the black robe- 第14部分

kindly　lend　me　the　use　of　your　pen。〃







Father　Benwell　answered　before　Penrose　could　speak。　〃You　may



perhaps　find　my　young　friend's　memory　of　some　use　to　you；　Mr。



Romayne；　as　well　as　his　pen。　Penrose　has　studied　in　the　Vatican



Library。　If　your　reading　leads　you　that　way；　he　knows　more　than



most　men　of　the　rare　old　manuscripts　which　treat　of　the　early



history　of　Christianity。〃







This　delicately　managed　reference　to　the　projected　work　on　〃The



Origin　of　Religions〃　produced　its　effect。







〃I　should　like　very　much；　Mr。　Penrose；　to　speak　to　you　about



those　manuscripts；〃　Romayne　said。　〃Copies　of　some　of　them　may



perhaps　be　in　the　British　Museum。　Is　it　asking　too　much　to



inquire　if　you　are　disengaged　this　morning？〃







〃I　am　entirely　at　your　service；　Mr。　Romayne。〃







〃If　you　will　kindly　call　at　my　hotel　in　an　hour's　time；　I　shall



have　looked　over　my　notes；　and　shall　be　ready　for　you　with　a　list



of　titles　and　dates。　There　is　the　address。〃







With　those　words；　he　advanced　to　take　his　leave　of　Lady　Loring



and　Stella。







Father　Benwell　was　a　man　possessed　of　extraordinary　power　of



foresightbut　he　was　not　infallible。　Seeing　that　Romayne　was　on



the　point　of　leaving　the　house；　and　feeling　that　he　had　paved　the



way　successfully　for　Romayne's　amanuensis；　he　too　readily　assumed



that　there　was　nothing　further　to　be　gained　by　remaining　in　the



gallery。　Moreover；　the　interval　before　Penrose　called　at　the



hotel　might　be　usefully　filled　up　by　some　wise　words　of　advice；



relating　to　the　religious　uses　to　which　he　might　turn　his



intercourse　with　his　employer。　Making　one　of　his　ready　and



plausible　excuses；　he　accordingly　returned　with　Penrose　to　the



libraryand　so　committed　（as　he　himself　discovered　at　a　later



time）　one　of　the　few　mistakes　in　the　long　record　of　his　life。







In　the　meanwhile；　Romayne　was　not　permitted　to　bring　his　visit　to



a　conclusion　without　hospitable　remonstrance　on　the　part　of　Lady



Loring。　She　felt　for　Stella；　with　a　woman's　enthusiastic　devotion



to　the　interests　of　true　love；　and　she　had　firmly　resolved　that　a



matter　so　trifling　as　the　cultivation　of　Romayne's　mind　should



not　be　allowed　to　stand　in　the　way　of　the　far　more　important



enterprise　of　opening　his　heart　to　the　influence　of　the　sex。







〃Stay　and　lunch　with　us；〃　she　said；　when　he　held　out　his　hand　to



bid　her　good…by。







〃Thank　you；　Lady　Loring；　I　never　take　lunch。〃







〃Well；　then；　come　and　dine　with　usno　party；　only　ourselves。



Tomorrow；　and　next　day；　we　are　disengaged。　Which　day　shall　it



be？〃







Romayne　still　resisted。　〃You　are　very　kind。　In　my　state　of



health；　I　am　unwilling　to　make　engagements　which　I　may　not　be



able　to　keep。〃







Lady　Loring　was　just　as　resolute　on　her　side。　She　appealed　to



Stella。　〃Mr。　Romayne　persists；　my　dear；　in　putting　me　off　with



excuses。　Try　if　you　can　persuade　him。〃







〃_I_　am　not　likely　to　have　any　influence；　Adelaide。〃







The　tone　in　which　she　replied　struck　Romayne。　He　looked　at　her。



Her　eyes；　gravely　meeting　his　eyes；　held　him　with　a　strange



fascination。　She　was　not　herself　conscious　how　openly　all　that



was　noble　and　true　in　her　nature；　all　that　was　most　deeply　and



sensitively　felt　in　her　aspirations；　spoke　at　that　moment　in　her



look。　Romayne's　face　changed：　he　turned　pale　under　the　new



emotion　that　she　had　roused　in　him。　Lady　Loring　observed　him



attentively。







〃Perhaps　you　underrate　your　influence；　Stella？〃　she　suggested。







Stella　remained　impenetrable　to　persuasion。　〃I　have　only　been



introduced　to　Mr。　Romayne　half　an　hour　since；〃　she　said。　〃I　am



not　vain　enough　to　suppose　that　I　can　produce　a　favorable



impression　on　any　one　in　so　short　a　time。〃







She　had　expressed；　in　other　words；　Romayne's　own　idea　of　himself；



in　speaking　of　her　to　Lord　Loring。　He　was　struck　by　the



coincidence。







〃Perhaps　we　have　begun；　Miss　Eyrecourt；　by　misinterpreting　one



another；〃　he　said。　〃We　may　arrive　at　a　better　understanding　when



I　have　the　honor　of　meeting　you　again。〃







He　hesitated　and　looked　at　Lady　Loring。　She　was　not　the　woman　to



let　a　fair　opportunity　escape　her。　〃We　will　say　to…morrow



evening；〃　she　resumed；　〃at　seven　o'clock。〃







〃To…morrow；〃　said　Romayne。　He　shook　hands　with　Stella；　and　left



the　picture　gallery。







Thus　far；　the　conspiracy　to　marry　him　promised　even　more



hopefully　than　the　conspiracy　to　convert　him。　And　Father　Benwell；



carefully　instructing　Penrose　in　the　next　room；　was　not　aware　of



it！







But　the　hours；　in　their　progress；　mark　the　march　of　events　as



surely　as　they　mark　the　march　of　time。　The　day　passed；　the



evening　cameand；　with　its　coming；　the　prospects　of　the



conversion　brightened　in　their　turn。







Let　Father　Benwell　himself　relate　how　it　happenedin　an　extract



from　his　report　to　Rome；　written　the　same　evening。







〃。　。　。　I　had　arranged　with　Penrose　that　he　should　call　at　my



lodgings；　and　tell　me　how　he　had　prospered　at　the　first



performance　of　his　duties　as　secretary　to　Romayne。







〃The　moment　he　entered　the　room　the　signs　of　disturbance　in　his



face　told　me　that　something　serious　had　happened。　I　asked



directly　if　there　had　been　any　disagreement　between　Romayne　and



himself。







〃He　repeated　the　word　with　every　appearance　of　surprise。



'Disagreement？'　he　said。　'No　words　can　tell　how　sincerely　I　feel



for　Mr。　Romayne。　I　cannot　express　to　you；　Father；　how　eager　I　am



to　be　of　service　to　him！'







〃Relieved；　so　far；　I　naturally　asked　what　had　happened。　Penrose



betrayed　a　marked　embarrassment　in　answering　my　question。







〃　'I　have　innocently　surprised　a　secret；'　he　said；　'on　which　I



had　no　right　to　intrude。　All　that　I　can　honorably　tell　you；　shall



be　told。　Add　one　more　to　your　many　kindnessesdon't　command　me



to　speak；　when　it　is　my　duty　toward　a　sorely…tried　man　to　be



silent；　even　to　you。'







〃It　is　needless　to　say　that　I　abstained　from　directly　answering



this　strange　appeal。　'Let　me　hear　what　you　can　tell；'　I　replied；



'and　then　we　shall　see。'







〃Upon　this；　he　spoke。　I　need　hardly　recall　to　your　memory　how



careful　we　were；　in　first　planning　the　attempt　to　recover　the



Vange　property；　to　assure　ourselves　of　the　promise　of　success



which　the　peculiar　character　of　the　present　owner　held　out　to　us。



In　reporting　what　Penrose　said；　I　communicate　a　discovery；　which



I　venture　to　think　will　be　as　welcome　to　you；　as　it　was　to　me。







〃He　began　by　reminding　me　of　what　I　had　myself　told　him　in



speaking　of　Romayne。　'You　mentioned　having　heard　from　Lord　Loring



of　a　great　sorrow　or　remorse　from　which　he　was　suffering；'



Penrose　said。　'I　know　what　he　suffers　and　why　he　suffers；　and



with　what　noble　resignation　he　submits　to　his　affliction。　We　were



sitting　together　at　the　table；　looking　over　his　notes　and



memoranda；　when　he　suddenly　dropped　the　manuscript　from　which　he



was　reading　to　me。　A　ghastly　paleness　overspread　his　face。　He



started　up；　and　put　both　his　hands　to　his　ears　as　if　he　heard



something　dreadful；　and　was　trying　to　deafen　himself　to　it。　I　ran



to　the　door　to　call　for　help。　He　stopped　me；



　he　spoke　in　faint；　gasping　tones；　forbidding　me　to　call　any　one



in　to　witness　what　he　suffered。　It　was　not　the　first　time；　he



said；　it　would　soon　be　over。　If　I　had　not　courage　to　remain　with



him　I　could　go；　and　return　when　he　was　himself　again。　I　so　pitied



him　that　I　found　the　courage　to　remain。　When　it　was　over　he　took



me　by　the　hand；　and　thanked　me。　I　had　stayed　by　him　like　a



friend；　he　said；　and　like　a　friend　he　would　treat　me。　Sooner　or



later　（those　were　his　exact　words）　I　must　be　taken　into　his



confidenceand　it　should　be　now。　He　told　me　his　melancholy



story。　I　implore　you；　Father；　don't　ask　me　to　repeat　it！　Be



content　if　I　tell　you　the　effect　of　it　on　myself。　The　one　hope；



the　one　consolation　for　him；　is　in　our　holy　religion。　With　all　my



heart　I　devote　myself　to　his　conversionand；　in　my　inmost　soul；



I　feel　the　conviction　that　I　shall　succeed！'







〃To　this　effect；　and　in　this　tone；　Penrose　spoke。　I　abstained



from　pressing　him　to　reveal　Romayne's　confession。　The　confession



is　of　no　consequence　to　us。　You　know　how　the　moral　force　of



Arthur's　earnestness　and　enthusiasm　fortifies　his　otherwise　weak



character。　I；　too；　believe　he　will　succeed。







〃To　turn　for　a　moment　to　another　subject。　You　are　already



informed　that　there　is　a　woman　in　our　way。　I　have　my　own　idea　of



the　right　method　of　dealing　with　this　obstacle　when　it　shows



itself　more　plainly。　For　the　present；　I　need　only　assure　you　that



neither　this　woman　nor　any　woman　shall　succeed　in　her　designs　on



Romayne；　if　I　can　prevent　it。〃







Having　completed　his　report　in　these　terms；　Father　Benwell



reverted　to　the　consideration　of　his　proposed　inquiries　into　the



past　history　of　Stella's　life。







Reflection　convinced　him　that　it　would　be　unwise　to　attempt；　no



matter　how　guardedly；　to　obtain　the　necessary　information　from



Lord　Loring　or　his　wife。　If　he　assumed；　at　his　age；　to　take　a



strong　interest　in　a　Protestant　young　lady；　who　had　notoriously



avoided　him；　they　would　certainly　feel　surpriseand　surprise



might；　in　due　course　of　development；　turn　to　suspicion。







There　was　but　one　other　person　under　Lord　Loring's　roof　to　whom



he　could　address　himselfand　that　person　was　th