the black robe-第28章

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Having　arrived　at　these　preliminary　discoveries；　it　was　time　to



try　what　I　could　make　of　Mr。　Winterfield　next。







Among　the　other　good　things　which　this　gentleman　has　inherited　is



a　magnificent　library　collected　by　his　father。　That　one　learned



man　should　take　another　learned　man　to　see　the　books　was　a



perfectly　natural　proceeding。　My　introduction　to　the　master　of



the　house　followed　my　introduction　to　the　library　almost　as　a



matter　of　course。







I　am　about　to　surprise　you；　as　I　was　myself　surprised。　In　all　my



long　experience；　Mr。　Winterfield　is；　I　think；　the　most



fascinating　person　I　ever　met　with。　Genial；　unassuming　manners；　a



prepossessing　personal　appearance；　a　sweet　temper；　a　quaint　humor



delightfully　accompanied　by　natural　refinementsuch　are　the



characteristic　qualities　of　the　man　from　whom　I　myself　saw　Miss



Eyrecourt　（accidentally　meeting　him　in　public）　recoil　with　dismay



and　disgust！　It　is　absolutely　impossible　to　look　at　him；　and　to



believe　him　to　be　capable　of　a　cruel　or　dishonorable　action。　I



never　was　so　puzzled　in　my　life。







You　may　be　inclined　to　think　that　I　am　misled　by　a　false



impression；　derived　from　the　gratifying　welcome　that　I　received



as　a　friend　of　Father　Newbliss。　I　will　not　appeal　to　my　knowledge



of　human　natureI　will　refer　to　the　unanswerable　evidence　of　Mr。



Winterfield's　poorer　neighbors。　Wherever　I　went；　in　the　village



or　out　of　it；　if　I　mentioned　his　name；　I　produced　a　universal



outburst　of　admiration　and　gratitude。　〃There　never　was　such　a



friend　to　poor　people；　and　there　never　can　be　such　another　to　the



end　of　the　world。〃　Such　was　a　fisherman's　description　of　him；　and



the　one　cry　of　all　the　men　and　women　near　us　answered；　〃That's



the　truth！〃







And　yet　there　is　something　wrongfor　this　plain　reason；　that



there　is　something　to　be　concealed　in　the　past　lives　of　Mr。



Winterfield　and　Miss　Eyrecourt。







Under　these　perplexing　circumstances；　what　use　have　I　made　of　my



opportunities？　I　am　going　to　surprise　you　againI　have　mentioned



Romayne's　name　to　Mr。　Winterfield；　and　I　have　ascertained　that



they　are；　so　far；　perfect　strangers　to　one　anotherand　that　is



all。







The　little　incident　of　mentioning　Romayne　arose　out　of　my



examination　of　the　library。　I　discovered　certain　old　volumes；



which　may　one　day　be　of　use　to　him；　if　he　continues　his



contemplated　work　on　the　Origin　of　Religions。　Hearing　me　express



myself　to　this　effect；　Mr。　Winterfield　replied　with　the　readiest



kindness：







〃I　can't　compare　myself　to　my　excellent　father；〃　he　said；　〃but　I



have　at　least　inherited　his　respect　for　the　writers　of　books。　My



library　is　a　treasure　which　I　hold　in　trust　for　the　interests　of



literature。　Pray　say　so；　from　me；　to　your　friend　Mr。　Romayne。〃







And　what　does　this　amount　to？　you　will　ask。　My　reverend　friend；



it　offers　me　an　opportunity；　in　the　future；　of　bringing　Romayne



and　Winterfield　together。　Do　you　see　the　complications　which　may



ensue？　If　I　can　put　no　other　difficulty　in　Miss　Eyrecourt's　way；



I　think　there　is　fruitful　promise　of　a　scandal　of　some　kind



arising　out　of　the　introduction　to　each　other　of　those　two　men。



You　will　agree　with　me　that　a　scandal　may　prove　a　valuable



obstacle　in　the　way　of　a　marriage。







Mr。　Winterfield　has　kindly　invited　me　to　call　on　him　when　he　is



next　in　London。　I　may　then　have　opportunities　of　putting



questions　which　I　could　not　venture　to　ask　on　a　short



acquaintance。







In　the　meantime；　I　have　obtained　another　introduction　since　my



return　to　town。　I　have　been　presented　to　Miss　Eyrecourt's　mother；



and　I　am　invited　to　drink　tea　with　her　on　Wednesday。　My　next



letter　may　tell　youwhat　Penrose　ought　to　have



discoveredwhether　Romayne　has　been　already　entrapped　into　a



marriage　engagement　or　not。







Farewell　for　the　present。　Remind　the　Reverend　Fathers；　with　my



respects；　that　I　possess　one　of　the　valuable　qualities　of　an



EnglishmanI　never　know　when　I　am　beaten。







BOOK　THE　THIRD。







CHAPTER　I。







THE　HONEYMOON。







MORE　than　six　weeks　had　passed。　The　wedded　lovers　were　still



enjoying　their　honeymoon　at　Vange　Abbey。







Some　offense　had　been　given；　not　only　to　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　but　to



friends　of　her　way　of　thinking；　by　the　strictly　private　manner　in



which　the　marriage　had　been　celebrated。　The　event　took　everybody



by　surprise　when　the　customary　advertisement　appeared　in　the



newspapers。　Foreseeing　the　unfavorable　impression　that　might　be



produced　in　some　quarters；　Stella　had　pleaded　for　a　timely



retreat　to　the　seclusion　of　Romayne's　country　house。　The　will　of



the　bride　being；　as　usual；　the　bridegroom's　law；　to　Vange　they



retired　accordingly。







On　one　lovely　moonlight　night；　early　in　July；　Mrs。　Romayne　left



her　husband　on　the　Belvidere；　described　in　Major　Hynd's



narrative；　to　give　the　housekeeper　certain　instructions　relating



to　the　affairs　of　the　household。　Half　an　hour　later；　as　she　was



about　to　ascend　again　to　the　top　of　the　house；　one　of　the



servants　informed　her　that　〃the　master　had　just　left　the



Belvidere；　and　had　gone　into　his　study。〃







Crossing　the　inner　hall；　on　her　way　to　the　study；　Stella　noticed



an　unopened　letter；　addressed　to　Romayne；　lying　on　a　table　in　a



corner。　He　had　probably　laid　it　aside　and　forgotten　it。　She



entered　his　room　with　the　letter　in　her　hand。







The　only　light　was　a　reading　lamp；　with　the　shade　so　lowered　that



the　corners　of　the　study　were　left　in　obscurity。　In　one　of　these



corners　Romayne　was　dimly　visible；　sitting　with　his　head　sunk　on



his　breast。　He　never　moved　when　Stella　opened　the　door。　At　first



she　thought　he　might　be　asleep。







〃Do　I　disturb　you；　Lewis？〃　she　asked　softly。







〃No；　my　dear。〃







There　was　a　change　in　the　tone　of　his　voice；　which　his　wife's



quick　ear　detected。　〃I　am　afraid　you　are　not　well；〃　she　said



anxiously。







〃I　am　a　little　tired　after　our　long　ride　to…day。　Do　you　want　to



go　back　to　the　Belvidere？〃







〃Not　without　you。　Shall　I　leave　you　to　rest　here？〃







He　seemed　not　to　hear　the　question。　There　he　sat；　with　his　head



hanging　down；　the　shadowy　counterfeit　of　an　old　man。　In　her



anxiety；　Stella　approached　him；　and　put　her　hand　caressingly　on



his　head。　It　was　burning　hot。　〃O！〃　she　cried；　〃you　_are_　ill；　and



you　are　trying　to　hide　it　from　me。〃







He　put　his　arm　round　her　waist　and　made　her　sit　on　his　knee。



〃Nothing　is　the　matter　with　me；〃　he　said；　with　an　uneasy　laugh。



〃What　have　you　got　in



　your　hand？　A　letter？〃







〃Yes。　Addressed　to　you　and　not　opened　yet。〃　He　took　it　out　of　her



hand；　and　threw　it　carelessly　on　a　sofa　near　him。　〃Never　mind



that　now！　Let　us　talk。〃　He　paused；　and　kissed　her；　before　he　went



on。　〃My　darling；　I　think　you　must　be　getting　tired　of　Vange？〃







〃Oh；　no！　I　can　be　happy　anywhere　with　youand　especially　at



Vange。　You　don't　how　this　noble　old　house　interests　me；　and　how　I



admire　the　glorious　country　all　round　it。〃







He　was　not　convinced。　〃Vange　is　very　dull；〃　he　said；　obstinately；



〃and　your　friends　will　be　wanting　to　see　you。　Have　you　heard　from



your　mother　lately？〃







〃No。　I　am　surprised　she　has　not　written。〃







〃She　has　not　forgiven　us　for　getting　married　so　quietly；〃　he　went



on。　〃We　had　better　go　back　to　London　and　make　our　peace　with　her。



Don't　you　want　to　see　the　house　my　aunt　left　me　at　Highgate？〃







Stella　sighed。　The　society　of　the　man　she　loved　was　society



enough　for　her。　Was　he　getting　tired　of　his　wife　already？　〃I　will



go　with　you　wherever　you　like。〃　She　said　those　words　in　tones　of



sad　submission；　and　gently　got　up　from　his　knee。







He　rose　also；　and　took　from　the　sofa　the　letter　which　he　had



thrown　on　it。　〃Let　us　see　what　our　friends　say；〃　he　resumed。　〃The



address　is　in　Loring's　handwriting。〃







As　he　approached　the　table　on　which　the　lamp　was　burning；　she



noticed　that　he　moved　with　a　languor　that　was　new　in　her



experience　of　him。　He　sat　down　and　opened　the　letter。　She　watched



him　with　an　anxiety　which　had　now　become　intensified　to



suspicion。　The　shade　of　the　lamp　still　prevented　her　from　seeing



his　face　plainly。　〃Just　what　I　told　you；〃　he　said；　〃the　Lorings



want　to　know　when　they　are　to　see　us　in　London；　and　your　mother



says　she　'feels　like　that　character　in　Shakespeare　who　was　cut　by



his　own　daughters。'　Read　it。〃







He　handed　her　the　letter。　In　taking　it；　she　contrived　to　touch



the　lamp　shade；　as　if　by　accident；　and　tilted　it　so　that　the　full



flow　of　the　light　fell　on　him。　He　started　backbut　not　before



she　had　seen　the　ghastly　pallor　on　his　face。　She　had　not　only



heard　it　from　Lady　Loring；　she　knew　from　his　own　unreserved



confession　to　her　what　that　startling　change　really　meant。　In　an



instant　she　was　on　her　knees　at　his　feet。　〃Oh；　my　darling；〃　she



cried；　〃it　was　cruel　to　keep　_that_　secret　from　your　wife！　You



have　heard　it　again！〃







She　was　too　irresistibly　beautiful；　at　that　moment；　to　be



reproved。　He　gently　raised　her　from　the　floorand　owned　the



truth。







〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　heard　it　after　you　left　me　on　the



Belviderejust　as　I　heard　it　on　another　moonlight　night；　when



Major　Hynd　was　here　with　me。　Our　return　to　this　house　is　perhaps



the　cause。　I　don't　complain；　I　have　had　a　long　release。〃







She　threw　her　arms　round　his　neck。　〃We　will　leave　Vange



to…morrow；〃　she　said。







It　was　firmly　spoken。　But　her　heart　sank　as　the　words　passed　her



lips。　Vange　Abbey　had　been　the　scene　of　the　most　unalloyed



happiness　in　her　life。　What　destiny　was　waiting　for　her　when　she



returned　to　London？







CHAPTER　II。







EVENTS　AT　TEN　ACRES。







THERE　was　no　obstacle　to　the　speedy　departure　of　Romayne　and　his



wife　from　Vange　Abbey。　The　villa　at　Highgatecalled　Ten　Acres



Lodge；　in　allusion　to　the　measurement　of　the　grounds　surrounding



the　househad　been　kept　in　perfect　order　by　the　servants　of　the



late　Lady　Berrick；　now　in　the　employment　of　her　nephew。







On　the　morning　after　their　arrival　at　the　villa；　Stella　sent　a



note　to　her　mother。　The　same　afternoon；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　arrived　at



Ten　Acreson　her　way　to　a　garden…party。　Finding　the　house；　to



her　great　relief；　a　modern　building；　supplied　with　all　the　newest



comforts　an