the black robe-第17章

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



unfavorably　at　first　sight？　For　once　in　your　life；　indulge　in　the



amiable　weakness　of　doing　yourself　justiceand　find　a　better



reason　for　Miss　Eyrecourt's　embarrassment。〃







For　the　first　time　since　he　and　his　friend　had　been　talking



together；　Romayne　turned　toward　Stella。　He　innocently　caught　her



in　the　act　of　looking　at　him。　A　younger　woman；　or　a　woman　of



weaker　character；　would　　have　looked



　away　again。　Stella's　noble　head　drooped；　her　eyes　sank　slowly；



until　they　rested　on　her　long　white　hands　crossed　upon　her　lap。



For　a　moment　more　Romayne　looked　at　her　with　steady　attention。







He　roused　himself；　and　spoke　to　Lord　Loring　in　lowered　tones。







〃Have　you　known　Miss　Eyrecourt　for　a　long　time？〃







〃She　is　my　wife's　oldest　and　dearest　friend。　I　think；　Romayne；



you　would　feel　interested　in　Stella；　if　you　saw　more　of　her。〃







Romayne　bowed　in　silent　submission　to　Lord　Loring's　prophetic



remark。　〃Let　us　look　at　the　pictures；〃　he　said；　quietly。







As　he　moved　down　the　gallery；　the　two　priests　met　him。　Father



Benwell　saw　his　opportunity　of　helping　Penrose　to　produce　a



favorable　impression。







〃Forgive　the　curiosity　of　an　old　student；　Mr。　Romayne；〃　he　said



in　his　pleasant；　cheerful　way。　〃Lord　Loring　tells　me　you　have



sent　to　the　country　for　your　books。　Do　you　find　a　London　hotel



favorable　to　study？〃







〃It　is　a　very　quiet　hotel；〃　Romayne　answered；　〃and　the　people



know　my　ways。〃　He　turned　to　Arthur。　〃I　have　my　own　set　of　rooms；



Mr。　Penrose；〃　he　continued〃with　a　room　at　your　disposal。　I　used



to　enjoy　the　solitude　of　my　house　in　the　country。　My　tastes　have



lately　changedthere　are　times　now　when　I　want　to　see　the　life



in　the　streets；　as　a　relief。　Though　we　are　in　a　hotel；　I　can



promise　that　you　will　not　be　troubled　by　interruptions；　when　you



kindly　lend　me　the　use　of　your　pen。〃







Father　Benwell　answered　before　Penrose　could　speak。　〃You　may



perhaps　find　my　young　friend's　memory　of　some　use　to　you；　Mr。



Romayne；　as　well　as　his　pen。　Penrose　has　studied　in　the　Vatican



Library。　If　your　reading　leads　you　that　way；　he　knows　more　than



most　men　of　the　rare　old　manuscripts　which　treat　of　the　early



history　of　Christianity。〃







This　delicately　managed　reference　to　the　projected　work　on　〃The



Origin　of　Religions〃　produced　its　effect。







〃I　should　like　very　much；　Mr。　Penrose；　to　speak　to　you　about



those　manuscripts；〃　Romayne　said。　〃Copies　of　some　of　them　may



perhaps　be　in　the　British　Museum。　Is　it　asking　too　much　to



inquire　if　you　are　disengaged　this　morning？〃







〃I　am　entirely　at　your　service；　Mr。　Romayne。〃







〃If　you　will　kindly　call　at　my　hotel　in　an　hour's　time；　I　shall



have　looked　over　my　notes；　and　shall　be　ready　for　you　with　a　list



of　titles　and　dates。　There　is　the　address。〃







With　those　words；　he　advanced　to　take　his　leave　of　Lady　Loring



and　Stella。







Father　Benwell　was　a　man　possessed　of　extraordinary　power　of



foresightbut　he　was　not　infallible。　Seeing　that　Romayne　was　on



the　point　of　leaving　the　house；　and　feeling　that　he　had　paved　the



way　successfully　for　Romayne's　amanuensis；　he　too　readily　assumed



that　there　was　nothing　further　to　be　gained　by　remaining　in　the



gallery。　Moreover；　the　interval　before　Penrose　called　at　the



hotel　might　be　usefully　filled　up　by　some　wise　words　of　advice；



relating　to　the　religious　uses　to　which　he　might　turn　his



intercourse　with　his　employer。　Making　one　of　his　ready　and



plausible　excuses；　he　accordingly　returned　with　Penrose　to　the



libraryand　so　committed　（as　he　himself　discovered　at　a　later



time）　one　of　the　few　mistakes　in　the　long　record　of　his　life。







In　the　meanwhile；　Romayne　was　not　permitted　to　bring　his　visit　to



a　conclusion　without　hospitable　remonstrance　on　the　part　of　Lady



Loring。　She　felt　for　Stella；　with　a　woman's　enthusiastic　devotion



to　the　interests　of　true　love；　and　she　had　firmly　resolved　that　a



matter　so　trifling　as　the　cultivation　of　Romayne's　mind　should



not　be　allowed　to　stand　in　the　way　of　the　far　more　important



enterprise　of　opening　his　heart　to　the　influence　of　the　sex。







〃Stay　and　lunch　with　us；〃　she　said；　when　he　held　out　his　hand　to



bid　her　good…by。







〃Thank　you；　Lady　Loring；　I　never　take　lunch。〃







〃Well；　then；　come　and　dine　with　usno　party；　only　ourselves。



Tomorrow；　and　next　day；　we　are　disengaged。　Which　day　shall　it



be？〃







Romayne　still　resisted。　〃You　are　very　kind。　In　my　state　of



health；　I　am　unwilling　to　make　engagements　which　I　may　not　be



able　to　keep。〃







Lady　Loring　was　just　as　resolute　on　her　side。　She　appealed　to



Stella。　〃Mr。　Romayne　persists；　my　dear；　in　putting　me　off　with



excuses。　Try　if　you　can　persuade　him。〃







〃_I_　am　not　likely　to　have　any　influence；　Adelaide。〃







The　tone　in　which　she　replied　struck　Romayne。　He　looked　at　her。



Her　eyes；　gravely　meeting　his　eyes；　held　him　with　a　strange



fascination。　She　was　not　herself　conscious　how　openly　all　that



was　noble　and　true　in　her　nature；　all　that　was　most　deeply　and



sensitively　felt　in　her　aspirations；　spoke　at　that　moment　in　her



look。　Romayne's　face　changed：　he　turned　pale　under　the　new



emotion　that　she　had　roused　in　him。　Lady　Loring　observed　him



attentively。







〃Perhaps　you　underrate　your　influence；　Stella？〃　she　suggested。







Stella　remained　impenetrable　to　persuasion。　〃I　have　only　been



introduced　to　Mr。　Romayne　half　an　hour　since；〃　she　said。　〃I　am



not　vain　enough　to　suppose　that　I　can　produce　a　favorable



impression　on　any　one　in　so　short　a　time。〃







She　had　expressed；　in　other　words；　Romayne's　own　idea　of　himself；



in　speaking　of　her　to　Lord　Loring。　He　was　struck　by　the



coincidence。







〃Perhaps　we　have　begun；　Miss　Eyrecourt；　by　misinterpreting　one



another；〃　he　said。　〃We　may　arrive　at　a　better　understanding　when



I　have　the　honor　of　meeting　you　again。〃







He　hesitated　and　looked　at　Lady　Loring。　She　was　not　the　woman　to



let　a　fair　opportunity　escape　her。　〃We　will　say　to…morrow



evening；〃　she　resumed；　〃at　seven　o'clock。〃







〃To…morrow；〃　said　Romayne。　He　shook　hands　with　Stella；　and　left



the　picture　gallery。







Thus　far；　the　conspiracy　to　marry　him　promised　even　more



hopefully　than　the　conspiracy　to　convert　him。　And　Father　Benwell；



carefully　instructing　Penrose　in　the　next　room；　was　not　aware　of



it！







But　the　hours；　in　their　progress；　mark　the　march　of　events　as



surely　as　they　mark　the　march　of　time。　The　day　passed；　the



evening　cameand；　with　its　coming；　the　prospects　of　the



conversion　brightened　in　their　turn。







Let　Father　Benwell　himself　relate　how　it　happenedin　an　extract



from　his　report　to　Rome；　written　the　same　evening。







〃。　。　。　I　had　arranged　with　Penrose　that　he　should　call　at　my



lodgings；　and　tell　me　how　he　had　prospered　at　the　first



performance　of　his　duties　as　secretary　to　Romayne。







〃The　moment　he　entered　the　room　the　signs　of　disturbance　in　his



face　told　me　that　something　serious　had　happened。　I　asked



directly　if　there　had　been　any　disagreement　between　Romayne　and



himself。







〃He　repeated　the　word　with　every　appearance　of　surprise。



'Disagreement？'　he　said。　'No　words　can　tell　how　sincerely　I　feel



for　Mr。　Romayne。　I　cannot　express　to　you；　Father；　how　eager　I　am



to　be　of　service　to　him！'







〃Relieved；　so　far；　I　naturally　asked　what　had　happened。　Penrose



betrayed　a　marked　embarrassment　in　answering　my