the black robe-第49章

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with　melancholy　submission　to　circumstances。　〃You　are　under　no



obligation　to　answer　me。〃







Romayne　roused　himself。　He　spoke　in　low；　reluctant　tones。　〃I　am



afraid　to　answer　you；〃　he　said。







That　apparently　discouraging　reply　armed　Father　Benwell　with　the



absolute　confidence　of　success　which　he　had　thus　far　failed　to



feel。　He　wound　his　way　deeper　and　deeper　into　Romayne's　mind；



with　the　delicate　ingenuity　of　penetration；　of　which　the　practice



of　years　had　made　him　master。







〃Perhaps　I　have　failed　to　make　myself　clearly　understood；〃　he



said。　〃I　will　try　to　put　it　more　plainly。　You　are　no　half…hearted



man；　Romayne。　What　you　believe；　you　believe　fervently。



Impressions　are　not　dimly　and　slowly　produced　on　_your_　mind。　As



the　necessary　result；　your　conversion　being　once　accomplished；



your　whole　soul　is　given　to　the　Faith　that　is　in　you。　Do　I　read



your　character　rightly？〃







〃So　far　as　I　know　ityes。〃







Father　Benwell　went　on。







〃Bear　in　mind　what　I　have　just　said；〃　he　resumed；　〃and　you　will



understand　why　I　feel　it　my　duty　to　press　the　question　which　you



have　not　answered　yet。　You　have　found　in　the　Catholic　Faith　the



peace　of　mind　which　you　have　failed　to　obtain　by　other　means。　If



I　had　been　dealing　with　an　ordinary　man；　I　should　have　expected



from　the　change　no　happier　result　than　this。　But　I　ask　You；　has



that　blessed　influence　taken　no　deeper　and　nobler　hold　on　your



heart？　Can　you　truly　say　to　me；　'I　am　content　with　what　I　have



gained；　I　wish　for　no　more'？〃







〃I　cannot　truly　say　it；〃　Romayne　answered。







The　time　had　now　come　for　speaking　plainly。　Father　Benwell　no



longer　advanced　to　his　end　under　cover　of　a　cloud　of　words。







〃A　little　while　since；〃　he　said；　〃you　spoke　of　Penrose　as　of　a



man　whose　lot　in　life　you　longed　to　share。　The　career　which　has



associated　him　with　an　Indian　mission　is；　as　I　told　you；　only



adapted　to　a　man　of　his　special　character　and　special　gifts。　But



the　career　which　has　carried　him　into　the　sacred　ranks　of　the



priesthood　is　open　to　every　man　who　feels　the　sense　of　divine



vocation；　which　has　made　Penrose　one　of　Us。〃







〃No；　Father　Benwell！　Not　open　to　every　man。〃







〃I　say；　Yes！〃







〃It　is　not　open　to　Me！〃







〃I　say　it　is　open　to　You。　And　moreI　enjoin；　I　command；　you　to



dismiss　from　your　mind　all　merely　human　obstacles　and



discouragements。　They　are　beneath　the　notice　of　a　man　who　feels



himself　called　to　the　priesthood。　Give　me　your　hand；　Romayne！



Does　your　conscience　tell　you　that　you　are　that　man？〃







Romayne　started　to　his　feet；　shaken　to　the　soul　by　the　solemnity



of　the　appeal。







〃I　can't　dismiss　the　obstacles　that　surround　me！〃　he　cried；



passionately。　〃To　a　man　in　my　position；　your　advice　is　absolutely



useless。　The　ties　that　bind　me　are　beyond　the　limit　of　a　priest's



sympathies。〃







〃Nothing　is　beyond　the　limit　of　a　priest's　sympathies。〃







〃Father　Benwell；　I　am　married！〃







Father　Benwell　folded　his　arms　over　his　breastlooked　with



immovable　resolution　straight　in　Romayne's　faceand　struck　the



blow　which　he　had　been　meditating　for　months　past。







〃Rouse　your　courage；〃　he　said　sternly。　〃You　are　no　more　married



than　I　am。〃







CHAPTER　IV。







ON　THE　ROAD　TO　ROME。







THERE　was　not　a　sound　in　the　room。　Romayne　stood；　looking　at　the



priest







〃Did　you　hear　what　I　said？〃　Father　Benwell　asked。







〃Yes。〃







〃Do　you　understand　that　I　really　mean　what　I　said？〃







He　made　no　replyhe　waited；　like　a　man　expecting　to　hear　more。







Father　Benwell　was　alive　to　the　vast　importance；　at　such　a



moment；　of　not　shrinking　from　the　responsibility　which　he　had



assumed。　〃I　see　how　I　distress　you；〃　he　said；　〃but；　for　your



sake；　I　am　bound　to　speak　out。　Romayne！　the　woman　whom　you　have



married　is　the　wife　of　another　man。　Don't　ask　me　how　I　know　itI



do　know　it。　You　shall　have　positive　proof；　as　soon　as　you　have



recovered。　Come！　rest　a　little　in　the　easy…chair。〃







He　took　Romayne's　arm；　and　led　him　to　the　chair；　and　made　him



drink　some　wine。　They　waited　a　while。　Romayne　lifted　his　head；



with　a　heavy　sigh。







〃The　woman　whom　I　have　married　is　the　wife　of　another　man。〃　He



slowly　repeated　the　words　to　himselfand　then　looked　at　Father



Benwell。







〃Who　is　the　man？〃　he　asked。







〃I　introduced　you　to　him；　when　I　was　as　ignorant　of　the



circumstances　as　you　are；〃　the　priest　answered。　〃The　man　is　Mr。



Bernard　Winterfield。〃







Romayne　half　raised　himself　from　the　chair。　A　momentary　anger



glittered　in　his　eyes；　and　faded　out　again；　extinguished　by　the



nobler　emotions　of　grief　and　shame。　He　remembered　Winterfield's



introduction　to　Stella。







〃Her　husband！〃　he　said；　speaking　again　to　himself。　〃And　she　let



me　introduce　him　to　her。　And　she　received　him　like　a　stranger。〃



He　paused；　and　thought　of　it。　〃The　proofs；　if　you　please；　sir；〃



he　resumed；　with　sudden　humility。　〃I　don't　want　to　hear　any



particulars。　It　will　be　enough　for　me　if　I　know　beyond　all　doubt



that　I　have　been　deceived　and　disgraced。〃







Father　Benwell　unlocked　his　desk　and　placed　two　papers　before



Romayne。　He　did　his　duty　with　a　grave　indifference　to　all　minor



considerations。　The　time　had　not　yet　come　for　expressions　of



sympathy　and　regret。







〃The　first　paper；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　certified　copy　of　the　register



of　the　marriage　of　Miss　Eyrecourt　to　Mr。　Winterfield；　celebrated



（as　you　will　see）　by　the　English　chaplain　at　Brussels；　and



witnessed　by　three　persons。　Look　at　the　names。〃







The　bride's　mother　was　the　first　witness。　The　two　names　t　hat



followed　were　the　names　of　Lord　and　Lady　Loring。　〃_They_；　too；　in



the　conspiracy　to　deceive　me！〃　Romayne　said；　as　he　laid　the　paper



back　on　the　table。







〃I　obtained　that　piece　of　written　evidence；〃　Father　Benwell



proceeded；　〃by　the　help　of　a　reverend　colleague　of　mine；　residing



at　Brussels。　I　will　give　you　his　name　and　address；　if　you　wish　to



make　further　inquiries。〃







〃Quite　needless。　What　is　this　other　paper？〃







〃This　other　paper　is　an　extract　from　the　short…hand　writer's



notes　（suppressed　in　the　reports　of　the　public　journals）　of



proceedings　in　an　English　court　of　law；　obtained　at　my　request　by



my　lawyer　in　London。〃







〃What　have　I　to　do　with　it？〃







He　put　the　question　in　a　tone　of　passive　enduranceresigned　to



the　severest　moral　martyrdom　that　could　be　inflicted　on　him。







〃I　will　answer　you　in　two　words；〃　said　Father　Benwell。　〃In



justice　to　Miss　Eyrecourt；　I　am　bound　to　produce　her　excuse　for



marrying　you。〃







Romayne　looked　at　him　in　stern　amazement。







〃Excuse！〃　he　repeated。







〃Yesexcuse。　The　proceedings　to　which　I　have　alluded　declare



Miss　Eyrecourt's　marriage　to　Mr。　Winterfield　to　be　null　and



voidby　the　English　lawin　consequence　of　his　having　been



married　at　the　time　to　another　woman。　Try　to　follow　me。　I　will



put　it　as　briefly　as　possible。　In　justice　to　yourself；　and　to



your　future　career；　you　must　understand　this　revolting　case



thoroughly；　from　beginning　to　end。〃







With　those　prefatory　words；　he　told　the　story　of　Winterfield's



first　marriage；　altering　nothing；　concealing　nothing；　doing　the



fullest　justice　to　Winterfield's　innocence　of　all　evil　motive；



from　first　to　last。　When　the　plain　truth　served　his　purpose；　as



it　most　assuredly　did　in　this　case；　the　man　has　never　yet　been



found　who　could　match　Father　Benwell　at　stripping　himself　of



every　vestige　of　reserve；　and　exhibiting　his　naked　heart　to　the



moral　admiration　of　mankind。







〃You　were　mortified；　and　I　was　surprised；〃　he　went　on；　〃when　Mr。



Winterfield　dropped　his　acquaintance　with　you。　We　now　know　that



he　acted　like　an　honorable　man。〃







He　waited　to　see　what　effect　he　had　produced。　Romayne　was　in　no



state　of　mind　to　do　justice　to　Winterfield　or　to　any　one。　His



pride　was　mortally　wounded；　his　high　sense　of　honor　and　delicacy



writhed　under　the　outrage　inflicted　on　it。







〃And　mind　this；〃　Father　Benwell　persisted；　〃poor　human　nature　has



its　right　to　all　that　can　be　justly　conceded　in　the　way　of　excuse



and　allowance。　Miss　Eyrecourt　would　naturally　be　advised　by　her



friends；　would　naturally　be　eager；　on　her　own　part；　to　keep



hidden　from　you　what　happened　at　Brussels。　A　sensitive　woman；



placed　in　a　position　so　horribly　false　and　degrading；　must　not　be



too　severely　judged；　even　when　she　does　wrong。　I　am　bound　to　say



thisand　more。　Speaking　from　my　own　knowledge　of　all　the



parties；　I　have　no　doubt　that　Miss　Eyrecourt　and　Mr。　Winterfield



did　really　part　at　the　church　door。〃







Romayne　answered　by　a　lookso　disdainfully　expressive　of　the



most　immovable　unbelief　that　it　absolutely　justified　the　fatal



advice　by　which　Stella's　worldly…wise　friends　had　encouraged　her



to　conceal　the　truth。　Father　Benwell　prudently　closed　his　lips。



He　had　put　the　case　with　perfect　fairnesshis　bitterest　enemy



could　not　have　denied　that。







Romayne　took　up　the　second　paper；　looked　at　it；　and　threw　it　back



again　on　the　table　with　an　expression　of　disgust。







〃You　told　me　just　now；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　was　married　to　the　wife



of　another　man。　And　there　is　the　judge's　decision；　releasing　Miss



Eyrecourt　from　her　marriage　to　Mr。　Winterfield。　May　I　ask　you　to



explain　yourself？〃







〃Certainly。　Let　me　first　remind　you　that　you　owe　religious



allegiance　to　the　principles　which　the　Church　has　asserted；　for



centuries　past；　with　all　the　authority　of　its　divine　institution。



You　admit　that？〃







〃I　admit　it。〃







〃Now；　listen！　In　_our_　church；　Romayne；　marriage　is　even　more



than　a　religious　institutionit　is　a　sacrament。　We　acknowledge



no　human　laws　which　profane　that　sacrament。　Take　two　examples　of



what　I　say。　When　the　great　Napoleon　was　at　the　height　of　his



power；　Pius　the　Seventh　refused　to　acknowledge　the　validity　of



the　Emperor's　second　marriage　to　Maria　Louisawhile　Josephine



was　living；　divorced　by　the　French　Senate。　Again；　in　the　face　of



the　Royal　Marriage　Act；　the　Church　sanctioned　the　marriage　of



Mrs。　Fitzherbert　to　George　the　Fourth；　and　still　declares；　in



justice　to　her　memory；　that　she　was　the　king's　lawful　wife。　In



one　word