the black robe-第21章

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consultation　ended？〃







〃Quite　right；　Romayneso　far。〃







〃The　first　of　the　two　physicians；〃　Romayne　proceeded；　〃declared



my　case　to　be　entirely　attributable　to　nervous　derangement；　and



to　be　curable　by　purely　medical　means。　I　speak　ignorantly；　but；



in　plain　English；　that；　I　believe；　was　the　substance　of　what　he



said？〃







〃The　substance　of　what　he　said；〃　Lord　Loring　replied；　〃and　the



substance　of　his　prescriptionswhich；　I　think；　you　afterward



tore　up？〃







〃If　you　have　no　faith　in　a　prescription；〃　said　Romayne；　〃that　is；



in　my　opinion；　the　best　use　to　which　you　can　put　it。　When　it　came



to　the　turn　of　the　second　physician；　he　differed　with　the　first；



as　absolutely　as　one　man　can　differ　with　another。　The　third



medical　authority；　your　friend　the　surgeon；　took　a　middle　course；



and　brought　the　consultation　to　an　end　by　combining　the　first



physician's　view　and　the　second　physician's　view；　and　mingling



the　two　opposite　forms　of　treatment　in　one　harmonious　result？〃







Lord　Loring　remarked　that　this　was　not　a　very　respectful　way　of



describing　the　conclusion　of　the　medical　proceedings。　That　it　was



the　conclusion；　however；　he　could　not　honestly　deny。







〃As　long　as　I　am　right；〃　said　Romayne；　〃nothing　else　appears　to



be　of　much　importance。　As　I　told　you　at　the　time；　the　second



physician　appeared　to　me　to　be　the　only　one　of　the　three



authorities　who　really　understood　my　case。　Do　you　mind　giving　me；



in　few　words；　your　own　impression　of　what　he　said？〃







〃Are　you　sure　that　I　shall　not　distress　you？〃







〃On　the　contrary；　you　may　help　me　to　hope。〃







〃As　I　remember　it；〃　said　Lord　Loring；　〃the　doctor　did　not　deny



the　influence　of　the　body　over　the　mind。　He　was　quite　willing　to



admit　that　the　state　of　your　nervous　system　might　be　one；　among



other　predisposing　causes；　which　led　youI　really　hardly　like　to



go　on。〃







〃Which　led　me；〃　Romayne　continued；　finishing　the　sentence　for　his



friend；　〃to　feel　that　I　never　shall　forgive　myselfaccident　or



no　accidentfor　having　taken　that　man's　life。　Now　go　on。〃







〃The　delusion　that　you　still　hear　the　voice；〃　Lord　Loring



proceeded；　〃is；　in　the　doctor's　opinion；　the　moral　result　of　the



morbid　state　of　your　mind　at　the　time　when　you　really　heard　the



voice　on　the　scene　of　the　duel。　The　influence　acts　physically；　of



course；　by　means　of　certain　nerves。　But　it　is　essentially　a　moral



influence；　and　its　power　over　you　is　greatly　maintained　by　the



self…accusing　view　of　the　circumstances　which　you　persist　in



taking。　That；　in　substance；　is　my　recollection　of　what　the　doctor



said。〃







〃And　when　he　was　asked　what　remedies　he　proposed　to　try；〃　Romayne



inquired；　〃do　you　remember　his　answer？　'The　mischief　which　moral



influences　have　caused；　moral　influences　alone　can　remedy。'　〃







〃I　remember；〃　said　Lord　Loring。　〃And　he　mentioned；　as　examples　of



what　he　meant；　the　occurrence　of　some　new　and　absorbing　interest



in　your　life；　or　the　working　of　some　complete　change　in　your



habits　of　thoughtor　perhaps　some　influence　exercised　over　you



by　a　person　previously　unknown；　appearing　under　unforeseen



circumstances；　or　in　scenes　quite　new　to　you。〃







Romayne's　eyes　sparkled。







〃Now　you　are　coming　to　it！〃　he　cried。　〃Now　I　feel　sure　that　I



recall　correctly　the　last　words　the　doctor　said：　'If　my　view　is



the　right　one；　I　should　not　be　surprised　to　hear　that　the



recovery　which　we　all　wish　to　see　had　found　its　beginning　in　such



apparently　trifling　circumstances　as　the　tone　of　some　other



person's　voice　or　the　influence　of　some　other　person's　look。'



That　plain　expression　of　his　opinion　only　occurred　to　my　memory



after　I　had　written　my　foolish　letter　of　excuse。　I　spare　you　the



course　of　other　recollections　that　followed；　to　come　at　once　to



the　result。　For　the　first　time　I　have　the　hope；　the　faint　hope；



that　the　voice　which　haunts　me　has　been　once　already　controlled



by　one　of　the　influences　of　which　the　doctor　spokethe　influence



of　a　look。〃







If　he　had　said　this　to　Lady　Loring；　instead　of　to　her　husband；



she　would　have　understood　him　at　once。　Lord　Loring　asked　for　a



word　more　of　explanation。







〃I　told　you　yesterday；〃　Romayne　answered；　〃that　a　dread　of　the



return　of　the　voice　had　been　present　to　me　all　the　morning；　and



that　I　had　come　to　see　the　picture　with　an　idea　of　trying　if



change　would　relieve　me。　While　I　was　in　the　gallery　I　was　free



from　the　dread；　and　free　from　the　voice。　When　I　returned　to　the



hotel　it　tortured　meand　Mr。　Penrose；　I　grieve　to　say；　saw　what



I　suffered。　You　and　I　attributed　the　remission　to　the　change　of



scene。　I　now　believe　we　were　both　wrong。　Where　was　the　change？　In



seeing　you　and　Lady　Loring；　I　saw　the　two　oldest　friends　I　have。



In　visiting　your　gallery；　I　only　revived　the　familiar



associations　of　hundreds　of　other　visits。　To　what　in　fluence　was



I　really　indebted　for　my　respite？　Don't　try　to　dismiss　the



question　by　laughing　at　my　morbid　fancies。　Morbid　fancies　are



realities　to　a　man　like　me。　Remember　the　doctor's　words；　Loring。



Think　of　a　new　face；　seen　in　your　house！　Think　of　a　look　that



searched　my　heart　for　the　first　time！〃







Lord　Loring　glanced　once　more　at　the　clock　on　the　mantel…piece。



The　hands　pointed　to　the　dinner　hour。







〃Miss　Eyrecourt？〃　he　whispered。







〃Yes；　Miss　Eyrecourt。〃







The　library　door　was　thrown　open　by　a　servant。　Stella　herself



entered　the　room。







CHAPTER　VIII。







THE　PRIEST　OR　THE　WOMAN？







LORD　LORING　hurried　away　to　his　dressing　room。　〃I　won't　be　more



than　ten　minutes；〃　he　saidand　left　Romayne　and　Stella　together。







She　was　attired　with　her　customary　love　of　simplicity。　White　lace



was　the　only　ornament　on　her　dress　of　delicate　silvery　gray。　Her



magnificent　hair　was　left　to　plead　its　own　merits；　without



adornment　of　any　sort。　Even　the　brooch　which　fastened　her　lace



pelerine　was　of　plain　gold　only。　Conscious　that　she　was　showing



her　beauty　to　the　greatest　advantage　in　the　eyes　of　a　man　of



taste；　she　betrayed　a　little　of　the　embarrassment　which　Romayne



had　already　noticed　at　the　moment　when　she　gave　him　her　hand。



They　were　alone；　and　it　was　the　first　time　she　had　seen　him　in



evening　dress。







It　may　be　that　women　have　no　positive　appreciation　of　what　is



beautiful　in　form　and　coloror　it　may　be　that　they　have　no



opinions　of　their　own　when　the　laws　of　fashion　have　spoken。　This



at　least　is　certain；　that　not　one　of　them　in　a　thousand　sees



anything　objectionable　in　the　gloomy　and　hideous　evening　costume



of　a　gentleman　in　the　nineteenth　century。　A　handsome　man　is；　to



their　eyes；　more　seductive　than　ever　in　the　contemptible　black



coat　and　the　stiff　white　cravat　which　he　wears　in　common　with　the



servant　who　waits　on　him　at　table。　After　a　stolen　glance　at



Romayne；　Stella　lost　all　confidence　in　herselfshe　began　turning



over　the　photographs　on　the　table。







The　momentary　silence　which　followed　their　first　greeting　became



intolerable　to　her。　Rather　than　let　it　continue；　she　impulsively



confessed　the　uppermost　idea　in　her　mind　when　she　entered　the



room。







〃I　thought　I　heard　my　name　when　I　came　in；〃　she　said。　〃Were　you



and　Lord　Loring　speaking　of　me？〃







Romayne　owned　without　hesitation　that　they　had　been　speaking　of



her。







She　smiled　and　turned　over　another　photograph。　But　when　did



sun…pictures　ever　act　as　a　restraint　on　a　woman's　curiosity？　The



words　passed　her　lips　in　spite　of　her。