the black robe-第42章

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







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



what　had　happened。　For　a　moment　I　felt　really　angry。　Under　these



circumstances；　the　wise　course　was　to　say　nothing；　until　I　could



be　sure　of　speaking　with　exemplary　moderation。　It　doesn't　do　for



a　man　in　my　position　to　show　anger。







Romayne　went　on。







〃We　talked　of　my　wife；　Father　Benwell；　the　last　time　you　were



here。　You　only　knew；　then；　that　her　reception　of　Mr。　Winterfield



had　determined　him　never　to　enter　my　house　again。　By　way　of



adding　to　your　information　on　the　subject　of　'petticoat



government；'　I　may　now　tell　you　that　Mrs。　Romayne　has　forbidden



Penrose　to　proceed　with　the　attempt　to　convert　me。　By　common



consent；　the　subject　is　never　mentioned　between　us。〃　The　bitter



irony　of　his　tone；　thus　far；　suddenly　disappeared。　He　spoke



eagerly　and　anxiously。　〃I　hope　you　are　not　angry　with　Arthur？〃　he



said。







By　this　time　my　little　fit　of　ill…temper　was　at　an　end。　I



answeredand　it　was　really　in　a　certain　sense　true〃I　know



Arthur　too　well　to　be　angry　with　him。〃







Romayne　seemed　to　be　relieved。　〃I　only　troubled　you　with　this



last　domestic　incident；〃　he　resumed；　〃to　bespeak　your　indulgence



for　Penrose。　I　am　getting　learned　in　the　hierarchy　of　the　Church；



Father　Benwell！　You　are　the　superior　of　my　dear　little　friend；



and　you　exercise　authority　over　him。　Oh；　he　is　the　kindest　and



best　of　men！　It　is　not　his　fault。　He　submits　to　Mrs。



Romayneagainst　his　own　better　convictionin　the　honest　belief



that　he　consults　the　interests　of　our　married　life。〃







I　don't　think　I　misinterpret　the　state　of　Romayne's　mind；　and



mislead　you；　when　I　express　my　belief　that　this　second　indiscreet



interference　of　his　wife　between　his　friend　and　himself　will



produce　the　very　result　which　she　dreads。　Mark　my　words；　written



after　the　closest　observation　of　himthis　new　irritation　of



Romayne's　sensitive　self…respect　will　hasten　his　conversion。







You　will　understand　that　the　one　alternative　before　me；　after



what　has　happened；　is　to　fill　the　place　from　which　Penrose　has



withdrawn。　I　abstained　from　breathing　a　word　of　this　to　Romayne。



It　is　he；　if　I　can　manage　it；　who　must　invite　me　to　complete　the



work　of　conversionand；　besides；　nothing　can　be　done　until　the



visit　of　Penrose　has　come　to　an　end。　Romayne's　secret　sense　of



irritation　may　be　safely　left　to　develop　itself；　with　time　to



help　it。







I　changed　the　conversation　to　the　subject　of　his　literary　labors。







The　present　state　of　his　mind　is　not　favorable　to　work　of　that



exacting　kind。　Even　with　the　help　of　Penrose　to　encourage　him；　he



does　not　get　on　to　his　satisfactionand　yet；　as　I　could　plainly



perceive；　the　ambition　to　make　a　name　in　the　world　exercises　a



stronger　influence　over　him　than　ever。　All　in　our　favor；　my



reverend　friendall　in　our　favor！







I　took　the　liberty　of　asking　to　see　Penrose　alone　for　a　moment；



and；　this　request　granted；　Romayne　and　I　parted　cordially。　I　can



make　most　people　like　me；　when　I　choose　to　try。　The　master　of



Vange　Abbey　is　no　exception　to　the　rule。　Did　I　tell　you；



by…the…by；　that　the　property　has　a　little　declined　of　late　in



value？　It　is　now　not　worth　more　than　six　thousand　a　year。　_We_



will　improve　it　when　it　returns　to　the　Church。







My　interview　with　Penrose　was　over　in　two　minutes。　Dispensing



with　formality；　I　took　his　arm；　and　led　him　into　the　front



garden。







〃I　have　heard　all　about　it；〃　I　said；　〃and　I　must　not　deny　that



you　have　disappointed　me。　But　I　know　your　disposition；　and　I　make



allowances。　You　have　qualities；　dear　Arthur；　which　perhaps　put



you　a　little　out　of　place　among　us。　I　shall　be　obliged　to　report



what　you　have　donebut　you　may　trust　me　to　put　it　favorably。



Shake　hands；　my　son；　and；　while　we　are　still　together；　let　us　be



as　good　friends　as　ever。〃







You　may　think　that　I　spoke　in　this　way　with　a　view　to　my



indulgent　language　being　repeated　to　Romayne；　and　so　improving



the　position　which　I　have　already　gained　in　his　estimation。　Do



you　know；　I　really　believe　I　meant　it　at　the　time！　The　poor



fellow　gratefully　kissed　my　hand　when　I　offered　it　to　himhe　was



not　able　to　speak。　I　wonder　whether　I　am　weak　about　Arthur？　Say　a



kind　word　for　him；　when　his　conduct　comes　under　noticebut　pray



don't　mention　this　little　frailty　of　mine；　and　don't　suppose　I



have　any　sympathy　with　his　weak…minded　submission　to　Mrs。



Romayne's　prejudices。　If　I　ever　felt　the　smallest　consideration



for　_her_　（and　I　cannot　call　to　mind　any　amiable　emotion　of　that



sort）；　her　letter　to　Winterfield　would　have　effectually



extinguished　it。　There　is　something　quite　revolting　to　me　in　a



deceitful　woman。







In　closing　this　letter；　I　may　quiet　the　minds　of　our　reverend



brethren；　if　I　assure　them　that　my　former　objection　to



associating　myself　directly　with　the　conversion　of　Romayne　no



longer　exists。







Yes！　even　at　my　age；　and　with　my　habits；　I　am　now　resigned　to



hearing；　and　confuting；　the　trivial　arguments　of　a　man　who　is



young　enough　to　be　my　son。　I　shall　write　a　carefully…guarded



letter　to　Romayne；　on　the　departure　of　Penrose；　and　I　shall　send



him　a　book　to　read；　from　the　influence　of　which　I　expect



gratifying　results。　It　is　not　a　controversial　work　（Arthur　has



been　beforehand　with　me　there）it　is　Wiseman's　〃Recollections　of



the　Popes。〃　I　look　to　that　essentially　readable　book　to　excite



Romayne's　imagination；　by　vivid　descriptions　of　the　splendors　of



the　Church；　and　the　vast　influence　and　power　of　the　higher



priesthood。　Does　this　sudden　enthusiasm　of　mine　surprise　you？　And



are　you　altogether　at　a　loss　to　know　what　it　means？







It　means；　my　friend；　that　I　see　our　position　toward　Romayne　in　a



new　light。　Forgive　me；　if　I　say　no　more　for　the　present。　I　prefer



to　be　silent；　until　my　audacity　is　justified　by　events。







…　*　Father　Benwell's　experience　had；　in　this　case；　not　misled



him。　If　Stella　had　remained　unmarried；　Winterfield　might　have



justified　himself。　But　he　was　honorably　unwilling　to　disturb　her



relations　with　her　husband；　by　satisfying　her　that　he　had　never



been　unworthy　of　the　affection　which　had　once　united　them。







CHAPTER　V。







BERNARD　WINTERFIELD'S　CORRESPONDENCE。







I。







_From　Mrs。　Romayne　to　Mr。　Winterfield。_







HAS　my　letter　failed　to　reach　you？　I　directed　it　（as　I　direct



this）　to　Beaupark；　not　knowing　your　London　address。







Yesterday；　Father　Benwell　called　at　Ten　Acres　Lodge。　He　first　saw



my　mother　and　myself　and　he　contrived　to　mention　your　name。　It



was　done　with　his　usual　adroitness；　and　I　might　perhaps　have



passed　it　over　if　he　had　not　looked　at　me。　I　hope　and　pray　it　may



be　only　my　fancybut　I　thought　I　saw；　in　his　eyes；　that　he　was



conscious　of　having　me　in　his　power；　and　that　he　might　betray　me



to　my　husband　at　any　moment。







I　have　no　sort　of　claim　on　you。　And；　Heaven　knows；　I　have　little



reason　to　trust　you。　But　I　thought　you　meant　fairly　by　me　when　we



spoke　together　at　this　house。　In　that　belief；　I　entreat　you　to



tell　me　if　Father　Benwell　has　intruded　himself　into　your



confidenceor　even　if　you　have　hinted　anything　to　him　which



gives　him　a　hold　over　me。







II。







_From　Mr。　Winterfield　to　Mrs。　Romayne。_







Both　your　letters　have　reached　me。







I　have　good　reason　for　believing　that　you　are　entirely　mistaken



in　your　estimate　of　Father　Benwell's　character。　But　I　know；　by



sad　experience；　how　you　hold　to　your　opinions　when　they　are　once



formed；　and　I　am　eager　to　relieve　you　of　all　anxiety；　so　far　as　I



am　concerned。　I　have　not　said　one　wordI　have　not　even　let　slip



the　slightest　hintwhich　could　inform　Father　Benwell　of　that



past　event　in　our　lives　to　which　your　letter　alludes。　Your　secret



is　a　sacred　secret　to　me；　and　it　has　been；　and　shall　be；　sacredly



kept。







There　is　a　sentence　in　your　letter　which　has　given　me　great　pain。



You　reiterate　the　cruel　language　of　the　bygone　time。　You　say；



〃Heaven　knows　I　have　little　reason　to　trust　you。〃







I　have　reasons；　on　my　side；　for　not　justifying　myselfexcept



under　certain　conditions。　I　mean　under　conditions　which　might



place　me　in　a　position　to　serve　and　advise　you　as　a　friend　or



brother。　In　that　case；　I　undertake　to　prove；　even　to　you；　that　it



was　a　cruel　injustice　ever　to　have　doubted　me；　and　that　there　is



no　man　living　whom　y　ou　can　more　implicitly　trust　than　myself。







My　address；　when　I　am　in　London；　is　at　the　head　of　this　page。







III。







_From　Dr。　Wybrow　to　Mr。　Winterfield。_







Dear　SirI　have　received　your　letter；　mentioning　that　you　wish



to　accompany　me；　at　my　next　visit　to　the　asylum；　to　see　the



French　boy；　so　strangely　associated　with　the　papers　delivered　to



you　by　Father　Benwell。







Your　proposal　reaches　me　too　late。　The　poor　creature's　troubled



life　has　come　to　an　end。　He　never　rallied　from　the　exhausting



effect　of　the　fever。　To　the　last　he　was　attended　by　his　mother。







I　write　with　true　sympathy　for　that　excellent　ladybut　I　cannot



conceal　from　you　or　from　myself　that　this　death　is　not　to　be



regretted。　In　a　case　of　the　same　extraordinary　kind；　recorded　in



print；　the　patient　recovered　from　the　fever；　and　his　insanity



returned　with　his　returning　health。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Faithfully　yours；



JOSEPH　WYBROW。







CHAPTER　VI。







THE　SADDEST　OF　ALL　WORDS。







ON　the　tenth　morning；　dating　from　the　dispatch　of　Father



Benwell's　last　letter　to　Rome；　Penrose　was　writing　in　the　study



at　Ten　Acres　Lodge；　while　Romayne　sat　at　the　other　end　of　the



room；　looking　listlessly　at　a　blank　sheet　of　paper；　with　the　pen



lying　idle　beside　it。　On　a　sudden　he　rose；　and；　snatching　up



paper　and　pen；　threw　them　irritably　into　the　fire。







〃Don't　trouble　yourself　to　write　any　longer；〃　he　said　to　Penrose。



〃My　dream　is　over。　Throw　my　manuscripts　into　the　waste　paper



basket；　and　never　speak　to　me　of　literary　work　again。〃







〃Every　man　devoted　to　literature　has　these　fits　of　despondency；〃



Penrose　answered。　〃Don't　think　of　your　work。　Send　for　your　horse；



and　trust　to　fresh　air　and　exercise　to　relieve　your　mind。〃







Romayne　barely　listened