the black robe-第12章

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of　his　incorruptible　honesty　and　his　true　religious　zeal。　No



better　man　is　just　now　within　my　reachand　there　is　no　time　to



lose。　Romayne　has　recently　inherited　a　large　increase　of　fortune。



He　will　be　the　object　of　the　basest　conspiraciesconspiracies　of



men　to　win　his　money；　and　（worse　still）　of　women　to　marry　him。



Even　these　contemptible　efforts　may　be　obstacles　in　the　way　of



our　righteous　purpose；　unless　we　are　first　in　the　field。　Penrose



left　Oxford　last　week。　I　expect　him　here　this　morning；　by　my



invitation。　When　I　have　given　him　the　necessary　instructions；　and



have　found　the　means　of　favorably　introducing　him　to　Romayne；　I



shall　have　the　honor　of　forwarding　a　statement　of　our　prospects



so　far。〃







Having　signed　these　lines；　he　addressed　the　letter　to　〃The



Reverend　the　Secretary；　Society　of　Jesus；　Rome。〃　As　he　closed　and



sealed　the　envelope；　a　servant　opened　the　door　communicating　with



the　hall；　and　announced：







〃Mr。　Arthur　Penrose。〃







CHAPTER　II。







THE　JESUITS。







FATHER　BENWELL　rose；　and　welcomed　the　visitor　with　his　paternal



smile。　〃I　am　heartily　glad　to　see　you；〃　he　saidand　held　out　his



hand　with　a　becoming　mixture　of　dignity　and　cordiality。　Penrose



lifted　the　offered　hand　respectfully　to　his　lips。　As　one　of　the



〃Provincials〃　of　the　Order；　Father　Benwell　occupied　a　high　place



among　the　English　Jesuits。　He　was　accustomed　to　acts　of　homage



offered　by　his　younger　brethren　to　their　spiritual　chief。　〃I　fear



you　are　not　well；〃　he　proceeded　gently。　〃Your　hand　is　feverish；



Arthur。〃







〃Thank　you；　FatherI　am　as　well　as　usual。〃







〃Depression　of　spirits；　perhaps？〃　Father　Benwell　persisted。







Penrose　admitted　it　with　a　passing　smile。　〃My　spirits　are　never



very　lively；〃　he　said。







Father　Benwell　shook　his　head　in　gentle　disapproval　of　a



depressed　state　of　spirits　in　a　young　man。　〃This　must　be



corrected；〃　he　remarked。　〃Cultivate　cheerfulness；　Arthur。　I　am



myself；　thank　God；　a　naturally　cheerful　man。　My　mind　reflects；　in



some　degree　（and　reflects　gratefully）；　the　brightness　and　beauty



which　are　part　of　the　great　scheme　of　creation。　A　similar



disposition　is　to　be　cultivatedI　know　instances　of　it　in　my　own



experience。　Add　one　more　instance；　and　you　will　really　gratify



me。　In　its　seasons　of　rejoicing；　our　Church　is　eminently



cheerful。　Shall　I　add　another　encouragement？　A　great　trust　is



about　to　be　placed　in　you。　Be　socially　agreeable；　or　you　will



fail　to　justify　the　trust。　This　is　Father　Benwell's　little



sermon。　I　think　it　has　a　merit；　Arthurit　is　a　sermon　soon



over。〃







Penrose　looked　up　at　his　superior；　eager　to　hear　more。







He　was　a　very　young　man。　His　large；　thoughtful；　well…opened　gray



eyes；　and　his　habitual　refinement　and　modesty　of　manner；　gave　a



certain　attraction　to　his　personal　appearance；　of　which　it　stood



in　some　need。　In　stature　he　was　little　and　lean；　his　hair　had



become　prematurely　thin　over　his　broad　forehead；　there　were



hollows　already　in　his　cheeks；　and　marks　on　either　side　of　his



thin；　delicate　lips。　He　looked　like　a　person　who　had　passed　many



miserable　hours　in　needlessly　despairing　of　himself　and　his



prospects。　With　all　this；　there　was　something　in　him　so



irresistibly　truthful　and　sincereso　suggestive；　even　where　he



might　be　wrong；　of　a　purely　conscientious　belief　in　his　own



errorsthat　he　attached　people　to　　him　wit　hout　an　effort；　and



often　without　being　aware　of　it　himself。　What　would　his　friends



have　said　if　they　had　been　told　that　the　religious　enthusiasm　of



this　gentle；　self…distrustful；　melancholy　man；　might；　in　its　very



innocence　of　suspicion　and　self…seeking；　be　perverted　to



dangerous　uses　in　unscrupulous　hands？　His　friends　would；　one　and



all；　have　received　the　scandalous　assertion　with　contempt；　and



Penrose　himself；　if　he　had　heard　of　it；　might　have　failed　to



control　his　temper　for　the　first　time　in　his　life。







〃May　I　ask　a　question；　without　giving　offense？〃　he　said；　timidly。







Father　Benwell　took　his　hand。　〃My　dear　Arthur；　let　us　open　our



minds　to　each　other　without　reserve。　What　is　your　question？〃







〃You　have　spoken；　Father；　of　a　great　trust　that　is　about　to　be



placed　in　me。〃







〃Yes。　You　are　anxious；　no　doubt；　to　hear　what　it　is？〃







〃I　am　anxious　to　know；　in　the　first　place；　if　it　requires　me　to



go　back　to　Oxford。〃







Father　Benwell　dropped　his　young　friend's　hand。　〃Do　you　dislike



Oxford？〃　he　asked；　observing　Penrose　attentively。







〃Bear　with　me；　Father；　if　I　speak　too　confidently。　I　dislike　the



deception　which　has　obliged　me　to　conceal　that　I　am　a　Catholic



and　a　priest。〃







Father　Benwell　set　this　little　difficulty　right；　with　the　air　of



a　man　who　could　make　benevolent　allowance　for　unreasonable



scruples。　〃I　think；　Arthur；　you　forget　two　important



considerations；〃　he　said。　〃In　the　first　place；　you　have　a



dispensation　from　your　superiors；　which　absolves　you　of　all



responsibility　in　respect　of　the　concealment　that　you　have



practiced。　In　the　second　place；　we　could　only　obtain　information



of　the　progress　which　our　Church　is　silently　making　at　the



University　by　employing　you　in　the　capacity　oflet　me　say；　an



independent　observer。　However；　if　it　will　contribute　to　your　ease



of　mind；　I　see　no　objection　to　informing　you　that　you　will　_not_



be　instructed　to　return　to　Oxford。　Do　I　relieve　you？〃







There　could　be　no　question　of　it。　Penrose　breathed　more　freely；



in　every　sense　of　the　word。







〃At　the　same　time；〃　Father　Benwell　continued；　〃let　us　not



misunderstand　each　other。　In　the　new　sphere　of　action　which　we



design　for　you；　you　will　not　only　be　at　liberty　to　acknowledge



that　you　are　a　Catholic；　it　will　be　absolutely　necessary　that　you



should　do　so。　But　you　will　continue　to　wear　the　ordinary　dress　of



an　English　gentleman；　and　to　preserve　the　strictest　secrecy　on



the　subject　of　your　admission　to　the　priesthood；　until　you　are



further　advised　by　myself。　Now；　dear　Arthur；　read　that　paper。　It



is　the　necessary　preface　to　all　that　I　have　yet　to　say　to　you。〃







The　〃paper〃　contained　a　few　pages　of　manuscript　relating　the



early　history　of　Vange　Abbey；　in　the　days　of　the　monks；　and　the



circumstances　under　which　the　property　was　confiscated　to　lay



uses　in　the　time　of　Henry　the　Eighth。　Penrose　handed　back　the



little　narrative；　vehemently　expressing　his　sympathy　with　the



monks；　and　his　detestation　of　the　King。







〃Compose　yourself；　Arthur；〃　said　Father　Benwell；　smiling



pleasantly。　〃We　don't　mean　to　allow　Henry　the　Eighth　to　have　it



all　his　own　way　forever。〃







Penrose　looked　at　his　superior　in　blank　bewilderment。　His



superior　withheld　any　further　information　for　the　present。







〃Everything　in　its　turn；〃　the　discreet　Father　resumed；　〃the　turn



of　explanation　has　not　come　yet。　I　have　something　else　to　show



you　first。　One　of　the　most　interesting　relics　in　England。　Look



here。〃







He　unlocked　a　flat　mahogany　box；　and　displayed　to　view　some



writings　on　vellum；　evidently　of　great　age。







〃You　have　had　a　little　sermon　already；〃　he　said。　〃You　shall　have



a　little　story　now。　No　doubt　you　have　heard　of　Newstead



Abbeyfamous　among　the　readers　of　poetry　as　the　residence　of



Byron？　King　Henry　treated　Newstead　exactly　as　he　treated　Vange



Abbey！　Many　years　since；　the　lake　at　Newstead　was　dragged；　and



the　brass　eagle　which　had　served　as　the　lectern　in　the　old　church



was　rescued　from　the　waters　in　which　it　had　lain　for　centuries。　A



sec