the black robe-第41章

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stop　the　progress　of　legislation　from　motives　of　the　meanest



kind。　And　they　are　not　even　sensitive　enough　to　the　national



honor　to　pass　a　social　law　among　themselves　which　makes　it　as



disgraceful　in　a　gentleman　to　buy　a　seat　by　bribery　as　to　cheat



at　cards。　I　declare　I　think　the　card…sharper　the　least　degraded



person　of　the　two。　_He_　doesn't　encourage　his　inferiors　to　be



false　to　a　public　trust。　In　short；　my　dear　sir；　everything　wears



out　in　this　worldand　why　should　the　House　of　Commons　be　an



exception　to　the　rule？〃







He　picked　up　the　next　letter　from　the　heap。　As　he　looked　at　the



address；　his　face　changed。　The　smile　left　his　lips；　the　gayety



died　out　of　his　eyes。　Traveler；　entreating　for　more　notice　with



impatient　forepaws　applied　to　his　master's　knees；　saw　the



alteration；　and　dropped　into　a　respectfully　recumbent　position。



Father　Benwell　glanced　sidelong　off　the　columns　of　the　newspaper；



and　waited　for　events　with　all　the　discretion；　and　none　of　the



good　faith；　of　the　dog。







〃Forwarded　from　Beaupark；〃　Winterfield　said　to　himself。　He　opened



the　letterread　it　carefully　to　the　endthought　over　itand



read　it　again。







〃Father　Benwell！〃　he　said　suddenly。







The　priest　put　down　the　newspaper。　For　a　few　moments　more　nothing



was　audible　but　the　steady　tick…tick　of　the　clock。







〃We　have　not　been　very　long　acquainted；〃　Winterfield　resumed。



〃But　our　association　has　been　a　pleasant　one；　and　I　think　I　owe



to　you　the　duty　of　a　friend。　I　don't　belong　to　your　Church；　bu　t



I　hope　you　will　believe　me　when　I　say　that　ignorant　prejudice



against　the　Catholic　priesthood　is　not　one　of　_my_　prejudices。〃







Father　Benwell　bowed；　in　silence。







〃You　are　mentioned；〃　Winterfield　proceeded；　〃in　the　letter　which



I　have　just　read。〃







〃Are　you　at　liberty　to　tell　me　the　name　of　your　correspondent？〃



Father　Benwell　asked。







〃I　am　not　at　liberty　to　do　that。　But　I　think　it　due　to　you；　and



to　myself；　to　tell　you　what　the　substance　of　the　letter　is。　The



writer　warns　me　to　be　careful　in　my　intercourse　with　you。　Your



object　（I　am　told）　is　to　make　yourself　acquainted　with　events　in



my　past　life；　and　you　have　some　motive　which　my　correspondent　has



thus　far　failed　to　discover。　I　speak　plainly；　but　I　beg　you　to



understand　that　I　also　speak　impartially。　I　condemn　no　man



unheardleast　of　all；　a　man　whom　I　have　had　the　honor　of



receiving　under　my　own　roof。〃







He　spoke　with　a　certain　simple　dignity。　With　equal　dignity；



Father　Benwell　answered。　It　is　needless　to　say　that　he　now　knew



Winterfield's　correspondent　to　be　Romayne's　wife。







〃Let　me　sincerely　thank　you；　Mr。　Winterfield；　for　a　candor　which



does　honor　to　us　both；〃　he　said。　〃You　will　hardly　expect　meif　I



may　use　such　an　expressionto　condescend　to　justify　myself



against　an　accusation　which　is　an　anonymous　accusation　so　far　as



I　am　concerned。　I　prefer　to　meet　that　letter　by　a　plain　proof；



and　I　leave　you　to　judge　whether　I　am　still　worthy　of　the



friendship　to　which　you　have　so　kindly　alluded。〃







With　this　preface　he　briefly　related　the　circumstances　under



which　he　had　become　possessed　of　the　packet；　and　then　handed　it



to　Winterfieldwith　the　seal　uppermost。







〃Decide　for　yourself；〃　he　concluded；　〃whether　a　man　bent　on



prying　into　your　private　affairs；　with　that　letter　entirely　at



his　mercy；　would　have　been　true　to　the　trust　reposed　in　him。〃







He　rose　and　took　his　hat；　ready　to　leave　the　room；　if　his　honor



was　profaned　by　the　slightest　expression　of　distrust。



Winterfield's　genial　and　unsuspicious　nature　instantly　accepted



the　offered　proof　as　conclusive。　〃Before　I　break　the　seal；〃　he



said；　〃let　me　do　you　justice。　Sit　down　again；　Father　Benwell；　and



forgive　me　if　my　sense　of　duty　has　hurried　me　into　hurting　your



feelings。　No　man　ought　to　know　better　than　I　do　how　often　people



misjudge　and　wrong　each　other。〃







They　shook　hands　cordially。　No　moral　relief　is　more　eagerly



sought　than　relief　from　the　pressure　of　a　serious　explanation。　By



common　consent；　they　now　spoke　as　lightly　as　if　nothing　had



happened。　Father　Benwell　set　the　example。







〃You　actually　believe　in　a　priest！〃　he　said　gayly。　〃We　shall　make



a　good　Catholic　of　you　yet。〃







〃Don't　be　too　sure　of　that；〃　Winterfield　replied；　with　a　touch　of



his　quaint　humor。　〃I　respect　the　men　who　have　given　to　humanity



the　inestimable　blessing　of　quinineto　say　nothing　of　preserving



learning　and　civilizationbut　I　respect　still　more　my　own



liberty　as　a　free　Christian。〃







〃Perhaps　a　free　thinker；　Mr。　Winterfield？〃







〃Anything　you　like　to　call　it；　Father　Benwell；　so　long　as　it　_is_



free。〃







They　both　laughed。　Father　Benwell　went　back　to　his　newspaper。



Winterfield　broke　the　seal　of　the　envelope　and　took　out　the



inclosures。







The　confession　was　the　first　of　the　papers　at　which　he　happened



to　look。　At　the　opening　lines　he　turned　pale。　He　read　more；　and



his　eyes　filled　with　tears。　In　low　broken　tones　he　said　to　the



priest；　〃You　have　innocently　brought　me　most　distressing　news。　I



entreat　your　pardon　if　I　ask　to　be　left　alone。〃







Father　Benwell　said　a　few　well…chosen　words　of　sympathy；　and



immediately　withdrew。　The　dog　licked　his　master's　hand；　hanging



listlessly　over　the　arm　of　the　chair。







Later　in　the　evening；　a　note　from　Winterfield　was　left　by



messenger　at　the　priest's　lodgings。　The　writer　announced；　with



renewed　expressions　of　regret；　that　he　would　be　again　absent　from



London　on　the　next　day；　but　that　he　hoped　to　return　to　the　hotel



and　receive　his　guest　on　the　evening　of　the　day　after。







Father　Benwell　rightly　conjectured　that　Winterfield's　destination



was　the　town　in　which　his　wife　had　died。







His　object　in　taking　the　journey　was　not；　as　the　priest　supposed；



to　address　inquiries　to　the　rector　and　the　landlady；　who　had　been



present　at　the　fatal　illness　and　the　deathbut　to　justify　his



wife's　last　expression　of　belief　in　the　mercy　and　compassion　of



the　man　whom　she　had　injured。　On　that　〃nameless　grave；〃　so　sadly



and　so　humbly　referred　to　in　the　confession；　he　had　resolved　to



place　a　simple　stone　cross；　giving　to　her　memory　the　name　which



she　had　shrunk　from　profaning　in　her　lifetime。　When　he　had



written　the　brief　inscription　which　recorded　the　death　of　〃Emma；



wife　of　Bernard　Winterfield；〃　and　when　he　had　knelt　for　a　while



by　the　low　turf　mound；　his　errand　had　come　to　its　end。　He　thanked



the　good　rector；　he　left　gifts　with　the　landlady　and　her



children；　by　which　he　was　gratefully　remembered　for　many　a　year



afterward；　and　then；　with　a　heart　relieved；　he　went　back　to



London。







Other　men　might　have　made　their　sad　little　pilgrimage　alone。



Winterfield　took　his　dog　with　him。　〃I　must　have　something　to



love；〃　he　said　to　the　rector；　〃at　such　a　time　as　this。〃







CHAPTER　IV。







FATHER　BENWELL'S　CORRESPONDENCE。







_To　the　Secretary；　S。　J。；　Rome。_







WHEN　I　wrote　last；　I　hardly　thought　I　should　trouble　you　again　so



soon。　The　necessity　has；　however；　arisen。　I　must　ask　for



instructions；　from　our　Most　Reverend　General；　on　the　subject　of



Arthur　Penrose。







I　believe　that　I　informed　you　that　I　decided　to　defer　my　next



visit　to　Ten　Acres　Lodge　for　two　or　three　days；　in　order　that



Winterfield　（if　he　intended　to　do　so）　might　have　time　to



communicate　with　Mrs。　Romayne；　after　his　return　from　the　country。



Naturally　enough；　perhaps；　considering　the　delicacy　of　the



subject；　he　has　not　taken　me　into　his　confidence。　I　can　only



guess　that　he　has　maintained　the　same　reserve　with　Mrs。　Romayne。







My　visit　to　the　Lodge　was　duly　paid　this　afternoon。







I　asked　first；　of　course；　for　the　lady　of　the　house；　and　hearing



she　was　in　the　grounds；　joined　her　there。　She　looked　ill　and



anxious；　and　she　received　me　with　rigid　politeness。　Fortunately；



Mrs。　Eyrecourt　（now　convalescent）　was　staying　at　Ten　Acres；　and



was　then　taking　the　air　in　her　chair　on　wheels。　The　good　lady's



nimble　and　discursive　tongue　offered　me　an　opportunity　of



referring；　in　the　most　innocent　manner　possible；　to　Winterfield's



favorable　opinion　of　Romayne's　pictures。　I　need　hardly　say　that　I



looked　at　Romayne's　wife　when　I　mentioned　the　name。　She　turned



paleprobably　fearing　that　I　had　some　knowledge　of　her　letter



warning　Winterfield　not　to　trust　me。　If　she　had　already　been



informed　that　he　was　not　to　be　blamed；　but　to　be　pitied；　in　the



matter　of　the　marriage　at　Brussels；　she　would　have　turned　red。



Such；　at　least；　is　my　experience；　drawn　from　recollections　of



other　days。　*







The　ladies　having　served　my　purpose；　I　ventured　into　the　house；



to　pay　my　respects　to　Romayne。







He　was　in　the　study；　and　his　excellent　friend　and　secretary　was



with　him。　After　the　first　greetings　Penrose　left　us。　His　manner



told　me　plainly　that　there　was　something　wrong。　I　asked　no



questionswaiting　on　the　chance　that　Romayne　might　enlighten　me。







〃I　hope　you　are　in　better　spirits；　now　that　you　have　your　old



companion　with　you；〃　I　said。







〃I　am　very　glad　to　have　Penrose　with　me；〃　he　answered。　And　then



he　frowned　and　looked　out　of　the　window　at　the　two　ladies　in　the



grounds。







It　occurred　to　me　that　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　might　be　occupying　the



customary　false　position　of　a　mother…in…law。　I　was　mistaken。　He



was　not　thinking　of　his　wife's　motherhe　was　thinking　of　his



wife。







〃I　suppose　you　know　that　Penrose　had　an　idea　of　converting　me？〃



he　said；　suddenly。







I　was　perfectly　candid　with　himI　said　I　knew　it；　and　approved



of　it。　〃May　I　hope　that　Arthur　has　succeeded　in　convincing　you？〃



I　ventured　to　add。







〃He　might　have　succeeded；　Father　Benwell；　if　he　had　chosen　to　go



on。〃







This　reply；　as　you　may　easily　imagine；　took　me　by　surprise。







〃Are　you　really　so　obdurate　that　Arthur　despairs　of　your



conversion？〃　I　asked。







〃Nothing　of　the　sort！　I　have　thought　and　thought　of　itand　I　can



tell　you　I　was　more　than　ready　to　meet　him　half　way。〃







〃Then　where　is　the　obstacle？〃　I　exclaimed。







He　pointed　thro　ugh　the　window　to　his　wife。　〃There　is　the



obstacle；〃　he　said；　in　a　tone　of　ironical　resignation。







Knowing　Arthur's　character　as　I　knew　it；　I　at　last　unders