the black robe-第50章

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



one　word；　marriage；　to　_be_　marriage　at　all；　must　be　the　object



of　a　purely　religious　celebrationand；　this　condition　complied



with；　marriage　is　only　to　be　dissolved　by　death。　You　remember



what　I　told　you　of　Mr。　Winterfield？〃







〃Yes。　His　first　marriage　took　place　before　the　registrar。〃







〃In　plain　English；　Romayne；　Mr。　Winterfield　and　the　woman…rider



in　the　circus　pronounced　a　formula　of　words　before　a　layman　in　an



office。　That　is　not　only　no　marriage；　it　is　a　blasphemous



profanation　of　a　holy　rite。　Acts　of　Parliament　which　sanction



such　proceedings　are　acts　of　infidelity。　The　Church　declares　it；



in　defense　of　religion。〃







〃I　understand　you；〃　said　Romayne。　〃Mr。　Winterfield's　marriage　at



Brussels〃







〃Which　the　English　law；〃　Father　Benwell　interposed；　〃declares　to



be　annulled　by　the　marriage　before　the　registrar；　stands　good；



nevertheless；　by　the　higher　law　of　the　Church。　Mr。　Winterfield　is



Miss　Eyrecourt's　husband；　as　long　as　they　both　live。　An　ordained



priest　performed　the　ceremony　in　a　consecrated　buildingand



Protestant　marriages；　so　celebrated；　are　marriages　acknowledged



by　the　Catholic　Church。　Under　those　circumstances；　the　ceremony



which　afterward　united　you　to　Miss　Eyrecourtthough　neither　you



nor　the　clergyman　were　to　blamewas　a　mere　mockery。　Need　I　to



say　any　more？　Shall　I　leave　you　for　a　while　by　yourself？〃







〃No！　I　don't　know　what　I　may　think；　I　don't　know　what　I　may　do；



if　you　leave　me　by　myself。〃







Father　Benwell　took　a　chair　by　Romayne's　side。　〃It　has　been　my



hard　duty　to　grieve　and　humiliate　you；〃　he　said。　〃Do　you　bear　me



no　ill　will？〃　He　held　out　his　hand。







Romayne　took　itas　an　act　of　justice；　if　not　as　an　act　of



gratitude。







〃Can　I　be　of　any　use　in　advising　you？〃　Father　Benwell　asked。







〃Who　can　advise　a　man　in　my　position？〃　Romayne　bitterly　rejoined。







〃I　can　at　least　suggest　that　you　should　take　time　to　think　over



your　position。〃







〃Time？　take　time？　You　talk　as　if　my　situation　was　endurable。〃







〃Everything　is　endurable；　Romayne！〃







〃It　may　be　so　to　you；　Father　Benwell。　Did　you　part　with　your



humanity　when　you　put　on　the　black　robe　of　the　priest？〃







〃I　parted；　my　son；　with　those　weaknesses　of　_our_　humanity　on



which　women　practice。　You　talk　of　your　position。　I　will　put　it



before　you　at　its　worst。〃







〃For　what　purpose？〃







〃To　show　you　exactly　what　you　have　now　to　decide。　Judged　by　the



law　of　England；　Mrs。　Romayne　is　your　wife。　Judged　by　the



principles　held　sacred　among　the　religious　community　to　which　you



belong；　she　is　not　Mrs。　Romayneshe　is　Mrs。　Winterfield；　living



with　you　in　adultery。　If　you　regret　your　conversion〃







〃I　don't　regret　it；　Father　Benwell。〃







〃If　you　renounce　the　holy　aspirations　which　you　have　yourself



acknowledged　to　me；　return　to　your　domestic　life。　But　don't　ask



us；　while　you　are　living　with　that　lady；　to　respect　you　as　a



member　of　our　communion。〃







Romayne　was　silent。　The　more　violent　emotions　aroused　in　him　had；



with　time；　subsided　into　calm。　Tenderness；　mercy；　past　affection；



found　their　opportunity；　and　pleaded　with　him。　The　priest's　bold



language　had　missed　the　object　at　which　it　aimed。　It　had　revived



in　Romayne's　memory　the　image　of　Stella　in　the　days　when　he　had



first　seen　her。　How　gently　her　influence　had　wrought　on　him　for



good！　how　tenderly；　how　truly；　she　had　loved　him。　〃Give　me　some



more　wine！〃　he　cried。　〃I　feel　faint　and　giddy。　Don't　despise　me；



Father　BenwellI　was　once　so　fond　of　her！〃







The　priest　poured　out　the　wine。　〃I　feel　for　you；〃　he　said。



〃Indeed；　indeed；　I　feel　for　you。〃







It　was　not　all　a　liethere　were　grains　of　truth　in　that　outburst



of　sympathy。　Father　Benwell　was　not　wholly　merciless。　His



far…seeing　intellect；　his　daring　duplicity；　carried　him　straight



on　to　his　end　in　view。　But；　that　end　once　gainedand；　let　it　be



remembered；　not　gained；　in　this　case；　whol　ly　for　himselfthere



were　compassionate　impulses　left　in　him　which　sometimes　forced



their　way　to　the　surface。　A　man　of　high　intelligencehowever　he



may　misuse　it；　however　unworthy　he　may　be　of　ithas　a　gift　from



Heaven。　When　you　want　to　see　unredeemed　wickedness；　look　for　it



in　a　fool。







〃Let　me　mention　one　circumstance；〃　Father　Benwell　proceeded；



〃which　may　help　to　relieve　you　for　the　moment。　In　your　present



state　of　mind；　you　cannot　return　to　The　Retreat。〃







〃Impossible！〃







〃I　have　had　a　room　prepared　for　you　in　this　house。　Here；　free



from　any　disturbing　influence；　you　can　shape　the　future　course　of



your　life。　If　you　wish　to　communicate　with　your　residence　at



Highgate〃







〃Don't　speak　of　it！〃







Father　Benwell　sighed。　〃Ah；　I　understand！〃　he　said；　sadly。　〃The



house　associated　with　Mr。　Winterfield's　visit〃







Romayne　again　interrupted　himthis　time　by　gesture　only。　The



hand　that　had　made　the　sign　clinched　itself　when　it　rested



afterward　on　the　table。　His　eyes　looked　downward；　under　frowning



brows。　At　the　name　of　Winterfield；　remembrances　that　poisoned



every　better　influence　in　him　rose　venomously　in　his　mind。　Once



more　he　loathed　the　deceit　that　had　been　practiced　on　him。　Once



more　the　detestable　doubt　of　that　asserted　parting　at　the　church



door　renewed　its　stealthy　torment；　and　reasoned　with　him　as　if　in



words：　She　has　deceived　you　in　one　thing；　why　not　in　another？







〃Can　I　see　my　lawyer　here？〃　he　asked；　suddenly。







〃My　dear　Romayne；　you　can　see　any　one　whom　you　like　to　invite。〃







〃I　shall　not　trouble　you　by　staying　very　long；　Father　Benwell。〃







〃Do　nothing　in　a　hurry；　my　son。　Pray　do　nothing　in　a　hurry！〃







Romayne　paid　no　attention　to　this　entreaty。　Shrinking　from　the



momentous　decision　that　awaited　him；　his　mind　instinctively　took



refuge　in　the　prospect　of　change　of　scene。　〃I　shall　leave



England；〃　he　said；　impatiently。







〃Not　alone！〃　Father　Benwell　remonstrated。







〃Who　will　be　my　companion？〃







〃I　will；〃　the　priest　answered。







Romayne's　weary　eyes　brightened　faintly。　In　his　desolate



position；　Father　Benwell　was　the　one　friend　on　whom　he　could



rely。　Penrose　was　far　away；　the　Lorings　had　helped　to　keep　him



deceived；　Major　Hynd　had　openly　pitied　and　despised　him　as　a



victim　to　priestcraft。







〃Can　you　go　with　me　at　any　time？〃　he　asked。　〃Have　you　no　duties



that　keep　you　in　England？〃







〃My　duties；　Romayne；　are　already　confided　to　other　hands。〃







〃Then　you　have　foreseen　this？〃







〃I　have　thought　it　possible。　Your　journey　may　be　long；　or　it　may



be　shortyou　shall　not　go　away　alone。〃







〃I　can　think　of　nothing　yet；　my　mind　is　a　blank；〃　Romayne



confessed　sadly。　〃I　don't　know　where　I　shall　go。〃







〃I　know　where　you　ought　to　goand　where　you　_will_　go；〃　said



Father　Benwell；　emphatically。







〃Where？〃







〃To　Rome。〃







Romayne　understood　the　true　meaning　of　that　brief　reply。　A　vague



sense　of　dismay　began　to　rise　in　his　mind。　While　he　was　still



tortured　by　doubt；　it　seemed　as　if　Father　Benwell　had；　by　some



inscrutable　process　of　prevision；　planned　out　his　future



beforehand。　Had　the　priest　foreseen　events？







Nohe　had　only　foreseen　possibilities；　on　the　day　when　it　first



occurred　to　him　that　Romayne's　marriage　was　assailable；　before



the　court　of　Romayne's　conscience；　from　the　Roman　Catholic　point



of　view。　By　this　means；　the　misfortune　of　Romayne's　marriage



having　preceded　his　conversion　might　be　averted；　and　the　one



certain　obstacle　in　the　way　of　any　change　of　purpose　on　his



partthe　obstacle　of　the　priesthoodmight　still　be　set　up；　by



the　voluntary　separation　of　the　husband　from　the　wife。　Thus　far



the　Jesuit　had　modestly　described　himself　to　his　reverend



colleagues；　as　regarding　his　position　toward　Romayne　in　a　new



light。　His　next　letter　might　boldly　explain　to　them　what　he　had



really　meant。　The　triumph　was　won。　Not　a　word　more　passed　between



his　guest　and　himself　that　morning。















Before　post…time；　on　the　same　day；　Father　Benwell　wrote　his　last



report　to　the　Secretary　of　the　Society　of　Jesus；　in　these　lines：







〃Romayne　is　free　from　the　domestic　ties　that　bound　him。　He　leaves



it　to　me　to　restore　Vange　Abbey　to　the　Church；　and　he



acknowledges　a　vocation　for　the　priesthood。　Expect　us　at　Rome　in



a　fortnight's　time。〃







AFTER　THE　STORY。







EXTRACTS　FROM　BERNARD　WINTERFIELD'S　DIARY。







I。







WINTERFIELD　DEFENDS　HIMSELF。







Beaupark　House；　June　17th；　18。







You　and　I；　Cousin　Beeminster；　seldom　meet。　But　I　occasionally



hear　of　you；　from　friends　acquainted　with　both　of　us。







I　have　heard　of　you　last　at　Sir　Philip's　rent…day　dinner　a　week



since。　My　name　happened　to　be　mentioned　by　one　of　the　gentlemen



present；　a　guest　like　yourself。　You　took　up　the　subject　of　your



own　free　will；　and　spoke　of　me　in　these　terms：







〃I　am　sorry　to　say　it　of　the　existing　head　of　the　familybut



Bernard　is　really　unfit　for　the　position　which　he　holds。　He　has；



to　say　the　least　of　it；　compromised　himself　and　his　relatives　on



more　than　one　occasion。　He　began　as　a　young　man　by　marrying　a



circus…rider。　He　got　into　some　other　scrape；　after　that；　which　he



has　contrived　to　keep　a　secret　from　us。　We　only　know　how



disgraceful　it　must　have　been　by　the　resultshe　was　a　voluntary



exile　from　England　for　more　than　a　year。　And　now；　to　complete　the



list；　he　has　mixed　himself　up　in　that　miserable　and　revolting



business　of　Lewis　Romayne　and　his　wife。〃







If　any　other　person　had　spoken　of　me　in　this　manner；　I　should



have　set　him　down　as　a　mischievous　idiotto　be　kicked　perhaps；



but　not　to　be　noticed　in　any　other　way。







With　you；　the　case　is　different。　If　I　die　without　male　offspring；



the　Beaupark　estate　goes　to　you；　as　next　heir。







I　don't　choose　to　let　a　man　in　this　position　slander　me；　and



those　dear　to　me；　without　promptly　contradicting　him。　The　name　I



bear　is　precious　to　me；　in　memory　of　my　father。　Your　unanswered



allusion　to　my　relations　with　〃Lewis　Romayne　and　his　wife；〃



coming　from　a　member　of　the　family；　will　be　received　as　truth。



Rather　than　let　this　be；　I　reveal　to　you；　with