the black robe-第33章

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look　at　the　pictures　again？〃　he　asked。　〃Will　you　dine　with　us；



and　see　how　they　bear　the　lamplight？〃







〃I　am　sorry　to　say　I　must　beg　you　to　excuse　me。　My　plans　are



altered　since　we　met　yesterday。　I　am　obliged　to　leave　London。〃







Romayne　was　unwilling　to　part　with　him　on　these　terms。　〃You　will



let　me　know　when　you　are　next　in　town？〃　he　said。







〃Certainly！〃







With　that　short　answer　he　hurried　away。







Romayne　waited　a　little　in　the　hall　before　he　went　back　to　his



wife。　Stella's　reception　of　Winterfield；　though　not　positively



ungracious；　was；　nevertheless；　the　reverse　of　encouraging。　What



extraordinary　caprice　had　made　her　insensible　to　the　social



attractions　of　a　man　so　unaffectedly　agreeable？　It　was　not



wonderful　that　Winterfield's　cordiality　should　have　been　chilled



by　the　cold　welcome　that　he　had　received　from　the　mistress　of　the



house。　At　the　same　time；　some　allowance　was　to　be　made　for　the



influence　of　Stella's　domestic　anxieties；　and　some　sympathy　was



claimed　by　the　state　of　her　health。　Although　her　husband　shrank



from　distressing　her　by　any　immediate　reference　to　her　reception



of　his　friend；　he　could　not　disguise　from　himself　that　she　had



disappointed　him。　When　he　went　back　to　the　room；　Stella　was　lying



on　the　sofa　with　her　face　turned　toward　the　wall。　She　was　in



tears；　and　she　was　afraid　to　let　him　see　it。　〃I　won't　disturb



you；〃　he　said；　and　withdrew　to　his　study。　The　precious　volume



which　Winterfield　had　so　kindly　placed　at　his　disposal　was　on　the



table；　waiting　for　him。







Father　Benwell　had　lost　little　by　not　being　present　at　the



introduction　of　Winterfield　to　Stella。　He　had　witnessed　a　plainer



betrayal　of　emotion　when　they　met　unexpectedly　in　Lord　Loring's



picture　gallery。　But　if　he　had　seen　Romayne　reading　in　his　study；



and　Stella　crying　secretly　on　the　sofa；　he　might　have　written　to



Rome　by　that　day's　post；　and　might　have　announced　that　he　had



sown　the　first　seeds　of　disunion　between　husband　and　wife。







CHAPTER　V。







FATHER　BENWELL'S　CORRESPONDENCE。







_To　the　Secretary；　S。　J。；　Rome。_







In　my　last　few　hasty　lines　I　was　only　able　to　inform　you　of　the



unexpected　arrival　of　Mrs。　Romayne　while　Winterfield　was　visiting



her　husband。　If　you　remember；　I　warned　you　not　to　attach　any



undue　importance　to　my　absence　on　that　occasion。　My　present



report　will　satisfy　my　reverend　brethren　that　the　interests



committed　to　me　are　as　safe　as　ever　in　my　hands。







I　have　paid　three　visits；　at　certain　intervals。　The　first　to



Winterfield　（briefly　mentioned　in　my　last　letter）；　the　second　to



Romayne；　the　third　to　the　invalid　lady；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　In　every



case　I　have　been　rewarded　by　important　results。







We　will　revert　to　Winterfield　first。　I　found　him　at　his　hotel；



enveloped　in　clouds　of　tobacco　smoke。　Having　led　him；　with　some



difficulty；　into　talking　of　his　visit　to　Ten　Acres　Lodge；　I　asked



how　he　liked　Romayne's　pictures。







〃I　envy　him　his　pictures。〃　That　was　the　only　answer。







〃And　how　do　you　like　Mrs。　Romayne？〃　I　inquired　next。







He　laid　down　his　pipe；　and　looked　at　me　attentively。　My　face　（I



flatter　myself）　defied　discovery。　He　inhaled　another　mouthful　of



tobacco；　and　began　to　play　with　his　dog。　〃If　I　must　answer　your



question；〃　he　burst　out　suddenly；　〃I　didn't　get　a　very　gracious



reception　from　Mrs。　Romayne。〃　There　he　abruptly　stopped。　He　is　a



thoroughly　transparent　man；　you　see　straight　into　his　mind；



through　his　eyes。　I　perceived　that　he　was　only　telling　me　a　part



（perhaps　a　very　small　part）　of　the　truth。







〃Can　you　account　for　such　a　reception　as　you　describe？〃　I　asked。



He　answered　shortly；　〃No。〃







〃Perhaps　I　can　account　for　it；〃　I　went　on。　〃Did　Mr。　Romayne　tell



his　wife　that　I　was　the　means　of　introducing　you　to　him？〃







He　fixed　another　searching　look　on　me。　〃Mr。　Romayne　might　have



said　so　when　he　left　me　to　receive　his　wife　at　the　door。〃







〃In　that　case；　Mr。　Winterfield；　the　explanation　is　as　plain　as



the　sun　at　noonday。　Mrs。　Romayne　is　a　strong　Protestant；　and　I　am



a　Catholic　priest。〃







He　accepted　this　method　of　accounting　for　his　reception　with　an



alacrity　that　would　not　have　imposed　on　a　child。　You　see　I　had



relieved　him　from　all　further　necessity　of　accounting　for　the



conduct　of　Mrs。　Romayne！







〃A　lady's　religious　prejudices；〃　I　proceeded　in　the　friendliest



way；　〃are　never　taken　seriously　by　a　sensible　man。　You　have



placed　Mr。　Romayne　under　obligations　to　your　kindnesshe　is



eager　to　improve　his　acquaintance　with　you。　You　will　go　again　to



Ten　Acres　Lodge？〃







He　gave　me　another　short　answer。　〃I　think　not。〃







I　said　I　was　sorry　to　hear　it。　〃However；〃　I　added；　〃you　can



always　see　him　here；　when　you　are　in　London。〃　He　puffed　out　a　big



volume　of　smoke；　and　made　no　remark。　I　declined　to　be　put　down　by



silence　and　smoke。　〃Or　perhaps；〃　I　persisted；　〃you　will　honor　me



by　meeting　him　at　a　simple　little　dinner　at　my　lodgings？〃　Being　a



gentleman；　he　was　of　course　obliged　to　answer　this。　He　said；　〃You



are　very　kind；　I　would　rather　not。　Shall　we　talk　of　something



else；　Father　Benwell？〃







We　talked　of　something　else。　He　was　just　as　amiable　as　everbut



he　was　not　in　good　spirits。　〃I　think　I　shall　run　over　to　Paris



before　the　end　of　the　month；〃　he　said。　〃To　make　a　long　stay？〃　I



asked。　〃Oh；　no！　Call　in　a　week　or　ten　daysand　you　will　find　me



here　again。〃







When　I　got　up　to　go；　he　returned　of　his　own　accord　to　the



forbidden　subject。　He　said；　〃I　must　beg　you　to　do　me　two　favors。



The　first　is；　not　to　let　Mr。　Romayne　know　that　I　am　still　in



London。　The　second　is；　not　to　ask　me　for　any　explanations。〃







The　result　of　our　interview　may　be　stated　in　very　few　words。　It



has　advanced　me　one　step　nearer　to　discovery。　Winterfield's



voice；　look；　and　manner　satisfied　me　of　thisthe　true　motive　for



his　sudden　change　of　feeling　toward　Romayne　is　jealousy　of　the



man　who　has　married　Miss　Eyrecourt。　Those　compromising



circumstances　which　baffled　the　inquiries　of　my　agent　are



associated；　in　plain　English；　with　a　love　affair。　Remember　all



that　I　have　told　you　of　Romayne's　peculiar　dispositionand



imagine；　if　you　can；　what　the　consequences　of　such　a　disclosure



will　be　when　we　are　in　a　position　to　enlighten　the　master　of



Vange　Abbey！







As　to　the　present　relations　between　the　husband　and　wife；　I　have



only　to　tell　you　next　what　passed；　when　I　visited　Romayne　a　day



or　two　later。　I　did　well　to　keep　Penrose　at　our　disposal。　We



shall　want　him　again。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　











On　arriving　at　Ten　Acres　Lodge；　I　found　Romayne　in　his　study。　His



manuscript　lay　before　himbut　he　was　not　at　work。　He　looked　worn



and　haggard。　To　this　day　I　don't　know　from　what　precise　nervous



malady　he　suffers；　I　could　only　guess　that　it　had　been　troubling



him　again　since　he　and　I　last　met。







My　first　conventional　civilities　were　dedicated；　of　course；　to



his　wife。　She　is　still　in　attendance　on　her　mother。　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　is　now　considered　to　be　out　of　danger。　But　the　good



lady　（who　is　ready　enough　to　recommend　doctors　to　other　people）



persists　in　thinking　that　she　is　too　robust　a　person　to　require



medical　help　herself。　The　physician　in　attendance　trusts　entirely



to　her　daughter　to　persuade　her　to　persevere　with　the　necessary



course　of　medicine。　Don't　suppose　that　I　trouble　you　by



mentioning　these　trumpery　circumstances　without　a　reason。　We



shall　have　occasion　to　return　to　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　and　her　doctor。







Before　I　had　been　five　minutes　in　his　company；　Romayne　asked　me



if　I　had　seen　Winterfield　since　his　visit　to　Ten　Acres　Lodge。







I　said　I　had　seen　him；　and　waited；　anticipating　the　next



question。　Romayne　fulfilled　my　expectations。　He　inquired　if



Winterfield　had　left　London。







There　are　certain　cases　（as　I　am　told　by　medical　authorities）　in



which　the　dangerous　system　of　bleeding　a　patient　still　has　its



advantages。　There　are　other　cases　in　which　the　dangerous　system



of　telling　the　truth　becomes　equally　judicious。　I　said　to



Romayne；　〃If　I　answer　you　honestly；　will　you　consider　it　as



strictly　confidential？　Mr。　Winterfield；　I　regret　to　say；　has　no



intention　of　improving　his　acquaintance　with　you。　He　asked　me　to



conceal　from　you　that　he　is　still　in　London。〃







Romayne's　face　plainly　betrayed　that　he　was　annoyed　and



irritated。　〃Nothing　that　you　say　to　me；　Father　Benwell；　shall



pass　the　walls　of　this　room；〃　he　replied。　〃Did　Winterfield　give



any　reason　for　not　continuing　his　acquaintance　with　me？〃







I　told　the　truth　once　more；　with　courteous　expressions　of　regret。



〃Mr。　Winterfield　spoke　of　an　ungracious　reception　on　the　part　of



Mrs。　Romayne。〃







He　started　to　his　feet；　and　walked　irritably　up　and　down　the



room。　〃It　is　beyond　endurance！〃　he　said　to　himself。







The　truth　had　served　its　purpose　by　this　time。　I　affected　not　to



have　heard　him。　〃Did　you　speak　to　me？〃　I　asked。







He　used　a　milder　form　of　expression。　〃It　is　most　unfortunate；〃　he



said。　〃I　must　immediately　send　back　the　valuable　book　which　Mr。



Winterfield　has　lent　to　me。　And　that　is　not　the　worst　of　it。



There　are　other　volumes　in　his　library　which　I　have　the　greatest



interest　in　consultingand　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　borrow



them　now。　At　this　time；　too；　when　I　have　lost　Penrose；　I　had



hoped　to　find　in　Winterfield　another　friend　who　sympathized　with



my　pursuits。　There　is　something　so　cheering　and　attractive　in　his



mannerand　he　has　just　the　boldness　and　novelty　of　view　in　his



opinions　that　appeal　to　a　man　like　me。　It　was　a　pleasant　future



to　look　forward　to；　and　it　must　be　sacrificedand　to　what？　To　a



woman's　caprice。〃







From　our　point　of　view　this　was　a　frame　of　mind　to　be　encouraged。



I　tried　the　experiment　of　modestly　taking　the　blame　on　myself。　I



suggested　that　I　might　be　（quite　innocently）　answerable　for



Romayne's　disappointment。







He　looked　at　me　thoroughly　puzzled。　I　repeated　what　I　had　said　to



Winterfield。　〃Did　you　mention　to　Mrs。　Romayne　that　I　was　the



means　of　introducing　you？〃







He　was　too　impatient　to　let　me　finish　the　sentence。　〃I　did



mention　it　to　Mrs。　Romayne；〃　he　said。　〃And　what　of　it？〃







〃Pardon　me　for　rem