the black robe-第19章

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person　like　myself。〃







〃A　large　dinner　party；　Miss　Notman？〃







〃Oh；　dear；　no！　Quite　the　reverse。　Only　one　gentlemanMr。



Romayne。〃







Father　Benwell　set　down　his　cup　of　coffee；　half　way　to　his　lips。



He　at　once　drew　the　correct　conclusion　that　the　invitation　to



Romayne　must　have　been　given　and　accepted　after　he　had　left　the



picture　gallery。　That　the　object　was　to　bring　Romayne　and　Stella



together；　under　circumstances　which　would　rapidly　improve　their



acquaintance；　was　as　plain　to　him　as　if　he　had　heard　it　confessed



in　so　many　words。　If　he　had　only　remained　in　the　gallery；　he



might　have　become　acquainted　with　the　form　of　persuasion　used　to



induce　a　man　so　unsocial　as　Romayne　to　accept　an　invitation。　〃I



have　myself　to　blame；〃　he　thought　bitterly；　〃for　being　left　in



the　dark。〃







〃Anything　wrong　with　the　coffee？〃　Miss　Notman　asked　anxiously。







He　rushed　on　his　fate。　He　said；　〃Nothing　whatever。　Pray　go　on。〃







Miss　Notman　went　on。







〃You　see；　Father；　Lady　Loring　was　unusually　particular　about　the



dinner　on　this　occasion。　She　said；　'Lord　Loring　reminds　me　that



Mr。　Romayne　is　a　very　little　eater；　and　yet　very　difficult　to



please　in　what　he　does　eat。'　Of　course　I　consulted　my　experience；



and　suggested　exactly　the　sort　of　dinner　that　was　wanted　under



the　circumstances。　I　wish　to　do　her　ladyship　the　utmost　justice。



She　made　no　objection　to　the　dinner　in　itself。　On　the　contrary；



she　complimented　me　on　what　she　was　pleased　to　call　my　ready



invention。　But　when　we　came　next　to　the　order　in　which　the　dishes



were　to　be　served〃　Miss　Notman　paused　in　the　middle　of　the



sentence；　and　shuddered　over　the　private　and　poignant



recollections　which　the　order　of　the　dishes　called　up。







By　this　time　Father　Benwell　had　discovered　his　mistake。　He　took　a



mean　advantage　of　Miss　Notman's　susceptibilities　to　slip　his　own



private　inquiries　into　the　interval　of　silence。







〃Pardon　my　ignorance；〃　he　said；　〃my　own　poor　dinner　is　a　matter



of　ten　minutes　and　one　dish。　I　don't　understand　a　difference　of



opinion　on　a　dinner　for　three　people　only；　Lord　and　Lady　Loring；



two；　Mr。　Romayne；　threeoh！　perhaps　I　am　mistaken？　Perhaps　Miss



Eyrecourt　makes　a　fourth？〃







〃Certainly；　Father！〃







〃A　very　charming　person；　Miss　Notman。　I　only　speak　as　a　stranger。



You；　no　doubt；　are　much　better　acquainted　with　Miss　Eyrecourt？〃







〃Much　better；　indeedif　I　may　presume　to　say　so；〃　Miss　Notman



replied。　〃She　is　my　lady's　intimate　friend；　we　have　often　talked



of　Miss　Eyrecourt　during　the　many　years　of　my　residence　in　this



house。　On　such　subjects；　her　ladyship　treats　me　quite　on　the



footing　of　a　humble　friend。　　A　complete　co　ntrast　to　the　tone　she



took；　Father；　when　we　came　to　the　order　of　the　dishes。　We　agreed；



of　course；　about　the　soup　and　the　fish；　but　we　had　a　little；　a



very　little；　divergence　of　opinion；　as　I　may　call　it；　on　the



subject　of　the　dishes　to　follow。　Her　ladyship　said；　'First　the



sweetbreads；　and　then　the　cutlets。'　I　ventured　to　suggest　that



the　sweetbreads；　as　white　meat；　had　better　not　immediately　follow



the　turbot；　as　white　fish。　'The　brown　meat；　my　lady；'　I　said；　'as



an　agreeable　variety　presented　to　the　eye；　and　then　the　white



meat；　recalling　pleasant　remembrances　of　the　white　fish。'　You　see



the　point；　Father？〃







〃I　see；　Miss　Notman；　that　you　are　a　consummate　mistress　of　an　art



which　is　quite　beyond　poor　me。　Was　Miss　Eyrecourt　present　at　the



little　discussion？〃







〃Oh；　no！　Indeed；　I　should　have　objected　to　her　presence；　I　should



have　said　she　was　a　young　lady　out　of　her　proper　place。〃







〃Yes；　I　understand。　Is　Miss　Eyrecourt　an　only　child？〃







〃She　had　two　sisters；　Father　Benwell。　One　of　them　is　in　a



convent。〃







〃Ah；　indeed？〃







〃And　the　other　is　dead。〃







〃Sad　for　the　father　and　mother；　Miss　Notman！〃







〃Pardon　me；　sad　for　the　mother；　no　doubt。　The　father　died　long



since。〃







〃Aye？　aye？　A　sweet　woman；　the　mother？　At　least；　I　think　I　have



heard　so。〃







Miss　Notman　shook　her　head。　〃I　should　wish　to　guard　myself



against　speaking　unjustly　of　any　one；〃　she　said；　〃but　when　you



talk　of　'a　sweet　woman；'　you　imply　（as　it　seems　to　me）　the



domestic　virtues。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　is　essentially　a　frivolous



person。〃







A　frivolous　person　is；　in　the　vast　majority　of　cases；　a　person



easily　persuaded　to　talk；　and　not　disposed　to　be　reticent　in



keeping　secrets。　Father　Benwell　began　to　see　his　way　already　to



the　necessary　information。　〃Is　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　living　in　London？〃



he　inquired。







〃Oh；　dear；　no！　At　this　time　of　year　she　lives　entirely　in　other



people's　housesgoes　from　one　country　seat　to　another；　and　only



thinks　of　amusing　herself。　No　domestic　qualities；　Father。　_She_



would　know　nothing　of　the　order　of　the　dishes！　Lady　Loring；　I



should　have　told　you；　gave　way　in　the　matter　of　the　sweetbread。



It　was　only　at　quite　the　latter　part　of　my　'Menoo'　（as　the　French



call　it）　that　she　showed　a　spirit　of　oppositionwell！　well！　I



won't　dwell　on　that。　I　will　only　ask　_you；_　Father；　at　what　part



of　a　dinner　an　oyster…omelet　ought　to　be　served？〃







Father　Benwell　seized　his　opportunity　of　discovering　Mrs。



Eyrecourt's　present　address。　〃My　dear　lady；〃　he　said；　〃I　know　no



more　when　the　omelet　ought　to　be　served　than　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



herself！　It　must　be　very　pleasant；　to　a　lady　of　her　way　of



thinking；　to　enjoy　the　beauties　of　Nature　inexpensivelyas　seen



in　other　people's　houses；　from　the　point　of　view　of　a　welcome



guest。　I　wonder　whether　she　is　staying　at　any　country　seat　which



I　happen　to　have　seen？〃







〃She　may　be　in　England；　Scotland；　or　Ireland；　for　all　I　know；〃



Miss　Notman　answered；　with　an　unaffected　ignorance　which　placed



her　good　faith　beyond　doubt。　〃Consult　your　own　taste；　Father。



After　eating　jelly；　cream；　and　ice…pudding；　could　you　even　_look_



at　an　oyster…omelet　without　shuddering？　Would　you　believe　it？　Her



ladyship　proposed　to　serve　the　omelet　with　the　cheese。　Oysters；



after　sweets！　I　am　not　（as　yet）　a　married　woman〃







Father　Benwell　made　a　last　desperate　effort　to　pave　the　way　for



one　more　question　before　he　submitted　to　defeat。　〃That　must　be



_your_　fault；　my　dear　lady！〃　he　interposed；　with　his　persuasive



smile。







Miss　Notman　simpered。　〃You　confuse　me；　Father！〃　she　said　softly。







〃I　speak　from　inward　conviction；　Miss　Notman。　To　a　looker…on；



like　myself；　it　is　sad　to　see　how　many　sweet　women　who　might　be



angels　in　the　households　of　worthy　men　prefer　to　lead　a　single



life。　The　Church；　I　know；　exalts　the　single　life　to　the　highest



place。　But　even　the　Church　allows　exceptions　to　its　rule。　Under



this　roof；　for　example；　I　think　I　see　two　exceptions。　One　of　them



my　unfeigned　respect〃　（he　bowed　to　Miss　Notman）　〃forbids　me　to



indicate　more　particularly。　The　other　seems；　to　my　humble　view；



to　be　the　young　lady　of　whom　we　have　been　speaking。　Is　it　not



strange　that　Miss　Eyrecourt　has　never　been　married？〃







The　trap　had　been　elaborately　set；　Father　Benwell　had　every



reason　to　anticipate　that　Miss　Notman　would　walk　into　it。　The



disconcerting　housekeeper　walked　up　to　itand　then　proved　unable



to　advance　a　step　further。







〃I　once　made　the　same　remark　myself　to　Lady　Loring；〃　she　said。







Father　Benwell's　pulse　began　to　quicken　its　beat。　〃Yes？〃　he



murmured；　in　tones　of　the　gentlest　encouragement。







〃And　her　ladyship；〃　Miss　Notman　proceeded；　〃did　not　encourage　me



to　g