the black robe-第53章

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〃I　knew　him　and　his　motheryou　shall　hear　how；　at　another　time。



I　suppose　I　felt　a　presentiment　that　the　boy　would　have　some　evil



influence　over　me。　At　any　rate；　when　I　accidentally　touched　him；



I　trembled　as　if　I　had　touched　a　serpent。　You　will　think　me



superstitiousbut；　after　what　you　have　said；　it　is　certainly



true　that　he　has　been　the　indirect　cause　of　the　misfortune　that



has　fallen　on　me。　How　came　he　to　steal　the　papers？　Did　you　ask



the　Rector；　when　you　went　to　Belhaven？〃







〃I　asked　the　Rector　nothing。　But　he　thought　it　his　duty　to　tell



me　all　that　he　knew　of　the　theft。〃







She　drew　her　chair　nearer　to　me。　〃Let　me　hear　every　word　of　it！〃



she　pleaded　eagerly。







I　felt　some　reluctance　to　comply　with　the　request。







〃Is　it　not　fit　for　me　to　hear？〃　she　asked。







This　forced　me　to　be　plain　with　her。　〃If　I　repeat　what　the　Rector



told　me；〃　I　said；　〃I　must　speak　of　my　wife。〃







She　took　my　hand。　〃You　have　pitied　and　forgiven　her；〃　she



answered。　〃Speak　of　her；　Bernardand　don't；　for　God's　sake；



think　that　my　heart　is　harder　than　yours。〃







I　kissed　the　hand　that　she　had　given　to　meeven　her　〃brother〃



might　do　that！







〃It　began；〃　I　said；　〃in　the　grateful　attachment　which　the　boy



felt　for　my　wife。　He　refused　to　leave　her　bedside　on　the　day　when



she　dictated　her　confession　to　the　Rector。　As　he　was　entirely



ignorant　of　the　English　language；　there　seemed　to　be　no　objection



to　letting　him　have　his　own　way。　He　became　inquisitive　as　the



writing　went　on。　His　questions　annoyed　the　Rectorand　as　the



easiest　way　of　satisfying　his　curiosity；　my　wife　told　him　that



she　was　making　her　will。　He　knew　just　enough；　from　what　he　had



heard　at　various　times；　to　associate　making　a　will　with　gifts　of



moneyand　the　pretended　explanation　silenced　and　satisfied　him。〃







〃Did　the　Rector　understand　it？〃　Stella　asked。







〃Yes。　Like　many　other　Englishmen　in　his　position；　although　he　was



not　ready　at　speaking　French；　he　could　read　the　language；　and



could　fairly　well　understand　it；　when　it　was　spoken。　After　my



wife's　death；　he　kindly　placed　the　boy；　for　a　few　days；　under　the



care　of　his　housekeeper。　Her　early　life　had　been　passed　in　the



island　of　Martinique；　and　she　was　able　to　communicate　with　the



friendless　foreigner　in　his　own　language。　When　he　disappeared；



she　was　the　only　person　who　could　throw　any　light　on　his　motive



for　stealing　the　papers。　On　the　day　when　he　entered　the　house；



she　caught　him　peeping　through　the　keyhole　of　the　study　door。　He



must　have　seen　where　the　confession　was　placed；　and　the　color　of



the　old…fashioned　blue　paper；　on　which　it　was　written；　would　help



him　to　identify　it。　The　next　morning；　during　the　Rector's



absence；　he　brought　the　manuscript　to　the　housekeeper；　and　asked



her　to　translate　it　into　French；　so　that　he　might　know　how　much



money　was　left　to　him　in　〃the　will。〃　She　severely　reproved　him；



made　him　replace　the　paper　in　the　desk　from　which　he　had　taken



it；　and　threatened　to　tell　the　Rector　if　his　misconduct　was



repeated。　He　promised　amendment；　and　the　good…natured　woman



believed　him。　On　that　evening　the　papers　were　sealed；　and　locked



up。　In　the　morning　the　lock　was　found　broken；　and　the　papers　and



the　boy　were　both　missing　together。〃







〃Do　you　think　he　showed　the　confession　to　any　other　person？〃



Stella　asked。　〃I　happen　to　know　that　he　concealed　it　from　his



mother。〃







〃After　the　housekeeper's　reproof；〃　I　replied；　〃he　would　be



cunning　enough；　in　my　opinion；　not　to　run　the　risk　of　showing　it



to　strangers。　It　is　far　more　likely　that　he　thought　he　might



learn　English　enough　to　read　it　himself。〃







There　the　subject　dropped。　We　were　silent　for　a　while。　She　was



thinking；　and　I　was　looking　at　her。　On　a　sudden；　she　raised　her



head。　Her　eyes　rested　on　me　gravely。







〃It　is　very　strange！〃　she　said







〃What　is　strange？〃







〃I　have　been　thinking　of　the　Lorings。　They　encouraged　me　to　doubt



you。　They　advised　me　to　be　silent　about　what　happened　at



Brussels。　And　they　too　are　concerned　in　my　husband's　desertion　of



me。　He　first　met　Father　Benwell　at　their　house。〃　Her　head　drooped



again；　her　next　words　were　murmured　to　herself。　〃I　am　still　a



young　woman；〃　she　said。　〃Oh；　God；　what　is　my　future　to　be？〃







This　morbid　way　of　thinking　distressed　me。　I　reminded　her　that



she　had　dear　and　devoted　friends。







〃Not　one；〃　she　answered；　〃but　you。〃







〃Have　you　not　seen　Lady　Loring？〃　I　asked。







〃She　and　her　husband　have　written　most　kindly；　inviting　me　to



make　their　house　my　home。　I　have　no　right　to　blame　themthey



meant　well。　But　after　what　has　happened；　I　can't　go　back　to



them。〃







〃I　am　sorry　to　hear　it；〃　I　said。







〃Are　you　thinking　of　the　Lorings？〃　she　asked。







〃I　don't　even　know　the　Lorings。　I　can　think　of　nobody　but　you。〃







I　was　still　looking　at　herand　I　am　afraid　my　eyes　said　more



than　my　words。　If　she　had　doubted　it　before；　she　must　have　now



known　that　I　was　as　fond　of　her　as　ever。　She　looked　distressed



rather　than　confused。　I　made　an　awkward　attempt　to　set　myself



right。







〃Surely　your　brother　may　speak　plainly；〃　I　pleaded。







She　agreed　to　this。　But　nevertheless　she　rose　to　gowith　a



friendly　word；　intended　（as　I　hoped）　to　show　me　that　I　had　got　my



pardon　for　that　time。　〃Will　you　come　and　see　us　to…morrow？〃　she



said。　〃Can　you　forgive　my　mother　as　generously　as　you　have



forgiven　me？　I　will　take　care；　Bernard；　that　she　does　you　justice



at　last。〃







She　held　out　her　hand　to　take　leave。　How　could　I　reply？　If　I　had



been　a　resolute　man；　I　might　have　remembered　that　it　would　be



best　for　me　not　to　see　too　much　of　her。　But　I　am　a　poor　weak



creatureI　accepted　her　invitation　for　the　next　day。







January　30。I　have　just　returned　from　my　visit。







My　thoughts　are　in　a　state　of　indescribable　conflict　and



confusionand　her　mother　is　the　cause　of　it。　I　wish　I　had　not



gone　to　the　house。　Am　I　a　bad　man；　I　wonder？　and　have　I　only



found　it　out　now？







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　was　alone　in　the　drawing…room　when　I　went　in。



Judging　by　the　easy　manner　in　which　she　got　up　to　receive　me；　the



misfortune　that　has　befallen　her　daughter　seemed　to　have　produced



no　sobering　change　in　this　frivolous　woman。







〃My　dear　Winterfield；〃　she　began；　〃I　have　behaved　infamously。　I



won't　say　that　appearances　were　against　you　at　BrusselsI　will



only　say　I　ought　not　to　have　trusted　to　appearances。　You　are　the



injured　person；　please　forgive　me。　Shall　we　go　on　with　the



subject？　or　shall　we　shake　hands；　and　say　no　more　about　it？〃







I　shook　hands；　of　course。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　perceived　that　I　was



looking　for　Stella。







〃Sit　down；〃　she　said；　〃and　be　good　enough　to　put　up　with　no　more



attractive　society　than　mine。　Unless　I　set　things　straight；　my



good　friend；　you　and　my　daughteroh；　with　the　best



intentions！will　drift　into　a　false　position。　You　won't　see



Stella　to…day。　Quite　impossibleand　I　will　tell　you　why。　I　am



the　worldly　old　mother；　I　don't　mind　what　I　say。　My　innocent



daughter　would　die　before　she　would　confess　what　I　am　going　to



tell　you。　Can　I　offer　you　anything？　Have　you　had　lunch？〃







I　begged　her　to　continue。　She　perplexedI　am　not　sure　that　she



did　not　even　alarm　me。







〃Very　well；〃　she　proceeded。　〃You　may　be　surprised　to　hear　itbut



I　don't　mean　to　allow　things　to　go　on　in　this　way。　My



contemptible　son…in…law　shall　return　to　his　wife。〃







This　startled　me；　and　I　suppose　I　showed　it。







〃Wait　a　little；〃　said　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　〃There　is　nothing　to　be



alarmed　about。　Romayne　is　a　weak　fool；　and　Father　Benwell's



greedy　hands　are　（of　course）　　in　both　his　pockets。　But　he　has；



unless　I　am　e　ntirely　mistaken；　some　small　sense　of　shame；　and



some　little　human　feeling　still　left。　After　the　manner　in　which



he　has　behaved；　these　are　the　merest　possibilities；　you　will　say。



Very　likely。　I　have　boldly　appealed　to　those　possibilities



nevertheless。　He　has　already　gone　away　to　Rome；　and　I　need　hardly



addFather　Benwell　would　take　good　care　of　thathe　has　left　us



no　address。　It　doesn't　in　the　least　matter。　One　of　the　advantages



of　being　so　much　in　society　as　I　am　is　that　I　have　nice



acquaintances　everywhere；　always　ready　to　oblige　me；　provided　I



don't　borrow　money　of　them。　I　have　written　to　Romayne；　under



cover　to　one　of　my　friends　living　in　Rome。　Wherever　he　may　be；



there　my　letter　will　find　him。〃







So　far；　I　listened　quietly　enough；　naturally　supposing　that　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　trusted　to　her　own　arguments　and　persuasions。　I　confess



it　even　to　myself；　with　shame。　It　was　a　relief　to　me　to　feel　that



the　chances　（with　such　a　fanatic　as　Romayne）　were　a　hundred　to



one　against　her。







This　unworthy　way　of　thinking　was　instantly　checked　by　Mrs。



Eyrecourt's　next　words。







〃Don't　suppose　that　I　am　foolish　enough　to　attempt　to　reason　with



him；〃　she　went　on。　〃My　letter　begins　and　ends　on　the　first　page。



His　wife　has　a　claim　on　him；　which　no　newly…married　man　can



resist。　Let　me　do　him　justice。　He　knew　nothing　of　it　before　he



went　away。　My　lettermy　daughter　has　no　suspicion　that　I　have



written　ittells　him　plainly　what　the　claim　is。〃







She　paused。　Her　eyes　softened；　her　voice　sank　lowshe　became



quite　unlike　the　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　whom　I　knew。







〃In　a　few　months　more；　Winterfield；〃　she　said；　〃my　poor　Stella



will　be　a　mother。　My　letter　calls　Romayne　back　to　his　wife_and



his　child。〃_







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　paused；　evidently　expecting　me　to　offer　an　opinion



of　some　sort。　For　the　moment　I　was　really　unable　to　speak。



Stella's　mother　never　had　a　very　high　opinion　of　my　abilities。



She　now　appeared　to　consider　me　the　stupidest　person　in　the



circle　of　her　acquaintance。







〃Are　you　a　little　deaf；　Winterfield？〃　she　asked。







〃Not　that　I　know　of。〃







〃Do　you　understand　me？〃







〃Oh；　yes。〃







〃Then　why　can't　you　say　something？　I　want　a　man's　opinion　of　our



prospects。　Good　gracious；　how　you　fidget！　Put　yourself　in



Romayne's　place；　and　tell　me　this。　If　_you_　had　left　Stella〃







〃I　should　never　have　left　her；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。〃







〃Be　quiet。　You　don't　know　what　you　would　have　done。　I　insist　on



your　supposing　yourself　to　be　a