the black robe- 第8部分

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　the　foregoing　narrative　of　personal



experience　has　been　written　with　a　due　sense　of　responsibility；



and　that　it　may　be　depended　on　throughout　as　an　exact　statement



of　the　truth。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOHN　PHILIP　HYND；



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（late　Major；　110th



Regiment）。











THE　STORY。







BOOK　THE　FIRST。







CHAPTER　I。







THE　CONFIDENCES。







IN　an　upper　room　of　one　of　the　palatial　houses　which　are　situated



on　the　north　side　of　Hyde　Park；　two　ladies　sat　at　breakfast；　and



gossiped　over　their　tea。







The　elder　of　the　two　was　Lady　Loringstill　in　the　prime　of　life；



possessed　of　the　golden　hair　and　the　clear　blue　eyes；　the



delicately…florid　complexion；　and　the　freely　developed　figure；



which　are　among　the　favorite　attractions　popularly　associated



with　the　beauty　of　Englishwomen。　Her　younger　companion　was　the



unknown　lady　admired　by　Major　Hynd　on　the　sea　passage　from　France



to　England。　With　hair　and　eyes　of　the　darkest　brown；　with　a　pure



pallor　of　complexion；　only　changing　to　a　faint　rose　tint　in



moments　of　agitation；　with　a　tall　graceful　figure；　incompletely



developed　in　substance　and



　strengthshe　presented　an　almost　complete　contrast　to　Lady



Loring。　Two　more　opposite　types　of　beauty　it　would　have　been



hardly　possible　to　place　at　the　same　table。







The　servant　brought　in　the　letters　of　the　morning。　Lady　Loring



ran　through　her　correspondence　rapidly；　pushed　away　the　letters



in　a　heap；　and　poured　herself　out　a　second　cup　of　tea。







〃Nothing　interesting　this　morning　for　me；〃　she　said。　〃Any　news　of



your　mother；　Stella？〃







The　young　lady　handed　an　open　letter　to　her　hostess；　with　a　faint



smile。　〃See　for　yourself；　Adelaide；〃　she　answered；　with　the



tender　sweetness　of　tone　which　made　her　voice　irresistibly



charming〃and　tell　me　if　there　were　ever　two　women　so　utterly



unlike　each　other　as　my　mother　and　myself。〃







Lady　Loring　ran　through　the　letter；　as　she　had　run　through　her



own　correspondence。　〃Never；　dearest　Stella；　have　I　enjoyed　myself



as　I　do　in　this　delightful　country　housetwenty…seven　at　dinner



every　day；　without　including　the　neighborsa　little　carpet　dance



every　eveningwe　play　billiards；　and　go　into　the　smoking



roomthe　hounds　meet　three　times　a　weekall　sorts　of



celebrities　among　the　company；　famous　beauties　includedsuch



dresses！　such　conversation！and　serious　duties；　my　dear；　not



neglectedhigh　church　and　choral　service　in　the　town　on



Sundaysrecitations　in　the　evening　from　Paradise　Lost；　by　an



amateur　elocutionistoh；　you　foolish；　headstrong　child！　why　did



you　make　excuses　and　stay　in　London；　when　you　might　have



accompanied　me　to　this　earthly　Paradise？are　you　really　ill？my



love　to　Lady　Loringand　of　course；　if　you　_are_　ill；　you　must



have　medical　advicethey　ask　after　you　so　kindly　herethe　first



dinner　bell　is　ringing；　before　I　have　half　done　my　letterwhat



_am_　I　to　wear？why　is　my　daughter　not　here　to　advise　me；〃　etc。；



etc。；　etc。







〃There　is　time　to　change　your　mind　and　advise　your　mother；〃　Lady



Loring　remarked　with　grave　irony　as　she　returned　the　letter。







〃Don't　even　speak　of　it！〃　said　Stella。　〃I　really　know　no　life



that　I　should　not　prefer　to　the　life　that　my　mother　is　enjoying



at　this　moment。　What　should　I　have　done；　Adelaide；　if　you　had　not



offered　me　a　happy　refuge　in　your　house？　_My_　'earthly　Paradise'



is　here；　where　I　am　allowed　to　dream　away　my　time　over　my



drawings　and　my　books；　and　to　resign　myself　to　poor　health　and



low　spirits；　without　being　dragged　into　society；　and　（worse



still）　threatened　with　that　'medical　advice'　in　which；　when　she



isn't　threatened　with　it　herself；　my　poor　dear　mother　believes　so



implicitly。　I　wish　you　would　hire　me　as　your　'companion；'　and　let



me　stay　here　for　the　rest　of　my　life。〃







Lady　Loring's　bright　face　became　grave　while　Stella　was　speaking。







〃My　dear；〃　she　said　kindly；　〃I　know　well　how　you　love　retirement；



and　how　differently　you　think　and　feel　from　other　young　women　of



your　age。　And　I　am　far　from　forgetting　what　sad　circumstances



have　encouraged　the　natural　bent　of　your　disposition。　But；　since



you　have　been　staying　with　me　this　time；　I　see　something　in　you



which　my　intimate　knowledge　of　your　character　fails　to　explain。



We　have　been　friends　since　we　were　together　at　schooland；　in



those　old　days；　we　never　had　any　secrets　from　each　other。　You　are



feeling　some　anxiety；　or　brooding　over　some　sorrow；　of　which　I



know　nothing。　I　don't　ask　for　your　confidence；　I　only　tell　you



what　I　have　noticedand　I　say　with　all　my　heart；　Stella；　I　am



sorry　for　you。〃







She　rose；　and；　with　intuitive　delicacy；　changed　the　subject。　〃I



am　going　out　earlier　than　usual　this　morning；〃　she　resumed。　〃Is



there　anything　I　can　do　for　you？〃　She　laid　her　hand　tenderly　on



Stella's　shoulder；　waiting　for　the　reply。　Stella　lifted　the　hand



and　kissed　it　with　passionate　fondness。







〃Don't　think　me　ungrateful；〃　she　said；　〃I　am　only　ashamed。〃　Her



head　sank　on　her　bosom；　she　burst　into　tears。







Lady　Loring　waited　by　her　in　silence。　She　well　knew　the　girl's



self…contained　nature；　always　shrinking；　except　in　moments　of



violent　emotion；　from　the　outward　betrayal　of　its　trials　and　its



sufferings　to　others。　The　true　depth　of　feeling　which　is　marked



by　this　inbred　modesty　is　most　frequently　found　in　men。　The　few



women　who　possess　it　are　without　the　communicative　consolations



of　the　feminine　heart。　They　are　the　noblest…and　but　too　often



the　unhappiest　of　their　sex。







〃Will　you　wait　a　little　before　you　go　out？〃　Stella　asked　softly。







Lady　Loring　returned　to　the　chair　that　she　had　lefthesitated



for　a　momentand　then　drew　it　nearer　to　Stella。　〃Shall　I　sit　by



you？〃　she　said。







〃Close　by　me。　You　spoke　of　our　school　days　just　now　Adelaide。



There　was　some　difference　between　us。　Of　all　the　girls　I　was　the



youngestand　you　were　the　eldest；　or　nearly　the　eldest；　I



think？〃







〃Quite　the　eldest；　my　dear。　There　is　a　difference　of　ten　years



between　us。　But　why　do　you　go　back　to　that？〃







〃It's　only　a　recollection。　My　father　was　alive　then。　I　was　at



first　home…sick　and　frightened　in　the　strange　place；　among　the



big　girls。　You　used　to　let　me　hide　my　face　on　your　shoulder；　and



tell　me　stories。　May　I　hide　in　the　old　way　and　tell　_my_　story？〃







She　was　now　the　calmest　of　the　two。　The　elder　woman　turned　a



little　pale；　and　looked　down　in　silent　anxiety　at　the　darkly



beautiful　head　that　rested　on　her　shoulder。







〃After　such　an　experience　as　mine　has　been；〃　said　Stella；　〃would



you　think　it　possible　that　I　could　ever　again　feel　my　heart



troubled　by　a　manand　that　man　a　stranger？〃







〃My　dear！　I　think　it　quite　possible。　You　are　only　now　in　your



twenty…third　year。　You　were　innocent　of　all　blame　at　that



wretched　by…gone　time　which　you　ought　never　to　speak　of　again。



Love　and　be　happy；　Stellaif　you　can　only　find　the　man　who　is



worthy　of　you。　But　you　frighten　me　when　you　speak　of　a　stranger。



Where　did　you　meet　with　him？〃







〃On　our　way　back　from　Paris。〃







〃Traveling　in　the　same　carriage　with　you？〃







〃Noit　was　in　crossing　the　Channel。　There　were　few　travelers　in



the　steamboat；　or　I　might　never　have　noticed　him。〃







〃Did　he　speak　to　you？〃







〃I　don't　think　he　even　looked　at　me。〃