the black robe-第68节

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civilization　of　Europe！　I　shall　begin　by　letting　my　beard　grow。







Fifth　Extract。







Civita　Vecchia；　February　28；　1863。Back　again　on　the　coast　of



Italyafter　an　absence；　at　sea　and　ashore；　of　nine　months！







What　have　my　travels　done　for　me？　They　have　made　me　browner　and



thinner；　they　have　given　me　a　more　patient　mind；　and　a　taste　for



mild　tobacco。　Have　they　helped　me　to　forget　Stella？　Not　the　least



in　the　worldI　am　more　eager　than　ever　to　see　her　again。　When　I



look　back　at　my　diary　I　am　really　ashamed　of　my　own　fretfulness



and　impatience。　What　miserable　vanity　on　my　part　to　expect　her　to



think　of　me；　when　she　was　absorbed　in　the　first　cares　and　joys　of



maternity；　especially　sacred　to　her；　poor　soul；　as　the　one



consolation　of　her　melancholy　life！　I　withdraw　all　that　I　wrote



about　herand　from　the　bottom　of　my　heart　I　forgive　the　baby。







Rome；　March　1。I　have　found　my　letters　waiting　for　me　at　the



office　of　my　banker。







The　latest　news　from　St。　Germain　is　all　that　I　could　wish。　In



acknowledging　the　receipt　of　my　last　letter　from　Cairo　（I　broke



my　rash　vow　of　silence　when　we　got　into　port；　after　leaving



Naples）　Stella　sends　me　the　long　desired　invitation。　〃Pray　take



care　to　return　to　us；　dear　Bernard；　before　the　first　anniversary



of　my　boy's　birthday；　on　the　twenty…seventh　of　March。〃　After



those　words　she　need　feel　no　apprehension　of　my　being　late　at　my



appointment。　Travelerthe　dog　has　well　merited　his　name　by　this



timewill　have　to　bid　good…by　to　the　yacht　（which　he　loves）；　and



journey　homeward　by　the　railway　（which　he　hates）。　No　more　risk　of



storms　and　delays　for　me。　Good…by　to　the　sea　for　one　while。







I　have　sent　the　news　of　my　safe　return　from　the　East；　by



telegraph。　But　I　must　not　be　in　too　great　a　hurry　to　leave　Rome；



or　I　shall　commit　a　serious　errorI　shall　disappoint　Stella's



mother。







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　writes　to　me　earnestly；　requesting；　if　I　return　by



way　of　Italy；　that　I　will　get　her　some　information　about　Romayne。



She　is　eager　to　know　whether　they　have　made　him　a　priest　yet。　I



am　also　to　discover；　if　I　can；　what　are　his　prospectswhether　he



is　as　miserable　as　he　deserves　to　bewhether　he　has　been



disappointed　in　his　expectations；　and　is　likely　to　be　brought



back　to　his　senses　in　that　wayand；　above　all；　whether　Father



Benwell　is　still　at　Rome　with　him。　My　idea　is　that　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



has　not　given　up　her　design　of　making　Romayne　acquainted　with　the



birth　of　his　son。







The　right　person　to　apply　to　for　information　is　evidently　my



banker。　He　has　been　a　resident　in　Rome　for　twenty　yearsbut　he



is　too　busy　a　man　to　be　approached；　by　an　idler　like　myself；　in



business　hours。　I　have　asked　him　to　dine　with　me　to…morrow。







March　2。My　guest　has　just　left　me。　I　am　afraid　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



will　be　sadly　disappointed　when　she　hears　what　I　have　to　tell　her







The　moment　I　mentioned　Romayne's　name；　the　banker　looked　at　me



with　an　expression　of　surprise。　〃'The　man　most　talked　about　in



Rome；〃　he　said；　〃I　wonder　you　have　not　heard　of　him　already。〃







〃Is　he　a　priest？〃







〃Certainly！　And；　what　is　more；　the　ordinary　preparations　for　the



priesthood　were　expressly　shortened　by　high　authority　on　his



account。　The　Pope　takes　the　greatest　interest　in　him；　and　as　for



the　people；　the　Italians　have　already　nicknamed　him　'the　young



cardinal。'　Don't　suppose；　as　some　of　our　countrymen　do；　that　he



is　indebted　to　his　wealth　for　the　high　position　which　he　has



already　attained。　His　wealth　is　only　one　of　the　minor　influences



in　his　favor。　The　truth　is；　he　unites　in　himself　two　opposite



qualities；　both　of　the　greatest　value　to　the　Church；　which　are



very　rarely　found　combined　in　the　same　man。　He　has　already　made　a



popular　reputation　here；　as　a　most　eloquent　and　convincing



preacher〃







〃A　preacher！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃And　a　popular　reputation！　How　do　the



Italians　understand　him？〃







The　banker　looked　puzzled。







〃Why　shouldn't　they　understand　a　man　who　addresses　them　in　their



own　language？〃　he　said。　〃Romayne　could　speak　Italian　when　he　came



hereand　since　that　time　he　has　learned　by　constant　practice　to



think　in　Italian。　While　our　Roman　season　lasts；　he　preaches



alternately　in　Italian　and　in　English。　But　I　was　speaking　of　the



two　opposite　accomplishments　which　this　remarkable　man　possesses。



Out　of　the　pulpit；　he　is　capable　of　applying　his　mind



successfully　to　the　polit　ical　necessities　of　the　Church。　As　I　am



told；　his　intellect　has　had　severe　practical　training；　by　means



of　historical　studies；　in　the　past　years　of　his　life。　Anyhow；　in



one　of　the　diplomatic　difficulties　here　between　the　Church　and



the　State；　he　wrote　a　memorial　on　the　subject；　which　the



Cardinal…Secretary　declared　to　be　a　model　of　ability　in　applying



the　experience　of　the　past　to　the　need　of　the　present　time。　If　he



doesn't　wear　himself　out；　his　Italian　nickname　may　prove



prophetically　true。　We　may　live　to　see　the　new　convert；　Cardinal



Romayne。〃







〃Are　you　acquainted　with　him　yourself？〃　I　asked。







〃No　Englishman　is　acquainted　with　him；〃　the　banker　answered。



〃There　is　a　report　of　some　romantic　event　in　his　life　which　has



led　to　his　leaving　England；　and　which　makes　him　recoil　from



intercourse　with　his　own　nation。　Whether　this　is　true　or　false；



it　is　certain　that　the　English　in　Rome　find　him　unapproachable。　I



have　even　heard　that　he　refuses　to　receive　letters　from　England。



If　you　wish　to　see　him；　you　must　do　what　I　have　doneyou　must　go



to　church　and　look　at　him　in　the　pulpit。　He　preaches　in



EnglishI　think　for　the　last　time　this　seasonon　Thursday



evening　next。　Shall　I　call　here　and　take　you　to　the　church？〃







If　I　had　followed　my　inclinations；　I　should　have　refused。　I　feel



no　sort　of　interest　in　RomayneI　might　even　say　I　feel　a



downright　antipathy　toward　him。　But　I　have　no　wish　to　appear



insensible　to　the　banker's　kindness；　and　my　reception　at　St。



Germain　depends　greatly　on　the　attention　I　show　to　Mrs。



Eyrecourt's　request。　So　it　was　arranged　that　I　should　hear　the



great　preacherwith　a　mental　reservation　on　my　part；　which



contemplated　my　departure　from　the　church　before　the　end　of　his



sermon。







But；　before　I　see　him；　I　feel　assured　of　one　thingespecially



after　what　the　banker　has　told　me。　Stella's　view　of　his　character



is　the　right　one。　The　man　who　has　deserted　her　has　no　heart　to　be



touched　by　wife　or　child。　They　are　separated　forever。







March　3。I　have　just　seen　the　landlord　of　the　hotel；　he　can　help



me　to　answer　one　of　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　questions。　A　nephew　of　his



holds　some　employment　at　the　Jesuit　headquarters　here；　adjoining



their　famous　church　_Il　Gesu_。　I　have　requested　the　young　man　to



ascertain　if　Father　Benwell　is　still　in　Romewithout　mentioning



me。　It　would　be　no　small　trial　to　my　self…control　if　we　met　in



the　street。







March　4。Good　news　this　time　for　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　as　far　as　it



goes。　Father　Benwell　has　long　since　left　Rome；　and　has　returned



to　his　regular　duties　in　England。　If　he　exercises　any　further



influence　over　Romayne；　it　must　be　done　by　letter。







March　5。I　have　returned　from　Romayne's　sermon。　This　double



renegadehas　he　not　deserted　his　religion　and　his　wife？has



failed　to　convince　my　reason。　But　he　has　so　completely　upset　my



nerves　that　I　ordered　a　bottle　of　champagne　（to　the　great



amusement　of　my　friend　the　banker）　the　moment　we　got　back　to　the



hotel。







We　drove　through　the　scantily　lighted　streets　of　Rome　to　a　small



church　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　Piazza　Navona。　To　a　more



imaginative　man　than　myself；　the　scene　when　we　entered　the



building　would　have　been　too　impressive　to　be　described　in



wordsthough　it　might　perhaps　have　been　painted。　The　one　light



in　the　place　glimmered　mysteriously　from　a　great　wax　candle；



burning　in　front　of　a　drapery　of　black　cloth；　and　illuminating



dimly　a　sculptured　representation；　in　white　marble；　of　the



crucified　Christ；　wrought　to　the　size　of　life。　In　front　of　this



ghastly　emblem　a　platform　projected；　also　covered　with　black



cloth。　We　could　penetrate　no　further　than　to　the　space　just



inside　the　door　of　the　church。　Everywhere　else　the　building　was



filled　with　standing；　sitting　and　kneeling　figures；　shadowy　and



mysterious；　fading　away　in　far　corners　into　impenetrable　gloom。



The　only　sounds　were　the　low；　wailing　notes　of　the　organ；



accompanied　at　intervals　by　the　muffled　thump　of　fanatic



worshi