the black robe-第48章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





time。







〃Have　you　forgotten　that　I　am；　and　can　be；　only　a　layman？〃　he



asked。　〃What　claims　can　I　have；　except　the　common　claim　of　all



faithful　members　of　the　Church　on　the　good　offices　of　the



priesthood？〃　He　paused　for　a　moment；　and　continued　with　the



abruptness　of　a　man　struck　by　a　new　idea。　〃Yes！　I　have　perhaps



one　small　aim　of　my　ownthe　claim　of　being　allowed　to　do　my



duty。〃







〃In　what　respect；　dear　Romayne？〃







〃Surely　you　can　guess？　I　am　a　rich　man；　I　have　money　lying　idle；



which　it　is　my　duty　（and　my　privilege）　to　devote　to　the　charities



and　necessities　of　the　Church。　And；　while　I　am　speaking　of　this；



I　must　own　that　I　am　a　little　surprised　at　your　having　said



nothing　to　me　on　the　subject。　You　have　never　yet　pointed　out　to



me　the　manner　in　which　I　might　devote　my　money　to　the　best　and



noblest　uses。　Was　it　forgetfulness　on　your　part？〃







Father　Benwell　shook　his　head。　〃No；〃　he　replied；　〃I　can't



honestly　say　that。〃







〃Then　you　had　a　reason　for　your　silence？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃May　I　not　know　it？〃







Father　Benwell　got　up　and　walked　to　the　fireplace。　Now　there　are



various　methods　of　getting　up　and　walking　to　a　fireplace；　and



they　find　their　way　to　outward　expression　through　the　customary



means　of　look　and　manner。　We　may　feel　cold；　and　may　only　want　to



warm　ourselves。　Or　we　may　feel　restless；　and　may　need　an　excuse



for　changing　our　position。　Or　we　may　feel　modestly　confused；　and



may　be　anxious　to　hide　it。　Father　Benwell；　from　head　to　foot；



expressed　modest　confusion；　and　polite　anxiety　to　hide　it。







〃My　good　friend；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　afraid　of　hurting　your



feelings。〃







Romayne　was　a　sincere　convert；　but　there　were　instincts　still



left　in　him　which　resented　this　expression　of　regard；　even　when



it　proceeded　from　a　man　whom　he　respected　and　admired。　〃You　will



hurt　my　feelings；〃　he　answered；　a　little　sharply；　〃if　you　are　not



plain　with　me。〃







〃Then　I　_will_　be　plain　with　you；〃　Father　Benwell　rejoined。　〃The



Churchspeaking　through　me；　as　her　unworthy　interpreterfeels　a



certain　delicacy　in　approaching　You　on　the　subject　of　money。〃







〃Why？〃







Father　Benwell　left　the　fireplace　without　immediately　answering。



He　opened　a　drawer　and　took　out　of　it　a　flat　mahogany　box。　His



gracious　familiarity　became　transformed；　by　some　mysterious



process　of　congelation；　into　a　dignified　formality　of　manner。　The



priest　took　the　place　of　the　man。







〃The　Church；　Mr。　Romayne；　hesitates　to　receive；　as　benevolent



contributions；　money　derived　from　property　of　its　own；



arbitrarily　taken　from　it；　and　placed　in　a　layman's　hands。　No！〃



he　cried；　interrupting　Romayne；　who　instantly　understood　the



allusion　to　Vange　Abbey〃no！　I　must　beg　you　to　hear　me　out。　I



state　the　case　plainly；　at　your　own　request。　At　the　same　time；　I



am　bound　to　admit　that　the　lapse　of　centuries　has；　in　the　eye　of



the　law；　sanctioned　the　deliberate　act　of　robbery　perpetrated　by



Henry　the　Eighth。　You　have　lawfully　inherited　Vange　Abbey　from



your　ancestors。　The　Church　is　not　unreasonable　enough　to　assert　a



merely　moral　right　against　the　law　of　the　country。　It　may　feel



the　act　of　spoliationbut　it　submits。〃　He　unlocked　the　flat



mahogany　box；　and　gently　dropped　his　dignity：　the　man　took　the



place　of　the　priest。　〃As　the　master　of　Vange；〃　he　said；　you　may



be　interested　in　looking　at　a　little　historical　curiosity　which



we　have　preserved。　The　title…deeds；　dear　Romayne；　by　which　the



monks　held　your　present　property；　in　_their_　time。　Take　another



glass　of　wine。〃







Romayne　looked　at　the　title…deeds；　and　laid　them　aside　unread。







Father　Benwell　had　roused　his　pride；　his　sense　of　justice；　his



wild　and　lavish　instincts　of　generosity。　He；　who　had　always



despised　moneyexcept　when　it　assumed　its　only　estimable



character；　as　a　means　for　the　attainment　of　merciful　and　noble



ends_he_　was　in　possession　of　property　to　which　he　had　no　moral



right：　without　even　the　poor　excuse　of　associations　which



attached　him　to　the　place。







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







〃You　have　made　me　ashamed　of　myself；〃　Romayne　answered；　warmly。



〃On　the　day　when　I　became　a　Catholic；　I　ought　to　have　remembered



Vange。　Better　late　than　never。　I　refuse　to　take　shelter　under　the



lawI　respect　the　moral　right　of　the　Church。　I　will　at　once



restore　the　property　which　I　have　usurped。〃







Father　Benwell　took　both　Romayne's　hands　in　his；　and　pressed　them



fervently。







〃I　am　proud　of　you！〃　he　said。　We　shall　all　be　proud　of　you；　when



I　write　word　to　Rome　of　what　has　passed　between　us。　Butno；



Romayne！this　must　not　be。　I　admire　you；　feel　with　you；　and　I



refuse。　On　behalf　of　the　Church；　I　say　itI　refuse　the　gift。〃







〃Wait　a　little；　Father　Benwell！　You　don't　know　the　state　of　my



affairs。　I　don't　deserve　the　admiration　which　you　feel　for　me。



The　loss　of　the　Vange　property　will　be　no　pecuniary　loss；　in　my



case。　I　have　inherited　a　fortune　from　my　aunt。　My　income　from



that　source　is　far　larger　than　my　income　from　the　Yorkshire



property。〃







〃Romayne；　it　must　not　be！〃







〃Pardon　me；　it　must　be。　I　have　more　money　than　I　can



spendwithout　Vange。　And　I　have　painful　associations　with　the



house　which　disincline　me　ever　to　enter　it　again。〃







Even　this　confession　failed　to　move　Father　Benwell。　He



obstinately　crossed　his　arms；　obstinately　tapped　his　foot　on　the



floor。　〃No！〃　he　said。　〃Plead　as　generously　as　you　may；　my　answer



is；　No。〃







Romayne　only　became　more　resolute　on　his　side。　〃The　property　is



absolutely　my　own；〃　he　persisted。　〃I　am　without　a　near　relation



in　the　world。　I　have　no　children。　My　wife　is　already　provided　for



at　my　death；　out　of　the　fortune　left　me　by　my　aunt。　It　is



downright　obstinacyforgive　me　for　saying　soto　persist　in　your



refusal。〃







〃It　is　downright　duty；　Romayne。　If　I　gave　way　to　you；　I　should　be



the　means　of　exposing　the　priesthood　to　the　vilest



misinterpretation。　I　should　be　deservedly　reprimanded；　and　your



proposal　of　restitutionif　you　expressed　it　in　writingwould；



without　a　moment's　hesitation；　be　torn　up。　If　you　have　any　regard



for　me；　drop　the　subject。〃







Romayne　refused　to　yield；　even　to　this　unanswerable　appeal。







〃Very　well；〃　he　said；　〃there　is　one　document　you　can't　tear　up。



You　can't　interfere　with　my　making　another　will。　I　shall　leave



the　Vange　property　to　the　Church；　and　I　shall　appoint　you　one　of



the　trustees。　You　can't　object　to　that。〃







Father　Benwell　smiled　sadly。







〃The　law　spares　me　the　ungracious　necessity　of　objecting；　in　this



case；〃　he　answered。　〃My　friend；　you　forget　the　Statutes　of



Mortmain。　They　positively　forbid　you　to　carry　out　the　intention



which　you　have　just　expressed。〃







Romayne　dismissed　this　appeal　to　the　law　irritably；　by　waving　his



hand。　〃The　Statutes　of　Mortmain；〃　he　rejoined；　〃can't　prevent　my



bequeathing　my　property　to　an　individual。　I　shall　leave　Vange



Abbey　to　You。　Now；　Father　Benwell！　have　I　got　the　better　of　you



at　last？〃







With　Christian　humility　the　Jesuit　accepted　the　defeat；　for　which



he　had　paved　the　way　from　the　outset　of　the　interview。　A　t　the



same　time；　he　shuffled　all　personal　responsibility　off　his　own



shoulders。　He　had　gained　the　victory　for　the　Churchwithout　（to



do　him　justice）　thinking　of　himself。







〃Your　generosity　has　conquered　me；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　must　be



allowed　to　clear　myself　of　even　the　suspicion　of　an　interested



motive。　On　the　day　when　your　will　is　executed；　I　shall　write　to



the　General　of　our　Order　at　Rome；　leaving　my　inheritance　to　him。



This　proceeding　will　be　followed　by　a　deed；　in　due　form；



conveying　the　property　to　the　Church。　You　have　no　objection　to　my



taking　that　course？　No？　My　dear　Romayne；　words　are　useless　at



such　a　time　as　this。　My　acts　shall　speak　for　me。　I　am　too



agitated　to　say　more。　Let　us　talk　of　something　elselet　us　have



some　wine。〃







He　filled　the　glasses；　he　offered　more　biscuits。he　was　really；



and　even　perceptibly；　agitated　by　the　victory　that　he　had　won。



But　one　last　necessity　now　confronted　himthe　necessity　of



placing　a　serious　obstacle　in　the　way　of　any　future　change　of



purpose　on　the　part　of　Romayne。　As　to　the　choice　of　that



obstacle；　Father　Benwell's　mind　had　been　made　up　for　some　time



past。







〃What　_was_　it　I　had　to　say　to　you？〃　he　resumed　〃Surely；　I　was



speaking　on　the　subject　of　your　future　life？〃







〃You　are　very　kind；　Father　Benwell。　The　subject　has　little



interest　for　me。　My　future　life　is　shaped　outdomestic



retirement；　ennobled　by　religious　duties。〃







Still　pacing　the　room；　Father　Benwell　stopped　at　that　reply；　and



put　his　hand　kindly　on　Romayne's　shoulder。







〃We　don't　allow　a　good　Catholic　to　drift　into　domestic



retirement；　who　is　worthy　of　better　things；〃　he　said。　〃The



Church；　Romayne　wishes　to　make　use　of　you。　I　never　flattered　any



one　in　my　life；　but　I　may　say　before　your　face　what　I　have　said



behind　your　back。　A　man　of　your　strict　sense　of　honorof　your



intellectof　your　high　aspirationsof　your　personal　charm　and



influenceis　not　a　man　whom　we　can　allow　to　run　to　waste。　Open



your　mind；　my　friend；　fairly　to　me；　and　I　will　open　my　mind



fairly　to　you。　Let　me　set　the　example。　I　say　it　with　authority；



an　enviable　future　is　before　you。〃







Romayne's　pale　cheeks　flushed　with　excitement。　〃What　future？〃　he



asked；　eagerly。　〃Am　I　free　to　choose？　Must　I　remind　you　that　a



man　with　a　wife　cannot　think　only　of　himself？〃







〃Suppose　you　were　_not_　a　man　with　a　wife。〃







〃What　do　you　mean？〃







〃Romayne；　I　am　trying　to　break　my　way　through　that　inveterate



reserve　which　is　one　of　the　failings　in　your　character。　Unless



you　can　prevail　on　yourself　to　tell　me　those　secret　thoughts；



those　unexpressed　regrets；　which　you　can　confide　to　no　other　man；



this　conversation　must　come　to　an　end。　Is　there　no　yearning；　in



your　inmost　soul；　for　anything　beyond　the　position　which　you　now



occupy？〃







There　was。　a　pause。　The　flush　on　Romayne'　s　face　faded　away。　He



was　silent。







〃You　are　not　in　the　confessional；〃　Father　Benwell　reminded　him；



with　melancholy　submission　to　circumstances。　〃You　are　under　no



obligation　to　an