the black robe-第22章

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



words　passed　her　lips　in　spite　of　her。　〃I　suppose　I　mustn't　ask



what　you　were　saying？〃







It　was　impossible　to　answer　this　plainly　without　entering　into



explanations　from　which　Romayne　shrank。　He　hesitated。







She　turned　over　another　photograph。　〃I　understand；〃　she　said。



〃You　were　talking　of　my　faults。〃　She　paused；　and　stole　another



look　at　him。　〃I　will　try　to　correct　my　faults；　if　you　will　tell



me　what　they　are。〃







Romayne　felt　that　he　had　no　alternative　but　to　tell　the



truthunder　certain　reserves。　〃Indeed　you　are　wrong；〃　he　said。



〃We　were　talking　of　the　influence　of　a　tone　or　a　look　on　a



sensitive　person。〃







〃The　influence　on　Me？〃　she　asked。







〃No。　The　influence　which　You　might　exercise　on　another　person。〃







She　knew　perfectly　well　that　he　was　speaking　of　himself。　But　she



was　determined　to　feel　the　pleasure　of　making　him　own　it。







〃If　I　have　any　such　influence　as　you　describe；〃　she　began；　〃I



hope　it　is　for　good？〃







〃Certainly　for　good。〃







〃You　speak　positively；　Mr。　Romayne。　Almost　as　positivelyonly



that　can　hardly　beas　if　you　were　speaking　from　experience。〃







He　might　still　have　evaded　a　direct　reply；　if　she　had　been



content　with　merely　saying　this。　But　she　looked　at　him　while　she



spoke。　He　answered　the　look。







〃Shall　I　own　that　you　are　right？〃　he　said。　〃I　was　thinking　of　my



own　experience　yesterday。〃







She　returned　to　the　photographs。　〃It　sounds　impossible；〃　she



rejoined；　softly。　There　was　a　pause。　〃Was　it　anything　I　said？〃



she　asked。







〃No。　It　was　only　when　you　looked　at　me。　But　for　that　look；　I



don't　think　I　should　have　been　here　to…day。〃







She　shut　up　the　photographs　on　a　sudden；　and　drew　her　chair　a



little　away　from　him。







〃I　hope；〃　she　said；　〃you　have　not　so　poor　an　opinion　of　me　as　to



think　I　like　to　be　flattered？〃







Romayne　answered　with　an　earnestness　that　instantly　satisfied



her。







〃I　should　think　it　an　act　of　insolence　to　flatter　you；〃　he　said。



〃If　you　knew　the　true　reason　why　I　hesitated　to　accept　Lady



Loring's　invitationif　I　could　own　to　you　the　new　hope　for



myself　that　has　brought　me　hereyou　would　feel；　as　I　feel；　that



I　have　been　only　speaking　the　truth。　I　daren't　say　yet　that　I　owe



you　a　debt　of　gratitude　for　such　a　little　thing　as　a　look。　I　must



wait　till　time　puts　certain　strange　fancies　of　mine　to　the



proof。〃







〃Fancies　about　me；　Mr。　Romayne？〃







Before　he　could　answer；　the　dinner　bell　rang。　Lord　and　Lady



Loring　entered　the　library　together。















The　dinner　having　pursued　its　appointed　course　（always　excepting



the　case　of　the　omelet）；　the　head　servant　who　had　waited　at　table



was　graciously　invited　to　rest；　after　his　labors；　in　the



housekeeper's　room。　Having　additionally　conciliated　him　by　means



of　a　glass　of　rare　liqueur；　Miss　Notman；　still　feeling　her



grievance　as　acutely　as　ever；　ventured　to　inquire；　in　the　first



place；　if　the　gentlefolks　upstairs　had　enjoyed　their　dinner。　So



far　the　report　was；　on　the　whole；　favorable。　But　the　conversation



was　described　as　occasionally　flagging。　The　burden　of　the　talk



had　been　mainly　borne　by　my　lord　and　my　lady；　Mr。　Romayne　and



Miss　Eyrecourt　contributing　but　little　to　the　social　enjoyment　of



the　evening。　Receiving　this　information　without　much　appearance



of　interest；　the　housekeeper　put　another　question；　to　which；



judging　by　her　manner；　she　attached　a　certain　importance。　She



wished　to　know　if　the　oyster…omelet　（accompanying　the　cheese）　had



been　received　as　a　welcome　dish；　and　treated　with　a　just



recognition　of　its　merits。　The　answer　to　this　was　decidedly　in



the　negative。　Mr。　Romayne　and　Miss　Eyrecourt　had　declined　to



taste　it。　My　lord　had　tried　it；　and　had　left　it　on　his　plate。　My



lady　alone　had　really　eaten　her　share　of　the　misplaced　dish。



Having　stated　this　apparently　trivial　circumstance；　the　head



servant　was　surprised　by　the　effect　which　it　produced　on　the



housekeeper。　She　leaned　back　in　her　chair　and　closed　her　eyes；



with　an　appearance　of　unutterable　enjoyment。　That　night　there　was



one　supremely　happy　woman　in　London。　And　her　name　was　Miss



Notman。







Ascending　from　the　housekeeper's　room　to　the　drawing…room；　it　is



to　be　further　reported　that　music　was　tried；　as　a　means　of



getting　through　the　time；　in　the　absence　of　general　conversation。



Lady　Loring　sat　down　at　the　piano；　and　played　as　admirably　as



usual。　At　the　other　end　of　the　room　Romayne　and　Stella　were



together；　listening　to　the　music。　Lord　Loring；　walking　backward



and　forward；　with　a　restlessness　which　was　far　from　being



characteristic　of　him　in　his　after…dinner　hours；　was　stopped　when



he　reached　the　neighborhood　of　the　piano　by　a　private　signal　from



his　wife。







〃What　are　you　walking　about　for？〃　Lady　Loring　asked　in　a　whisper；



without　interrupting　her　musical　performance。







〃I'm　not　quite　easy；　my　dear。〃







〃Turn　over　the　music。　Indigestion？〃







〃Good　heavens；　Adelaide；　what　a　question！〃







〃Well；　what　is　it；　then？〃







Lord　Loring　looked　toward　Stella　and　her　companion。　〃They　don't



seem　to　get　on　together　as　well　as　I　had　hoped；〃　he　said。







〃I　should　think　notwhen　you　are　walking　about　and　disturbing



them！　Sit　down　there　behind　me。〃







〃What　am　I　to　do？〃







〃Am　I　not　playing？　Listen　to　me。〃







〃My　dear；　I　don't　understand　modern　German　music。〃







〃Then　read　the　evening　paper。〃







The　evening　paper　had　its　attractions。　Lord　Loring　took　his



wife's　advice。







Left　entirely　by　themselves；　at　the　other　end　of　the　room；



Romayne　and　Stella　justified　Lady　Loring's　belief　in　the　result



of　reducing　her　husband　to　a　state　of　repose。　Stella　ventured　to



speak　first；　in　a　discreet　undertone。







〃Do　you　pass　most　of　your　evenings　alone；　Mr。　Romayne？〃







〃Not　quite　alone。　I　have　the　company　of　my　books。〃







〃Are　your　books　the　companions　that　you　like　best？〃







〃I　have　been　true　to　those　companions；　Miss　Eyrecourt；　for　many



years。　If　the　doctors　are　to　be　believed；　my　b　ooks　have　not



treated　me　very　well　in　return。　They　have　broken　down　my　health；



and　have　made　me；　I　am　afraid；　a　very　unsocial　man。〃　He　seemed



about　to　say　more；　and　suddenly　checked　the　impulse。　〃Why　am　I



talking　of　myself？〃　he　resumed　with　a　smile。　〃I　never　do　it　at



other　times。　Is　this　another　result　of　your　influence　over　me？〃







He　put　the　question　with　an　assumed　gayety。　Stella　made　no



effort；　on　her　side；　to　answer　him　in　the　same　tone。







〃I　almost　wish　I　really　had　some　influence　over　you；〃　she　said；



gravely　and　sadly。







〃Why？〃







〃I　should　try　to　induce　you　to　shut　up　your　books；　and　choose



some　living　companion　who　might　restore　you　to　your　happier



self。〃







〃It　is　already　done；〃　said　Romayne；　〃I　have　a　new　companion　in



Mr。　Penrose。〃







〃Penrose？〃　she　repeated。　〃He　is　the　friendis　he　notof　the



priest　here；　whom　they　call　Father　Benwell？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃I　don't　like　Father　Benwell。〃







〃Is　that　a　reason　for　disliking　Mr。　Penrose？〃







〃Yes；〃　she　said；　boldly；　〃because　he　is　Father　Benwell's　friend。〃







〃Indeed；　you　are　mistaken；　Miss　Eyrecourt。　Mr。　Penrose　only



entered　yesterday　on　his　duties　as　my　secretary；　and　I　have



already　had　reason　to　think　highly　of　him。　Many　men；　after　_that_



experience