the black robe-第58节

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winter　residence　in　England？　Ah；　this　glorious　country　would　be



too　perfect　if　it　possessed　the　delicious　climate　of　Rome！〃







The　wine　and　biscuits　were　brought　in。　Father　Benwell　filled　the



glasses　and　bowed　cordially　to　his　guest。







〃Nothing　of　this　sort　at　The　Retreat！〃　he　said　gayly。　〃Excellent



water；　I　am　toldwhich　is　a　luxury　in　its　way；　especially　in



London。　Well；　my　dear　Romayne；　I　must　begin　by　making　my



apologies。　You　no　doubt　thought　me　a　little　abrupt　in　running



away　with　you　from　your　retirement　at　a　moment's　notice？〃







〃I　believed　that　you　had　good　reasons；　Fatherand　that　was



enough　for　me。〃







〃Thank　youyou　do　me　justiceit　was　in　your　best　interests　that



I　acted。　There　are　men　of　phlegmatic　temperament；　over　whom　the



wise　monotony　of　discipline　at　The　Retreat　exercises　a　wholesome



influenceI　mean　an　influence　which　may　be　prolonged　with



advantage。　You　are　not　one　of　those　persons。　Protracted　seclusion



and　monotony　of　life　are　morally　and　mentally　unprofitable　to　a



man　of　your　ardent　disposition。　I　abstained　from　mentioning　these



reasons；　at　the　time；　out　of　a　feeling　of　regard　for　our



excellent　resident　director；　who　believes　unreservedly　in　the



institution　over　which　he　presides。　Very　good！　The　Retreat　has



done　all　that　it　could　usefully　do　in　your　case。　We　must　think



next　of　how　to　employ　that　mental　activity　which；　rightly



developed；　is　one　of　the　most　valuable　qualities　that　you



possess。　Let　me　ask；　first；　if　you　have　in　some　degree　recovered



your　tranquillity？〃







〃I　feel　like　a　different　man；　Father　Benwell。〃







〃That's　right！　And　your　nervous　sufferingsI　don't　ask　what　they



are；　I　only　want　to　know　if　you　experience　a　sense　of　relief？〃







〃A　most　welcome　sense　of　relief；〃　Romayne　answered；　with　a



revival　of　the　enthusiasm　of　other　days。　〃The　complete　change　in



all　my　thoughts　and　convictions　which　I　owe　to　you〃







〃And　to　dear　Penrose；〃　Father　Benwell　interposed；　with　the　prompt



sense　of　justice　which　no　man　could　more　becomingly　assume。　〃We



must　not　forget　Arthur。〃







〃Forget　him？〃　Romayne　repeated。　〃Not　a　day　passes　without　my



thinking　of　him。　It　is　one　of　the　happy　results　of　the　change　in



me　that　my　mind　does　not　dwell　bitterly　on　the　loss　of　him　now。　I



think　of　Penrose　with　admiration；　as　of　one　whose　glorious　life；



with　all　its　dangers；　　I　should　like　to　share！〃







He　spoke　with　a　rising　color　and　brightening　eyes。　Already；　the



absorbent　capacity　of　the　Roman　Church　had　drawn　to　itself　that



sympathetic　side　of　his　character　which　was　also　one　of　its



strongest　sides。　Already；　his　love　for　Penrosehitherto　inspired



by　the　virtues　of　the　manhad　narrowed　its　range　to　sympathy



with　the　trials　and　privileges　of　the　priest。　Truly　and　deeply；



indeed；　had　the　physician　consulted；　in　bygone　days；　reasoned　on



Romayne's　case！　That　〃occurrence　of　some　new　and　absorbing



influence　in　his　life；〃　of　which　the　doctor　had　spokenthat



〃working　of　some　complete　change　in　his　habits　of　thought〃had



found　its　way　to　him　at　last；　after　the　wife's　simple　devotion



had　failed；　through　the　subtler　ministrations　of　the　priest。







Some　men；　having　Father　Benwell's　object　in　view；　would　have



taken　instant　advantage　of　the　opening　offered　to　them　by



Romayne's　unguarded　enthusiasm。　The　illustrious　Jesuit　held　fast



by　the　wise　maxim　which　forbade　him　to　do　anything　in　a　hurry。







〃No；〃　he　said；　〃your　life　must　not　be　the　life　of　our　dear



friend。　The　service　on　which　the　Church　employs　Penrose　is　not



the　fit　service　for　you。　You　have　other　claims　on　us。〃







Romayne　looked　at　his　spiritual　adviser　with　a　momentary　change



of　expressiona　relapse　into　the　ironical　bitterness　of　the　past



time。







〃Have　you　forgotten　that　I　am；　and　can　be；　only　a　layman？〃　he



asked。　〃What　claims　can　I　have；　except　the　common　claim　of　all



faithful　members　of　the　Church　on　the　good　offices　of　the



priesthood？〃　He　paused　for　a　moment；　and　continued　with　the



abruptness　of　a　man　struck　by　a　new　idea。　〃Yes！　I　have　perhaps



one　small　aim　of　my　ownthe　claim　of　being　allowed　to　do　my



duty。〃







〃In　what　respect；　dear　Romayne？〃







〃Surely　you　can　guess？　I　am　a　rich　man；　I　have　money　lying　idle；



which　it　is　my　duty　（and　my　privilege）　to　devote　to　the　charities



and　necessities　of　the　Church。　And；　while　I　am　speaking　of　this；



I　must　own　that　I　am　a　little　surprised　at　your　having　said



nothing　to　me　on　the　subject。　You　have　never　yet　pointed　out　to



me　the　manner　in　which　I　might　devote　my　money　to　the　best　and



noblest　uses。　Was　it　forgetfulness　on　your　part？〃







Father　Benwell　shook　his　head。　〃No；〃　he　replied；　〃I　can't



honestly　say　that。〃







〃Then　you　had　a　reason　for　your　silence？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃May　I　not　know　it？〃







Father　Benwell　got　up　and　walked　to　the　fireplace。　Now　there　are



various　methods　of　getting　up　and　walking　to　a　fireplace；　and



they　find　their　way　to　outward　expression　through　the　customary



means　of　look　and　manner。　We　may　feel　cold；　and　may　only　want　to



warm　ourselves。　Or　we　may　feel　restless；　and　may　need　an　excuse



for　changing　our　position。　Or　we　may　feel　modestly　confused；　and



may　be　anxious　to　hide　it。　Father　Benwell；　from　head　to　foot；



expressed　modest　confusion；　and　polite　anxiety　to　hide　it。







〃My　good　friend；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　afraid　of　hurting　your



feelings。〃







Romayne　was　a　sincere　convert；　but　there　were　instincts　still



left　in　him　which　resented　this　expression　of　regard；　even　when



it　proceeded　from　a　man　whom　he　respected　and　admired。　〃You　will



hurt　my　feelings；〃　he　answered；　a　little　sharply；　〃if　you　are　not



plain　with　me。〃







〃Then　I　_will_　be　plain　with　you；〃　Father　Benwell　rejoined。　〃The



Churchspeaking　through　me；　as　her　unworthy　interpreterfeels　a



certain　delicacy　in　approaching　You　on　the　subject　of　money。〃







〃Why？〃







Father　Benwell　left　the　fireplace　without　immediately　answering。



He　opened　a　drawer　and　took　out　of　it　a　flat　mahogany　box。　His



gracious　familiarity　became　transformed；　by　some　mysterious



process　of　congelation；　into　a　dignified　formality　of　manner。　The



priest　took　the　place　of　the　man。







〃The　Church；　Mr。　Romayne；　hesitates　to　receive；　as　benevolent



contributions；　money　derived　from　property　of　its　own；



arbitrarily　taken　from　it；　and　placed　in　a　layman's　hands。　No！〃



he　cried；　interrupting　Romayne；　who　instantly　understood　the



allusion　to　Vange　Abbey〃no！　I　must　beg　you　to　hear　me　out。　I



state　the　case　plainly；　at　your　own　request。　At　the　same　time；　I



am　bound　to　admit　that　the　lapse　of　centuries　has；　in　the　eye　of



the　law；　sanctioned　the　deliberate　act　of　robbery　perpetrated　by



Henry　the　Eighth。　You　have　lawfully　inherited　Vange　Abbey　from



your　ancestors。　The　Church　is　not　unreasonable　enough　to　assert　a



merely　moral　right　against　the　law　of　the　country。　It　may　feel



the　act　of　spoliationbut　it　submits。〃　He　unlocked　the　flat



mahogany　box；　and　gently　dropped　his　dignity：　the　man　took　the



place　of　the　priest。　〃As　the　master　of　Vange；〃　he　said；　you　may



be　interested　in　looking　at　a　little　historical　curiosity　which



we　have　preserved。　The　title…deeds；　dear　Romayne；　by　which　the



monks　held　your　present　property；　in　_their_　time。　Take　another



glass　of　wine。〃







Romayne　looked　at　the　title…deeds；　and　laid　them　aside　unread。







Father　Benwell　had　roused　his　pride；　his　sense　of　justice；　his



wild　and　lavish　instincts　of　generosity。　He；　who　had　always



despised　moneyexcept　when　it　assumed　its　only　estimable



character；　as　a　means　for　the　attainment　of　merciful　and　noble



ends_he_　was　in　possession　of　property　to　which　he　had　no　moral



right：　without　even　the　poor　excuse　of　associations　which



attached　him　to　the　place。







〃I　hope　I　have　not　offended　you？〃　said　Father　Benwell。







〃You　have　made　me　ashamed　of　myself；〃　Romayne　answered；　warmly。



〃On　the　day　when　I　became　a　Catholic；　I　ought　to　have　remembered



Vange。　Better　late　than　never。　I　refuse　to　take　shelter　under　the



lawI　respect　the　moral　right　of　the　Church。　I　will　at　once



restore　the　property　which　I　have　usurped。〃







Father　Benwell　took　both　Romayne's　hands　in　his；　and　pressed　them



fervently。







〃I　am　proud　of　you！〃　he　said。　We　shall　all　be　proud　of　you；　when



I　write　word　to　Rome　of　what　has　passed　between　us。　Butno；



Romayne！this　must　not　be。　I　admire　yo