the black robe-第76节

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throat？　Let　us　forgive　and　forget。　Or；　perhaps；　you　object　to　my



having　converted　poor　Romayne；　and　to　my　being　ready　to　accept



from　him　the　restoration　of　the　property　of　the　Church。　In　both



cases　I　only　did　my　duty　as　a　priest。　You　are　a　liberal…minded



man。　Surely　I　deserve　a　favorable　construction　of　my　conduct？〃







I　really　could　not　endure　this。　〃I　have　my　own　opinion　of　what



you　deserve；〃　I　answered。　〃Don't　provoke　me　to　mention　it。〃







He　eyed　me　with　a　sinister　smile。







〃I　am　not　so　old　as　I　look；〃　he　said；　〃I　may　live　another　twenty



years！〃







〃Well？〃　I　asked。







〃Well；〃　he　answered；　〃much　may　happen　in　twenty　years！〃







With　that　he　left　me。　If　he　means　any　further　mischief；　I　can



tell　him　thishe　will　find　Me　in　his　way。







To　turn　to　a　more　pleasant　subject。　Reflecting　on　all　that　had



passed　at　my　memorable　interview　with　Romayne；　I　felt　some



surprise　that　one　of　the　persons　present　had　made　no　effort　to



prevent　the　burning　of　the　will。　It　was　not　to　be　expected　of



Stellaor　of　the　doctors；　who　had　no　interest　in　the　matterbut



I　was　unable　to　understand　the　passive　position　maintained　by　the



lawyer。　He　enlightened　my　ignorance　in　two　words。







〃The　Vange　property　and　the　Berrick　property　were　both　absolutely



at　the　disposal　of　Mr。　Romayne；〃　he　said。　〃If　he　died　without



leaving　a　will；　he　knew　enough　of　the　law　to　foresee　that　houses；



lands；　and　money　would　go　to　his　'nearest　of　kin。'　In　plainer



words；　his　widow　and　his　son。〃







When　Penrose　can　travel；　he　accompanies　me　to　Beaupark。　Stella



and　her　little　son　and　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　will　be　the　only　other



guests　in　my　house。　Time　must　pass；　and　the　boy　will　be　older；



before　I　may　remind　Stella　of　Romayne's　last　wishes　on　that　sad



morning　when　we　two　knelt　on　either　side　of　him。　In　the



meanwhile；　it　is　almost　happiness　enough　for　me　to　look　forward



to　the　day















NOTE。The　next　leaf　of　the　Diary　is　missing。　By　some　accident；　a



manuscript　page　has　got　into　its　place；　bearing　a　later　date；　and



containing　elaborate　instructions　for　executing　a　design　for　a



wedding　dress。　The　handwriting　has　since　been　acknowledged　as　her



own；　by　no　less　a　person　thanMrs。　Eyrecourt。























End