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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

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