the black robe-第11节

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depressed　state　of　spirits　in　a　young　man。　〃This　must　be



corrected；〃　he　remarked。　〃Cultivate　cheerfulness；　Arthur。　I　am



myself；　thank　God；　a　naturally　cheerful　man。　My　mind　reflects；　in



some　degree　（and　reflects　gratefully）；　the　brightness　and　beauty



which　are　part　of　the　great　scheme　of　creation。　A　similar



disposition　is　to　be　cultivatedI　know　instances　of　it　in　my　own



experience。　Add　one　more　instance；　and　you　will　really　gratify



me。　In　its　seasons　of　rejoicing；　our　Church　is　eminently



cheerful。　Shall　I　add　another　encouragement？　A　great　trust　is



about　to　be　placed　in　you。　Be　socially　agreeable；　or　you　will



fail　to　justify　the　trust。　This　is　Father　Benwell's　little



sermon。　I　think　it　has　a　merit；　Arthurit　is　a　sermon　soon



over。〃







Penrose　looked　up　at　his　superior；　eager　to　hear　more。







He　was　a　very　young　man。　His　large；　thoughtful；　well…opened　gray



eyes；　and　his　habitual　refinement　and　modesty　of　manner；　gave　a



certain　attraction　to　his　personal　appearance；　of　which　it　stood



in　some　need。　In　stature　he　was　little　and　lean；　his　hair　had



become　prematurely　thin　over　his　broad　forehead；　there　were



hollows　already　in　his　cheeks；　and　marks　on　either　side　of　his



thin；　delicate　lips。　He　looked　like　a　person　who　had　passed　many



miserable　hours　in　needlessly　despairing　of　himself　and　his



prospects。　With　all　this；　there　was　something　in　him　so



irresistibly　truthful　and　sincereso　suggestive；　even　where　he



might　be　wrong；　of　a　purely　conscientious　belief　in　his　own



errorsthat　he　attached　people　to　　him　wit　hout　an　effort；　and



often　without　being　aware　of　it　himself。　What　would　his　friends



have　said　if　they　had　been　told　that　the　religious　enthusiasm　of



this　gentle；　self…distrustful；　melancholy　man；　might；　in　its　very



innocence　of　suspicion　and　self…seeking；　be　perverted　to



dangerous　uses　in　unscrupulous　hands？　His　friends　would；　one　and



all；　have　received　the　scandalous　assertion　with　contempt；　and



Penrose　himself；　if　he　had　heard　of　it；　might　have　failed　to



control　his　temper　for　the　first　time　in　his　life。







〃May　I　ask　a　question；　without　giving　offense？〃　he　said；　timidly。







Father　Benwell　took　his　hand。　〃My　dear　Arthur；　let　us　open　our



minds　to　each　other　without　reserve。　What　is　your　question？〃







〃You　have　spoken；　Father；　of　a　great　trust　that　is　about　to　be



placed　in　me。〃







〃Yes。　You　are　anxious；　no　doubt；　to　hear　what　it　is？〃







〃I　am　anxious　to　know；　in　the　first　place；　if　it　requires　me　to



go　back　to　Oxford。〃







Father　Benwell　dropped　his　young　friend's　hand。　〃Do　you　dislike



Oxford？〃　he　asked；　observing　Penrose　attentively。







〃Bear　with　me；　Father；　if　I　speak　too　confidently。　I　dislike　the



deception　which　has　obliged　me　to　conceal　that　I　am　a　Catholic



and　a　priest。〃







Father　Benwell　set　this　little　difficulty　right；　with　the　air　of



a　man　who　could　make　benevolent　allowance　for　unreasonable



scruples。　〃I　think；　Arthur；　you　forget　two　important



considerations；〃　he　said。　〃In　the　first　place；　you　have　a



dispensation　from　your　superiors；　which　absolves　you　of　all



responsibility　in　respect　of　the　concealment　that　you　have



practiced。　In　the　second　place；　we　could　only　obtain　information



of　the　progress　which　our　Church　is　silently　making　at　the



University　by　employing　you　in　the　capacity　oflet　me　say；　an



independent　observer。　However；　if　it　will　contribute　to　your　ease



of　mind；　I　see　no　objection　to　informing　you　that　you　will　_not_



be　instructed　to　return　to　Oxford。　Do　I　relieve　you？〃







There　could　be　no　question　of　it。　Penrose　breathed　more　freely；



in　every　sense　of　the　word。







〃At　the　same　time；〃　Father　Benwell　continued；　〃let　us　not



misunderstand　each　other。　In　the　new　sphere　of　action　which　we



design　for　you；　you　will　not　only　be　at　liberty　to　acknowledge



that　you　are　a　Catholic；　it　will　be　absolutely　necessary　that　you



should　do　so。　But　you　will　continue　to　wear　the　ordinary　dress　of



an　English　gentleman；　and　to　preserve　the　strictest　secrecy　on



the　subject　of　your　admission　to　the　priesthood；　until　you　are



further　advised　by　myself。　Now；　dear　Arthur；　read　that　paper。　It



is　the　necessary　preface　to　all　that　I　have　yet　to　say　to　you。〃







The　〃paper〃　contained　a　few　pages　of　manuscript　relating　the



early　history　of　Vange　Abbey；　in　the　days　of　the　monks；　and　the



circumstances　under　which　the　property　was　confiscated　to　lay



uses　in　the　time　of　Henry　the　Eighth。　Penrose　handed　back　the



little　narrative；　vehemently　expressing　his　sympathy　with　the



monks；　and　his　detestation　of　the　King。







〃Compose　yourself；　Arthur；〃　said　Father　Benwell；　smiling



pleasantly。　〃We　don't　mean　to　allow　Henry　the　Eighth　to　have　it



all　his　own　way　forever。〃







Penrose　looked　at　his　superior　in　blank　bewilderment。　His



superior　withheld　any　further　information　for　the　present。







〃Everything　in　its　turn；〃　the　discreet　Father　resumed；　〃the　turn



of　explanation　has　not　come　yet。　I　have　something　else　to　show



you　first。　One　of　the　most　interesting　relics　in　England。　Look



here。〃







He　unlocked　a　flat　mahogany　box；　and　displayed　to　view　some



writings　on　vellum；　evidently　of　great　age。







〃You　have　had　a　little　sermon　already；〃　he　said。　〃You　shall　have



a　little　story　now。　No　doubt　you　have　heard　of　Newstead



Abbeyfamous　among　the　readers　of　poetry　as　the　residence　of



Byron？　King　Henry　treated　Newstead　exactly　as　he　treated　Vange



Abbey！　Many　years　since；　the　lake　at　Newstead　was　dragged；　and



the　brass　eagle　which　had　served　as　the　lectern　in　the　old　church



was　rescued　from　the　waters　in　which　it　had　lain　for　centuries。　A



secret　receptacle　was　discovered　in　the　body　of　the　eagle；　and



the　ancient　title…deeds　of　the　Abbey　were　found　in　it。　The　monks



had　taken　that　method　of　concealing　the　legal　proof　of　their



rights　and　privileges；　in　the　hopea　vain　hope；　I　need　hardly



saythat　a　time　might　come　when　Justice　would　restore　to　them



the　property　of　which　they　had　been　robbed。　Only　last　summer；　one



of　our　bishops；　administering　a　northern　diocese；　spoke　of　these



circumstances　to　a　devout　Catholic　friend；　and　said　he　thought　it



possible　that　the　precaution　taken　by　the　monks　at　Newstead　might



also　have　been　taken　by　the　monks　at　Vange。　The　friend；　I　should



tell　you；　was　an　enthusiast。　Saying　nothing　to　the　bishop　（whose



position　and　responsibilities　he　was　bound　to　respect）；　he　took



into　his　confidence　persons　whom　he　could　trust。　One　nightin



the　absence　of　the　present　proprietor；　or；　I　should　rather　say；



the　present　usurper；　of　the　estatethe　lake　at　Vange　was



privately　dragged；　with　a　result　that　proved　the　bishop's



conjecture　to　be　right。　Read　those　valuable　documents。　Knowing



your　strict　sense　of　honor；　my　son；　and　your　admirable　tenderness



of　conscience；　I　wish　you　to　be　satisfied　of　the　title　of　the



Church　to　the　lands　of　Vange；　by　evidence　which　is　beyond



dispute。〃







With　this　little　preface；　he　waited　while　Penrose　read　the



title…deeds。　〃Any　doubt　on　your　mind？〃　he　asked；　when　the　reading



had　come　to　an　end。







〃Not　the　shadow　of　a　doubt。〃







〃Is　the　Church's　right　to　the　property　clear？〃







〃As　clear；　Father；　as　words　can　make　it。〃







〃Very　good。　We　will　lock　up　the　documents。　Arbitrary



confiscation；　Arthur；　even　on　the　part　of　a　king；　cannot　override



the　law。　What　the　Church　once　lawfully　possessed；　the　Church　has



a　right　to　recover。　Any　doubt　about　that　in　your　mind？〃







〃Only　the　doubt　of　_how_　the　Church　can　recover。　Is　there



anything　in　this　particular　case　to　be　hoped　from　the　law？〃







〃Nothing　whatever。〃







〃And　yet；　Father；　you　speak　as　if　you　saw　some　prospect　of　the



restitution　of　the　property。　By　what　means　can　the　restitution　be



made？〃







〃By　peaceful　and　worthy　means；〃　Father　Benwell　answered。　〃By



honorable　restoration　of　the　confiscated　property　to　the　Church；



on　the　part　of　the　person　who　is　now　in　possession　of　it。〃







Penrose　was　surprised　and　interested。　〃Is　the　person　a　Catholic？〃



he　asked；　eagerly。







〃Not　yet。〃　Father　Benwell　laid　a　strong　emphasis　on　those　two



little　words。　His　fat　fingers　drummed　restlessly　on　the　table；



his　vigilant　eyes　rested　expectantly　on　Penrose。　〃Surely　you



understand　me；　Arthur？〃　he　added；　after　an　interval。







The　color　rose　slowly　in　the　worn　face　of　Penrose。　〃I　am　afraid



to　understand　you；〃　he　said。