the black robe-第16章

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



or　repels　us。　My　poor　opinion　of　that　picture　means　that　it　says



nothing　to　Me。　Does　it　say　anything　to　You？〃







He　smiled　gently　as　he　put　the　question　to　her；　but　there　was　no



betrayal　of　emotion　in　his　eyes　or　in　his　voice。　Relieved　of



anxiety；　so　far　as　Romayne　was　concerned；　Father　Benwell　looked



at　Stella。







Steadily　as　she　controlled　herself；　the　confession　of　her　heart's



secret　found　its　way　into　her　face。　The　coldly　composed



expression　which　had　confronted　the　priest　when　she　spoke　to　him；



melted　away　softly　under　the　influence　of　Romayne's　voice　and



Romayne's　look。　Without　any　positive　change　of　color；　her



delicate　skin　glowed　faintly；　as　if　it　felt　some　animating　inner



warmth。　Her　eyes　and　lips　brightened　with　a　new　vitality；　her



frail　elegant　figure　seemed　insensibly　to　strengthen　and　expand；



like　the　leaf　of　a　flower　under　a　favoring　sunny　air。　When　she



answered　Romayne　（agreeing　with　him；　it　is　needless　to　say）；



there　was　a　tender　persuasiveness　in　her　tones；　shyly　inviting



him　still　to　speak　to　her　and　still　to　look　at　her；　which　would



in　itself　have　told　Father　Benwell　the　truth；　even　if　he　had　not



been　in　a　position　to　see　her　face。　Confirmed　in　his　doubts　of



her；　he　looked；　with　concealed　suspicion；　at　Lady　Loring　next。



Sympathy　with　Stella　was　undisguisedly　expressed　to　him　in　the



honest　blue　eyes　of　Stella's　faithful　friend。







The　discussion　on　the　subject　of　the　unfortunate　picture　was



resumed　by　Lord　Loring；　who　thought　the　opinions　of　Romayne　and



Stella　needlessly　severe。　Lady　Loring；　as　usual；　agreed　with　her



husband。　While　the　general　attention　was　occupied　in　this　way；



Father　Benwell　said　a　word　to　Penrosethus　far；　a　silent



listener　to　the　discourse　on　Art。







〃Have　you　seen　the　famous　portrait　of　the　first　Lady　Loring；　by



Gainsborough？〃　he　asked。　Without　waiting　for　a　reply；　he　took



Penrose　by　the　arm；　and　led　him　away　to　the　picturewhich　had



the　additional　merit；　under　present　circumstances；　of　hanging　at



the　other　end　of　the　gallery。







〃How　do　you　like　Romayne？〃　Father　Benwell　put　the　question　in　low



peremptory　tones；　evidently　impatient　for　a　reply。







〃He　interests　me　already；〃　said　Penrose。　〃He　looks　so　ill　and　so



sad；　and　he　spoke　to　me　so　kindly〃







〃In　short；〃　Father　Benwell　interposed；　〃Romayne　has　produced　a



favorable　impression　on　you。　Let　us　get　on　to　the　next　thing。　You



must　produce　a　favorable　impression　on　Romayne。〃







Penrose　sighed。　〃With　the　best　will　to　make　myself　agreeable　to



people　whom　I　like；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　always　succeed。　They　used



to　tell　me　at　Oxford　that　I　was　shyand　I　am　afraid　that　is



against　me。　I　wish　I　possessed　some　of　your　social　advantages；



Father！〃







〃Leave　it　to　me；　son！　Are　they　still　talking　about　the　picture？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃I　have　something　more　to　say　to　you。　Have　you　noticed　the　young



lady？〃







〃I　thought　her　beautifulbut　she　looks　a　little　cold。〃







Father　Benwell　smiled。　〃When　you　are　as　old　as　I　am；〃　he　said；



〃you　will　not　believe　in　appearances　where　women　are　concerned。



Do　you　know　what　I　think　of　her？　Beautiful；　if　you　likeand



dangerous　as　well。〃







〃Dangerous！　In　what　way？〃







〃This　is　for　your　private　ear；　Arthur。　She　is　in　love　with



Romayne。　Wait　a　minute！　And　Lady　Loringunless　I　am　entirely



mistaken　in　what　I　observedknows　it　and　favors　it。　The



beautiful　Stella　may　be　the　destruction　of　all　our　hopes；　unless



we　keep　Romayne　out　of　her　way。〃







These　words　were　whispered　with　an　earnestness　and　agitation



which　surprised　Penrose。　His　superior's　equanimity　was　not　easily



overthrown。　〃Are　you　sure；　Father；　of　what　you　say？〃　he　asked。







〃I　am　quite　sureor　I　should　not　have　spoken。〃







〃Do　you　think　Mr。　Romayne　returns　the　feeling？〃







〃Not　yet；　luckily。　You　must　use　your　first　friendly　influence



over　himwhat　is　her　name？　Her　surname；　I　mean。〃







〃Eyrecourt。　Miss　Stella　Eyrecourt。〃







〃Very　well。　You　must　use　your　influence　（when　you　are　quite　sure



that　it　_is_　an　influence）　to　keep　Mr。　Romayne　away　from　Miss



Eyrecourt。〃







Penrose　looked　embarrassed。　〃I　am　afraid　I　should　hardly　know　how



to　do　that；〃　he　said　〃But　I　should　naturally；　as　his　assistant；



encourage　him　to　keep　to　his　studies。〃







Whatever　Arthur's　superior　might　privately　think　of　Arthur's



reply；　he　received　it　with　outward　indulgence。　〃That　will　come　to



the　same　thing；〃　he　said。　〃Besides；　when　I　get　the　information　I



wantthis　is　strictly　between　ourselvesI　may　be　of　some　use　in



placing　obstacles　in　the　lady's　way。〃







Penrose　started。　〃Information！〃　he　repeated。　〃What　information？〃







〃Tell　me　something　before　I　answer　you；〃　said　Father　Benwell。



〃How　old　do　you　take　Miss　Eyrecourt　to　be？〃







〃I　am　not　a　good　judge　in　such　matters。　Between　twenty　and



twenty…five；　perhaps？〃







〃We　will　take　her　age　at　that　estimate；　Arthur。　In　former　years；



I　have　had　opportunities　of　studying　women's　characters　in　the



confessional。　Can　you　guess　what　my　experience　tells　me　of　Miss



Eyrecourt？〃







〃No；　indeed！〃







〃A　lady　is　not　in　love　for　the　first　time　when　she　is　between



twenty　and　twenty…five　years　oldthat　is　my　experience；〃　said



Father　Benwell。　〃If　I　can　find　a　person　capable　of　informing　me；



I　may　make　some　valuable　discoveries　in　the　earlier　history　of



Miss　Eyrecourt's　life。　No　more；　now。　We　had　better　return　to　our



friends。〃







CHAPTER　V。







FATHER　BENWELL　MISSES。







THE　group　before　the　picture　which　had　been　the　subject　of



dispute　was　broken　up。　In　one　part　of　the　gallery；　Lady　Loring



and　Stella　were　whispering　together　on　a　sofa。　In　another　part；



Lord　Loring　was　speaking　privately　to　Romayne。







〃Do　you　think　you　will　like　Mr。　Penrose？〃　his　lordship　asked。







〃Yesso　far　as　I　can　tell　at　present。　He　seems　to　be　modest　and



intelligent。〃







〃You　are　looking　ill；　my　dear　Romayne。　Have　you　again　heard　the



voice　that　haunts　you？〃







Romayne　answered　with　evident　reluctance。　〃I　don't　know　why；〃　he



said〃but　the　dread　of　hearing　it　again　has　oppressed　me　all



this　morning。　To　tell　you　the　truth；　I　came　here　in　the　hope　that



the　change　might　relieve　me。〃







〃Has　it　done　so？〃







〃Yesthus　far。〃







〃Doesn't　that　suggest；　my　friend；　that　a　greater　change　might　be



of　use　to　you？〃







〃Don't　ask　me　about　it；　Loring！　I　can　go　through　my　ordealbut　I



hate　speaking　of　it。〃







〃Let　us　speak　of　something　else　then；〃　said　Lord　Loring。　〃What　do



you　think　of　Miss　Eyrecourt？〃







〃A　very　striking　face；　full　of　expression　and　character。　Leonardo



would　have　painted　a　noble　portrait　of　her。　But　there　is



something　in　her　manner〃　He　stopped；　unwilling　or　unable　to



finish　the　sentence。







〃Something　you　don't　like？〃　Lord　Loring　suggested。







〃No；　something　I　don't　quite　understand。　One　doesn't　expect　to



find　any　embarrassment　in　the　manner　of　a　well…bred　woman。　And



yet　she　seemed　to　be　embarrassed　when　she　spoke　to　me。　Perhaps　I



produced　an　unfortunate　impression　on　her。〃







Lord　Loring　laughed。　〃In　any　man　but　you；　Romayne；　I　should　call



that　affectation。〃







〃Why？〃　Romayne　asked；　sharply。







Lord　Loring　looked　unfeignedly　surprised。　〃My　dear　fellow；　do　you



really　think　you　are　the　sort　of　man　who　impresses　a　woman