the black robe-第2节

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〃She　is　seriously　ill；　poor　soul；〃　he　said。　〃I　am　sorry　I　spoke



so　petulantly　and　s　o　unfairly　when　we　met　at　the　club。　The　near



prospect　of　death　has　developed　qualities　in　her　nature　which　I



ought　to　have　seen　before　this。　No　matter　how　it　may　be　delayed；



I　will　patiently　wait　her　time　for　the　crossing　to　England。〃







So　long　as　he　believed　himself　to　be　in　the　right；　he　was；　as　to



his　actions　and　opinions；　one　of　the　most　obstinate　men　I　ever



met　with。　But　once　let　him　be　convinced　that　he　was　wrong；　and　he



rushed　into　the　other　extremebecame　needlessly　distrustful　of



himself；　and　needlessly　eager　in　seizing　his　opportunity　of



making　atonement。　In　this　latter　mood　he　was　capable　（with　the



best　intentions）　of　committing　acts　of　the　most　childish



imprudence。　With　some　misgivings；　I　asked　how　he　had　amused



himself　in　my　absence。







〃I　waited　for　you；〃　he　said；　〃till　I　lost　all　patience；　and　went



out　for　a　walk。　First；　I　thought　of　going　to　the　beach；　but　the



smell　of　the　harbor　drove　me　back　into　the　town；　and　there；　oddly



enough；　I　met　with　a　man；　a　certain　Captain　Peterkin；　who　had



been　a　friend　of　mine　at　college。〃







〃A　visitor　to　Boulogne？〃　I　inquired。







〃Not　exactly。〃







〃A　resident？〃







〃Yes。　The　fact　is；　I　lost　sight　of　Peterkin　when　I　left



Oxfordand　since　that　time　he　seems　to　have　drifted　into



difficulties。　We　had　a　long　talk。　He　is　living　here；　he　tells　me；



until　his　affairs　are　settled。〃







I　needed　no　further　enlightenmentCaptain　Peterkin　stood　as



plainly　revealed　to　me　as　if　I　had　known　him　for　years。　〃Isn't　it



a　little　imprudent；〃　I　said；　〃to　renew　your　acquaintance　with　a



man　of　that　sort？　Couldn't　you　have　passed　him；　with　a　bow？〃







Bolnayne　smiled　uneasily。　〃I　daresay　you're　right；〃　he　answered。



〃But；　remember；　I　had　left　my　aunt；　feeling　ashamed　of　the　unjust



way　in　which　I　had　thought　and　spoken　of　her。　How　did　I　know　that



I　mightn't　be　wronging　an　old　friend　next；　if　I　kept　Peterkin　at



a　distance？　His　present　position　may　be　as　much　his　misfortune；



poor　fellow；　as　his　fault。　I　was　half　inclined　to　pass　him；　as



you　saybut　I　distrusted　my　own　judgment。　He　held　out　his　hand；



and　he　was　so　glad　to　see　me。　It　can't　be　helped　now。　I　shall　be



anxious　to　hear　your　opinion　of　him。〃







〃Are　we　going　to　dine　with　Captain　Peterkin？〃







〃Yes。　I　happened　to　mention　that　wretched　dinner　yesterday　at　our



hotel。　He　said；　'Come　to　my　boarding…house。　Out　of　Paris；　there



isn't　such　a　table　d'hote　in　France。'　I　tried　to　get　off　itnot



caring；　as　you　know；　to　go　among　strangersI　said　I　had　a　friend



with　me。　He　invited　you　most　cordially　to　accompany　me。　More



excuses　on　my　part　only　led　to　a　painful　result。　I　hurt



Peterkin's　feelings。　'I'm　down　in　the　world；'　he　said；　'and　I'm



not　fit　company　for　you　and　your　friends。　I　beg　your　pardon　for



taking　the　liberty　of　inviting　you！'　He　turned　away　with　the



tears　in　his　eyes。　What　could　I　do？〃







I　thought　to　myself；　〃You　could　have　lent　him　five　pounds；　and



got　rid　of　his　invitation　without　the　slightest　difficulty。〃　If　I



had　returned　in　reasonable　time　to　go　out　with　Romayne；　we　might



not　have　met　the　captainor；　if　we　had　met　him；　my　presence



would　have　prevented　the　confidential　talk　and　the　invitation



that　followed。　I　felt　I　was　to　blameand　yet；　how　could　I　help



it？　It　was　useless　to　remonstrate：　the　mischief　was　done。







We　left　the　Old　Town　on　our　right　hand；　and　drove　on；　past　a



little　colony　of　suburban　villas；　to　a　house　standing　by　itself；



surrounded　by　a　stone　wall。　As　we　crossed　the　front　garden　on　our



way　to　the　door；　I　noticed　against　the　side　of　the　house　two



kennels；　inhabited　by　two　large　watch…dogs。　Was　the　proprietor



afraid　of　thieves？







III。







THE　moment　we　were　introduced　to　the　drawing…room；　my　suspicions



of　the　company　we　were　likely　to　meet　with　were　fully　confirmed。







〃Cards；　billiards；　and　betting〃there　was　the　inscription



legibly　written　on　the　manner　and　appearance　of　Captain　Peterkin。



The　bright…eyed　yellow　old　lady　who　kept　the　boarding…house　would



have　been　worth　five　thousand　pounds　in　jewelry　alone；　if　the



ornaments　which　profusely　covered　her　had　been　genuine　precious



stones。　The　younger　ladies　present　had　their　cheeks　as　highly



rouged　and　their　eyelids　as　elaborately　penciled　in　black　as　if



they　were　going　on　the　stage；　instead　of　going　to　dinner。　We



found　these　fair　creatures　drinking　Madeira　as　a　whet　to　their



appetites。　Among　the　men；　there　were　two　who　struck　me　as　the



most　finished　and　complete　blackguards　whom　I　had　ever　met　with



in　all　my　experience；　at　home　and　abroad。　One；　with　a　brown　face



and　a　broken　nose；　was　presented　to　us　by　the　title　of



〃Commander；〃　and　was　described　as　a　person　of　great　wealth　and



distinction　in　Peru；　traveling　for　amusement。　The　other　wore　a



military　uniform　and　decorations；　and　was　spoken　of　as　〃the



General。〃　A　bold　bullying　manner；　a　fat　sodden　face；　little



leering　eyes；　and　greasy…looking　hands；　made　this　man　so



repellent　to　me　that　I　privately　longed　to　kick　him。　Romayne　had



evidently　been　announced；　before　our　arrival；　as　a　landed



gentleman　with　a　large　income。　Men　and　women　vied　in　servile



attentions　to　him。　When　we　went　into　the　dining…room；　the



fascinating　creature　who　sat　next　to　him　held　her　fan　before　her



face；　and　so　made　a　private　interview　of　it　between　the　rich



Englishman　and　herself。　With　regard　to　the　dinner；　I　shall　only



report　that　it　justified　Captain　Peterkin's　boast；　in　some　degree



at　least。　The　wine　was　good；　and　the　conversation　became　gay　to



the　verge　of　indelicacy。　Usually　the　most　temperate　of　men；



Romayne　was　tempted　by　his　neighbors　into　drinking　freely。　I　was



unfortunately　seated　at　the　opposite　extremity　of　the　table；　and



I　had　no　opportunity　of　warning　him。







The　dinner　reached　its　conclusion；　and　we　all　returned　together；



on　the　foreign　plan；　to　coffee　and　cigars　in　the　drawing…room。



The　women　smoked；　and　drank　liqueurs　as　well　as　coffee；　with　the



men。　One　of　them　went　to　the　piano；　and　a　little　impromptu　ball



followed；　the　ladies　dancing　with　their　cigarettes　in　their



mouths。　Keeping　my　eyes　and　ears　on　the　alert；　I　saw　an



innocent…looking　table；　with　a　surface　of　rosewood；　suddenly



develop　a　substance　of　green　cloth。　At　the　same　time；　a　neat



little　roulette…table　made　its　appearance　from　a　hiding…place　in



a　sofa。　Passing　near　the　venerable　landlady；　I　heard　her　ask　the



servant；　in　a　whisper；　〃if　the　dogs　were　loose？〃　After　what　I　had



observed；　I　could　only　conclude　that　the　dogs　were　used　as　a



patrol；　to　give　the　alarm　in　case　of　a　descent　of　the　police。　It



was　plainly　high　time　to　thank　Captain　Peterkin　for　his



hospitality；　and　to　take　our　leave。







〃We　have　had　enough　of　this；〃　I　whispered　to　Romayne　in　English。



〃Let　us　go。〃







In　these　days　it　is　a　delusion　to　suppose　that　you　can　speak



confidentially　in　the　English　language；　when　French　people　are



within　hearing。　One　of　the　ladies　asked　Romayne；　tenderly；　if　he



was　tired　of　her　already。　Another　reminded　him　that　it　was



raining　heavily　（as　we　could　all　hear）；　and　suggested　waiting



until　it　cleared　up。　The　hideous　General　waved　his　greasy　hand　in



the　direction　of　the　card　table；　and　said；　〃The　game　is　waiting



for　us。〃







Romayne　was　excited；　but　not　stupefied；　by　the　wine　he　had　drunk。



He　answered；　discreetly　enough；　〃I　must　beg　you　to　excuse　me；　I



am　a　poor　card　player。〃







The　General　suddenly　looked　grave。　〃You　are　speaking；　sir；　under



a　strange　misapprehension；〃　he　said。　〃Our　game　is



lansquenetessentially　a　game　of　chance。　With　luck；　the　poorest



player　is　a　match　for　the　whole　table。〃







Romayne　persisted　in　his　refusal。　As　a　matter　of　course；　I



supported　him；　with　all　needful　care　to　avoid　giving　offense。　The



General　took　offense；　nevertheless。　He　crossed　his　arms　on　his



breast；　and　looked　at　us　fiercely。







〃Does　this　mean；　gentlemen；　that　you　distrust　the　company？〃　he



asked。







The　broken…nosed　Commander；　hearing　the　question；　immediately



joined　us；　in　the　interests　of　peacebearing　with　him　the



elements　of　persuasion；　under　the　form　of　a　lady　on　his　arm。







The　lady　stepped　briskly　forward；　and　tapped　the　General　on　the



shoulder　with　her　fan。　〃I　am　one　of　the　company；〃　she　said；　〃and



I　am　sure　Mr。　Romayne　doesn't　distrust　_me_。〃　She　turne