the black robe-第61章

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yesterday。







A　silent　servant　received　me　at　the　Embassy；　looked　at　the　card；



and　led　the　way　to　an　upper　floor　of　the　house。　Arrived　at　the



end　of　a　long　passage；　he　opened　a　door；　and　retired。







As　I　crossed　the　threshold　Stella　met　me。　She　took　both　my　hands



in　hers　and　looked　at　me　in　silence。　All　that　was　true　and　good



and　noble　expressed　itself　in　that　look。







The　interval　passed；　and　she　spokevery　sadly；　very　quietly。







〃One　more　work　of　mercy；　Bernard。　Help　him　to　die　with　a　heart　at



rest。〃







She　drew　backand　I　approached　him。







He　reclined；　propped　up　with　pillows；　in　a　large　easy…chair；　it



was　the　one　position　in　which　he　could　still　breathe　with



freedom。　The　ashy　shades　of　death　were　on　his　wasted　face。　In　the



eyes　alone；　as　they　slowly　turned　on　me；　there　still　glimmered



the　waning　light　of　life。　One　of　his　arms　hung　down　over　the



chair；　the　other　was　clasped　round　his　child；　sitting　on　his



knee。　The　boy　looked　at　me　wonderingly；　as　I　stood　by　his　father。



Romayne　signed　to　me　to　stoop；　so　that　I　might　hear　him。







〃Penrose？〃　he　asked；　faintly　whispering。　〃Dear　Arthur！　Not　dying；



like　me？〃







I　quieted　_that_　anxiety。　For　a　moment　there　was　even　the　shadow



of　a　smile　on　his　face；　as　I　told　him　of　the　effort　that　Penrose



had　vainly　made　to　be　the　companion　of　my　journey。　He　asked　me；



by　another　gesture；　to　bend　my　ear　to　him　once　more。







〃My　last　grateful　blessing　to　Penrose。　And　to　you。　May　I　not　say



it？　You　have　saved　Arthur〃his　eyes　turned　toward　Stella〃you



have　been　_her_　best　friend。〃　He　paused　to　recover　his　feeble



breath；　looking　round　the　large　room；　without　a　creature　in　it



but　ourselves。　Once　more　the　melancholy　shadow　of　a　smile　passed



over　his　faceand　vanished。　I　listened；　nearer　to　him　still。







〃Christ　took　a　child　on　His　knee。　The　priests　call　themselves



ministers　of　Christ。　They　have　left　me；　because　of　_this_　child；



here　on　my　knee。　Wrong；　wrong；　wrong。　Winterfield；　Death　is　a



great　teacher。　I　know　how　I　have　erredwhat　I　have　lost。　Wife



and　child。　How　poor　and　barren　all　the　rest　of　it　looks　now！〃







He　was　silent　for　a　while。　Was　he　thi　nking？　No：　he　seemed　to　be



listeningand　yet　there　was　no　sound　in　the　room。　Stella；



anxiously　watching　him；　saw　the　listening　expression　as　I　did。



Her　face　showed　anxiety；　but　no　surprise。







〃Does　it　torture　you　still？〃　she　asked。







〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　never　heard　it　plainly；　since　I　left　Rome。



It　has　grown　fainter　and　fainter　from　that　time。　It　is　not　a



Voice　now。　It　is　hardly　a　whisper：　my　repentance　is　accepted；　my



release　is　coming。　Where　is　Winterfield？〃







She　pointed　to　me。







〃I　spoke　of　Rome　just　now。　What　did　Rome　remind　me　of？〃　He　slowly



recovered　the　lost　recollection。　〃Tell　Winterfield；〃　he　whispered



to　Stella；　〃what　the　Nuncio　said　when　he　knew　that　I　was　going　to



die。　The　great　man　reckoned　up　the　dignities　that　might　have　been



mine　if　I　had　lived。　From　my　place　here　in　the　Embassy〃







〃Let　me　say　it；〃　she　gently　interposed；　〃and　spare　your　strength



for　better　things。　From　your　place　in　the　Embassy　you　would　have



mounted　a　step　higher　to　the　office　of　Vice…Legate。　Those　duties



wisely　performed；　another　rise　to　the　Auditorship　of　the



Apostolic　Chamber。　That　office　filled；　a　last　step　upward　to　the



highest　rank　left；　the　rank　of　a　Prince　of　the　Church。〃







〃All　vanity！〃　said　the　dying　Romayne。　He　looked　at　his　wife　and



his　child。　〃The　true　happiness　was　waiting　for　me　here。　And　I



only　know　it　now。　Too　late。　Too　late。〃







He　laid　his　head　back　on　the　pillow　and　closed　his　weary　eyes。　We



thought　he　was　composing　himself　to　sleep。　Stella　tried　to



relieve　him　of　the　boy。　〃No；〃　he　whispered；　〃I　am　only　resting　my



eyes　to　look　at　him　again。〃　We　waited。　The　child　stared　at　me；　in



infantine　curiosity。　His　mother　knelt　at　his　side；　and　whispered



in　his　ear。　A　bright　smile　irradiated　his　face；　his　clear　brown



eyes　sparkled；　he　repeated　the　forgotten　lesson　of　the　bygone



time；　and　called　me　once　more；　〃Uncle　Ber'。〃







Romayne　heard　it。　His　heavy　eyelids　opened　again。　〃No；〃　he　said。



〃Not　uncle。　Something　better　and　dearer。　Stella；　give　me　your



hand。〃







Still　kneeling；　she　obeyed　him。　He　slowly　raised　himself　on　the



chair。　〃Take　her　hand；〃　he　said　to　me。　I　too　knelt。　Her　hand　lay



cold　in　mine。　After　a　long　interval　he　spoke　to　me。　〃Bernard



Winterfield；〃　he　said；　〃love　them；　and　help　them；　when　I　am



gone。〃　He　laid　his　weak　hand　on　our　hands；　clasped　together。　〃May



God　protect　you！　may　God　bless　you！〃　he　murmured。　〃Kiss　me；



Stella。〃







I　remember　no　more。　As　a　man；　I　ought　to　have　set　a　better



example；　I　ought　to　have　preserved　my　self…control。　It　was　not　to



be　done。　I　turned　away　from　themand　burst　out　crying。







The　minutes　passed。　Many　minutes　or　few　minutes；　I　don't　know



which。







A　soft　knock　at　the　door　aroused　me。　I　dashed　away　the　useless



tears。　Stella　had　retired　to　the　further　end　of　the　room。　She　was



sitting　by　the　fireside；　with　the　child　in　her　arms。　I　withdrew



to　the　same　part　of　the　room；　keeping　far　enough　away　not　to



disturb　them。







Two　strangers　came　in　and　placed　themselves　on　either　side　of



Romayne's　chair。　He　seemed　to　recognize　them　unwillingly。　From



the　manner　in　which　they　examined　him；　I　inferred　that　they　were



medical　men。　After　a　consultation　in　low　tones；　one　of　them　went



out。







He　returned　again　almost　immediately；　followed　by　the　gray…headed



gentleman　whom　I　had　noticed　on　the　journey　to　Parisand　by



Father　Benwell。







The　Jesuit's　vigilant　eyes　discovered　us　instantly；　in　our　place



near　the　fireside。　I　thought　I　saw　suspicion　as　well　as　surprise



in　his　face。　But　he　recovered　himself　so　rapidly　that　I　could　not



feel　sure。　He　bowed　to　Stella。　She　made　no　return；　she　looked　as



if　she　had　not　even　seen　him。







One　of　the　doctors　was　an　Englishman。　He　said　to　Father　Benwell：



〃Whatever　your　business　may　be　with　Mr。　Romayne；　we　advise　you　to



enter　on　it　without　delay。　Shall　we　leave　the　room？〃







〃Certainly　not；〃　Father　Benwell　answered。　〃The　more　witnesses　are



present；　the　more　relieved　I　shall　feel。〃　He　turned　to　his



traveling　companion。　〃Let　Mr。　Romayne's　lawyer；〃　he　resumed；



〃state　what　our　business　is。〃







The　gray…headed　gentleman　stepped　forward。







〃Are　you　able　to　attend　to　me；　sir？〃　he　asked。







Romayne；　reclining　in　his　chair；　apparently　lost　to　all　interest



in　what　was　going　on；　heard　and　answered。　The　weak　tones　of　his



voice　failed　to　reach　my　ear　at　the　other　end　of　the　room。　The



lawyer；　seeming　to　be　satisfied　so　far；　put　a　formal　question　to



the　doctors　next。　He　inquired　if　Mr。　Romayne　was　in　full



possession　of　his　faculties。







Both　the　physicians　answered　without　hesitation　in　the



affirmative。　Father　Benwell　added　_his_　attestation。　〃Throughout



Mr。　Romayne's　illness；〃　he　said　firmly；　〃his　mind　has　been　as



clear　as　mine　is。〃







While　this　was　going　on；　the　child　had　slipped　off　his　mother's



lap；　with　the　natural　restlessness　of　his　age。　He　walked　to　the



fireplace　and　stoppedfascinated　by　the　bright　red　glow　of　the



embers　of　burning　wood。　In　one　corner　of　the　low　fender　lay　a



loose　little　bundle　of　sticks；　left　there　in　case　the　fire　might



need　relighting。　The　boy；　noticing　the　bundle；　took　out　one　of



the　sticks　and　threw　it　experimentally　into　the　grate。　The　flash



of　flame；　as　the　stick　caught　fire；　delighted　him。　He　went　on



burning　stick　after　stick。　The　new　game　kept　him　quiet：　his



mother　was　content　to　be　on　the　watch；　to　see　that　no　harm　was



done。







In　the　meantime；　the　lawyer　briefly　stated　his　case。







〃You　remember；　Mr。　Romayne；　that　your　will　was　placed；　for　safe



keeping；　in　our　office；〃　he　began。　〃Father　Benwell　called　upon



us；　and　presented　an　order；　signed　by　yourself；　authorizing　him



to　convey　the　will　from　London　to　Paris。　The　object　was　to　obtain



your　signature　to　a　codicil；　which　had　been　considered　a



necessary　addition　to　secure　the　validity　of　the　will。Are　you



favoring　me　with　your　attention；　sir？〃







Romayne　answered　by　a　slight　bending　of　his　head。　His　eyes　were



fixed　on　the　boystill　absorbed　in　throwing　his　sticks；　one　by



one；　into　the　fire。







〃At　the　time　when　your　will　was　executed；〃　the　lawyer　went　on；



〃Father　Benwell　obtained　your　permission　to　take　a　copy　of　it。



Hearing　of　your　illness；　he　submitted　the　copy　to　a　high　legal



authority。　The　written　opinion　of　this　competent　person　declares



the　clause；　bequeathing　the　Vange　estate　to　Father　Benwell；　to　be



so　imperfectly　expressed；　that　the　will　might　be　made　a　subject



of　litigation　after　the　testator's　death。　He　has　accordingly



appended　a　form　of　codicil　amending　the　defect；　and　we　have　added



it　to　the　will。　I　thought　it　my　duty；　as　one　of　your　legal



advisers；　to　accompany　Father　Benwell　on　his　return　to　Paris　in



charge　of　the　willin　case　you　might　feel　disposed　to　make　any



alteration。〃　He　looked　toward　Stella　and　the　child　as　he



completed　that　sentence。　The　Jesuit's　keen　eyes　took　the　same



direction。　〃Shall　I　read　the　will；　sir？〃　the　lawyer　resumed；　〃or



would　you　prefer　to　look　at　it　yourself？〃







Romayne　held　out　his　hand　for　the　will；　in　silence。　He　was　still



watching　his　son。　There　were　but　few　more　sticks　now　left　to　be



thrown　in　the　fire。







Father　Benwell　interfered；　for　the　first　time。







〃One　word；　Mr。　Romayne；　before　you　examine　that　document；〃　he



said。　〃The　Church　receives　back　from　you　（through　me）　the



property　which　was　once　its　own。　Beyond　that　it　authorizes　and



even　desires　you　to　make　any　changes　which　you　or　your　trusted



legal　adviser　may　think　right。　I　refer　to　the　clauses　of　the　will



which　relate　to　the　property　you　have　inherited　from　the　late



Lady　Berrickand　I　beg　the　persons　present　to　bear　in　memory　the



few　plain　words　that　I　have　now　spoken。〃







He　bowed　with　dignity　and　drew　back。　Even　the　lawyer　was



favorably　impressed。　The　doctors　looked　at　each　other　with　silent



approval。　For　the　first　time；　the　sad　repose　of　Stella's　face　was



disturbedI　could　see　that　it　cost　her　an　effort　to　repress　her



indignation。　The　one　unmoved　person　was　Romayne。　Th