the black robe-第26节

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



silence；　and　opened　a　cupboard。　Its　position　was　opposite　to　the



place　in　which　Stella　was　sitting。　She　saw　two　or　three　knives



and　forks；　some　cups　and　saucers　and　plates；　and　a　folded



table…cloth。　Nothing　else　appeared　on　the　shelves；　not　even　the



stray　crust　of　bread　for　which　the　poor　woman　had　been　looking。



〃Go；　my　dear；　and　quiet　your　brother；〃　she　saidand　closed　the



cupboard　door　again　as　patiently　as　ever。







Stella　opened　her　pocketbook　when　Blanche　had　left　the　room。　〃For



God's　sake；　take　something！〃　she　cried。　〃　I　offer　it　with　the



sincerest　respectI　offer　it　as　a　loan。〃







Madame　Marillac　gently　signed　to　Stella　to　close　the　pocketbook



again。　〃That　kind　heart　of　yours　must　not　be　distressed　about



trifles；〃　she　said。　〃The　baker　will　trust　us　until　we　get　the



money　for　our　workand　my　daughter　knows　it。　If　you　can　tell　me



nothing　else；　my　dear；　will　you　tell　me　your　Christian　name？　It



is　painful　to　me　to　speak　to　you　quite　as　a　stranger。〃







Stella　at　once　complied　with　the　request。　Madame　Marillac　smiled



as　she　repeated　the　name。







〃There　is　almost　another　tie　between　us；〃　she　said。　〃We　have　your



name　in　Franceit　speaks　with　a　familiar　sound　to　me　in　this



strange　place。　Dear　Miss　Stella；　when　my　poor　boy　startled　you　by



that　cry　for　food；　he　recalled　to　me　the　saddest　of　all　my



anxieties。　When　I　think　of　him；　I　should　be　tempted　if　my　better



sense　did　not　restrain　me　No！　no！　put　back　the　pocketbook。　I　am



incapable　of　the　shameless　audacity　of　borrowing　a　sum　of　money



which　I　could　never　repay。　Let　me　tell　you　what　my　trouble　is；



and　you　will　understand　that　I　am　in　earnest。　I　had　two　sons；



Miss　Stella。　The　elderthe　most　lovable；　the　most　affectionate



of　my　childrenwas　killed　in　a　duel。〃







The　sudden　disclosure　drew　a　cry　of　sympathy　from　Stella；　which



she　was　not　mistress　enough　of　herself　to　repress。　Now　for　the



first　time　she　understood　the　remorse　that　tortured　Romayne；　as



she　had　not　understood　it　when　Lady　Loring　had　told　her　the



terrible　story　of　the　duel。　Attributing　the　effect　produced　on



her　to　the　sensitive　nature　of　a　young　woman；　Madame　Marillac



innocently　added　to　Stella's　distress　by　making　excuses。







〃I　am　sorry　to　have　frightened　you；　my　dear；〃　she　said。　〃In　your



happy　country　such　a　dreadful　death　as　my　son's　is　unknown。　I　am



obliged　to　mention　it；　or　you　might　not　understand　what　I　have



still　to　say。　Perhaps　I　had　better　not　go　on？〃







Stella　roused　herself。　〃Yes！　yes！〃　she　answered；　eagerly。　〃Pray



go　on！〃







〃My　son　in　the　next　room；〃　the　widow　resumed；　〃is　only　fourteen



years　old。　It　has　pleased　God　sorely　to　afflict　a　harmless



creature。　He　has　not　been　in　his　right　mind　sincesince　the



miserable　day　when　he　followed　the　duelists；　and　saw　his



brother's　death。　Oh！　you　are　turning　pale！　How　thoughtless；　how



cruel　of　me！　I　ought　to　have　remembered　that　such　horrors　as



these　have　never　overshadowed　your　happy　life！〃







Struggling　to　recover　her　self…control；　Stella　tried　to　reassure



Madame　Marillac　by　a　gesture。　The　voice　which　she　had　heard　in



the　next　room　wasas　she　now　knewthe　voice　that　haunted



Romayne。　Not　the　words　that　had　pleaded　hunger　and　called　for



breadbut　those　other　words；　〃Assassin！　assassin！　where　are



you？〃rang　in　her　ears。　She　entreated　Madame　Marillac　to　break



the　unendurable　interval　of　silence。　The　widow's　calm　voice　had　a



soothing　influence　which　she　was　eager　to　feel。　〃Go　on！〃　she



repeated。　〃Pray　go　on！〃







〃I　ought　not　to　lay　all　the　blame　of　my　boy's　affliction　on　the



duel；〃　said　Madame　Marillac。　〃In　childhood；　his　mind　never　grew



with　his　bodily　growth。　His　brother's　death　may　have　only　hurried



the　result　which　was　sooner　or　later　but　too　sure　to　come。　You



need　feel　no　fear　of　him。　He　is　never　violentand　he　is　the　most



beautiful　of　my　children。　Would　you　like　to　see　him？〃







〃No！　I　would　rather　hear　you　speak　of　him。　Is　he　not　conscious　of



his　own　misfortune？〃







〃For　weeks　together；　StellaI　am　sure　I　may　call　you　Stella？he



is　quite　calm；　you　would　see　no　difference　outwardly　between　him



and　other　boys。　Unhappily；　it　is　just　at　those　times　that　a



spirit　of　impatience　seems　to　possess　him。　He　watches　his



opportunity；　and；　however　careful　we　may　be；　he　is　cunning　enough



to　escape　our　vigilance。〃







〃Do　you　mean　that　he　leaves　you　and　his　sisters？〃







〃Yes；　that　is　what　I　mean。　For　nearly　two　months　past　he　has　been



away　from　us。　Yesterday　only；　his　return　relieved　us　from　a　state



of　suspense　which　I　cannot　attempt　to　describe。　We　don't　know



where　he　has　been；　or　in　the　company　of　what　persons　he　has



passed　the　time　of　his　absense。　No　persuasion　will　induce　him　to



spe　ak　to　us　on　the　subject。　This　morning　we　listened　while　he



was　talking　to　himself。〃







〃Was　it　part　of　the　boy's　madness　to　repeat　the　words　which　still



tormented　Romayne？〃　Stella　asked　if　he　ever　spoke　of　the　duel。







〃Never！　He　seems　to　have　lost　all　memory　of　it。　We　only　heard；



this　morning；　one　or　two　unconnected　wordssomething　about　a



woman；　and　then　more　that　appeared　to　allude　to　some　person's



death。　Last　night　I　was　with　him　when　he　went　to　bed；　and　I　found



that　he　had　something　to　conceal　from　me。　He　let　me　fold　all　his



clothes；　as　usual；　except　his　waistcoatand　that　he　snatched



away　from　me；　and　put　it　under　his　pillow。　We　have　no　hope　of



being　able　to　examine　the　waistcoat　without　his　knowledge。　His



sleep　is　like　the　sleep　of　a　dog；　if　you　only　approach　him；　he



wakes　instantly。　Forgive　me　for　troubling　you　with　these　trifling



details；　only　interesting　to　ourselves。　You　will　at　least



understand　the　constant　anxiety　that　we　suffer。〃







〃In　your　unhappy　position；〃　said　Stella；　〃I　should　try　to　resign



myself　to　parting　with　himI　mean　to　placing　him　under　medical



care。〃







The　mother's　face　saddened。　〃I　have　inquired　about　it；〃　she



answered。　〃He　must　pass　a　night　in　the　workhouse　before　he　can　be



received　as　a　pauper　lunatic　in　a　public　asylum。　Oh；　my　dear；　I



am　afraid　there　is　some　pride　still　left　in　me！　He　is　my　only　son



now；　his　father　was　a　General　in　the　French　army；　I　was　brought



up　among　people　of　good　blood　and　breedingI　can't　take　my　own



boy　to　the　workhouse！〃







Stella　understood　her。　〃I　feel　for　you　with　all　my　heart；〃　she



said。　〃Place　him　privately；　dear　Madame　Marillac；　under　skillful



and　kind　controland　let　me；　do　let　me；　open　the　pocketbook



again。〃







The　widow　steadily　refused　even　to　look　at　the　pocketbook。



〃Perhaps；〃　Stella　persisted；　〃you　don't　know　of　a　private　asylum



that　would　satisfy　you？〃







〃My　dear；　I　do　know　of　such　a　place！　The　good　doctor　who　attended



my　husband　in　his　last　illness　told　me　of　it。　A　friend　of　his



receives　a　certain　number　of　poor　people　into　his　house；　and



charges　no　more　than　the　cost　of　maintaining　them。　An



unattainable　sum　to　_me！_　There　is　the　temptation　that　I　spoke



of。　The　help　of　a　few　pounds　I　might　accept；　if　I　fell　ill；



because　I　might　afterward　pay　it　back。　But　a　larger　sumnever！〃







She　rose；　as　if　to　end　the　interview。　Stella　tried　every　means　of



persuasion　that　she　could　think　of；　and　tried　in　vain。　The



friendly　dispute　between　them　might　have　been　prolonged；　if　they



had　not　both　been　silenced　by　another　interruption　from　the　next



room。







This　time；　it　was　not　only　endurable；　it　was　even　welcome。　The



poor　boy　was　playing　the　air　of　a　French　vaudeville　on　a　pipe　or



flageolet。　〃Now　he　is　happy！〃　said　the　mother。　〃He　is　a　born



musician；　do　come　and　see　him！〃　An　idea　struck　Stella。　She



overcame　the　inveterate　reluctance　in　her　to　see　the　boy　so



fatally　associated　with　the　misery　of　Romayne's　life。　As　Madame



Marillac　led　the　way　to　the　door　of　communication　between　the



rooms；　she　quickly　took　from　her　pocketbook　the　bank…notes　with



which　she　had　provided　herself；　and　folded　them　so　that　they



could　be　easily　concealed　in　her　hand。







She　followed　the　widow　into　the　little　room。







The　boy　was　sitting　on　his　bed。　He　laid　down　his　flageolet　and



bowed　to　Stella。　His　long　silky　hair　flowed　to　his　shoulders。　But



one　betrayal　of　a　deranged　mind　presented　itself　in　his　delicate



facehis　large　soft　eyes　had　the　glassy；　vacant　look　which　it　is



impossible　to　mistake。　〃Do　you　like　music；　mademoiselle？〃　he



asked；　gently。　Stella　as