the black robe-第44章

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〃To　withdraw　from　the　Mission？　Oh；　Mr。　Romayne；　don't　you　know



Arthur's　character　better　than　that？　Even　his　gentle　temper　has



its　resolute　side。　The　zeal　of　the　first　martyrs　to　Christianity



is　the　zeal　that　burns　in　that　noble　nature。　The　Mission　has　been



the　dream　of　his　lifeit　is　endeared　to　him　by　the　very　dangers



which　we　dread。　Persuade　Arthur　to　desert　the　dear　and　devoted



colleagues　who　have　opened　their　arms　to　him？　I　might　as　soon



persuade　that　statue　in　the　garden　to　desert　its　pedestal；　and



join　us　in　this　room。　Shall　we　change　the　sad　subject？　Have　you



received　the　book　which　I　sent　you　with　my　letter？〃







Romayne　took　up　the　book　from　his　desk。　Before　he　could　speak　of



it　some　one　called　out　briskly；　on　the　other　side　of　the　door：



〃May　I　come　in？〃and　came　in；　without　waiting　to　be　asked。　Mrs。



Eyrecourt；　painted　and　robed　for　the　morningwafting　perfumes　as



she　movedappeared　in　the　study。　She　looked　at　the　priest；　and



lifted　her　many…ringed　hands　with　a　gesture　of　coquettish　terror。







〃Oh；　dear　me！　I　had　no　idea　you　were　here；　Father　Benwell。　I　ask



ten　thousand　pardons。　Dear　and　admirable　Romayne；　you　don't　look



as　if　you　were　pleased　to　see　me。　Good　gracious！　I　am　not



interrupting　a　confession；　am　I？〃







Father　Benwell　（with　his　paternal　smile　in　perfect　order）



resigned　his　chair　to　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　The　traces　of　her　illness



still　showed　themselves　in　an　intermittent　trembling　of　her　head



and　her　hands。　She　had　entered　the　room；　strongly　suspecting　that



the　process　of　conversion　might　be　proceeding　in　the　absence　of



Penrose；　and　determined　to　interrupt　it。　Guided　by　his　subtle



intelligence；　Father　Benwell　penetrated　her　motive　as　soon　as　she



opened　the　door。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　bowed　graciously；　and　took　the



offered　chair。　Father　Benwell　sweetened　his　paternal　smile　and



offered　to　get　a　footstool。







〃How　glad　I　am；〃　he　said；　〃to　see　you　in　your　customary　good



spirits！　But　wasn't　it　just　a　little　malicious　to　talk　of



interrupting　a　confession？　As　if　Mr。　Romayne　was　one　of　Us！　Queen



Elizabeth　herself　could　hardly　have　said　a　sharper　thing　to　a



poor　Catholic　priest。〃







〃You　clever　creature！〃　said　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　〃How　easily　you　see



through　a　simple　woman　like　me！　ThereI　give　you　my　hand　to　kiss



and　I　will　never　try　to　deceive　you　again。　Do　you　know；　Father



Benwell；　a　most　extraordinary　wish　has　suddenly　come　to　me。



Please　don't　be　offended。　I　wish　you　were　a　Jew。〃







〃May　I　ask　why？〃　Father　Benwell　inquired；　with　an　apostolic



suavity　worthy　of　the　best　days　of　Rome。







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　explained　herself　with　the　modest　self…distrust　of



a　maiden　of　fifteen。　〃I　am　really　so　ignorant；　I　hardly　know　how



to　put　it。　But　learned　persons　have　told　me　that　it　is　the



peculiarity　of　the　Jewsmay　I　say；　the　amiable



peculiarity？never　to　make　converts。　It　would　be　so　nice　if　you



would　take　a　leaf　out　of　their　book；　when　we　have　the　happiness



of　receiving　you　here。　My　lively　imagination　pictures　you　in　a



double　character。　Father　Benwell　everywhere　else；　andsay；　the



patriarch　Abraham　at　Ten　Acres　Lodge。〃







Father　Benwell　lifted　his　persuasive　hands　in　courteous　protest。



〃My　dear　lady！　pray　make　your　mind　easy。　Not　one　word　on　the



subject　of　religion　has　passed　between　Mr。　Romayne　and　myself〃







〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　interposed；　〃I　am　afraid　I



fail　to　follow　you。　My　silent　son…in…law　looks　as　if　he　longed　to



smother　me；　and　my　attention　is　naturally　distracted。　You　were



about　to　say？〃







〃I　was　about　to　say；　dear　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　that　you　are　alarming



yourself　without　any　reason。　Not　one　word；　on　any　controversial



subject；　has　passed〃







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　cocked　her　head；　with　the　artless　vivacity　of　a



bird。　〃Ah；　but　it　might；　though！〃　she　suggested；　slyly。







Father　Benwell　once　more　remonstrated　in　dumb　show；　and　Romayne



lost　his　temper。







〃Mrs。　Eyrecourt！〃　he　cried；　sternly。







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　screamed；　and　lifted　her　hands　to　her　ears。　〃I　am



not　deaf；　dear　Romayne；　and　I　am　not　to　be　put　down　by　any



ill…timed　exhibition　of；　what　I　may　call；　domestic　ferocity。



Father　Benwell　sets　you　an　example　of　Christian　moderation。　Do；



please；　follow　it。〃







Romayne　refused　to　follow　it。







〃Talk　on　any　other　topic　that　you　like；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　I　request



youdon't　oblige　me　to　use　a　harder　wordI　request　you　to　spare



Father　Benwell　and　myself　any　further　expression　of　your　opinion



on　controversial　subjects。〃







A　son…in…law　may　make　a　request；　and　a　mother…in…law　may　decline



to　comply。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　declined　to　comply。







〃No；　Romayne；　it　won't　do。　I　may　lament　your　unhappy　temper；　for



my　daughter's　sakebut　I　know　what　I　am　about；　and　you　can't



provoke　me。　Our　reverend　friend　and　I　understand　each　other。　He



will　make　allowances　for　a　sensitive　woman；　who　has　had　sad



experience　of　conversions　in　her　own　household。　My　eldest



daughter；　Father　Benwella　poor　foolish　creaturewas　converted



into　a　nunnery。　The　last　time　I　saw　her　（she　used　to　be　sweetly



pretty；　my　dear　husband　quite　adored　her）the　last　time　I　saw



her　she　had　a　red　nose；　and；　what　is　even　more　revolting　at　her



age；　a　double　chi　n。　She　received　me　with　her　lips　pursed　up；　and



her　eyes　on　the　ground；　and　she　was　insolent　enough　to　say　that



she　would　pray　for　me。　I　am　not　a　furious　old　man　with　a　long



white　beard；　and　I　don't　curse　my　daughter　and　rush　out　into　a



thunderstorm　afterwardbut　_I_　know　what　King　Lear　felt；　and　_I_



have　struggled　with　hysterics　just　as　he　did。　With　your　wonderful



insight　into　human　nature；　I　am　sure　you　will　sympathize　with　and



forgive　me。　Mr。　Penrose；　as　my　daughter　tells　me；　behaved　in　the



most　gentleman…like　manner。　I　make　the　same　appeal　to　your　kind



forbearance。　The　bare　prospect　of　our　dear　friend　here　becoming　a



Catholic〃







Romayne's　temper　gave　way　once　more。







〃If　anything　can　make　me　a　Catholic；〃　he　said；　〃your　interference



will　do　it。　〃







〃Out　of　sheer　perversity；　dear　Romayne？〃







〃Not　at　all；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　If　I　became　a　Catholic；　I　might



escape　from　the　society　of　ladies；　in　the　refuge　of　a　monastery。〃







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　hit　him　back　again　with　the　readiest　dexterity。







〃Remain　a　Protestant；　my　dear；　and　go　to　your　club。　There　is　a



refuge　for　you　from　the　ladiesa　monastery；　with　nice　little



dinners；　and　all　the　newspapers　and　periodicals。〃　Having　launched



this　shaft；　she　got　up；　and　recovered　her　easy　courtesy　of　look



and　manner。　〃I　am　so　much　obliged　to　you；　Father　Benwell。　I　have



not　offended　you；　I　hope　and　trust？〃







〃You　have　done　me　a　service；　dear　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　But　for　your



salutory　caution；　I　_might_　have　drifted　into　controversial



subjects。　I　shall　be　on　my　guard　now。〃







〃How　very　good　of　you！　We　shall　meet　again；　I　hope；　under　more



agreeable　circumstances。　After　that　polite　allusion　to　a



monastery；　I　understand　that　my　visit　to　my　son…in…law　may　as



well　come　to　an　end。　Please　don't　forget　five　o'clock　tea　at　my



house。〃







As　she　approached　the　door；　it　was　opened　from　the　outer　side。



Her　daughter　met　her　half…way。　〃Why　are　you　here；　mamma？〃　Stella



asked。







〃Why；　indeed；　my　love！　You　had　better　leave　the　room　with　me。　Our



amiable　Romayne's　present　idea　is　to　relieve　himself　of　our



society　by　retiring　to　a　monastery。　Don't　you　see　Father



Benwell？〃







Stella　coldly　returned　the　priest's　bowand　looked　at　Romayne。



She　felt　a　vague　forewarning　of　what　had　happened。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



proceeded　to　enlighten　her；　as　an　appropriate　expression　of



gratitude。　〃We　are　indeed　indebted　to　Father　Benwell；　my　dear。　He



has　been　most　considerate　and　kind〃







Romayne　interrupted　her　without　ceremony。　〃Favor　me；〃　he　said；



addressing　his　wife；　〃by　inducing　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　to　continue　her



narrative　in　some　other　room。〃







Stella　was　hardly　conscious　of　what　her　mother　or　her　husband　had



said。　She　felt　that　the　priest's　eyes　were　on　her。　Under　any



other　circumstances；　Father　Benwell's　good　breeding　and　knowledge



of　the　world　would　have　impelled　him　to　take　his　departure。　As



things　were；　he　knew　perfectly　well　that　the　more　seriously



Romayne　was　annoyed；　in　his　presence；　the　better　his　own　private



interests　would　be　served。　Accordingly；　he　stood　apart；　silently



observant　of　Stella。　In　spite　of　Winterfield's　reassuring　reply



to　her　letter；　Stella　instinctively　suspected　and　dreaded　the



Jesuit。　Under　the　spell　of　those　watchful　eyes　she　trembled



inwardly；　her　customary　tact　deserted　her；　she　made　an　indirect



apology　to　the　man　whom　she　hated　and　feared。







〃Whatever　my　mother　may　have　said　to　you；　Father　Benwell；　has



been　without　my　knowledge。〃







Romayne　attempted　to　speak；　but　Father　Benwell　was　too　quick　for



him。







〃Dear　Mrs。　Romayne；　nothing　has　been　said　which　needs　any



disclaimer　on　your　part。〃







〃I　should　think　not！〃　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　added。　〃Really；　Stella；　I



don't　understand　you。　Why　may　I　not　say　to　Father　Benwell　what



you　said　to　Mr。　Penrose？　You　trusted　Mr。　Penrose　as　your　friend。



I　can　tell　you　thisI　am　quite　sure　you　may　trust　Father



Benwell。〃







Once　more　Romayne　attempted　to　speak。　And；　once　more；　Father



Benwell　was　beforehand　with　him。







〃May　I　hope；〃　said　the　priest；　with　a　finely　ironical　smile；



〃that　Mrs。　Romayne　agrees　with　her　excellent　mother？〃







With　all　her　fear　of　him；　the　exasperating　influence　of　his　tone



and　his　look　was　more　than　Stella　could　endure。　Before　she　could



restrain　them；　the　rash　words　flew　out　of　her　lips。







〃I　am　not　sufficiently　well　acquainted　with　you；　Father　Benwell；



to　express　an　opinion。〃







With　that　answer；　she　took　her　mother's　arm　and　left　the　room。







The　moment　they　were　alone；　Romayne　turned　to　the　priest；



trembling　with　anger。　Father　Benwell；　smiling　indulgently　at　the



lady's　little　outbreak；　took　him　by　the　hand；　with　peace…making



intentions；　〃Now　don'tpray　don't　excite　yourself！〃







Romayne　was　not　to　be　pacified　in　that　way。　His　anger　was　trebly



intensified　by　the　long…continued　strain　on　his　nerves　of　the



effort　to　control　himself。







〃I　must；　and　will；　speak　out　at　last！〃　he　said。　〃Father　Benw