the black robe-第47章

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On　the　morning　when　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　and　her　daughter　held　their



memorable　interview　by　the　fireside　at　Ten　Acres；　Father　Benwell



entered　one　of　the　private　rooms　at　The　Retreat；　devoted　to　the



use　of　the　priesthood。　The　demure　attendant；　waiting　humbly　for



instructions；　was　sent　to　request　the　presence　of



　one　of　the　inmates　of　the　house；　named　Mortleman。







Father　Benwell's　customary　serenity　was　a　little　ruffled；　on　this



occasion；　by　an　appearance　of　anxiety。　More　than　once　he　looked



impatiently　toward　the　door；　and　he　never　even　noticed　the　last



new　devotional　publications　laid　invitingly　on　the　table。







Mr。　Mortleman　made　his　appearancea　young　man　and　a　promising



convert。　The　wild　brightness　of　his　eyes　revealed　that　incipient



form　of　brain　disease　which　begins　in　fanaticism；　and　ends　not



infrequently　in　religious　madness。　His　manner　of　greeting　the



priest　was　absolutely　servile。　He　cringed　before　the　illustrious



Jesuit。







Father　Benwell　took　no　notice　of　these　demonstrations　of



humility。　〃Be　seated；　my　son；〃　he　said。　Mr。　Mortleman　looked　as



if　he　would　have　preferred　going　down　on　his　knees；　but　he



yielded；　and　took　a　chair。







〃I　think　you　have　been　Mr。　Romayne's　companion　for　a　few　days；　in



the　hours　of　recreation？〃　the　priest　began。







〃Yes；　Father。〃







〃Does　he　appear　to　be　at　all　weary　of　his　residence　in　this



house？〃







〃Oh；　far　from　it！　He　feels　the　benign　influence　of　The　Retreat；



we　have　had　some　delightful　hours　together。〃







〃Have　you　anything　to　report？〃







Mr。　Mortleman　crossed　his　hands　on　his　breast　and　bowed



profoundly。　〃I　have　to　report　of　myself；　Father；　that　I　have



committed　the　sin　of　presumption。　I　presumed　that　Mr。　Romayne



was；　like　myself；　not　married。〃







〃Have　I　spoken　to　you　on　that　subject？〃







〃No；　Father。〃







〃Then　you　have　committed　no　sin。　You　have　only　made　an　excusable



mistake。　How　were　you　led　into　error？〃







〃In　this　way；　Father。　Mr。　Romayne　had　been　speaking　to　me　of　a



book　which　you　had　been　so　good　as　to　send　to　him。　He　had　been



especially　interested　by　the　memoir　therein　contained　of　the



illustrious　Englishman；　Cardinal　Acton。　The　degrees　by　which　his



Eminence　rose　to　the　rank　of　a　Prince　of　the　Church　seemed；　as　I



thought；　to　have　aroused　in　my　friend　a　new　sense　of　vocation。　He



asked　me　if　I　myself　aspired　to　belong　to　the　holy　priesthood。　I



answered　that　this　was　indeed　my　aspiration；　if　I　might　hope　to



be　found　worthy。　He　appeared　to　be　deeply　affected。　I　ventured　to



ask　if　he　too　had　the　same　prospect　before　him。　He　grieved　me



indescribably。　He　sighed　and　said；　'I　have　no　such　hope；　I　am



married。'　Tell　me　Father；　I　entreat　you；　have　I　done　wrong？〃







Father　Benwell　considered　for　a　moment。　〃Did　Mr。　Romayne　say



anything　more？〃　he　asked。







〃No；　Father。〃







〃Did　you　attempt　to　return　to　the　subject？〃







〃I　thought　it　best　to　be　silent。〃







Father　Benwell　held　out　his　hand。　〃My　young　friend；　you　have　not



only　done　no　wrongyou　have　shown　the　most　commendable



discretion。　I　will　detain　you　no　longer　from　your　duties。　Go　to



Mr。　Romayne；　and　say　that　I　wish　to　speak　with　him。〃







Mr。　Mortleman　dropped　on　one　knee；　and　begged　for　a　blessing。



Father　Benwell　lifted　the　traditional　two　fingers；　and　gave　the



blessing。　The　conditions　of　human　happiness　are　easily　fulfilled



if　we　rightly　understand　them。　Mr。　Mortleman　retired　perfectly



happy。







Left　by　himself　again；　Father　Benwell　paced　the　room　rapidly　from



end　to　end。　The　disturbing　influence　visible　in　his　face　had　now



changed　from　anxiety　to　excitement。　〃I'll　try　it　to…day！〃　he　said



to　himselfand　stopped；　and　looked　round　him　doubtfully。　〃No；



not　here；〃　he　decided；　〃it　may　get　talked　about　too　soon。　It　will



be　safer　in　every　way　at　my　lodgings。〃　He　recovered　his



composure；　and　returned　to　his　chair。







Romayne　opened　the　door。







The　double　influence　of　the　conversion；　and　of　the　life　in　The



Retreat；　had　already　changed　him。　His　customary　keenness　and



excitability　of　look　had　subsided；　and　had　left　nothing　in　their



place　but　an　expression　of　suave　and　meditative　repose。　All　his



troubles　were　now　in　the　hands　of　his　priest。　There　was　a　passive



regularity　in　his　bodily　movements　and　a　beatific　serenity　in　his



smile。







〃My　dear　friend；〃　said　Father　Benwell；　cordially　shaking　hands；



〃you　were　good　enough　to　be　guided　by　my　advice　in　entering　this



house。　Be　guided　by　me　again；　when　I　say　that　you　have　been　here



long　enough。　You　can　return；　after　an　interval；　if　you　wish　it。



But　I　have　something　to　say　to　you　firstand　I　beg　to　offer　the



hospitality　of　my　lodgings。〃







The　time　had　been　when　Romayne　would　have　asked　for　some



explanation　of　this　abrupt　notice　of　removal。　Now；　he　passively



accepted　the　advice　of　his　spiritual　director。　Father　Benwell



made　the　necessary　communication　to　the　authorities；　and　Romayne



took　leave　of　his　friends　in　The　Retreat。　The　great　Jesuit　and



the　great　landowner　left　the　place；　with　becoming　humility；　in　a



cab。







〃I　hope　I　have　not　disappointed　you？〃　said　Father　Benwell。







〃I　am　only　anxious；〃　Romayne　answered；　〃to　hear　what　you　have　to



say。〃







CHAPTER　III。







THE　HARVEST　IS　REAPED。







ON　their　way　through　the　streets；　Father　Benwell　talked　as



persistently　of　the　news　of　the　day　as　if　he　had　nothing　else　in



his　thoughts。　To　keep　his　companion's　mind　in　a　state　of　suspense



was；　in　certain　emergencies；　to　exert　a　useful　preparatory



influence　over　a　man　of　Romayne's　character。　Even　when　they



reached　his　lodgings；　the　priest　still　hesitated　to　approach　the



object　that　he　had　in　view。　He　made　considerate　inquiries；　in　the



character　of　a　hospitable　man。







〃They　breakfast　early　at　The　Retreat；〃　he　said。　〃What　may　I　offer



you？〃







〃I　want　nothing；　thank　you；〃　Romayne　answered；　with　an　effort　to



control　his　habitual　impatience　of　needless　delay。







〃Pardon　mewe　have　a　long　interview　before　us；　I　fear。　Our



bodily　necessities；　Romayne　（excuse　me　if　I　take　the　friendly



liberty　of　suppressing　the　formal　'Mr。'）our　bodily　necessities



are　not　to　be　trifled　with。　A　bottle　of　my　famous　claret；　and　a



few　biscuits；　will　not　hurt　either　of　us。〃　He　rang　the　bell；　and



gave　the　necessary　directions　〃Another　damp　day！〃　he　went　on



cheerfully。　〃I　hope　you　don't　pay　the　rheumatic　penalties　of　a



winter　residence　in　England？　Ah；　this　glorious　country　would　be



too　perfect　if　it　possessed　the　delicious　climate　of　Rome！〃







The　wine　and　biscuits　were　brought　in。　Father　Benwell　filled　the



glasses　and　bowed　cordially　to　his　guest。







〃Nothing　of　this　sort　at　The　Retreat！〃　he　said　gayly。　〃Excellent



water；　I　am　toldwhich　is　a　luxury　in　its　way；　especially　in



London。　Well；　my　dear　Romayne；　I　must　begin　by　making　my



apologies。　You　no　doubt　thought　me　a　little　abrupt　in　running



away　with　you　from　your　retirement　at　a　moment's　notice？〃







〃I　believed　that　you　had　good　reasons；　Fatherand　that　was



enough　for　me。〃







〃Thank　youyou　do　me　justiceit　was　in　your　best　interests　that



I　acted。　There　are　men　of　phlegmatic　temperament；　over　whom　the



wise　monotony　of　discipline　at　The　Retreat　exercises　a　wholesome



influenceI　mean　an　influence　which　may　be　prolonged　with



advantage。　You　are　not　one　of　those　persons。　Protracted　seclusion



and　monotony　of　life　are　morally　and　mentally　unprofitable　to　a



man　of　your　ardent　disposition。　I　abstained　from　mentioning　these



reasons；　at　the　time；　out　of　a　feeling　of　regard　for　our



excellent　resident　director；　who　believes　unreservedly　in　the



institution　over　which　he　presides。　Very　good！　The　Retreat　has



done　all　that　it　could　usefully　do　in　your　case。　We　must　think



next　of　how　to　employ　that　mental　activity　which；　rightly



developed；　is　one　of　the　most　valuable　qualities　that　you



possess。　Let　me　ask；　first；　if　you　have　in　some　degree　recovered



your　tranquillity？〃







〃I　feel　like　a　different　man；　Father　Benwell。〃







〃That's　right！　And　your　nervous　sufferingsI　don't　ask　what　they



are；　I　only　want　to　know　if　you　experience　a　sense　of　relief？〃







〃A　most　welcome　sense　of　relief；〃　Romayne　answered；　with　a



revival　of　the　enthusiasm　of　other　days。　〃The　complete　change　in



all　my　thoughts　and　convictions　which　I　owe　to　you〃







〃And　to　dear　Penrose；〃　Father　Benwell　interposed；　with　the　prompt



sense　of　justice　which　no　man　could　more　becomingly　assume。　〃We



must　not　forget　Arthur。〃







〃Forget　him？〃　Romayne　repeated。　〃Not　a　day　passes　without　my



thinking　of　him。　It　is　one　of　the　happy　results　of　the　change　in



me　that　my　mind　does　not　dwell　bitterly　on　the　loss　of　him　now。　I



think　of　Penrose　with　admiration；　as　of　one　whose　glorious　life；



with　all　its　dangers；　　I　should　like　to　share！〃







He　spoke　with　a　rising　color　and　brightening　eyes。　Already；　the



absorbent　capacity　of　the　Roman　Church　had　drawn　to　itself　that



sympathetic　side　of　his　character　which　was　also　one　of　its



strongest　sides。　Already；　his　love　for　Penrosehitherto　inspired



by　the　virtues　of　the　manhad　narrowed　its　range　to　sympathy



with　the　trials　and　privileges　of　the　priest。　Truly　and　deeply；



indeed；　had　the　physician　consulted；　in　bygone　days；　reasoned　on



Romayne's　case！　That　〃occurrence　of　some　new　and　absorbing



influence　in　his　life；〃　of　which　the　doctor　had　spokenthat



〃working　of　some　complete　change　in　his　habits　of　thought〃had



found　its　way　to　him　at　last；　after　the　wife's　simple　devotion



had　failed；　through　the　subtler　ministrations　of　the　priest。







Some　men；　having　Father　Benwell's　object　in　view；　would　have



taken　instant　advantage　of　the　opening　offered　to　them　by



Romayne's　unguarded　enthusiasm。　The　illustrious　Jesuit　held　fast



by　the　wise　maxim　which　forbade　him　to　do　anything　in　a　hurry。







〃No；〃　he　said；　〃your　life　must　not　be　the　life　of　our　dear



friend。　The　service　on　which　the　Church　employs　Penrose　is　not



the　fit　service　for　you。　You　have　other　claims　on　us。〃







Romayne　looked　at　his　spiritual　adviser　with　a　momentary　change



of　expressiona　relapse　into　the　ironical　bitterness　of　the　past



time。







〃Have　you　forgotten　that　I　am；　and　c