the black robe-第73节

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he　said　in　reply。







I　was　far　from　satisfied。　〃You　are　one　of　Romayne's　oldest



friends；〃　I　persisted。　〃Have　you　not　seen　him　yourself？〃







〃I　have　seen　him　more　than　once。　But　he　has　never　referred　to　his



affairs。〃　Having　said　this　he　hastily　changed　the　subject。　〃Is



there　any　other　information　that　I　can　give　you？〃　he　suggested。







I　had　still　to　learn　under　what　circumstances　Romayne　had　left



Italy　for　France；　and　how　the　event　of　his　illness　in　Paris　had



been　communicated　to　his　wife。　Lord　Loring　had　only　to　draw　on



his　own　recollections　to　enlighten　me。







〃Lady　Loring　and　I　passed　the　last　winter　in　Rome；〃　he　said。



〃And；　there；　we　saw　Romayne。　You　look　surprised。　Perhaps　you　are



aware　that　we　had　offended　him；　by　advice　which　we　thought　it　our



duty　to　offer　to　Stella　before　her　marriage？〃







I　was　certainly　thinking　of　what　Stella　had　said　of　the　Lorings



on　the　memorable　day　when　she　visited　me　at　the　hotel。







〃Romayne　would　probably　have　refused　to　receive　us；〃　Lord　Loring



resumed；　〃but　for　the　gratifying　circumstance　of　my　having　been



admitted　to　an　interview　with　the　Pope。　The　Holy　Father　spoke　of



him　with　the　most　condescending　kindness；　and；　hearing　that　I　had



not　yet　seen　him；　gave　instructions；　commanding　Romayne　to



present　himself。　Under　these　circumstances　it　was　impossible　for



him　to　refuse　to　receive　Lady　Loring　and　myself　on　a　later



occasion。　I　cannot　tell　you　how　distressed　we　were　at　the　sad



change　for　the　worse　in　his　personal　appearance。　The　Italian



physician；　whom　he　occasionally　consulted；　told　me　that　there　was



a　weakness　in　the　action　of　his　heart；　produced；　in　the　first



instance；　by　excessive　study　and　the　excitement　of　preaching；　and



aggravated　by　the　further　drain　on　his　strength　due　to



insufficient　nourishment。　He　would　eat　and　drink　just　enough　to



keep　him　alive；　and　no　more；　and　he　persistently　refused　to　try



the　good　influence　of　rest　and　change　of　scene。　My　wife；　at　a



later　interview　with　him；　when　they　were　alone；　induced　him　to



throw　aside　the　reserve　which　he　had　maintained　with　me；　and



discovered　another　cause　for　the　deterioration　in　his　health。　I



don't　refer　to　the　return　of　a　nervous　misery；　from　which　he　has



suffered　at　intervals　for　years　past；　I　speak　of　the　effect



produced　on　his　mind　by　the　announcementmade　no　doubt　with　best



intentions　by　Doctor　Wybrowof　the　birth　of　his　child。　This



disclosure　（he　was　entirely　ignorant　of　his　wife's　situation　when



he　left　her）　appears　to　have　affected　him　far　more　seriously　than



the　English　doctor　supposed。　Lady　Loring　was　so　shocked　at　what



he　said　to　her　on　the　subject；　that　she　has　only　repeated　it　to



me　with　a　certain　reserve。　'If　I　could　believe　I　did　wrong；'　he



said；　'in　dedicating　myself　to　the　service　of　the　Church；　after



the　overthrow　of　my　domestic　happiness；　I　should　also　believe



that　the　birth　of　this　child　was　the　retributive　punishment　of　my



sin；　and　the　warning　of　my　approaching　death。　I　dare　not　take



this　view。　And　yet　I　have　it　not　in　me；　after　the　solemn　vows　by



which　I　am　bound；　to　place　any　more　consoling　interpretation　on



an　event　which；　as　a　priest；　it　disturbs　and　humiliates　me　even



to　think　of。'　That　one　revelation　of　his　tone　of　thought　will



tell　you　what　is　the　mental　state　of　this　unhappy　man。　He　gave　us



little　encouragement　to　continue　our　friendly　intercourse　with



him。　It　was　only　when　we　were　thinking　of　our　return　to　England



that　we　heard　of　his　appointment　to　the　vacant　place　of　first



attache　to　the　Embassy　at　Paris。　The　Pope's　paternal　anxiety　on



the　subject　of　Romayne's　health　had　chosen　this　wise　and　generous



method　of　obliging　him　to　try　a　salutary　change　of　air　as　well　as



a　relaxation　from　his　incessant　employments　in　Rome。　On　the



occasion　of　his　departure　we　met　again。　He　looked　like　a　worn…out



old　man。　We　could　now　only　remember　his　double　claim　on　usas　a



priest　of　our　religion；　and　as　a　once　dear　friendand　we



arranged　to　travel　with　him。　The　weather　at　the　time　was　mild；



our　progress　was　made　by　easy　stages。　We　left　him　at　Paris；



apparently　the　better　for　his　journey。〃







I　asked　if　they　had　seen　Stella　on　that　occasion。







〃No；〃　said　Lord　Loring。　〃We　had　reason　to　doubt　whether　Stella



would　be　pleased　to　see　us；　and　we　felt　reluctant　to　meddle；



unasked；　with　a　matter　of　extreme　delicacy。　I　arranged　with　the



Nuncio　（whom　I　have　the　honor　to　know）　that　we　should　receive



written　information　of　Romayne's　state　of　health；　and　on　that



understanding　we　returned　to　England。　A　week　since；　our　news　from



the　Embassy　was　so　alarming　that　Lady　Loring　at　once　returned　to



Paris。　Her　first　letter　informed　me　that　she　had　felt　it　her　duty



to　tell　Stella　of　the　critical　condition　of　Romayne's　health。　She



expressed　her　sense　of　my　wife's　kindness　most　gratefully　and



feelingly　and　at　once　removed　to　Paris；　to　be　on　the　spot　if　her



husband　expressed　a　wish　to　see　her。　The　two　ladies　are　now



staying　at　the　same　hotel。　I　have　thus　far　been　detained　in



London　by　family　affairs。　But；　unless　I　hear　of　a　change　for　the



better　before　evening；　I　follow　Lady　Loring　to　Paris　by　the　mail



train。〃







It　was　needless　to　trespass　further　on　Lord　Loring's　time。　I



thanked　him；　and　returned　to　Penrose。　He　was　sleeping　when　I　got



to　the　hotel。







On　the　table　in　the　sitting…room　I　found　a　telegram　waiting　for



me。　It　had　been　sent　by　Stella；　and　it　contained　these　lines：







〃I　have　just　returned　from　his　bedside；　after　telling　him　of　the



rescue　of　Penrose。　He　desires　to　see　you。　There　is　no　positive



sufferinghe　is　sinking　under　a　complete　prostration　of　the



forces　of　life。　That　is　what　the　doctors　tell　me。　They　said；　when



I　spoke　of　writing　to　you；　'Send　a　telegram；　there　is　no　time　to



lose。'　〃







Toward　evening　Penrose　awoke。　I　showed　him　the　telegram。



Throughout　our　voyage；　the　prospect　of　seeing　Romayne　again　had



been　the　uppermost　subject　in　his　thoughts。　In　the　extremity　of



his　distress；　he　declared　that　he　would　accompany　me　to　Paris　by



the　night　train。　Remembering　how　severely　he　had　felt　the　fatigue



of　the　short　railway　journey　from　Portsmouth；　I　entreated　him　to



let　me　go　alone。　His　devotion　to　Romayne　was　not　to　be　reasoned



with。　While　we　were　still　vainly　trying　to　convince　each　other；



Doctor　Wybrow　came　in。







To　my　amazement　he　sided　with　Penrose。







〃Oh；　get　up　by　all　means；〃　he　said；　〃we　will　help　you　to　dress。〃



We　took　him　out　of　bed　and　put　on　his　dressing…gown。　He　thanked



us；　and　saying　he　would　complete　his　toilet　by　himself；　sat　down



in　an　easy　chair。　In　another　moment　he　was　asleep　again；　so



soundly　asleep　that　we　put　him　back　in　his　bed　without　waking



him。　Doctor　Wybrow　had　foreseen　this　result：　he　looked　at　the



poor　fellow's　pale　peaceful　face　with　a　kindly　smile。







〃There　is　the　treatment；〃　he　said；　〃that　will　set　our　patient　on



his　legs　again。　Sleeping；　eating；　and　drinkinglet　that　be　his



life　for　some　weeks　to　come；　and　he　will　be　as　good　a　man　as



ever。　If　your　homeward　journey　had　been　by　land；　Penrose　would



have　died　on　the　way。　I　will　take　care　of　him　while　you　are　in



Paris。〃







At　the　station　I　met　Lord　Loring。　He　understood　that　I　too　had



received　bad　news；　and　gave　me　a　place　in　the　_coupe_　carriage



which　had　been　reserved　for　him。　We　had　hardly　taken　our　seats



when　we　saw　Father　Benwell　among　the　travelers　on　the　platform；



accompanied　by　a　gray…haired　gentleman　who　was　a　stranger　to　both



of　us。　Lord　Loring　dislikes　strangers。　Otherwise；　I　might　have



found　myself　traveling　to　Paris　with　that　detestable　Jesuit　for　a



companion。







Paris；　May　3。On　our　arrival　at　the　hotel　I　was　informed　that　no



message　had　yet　been　received　from　the　Embassy。







We　found　Lady　Loring　alone　at　the　breakfast…table；　when　we　had



rested　after　our　night　journey。







〃Romayne　still　lives；〃　she　said。　〃But　his　voice　has　sunk　to　a



whisper；　and　he　is　unable　to　breathe　if　he　tries　to　rest　in　bed。



Stella　has　gone　to　the　Embassy；　she　hopes　to　see　him　to…day　for



the　second　time。〃







〃Only　for　the　second　time！〃　I　exclaimed。







〃You　forget；　Mr。　Winterfield；　that　Romayne　is　a　priest。　He　was



only　consecrated　on　the　customary　condition　of　an　absolute



separation　from　his　wife。　On　her　sidenever　let　her　know　that　I



told　you　thisStella　signed　a　formal　document；　sent　from　Rome；



asserting　that　she　consented　of　her　own