the black robe-第12节

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



to　understand　you；〃　he　said。







〃Why？〃







〃I　am　not　sure　that　it　is　my　better　sense　which　understands。　I　am



afraid；　Father；　it　may　be　my　vanity　and　presumption。〃







Father　Benwell　leaned　back　luxuriously　in　his　chair。　〃I　like　that



modesty；〃　he　said；　with　a　relishing　smack　of　his　lips　as　if



modesty　was　as　good　as　a　meal　to　him。　〃There　is　power　of　the



right　sort；　Arthur；　hidden　under　the　diffidence　that　does　you



honor。　I　am　more　than　ever　satisfied　that　I　have　been　right　in



reporting　you　as　worthy　of　this　most　serious　trust。　I　believe　the



conversion　of　the　owner　of　Vange　Abbey　isin　your　handsno　more



than　a　matter　of　time。〃







〃May　I　ask　what　his　name　is？〃







〃Certainly。　His　name　is　Lewis　Romayne。〃







〃When　do　you　introduce　me　to　him？〃







〃Impossible　to　say。　I　have　not　yet　been　introduced　myself。〃







〃You　don't　know　Mr。　Romayne？〃







〃I　have　never　even　seen　him。〃







These　discouraging　replies　were　made　with　the　perfect　composure



of　a　man　who　saw　his　way　clearly　before　him。　Sinking　from　one



depth　of　perplexity　to　another；　Penrose　ventured　on　putting　one



last　question。　〃How　am　I　to　approach　Mr。　Romayne？〃　he　asked。







〃I　can　only　answer　that；　Arthur；　by　admitting　you　still　further



into　my　confidence。　It　is　disagreeable　to　me；〃　said　the　reverend



gentleman；　with　the　most　becoming　humility；　〃to　speak　of　myself。



But　it　must　be　done。　Shall　we　have　a　little　coffee　to　help　us



through　the　coming　extract　from　Father　Benwell's　autobiography？



Don't　look　so　serious；　my　son！　When　the　occasion　justifies　it；



let　us　take　life　lightly。〃　He　rang　the　bell　and　ordered　the



coffee；　as　if　he　was　the　master　of　the　house。　The　servant　treate



d　him　with　the　most　scrupulous　respect。　He　hummed　a　little　tune；



and　talked　at　intervals　of　the　weather；　while　they　were　waiting。



〃Plenty　of　sugar；　Arthur？〃　he　inquired；　when　the　coffee　was



brought　in。　〃No！　Even　in　trifles；　I　should　have　been　glad　to　feel



that　there　was　perfect　sympathy　between　us。　I　like　plenty　of



sugar　myself。〃







Having　sweetened　his　coffee　with　the　closest　attention　to　the



process；　he　was　at　liberty　to　enlighten　his　young　friend。　He　did



it　so　easily　and　so　cheerfully　that　a　far　less　patient　man　than



Penrose　would　have　listened　to　him　with　interest。







CHAPTER　III。







THE　INTRODUCTION　TO　ROMAYNE。







〃EXCEPTING　my　employment　here　in　the　library；〃　Father　Benwell



began；　〃and　some　interesting　conversation　with　Lord　Loring；　to



which　I　shall　presently　allude；　I　am　almost　as　great　a　stranger



in　this　house；　Arthur；　as　yourself。　When　the　object　which　we　now



have　in　view　was　first　taken　seriously　into　consideration；　I　had



the　honor　of　being　personally　acquainted　with　Lord　Loring。　I　was



also　aware　that　he　was　an　intimate　and　trusted　friend　of　Romayne。



Under　these　circumstances；　his　lordship　presented　himself　to　our



point　of　view　as　a　means　of　approaching　the　owner　of　Vange　Abbey



without　exciting　distrust。　I　was　charged　accordingly　with　the



duty　of　establishing　myself　on　terms　of　intimacy　in　this　house。



By　way　of　making　room　for　me；　the　spiritual　director　of　Lord　and



Lady　Loring　was　removed　to　a　cure　of　souls　in　Ireland。　And　here　I



am　in　his　place！　By…the…way；　don't　treat　me　（when　we　are　in　the



presence　of　visitors）　with　any　special　marks　of　respect。　I　am　not



Provincial　of　our　Order　in　Lord　Loring's　houseI　am　one　of　the



inferior　clergy。〃







Penrose　looked　at　him　with　admiration。　〃It　is　a　great　sacrifice



to　make；　Father；　in　your　position　and　at　your　age。〃







〃Not　at　all；　Arthur。　A　position　of　authority　involves　certain



temptations　to　pride。　I　feel　this　change　as　a　lesson　in　humility



which　is　good　for　me。　For　example；　Lady　Loring　（as　I　can　plainly



see）　dislikes　and　distrusts　me。　Then；　again；　a　young　lady　has



recently　arrived　here　on　a　visit。　She　is　a　Protestant；　with　all



the　prejudices　incident　to　that　way　of　thinkingavoids　me　so



carefully；　poor　soul；　that　I　have　never　seen　her　yet。　These



rebuffs　are　wholesome　reminders　of　his　fallible　human　nature；　to



a　man　who　has　occupied　a　place　of　high　trust　and　command。



Besides；　there　have　been　obstacles　in　my　way　which　have　had　an



excellent　effect　in　rousing　my　energies。　How　do　you　feel；　Arthur；



when　you　encounter　obstacles？〃







〃I　do　my　best　to　remove　them；　Father。　But　I　am　sometimes



conscious　of　a　sense　of　discouragement。〃







〃Curious；〃　said　Father　Benwell。　〃I　am　only　conscious；　myself；　of



a　sense　of　impatience。　What　right　has　an　obstacle　to　get　in　_my_



way？that　is　how　I　look　at　it。　For　example；　the　first　thing　I



heard；　when　I　came　here；　was　that　Romayne　had　left　England。　My



introduction　to　him　was　indefinitely　delayed；　I　had　to　look　to



Lord　Loring　for　all　the　information　I　wanted　relating　to　the　man



and　his　habits。　There　was　another　obstacle！　Not　living　in　the



house；　I　was　obliged　to　find　an　excuse　for　being　constantly　on



the　spot；　ready　to　take　advantage　of　his　lordship's　leisure



moments　for　conversation。　I　sat　down　in　this　room；　and　I　said　to



myself；　'Before　I　get　up　again；　I　mean　to　brush　these　impertinent



obstacles　out　of　my　way！'　The　state　of　the　books　suggested　the



idea　of　which　I　was　in　search。　Before　I　left　the　house；　I　was



charged　with　the　rearrangement　of　the　library。　From　that　moment　I



came　and　went　as　often　as　I　liked。　Whenever　Lord　Loring　was



disposed　for　a　little　talk；　there　I　was；　to　lead　the　talk　in　the



right　direction。　And　what　is　the　result？　On　the　first　occasion



when　Romayne　presents　himself　I　can　place　you　in　a　position　to



become　his　daily　companion。　All　due；　Arthur；　in　the　first



instance；　to　my　impatience　of　obstacles。　Amusing；　isn't　it？〃







Penrose　was　perhaps　deficient　in　the　sense　of　humor。　Instead　of



being　amused；　he　appeared　to　be　anxious　for　more　information。







〃In　what　capacity　am　I　to　be　Mr。　Romayne's　companion？〃　he　asked。







Father　Benwell　poured　himself　out　another　cup　of　coffee。







〃Suppose　I　tell　you　first；〃　he　suggested；　〃how　circumstances



present　Romayne　to　us　as　a　promising　subject　for　conversion。　He



is　young；　still　a　single　man；　not　compromised　by　any　illicit



connection；　romantic；　sensitive；　highly　cultivated。　No　near



relations　are　alive　to　influence　him；　and；　to　my　certain



knowledge；　his　estate　is　not　entailed。　He　has　devoted　himself　for



years　past　to　books；　and　is　collecting　materials　for　a　work　of



immense　research；　on　the　Origin　of　Religions。　Some　great　sorrow



or　remorseLord　Loring　did　not　mention　what　it　washas　told



seriously　on　his　nervous　system；　already　injured　by　night　study。



Add　to　this；　that　he　is　now　within　our　reach。　He　has　lately



returned　to　London；　and　is　living　quite　alone　at　a　private　hotel。



For　some　reason　which　I　am　not　acquainted　with；　he　keeps　away



from　Vange　Abbeythe　very　place；　as　I　should　have　thought；　for　a



studious　man。〃







Penrose　began　to　be　interested。　〃Have　you　been　to　the　Abbey？〃　he



said。







〃I　made　a　little　excursion　to　that　part　of　Yorkshire；　Arthur；　not



long　since。　A　very　pleasant　tripapart　from　the　painful



associations　connected　with　the　ruin　and　profanation　of　a　sacred



place。　There　is　no　doubt　about　the　revenues。　I　know　the　value　of



that　productive　part　of　the　estate　which　stretches　southward；



away　from　the　barren　region　round　the　house。　Let　us　return　for　a



moment　to　Romayne；　and　to　your　position　as　his　future　companion。



He　has　had　his　books　sent　to　him　from　Vange；　and　has　persuaded



himself　that　continued　study　is　the　one　remedy　for　his　troubles；



whatever　they　may　be。　At　Lord　Loring's　suggestion；　a　consultation



of　physicians　was　held　on　his　case　the　other　day。〃







〃Is　he　so　ill　as　that？〃　Penrose　exclaimed。







〃So　it　appears；〃　Father　Benwell　replied。　〃Lord　Loring　is



mysteriously　silent　about　the　illness。　One　result　of　the



consultation　I　extracted　from　him；　in　which　you　are　interested。



The　doctors　protested　against　his　employing　himself　on　his



proposed　work。　He　was　too　obstinate　to　listen　to　them。　There　was



but　one　concession　that　they　could　gain　from　himhe　consented　to



spare　himself；　in　some　small　degree；　by　employing　an　amanuensis。



It　was　left　to　Lord　Loring　to　find　the　man。　I　was　consulted　by



his　lordship；　I　was　even　invited　to　undertake　the　duty　myself。



Each　one　in　his　proper　sphere；　my　son！　The　person　who　converts



Romayne　must　be　young　enough　and