the black robe-第20章

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inquire　for　his　widow　by　the　name　of　Madame　Marillac。







〃You　will　perhaps　be　surprised　to　find　that　I　address　these　lines



to　you；　instead　of　to　Mr。　Romayne。　The　reason　is　soon　told。







〃I　was　acquainted　with　the　late　Generalas　you　knowat　a　time



when　I　was　not　aware　of　the　company　that　he　kept；　or　of　the



deplorable　errors　into　which　his　love　of　gambling　had　betrayed



him。　Of　his　widow　and　his　children　I　know　absolutely　nothing。



Whether　they　have　resisted　the　contaminating　influence　of　the



head　of　the　householdor　whether　poverty　and　bad　example



combined　have　hopelessly　degraded　themI　cannot　say。　There　is　at



least　a　doubt　whether　they　are　worthy　of　Mr。　Romayne's　benevolent



intentions　toward　them。　As　an　honest　man；　I　cannot　feel　this



doubt；　and　reconcile　it　to　my　conscience　to　be　the　means；　however



indirectly；　of　introducing　them　to　Mr。　Romayne。　To　your



discretion　I　leave　it　to　act　for　the　best；　after　this　warning。〃















Lord　Loring　returned　the　letter　to　Major　Hynd。　〃I　agree　with



you；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　more　than　doubtful　whether　you　ought　to



communicate　this　information　to　Romayne。〃







Lady　Loring　was　not　quite　of　her　husband's　opinion。　〃While　there



is　a　doubt　about　these　people；〃　she　said；　〃it　seems　only　just　to



find　out　what　sort　of　character　they　bear　in　the　neighborhood。　In



your　place；　Major　Hynd；　I　should　apply　to　the　person　in　whose



house　they　live；　or　to　the　tradespeople　whom　they　have　employed。〃







〃I　am　obliged　to　leave　London　again　to…day；〃　the　Major　replied；



〃but　on　my　return　I　will　certainly　follow　your　ladyship's



advice。〃







〃And　you　will　let　us　know　the　result？〃







〃With　the　greatest　pleasure。〃







Major　Hynd　took　his　leave。　〃I　think　you　will　be　responsible　for



wasting　the　Major's　time；〃　said　Lord　Loring；　when　the　visitor　had



retired。







〃I　think　not；〃　said　Lady　Loring。







She　rose　to　leave　the　room。　〃Are　you　going　out？〃　her　husband



asked。







〃No。　I　am　going　upstairs　to　Stella。〃







Lady　Loring　found　Miss　Eyrecourt　in　her　own　room。　The　little



portrait　of　Romayne　which　she　had　drawn　from　recollection　lay　on



the　table　before　her。　She　was　examining　it　with　the　closest



attention。







〃Well；　Stella；　and　what　does　the　portrait　tell　you？〃







〃What　I　knew　before；　Adelaide。　There　is　nothing　false　and　nothing



cruel　in　that　face。〃







〃And　does　the　discovery　satisfy　you？　For　my　part；　I　despise



Romayne　for　hiding　himself　from　us。　Can　you　excuse　him？〃







Stella　locked　up　the　portrait　in　her　writing…case。　〃I　can　wait；〃



she　said　quietly







Thi　s　assertion　of　patience　seemed　to　irritate　Lady　Loring　〃What



is　the　matter　with　you　this　morning？〃　she　asked。　〃You　are　more



reserved　than　ever。〃







〃No；　I　am　only　out　of　spirits；　Adelaide。　I　can't　help　thinking　of



that　meeting　with　Winterfield。　I　feel　as　if　some　misfortune　was



hanging　over　my　head。〃







〃Don't　speak　of　that　hateful　man！〃　her　ladyship　exclaimed。　〃I



have　something　to　tell　you　about　Romayne。　Are　you　completely



absorbed　in　your　presentiments　of　evil？　or　do　you　think　you　can



listen　to　me？〃







Stella's　face　answered　for　her。　Lady　Loring　described　the



interview　with　Major　Hynd　in　the　minutest　detailincluding；　by



way　of　illustration；　the　Major's　manners　and　personal　appearance。



〃He　and　Lord　Loring；〃　she　added；　〃both　think　that　Romayne　will



never　hear　the　last　of　it　if　he　allows　these　foreigners　to　look



to　him　for　money。　Until　something　more　is　known　about　them；　the



letter　is　not　to　be　forwarded。〃







〃I　wish　I　had　the　letter；〃　cried　Stella。







〃Would　you　forward　it　to　Romayne？〃







〃Instantly！　Does　it　matter　whether　these　poor　French　people　are



worthy　of　his　generosity？　If　it　restores　his　tranquillity　to　help



them；　who　cares　whether　they　deserve　the　help？　They　are　not　even



to　know　who　it　is　that　assists　themRomayne　is　to　be　their



unknown　friend。　It　is　he；　not　they；　whom　we　have　to　think　ofhis



peace　of　mind　is　everything；　their　merit　is　nothing。　I　say　it's



cruel　to　_him_　to　keep　him　in　ignorance　of　what　has　happened。　Why



didn't　you　take　the　letter　away　from　Major　Hynd？〃







〃Gently；　Stella！　The　Major　is　going　to　make　inquiries　about　the



widow　and　children　when　he　returns　to　London。〃







〃When　he　returns！〃　Stella　repeated　indignantly。　〃Who　knows　what



the　poor　wretches　may　be　suffering　in　the　interval；　and　what



Romayne　may　feel　if　he　ever　hears　of　it？　Tell　me　the　address



againit　was　somewhere　in　Islington；　you　said。〃







〃Why　do　you　want　to　know　it？〃　Lady　Loring　asked。　〃You　are　not



going　to　write　to　Romayne　yourself？〃







〃I　am　going　to　think；　before　I　do　anything。　If　you　can't　trust　my



discretion；　Adelaide；　you　have　only　to　say　so！〃







It　was　spoken　sharply。　Lady　Loring's　reply　betrayed　a　certain



loss　of　temper　on　her　side。　〃Manage　your　own　affairs；　StellaI



have　done　meddling　with　them。〃　Her　unlucky　visit　to　Romayne　at



the　hotel　had　been　a　subject　of　dispute　between　the　two



friendsand　this　referred　to　it。　〃You　shall　have　the　address；〃



my　lady　added　in　her　grandest　manner。　She　wrote　it　on　a　piece　of



paper；　and　left　the　room。







Easily　irritated；　Lady　Loring　had　the　merit　of　being　easily



appeased。　That　meanest　of　all　vices；　the　vice　of　sulkiness；　had



no　existence　in　her　nature。　In　five　minutes　she　regretted　her



little　outburst　of　irritability。　For　five　minutes　more　she



waited；　on　the　chance　that　Stella　might　be　the　first　to　seek　a



reconciliation。　The　interval　passed；　and　nothing　happened。　〃Have



I　really　offended　her？〃　Lady　Loring　asked　herself。　The　next



moment　she　was　on　her　way　back　to　Stella。　The　room　was　empty。　She



rang　the　bell　for　the　maid。







〃Where　is　Miss　Eyrecourt？〃







〃Gone　out；　my　lady。〃







〃Did　she　leave　no　message？〃







〃No；　my　lady。　She　went　away　in　a　great　hurry。〃







Lady　Loring　at　once　drew　the　conclusion　that　Stella　had　rashly



taken　the　affair　of　the　General's　family　into　her　own　hands。　Was



it　possible　to　say　how　this　most　imprudent　proceeding　might　end？



After　hesitating　and　reflecting；　and　hesitating　again；　Lady



Loring's　anxiety　got　beyond　her　control。　She　not　only　decided　on



following　Stella；　but；　in　the　excess　of　her　nervous　apprehension；



she　took　one　of　the　men…servants　with　her；　in　case　of　emergency！







CHAPTER　XII。







THE　GENERAL'S　FAMILY。







NOT　always　remarkable　for　arriving　at　just　conclusions；　Lady



Loring　had　drawn　the　right　inference　this　time。　Stella　had



stopped　the　first　cab　that　passed　her；　and　had　directed　the



driver　to　Camp's　Hill；　Islington。







The　aspect　of　the　miserable　little　street；　closed　at　one　end；　and



swarming　with　dirty　children　quarreling　over　their　play；　daunted



her　for　the　moment。　Even　the　cabman；　drawing　up　at　the　entrance



to　the　street；　expressed　his　opinion　that　it　was　a　queer　sort　of



place　for　a　young　lady　to　venture　into　alone。　Stella　thought　of



Romayne。　Her　firm　persuasion　that　she　was　helping　him　to　perform



an　act　of　mercy；　which　was　（to　his　mind）　an　act　of　atonement　as



well；　roused　her　courage。　She　boldly　approached　the　open　door　of



No。　10；　and　knocked　on　it　with　her　parasol。







The　tangled　gray　hair　and　grimy　face　of　a　hideous　old　woman



showed　themselves　slowly　at　the　end　of　the　passage；　rising　from



the　strong…smelling　obscurity　of　the　kitchen　regions。　〃What　do



you　want？〃　said　the　half…seen　witch　of　the　London　slums。　〃Does



Madame　Marillac　live　here？〃　Stella　asked。　〃Do　you　mean　the



foreigner？〃　〃Yes。〃　〃Second　door。〃　With　those　instructions　the



upper　half　of　the　witch　sank　and　vanished。　Stella　gathered　her



skirts　together；　and　ascended　a　filthy　flight　of　stairs　for　the



first　time　in　her　life。







Coarse　voices；　shameless　language；　gross　laughter　behind　the



closed　doors　of　the　first　floor　hurried　her　on　her　way　to　the



rooms　on　the　higher　flight。　Here　there　was　a　change　for　the



betterhere；　at　least；　there　was　silence。　She　knocked　at　the



door　on　the　landing　of　the　second　floor。　A　gentle　voice　answered；



in　French；　〃Entrez！〃then　quickly　substituted　the　English



equivalent；　〃Come　in！〃　Stella　opened　the　door。







The　wretchedly　furnished　room　was　scrupulously　clean。　Above　the



truckle…bed；　a　cheap　little　image　of　the　Virgin　was　fastened　to



the　wall；　with　some　faded　artificial　flowers　arranged　above　it　in



the　form　of　a　wreath。　Two　women；　in　dresses　of　coarse　black



stuff；　sat　at　a　small　round　table；　working　at　the　same　piece　of



embroidery。　The　elder　of　the　two　rose　when　the　visitor　entered



the　room。　Her　worn　and　weary　face　still　showed　the　remains　of



beauty　in　its　finely　proportioned　partsher　dim　eyes　rested　on



Stella　with　an　expression　of　piteous　entreaty。　〃Have　you　come　for



the　work；　madam？〃　she　asked；　in　English；　spoken　with　a　strong



foreign　accent。　〃Pray　forgive　me；　I　have　not　finished　it　yet。〃







The　second　of　the　two　workwomen　suddenly　looked　up。







She；　too；　was　wan　and　frail；　but　her　eyes　were　bright；　her



movements　still　preserved　the　elasticity　of　youth。　Her　likeness



to　the　elder　woman　proclaimed　their　relationship；　even　before　she



spoke。　〃Ah！　it's　my　fault！〃　she　burst　out　passionately　in　French。



〃I　was　hungry　and　tired；　and　I　slept　hours　longer　than　I　ought。



My　mother　was　too　kind　to　wake　me　and　set　me　to　work。　I　am　a



selfish　wretchand　my　mother　is　an　angel！〃　She　dashed　away　the



tears　gathering　in　her　eyes；　and　proudly；　fiercely；　resumed　her



work。







Stella　hastened　to　reassure　them；　the　moment　she　could　make



herself　heard。　〃Indeed；　I　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　work；〃　she



said；　speaking　in　French；　so　that　they　might　the　more　readily



understand　her。　〃I　came　here；　Madame　Marillacif　you　will　not　be



offended　with　me；　for　plainly　owning　itto　offer　you　some　little



help。〃







〃Charity？〃　asked　the　daughter；　looking　up　again　sternly　from　her



needle。







〃Sympathy；〃　Stella　answered　gently。







The　girl　resumed　her　work。　〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　she　said；　〃I



shall　learn　to　submit　to　my　lot　in　time。〃







The　quiet　long…suffering　mother　placed　a　chair　for　Stella。　〃You



have　a　kind　beautiful　face；　miss；〃　she　said；　〃and　I　am　sure　you



will　make　allowances　for　my　poor　girl。　I　remember　the　time　when　I



was　as　quick　to　feel　as　she　is。