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第33节

the black robe-第33节

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〃Forgive me for owning it plainly;〃 said Lady Loring〃I think



you and your mother are a little too ready to suspect Father



Benwell without any discoverable cause。 Thousands of people go to



Clovelly; and Beaupark House is one of the show…places in the



neighborhood。 Is there a little Protestant prejudice in this new



idea of yours?〃







Stella made no reply; she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts。







Lady Loring went on。







〃I am open to conviction; my dear。 If you will only tell me what



interest Father Benwell can have in knowing about you and



Winterfield〃







Stella suddenly looked up。 〃Let us speak of another person;〃 she



said; 〃I own I don't like Father Benwell。 As you know; Romayne



has concealed nothing from me。 Ought I to have any concealments



from _him?_ Ought I not to tell him about Winterfield?〃







Lady Loring started。 〃You astonish me;〃 she said。 〃What right has



Romayne to know it?〃







〃What right have I to keep it a secret from him?〃







〃My dear Stella! if you had been in any way to blame in that



miserable matter; I should be the last person in the world to



advise you to keep it a secret。 But you are innocent of all



blame。 No mannot even the man who is soon to be your



husbandhas a right to know what you have so unjustly suffered。



Think of the humiliation of even speaking of it to Romayne!〃







〃I daren't think of it;〃 cried Stella passionately。 〃But if it is



my duty〃







〃It is your duty to consider the consequences;〃 Lady Loring



interposed。 〃You don't know how such things sometimes rankle in a



man's mind。 He may be perfectly willing to do you justiceand



yet; there may be moments when he would doubt if you had told him



the whole truth。 I speak with the experience of a married woman。



Don't place yourself in _that_ position toward your husband; if



you wish for a happy married life。〃







Stella was not quite convinced yet。 〃Suppose Romayne finds it



out?〃 she said。







〃He can't possibly find it out。 I detest Winterfield; but let us



do him justice。 He is no fool。 He has his position in the world



to keep upand that is enough of itself to close his lips。 And



as for others; there are only three people now in England who



_could_ betray you。 I suppose you can trust your mother; and Lord



Loring; and me?〃







It was needless to answer such a question as that。 Before Stella



could speak again; Lord Loring's voice was audible outside the



door。 〃What! talking still;〃 he exclaimed。 〃Not in bed yet?〃







〃Come in!〃 cried his wife。 〃Let us hear what my husband thinks;〃



she said to Stella。







Lord Loring listened with the closest attention while the subject



under discussion was communicated to him。 When the time came to



give his opinion; he sided unhesitatingly with his wife。







〃If the fault was yours; even in the slightest degree;〃 he said



to Stella; 〃Romayne would have a right to be taken into your



confidence。 But; my dear child; we; who know the truth; know you



to be a pure and innocent woman。 You go to Romayne in every way



worthy of him; and you know that he loves you。 If you did tell



him that miserable story; he could only pity you。 Do you want to



be pitied?〃







Those last unanswerable words brought the debate to an end。 From



that moment the subject was dropped。















There was still one other person among the guests at the ball who



was waking in the small hours of the morning。 Father Benwell;



wrapped comfortably in his dressing gown; was too hard at work on



his correspondence to think of his bed。 With one exception; all



the letters that he had written thus far were closed; directed



and stamped for the post。 The letter that he kept open he was now



engaged in reconsidering and correcting。 It was addressed as



usual to the Secretary of the Order at Rome; and; when it had



undergone the final revision; it contained these lines:







My last letter informed you of Romayne's return to London and to



Miss Eyrecourt。 Let me entreat our reverend brethren to preserve



perfect tranquillity of mind; in spite of this circumstance。 The



owner of Vange Abbey is not married yet。 If patience and



perseverance on my part win their fair reward; Miss Eyrecourt



shall never be his wife。







But let me not conceal the truth。 In the uncertain future that



lies before us; I have no one to depend on but myself。 Penrose is



no longer to be trusted; and the exertions of the agent to whom I



committed my inquiries are exertions that have failed。







I will dispose of the case of Penrose first。







The zeal with which this young man has undertaken the work of



conversion intrusted to him has; I regret to say; not been fired



by devotion to the interests of the Church; but by a dog…like



affection for Romayne。 Without waiting for my permission; Penrose



has revealed himself in his true character as a priest。 And; more



than this; he has not only refused to observe the proceedings of



Romayne and Miss Eyrecourthe has deliberately closed his ears



to the confidence which Romayne wished to repose in him; on the



ground that I might have ordered him to repeat that confidence to



me。







To what use can we put this poor fellow's ungovernable sense of



honor and gratitude? Under present circumstances; he is clearly



of little use to us。 I have therefore given him time to think。



That is to say; I have not opposed his leaving London; to assist



in the spiritual care of a country district。 It will be a



question for the future; whether we may not turn his enthusiasm



to good account in a foreign mission。 However; as it is always



possible that his influence may still be of use to us; I venture



to suggest keeping him within our reach until Romayne's



conversion has actually taken place。 Don't suppose that the



present separation between them is final; I will answer for their



meeting again。















I may now proceed to the failure of my agent; and to the course



of action that I have adopted in consequence。







The investigations appear to have definitely broken down at the



seaside village of Clovelly; in the neighborhood of Mr。



Winterfield's country seat。 Knowing that I could depend upon the



information which associated this gentleman with Miss Eyrecourt;



under compromising circumstances of some sort; I decided on



seeing Mr。 Winterfield; and judging for myself。







The agent's report informed me that the person who had finally



baffled his inquiries was an aged Catholic priest; long resident



at Clovelly。 His name is Newbliss; and he is much respected among



the Catholic gentry in that part of Devonshire。 After due



consideration; I obtained a letter of introduction to my reverend



colleague; and traveled to Clovellytelling my friends here that



I was taking a little holiday; in the interests of my health。







I found Father Newbliss a venerable and reticent son of the



Churchwith one weak point; however; to work on; which was



entirely beyond the reach of the otherwise astute person charged



with my inquiries。 My reverend friend is a scholar; and is



inordinately proud of his learning。 I am a scholar too。 In that



capacity I first found my way to his sympathies; and then gently



encouraged his pride。 The result will appear in certain



discoveries; which I number as follows:







1。 The events which connect Mr。 Winterfield with Miss Eyrecourt



happened about two years since; and had their beginning at



Beaupark House。







2。 At this period; Miss Eyrecourt and her mother were staying at



Beaupark House。 The general impression in the neighborhood was



that Mr。 Winterfield and Miss Eyrecourt were engaged to be



married。







3。 Not long afterward; Miss Eyrecourt and her mother surprised



the neighborhood by suddenly leaving Beaupark House。 Their



destination was supposed to be London。







4。 Mr。 Winterfield himself next left his country seat for the



Continent。 His exact destination was not mentioned to any one。



The steward; soon afterward; dismissed all the servants; and the



house was left empty for more than a year。







5。 At the end of that time Mr。 Winterfield returned alone to



Beaupark House; and told nobody how; or where; he had passed the



long interval of his absence。







6。 Mr。 Winterfield remains; to the present day; an unmarried man。







Having arrived at these preliminary discov

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