the black robe-第13章

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



secret　receptacle　was　discovered　in　the　body　of　the　eagle；　and



the　ancient　title…deeds　of　the　Abbey　were　found　in　it。　The　monks



had　taken　that　method　of　concealing　the　legal　proof　of　their



rights　and　privileges；　in　the　hopea　vain　hope；　I　need　hardly



saythat　a　time　might　come　when　Justice　would　restore　to　them



the　property　of　which　they　had　been　robbed。　Only　last　summer；　one



of　our　bishops；　administering　a　northern　diocese；　spoke　of　these



circumstances　to　a　devout　Catholic　friend；　and　said　he　thought　it



possible　that　the　precaution　taken　by　the　monks　at　Newstead　might



also　have　been　taken　by　the　monks　at　Vange。　The　friend；　I　should



tell　you；　was　an　enthusiast。　Saying　nothing　to　the　bishop　（whose



position　and　responsibilities　he　was　bound　to　respect）；　he　took



into　his　confidence　persons　whom　he　could　trust。　One　nightin



the　absence　of　the　present　proprietor；　or；　I　should　rather　say；



the　present　usurper；　of　the　estatethe　lake　at　Vange　was



privately　dragged；　with　a　result　that　proved　the　bishop's



conjecture　to　be　right。　Read　those　valuable　documents。　Knowing



your　strict　sense　of　honor；　my　son；　and　your　admirable　tenderness



of　conscience；　I　wish　you　to　be　satisfied　of　the　title　of　the



Church　to　the　lands　of　Vange；　by　evidence　which　is　beyond



dispute。〃







With　this　little　preface；　he　waited　while　Penrose　read　the



title…deeds。　〃Any　doubt　on　your　mind？〃　he　asked；　when　the　reading



had　come　to　an　end。







〃Not　the　shadow　of　a　doubt。〃







〃Is　the　Church's　right　to　the　property　clear？〃







〃As　clear；　Father；　as　words　can　make　it。〃







〃Very　good。　We　will　lock　up　the　documents。　Arbitrary



confiscation；　Arthur；　even　on　the　part　of　a　king；　cannot　override



the　law。　What　the　Church　once　lawfully　possessed；　the　Church　has



a　right　to　recover。　Any　doubt　about　that　in　your　mind？〃







〃Only　the　doubt　of　_how_　the　Church　can　recover。　Is　there



anything　in　this　particular　case　to　be　hoped　from　the　law？〃







〃Nothing　whatever。〃







〃And　yet；　Father；　you　speak　as　if　you　saw　some　prospect　of　the



restitution　of　the　property。　By　what　means　can　the　restitution　be



made？〃







〃By　peaceful　and　worthy　means；〃　Father　Benwell　answered。　〃By



honorable　restoration　of　the　confiscated　property　to　the　Church；



on　the　part　of　the　person　who　is　now　in　possession　of　it。〃







Penrose　was　surprised　and　interested。　〃Is　the　person　a　Catholic？〃



he　asked；　eagerly。







〃Not　yet。〃　Father　Benwell　laid　a　strong　emphasis　on　those　two



little　words。　His　fat　fingers　drummed　restlessly　on　the　table；



his　vigilant　eyes　rested　expectantly　on　Penrose。　〃Surely　you



understand　me；　Arthur？〃　he　added；　after　an　interval。







The　color　rose　slowly　in　the　worn　face　of　Penrose。　〃I　am　afraid



to　understand　you；〃　he　said。







〃Why？〃







〃I　am　not　sure　that　it　is　my　better　sense　which　understands。　I　am



afraid；　Father；　it　may　be　my　vanity　and　presumption。〃







Father　Benwell　leaned　back　luxuriously　in　his　chair。　〃I　like　that



modesty；〃　he　said；　with　a　relishing　smack　of　his　lips　as　if



modesty　was　as　good　as　a　meal　to　him。　〃There　is　power　of　the



right　sort；　Arthur；　hidden　under　the　diffidence　that　does　you



honor。　I　am　more　than　ever　satisfied　that　I　have　been　right　in



reporting　you　as　worthy　of　this　most　serious　trust。　I　believe　the



conversion　of　the　owner　of　Vange　Abbey　isin　your　handsno　more



than　a　matter　of　time。〃







〃May　I　ask　what　his　name　is？〃







〃Certainly。　His　name　is　Lewis　Romayne。〃







〃When　do　you　introduce　me　to　him？〃







〃Impossible　to　say。　I　have　not　yet　been　introduced　myself。〃







〃You　don't　know　Mr。　Romayne？〃







〃I　have　never　even　seen　him。〃







These　discouraging　replies　were　made　with　the　perfect　composure



of　a　man　who　saw　his　way　clearly　before　him。　Sinking　from　one



depth　of　perplexity　to　another；　Penrose　ventured　on　putting　one



last　question。　〃How　am　I　to　approach　Mr。　Romayne？〃　he　asked。







〃I　can　only　answer　that；　Arthur；　by　admitting　you　still　further



into　my　confidence。　It　is　disagreeable　to　me；〃　said　the　reverend



gentleman；　with　the　most　becoming　humility；　〃to　speak　of　myself。



But　it　must　be　done。　Shall　we　have　a　little　coffee　to　help　us



through　the　coming　extract　from　Father　Benwell's　autobiography？



Don't　look　so　serious；　my　son！　When　the　occasion　justifies　it；



let　us　take　life　lightly。〃　He　rang　the　bell　and　ordered　the



coffee；　as　if　he　was　the　master　of　the　house。　The　servant　treate



d　him　with　the　most　scrupulous　respect。　He　hummed　a　little　tune；



and　talked　at　intervals　of　the　weather；　while　they　were　waiting。



〃Plenty　of　sugar；　Arthur？〃　he　inquired；　when　the　coffee　was



brought　in。　〃No！　Even　in　trifles；　I　should　have　been　glad　to　feel



that　there　was　perfect　sympathy　between　us。　I　like　plenty　of



sugar　myself。〃







Having　sweetened　his　coffee　with　the　closest　attention　to　the



process；　he　was　at　liberty　to　enlighten　his　young　friend。　He　did



it　so　easily　and　so　cheerfully　that　a　far　less　patient　man　than



Penrose　would　have　listened　to　him　with　interest。







CHAPTER　III。







THE　INTRODUCTION　TO　ROMAYNE。







〃EXCEPTING　my　employment　here　in　the　library；〃　Father　Benwell



began；　〃and　some　interesting　conversation　with　Lord　Loring；　to



which　I　shall　presently　allude；　I　am　almost　as　great　a　stranger



in　this　house；　Arthur；　as　yourself。　When　the　object　which　we　now



have　in　view　was　first　taken　seriously　into　consideration；　I　had



the　honor　of　being　personally　acquainted　with　Lord　Loring。　I　was



also　aware　that　he　was　an　intimate　and　trusted　friend　of　Romayne。



Under　these　circumstances；　his　lordship　presented　himself　to　our



point　of　view　as　a　means　of　approaching　the　owner　of　Vange　Abbey



without　exciting　distrust。　I　was　charged　accordingly　with　the



duty　of　establishing　myself　on　terms　of　intimacy　in　this　house。



By　way　of　making　room　for　me；　the　spiritual　director　of　Lord　and



Lady　Loring　was　removed　to　a　cure　of　souls　in　Ireland。　And　here　I



am　in　his　place！　By…the…way；　don't　treat　me　（when　we　are　in　the



presence　of　visitors）　with　any　special　marks　of　respect。　I　am　not



Provincial　of　our　Order　in　Lord　Loring's　houseI　am　one　of　the



inferior　clergy。〃







Penrose　looked　at　him　with　admiration。　〃It　is　a　great　sacrifice



to　make；　Father；　in　your　position　and　at　your　age。〃







〃Not　at　all；　Arthur。　A　position　of　authority　involves　certain



temptations　to　pride。　I　feel　this　change　as　a　lesson　in　humility



which　is　good　for　me。　For　example；　Lady　Loring　（as　I　can　plainly



see）　dislikes　and　distrusts　me。　Then；　again；　a　young　lady　has



recently　arrived　here　on　a　visit。　She　is　a　Protestant；　with　all



the　prejudices　incident　to　that　way　of　thinkingavoids　me　so



carefully；　poor　soul；　that　I　have　never　seen　her　yet。　These



rebuffs　are　wholesome　reminders　of　his　fallible　human　nature；　to



a　man　who　has　occupied　a　place　of　high　trust　and　command。



Besides；　there　have　been　obstacles　in　my　way　which　have　had　an



excellent　effect　in　rousing　my　energies。　How　do　you　feel；　Arthur；



when　you　encounter　obstacles？〃







〃I　do　my　best　to　remove　them；　Father。　But　I　am　sometimes



conscious　of　a　sense　of　discouragement。〃







〃Curious；〃　said　Father　Benwell。　〃I　am　only　conscious；　myself；　of



a　sense　of　impatience。　What　right　has　an　obstacle　to　get　in　_my_



way？that　is　how　I　look　at　it。　For　example；　the　first　thing　I



heard；　when　I　came　here；　was　that　Romayne　had　left　England。　My



introduction