the black robe-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





of　his　life　to　be　suspicious　of　any　circumstances　occurring



within　his　range　of　observation；　for　which　he　was　unable　to



account。　He　might　have　felt　some　stronger　emotion　on　this



occasion；　if　he　had　known　that　the　conspiracy　in　the　library　to



convert　Romayne　was　matched　by　the　conspiracy　in　the　picture



gallery　to　marry　him。







Lady　Loring's　narrative　of　the　conversation　which　had　taken　place



between　Stella　and　herself　had　encouraged　her　husband　to　try　his



proposed　experiment　without　delay。　〃I　shall　send　a　letter　at　once



to　Romayne's　hotel；〃　he　said。







〃Inviting　him　to　come　here　to…day？〃　her　ladyship　inquired。







〃Yes。　I　shall　say　I　particularly　wish　to　consult　him　about　a



picture。　Are　we　to　prepare　Stella　to　see　him？　or　would　it　be



better　to　let　the　meeting　take　her　by　surprise？〃







〃Certainly　not！〃　said　Lady　Loring。　〃With　her　sensitive



disposition；　I　am　afraid　of　taking　Stella　by　surprise。　Let　me



only　tell　her　that　Romayne　is　the　original　of　her　portrait；　and



that　he　is　likely　to　call　on　you　to　see　the　picture　to…dayand



leave　the　rest　to　me。〃







Lady　Loring's　suggestion　was　immediately　carried　out。　In　the



first　fervor　of　her　agitation；　Stella　had　declared　that　her



courage　was　not　equal　to　a　meeting　with　Romayne　on　that　day。



Becoming　more　composed；　she　yielded　to　Lady　Loring's　persuasion



so　far　as　to　promise　that　she　would　at　least　make　the　attempt　to



follow　her　friend　to　the　gallery。　〃If　I　go　down　with　you；〃　she



said；　〃it　will　look　as　if　we　had　arranged　the　thing　between　us。　I



can't　bear　even　to　think　of　that。　Let　me　look　in　by　myself；　as　if



it　was　by　accident。〃　Consenting　to　this　arrangement；　Lady　Loring



had　proceeded　alone　to　the　gallery；　when　Romayne's　visit　was



announced。　The　minutes　passed；　and　Stella　did　not　appear。　It　was



quite　possible　that　she　might　shrink　from　openly　presenting



herself　at　the　main　entrance　to　the　gallery；　and　might



preferespecially　if　she　was　not　aware　of　the　priest's　presence



in　the　roomto　slip　in　quietly　by　the　library　door。　Failing　to



find　her；　on　putting　this　idea　to　the　test；　Lord　Loring　had



discovered　Penrose；　and　had　so　hastened　the　introduction　of　the



younger　of　the　two　Jesuits　to　Romayne。















Having　gathered　his　papers　together；　Father　Benwell　crossed　the



library　to　the　deep　bow…window　which　lighted　the　room；　and　opened



his　dispatch…box；　standing　on　a　small　table　in　the　recess。　Placed



in　this　position；　he　was　invisible　to　any　person　entering　the



room　by　the　hall　door。　He　had　secured　his　papers　in　the



dispatch…box；　and　had　just　closed　and　locked　it；　when　he　heard



the　door　cautiously　opened。







The　instant　afterward　the　rustling　of　a　woman's　dress　over　the



carpet　caught　his　ear。　Other　men　might　have　walked　out　of　the



recess　and　shown　themselves。　Father　Benwell　stayed　where　he　was；



and　waited　until　the　lady　crossed　his　range　of　view。







The　priest　observed　with　cold　attention　her　darkly…beautiful　eyes



and　hair；　her　quickly…changing　color；　her　modest　grace　of



movement。　Slowly；　and　in　evident　agitation；　she　advanced　to　the



door　of　the　picture　galleryand　paused；　as　if　she　was　afraid　to



open　it。　Father　Benwell　heard　her　sigh　to　herself　softly；　〃Oh；



how　shall　I　meet　him？〃　She　turned　aside　to　the　looking…glass　over



the　fire…place。　The　reflection　of　her　charming　face　seemed　to



rouse　her　courage。　She　retraced　her　steps；　and　timidly　opened　the



door。　Lord　Loring　must　have　been　close　by　at　the　moment。　His



voice　immediately　made　itself　heard　in　the　library。







〃Come　in；　Stellacome　in！　Here　is　a　new　picture　for　you　to　see；



and　a　friend　whom　I　want　to　present　to　you；　who　must　be　your



friend　tooMr。　Lewis　Romayne。〃







The　door　was　closed　again。　Father　Benwell　stood　still　as　a　statue



in　the　recess；　with　his　head　down；　deep　in　thought。　After　a　while



he　roused　himself；　and　rapidly　returned　to　the　writing　table。



With　a　roughness　strangely　unlike　his　customary　deliberation　of



movement；　he　snatched　a　sheet　of　paper　out　of　the　case；　and



frowning　heavily；　wrote　these　lines　on　it：　〃Since　my　letter　was



sealed；　I　have　made　a　discovery　which　must　be　communicated



without　the　loss　of　a　post。　I　greatly　fear　there　may　be　a　woman



in　our　way。　Trust　me　to　combat　this　obstacle　as　I　have　combated



other　obstacles。　In　the　meantime；　the　work　goes　on。　Penrose　has



received　his　first　instructions；　and　has　to…day　been　presented　to



Romayne。〃







He　addressed　this　letter　to　Rome；　as　he　had　addressed　the　letter



preceding　it。　〃Now　for　the　woman！〃　he　said　to　himselfand　opened



the　door　of　the　picture　gallery。







CHAPTER　IV。







FATHER　BENWELL　HITS。







ART　has　its　trials　as　well　as　its　triumphs。　It　is　powerless　to



assert　itself　against　the　sordid　interests　of　everyday　life。　The



greatest　book　ever　written；　the　finest　picture　ever　painted；



appeals　in　vain　to　minds　preoccupied　by　selfish　and　secret　cares。



On　entering　Lord　Loring's　gallery；　Father　Benwell　found　but　one



person　who　was　not　looking　at　the　pictures　under　false　pretenses。







Innocent　of　all　suspicion　of　the　conflicting　interests　whose



struggle　now　centered　in　himself；　Romayne　was　carefully　studying



the　picture　which　had　been　made　the　pretext　for　inviting　him　to



the　house。　He　had　bowed　to　Stella；　with　a　tranquil　admiration　of



her　beauty；　he　had　shaken　hands　with　Penrose；　and　had　said　some



kind　words　to　his　future　secretaryand　then　he　had　turned　to　the



picture；　as　if　Stella　and　Penrose　had　ceased　from　that　moment　to



occupy　his　mind。







〃In　your　place；〃　he　said　quietly　to　Lord　Loring；　〃I　should　not



buy　this　work。〃







〃Why　not？〃







〃It　seems　to　me　to　have　the　serious　defect　of　the　modern　English



school　of　painting。　A　total　want　of　thought　in　the　rendering　of



the　subject；　disguised　under　dexterous　technical　tricks　of　the



brush。　When　you　have　seen　one　of　that　man's　pictures；　you　have



seen　all。　He　manufactureshe　doesn't　paint。〃







Father　Benwell　came　in　while　Romayne　was　speaking。　He　went



through　the　ceremonies　of　introduction　to　the　master　of　Vange



Abbey　with　perfect　politeness；　but　a　little　absently。　His　mind



was　bent　on　putting　his　suspicion　of　Stella　to　the　test　of



confirmation。　Not　waiting　to　be　presented；　he　turned　to　her　with



the　air　of　fatherly　interest　and　chastened　admiration　which　he



well　knew　how　to　assume　in　his　intercourse　with　women。







〃May　I　ask　if　you　agree　with　Mr。　Romayne's　estimate　of　the



picture？〃　he　said；　in　his　gentlest　tones。







She　had　heard　of　him；　and　of　his　position　in　the　house。　It　was



quite　needless　for　Lady　Loring　to　whisper　to　her；　〃Father



Benwell；　my



　dear！〃　Her　antipathy　identified　him　as　readily　as　her　sympathy



might　have　identified　a　man　who　had　produced　a　favorable



impression　on　her。　〃I　have　no　pretension　to　be　a　critic；〃　she



answered；　with　frigid　politeness。　〃I　only　know　what　I　personally



like　or　dislike。〃







The　reply　exactly　answered　Father　Benwell's　purpose。　It　diverted



Romayne's　attention　from　the　picture　to　Stella。　The　priest　had



secured　his　opportunity　of　reading　their　faces　while　they　were



looking　at　each　other。







〃I　think　you　have　just　stated　the　true　motive　for　all　criticism；〃



Romayne　said　to　Stella。　〃Whether　we　only　express　our　opinions　of



pictures　or　books　in　the　course　of　conversation　or　whether　we



assert　them　at　full　length；　with　all　the　authority　of　print；　we



are　really　speaking；　in　either　case；　of　what　personally　pleases



or　repels　us。　My　poor　opinion