the black robe-第8节

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When　the　messenger　returned　with　my　letters；　the　Boulogne



postmark　was　on　one　of　the　envelopes。　At　Romayne's　entreaty；　this



was　the　letter　that　I　opened　first。　The　surgeon's　signature　was



at　the　end。







One　motive　for　anxietyon　my　partwas　set　at　rest　in　the　first



lines。　After　an　official　inquiry　into　the　circumstances；　the



French　authorities　had　decided　that　it　was　not　expedient　to　put



the　survivor　of　the　duelists　on　his　trial　before　a　court　of　law。



No　jury；　hearing　the　evidence；　would　find　him　guilty　of　the　only



charge　that　could　be　formally　brought　against　himthe　charge　of



〃homicide　by　premeditation。〃　Homicide　by　misadventure；　occurring



in　a　duel；　was　not　a　punishable　offense　by　the　French　law。　My



correspondent　cited　many　cases　in　proof　of　it；　strengthened　by



the　publicly…expressed　opinion　of　the　illustrious　Berryer



himself。　In　a　word；　we　had　nothing　to　fear。







The　next　page　of　the　letter　informed　us　that　the　police　had



surprised　the　card　playing　community　with　whom　we　had　spent　the



evening　at　Boulogne；　and　that　the　much…bejeweled　old　landlady　had



been　sent　to　prison　for　the　offense　of　keeping　a　gambling…house。



It　was　suspected　in　the　town　that　the　General　was　more　or　less



directly　connected　with　certain　disreputable　circumstances



discovered　by　the　authorities。　In　any　case；　he　had　retired　from



active　service。







He　and　his　wife　and　family　had　left　Boulogne；　and　had　gone　away



in　debt。　No　investigation　had　thus　far　succeeded　in　discovering



the　place　of　their　retreat。







Reading　this　letter　aloud　to　Romayne；　I　was　interrupted　by　him　at



the　last　sentence。







〃The　inquiries　must　have　been　carelessly　made；〃　he　said。　〃I　will



see　to　it　myself。〃







〃What　interest　can　you　have　in　the　inquiries？〃　I　exclaimed。







〃The　strongest　possible　interest；〃　he　answered。　〃It　has　been　my



one　hope　to　make　some　little　atonement　to　the　poor　people　whom　I



have　so　cruelly　wronged。　If　the　wife　and　children　are　in



distressed　circumstances　（which　seems　to　be　only　too　likely）　I



may　place　them　beyond　the　reach　of　anxietyanonymously；　of



course。　Give　me　the　surgeon's　address。　I　shall　write　instructions



for　tracing　them　at　my　expensemerely　announcing　that　an　Unknown



Friend　desires　to　be　of　service　to　the　General's　family。〃







This　appeared　to　me　to　be　a　most　imprudent　thing　to　do。　I　said　so



plainlyand　quite　in　vain。　With　his　customary　impetuosity；　he



wrote　the　letter　at　once；　and　sent　it　to　the　post　that　night。







X。







ON　the　question　of　submitting　himself　to　medical　advice　（which　I



now　earnestly　pressed　upon　him）；　Romayne　was　disposed　to　be



equally　unreasonable。　But　in　this　case；　events　declared



themselves　in　my　favor。







Lady　Berrick's　last　reserves　of　strength　had　given　way。　She　had



been　brought　to　London　in　a　dying　state　while　we　were　at　Vange



Abbey。　Romayne　was　summoned　to　his　aunt's　bedside　on　the　third



day　of　our　residence　at　the　hotel；　and　was　present　at　her　death。



The　impression　produced　on　his　mind　roused　the　better　part　of　his



nature。　He　was　more　distrustful　of　himself；　more　accessible　to



persuasion　than　usual。　In　this　gentler　frame　of　mind　he　received



a　welcome　visit　from　an　old　friend；　to　whom　he　was　sincerely



attached。　The　visitof　no　great　importance　in　itselfled；　as　I



have　since　been　informed；　to　very　serious　events　in　Romayne's



later　life。　For　this　reason；　I　briefly　relate　what　took　place



within　my　own　healing。







Lord　Loringwell　known　in　society　as　the　head　of　an　old　English



Catholic　family；　and　the　possessor　of　a　magnificent　gallery　of



pictureswas　distressed　by　the　change　for　the　worse　which　he



perceived　in　Romayne　when　he　called　at　the　hotel。　I　was　present



when　they　met；　and　rose　to　leave　the　room；　feeling　that　the　two



friends　might　perhaps　be　embarrassed　by　the　presence　of　a　third



person。　Romayne　called　me　back。　〃Lord　Loring　ought　to　know　what



has　happened　to　me；〃　he　said。　〃I　have　no　heart　to　speak　of　it



myself。　Tell　him　everything；　and　if　he　agrees　with　you；　I　will



submit　to　see　the　doctors。〃　With　those　words　he　left　us　together。







It　is　almost　needless　to　say　that　Lord　Loring　did　agree　with　me。



He　was　himself　disposed　to　think　that　the　moral　remedy；　in



Romayne's　case；　might　prove　to　be　the　best　remedy。







〃With　submission　to　what　the　doctors　may　decide；〃　his　lordship



said；　〃the　right　thing　to　do；　in　my　opinion；　is　to　divert　our



friend's　mind　from　himself。　I　see　a　plain　necessity　for　making　a



complete　change　in　the　solitary　life　that　he　has　been　leading　for



years　past。　Why　shouldn't　he　marry？　A　woman's　influence；　by



merely　giving　a　new　turn　to　his　thoughts；　might　charm　away　that



horrible　voice　which　haunts　him。　Perhaps　you　think　this　a　merely



sentimental　view　of　the　case？　Look　at　it　practically；　if　you



like；　and　you　come　to　the　same　conclusion。　With　that　fine



estateand　with　the　fortune　which　he　has　now　inherited　from　his



auntit　is　his　duty　to　marry。　Don't　you　agree　with　me？〃







〃I　agree　most　cordially。　But　I　see　serious　difficulties　in　your



lordship's　way。　Romayne　dislikes　society；　and；　as　to　marrying；



his　coldness　toward　women　seems　（so　far　as　I　can　judge）　to　be　one



of　the　incurable　defects　of　his　character。〃







Lord　Loring　smiled。　〃My　dear　sir；　nothing　of　that　sort　is



incurable；　if　we　can　only　find　the　right　woman。〃







The　tone　in　which　he　spoke　suggested　to　me　that　he　had　got　〃the



right　woman〃and　I　took　the　liberty　of　saying　so。　He　at　once



acknowledged　that　I　had　guessed　right。







〃Romayne　is；　as　you　say；　a　difficult　subject　to　deal　with；〃　he



resumed。　〃If　I　commit　the　slightest　imprudence；　I　shall　excite



his　suspicionand　there　will　be　an　end　of　my　hope　of　being　of



service　to　him。　I　shall　proceed　carefully；　I　can　tell　you。



Luckily；　poor　dear　fellow；　he　is　fond　of　pictures！　It's　quite



natural　that　I　should　ask　him　to　see　some　recent　additions　to　my



galleryisn't　it？　There　is　the　trap　that　I　set！　I　have　a　sweet



girl　to　tempt　him；　staying　at　my　house；　who　is　a　little　out　of



health　and　spirits　herself。　At　the　right　moment；　I　shall　send



word　upstairs。　She　may　well　happen　to　look　in　at　the　gallery　（by



the　merest　accident）　just　at　the　time　when　Romayne　is　looking　at



my　new　pictures。　The　rest　depends；　of　course；　on；　the　effect　she



produces。　If　you　knew　her；　I　believe　you　would　agree　with　me　that



the　experiment　is　worth　trying。〃







Not　knowing　the　lady；　I　had　little　faith　in　the　success　of　the



experiment。　No　one；　however；　could　doubt　Lord　Loring's　admirable



devotion　to　his　friendand　with　that　I　was　fain　to　be　content。







When　Romayne　returned　to　us；　it　was　decided　to　submit　his　case　to



a　consultation　of　physicians　at　the　earliest　possible　moment。



When　Lord　Loring　took　his　departure；　I　accompanied　him　to　the



door　of　the　hotel；　perceiving　that　he　wished　to　say　a　word　more



to　me　in　private。　He　had；　it　seemed；　decided　on　waiting　for　the



result　of　the　medical　consultation　before　he　tried　the　effect　of



the　young　lady's　attractions；　and　he　wished　to　caution　me　against



speaking　prematurely　of　visiting　the　picture　gallery　to　our



friend。







Not　feeling　particularly　interested　in　these　details　of　the



worthy　nobleman's　little　plot；　I　looked　at　his　carriage；　and



privately　admired　the　two　splendid　horses　that　drew　it。　The



footman　opened　the　door　for　his　master；　and　I　became　aware；　for



the　first　time；　that　a　gentleman　had　accompanied　Lord　Loring　to



the　hotel；　and　had　waited　for　him　in　the　carriage。　The　gentleman



bent　forward；　and　looked　up　from　a　book　that　he　was　reading。　To



my　astonishment；　I　recognized　the　elderly；　fat　and　cheerful



priest　who　had　shown　such　a　knowledge　of　localities；　and　such　an



extraordinary　interest　in　Vange　Abbey！







It　struck　me　as　an　odd　coincidence　that　I　should　see　the　man



again　in　London；　so　soon　after　I　had　met　with　him　in　Yorkshire。



This　was　all　I　thought　about　it；　at　the　time。　If　I　had　known



then；　what　I　know　now；　I　might　have　dreamed；　let　us　say；　of



throwing　that　priest　into　the　lake　at　Vange；　and　might　have



reckoned　the　circumstance　among　the　wisely…improved　opportunities



of　my　life。







To　return　to　the　serious　interests　of　the　present　narrative；　I



may　now　announce　that　my　evidence　as　an　eye…witness　of　events　has



come　to　an　end。　The　day　after　Lord　Loring's　visit；　domestic



troubles　separated　me；　to　my　most　sincere　regret；　from　Romayne。　I



have　only　to　add；　that