the black robe-第20章

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



to　go　on。　'There　are　reasons　for　not　pursuing　that　subject；'　she



said；　'reasons　into　which；　I　am　sure；　you　will　not　expect　me　to



enter。'　She　spoke　with　a　flattering　confidence　in　my　prudence；



which　I　felt　gratefully。　Such　a　contrast　to　her　tone　when　the



omelet　presented　itself　in　the　order　of　the　dishes！　As　I　said



just　now　I　am　not　a　married　woman。　But　if　I　proposed　to　my



husband　to　give　him　an　oyster…omelet　after　his　puddings　and　his



pies；　I　should　not　be　surprised　if　he　said　to　me；　'My　dear；　have



you　taken　leave　of　your　senses？'　I　reminded　Lady　Loring　（most



respectfully）　that　a　_cheese_…omelette　might　be　in　its　proper



place　if　it　followed　the　sweets。　'An　_oyster_…omelet；'　I



suggested；　'surely　comes　after　the　birds？'　I　should　be　sorry　to



say　that　her　ladyship　lost　her　temperI　will　only　mention　that　I



kept　mine。　Let　me　repeat　what　she　said；　and　leave　you；　Father；　to



draw　your　own　conclusions。　She　said；　'Which　of　us　is　mistress　in



this　house；　Miss　Notman？　I　order　the　oyster…omelet　to　come　in



with　the　cheese。'　There　was　not　only　irritability；　there　was



contemptoh；　yes！　contempt　in　her　tone。　Out　of　respect　for



myself；　I　made　no　reply。　As　a　Christian；　I　can　forgive；　as　a



wounded　gentlewoman；　I　may　not　find　it　so　easy　to　forget。〃







Miss　Notman　laid　herself　back　in　her　easy　chairshe　looked　as　if



she　had　suffered　martyrdom；　and　only　regretted　having　been



obliged　to　mention　it。　Father　Benwell　surprised　the　wounded



gentlewoman　by　rising　to　his　feet。







〃You　are　not　going　away　already；　Father？〃







〃Time　flies　fast　in　your　society；　dear　Miss　Notman。　I　have　an



engagementand　I　am　late　for　it　already。〃







The　housekeeper　smiled　sadly。　〃At　least　let　me　hear　that　you



don't　disapprove　of　my　conduct　under　trying　circumstances；〃　she



said。







Father　Benwell　took　her　hand。　〃A　true　Christian　only　feels



offenses　to　pardon　them；〃　he　remarked；　in　his　priestly　and



paternal　character。　〃You　have　shown　me；　Miss　Notman；　that　_you_



are　a　true　Christian。　My　evening　has　indeed　been　well　spent。　God



bless　you！〃







He　pressed　her　hand；　he　shed　on　her　the　light　of　his　fatherly



smile；　he　sighed；　and　took　his　leave。　Miss　Notman's　eyes　followed



him　out　with　devotional　admiration。







Father　Benwell　still　preserved　his　serenity　of　temper　when　he　was



out　of　the　housekeeper's　sight。　One　important　discovery　he　had



made；　in　spite　of　the　difficulties　placed　in　his　way。　A



compromising　circumstance　had　unquestionably　occurred　in　Stella's



past　life；　and；　in　all　probability；　a　man　was　in　some　way



connected　with　it。　〃My　evening　has　not　been　entirely　thrown



away；〃　he　thought；　as　he　ascended　the　stairs　which　led　from　the



housekeeper's　room　to　the　hall。







CHAPTER　VII。







THE　INFLUENCE　OF　STELLA。







ENTERING　the　hall；　Father　Benwell　heard　a　knock　at　the　house



door。　The　servants　appeared　to　recognize　the　knockthe　porter



admitted　Lord　Loring。







Father　Benwell　advanced　and　made　his　bow。　It　was　a　perfect



obeisance　of　its　kindrespect　for　Lord　Loring；　unobtrusively



accompanied　by　respect　for　himself。　〃Has　your　lordship　been



walking　in　the　park？〃　he　inquired。







〃I　have　been　out　on　business；〃　Lord　Loring　answered；　〃and　I



should　like　to　tell　you　about　it。　If　you　can　spare　me　a　few



minutes；　come　into　the　library。　Some　time　since；〃　he　resumed；



when　the　door　was　closed；　〃I　think　I　mentioned　that　my　friends



had　been　speaking　to　me　on　a　subject　of　some　importancethe



subject　of　opening　my　picture　gallery　occasionally　to　the



public。〃







〃I　remember；〃　said　Father　Benwell。　〃Has　your　lordship　decided



what　to　do？〃







〃Yes。　I　have　decided　（as　the　phrase　is）　to　'go　with　the　times；'



and　follow　the　example　of　other　owners　of　picture　g　alleries。



Don't　suppose　I　ever　doubted　that　it　is　my　duty　to　extend；　to　the



best　of　my　ability；　the　civilizing　influences　of　Art。　My　only



hesitation　in　the　matter　arose　from　a　dread　of　some　accident



happening；　or　some　injury　being　done；　to　the　pictures。　Even　now；



I　can　only　persuade　myself　to　try　the　experiment　under　certain



restrictions。〃







〃A　wise　decision；　undoubtedly；〃　said　Father　Benwell。　〃In　such　a



city　as　this；　you　could　hardly　open　your　gallery　to　anybody　who



happens　to　pass　the　house…door。〃







〃I　am　glad　you　agree　with　me；　Father。　The　gallery　will　be　open



for　the　first　time　on　Monday。　Any　respectably…dressed　person；



presenting　a　visiting　card　at　the　offices　of　the　librarians　in



Bond　Street　and　Regent　Street；　will　receive　a　free　ticket　of



admission；　the　number　of　tickets；　it　is　needless　to　say；　being



limited；　and　the　gallery　being　only　open　to　the　public　two　days



in　the　week。　You　will　be　here；　I　suppose；　on　Monday？〃







〃Certainly。　My　work　in　the　library；　as　your　lordship　can　see；　has



only　begun。〃







〃I　am　very　anxious　about　the　success　of　this　experiment；〃　said



Lord　Loring。　〃Do　look　in　at　the　gallery　once　or　twice　in　the



course　of　the　day；　and　tell　me　what　your　own　impression　is。〃







Having　expressed　his　readiness　to　assist　〃the　experiment〃　in



every　possible　way；　Father　Benwell　still　lingered　in　the　library。



He　was　secretly　conscious　of　a　hope　that　he　might；　at　the



eleventh　hour；　be　invited　to　join　Romayne　at　the　dinner…table。



Lord　Loring　only　looked　at　the　clock　on　the　mantel…piece：　it　was



nearly　time　to　dress　for　dinner。　The　priest　had　no　alternative



but　to　take　the　hint；　and　leave　the　house。







Five　minutes　after　he　had　withdrawn；　a　messenger　delivered　a



letter　for　Lord　Loring；　in　which　Father　Benwell's　interests　were



directly　involved。　The　letter　was　from　Romayne；　it　contained　his



excuses　for　breaking　his　engagement；　literally　at　an　hour's



notice。







〃Only　yesterday；〃　he　wrote；　〃I　had　a　return　of　what　you；　my　dear



friend；　call　'the　delusion　of　the　voice。'　The　nearer　the　hour　of



your　dinner　approaches；　the　more　keenly　I　fear　that　the　same



thing　may　happen　in　your　house。　Pity　me；　and　forgive　me。〃







Even　good…natured　Lord　Loring　felt　some　difficulty　in　pitying　and



forgiving；　when　he　read　these　lines。　〃This　sort　of　caprice　might



be　excusable　in　a　woman；〃　he　thought。　〃A　man　ought　really　to　be



capable　of　exercising　some　self…control。　Poor　Stella！　And　what



will　my　wife　say？〃







He　walked　up　and　down　the　library；　with　Stella's　disappointment



and　Lady　Loring's　indignation　prophetically　present　in　his　mind。



There　was；　however；　no　help　for　ithe　must　accept　his



responsibility；　and　be　the　bearer　of　the　bad　news。







He　was　on　the　point　of　leaving　the　library；　when　a　visitor



appeared。　The　visitor　was　no　less　a　person　than　Romayne　himself。



〃Have　I　arrived　before　my　letter？〃　he　asked　eagerly。







Lord　Loring　showed　him　the　letter。







〃Throw　it　into　the　fire；〃　he　said；　〃and　let　me　try　to　excuse



myself　for　having　written　it。　You　remember　the　happier　days　when



you　used　to　call　me　the　creature　of　impulse？　An　impulse　produced



that　letter。　Another　impulse　brings　me　here　to　disown　it。　I　can



only　explain　my　strange　conduct　by　asking　you　to　help　me　at　the



outset。　Will　you　carry　your　memory　back　to　the　day　of　the　medical



consultation　on　my　case？　I　want　you　to　correct　me；　if　I



inadvertently　misrepresent　my　advisers。　Two　of　them　were



physicians。　The　third；　and　last；　was　a　surgeon；　a　personal　friend



of　yours；　and　_he_；　as　well　as　I　recollect；　told　you　how　the



consultation　ended？〃







〃Quite　right；　Romayneso