the black robe-第49节

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frockcoat。　His　own　future　proceedings　depended；　in　some　degree；



on　the　course　which　Winterfield　might　take；　when　he　had　read　the



confession　of　the　unhappy　woman　who　had　once　been　his　wife。







Would　he　show　the　letter　to　Stella；　at　a　private　interview；　as　an



unanswerable　proof　that　she　had　cruelly　wronged　him？　And　would　it



in　this　case　be　desirableif　the　thing　could　be　doneso　to



handle　circumstances　as　that　Romayne　might　be　present；　unseen；



and　might　discover　the　truth　for　himself？　In　the　other



eventthat　is　to　say；　if　Winterfield　abstained　from



communicating　the　confession　to　Stellathe　responsibility　of



making　the　necessary　disclosure　must　remain　with　the　priest。







Father　Benwell　walked　softly　up　and　down　the　room；　looking　about



him　with　quietly…observant　eye。　A　side　table　in　a　corner　was



covered　with　letters；　waiting　Winterfield's　return。　Always　ready



for　information　of　any　sort；　he　even　looked　at　the　addresses　on



the　letters。







The　handwritings　presented　the　customary　variety　of　character。



All　but　three　of　the　envelopes　showed　the　London　district



postmarks。　Two　of　the　other　letters　（addressed　to　Winterfield　at



his　club）　bore　foreign　postmarks；　and　one；　as　the　altered



direction　showed；　had　been　forward　from　Beaupark　House　to　the



hotel。







This　last　letter　especially　attracted　the　priest's　attention。







The　address　was　apparently　in　a　woman's　handwriting。　And　it　was



worthy　of　remark　that　she　appeared　to　be　the　only　person　among



Winterfield's　correspondents　who　was　not　acquainted　with　the



address　of　his　hotel　or　of　his　club。　Who　could　the　person　be？　The



subtly　inquiring　intellect　of　Father　Benwell　amused　itself　by



speculating　even　on　such　a　trifling　problem　as　this。　He　little



thought　that　he　had　a　personal　interest　in　the　letter。　The



envelope　contained　Stella's　warning　to　Winterfield　to　distrust　no



less　a　person　than　Father　Benwell　himself！







It　was　nearly　half…past　five　before　quick　footsteps　were　audible



outside。　Winterfield　entered　the　room。







〃This　is　friendly　indeed！〃　he　said。　〃I　expected　to　return　to　the



worst　of　all　solitudessolitude　in　a　hotel。　You　will　stay　and



dine　with　me？　That's　right。　You　must　have　thought　I　was　going　to



settle　in　Paris。　Do　you　know　what　has　kept　me　so　long？　The　most



delightful　theater　in　the　worldthe　Opera　Comique。　I　am　so　fond



of　the　bygone　school　of　music；　Father　Benwellthe　flowing



graceful　delicious　melodies　of　the　composers　who　followed　Mozart。



One　can　only　enjoy　that　music　in　Paris。　Would　you　believe　that　I



waited　a　week　to　hear　Nicolo's　delightful　Joconde　for　the　second



time。　I　was　almost　the　only　young　man　in　the　stalls。　All　round　me



were　the　old　men　who　remembered　the　first　performances　of　the



opera；　beating　time　with　their　wrinkled　hands　to　the　tunes　which



were　associated　with　the　happiest　days　of　their　lives。　What's



that　I　hear？　My　dog！　I　was　obliged　to　leave　him　here；　and　he



knows　I　have　come　back！〃







He　flew　to　the　door　and　called　down　the　stairs　to　have　the　dog



set　free。　The　spaniel　rushed　into　the　room　and　leaped　into　his



master's　outstretched　arms。　Winterfield　returned　his　caresses；



and　kisses　him　as　tenderly　as　a　woman　might　have　kissed　her　pet。







〃Dear　old　fellow！　it's　a　shame　to　have　left　youI　won't　do　it



again。　Father　Benwell；　have　you　many　friends　who　would　be　as　glad



to　see　you　as　_this_　friend？　I　haven't　one。　And　there　are　fools



who　talk　of　a　dog　as　an　inferior　being　to　ourselves！　_This_



creature's　faithful　love　is　mine；　do　what　I　may。　I　might　be



disgraced　in　the　estimation　of　every　human　creature　I　know；　and



he　would　be　as　true　to　me　as　ever。　And　look　at　his　physical



qualities。　What　an　ugly　thing；　for　instanceI　won't　say　your



earI　will　say；　my　ear　is；　crumpled　and　wrinkled　and　naked。　Look



at　the　beautiful　silky　covering　of　_his_　ear！　What　are　our　senses



of　smelling　and　hearing　compared　to　his？　We　are　proud　of　our



reason。　Could　we　find　our　way　back；　if　they　shut　us　up　in　a



basket；　and　took　us　to　a　strange　place　away　from　home？　If　we　both



want　to　run　downstairs　in　a　hurry；　which　of　us　is　securest



against　breaking　his　neckI　on　my　poor　two　legs；　or　he　on　his



four？　Who　is　the　happy　mortal　who　goes　to　bed　without



unbuttoning；　and　gets　up　again　without　buttoning？　Here　he　is；　on



my　lap；　knowing　I　am　talking　about　him；　and　too　fond　of　me　to　say



to　himself；　'What　a　fool　my　master　is！'　〃







Father　Benwell　listened　to　this　rhapsodyso　characteristic　of



the　childish　simplicity　of　the　manwith　an　inward　sense　of



impatience；　which　never　once　showed　itself　on　the　smiling　surface



of　his　face。







He　had　decided　not　to　mention　the　papers　in　his　pocket　until　some



circumstance　occurred　which　might　appear　to　remind　him　naturally



that　he　had　such　things　about　him。　If　he　showed　any　anxiety　to



produce　the　envelope；　he　might　expose　himself　to　the　suspicion　of



having　some　knowledge　of　the　contents。　When　would　Winterfield



notice　the　side　table；　and　open　his　letters？







The　tick…tick　of　the　clock　on　the　mantel…piece　steadily



registered　the　progress　of　time；　and　Winterfield's　fantastic



attentions　were　still　lavished　on　his　dog。







Even　Father　Benwell's　patience　was　sorely　tried　when　the　good



country　gentleman　proceeded　to　mention　not　only　the　spaniel's



name；　but　the　occasion　which　had　suggested　it。　〃We　call　him



Traveler；　and　I　will　tell　you　why。　When　he　was　only　a　puppy　he



strayed　into　the　garden　at　Beaupark；　so　weary　and　footsore　that



we　concluded　he　had　come　to　us　from　a　great　distance。　We



advertised　him；　but　he　was　never　claimedand　here　he　is！　If　you



don't　object；　we　will　give　Traveler　a　treat　to…day。　He　shall　have



dinner　with　us。〃







Perfectly　understanding　those　last　words；　the　dog　jumped　off　his



master's　lap；　and　actually　forwarded　the　views　of　Father　Benwell



in　less　than　a　minute　more。　Scampering　round　and　round　the　room；



as　an　appropriate　expression　of　happiness；　he　came　into　collision



with　the　side　table　and　directed　Winterfield's　attention　to　the



letters　by　scattering　them　on　the　floor。







Father　Benwell　rose　politely；　to　assist　in　picking　up　the



prostrate　correspondence。　But　Traveler　was　beforehand　with　him。



Warning　the　priest；　with　a　low　growl；　not　to　interfere　with



another　person's　business；　the　dog　picked　up　the　letters　in　his



mouth；　and　carried　them　by　installments　to　his　master's　feet。



Even　then；　the　exasperating　Winterfield　went　no　further　than



patting　Traveler。　Father　Benwell's　endurance　reached　its　limits。



〃Pray　don't　stand　on　ceremony　with　me；〃　he　said。　〃I　will　look　at



the　newspaper　while　you　read　your　letters。〃







Winterfield　carelessly　gathered　the　letters　together；　tossed　them



on　the　dining　table　at　his　side；　and　took　the　uppermost　one　of



the　little　heap。







Fate　was　certainly　against　the　priest　on　that　evening。　The　first



letter　that　Winterfield　opened　led　him　off　to　another　subject　of



conversation　before　he　had　read　it　to　the　end。　Father　Benwell's



hand；　already　in　his　coat　pocket；　appeared　againempty。







〃Here's　a　proposal　to　me　to　go　into　Parliament；〃　said　the　Squire。



〃What　do　you　think　of　representative　institutions；　Father



Benwell？　To　my　mind；　representative　institutions　are　on　their



last　legs。　Honorable　Members　vote　away　more　of　our　money　every



year。　They　have　no　alternative　between　suspending　liberty　of



speech；　or　sitting　helpless　while　half　a　dozen　impudent　idiots



stop　the　progress　of　legislation　from　motives　of　the　meanest



kind。　And　they　are　not　even　sensitive　enough　to　the　national



honor　to　pass　a　social　law　among　themselves　which　makes　it　as



disgraceful　in　a　gentleman　to　buy　a　seat　by　bribery　as　to　cheat



at　cards。　I　declare　I　think　the　card…sharper　the　least　degraded



person　of　the　two。　_He_　doesn't　encourage　his　inferiors　to　be



false　to　a　public　trust。　In　short；　my　dear　sir；　everything　wears



out　in　this　worldand　why　should　the　House　of　Commons　be　an



exception　to　the　rule？〃







He　picked　up　the　next　letter　from　the　heap。　As　he　looked　at　the



address；　his　face　changed。　The　smile　left　his　lips；　the　gayety



died　out　of　his　eyes。　Traveler；　entreating　for　more　notice　with



impatient　forepaws　applied　to　his　master's　knees；　saw　the



alteration；　and　dropped　into　a　respectfully　recumbent　position。



Father　Benwell　glanced　sidelong　off　the　columns　of　the　newspaper；



and　waited　for　events　with　all　the　discretion；　and　none　of　the



good　faith；　of　the　dog。