the black robe-第54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！









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



your　supposing　yourself　to　be　a　weak；　superstitious；　conceited；



fanatical　fool。　You　understand？　Now；　tell　me；　then。　Could　you



keep　away　from　your　wife；　when　you　were　called　back　to　her　in　the



name　of　your　firstborn　child？　Could　you　resist　that？〃







〃Most　assuredly　not！〃







I　contrived　to　reply　with　an　appearance　of　tranquillity。　It　was



not　very　easy　to　speak　with　composure。　Envious；　selfish；



contemptibleno　language　is　too　strong　to　describe　the　turn　my



thoughts　now　took。　I　never　hated　any　human　being　as　I　hated



Romayne　at　that　moment。



　〃Damn　him；　he　will　come　back！〃　There　was　my　inmost　feeling



expressed　in　words。







In　the　meantime；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　was　satisfied。



　She　dashed　at　the　next　subject　as　fluent　and　as　confident　as



ever。







〃Now；　Winterfield；　it　is　surely　plain　to　your　mind　that　you　must



not　see　Stella　againexcept　when　I　am　present　to　tie　the　tongue



of　scandal。　My　daughter's　conduct　must　not　allow　her　husbandif



you　only　knew　how　I　detest　that　man！must　not；　I　say；　allow　her



husband　the　slightest　excuse　for　keeping　away　from　her。　If　we



give　that　odious　old　Jesuit　the　chance；　he　will　make　a　priest　of



Romayne　before　we　know　where　we　are。　The　audacity　of　these



Papists　is　really　beyond　belief。　You　remember　how　they　made



Bishops　and　Archbishops　here；　in　flat　defiance　of　our　laws？



Father　Benwell　follows　that　example；　and　sets　our　other　laws　at



defianceI　mean　our　marriage　laws。　I　am　so　indignant　I　can't



express　myself　as　clearly　as　usual。　Did　Stella　tell　you　that　he



actually　shook　Romayne's　belief　in　his　own　marriage？　Ah；　I



understandshe　kept　that　to　herself；　poor　dear；　and　with　good



reason；　too。　〃







I　thought　of　the　turned…down　page　in　the　letter。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



readily　revealed　what　her　daughter's　delicacy　had　forbidden　me　to



readincluding　the　monstrous　assumption　which　connected　my



marriage　before　the　registrar　with　her　son…in…law's　scruples。







〃Yes；〃　she　proceeded；　〃these　Catholics　are　all　alike。　My



daughterI　don't　mean　my　sweet　Stella；　I　mean　the　unnatural



creature　in　the　nunnerysets　herself　above　her　own　mother。　Did　I



ever　tell　you　she　was　impudent　enough　to　say　she　would　pray　for



me？　Father　Benwell　and　the　Papal　Aggression　over　again！　Now　tell



me；　Winterfield；　don't　you　think；　taking　the　circumstances　into



considerationthat　you　will　act　like　a　thoroughly　sensible　man



if　you　go　back　to　Devonshire　while　we　are　in　our　present



situation？　What　with　foot…warmers　in　the　carriage；　and　newspapers



and　magazines　to　amuse　you；　it　isn't　such　a　very　long　journey。



And　then　Beauparkdear　Beauparkis　such　a　remarkably



comfortable　house　in　the　winter；　and　you；　you　enviable　creature；



are　such　a　popular　man　in　the　neighborhood。　Oh；　go　back！　go



back！〃







I　got　up　and　took　my　hat。　She　patted　me　on　the　shoulder。　I　could



have　throttled　her　at　that　moment。　And　yet　she　was　right。







〃You　will　make　my　excuses　to　Stella？〃　I　said。







〃You　dear；　good　fellow；　I　will　do　more　than　make　your　excuses；　I



will　sing　your　praisesas　the　poet　says。〃　In　her　ungovernable



exultation　at　having　got　rid　of　me；　she　burst　into　extravagant



language。　〃I　feel　like　a　mother　to　you；〃　she　went　on；　as　we　shook



hands　at　parting。　〃I　declare　I　could　almost　let　you　kiss　me。〃







There　was　not　a　single　kissable　place　about　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；



unpainted；　undyed；　or　unpowdered。　I　resisted　temptation　and



opened　the　door。　There　was　still　one　last　request　that　I　could



not　help　making。







〃Will　you　let　me　know；〃　I　said；　〃when　you　hear　from　Rome？〃







〃With　the　greatest　pleasure；〃　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　answered；　briskly。



〃Good…by；　you　best　of　friendsgood…by。〃







I　write　these　lines　while　the　servant　is　packing　my　portmanteau。



Traveler　knows　what　that　means。　My　dog　is　glad；　at　any　rate；　to



get　away　from　London。　I　think　I　shall　hire　a　yacht；　and　try　what



a　voyage　round　the　world　will　do　for　me。　I　wish　to　God　I　had



never　seen　Stella！







Second　Extract。







Beaupark；　February　10。News　at　last　from　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。







Romayne　has　not　even　read　the　letter　that　she　addressed　to



himit　has　actually　been　returned　to　her　by　Father　Benwell。　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　writes；　naturally　enough；　in　a　state　of　fury。　Her　one



consolation；　under　this　insulting　treatment；　is　that　her　daughter



knows　nothing　of　the　circumstances。　She　warns　me　（quite



needlessly）　to　keep　the　secretand　sends　me　a　copy　of　Father



Benwell's　letter：







〃Dear　MadamMr。　Romayne　can　read　nothing　that　diverts　his



attention　from　his　preparation　for　the　priesthood；　or　that



recalls　past　associations　with　errors　which　he　has　renounced



forever。　When　a　letter　reaches　him；　it　is　his　wise　custom　to　look



at　the　signature　first。　He　has　handed　your　letter　to　me；



_unread_with　a　request　that　I　will　return　it　to　you。　In　his



presence；　I　instantly　sealed　it　up。　Neither　he　nor　I　know；　or



wish　to　know；　on　what　subject　you　have　addressed　him。　We



respectfully　advise　you　not　to　write　again。〃







This　is　really　too　bad；　but　it　has　one　advantage；　so　far　as　I　am



concerned。　It　sets　my　own　unworthy　doubts　and　jealousies　before



me　in　a　baser　light　than　ever。　How　honestly　I　defended　Father



Benwell！　and　how　completely　he　has　deceived　me！　I　wonder　whether



I　shall　live　long　enough　to　see　the　Jesuit　caught　in　one　of　his



own　traps？







11th。I　was　disappointed　at　not　hearing　from　Stella；　yesterday。



This　morning　has　made　amends；　it　has　brought　me　a　letter　from



her。







She　is　not　well；　and　her　mother's　conduct　sadly　perplexes　her。　At



one　time；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　sense　of　injury　urges　her　to　indulge



in　violent　measuresshe　is　eager　to　place　her　deserted　daughter



under　the　protection　of　the　law；　to　insist　on　a　restitution　of



conjugal　rights　or　on　a　judicial　separation。　At　another　time　she



sinks　into　a　state　of　abject　depression；　declares　that　it　is



impossible　for　her；　in　Stella's　deplorable　situation；　to　face



society；　and　recommends　immediate　retirement　to　some　place　on　the



Contin　ent　in　which　they　can　live　cheaply。　This　latter　suggestion



Stella　is　not　only　ready；　but　eager；　to　adopt。　She　proves　it　by



asking　for　my　advice；　in　a　postscript；　no　doubt　remembering　the



happy　days　when　I　courted　her　in　Paris；　and　the　many　foreign



friends　of　mine　who　called　at　our　hotel。







The　postscript　gave　me　the　excuse　that　I　wanted。　I　knew　perfectly



well　that　it　would　be　better　for　me　not　to　see　herand　I　went　to



London；　for　the　sole　purpose　of　seeing　her；　by　the　first　train。







London；　February　12。I　found　mother　and　daughter　together　in　the



drawing…room。　It　was　one　of　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　days　of　depression。



Her　little　twinkling　eyes　tried　to　cast　on　me　a　look　of　tragic



reproach；　she　shook　her　dyed　head　and　said；　〃Oh。　Winterfield；　I



didn't　think　you　would　have　done　this！Stella；　fetch　me　my



smelling　bottle。







But　Stella　refused　to　take　the　hint。　She　almost　brought　the　tears



into　my　eyes；　she　received　me　so　kindly。　If　her　mother　had　not



been　in　the　roombut　her　mother　_was_　in　the　room；　I　had　no



other　choice　than　to　enter　on　my　business；　as　if　I　had　been　the



family　lawyer







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　began　by　reproving　Stella　for　asking　my　advice；



and　then　assured　me　that　she　had　no　intention　of　leaving　London。



〃How　am　I　to　get　rid　of　my　house？〃　she　asked；　irritably　enough。　I



knew　that　〃her　house〃　（as　she　called　it）　was　the　furnished　upper



part　of　a　house　belonging　to　another　person；　and　that　she　could



leave　it　at　a　short　notice。　But　I　said　nothing。　I　addressed



myself　to　Stella。







〃I　have　been　thinking　of　two　or　three　places　which　you　might



like；〃　I　went　on。　〃The　nearest　place　belongs　to　an　old　French



gentleman　and　his　wife。　They　have　no　children；　and　they　don't　let



lodgings；　but　I　believe　they　would　be　glad　to　receive　friends　of



mine；　if　their　spare　rooms　are　not　already　occupied。　They　live　at



St。　Germainclose　to　Paris。〃







I　looked　at　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　as　I　said　those　last　wordsI　was　as



sly　as　Father　Benwell　himself。　Paris　justified　my　confidence：　the



temptation　was　too　much　for　her。　She　not　only　gave　way；　but



actually　mentioned　the　amount　of　rent　which　she　could　afford　to



pay。　Stella　whispered　her　thanks　to　me　as　I　went　out。　〃My　name　is



not　mentioned；　but　my　misfortune　is　alluded　to　in　the



newspapers；〃　she　said。　〃Well…meaning　friends　are　calling　and



condoling　with　me　already。　I　shall　die；　if　you　don't　help　me　to



get　away　among　strangers！〃







I　start　for　Paris　by　the　mail　train；　to…night。







Paris；　February　13。It　is　evening。　I　have　just　returned　from　St。



Germain。　Everything　is　settledwith　more　slyness　on　my　part。　I



begin　to　think　I　am　a　born　Jesuit；　there　must　have　been　some



detestable　sympathy　between　Father　Benwell　and　me。







My　good　friends；　Monsieur　and　Madame　Villeray；　will　be　only　too



glad　to　receive　English　ladies；　known　to　me　for　many　years。　The



spacious　and　handsome　first　floor　of　their　house　（inherited　from



once　wealthy　ancestors　by　Madame　Villeray）　can　be　got　ready　to



receive　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　and　her　daughter　in　a　week's　time。　Our　one



difficulty　related　to　the　question　of　money。　Monsieur　Villeray；



living　on　a　Government　pension；　was　modestly　unwilling　to　ask



terms；　and　I　was　too　absolutely　ignorant　of　the　subject　to　be　of



the　slightest　assistance　to　him。　It　ended　in　our　appealing　to　a



house…agent　at　St。　Germain。　His　estimate　appeared　to　me　to　be



quite　reasonable。　But　it　exceeded　the　pecuniary　limit　mentioned



by　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　I　had　known　the　Villerays　long　enough　to　be　in



no　danger　of　offending　them　by　proposing　a　secret　arrangement



which　permitted　me　to　pay　the　difference。　So　that　difficulty　was



got　over　in　due　course　of　time。







We　went　into　the　large　garden　at　the　back　of　the　house；　and　there



I　committed　another　act　of　duplicity。







In　a　nice　sheltered　corner　I　discovered　one　of　those　essentially



French　buildings　called　a　〃pavilion；〃　a　delightful　little　toy



house　of　three　rooms。　Another　private　arrangement　made　me　the



tenant　of　this　place。　Madame　Villeray　smiled。　〃I　bet　you；〃　she



said　to　me　in　her　very　best　English；　〃one　of　these　ladies　is　in



her　fascinating　first　youth。〃　The　good　lady　little　knows　what　a



hopeless　love　affair　mine　i