the black robe-第39章

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thoroughly　unwholesome　state　of　mind；〃　he　said。







Romayne　laughed　recklessly。　〃When　was　I　ever　in　a　healthy　state



of　mind？〃　he　asked。







Penrose　passed　the　interruption　over　without　notice。　〃If　I　am　to



do　you　any　good；〃　he　resumed；　〃I　must　know　what　is　really　the



matter　with　you。　The　very　last　question　that　I　ought　to　put；　and



that　I　wish　to　put；　is　the　question　which　you　force　me　to　ask。〃







〃What　is　it？〃







〃When　you　speak　of　your　married　life；〃　said　Penrose；　〃your　tone



is　the　tone　of　a　disappointed　man。　Have　you　any　serious　reason　to



complain　of　Mrs。　Romayne？〃







（Stella　rose　to　her　feet；　in　her　eagerness　to　hear　what　her



husband's　answer　would　be。）







〃Serious　reason？〃　Romayne　repeated。　〃How　can　such　an　idea　have



entered　your　head？　I　only　complain　of　irritating　trifles　now　and



then。　Even　the　best　of　women　is　not　perfect。　It's　hard　to　expect



it　from　any　of　them。〃







（The　interpretation　of　this　reply　depended　entirely　on　the　tone



in　which　it　was　spoken。　What　was　the　animating　spirit　in　this



case？　Irony　or　Indulgence？　Stella　was　ignorant　of　the　indirect



methods　of　irritation；　by　means　of　which　Father　Benwell　had



encouraged　Romayne's　doubts　of　his　wife's　motive　for　the



reception　of　Winterfield。　Her　husband's　tone；　expressing　this



state　of　mind；　was　new　to　her。　She　sat　down　again；　divided



between　hope　and　fear；　waiting　to　hear　more。　The　next　words；



spoken　by　Penrose；　astounded　her。　The　priest；　the　Jesuit；　the



wily　spiritual　intruder　between　man　and　wife；　actually　took　the



wife's　side！）







〃Romayne；〃　he　proceeded　quietly；　〃I　want　you　to　be　happy。〃







〃How　am　I　to　be　happy？〃







〃I　will　try　and　tell　you。　I　believe　your　wife　to　be　a　good　woman。



I　believe　she　loves　you。　There　is　something　in　her　face　that



speaks　for　hereven　to　an　inexperienced　person　like　myself。



Don't　be　impatient　with　her！　Put　away　from　you　that　besetting



temptation　to　speak　in　ironyit　is　so　easy　to　take　that　tone；



and　sometimes　so　cruel。　I　am　only　a　looker…on；　I　know。　Domestic



happiness　can　never　be　the　happiness　of　_my_　life。　But　I　have



observed　my　fellow…creatures　of　all　degreesand　this；　I　tell



you；　is　the　result。　The　largest　number　of　happy　men　are　the



husbands　and　fathers。　Yes；　I　admit　that　they　have　terrible



anxietiesbut　they　are　fortified　by　unfailing　compensations　and



encouragements。　Only　the　other　day　I　met　with　a　man　who　had



suffered　the　loss　of　fortune　and；　worse　still；　the　loss　of



health。　He　endured　those　afflictions　so　calmly　that　he　surprised



me。　'What　is　the　secret　of　your　philosophy？'　I　asked。　He



answered；　'I　can　bear　anything　while　I　have　my　wife　and　my



children。'　Think　of　that；　and　judge　for　yourself　how　much



happiness　you　may　have　left　yet　ungathered　in　your　married　life。〃







（Those　words　touched　Stella's　higher　nature；　as　the　dew　touches



the　thirsty　ground。　Surely　they　were　nobly　spoken！　How　would　her



husband　receive　them？）







〃I　must　think　with　your　mind；　Penrose；　before　I　can　do　what　you



ask　of　me。　Is　there　any　method　of　transformation　by　which　I　can



change　natures　with　you？〃　That　was　all　he　saidand　he　said　it



despondingly。







Penrose　understood；　and　felt　for　him。







〃If　there　is　anything　in　my　nature；　worthy　to　be　set　as　an



example　to　you；〃　he　replied；　〃you　know　to　what　blessed　influence



I　owe　self…discipline　and　serenity　of　mind。　Remember　what　I　said



when　I　left　you　in　London；　to　go　back　to　my　friendless　life。　I



told　you　that　I　found；　in　the　Faith　I　held；　the　one　sufficient



consolation　which　helped　me　to　bear　my　lot。　Andif　there　came　a



time　of　sorrow　in　the　futureI　entreated　you　to　remember　what　I



had　said。　Have　you　remembered　it？〃







〃Look　at　the　book　here　on　my　desklook　at　the　other　books；



within　easy　reach；　on　that　tableare　you　satisfied？〃







〃More　than　satisfied。　Tell　medo　you　feel　nearer　to　an



understanding　of　the　Faith　to　which　I　have　tried　to　convert　you？〃







There　was　a　pause。　〃Say　that　I　do　feel　nearer；〃　Romayne



resumed〃say　that　some　of　my　objections　are　removedare　you



really　as　eager　as　ever　to　make　a　Catholic　of　me；　now　that　I　am　a



married　man？〃







〃I　am　even　more　eager；〃　Penrose　answered。　〃I　have　always　believed



that　your　one　sure　way　to　happiness　lay　through　your　conversion。



Now；　when　I　know；　from　what　I　have　seen　and　heard　in　this　room；



that　you　are　not　reconciled；　as　you　should　be；　to　your　new　life；



I　am　doubly　confined　in　my　belief。　As　God　is　my　witness；　I　speak



sincerely。　Hesitate　no　longer！　Be　converted；　and　be　happy。〃







〃Have　you　not　forgotten　something；　Penrose？〃







〃What　have　I　forgotten？〃







〃A　serious　consideration；　perhaps。　I　have　a　Protestant　wife。〃







〃I　have　borne　that　in　mind；　Romayne；　throughout　our



conversation。〃







〃And　you　still　saywhat　you　have　just　said？〃







〃With　my　whole　heart；　I　say　it！　Be　converted；　and　be　happy。　Be



happy；　and　you　will　be　a　　good　husband。　I　speak　in　your　wife　's



interest　as　well　as　in　yours。　People　who　are　happy　in　each



other's　society；　will　yield　a　little　on　either　side；　even　on



questions　of　religious　belief。　And　perhaps　there　may　follow　a



more　profitable　result　still。　So　far　as　I　have　observed；　a　good



husband's　example　is　gladly　followed　by　his　wife。　Don't　think



that　I　am　trying　to　persuade　you　against　your　will！　I　am　only



telling　you；　in　my　own　justification；　from　what　motives　of　love



for　yourself；　and　of　true　interest　in　your　welfare；　I　speak。　You



implied　just　now　that　you　had　still　some　objections　left。　If　I



can　remove　themwell　and　good。　If　I　failif　you　cannot　act　on



purely　conscientious　convictionI　not　only　advise；　I　entreat



you；　to　remain　as　you　are。　I　shall　be　the　first　to　acknowledge



that　you　have　done　right。〃







（This　moderation　of　tone　would　appeal　irresistibly；　as　Stella



well　knew；　to　her　husband's　ready　appreciation　of　those　good



qualities　in　others　which　he　did　not　himself　possess。　Once　more



her　suspicion　wronged　Penrose。　Had　he　his　own　interested　motives



for　pleading　her　cause？　At　the　bare　thought　of　it；　she　left　her



chair　and；　standing　under　the　window；　boldly　interrupted　the



conversation　by　calling　to　Romayne。）







〃Lewis！〃　she　cried；　〃why　do　you　stay　indoors　on　this　beautiful



day？　I　am　sure　Mr。　Penrose　would　like　a　walk　in　the　grounds。〃







Penrose　appeared　alone　at　the　window。　〃You　are　quite　right；　Mrs。



Romayne；〃　he　said；　〃we　will　join　you　directly。〃







In　a　few　minutes　he　turned　the　corner　of　the　house；　and　met



Stella　on　the　lawn。　Romayne　was　not　with　him。　〃Is　my　husband　not



coming　with　us？〃　she　asked。　〃He　will　follow　us；〃　Penrose



answered。　〃I　believe　he　has　some　letters　to　write。〃







Stella　looked　at　him；　suspecting　some　underhand　exercise　of



influence　on　her　husband。







If　she　had　been　able　to　estimate　the　noble　qualities　in　the



nature　of　Penrose；　she　might　have　done　him　the　justice　to　arrive



at　a　truer　conclusion。　It　was　he　who　had　asked　leave　（when　Stella



had　interrupted　them）　to　take　the　opportunity　of　speaking　alone



with　Mrs。　Romayne。　He　had　said　to　his　friend；　〃If　I　am　wrong　in



my　anticipation　of　the　effect　of　your　change　of　religion　on　your



wife；　let　me　find　it　out　from　herself。　My　one　object　is　to　act



justly　toward　you　and　toward　her。　I　should　never　forgive　myself



if　I　made　mischief　between　you；　no　matter　how　innocent　of　any



evil　intention　I　might　be。〃　Romayne　had　understood　him。　It　was



Stella's　misfortune　ignorantly　to　misinterpret　everything　that



Penrose　said　or　did；　for　the　all…sufficient　reason　that　he　was　a



Catholic　priest。　She　had　drawn　the　conclusion　that　her　husband



had　deliberately　left　her　alone　with　Penrose；　to　be　persuaded　or



deluded　into　giving　her　sanction　to　aid　the　influence　of　the



priest。　〃They　shall　find　they　are　mistaken；〃　she　thought　to



herself。







〃Have　I　interrupted　an　interesting　conversation？〃　she　inquired



abruptly。　〃When　I　asked　you　to　come　out；　were　you　talking　to　my



husband　about　his　historical　work？〃







〃No；　Mrs。　Romayne；　we　were　not　speaking　at　that　time　of　the



book。〃







〃May　I　ask　an　odd　question；　Mr。　Penrose？〃







〃Certainly！〃







〃Are　you　a　very　zealous　Catholic？〃







〃Pardon　me。　I　am　a　priest。　Surely　my　profession　speaks　for　me？〃







〃I　hope　you　are　not　trying　to　convert　my　husband？〃







Penrose　stopped　and　looked　at　her　attentively。







〃Are　you　strongly　opposed　to　your　husband's　conversion？〃　he



asked。







〃As　strongly；〃　she　answered；　〃as　a　woman　can　be。〃







〃By　religious　conviction；　Mrs。　Romayne？〃







〃No。　By　experience。〃







Penrose　started。　〃Is　it　indiscreet；〃　he　said　gently；　〃to　inquire



what　your　experience　may　have　been？〃







〃I　will　tell　you　what　my　experience　has　been；〃　Stella　replied。　〃I



am　ignorant　of　theological　subtleties；　and　questions　of　doctrine



are　quite　beyond　me。　But　this　I　do　know。　A　well…meaning　and



zealous　Catholic　shortened　my　father's　life；　and　separated　me



from　an　only　sister　whom　I　dearly　loved。　I　see　I　shock　youand　I



daresay　you　think　I　am　exaggerating？〃







〃I　hear　what　you　say；　Mrs。　Romayne；　with　very　great　painI　don't



presume　to　form　any　opinion　thus　far。〃







〃My　sad　story　can　be　told　in　a　few　words；〃　Stella　proceeded。



〃When　my　elder　sister　was　still　a　young　girl；　an　aunt　of　ours　（my



mother's　sister）　came　to　stay　with　us。　She　had　married　abroad；



and　she　was；　as　I　have　said；　a　zealous　Catholic。　Unknown　to　the



rest　of　us；　she　held　conversations　on　religion　with　my



sisterworked　on　the　enthusiasm　which　was　part　of　the　girl's



natureand　accomplished　her　conversion。　Other　influences；　of



which　I　know　nothing；　were　afterward　brought　to　bear　on　my



sister。　She　declared　her　intention　of　entering　a　convent。　As　she



was　under　age；　my　father　had　only　to　interpose　his　authority　to



prevent　this。　She　was　his　favorite　child。　He　had　no　heart　to



restrain　her　by　forcehe　could　only　try　all　that　the　kindest　and



best　of　fathers　could　do　to　persuade　her　to　remain　at　home。　Even



after　the　years　that　have　passed；　I　cannot　trust　myself　to　speak



of　it　composedly。　She　persisted；　she　was　as　hard　as　stone。　My



aunt；　when　she　was　entreated　to　interfere；　called　her　heartless



obstinacy　'a　vocation。'　My　poor　father's　loving　resistance