefied；　by　the　wine　he　had　drunk。



He　answered；　discreetly　enough；　〃I　must　beg　you　to　excuse　me；　I



am　a　poor　card　player。〃







The　General　suddenly　looked　grave。　〃You　are　speaking；　sir；　under



a　strange　misapprehension；〃　he　said。　〃Our　game　is



lansquenetessentially　a　game　of　chance。　With　luck；　the　poorest



player　is　a　match　for　the　whole　table。〃







Romayne　persisted　in　his　refusal。　As　a　matter　of　course；　I



supported　him；　with　all　needful　care　to　avoid　giving　offense。　The



General　took　offense；　nevertheless。　He　crossed　his　arms　on　his



breast；　and　looked　at　us　fiercely。







〃Does　this　mean；　gentlemen；　that　you　distrust　the　company？〃　he



asked。







The　broken…nosed　Commander；　hearing　the　question；　immediately



joined　us；　in　the　interests　of　peacebearing　with　him　the



elements　of　persuasion；　under　the　form　of　a　lady　on　his　arm。







The　lady　stepped　briskly　forward；　and　tapped　the　General　on　the



shoulder　with　her　fan。　〃I　am　one　of　the　company；〃　she　said；　〃and



I　am　sure　Mr。　Romayne　doesn't　distrust　_me_。〃　She　turned　to



Romayne　with　her　most　irresistible　smile。　〃A　gentleman　always



plays　cards；〃　she　resumed；　〃when　he　has　a　lady　for　a　partner。　Let



us　join　our　interests　at　the　tableand；　dear　Mr。　Romayne；　don't



risk　too　much！〃　She　put　her　pretty　little　purse　into　his　hand；



and　looked　as　if　she　had　been　in　love　with　him　for　half　her



lifetime。







The　fatal　influence　of　the　sex；　assisted　by　wine；　produced　the



inevitable　result。　Romayne　allowed　himself　to　be　led　to　the　card



table。　For　a　moment　the　General　delayed　the　beginning　of　the



game。　After　what　had　happened；　it　was　necessary　that　he　should



assert　the　strict　sense　of　justice　that　was　in　him。　〃We　are　all



honorable　men；〃　he　began。







〃And　brave　men；〃　the　Commander　added；　admiring　the　General。







〃And　brave　men；〃　the　General　admitted；　admiring　the　Commander。



〃Gentlemen；　if　I　have　been　led　into　expressing　myself　with



unnecessary　warmth　of　feeling；　I　apologize；　and　regret　it。







〃Nobly　spoken！〃　the　Commander　pronounced。　The　General　put　his



hand　on　his　heart　and　bowed。　The　game　began。







As　the　poorest　man　of　the　two　I　had　escaped　the　attentions



lavished　by　the　ladies　on　Romayne。　At　the　same　time　I　was　obliged



to　pay　for　my　dinner；　by　taking　some　part　in　the　proceedings　of



the　evening。　Small　stakes　were　allowed；　I　found；　at　roulette；



and；　besides；　the　heavy　chances　in　favor　of　the　table　made　it



hardly　worth　while　to　run　the　risk　of　cheating　in　this　case。　I



placed　myself　next　to　the　least　rascally…looking　man　in　the



company；　and　played　roulette。







For　a　wonder；　I　was　successful　at　the　first　attempt。　My　neighbor



handed　me　my　winnings。　〃I　have　lost　every　farthing　I　possess；〃　he



whispered　to　me；　piteously；　〃and　I　have　a　wife　and　children　at



home。〃　I　lent　the　poor　wretch　five　francs。　He　smiled　faintly　as



he　looked　at　the　money。　〃It　reminds　me；〃　he　said；　〃of　my　last



transaction；　when　I　borrowed　of　that　gentleman　there；　who　is



betting　on　the　General's　luck　at　the　card　table。　Beware　of



employing　him　as　I　did。　What　do　you　think　I　got　for　my　note　of



hand　of　four　thousand　francs？　A　hundred　bottles　of　champagne；



fifty　bottles　of　ink；　fifty　bottles　of　blacking；　three　dozen



handkerchiefs；　two　pictures　by　unknown　masters；　two　shawls；　one



hundred　maps；　_and_five　francs。〃







We　went　on　playing。　My　luck　deserted　me；　I　lost；　and　lost；　and



lost　again。　From　time　to　time　I　looked　round　at　the　card　table。



The　〃deal〃　had　fallen　early　to　the　General；　and　it　seemed　to　be



indefinitely　prolonged。　A　heap　of　notes　and　gold　（won　mainly　from



Romayne；　as　I　afterward　discovered）　lay　before　him。　As　for　my



neighbor；　the　unhappy　possessor　of　the　bottles　of　blacking；　the



pictures　by　unknown　masters；　and　the　rest　of　it；　he　won；　and　then



rashly　presumed　on　his　good　fortune。　Deprived　of　his　last



farthing；　he　retired　into　a　corner　of　the　room；　and　consoled



himself　with　a　cigar。　I　had　just　arisen；　to　follow　his　example；



when　a　furious　uproar　burst　out　at　the　card　table。







I　saw　Romayne　spring　up；　and　snatch　the　cards　out　of　the



General's　hand。　〃You　scoundrel！〃　he　shouted；　〃you　are　cheating！〃



The　General　started　to　his　feet　in　a　fury。　〃You　lie！〃　he　cried。　I



attempted　to　interfere；　but　Romayne　had　already　seen　the



necessity　of　controlling　himself。　〃A　gentleman　doesn't　accept　an



insult　from　a　swindler；〃　he　said；　coolly。　〃Accept　this；　then！〃



the　General　answeredand　spat　on　him。　In　an　instant　Romayne



knocked　him　down。







The　blow　was　dealt　straight　between　his　eyes：　he　was　a　gross



big…boned　man；　and　he　fell　heavily。　For　the　time　he　was　stunned。



The　women　ran；　screaming；　out　of　the　room。　The　peaceable



Commander　trembled　from　head　to　foot。　Two　of　the　men　present；



who；　to　give　them　their　due；　were　no　co