the black robe-第45章

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



the　ladies　of　my　household　have　inexcusably　presumed　on　the



consideration　which　is　due　to　women。　No　words　can　say　how　ashamed



I　am　of　what　has　happened。　I　can　only　appeal　to　your　admirable



moderation　and　patience　to　accept　my　apologies；　and　the　most



sincere　expression　of　my　regret。〃







〃No　more；　Mr。　Romayne！　As　a　favor　to　Me；　I　beg　and　entreat　you



will　say　no　more。　Sit　down　and　compose　yourself。〃







But　Romayne　was　impenetrable　to　the　influence　of　friendly　and



forgiving　demonstrations。　〃I　can　never　expect　you　to　enter　my



house　again！〃　he　exclaimed。







〃My　dear　sir；　I　will　come　and　see　you　again；　with　the　greatest



pleasure；　on　any　day　that　you　may　appointthe　earlier　day　the



better。　Come！　come！　let　us　laugh。　I　don't　say　it　disrespectfully；



but　poor　dear　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　has　been　more　amusing　than　ever。　I



expect　to　see　our　excellent　Archbishop　to…morrow；　and　I　must



really　tell　him　how　the　good　lady　felt　insulted　when　her　Catholic



daughter　offered　to　pray　for　her。　There　is　hardly　anything　more



humorous；　even　in　Moliere。　And　the　double　chin；　and　the　red



noseall　the　fault　of　those　dreadful　Papists。　Oh；　dear　me；　you



still　take　it　seriously。　How　I　wish　you　had　my　sense　of　humor！



When　shall　I　come　again；　and　tell　you　how　the　Archbishop　likes



the　story　of　the　nun's　mother？〃







He　held　out　his　hand　with　irresistible　cordiality。　Romayne　took



it　gratefullystill　bent；　however；　on　making　atonement。







〃Let　me　first　do　myself　the　honor　of　calling　on　You；〃　he　said。　〃I



am　in　no　state　to　open　my　mindas　I　might　have　wished　to　open　it



to　youafter　what　has　happened。　In　a　day　or　two　more〃







〃Say　the　day　after　to…morrow；〃　Father　Benwell　hospitably



suggested。　〃Do　me　a　great　favor。　Come　and　eat　your　bit　of　mutton



at　my　lodgings。　Six　o'clock；　if　you　likeand　some　remarkably



good　claret；　a　present　from　one　of　the　Faithful。　You　will？　That's



hearty！　And　do　promise　me　to　think　no　more　of　our　little　domestic



comedy。　Relieve　your　mind。　Look　at　Wiseman's　'Recollections　of



the　Popes。'　Good…byGod　bless　you！〃







The　servant　who　opened　the　house　door　for　Father　Benwell　was



agreeably　surprised　by　the　Papist's　cheerfulness。　〃He　isn't　half



a　bad　fellow；〃　the　man　announced　among　his　colleagues。　〃Give　me



half…a…crown；　and　went　out　humming　a　tune。〃







CHAPTER　VIII。







FATHER　BENWELL'S　CORRESPONDENCE







_To　the　Secretary；　S。　J。；　Rome。_







I。







I　BEG　to　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　your　letter。　You　mention　that



our　Reverend　Fathers　are　discouraged　at　not　having　heard　from　me



for　more　than　six　weeks；　since　I　reported　the　little　dinner　given



to　Romayne　at　my　lodgings。







I　am　sorry　for　this；　and　more　than　sorry　to　hear　that　my



venerated　brethren　are　beginning　to　despair　of　Romayne's



conversion。　Grant　me　a　delay　of　another　weekand；　if　the



prospects　of　the　conversion　have　not　sensibly　improved　in　that



time；　I　will　confess　myself　defeated。　Meanwhile；　I　bow　to



superior　wisdom；　without　venturing　to　add　a　word　in　my　own



defense。







II。







The　week's　grace　granted　to　me　has　elapsed。　I　write　with



humility。　At　the　same　time　I　have　something　to　say　for　myself。







Yesterday；　Mr。　Lewis　Romayne；　of　Vange　Abbey；　was　received　into



the　community　of　the　Holy　Catholic　Church。　I　inclose　an　accurate



newspaper　report　of　the　ceremonies　which　attended　the　conversion。







Be　pleased　to　inform　me；　by　telegraph；　whether　our　Reverend



Fathers　wish　me　to　go　on；　or　not。







BOOK　THE　FIFTH。







CHAPTER　I。







MRS。　EYRECO　URT'S　DISCOVERY。







THE　leaves　had　fallen　in　the　grounds　at　Ten　Acres　Lodge；　and



stormy　winds　told　drearily　that　winter　had　come。







An　unchanging　dullness　pervaded　the　house。　Romayne　was　constantly



absent　in　London；　attending　to　his　new　religious　duties　under　the



guidance　of　Father　Benwell。　The　litter　of　books　and　manuscripts



in　the　study　was　seen　no　more。　Hideously　rigid　order　reigned　in



the　unused　room。　Some　of　Romayne's　papers　had　been　burned；　others



were　imprisoned　in　drawers　and　cupboardsthe　history　of　the



Origin　of　Religions　had　taken　its　melancholy　place　among　the



suspended　literary　enterprises　of　the　time。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　（after



a　superficially　cordial　reconciliation　with　her　son…in…law）



visited　her　daughter　every　now　and　then；　as　an　act　of　maternal



sacrifice。　She　yawned　perpetually；　she　read　innumerable　novels；



she　corresponded　with　her　friends。　In　the　long　dull　evenings；　the



once…lively　lady　sometimes　openly　regretted　that　she　had　not　been



born　a　manwith　the　three　masculine　resources　of　smoking；



drinking；　and　swearing　placed　at　her　disposal。　It　was　a　dreary



existence；　and　happier　influences　seemed　but　little　likely　to



change　it。　Grateful　as　she　was　to　her　mother；　no　persuasion　would



induce　Stella　to　leave　Ten　Acres　and　amuse　herself　in　London。



Mrs。　Eyrecourt　said；　with　melancholy　and　metaphorical　truth；



〃There　is　no　elasticity　left　in　my　child。〃







On　a　dim　gray　morning；　mother　and　daughter　sat　by　the　fireside；



with　another　long　day　before　them。







〃Where　is　that　contemptible　husband　of　yours？〃　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



asked；　looking　up　from　her　book。







〃Lewis　is　staying　in　town；〃　Stella　answered　listlessly。







〃In　company　with　Judas　Iscariot？〃







Stella　was　too　dull　to　immediately　understand　the　allusion。　〃Do



you　mean　Father　Benwell？〃　she　inquired。







〃Don't　mention　his　name；　my　dear。　I　have　re…christened　him　on



purpose　to　avoid　it。　Even　his　name　humiliates　me。　How　completely



the　fawning　old　wretch　took　me　inwith　all　my　knowledge　of　the



world；　too！　He　was　so　nice　and　sympatheticsuch　a　comforting



contrast；　on　that　occasion；　to　you　and　your　husbandI　declare　I



forgot　every　reason　I　had　for　not　trusting　him。　Ah；　we　women　are



poor　creatureswe　may　own　it　among　ourselves。　If　a　man　only　has



nice　manners　and　a　pleasant　voice；　how　many　of　us　can　resist　him？



Even　Romayne　imposed　upon　meassisted　by　his　property；　which　in



some　degree　excuses　my　folly。　There　is　nothing　to　be　done　now；



Stella；　but　to　humor　him。　Do　as　that　detestable　priest　does；　and



trust　to　your　beauty　（there　isn't　as　much　of　it　left　as　I　could



wish）　to　turn　the　scale　in　your　favor。　Have　you　any　idea　when　the



new　convert　will　come　back？　I　heard　him　ordering　a　fish　dinner



for　himself；　yesterdaybecause　it　was　Friday。　Did　you　join　him



at　dessert…time；　profanely　supported　by　meat？　What　did　he　say？〃







〃What　he　has　said　more　than　once　already；　mama。　His　peace　of　mind



is　returning；　thanks　to　Father　Benwell。　He　was　perfectly　gentle



and　indulgentbut　he　looked　as　if　he　lived　in　a　different　world



from　mine。　He　told　me　he　proposed　to　pass　a　week　in；　what　he



called；　Retreat。　I　didn't　ask　him　what　it　meant。　Whatever　it　is；



I　suppose　he　is　there　now。〃







〃My　dear；　don't　you　remember　your　sister　began　in　the　same　way？



_She_　retreated。　We　shall　have　Romayne　with　a　red　nose　and　a



double　chin；　offering　to　pray　for　us　next！　Do　you　recollect　that



French　maid　of　minethe　woman　I　sent　away；　because　she　would



spit；　when　she　was　out　of　temper；　like　a　cat？　I　begin　to　think　I



treated　the　poor　creature　harshly。　When　I　hear　of　Romayne　and　his



Retreat；　I　almost　feel　inclined　to　spit；　myself。　There！　let　us　go



on　with　your　reading。　Take　the　first　volumeI　have　done　with



it。〃







〃What　is　it；　mama？〃







〃A　very　remarkable　work；　Stella；　in　the　present　state　of　light



literature　in　Englanda　novel　that　actually　tells　a　story。　It's



quite　incredible；　I　know。　Try　the　book。　It　has　another



extraordinary　meritit　isn't　written　by　a　woman。〃







Stella　obediently　received　the　first　volume；　turned　over　the



leaves；　and　wearily　dropped　the　wonderful　novel　on　her　lap。　〃I



can't　attend　to　it；〃　she　said。　〃My　mind　is　too　full　of　my　own



thoughts。〃







〃About　Romayne？〃　said　her　mother。







〃No。　When　I　think　of　my　husband　now；　I　almost　wish　I　had　his



confidence　in　Priests　and　Retreats。　The　conviction　grows　on　me；



mama；　that　my　worst　troubles　are　still　to　come。　When　I　was



younger；　I　don't　remember　being　tormented　by　presentiments　of　any



kind。　Did　I　ever　talk　of　presentiments　to　you；　in　the　bygone



days？〃







〃If　you　had　done　anything　of　the　sort；　my　love　（excuse　me；　if　I



speak　plainly）；　I　should　have　said；　'Stella；　your　liver　is　out　of



order'；　and　I　should　have　opened　the　family　medicine…chest。　I



will　only　say　now　send　for　the　carriage；　let　us　go　to　a　morning



concert；　dine　at　a　restaurant；　and　finish　the　evening　at　the



play。〃







This　characteristic　proposal　was　entirely　thrown　away　on　Stella。



She　was　absorbed　in　pursuing　her　own　train　of　thought。　〃I　almost



wish　I　had　told　Lewis；〃　she　said　to　herself　absently。







〃Told　him　of　what；　my　dear？〃







〃Of　what　happened　to　me　with　Winterfield。〃







Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　faded　eyes　opened　wide　in　astonishment。







〃Do　you　really　mean　it？〃　she　asked。







〃I　do；　indeed。〃







〃Are　you　actually　simple　enough；　Stella；　to　think　that　a　man　of



Romayne's　temper　would　have　made　you　his　wife　if　you　had　told　him



of　the　Brussels　marriage？〃







〃Why　not？〃







〃Why　not！　Would　Romaynewould　any　manbelieve　that　you　really



did　part　from　Winterfield　at　the　church　door？　Considering　that



you　are　a　married　woman；　your　innocence；　my　sweet　child；　is　a



perfect　phenomenon！　It's　well　there　were　wiser　people　than　you　to



keep　your　secret。〃







〃Don't　speak　too　positively；　mama。　Lewis　may　find　it　out　yet。〃







〃Is　that　one　of　your　presentiments？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃How　is　he　to　find　it　out；　if　you　please？〃







〃I　am　afraid；　through　Father　Benwell。　Yes！　yes！　I　know　you　only



think　him　a　fawning　old　hypocriteyou　don't　fear　him　as　I　do。



Nothing　will　persuade　me　that　zeal　for　his　religion　is　the　motive



under　which　that　man　acts　in　devoting　himself　to　Romayne。　He　has



some　abominable　object　in　view；　and　his　eyes　tell　me　that　I　am



concerned　in　it。〃







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　burst　out　laughing。







〃What　is　there　to　laugh　at？〃　Stella　asked。







〃I　declare；　my　dear；　there　is　something　absolutely　provoking　in



your　utter　want　of　knowledge　of　the　world！　When　you　are　puzzled



to　account　for