the black robe-第25节

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Loring　had　drawn　the　right　inference　this　time。　Stella　had



stopped　the　first　cab　that　passed　her；　and　had　directed　the



driver　to　Camp's　Hill；　Islington。







The　aspect　of　the　miserable　little　street；　closed　at　one　end；　and



swarming　with　dirty　children　quarreling　over　their　play；　daunted



her　for　the　moment。　Even　the　cabman；　drawing　up　at　the　entrance



to　the　street；　expressed　his　opinion　that　it　was　a　queer　sort　of



place　for　a　young　lady　to　venture　into　alone。　Stella　thought　of



Romayne。　Her　firm　persuasion　that　she　was　helping　him　to　perform



an　act　of　mercy；　which　was　（to　his　mind）　an　act　of　atonement　as



well；　roused　her　courage。　She　boldly　approached　the　open　door　of



No。　10；　and　knocked　on　it　with　her　parasol。







The　tangled　gray　hair　and　grimy　face　of　a　hideous　old　woman



showed　themselves　slowly　at　the　end　of　the　passage；　rising　from



the　strong…smelling　obscurity　of　the　kitchen　regions。　〃What　do



you　want？〃　said　the　half…seen　witch　of　the　London　slums。　〃Does



Madame　Marillac　live　here？〃　Stella　asked。　〃Do　you　mean　the



foreigner？〃　〃Yes。〃　〃Second　door。〃　With　those　instructions　the



upper　half　of　the　witch　sank　and　vanished。　Stella　gathered　her



skirts　together；　and　ascended　a　filthy　flight　of　stairs　for　the



first　time　in　her　life。







Coarse　voices；　shameless　language；　gross　laughter　behind　the



closed　doors　of　the　first　floor　hurried　her　on　her　way　to　the



rooms　on　the　higher　flight。　Here　there　was　a　change　for　the



betterhere；　at　least；　there　was　silence。　She　knocked　at　the



door　on　the　landing　of　the　second　floor。　A　gentle　voice　answered；



in　French；　〃Entrez！〃then　quickly　substituted　the　English



equivalent；　〃Come　in！〃　Stella　opened　the　door。







The　wretchedly　furnished　room　was　scrupulously　clean。　Above　the



truckle…bed；　a　cheap　little　image　of　the　Virgin　was　fastened　to



the　wall；　with　some　faded　artificial　flowers　arranged　above　it　in



the　form　of　a　wreath。　Two　women；　in　dresses　of　coarse　black



stuff；　sat　at　a　small　round　table；　working　at　the　same　piece　of



embroidery。　The　elder　of　the　two　rose　when　the　visitor　entered



the　room。　Her　worn　and　weary　face　still　showed　the　remains　of



beauty　in　its　finely　proportioned　partsher　dim　eyes　rested　on



Stella　with　an　expression　of　piteous　entreaty。　〃Have　you　come　for



the　work；　madam？〃　she　asked；　in　English；　spoken　with　a　strong



foreign　accent。　〃Pray　forgive　me；　I　have　not　finished　it　yet。〃







The　second　of　the　two　workwomen　suddenly　looked　up。







She；　too；　was　wan　and　frail；　but　her　eyes　were　bright；　her



movements　still　preserved　the　elasticity　of　youth。　Her　likeness



to　the　elder　woman　proclaimed　their　relationship；　even　before　she



spoke。　〃Ah！　it's　my　fault！〃　she　burst　out　passionately　in　French。



〃I　was　hungry　and　tired；　and　I　slept　hours　longer　than　I　ought。



My　mother　was　too　kind　to　wake　me　and　set　me　to　work。　I　am　a



selfish　wretchand　my　mother　is　an　angel！〃　She　dashed　away　the



tears　gathering　in　her　eyes；　and　proudly；　fiercely；　resumed　her



work。







Stella　hastened　to　reassure　them；　the　moment　she　could　make



herself　heard。　〃Indeed；　I　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　work；〃　she



said；　speaking　in　French；　so　that　they　might　the　more　readily



understand　her。　〃I　came　here；　Madame　Marillacif　you　will　not　be



offended　with　me；　for　plainly　owning　itto　offer　you　some　little



help。〃







〃Charity？〃　asked　the　daughter；　looking　up　again　sternly　from　her



needle。







〃Sympathy；〃　Stella　answered　gently。







The　girl　resumed　her　work。　〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　she　said；　〃I



shall　learn　to　submit　to　my　lot　in　time。〃







The　quiet　long…suffering　mother　placed　a　chair　for　Stella。　〃You



have　a　kind　beautiful　face；　miss；〃　she　said；　〃and　I　am　sure　you



will　make　allowances　for　my　poor　girl。　I　remember　the　time　when　I



was　as　quick　to　feel　as　she　is。　May　I　ask　how　you　came　to　hear　of



us？〃







〃I　hope　you　will　excuse　me；〃　Stella　replied。　〃I　am　not　at　liberty



to　answer　that　question。〃







The　mother　said　nothing。　The　daughter　asked　sharply；　〃Why　not？〃







Stella　addressed　her　answer　to　the　mother。　〃I　come　from　a　person



who　desires　to　be　of　service　to　you　as　an　unknown　friend；〃　she



said。







The　wan　face　of　the　widow　suddenly　brightened。　〃Oh！〃　she



exclaimed；　〃has　my　brother　heard　of　the　General's　death？　and　has



he　forgiven　me　my　marriage　at　last？〃







〃No；　no！〃　Stella　interposed；　〃I　must　not　mislead　you。　The　person



whom　I　represent　is　no　relation　of　yours。〃







Even　in　spite　of　this　positive　assertion；　the　poor　woman　held



desperately　to　the　hope　that　had　been　roused　in　her。　〃The　name　by



which　you　know　me　may　mislead　you；〃　she　suggested　anxiously。　〃My



late　husband　assumed　the　name　in　his　exile



　here。　Perhaps；　if　I　told　you〃







The　daughter　stopped　her　there。　〃My　dear　mother；　leave　this　to



me。〃　The　widow　sighed　resignedly；　and　resumed　her　work。　〃Madame



Marillac　will　do　very　well　as　a　name；〃　the　girl　continued；



turning　to　Stella；　〃until　we　know　something　more　of　each　other。　I



suppose　you　are　well　acquainted　with　the　person　whom　you



represent？〃







〃Certainly；　or　I　should　not　be　here。〃







〃You　know　the　person's　family　connections；　in　that　case？　and　you



can　say　for　certain　whether　they　are　French　connections　or　not？〃







〃I　can　say　for　certain；〃　Stella　answered；　〃that　they　are　English



connections。　I　represent　a　friend　who　feels　kindly　toward　Madame



Marillac；　nothing　more。〃







〃You　see；　mother；　you　were　mistaken。　Bear　it　as　bravely；　dear；　as



you　have　borne　other　trials。〃　Saying　this　very　tenderly；　she



addressed　herself　once　more　to　Stella；　without　attempting　to



conceal　the　accompanying　change　in　her　manner　to　coldness　and



distrust。　〃One　of　us　must　speak　plainly；〃　she　said。　〃Our　few



friends　are　nearly　as　poor　as　we　are；　and　they　are　all　French。　I



tell　you　positively　that　we　have　no　English　friends。　How　has　this



anonymous　benefactor　been　informed　of　our　poverty？　You　are　a



stranger　to　us_you_　cannot　have　given　the　information？〃







Stella's　eyes　were　now　open　to　the　awkward　position　in　which　she



had　placed　herself。　She　met　the　difficulty　boldly；　still　upheld



by　the　conviction　that　she　was　serving　a　purpose　cherished　by



Romayne。　〃You　had　good　reasons；　no　doubt；　mademoiselle；　when　you



advised　your　mother　to　conceal　her　true　name；〃　she　rejoined。　〃Be



just　enough　to　believe　that　your　'anonymous　benefactor'　has　good



reasons　for　concealment　too。〃







It　was　well　said；　and　it　encouraged　Madame　Marillac　to　take



Stella's　part。　〃My　dear　Blanche；　you　speak　rather　harshly　to　this



good　young　lady；〃　she　said　to　her　daughter。　〃You　have　only　to



look　at　her；　and　to　see　that　she　means　well。〃







Blanche　took　up　her　needle　again；　with　dogged　submission。　〃If　we



_are_　to　accept　charity；　mother；　I　should　like　to　know　the　hand



that　gives　it；〃　she　answered。　〃I　will　say　no　more。〃







〃When　you　are　as　old　as　I　am；　my　dear；〃　rejoined　Madame　Marillac；



〃you　will　not　think　quite　so　positively　as　you　think　now。　I　have



learned　some　hard　lessons；〃　she　proceeded；　turning　to　Stella；



〃and　I　hope　I　am　the　better　for　them。　My　life　has　not　been　a



happy　one〃







〃Your　life　has　been　a　martyrdom！〃　said　the　girl；　breaking　out



again　in　spite　of　herself。　〃Oh；　my　father！　my　father！〃　She　pushed



aside　the　work　and　hid　her　face　in　her　hands。







The　gentle　mother　spoke　severely　for　the　first　time。　〃Respect



your　father's　memory！〃　she　said。　Blanche　trembled　and　kept



silence。　〃I　have　no　false　pride；〃　Madame　Marillac　continued。　〃I



own　that　we　are　miserably　poor；　and　I　thank　you；　my　dear　young



lady；　for　your　kind　intentions　toward　us；　without　embarrassing



you　by　any　inquiries。　We　manage　to　live。　While　my　eyes　last；　our



work　helps　to　support　us。　My　good　eldest　daughter　has　some



employment　as　a　teacher　of　music；　and　contributes　her　little



share　to　assist　our　poor　household。　I　don't　distrust　youI　only



say；　let　us　try　a　little　longer　if　we　cannot　help　ourselves。〃







She　had　barely　pronounced　the　last　words；　when　a　startling



interruption　led　to　consequences　which　the　persons　present　had



not　foreseen。　A　shrill；　wailing　voice　suddenly　pierced　through



the　flimsy　partition　which　divided　the　front　room　and　the　back



room。　〃Bread！〃　cried　the　voice　in　French；　〃I'm　hungry。　Bread！



bread！〃







The　daughter　started　to　her　feet。　〃Think　of　his　betraying　us　at



this　moment！〃　she　exclaimed　indignantly。　The　mother　rose　in



silence