the black robe-第16节

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！





surely　as　they　mark　the　march　of　time。　The　day　passed；　the



evening　cameand；　with　its　coming；　the　prospects　of　the



conversion　brightened　in　their　turn。







Let　Father　Benwell　himself　relate　how　it　happenedin　an　extract



from　his　report　to　Rome；　written　the　same　evening。







〃。　。　。　I　had　arranged　with　Penrose　that　he　should　call　at　my



lodgings；　and　tell　me　how　he　had　prospered　at　the　first



performance　of　his　duties　as　secretary　to　Romayne。







〃The　moment　he　entered　the　room　the　signs　of　disturbance　in　his



face　told　me　that　something　serious　had　happened。　I　asked



directly　if　there　had　been　any　disagreement　between　Romayne　and



himself。







〃He　repeated　the　word　with　every　appearance　of　surprise。



'Disagreement？'　he　said。　'No　words　can　tell　how　sincerely　I　feel



for　Mr。　Romayne。　I　cannot　express　to　you；　Father；　how　eager　I　am



to　be　of　service　to　him！'







〃Relieved；　so　far；　I　naturally　asked　what　had　happened。　Penrose



betrayed　a　marked　embarrassment　in　answering　my　question。







〃　'I　have　innocently　surprised　a　secret；'　he　said；　'on　which　I



had　no　right　to　intrude。　All　that　I　can　honorably　tell　you；　shall



be　told。　Add　one　more　to　your　many　kindnessesdon't　command　me



to　speak；　when　it　is　my　duty　toward　a　sorely…tried　man　to　be



silent；　even　to　you。'







〃It　is　needless　to　say　that　I　abstained　from　directly　answering



this　strange　appeal。　'Let　me　hear　what　you　can　tell；'　I　replied；



'and　then　we　shall　see。'







〃Upon　this；　he　spoke。　I　need　hardly　recall　to　your　memory　how



careful　we　were；　in　first　planning　the　attempt　to　recover　the



Vange　property；　to　assure　ourselves　of　the　promise　of　success



which　the　peculiar　character　of　the　present　owner　held　out　to　us。



In　reporting　what　Penrose　said；　I　communicate　a　discovery；　which



I　venture　to　think　will　be　as　welcome　to　you；　as　it　was　to　me。







〃He　began　by　reminding　me　of　what　I　had　myself　told　him　in



speaking　of　Romayne。　'You　mentioned　having　heard　from　Lord　Loring



of　a　great　sorrow　or　remorse　from　which　he　was　suffering；'



Penrose　said。　'I　know　what　he　suffers　and　why　he　suffers；　and



with　what　noble　resignation　he　submits　to　his　affliction。　We　were



sitting　together　at　the　table；　looking　over　his　notes　and



memoranda；　when　he　suddenly　dropped　the　manuscript　from　which　he



was　reading　to　me。　A　ghastly　paleness　overspread　his　face。　He



started　up；　and　put　both　his　hands　to　his　ears　as　if　he　heard



something　dreadful；　and　was　trying　to　deafen　himself　to　it。　I　ran



to　the　door　to　call　for　help。　He　stopped　me；



　he　spoke　in　faint；　gasping　tones；　forbidding　me　to　call　any　one



in　to　witness　what　he　suffered。　It　was　not　the　first　time；　he



said；　it　would　soon　be　over。　If　I　had　not　courage　to　remain　with



him　I　could　go；　and　return　when　he　was　himself　again。　I　so　pitied



him　that　I　found　the　courage　to　remain。　When　it　was　over　he　took



me　by　the　hand；　and　thanked　me。　I　had　stayed　by　him　like　a



friend；　he　said；　and　like　a　friend　he　would　treat　me。　Sooner　or



later　（those　were　his　exact　words）　I　must　be　taken　into　his



confidenceand　it　should　be　now。　He　told　me　his　melancholy



story。　I　implore　you；　Father；　don't　ask　me　to　repeat　it！　Be



content　if　I　tell　you　the　effect　of　it　on　myself。　The　one　hope；



the　one　consolation　for　him；　is　in　our　holy　religion。　With　all　my



heart　I　devote　myself　to　his　conversionand；　in　my　inmost　soul；



I　feel　the　conviction　that　I　shall　succeed！'







〃To　this　effect；　and　in　this　tone；　Penrose　spoke。　I　abstained



from　pressing　him　to　reveal　Romayne's　confession。　The　confession



is　of　no　consequence　to　us。　You　know　how　the　moral　force　of



Arthur's　earnestness　and　enthusiasm　fortifies　his　otherwise　weak



character。　I；　too；　believe　he　will　succeed。







〃To　turn　for　a　moment　to　another　subject。　You　are　already



informed　that　there　is　a　woman　in　our　way。　I　have　my　own　idea　of



the　right　method　of　dealing　with　this　obstacle　when　it　shows



itself　more　plainly。　For　the　present；　I　need　only　assure　you　that



neither　this　woman　nor　any　woman　shall　succeed　in　her　designs　on



Romayne；　if　I　can　prevent　it。〃







Having　completed　his　report　in　these　terms；　Father　Benwell



reverted　to　the　consideration　of　his　proposed　inquiries　into　the



past　history　of　Stella's　life。







Reflection　convinced　him　that　it　would　be　unwise　to　attempt；　no



matter　how　guardedly；　to　obtain　the　necessary　information　from



Lord　Loring　or　his　wife。　If　he　assumed；　at　his　age；　to　take　a



strong　interest　in　a　Protestant　young　lady；　who　had　notoriously



avoided　him；　they　would　certainly　feel　surpriseand　surprise



might；　in　due　course　of　development；　turn　to　suspicion。







There　was　but　one　other　person　under　Lord　Loring's　roof　to　whom



he　could　address　himselfand　that　person　was　the　housekeeper。　As



an　old　servant；　possessing　Lady　Loring's　confidence；　she　might



prove　a　source　of　information　on　the　subject　of　Lady　Loring's



fair　friend；　and；　as　a　good　Catholic；　she　would　feel　flattered　by



the　notice　of　the　spiritual　director　of　the　household。







〃It　may　not　be　amiss；〃　thought　Father　Benwell；　〃if　I　try　the



housekeeper。〃







CHAPTER　VI。







THE　ORDER　OF　THE　DISHES。







WHEN　Miss　Notman　assumed　the　post　of　housekeeper　in　Lady　Loring's



service；　she　was　accurately　described　as　〃a　competent　and



respectable　person〃；　and　was　praised；　with　perfect　truth；　for　her



incorruptible　devotion　to　the　interests　of　her　employers。　On　its



weaker　side；　her　character　was　represented　by　the　wearing　of　a



youthful　wig；　and　the　erroneous　conviction　that　she　still



possessed　a　fine　figure。　The　ruling　idea　in　her　narrow　little



mind　was　the　idea　of　her　own　dignity。　Any　offense　offered　in　this



direction　oppressed　her　memory　for　days　together；　and　found　its



way　outward　in　speech　to　any　human　being　whose　attention　she



could　secure。







At　five　o'clock；　on　the　day　which　followed　his　introduction　to



Romayne；　Father　Benwell　sat　drinking　his　coffee　in　the



housekeeper's　roomto　all　appearance　as　much　at　his　ease　as　if



he　had　known　Miss　Notman　from　the　remote　days　of　her　childhood。　A



new　contribution　to　the　housekeeper's　little　library　of



devotional　works　lay　on　the　table；　and　bore　silent　witness　to　the



means　by　which　he　had　made　those　first　advances　which　had　won　him



his　present　position。　Miss　Notman's　sense　of　dignity　was　doubly



flattered。　She　had　a　priest　for　her　guest；　and　a　new　book　with



the　reverend　gentleman's　autograph　inscribed　on　the　title…page。







〃Is　your　coffee　to　your　liking；　Father？〃







〃A　little　more　sugar；　if　you　please。〃







Miss　Notman　was　proud　of　her　hand；　viewed　as　one　of　the



meritorious　details　of　her　figure。　She　took　up　the　sugar…tongs



with　suavity　and　grace；　she　dropped　the　sugar　into　the　cup　with　a



youthful　pleasure　in　ministering　to　the　minor　desires　of　her



illustrious　guest。　〃It　is　so　good　of　you；　Father；　to　honor　me　in



this　way；〃　she　saidwith　the　appearance　of　sixteen　super…induced



upon　the　reality　of　sixty。







Father　Benwell　was　an　adept　at　moral　disguises　of　all　kinds。　On



this　occasion　he　wore　the　disguise　of　pastoral　simplicity。　〃I　am



an　idle　old　man　at　this　hour　of　the　afternoon；〃　he　said。　〃I　hope



I　am　not　keeping　you　from　any　household　duties？〃







〃I　generally　enjoy　my　duties；〃　Miss　Notman　answered。　〃To…day；



they　have　not　been　so　agreeable　as　usual；　it　is　a　relief　to　me　to



have　done　with　them。　Even　my　humble　position　has　its　trials。〃







Persons　acquainted　with　Miss　Notman's　character；　hearing　these



last　words；　would　have　at　once　changed　the　subject。　When　she



spoke　of　〃her　humble　position；〃　she　invariably　referred　to　some



offense　offered　to　her　dignity；　and　she　was　invariably　ready　to



state　the　grievance　at　full　length。　Ignorant　of　this　peculiarity；



Father　Benwell　committed　a　fatal　error。　He　inquired；　with



courteous　interest；　what　the　housekeeper's　〃trials〃　might　be。







〃Oh；　sir；　they　are　beneath　your　notice！〃　said　Miss　Notman



modestly。　〃At　the　same　time；　I　should　feel　it　an　honor　to　have



the　benefit　of　your　opinionI　should　so　like　to　know　that　you　do



not　altogether　disapprove　of　my　conduct；　under　some　provocation。



You　see；　Father；　the　whole　responsibility　of　ordering　the　dinners



falls　on　me。　And；　when　there　is　company；　as　there　is　this



evening；　the　responsibility　is　particularly　trying　to　a　timid



person　like　myself。〃







〃A　large　dinner　party；　Miss　Notman？〃







〃Oh；　dear；　no！　Quite　the　reverse。　Onl