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第64节

the black robe-第64节

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read。







After a timehow much longer it seemed to be than it really



was!I heard her move。 As I turned from the window; she ran to



me; and fell on her knees at my feet。 I tried to raise her; I



entreated her to believe that she was forgiven。 She seized my



hands; and held them over her facethey were wet with her tears。



〃I am ashamed to look at you;〃 she said。 〃Oh; Bernard; what a



wretch I have been!〃







I never was so distressed in my life。 I don't know what I should



have said; what I should have done; if my dear old dog had not



helped me out of it。 He; too; ran up to me; with the loving



jealousy of his race; and tried to lick my hands; still fast in



Stella's hold。 His paws were on her shoulder; he attempted to



push himself between us。 I think I successfully assumed a



tranquillity which I was far from really feeling。 〃Come; come!〃 I



said; 〃you mustn't make Traveler jealous。〃 She let me raise her。



Ah; if she could have kissed _me_but that was not to be done;



she kissed the dog's head; and then she spoke to me。 I shall not



set down what she said in these pages。 While I live; there is no



fear of my forgetting those words。







I led her back to her chair。 The letter addressed to me by the



Rector of Belhaven still lay on the table; unread。 It was of some



importance to Stella's complete enlightenment; as containing



evidence that the confession was genuine。 But I hesitated; for



her sake; to speak of it just yet。







〃Now you know that you have a friend to help and advise you〃 I



began。







〃No;〃 she interposed; 〃more than a friend; say a brother。〃







I said it。 〃You had something to ask of me;〃 I resumed; 〃and you



never put the question。〃







She understood me。







〃I meant to tell you;〃 she said; 〃that I had written a letter of



refusal to Mr。 Romayne's lawyers。 I have left Ten Acres; never to



return; and I refuse to accept a farthing of Mr。 Romayne's money。



My motherthough she knows that we have enough to live ontells



me I have acted with inexcusable pride and folly。 I wanted to ask



if you blame me; Bernard; as she does?〃







I daresay I was inexcusably proud and foolish too。 It was the



second time she had called me by my Christian name since the



happy bygone time; never to come again。 Under whatever influence



I acted; I respected and admired her for that refusal; and I



owned it in so many words。 This little encouragement seemed to



relieve her。 She was so much calmer that I ventured to speak of



the Rector's letter。







She wouldn't hear of it。 〃Oh; Bernard; have I not learned to



trust you yet? Put away those papers。 There is only one thing I



want to know。 Who gave them to you? The Rector?〃







〃No。〃







〃How did they reach you; then?〃







〃Through Father Benwell。〃







She started at that name like a woman electrified。







〃I knew it!〃 she cried。 〃It _is_ the priest who has wrecked my



married lifeand he got his information from those letters;



before he put them into your hands。〃 She waited a while; and



recovered herself。 〃That was the first of the questions I wanted



to put to you;〃 she said。 〃I am answered。 I ask no more。〃







She was surely wrong about Father Benwell? I tried to show her



why。







I told her that my reverend friend had put the letters into my



hand; with the seal which protected them unbroken。 She laughed



disdainfully。 Did I know him so little as to doubt for a moment



that he could break a seal and replace it again? This view was



entirely new to me; I was startled; but not convinced。 I never



desert my friendseven when they are friends of no very long



standingand I still tried to defend Father Benwell。 The only



result was to make her alter her intention of asking me no more



questions。 I innocently roused in her a ne w curiosity。 She was



eager to know how I had first become acquainted with the priest;



and how he had contrived to possess himself of papers which were



intended for my reading only。







There was but one way of answering her。







It was far from easy to a man like myself; unaccustomed to state



circumstances in their proper orderbut I had no other choice



than to reply; by telling the long story of the theft and



discovery of the Rector's papers。 So far as Father Benwell was



concerned; the narrative only confirmed her suspicions。 For the



rest; the circumstances which most interested her were the



circumstances associated with the French boy。







〃Anything connected with that poor creature; 〃 she said; 〃has a



dreadful interest for me now。〃







〃Did you know him?〃 I asked; with some surprise。







〃I knew him and his motheryou shall hear how; at another time。



I suppose I felt a presentiment that the boy would have some evil



influence over me。 At any rate; when I accidentally touched him;



I trembled as if I had touched a serpent。 You will think me



superstitiousbut; after what you have said; it is certainly



true that he has been the indirect cause of the misfortune that



has fallen on me。 How came he to steal the papers? Did you ask



the Rector; when you went to Belhaven?〃







〃I asked the Rector nothing。 But he thought it his duty to tell



me all that he knew of the theft。〃







She drew her chair nearer to me。 〃Let me hear every word of it!〃



she pleaded eagerly。







I felt some reluctance to comply with the request。







〃Is it not fit for me to hear?〃 she asked。







This forced me to be plain with her。 〃If I repeat what the Rector



told me;〃 I said; 〃I must speak of my wife。〃







She took my hand。 〃You have pitied and forgiven her;〃 she



answered。 〃Speak of her; Bernardand don't; for God's sake;



think that my heart is harder than yours。〃







I kissed the hand that she had given to meeven her 〃brother〃



might do that!







〃It began;〃 I said; 〃in the grateful attachment which the boy



felt for my wife。 He refused to leave her bedside on the day when



she dictated her confession to the Rector。 As he was entirely



ignorant of the English language; there seemed to be no objection



to letting him have his own way。 He became inquisitive as the



writing went on。 His questions annoyed the Rectorand as the



easiest way of satisfying his curiosity; my wife told him that



she was making her will。 He knew just enough; from what he had



heard at various times; to associate making a will with gifts of



moneyand the pretended explanation silenced and satisfied him。〃







〃Did the Rector understand it?〃 Stella asked。







〃Yes。 Like many other Englishmen in his position; although he was



not ready at speaking French; he could read the language; and



could fairly well understand it; when it was spoken。 After my



wife's death; he kindly placed the boy; for a few days; under the



care of his housekeeper。 Her early life had been passed in the



island of Martinique; and she was able to communicate with the



friendless foreigner in his own language。 When he disappeared;



she was the only person who could throw any light on his motive



for stealing the papers。 On the day when he entered the house;



she caught him peeping through the keyhole of the study door。 He



must have seen where the confession was placed; and the color of



the old…fashioned blue paper; on which it was written; would help



him to identify it。 The next morning; during the Rector's



absence; he brought the manuscript to the housekeeper; and asked



her to translate it into French; so that he might know how much



money was left to him in 〃the will。〃 She severely reproved him;



made him replace the paper in the desk from which he had taken



it; and threatened to tell the Rector if his misconduct was



repeated。 He promised amendment; and the good…natured woman



believed him。 On that evening the papers were sealed; and locked



up。 In the morning the lock was found broken; and the papers and



the boy were both missing together。〃







〃Do you think he showed the confession to any other person?〃



Stella asked。 〃I happen to know that he concealed it from his



mother。〃







〃After the housekeeper's reproof;〃 I replied; 〃he would be



cunning enough; in my opinion; not to run the risk of showing it



to strangers。 It is far more likely that he thought he might



learn English enough to read it himself。〃







There the subject dropped。 We were silent for a while。 She was



thinking; and I was looking at her。 On a sudden;

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