the black robe-第59节

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Romayne！this　must　not　be。　I　admire　you；　feel　with　you；　and　I



refuse。　On　behalf　of　the　Church；　I　say　itI　refuse　the　gift。〃







〃Wait　a　little；　Father　Benwell！　You　don't　know　the　state　of　my



affairs。　I　don't　deserve　the　admiration　which　you　feel　for　me。



The　loss　of　the　Vange　property　will　be　no　pecuniary　loss；　in　my



case。　I　have　inherited　a　fortune　from　my　aunt。　My　income　from



that　source　is　far　larger　than　my　income　from　the　Yorkshire



property。〃







〃Romayne；　it　must　not　be！〃







〃Pardon　me；　it　must　be。　I　have　more　money　than　I　can



spendwithout　Vange。　And　I　have　painful　associations　with　the



house　which　disincline　me　ever　to　enter　it　again。〃







Even　this　confession　failed　to　move　Father　Benwell。　He



obstinately　crossed　his　arms；　obstinately　tapped　his　foot　on　the



floor。　〃No！〃　he　said。　〃Plead　as　generously　as　you　may；　my　answer



is；　No。〃







Romayne　only　became　more　resolute　on　his　side。　〃The　property　is



absolutely　my　own；〃　he　persisted。　〃I　am　without　a　near　relation



in　the　world。　I　have　no　children。　My　wife　is　already　provided　for



at　my　death；　out　of　the　fortune　left　me　by　my　aunt。　It　is



downright　obstinacyforgive　me　for　saying　soto　persist　in　your



refusal。〃







〃It　is　downright　duty；　Romayne。　If　I　gave　way　to　you；　I　should　be



the　means　of　exposing　the　priesthood　to　the　vilest



misinterpretation。　I　should　be　deservedly　reprimanded；　and　your



proposal　of　restitutionif　you　expressed　it　in　writingwould；



without　a　moment's　hesitation；　be　torn　up。　If　you　have　any　regard



for　me；　drop　the　subject。〃







Romayne　refused　to　yield；　even　to　this　unanswerable　appeal。







〃Very　well；〃　he　said；　〃there　is　one　document　you　can't　tear　up。



You　can't　interfere　with　my　making　another　will。　I　shall　leave



the　Vange　property　to　the　Church；　and　I　shall　appoint　you　one　of



the　trustees。　You　can't　object　to　that。〃







Father　Benwell　smiled　sadly。







〃The　law　spares　me　the　ungracious　necessity　of　objecting；　in　this



case；〃　he　answered。　〃My　friend；　you　forget　the　Statutes　of



Mortmain。　They　positively　forbid　you　to　carry　out　the　intention



which　you　have　just　expressed。〃







Romayne　dismissed　this　appeal　to　the　law　irritably；　by　waving　his



hand。　〃The　Statutes　of　Mortmain；〃　he　rejoined；　〃can't　prevent　my



bequeathing　my　property　to　an　individual。　I　shall　leave　Vange



Abbey　to　You。　Now；　Father　Benwell！　have　I　got　the　better　of　you



at　last？〃







With　Christian　humility　the　Jesuit　accepted　the　defeat；　for　which



he　had　paved　the　way　from　the　outset　of　the　interview。　A　t　the



same　time；　he　shuffled　all　personal　responsibility　off　his　own



shoulders。　He　had　gained　the　victory　for　the　Churchwithout　（to



do　him　justice）　thinking　of　himself。







〃Your　generosity　has　conquered　me；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　must　be



allowed　to　clear　myself　of　even　the　suspicion　of　an　interested



motive。　On　the　day　when　your　will　is　executed；　I　shall　write　to



the　General　of　our　Order　at　Rome；　leaving　my　inheritance　to　him。



This　proceeding　will　be　followed　by　a　deed；　in　due　form；



conveying　the　property　to　the　Church。　You　have　no　objection　to　my



taking　that　course？　No？　My　dear　Romayne；　words　are　useless　at



such　a　time　as　this。　My　acts　shall　speak　for　me。　I　am　too



agitated　to　say　more。　Let　us　talk　of　something　elselet　us　have



some　wine。〃







He　filled　the　glasses；　he　offered　more　biscuits。he　was　really；



and　even　perceptibly；　agitated　by　the　victory　that　he　had　won。



But　one　last　necessity　now　confronted　himthe　necessity　of



placing　a　serious　obstacle　in　the　way　of　any　future　change　of



purpose　on　the　part　of　Romayne。　As　to　the　choice　of　that



obstacle；　Father　Benwell's　mind　had　been　made　up　for　some　time



past。







〃What　_was_　it　I　had　to　say　to　you？〃　he　resumed　〃Surely；　I　was



speaking　on　the　subject　of　your　future　life？〃







〃You　are　very　kind；　Father　Benwell。　The　subject　has　little



interest　for　me。　My　future　life　is　shaped　outdomestic



retirement；　ennobled　by　religious　duties。〃







Still　pacing　the　room；　Father　Benwell　stopped　at　that　reply；　and



put　his　hand　kindly　on　Romayne's　shoulder。







〃We　don't　allow　a　good　Catholic　to　drift　into　domestic



retirement；　who　is　worthy　of　better　things；〃　he　said。　〃The



Church；　Romayne　wishes　to　make　use　of　you。　I　never　flattered　any



one　in　my　life；　but　I　may　say　before　your　face　what　I　have　said



behind　your　back。　A　man　of　your　strict　sense　of　honorof　your



intellectof　your　high　aspirationsof　your　personal　charm　and



influenceis　not　a　man　whom　we　can　allow　to　run　to　waste。　Open



your　mind；　my　friend；　fairly　to　me；　and　I　will　open　my　mind



fairly　to　you。　Let　me　set　the　example。　I　say　it　with　authority；



an　enviable　future　is　before　you。〃







Romayne's　pale　cheeks　flushed　with　excitement。　〃What　future？〃　he



asked；　eagerly。　〃Am　I　free　to　choose？　Must　I　remind　you　that　a



man　with　a　wife　cannot　think　only　of　himself？〃







〃Suppose　you　were　_not_　a　man　with　a　wife。〃







〃What　do　you　mean？〃







〃Romayne；　I　am　trying　to　break　my　way　through　that　inveterate



reserve　which　is　one　of　the　failings　in　your　character。　Unless



you　can　prevail　on　yourself　to　tell　me　those　secret　thoughts；



those　unexpressed　regrets；　which　you　can　confide　to　no　other　man；



this　conversation　must　come　to　an　end。　Is　there　no　yearning；　in



your　inmost　soul；　for　anything　beyond　the　position　which　you　now



occupy？〃







There　was。　a　pause。　The　flush　on　Romayne'　s　face　faded　away。　He



was　silent。







〃You　are　not　in　the　confessional；〃　Father　Benwell　reminded　him；



with　melancholy　submission　to　circumstances。　〃You　are　under　no



obligation　to　answer　me。〃







Romayne　roused　himself。　He　spoke　in　low；　reluctant　tones。　〃I　am



afraid　to　answer　you；〃　he　said。







That　apparently　discouraging　reply　armed　Father　Benwell　with　the



absolute　confidence　of　success　which　he　had　thus　far　failed　to



feel。　He　wound　his　way　deeper　and　deeper　into　Romayne's　mind；



with　the　delicate　ingenuity　of　penetration；　of　which　the　practice



of　years　had　made　him　master。







〃Perhaps　I　have　failed　to　make　myself　clearly　understood；〃　he



said。　〃I　will　try　to　put　it　more　plainly。　You　are　no　half…hearted



man；　Romayne。　What　you　believe；　you　believe　fervently。



Impressions　are　not　dimly　and　slowly　produced　on　_your_　mind。　As



the　necessary　result；　your　conversion　being　once　accomplished；



your　whole　soul　is　given　to　the　Faith　that　is　in　you。　Do　I　read



your　character　rightly？〃







〃So　far　as　I　know　ityes。〃







Father　Benwell　went　on。







〃Bear　in　mind　what　I　have　just　said；〃　he　resumed；　〃and　you　will



understand　why　I　feel　it　my　duty　to　press　the　question　which　you



have　not　answered　yet。　You　have　found　in　the　Catholic　Faith　the



peace　of　mind　which　you　have　failed　to　obtain　by　other　means。　If



I　had　been　dealing　with　an　ordinary　man；　I　should　have　expected



from　the　change　no　happier　result　than　this。　But　I　ask　You；　has



that　blessed　influence　taken　no　deeper　and　nobler　hold　on　your



heart？　Can　you　truly　say　to　me；　'I　am　content　with　what　I　have



gained；　I　wish　for　no　more'？〃







〃I　cannot　truly　say　it；〃　Romayne　answered。







The　time　had　now　come　for　speaking　plainly。　Father　Benwell　no



longer　advanced　to　his　end　under　cover　of　a　cloud　of　words。







〃A　little　while　since；〃　he　said；　〃you　spoke　of　Penrose　as　of　a



man　whose　lot　in　life　you　longed　to　share。　The　career　which　has



associated　him　with　an　Indian　mission　is；　as　I　told　you；　only



adapted　to　a　man　of　his　special　character　and　special　gifts。　But



the　career　which　has　carried　him　into　the　sacred　ranks　of　the



priesthood　is　open　to　every　man　who　feels　the　sense　of　divine



vocation；　which　has　made　Penrose　one　of　Us。〃







〃No；　Father　Benwell！　Not　open　to　every　man。〃







〃I　say；　Yes！〃







〃It　is　not　open　to　Me！〃







〃I　say　it　is　open　to　You。　And　moreI　enjoin；　I　command；　you　to



dismiss　from　your　mind　all　merely　human　obstacles　and



discouragements。　They　are　beneath　the　notice　of　a　man　who　feels



himself　called　to　the　priesthood。　Give　me　your　hand；　Romayne！



Does　your　conscience　tell　you　that　you　are　that　man？〃







Romayne　started　to　his　feet；　shaken　to　the　soul　by　the　solemnity



of　the　appeal。







〃I　can't　dismiss　the　obstacles　that　surround　me！〃　he　cried；



passionately。　〃To　a　man　in　my　position；　your　advice　is　absolutely



useless。　The　ties　that　bind　me　are　beyond　the　limit　of　a　priest's



sympat