the black robe-第37节

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from　the　library　of　a　friend　of　mine；　residing　in　the　country。〃







By　return　of　post　the　answer；　affectionately　and　gratefully



written；　arrived　from　Penrose。　He　regretted　that　he　was　not　able



to　assist　Romayne　personally。　But　it　was　out　of　his　power　（in



plain　words；　he　had　been　expressly　forbidden　by　Father　Benwell）



to　leave　the　service　on　which　he　was　then　engaged。　In　reference



to　the　book　that　was　wanted；　it　was　quite　likely　that　a　search　in



the　catalogues　of　the　British　Museum　might　discover　it。　He　had



only　met　with　it　himself　in　the　National　Library　at　Paris。







This　information　led　Romayne　to　London　again；　immediately。　For



the　first　time　he　called　at　Father　Benwell's　lodgings。　The　priest



was　at　home；　expecting　the　visit。　His　welcome　was　the　perfection



of　unassuming　politeness。　He　asked　for　the　last　news　of　〃poor



Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　health；〃　with　the　sympathy　of　a　true　friend。







〃I　had　the　honor　of　drinking　tea　with　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　some　little



time　since；〃　he　said。　〃Her　flow　of　conversation　was　never　more



delightfulit　seemed　impossible　to　associate　the　idea　of　illness



with　so　bright　a　creature。　And　how　well　she　kept　the　secret　of



your　contemplated　marriage！　May　I　offer　my　humble　congratulations



and　good　wishes？〃







Romayne　thought　it　needless　to　say　that　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　had　not



been　trusted　with　the　secret　until　the　wedding　day　was　close　at



hand。　〃My　wife　and　I　agreed　in　wishing　to　be　married　as　quietly



as　possible；〃　he　answered；　after　making　the　customary



acknowledgments。







〃And　Mrs。　Romayne？〃　pursued　Father　Benwell。　〃This　is　a　sad　trial



for　her。　She　is　in　attendance　on　her　mother；　I　suppose？〃







〃In　constant　attendance；　I　am　quite　alone　now。　To　change　the



subject；　may　I　ask　you　to　look　at　the　reply　which　I　have　received



from　Penrose？　It　is　my　excuse　for　troubling　you　with　this　visit。〃







Father　Benwell　read　the　letter　with　the　closest　attention。　In



spite　of　his　habitual　self…control；　his　vigilant　eyes　brightened



as　he　handed　it　back。







Thus　far；　the　priest's　well…planned　scheme；　（like　Mr。　Bitrake's



clever　inquiries）　had　failed。　He　had　not　even　entrapped　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　into　revealing　the　marriage　engagement。　Her



unconquerable　small…talk　had　foiled　him　at　every　point。　Even　when



he　had　deliberately　kept　his　seat　after　the　other　guests　at　the



tea…table　had　taken　their　departure；　she　rose　with　the　most



imperturbable　coolness；　and　left　him。　〃I　have　a　dinner　and　two



parties　to…night；　and　this　is　just　the　time　when　I　take　my　little



restorative　nap。　Forgive　meand　do　come　again！〃　When　he　sent　the



fatal　announcement　of　the　marriage　to　Rome；　he　had　been　obliged



to　confess　that　he　was　indebted　for　the　discovery　to　the



newspaper。　He　had　accepted　the　humiliation；　he　had　accepted　the



defeatbut　he　was　not　beaten　yet。　〃I　counted　on　Romayne's



weakness；　and　Miss　Eyrecourt　counted　on　Romayne's　weakness；　and



Miss　Eyrecourt　has　won。　So　let　it　be。　My　turn　will　come。〃　In　that



manner　he　had　reconciled　himself　to　his　position。　And　nowhe



knew　it　when　he　handed　back　the　letter　to　Romaynehis　turn　_had_



come！







〃You　can　hardly　go　to　Paris　to　consult　the　book；〃　he　said；　〃in



the　present　state　of　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　health？〃







〃Certainly　not！〃







〃Perhaps　you　will　send　somebody　to　search　the　catalogue　at　the



British　Museum？〃







〃I　should　have　done　that　already；　Father　Benwell；　but　for　the



very　kind　allusion　in　your　note　to　your　friend　in　the　country。



Even　if　the　book　is　in　the　Museum　Library；　I　shall　be　obliged　to



go　to　the　Reading　Room　to　get　my　information。　It　would　be　far



more　convenient　to　me　to　have　the　volume　at　home　to　consult；　if



you　think　your　friend　will　trust　me　with　it。〃







〃I　am　certain　he　will　trust　you　with　it。　My　friend　is　Mr。



Winterfield；　of　Beaupark　House；　North　Devon。　Perhaps　you　may　have



heard　of　him？〃







〃No；　the　name　is　quite　new　to　me。〃







〃Then　come　and　see　the　man　himself。　He　is　now　in　Londonand　I　am



entirely　at　your　service。〃







In　half　an　hour　more；　Romayne　was　presented　to　a　well…bred；



amiable　gentleman　in　the　prime　of　life；　smoking；　and　reading　the



newspaper。　The　bowl　of　his　long　pipe　rested　on　the　floor；　on　one



side　of　him；　and　a　handsome　red　and　white　spaniel　reposed　on　the



other。　Before　his　visitors　had　been　two　minutes　in　the　room；　he



understood　the　motive　which　had　brought　them　to　consult　him；　and



sent　for　a　telegraphic　form。







〃My　steward　will　find　the　book　and　forward　it　to　your　address　by



passenger　train　this　afternoon；〃　he　said。　〃I　will　tell　him　to　put



my　printed　catalogue　of　the　library　into　the　parcel；　in　case　I



have　any　other　books　which　may　be　of　use　to　you。〃







With　those　words；　he　dispatched　the　telegram　to　the　office。



Romayne　attempted　to　make　his　acknowledgments。　Mr。　Winterfield



would　hear　no　acknowledgments。







〃My　dear　sir；〃　he　said；　with　a　smile　that　brightened　his　whole



face；　〃you　are　engaged　in　writing　a　great　historical　work；　and　I



am　an　obscure　country　gentleman；　who　is　lucky　enough　to　associate



himself　with　the　production　of　a　new　book。　How　do　you　know　that　I



am　not　looking　forward　to　a　complimentary　line　in　the　preface？　I



am　the　obliged　person；　not　you。　Pray　consider　me　as　a　handy



little　boy　who　runs　on　errands　for　the　Muse　of　History。　Do　you



smoke？〃







Not　even　tobacco　would　soothe　Romayne's　wasted　and　irritable



nerves。　Father　Benwell〃all　things　to　all　men〃cheerfully



accepted　a　cigar　from　the　box　on　the　table。







〃Father　Benwell　possesses　all　the　social　virtues；〃　Mr。



Winterfield　ran　on。　〃He　shall　have　his　coffee；　and　the　largest



sugar…basin　that　the　hotel　can　produce。　I　can　quite　understand



that　your　literary　labors　have　tried　your　nerves；〃　he　said　to



Romayne；　when　he　had　ordered　the　coffee。　〃The　mere　title　of　your



work　overwhelms　an　idle　man　like　me。　'The　Origin　of



Religions'what　an　immense　subject！　How　far　must　we　look　back　to



find　out　the　first　worshipers　of　the　human　family？Where　are　the



hieroglyphics；　Mr。　Romayne；　that　will　give　you　the　earliest



information？　In　the　unknown　center　of　Africa；　or　among　the　ruined



cities　of　Yucatan？　My　own　idea；　as　an　ignorant　man；　is　that　the



first　of　all　forms　of　worship　must　have　been　the　worship　of　the



sun。　Don't　be　shocked；　Father　BenwellI　confess　I　have　a　certain



sympathy　with　sun…worship。　In　the　East　especially；　the　rising　of



the　sun　is　surely　the　grandest　of　all　objectsthe　visible　symbol



of　a　beneficent　Deity；　who　gives　life；　warmth　and　light　to　the



world　of　his　creation。〃







〃Very　grand；　no　doubt；〃　remarked　Father　Benwell；　sweetening　his



coffee。　〃But　not　to　be　compared　with　the　noble　sight　at　Rome；



when　the　Pope　blesses　the　Christian　world　from　the　balcony　of　St。



Peter's。〃







〃So　much　for　professional　feeling！〃　said　Mr。　Winterfield。　〃But；



surely；　something　depends　on　what　sort　of　man　the　Pope　is。　If　we



had　lived　in　the　time　of　Alexander　the　Sixth；　would　you　have



called　_him_　a　part　of　that　noble　sight？〃







〃Certainlyat　a　proper　distance；〃　Father　Benwell　briskly



replied。　〃Ah；　you　heretics　only　know　the　worst　side　of　that　most



unhappy　pontiff！　Mr。　Winterfield；　we　have　every　reason　to　believe



that　he　felt　（privately）　the　truest　remorse。〃







〃I　should　require　very　good　evidence　to　persuade　me　of　it。〃







This　touched　Romayne　on　a　sad　side　of　his　own　personal



experience。　〃Perhaps；〃　he　said；　〃you　don't　believe　in　remorse？〃







〃Pardon　me；〃　Mr。　Winterfield　rejoined；　〃I　only　distinguish



between　false　remorse　and　true　remorse。　We　will　say　no　more　of



Alexander　the　Sixth；　Father　Benwell。　If　we　want　an　illustration；



I　will　supply　it；　and　give　no　offense。　True　remorse　depends；　to



my　mind；　on　a　man's　accurate　knowledge　of　his　own　motivesfar



from　a　common　knowledge；　in　my　experience。　Say；　for　instance；



that　I　have　committed　some　serious　offense〃







Romayne　could　not　resist　interrupting　him。　〃Say　you　have　killed



one　of　your　fellow…creatures；〃　he　suggested。







〃Very　well。　If　I　know　that　I　really　meant　to　kill　him；　for　some



vile　purpose　of　my　own；　and　if　（which　by　no　means　always　follows）



I　am　really　capable　of　feeling　the　enormity　of　my　own　crimethat



is；　as　I　think；　true　remorse。　Murderer　as　I　am；　I　have；　in　that



case；　some　moral　worth　still　left　in　me。　But　if　I　did　_not_　mean



to　kill　the　manif　his　death　was　my　misfortune　as　well　as



hisand　if　（as　frequently　happens）　I　am　neverth