the black robe-第23章

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



experience　of　me；〃　he　added；　speaking　more　to　himself　than　to



her；　〃might　have　asked　me　to　find　another　secretary。〃







Stella　heard　those　last　words；　and　looked　at　him　in　astonishment。



〃Were　you　angry　with　Mr。　Penrose？〃　she　asked　innocently。　〃Is　it



possible　that　_you_　could　speak　harshly　to　any　person　in　your



employment？〃







Romayne　smiled。　〃It　was　not　what　I　said；〃　he　answered。　〃I　am



subject　to　attacksto　sudden　attacks　of　illness。　I　am　sorry　I



alarmed　Mr。　Penrose　by　letting　him　see　me　under　those



circumstances。〃







She　looked　at　him；　hesitated；　and　looked　away　again。　〃Would　you



be　angry　with　me　if　I　confessed　something？〃　she　said　timidly。







〃It　is　impossible　I　can　be　angry　with　you！〃







〃Mr。　Romayne；　I　think　I　have　seen　what　your　secretary　saw。　I　know



how　you　suffer；　and　how　patiently　you　bear　it。〃







〃You！〃　he　exclaimed。







〃I　saw　you　with　your　friend；　when　you　came　on　board　the　steamboat



at　Boulogne。　Oh；　no；　you　never　noticed　me！　You　never　knew　how　I



pitied　you。　And　afterward；　when　you　moved　away　by　yourself；　and



stood　by　the　place　in　which　the　engines　workyou　are　sure　you



won't　think　the　worse　of　me；　if　I　tell　it？〃







〃No！　no！〃







〃Your　face　frightened　meI　can't　describe　itI　went　to　your



friend　and　took　it　on　myself　to　say　that　you　wanted　him。　It　was



an　impulseI　meant　well。〃







〃I　am　sure　you　meant　well。〃　As　he　spoke；　his　face　darkened　a



little；　betraying　a　momentary　feeling　of　distrust。　Had　she　put



indiscreet　questions　to　his　traveling　companion；　and　had　the



Major；　under　the　persuasive　influence　of　her　beauty；　been　weak



enough　to　answer　them？　〃Did　you　speak　to　my　friend？〃　he　asked。







〃Only　when　I　told　him　that　he　had　better　go　to　you。　And　I　think　I



said　afterward　I　was　afraid　you　were　very　ill。　We　were　in　the



confusion　of　arriving　at　Folkestoneand；　even　if　I　had　thought



it　right　to　say　more；　there　was　no　opportunity。〃







Romayne　felt　ashamed　of　the　suspicion　by　which　he　had　wronged



her。　〃You　have　a　generous　nature；〃　he　said　earnestly。　〃Among　the



few　people　whom　I　know；　how　many　would　feel　the　interest　in　me



that　you　felt？〃







〃Don't　say　that；　Mr。　Romayne！　You　could　have　had　no　kinder　friend



than　the　gentleman　who　took　care　of　you　on　your　journey。　Is　he



with　you　now　in　London？〃







〃No。〃







〃I　am　sorry　to　hear　it。　You　ought　to　have　some　devoted　friend



always　near　you。〃







She　spoke　very　earnestly。　Romayne　shrank；　with　a　strange　shyness；



from　letting　her　see　how　her　sympathy　affected　him。　He　answered



lightly。　〃You　go　almost　as　far　as　my　good　friend　there　reading



the　newspaper；〃　he　said。　〃Lord　Loring　doesn't　scruple　to　tell　me



that　I　ought　to　marry。　I　know　he　speaks　with　a　sincere　interest



in　my　welfare。　He　little　thinks　how　he　distresses　me。〃







〃Why　should　he　distress　you？〃







〃He　reminds　melive　as　long　as　I　maythat　I　must　live　alone。



Can　I　ask　a　woman　to　share　such　a　dreary　life　as　mine？　It　would



be　selfish；　it　would　be　cruel；　I　should　deservedly　pay　the



penalty　of　allowing　my　wife　to　sacrifice　herself。　The　time　would



come　when　she　would　repent　having　married　me。〃







Stella　rose。　Her　eyes　rested　on　him　with　a　look　of　gentle



remonstrance。　〃I　think　you　hardly　do　women　justice；〃　she　said



softly。　〃Perhaps　some　day　a　woman　may　induce　you　to　change　your



opinion。〃　She　crossed　the　room　to　the　piano。　〃You　must　be　tired



of　playing；　Adelaide；〃　she　said；　putting　her　hand　caressingly　on



Lady　Loring's　shoulder。







〃Will　you　sing；　Stella？〃







She　sighed；　and　turned　away。　〃Not　to…night；〃　she　answered。







Romayne　took　his　leave　rather　hurriedly。　He　seemed　to　be　out　of



spirits　and　eager　to　get　away。　Lord　Loring　accompanied　his　guest



to　the　door。　〃You　look　sad　and　careworn；〃　he　said。　〃Do　you　regret



having　left　your　books　to　pass　an　evening　with　us？〃







Romayne　looked　up　absently；　and　answered；　〃I　don't　know　yet。〃







Returning　to　report　this　extraordinary　reply　to　his　wife　and



Stella；　Lord　Loring　found　the　drawing…room　empty。　Eager　for　a



little　private　conversation；　the　two　ladies　had　gone　upstairs。















〃Well？〃　said　Lady　Loring；　as　they　sat　together　over　the　fire。



〃What　did　he　say？〃







Stella　only　repeated　what　he　had　said　before　she　rose　and　left



him。　〃What　is　there　in　Mr。　Romayne's　life；〃　she　asked；　〃which



made　him　say　that　he　would　be　selfish　and　cruel　if　he　expected　a



woman　to　marry　him？　It　must　be　something　more　than　mere　illness。



If　he　had　committed　a　crime　he　could　not　have　spoken　more



strongly。　Do　you　know　what　it　is？〃







Lady　Loring　looked　uneasy。　〃I　promised　my　husband　to　keep　it　a



secret　from　everybody；〃　she　said。







〃It　is　nothing　degrading；　AdelaideI　am　sure　of　that。〃







〃And　you　are　right；　my　dear。　I　can　understand　that　he　has



surprised　and　disappointed　you；　but；　if　you　knew　his　motives〃



she　stopped　and　looked　earnestly　at　Stella。　〃They　say；〃　she　went



on；　〃the　love　that　lasts　longest　is　the　love　of　slowest　growth。



This　feeling　of　yours　for　Romayne　is　of　sudden　growth。　Are　you



very　sure　that　your　whole　heart　is　given　to　a　man　of　whom　you



know　little？〃







〃I　know　that　I　love　him；〃　said　Stella　simply。







〃Even　though　he　doesn't　seem　as　yet　to　love　you？〃　Lady　Loring



asked。







〃All　the　more　_because_　he　doesn't。　I　should　be　ashamed　to　make



the　confession　to　any　one　but　you。　It　is　useless　to　say　any　more。



Good…night。〃







Lady　Loring　allowed　her　to　get　as　far　as　the　door；　and　then



suddenly　called　her　back。　Stella　returned　unwillingly　and



wearily。　〃My　head　aches　and　my　heart　aches；〃　she　said。　〃Let　me　go



away　to　my　bed。〃







〃I　don't　like　you　to　go　away；　wronging　Romayne　perhaps　in　your



thoughts；〃　said　Lady　Loring。　〃And；　more　than　that；　for　the　sake



of　your　own　happiness；　you　ought　to　judge　for　yourself　if　this



devoted　love　of　yours　may　ever　hope　to　win　its　reward。　It　is



time；　and　more　than　time；　that　you　should　decide　whether　it　is



good　for　you　to　see　Romayne　again。　Have　you　courage　enough　to　do



that？〃







〃Yesif　I　am　convinced　that　it　ought　to　be　done。〃







〃Nothing　would　make　me　so　happy；〃　Lady　Loring　resumed；　〃as　to



know　that　you　were　one　day；　my　dear；　to　be　his　wife。　But　I　am　not



a　prudent　personI　can　never　look；　as　you　can；　to　consequences。



You　won't　betray　me；　Stella？　If　I　am　doing　wrong　in　telling　a



secret　which　has　been　trusted　to　me；　it　is　my　fondness　for　you



that　misleads　me。　Sit　down　again。　You　shall　know　what　the　misery



of　Romayne's　life　really　is。〃







With　those　words；　she　told　the　terrible　story　of　the　duel；　and　of



all　that　had　followed　it。







〃It　is　for　you　to　say；〃　she　concluded；　〃whether　Romayne　is　right。



Can　any　woman　hope　to　release　him　from　the　torment　that　he



suffers；　with　nothing　to　help　her　but　love？　Determine　for



yourself。〃







Stella　answered　instantly。







〃I　determine　to　be　his　wife！〃







With　the　same　pure　enthusiasm；　Penrose　had　declared　that　he　too



devoted　himself　to　the　deliverance　of　Romayne。　The　loving　woman



was　not　more　resolved　to　give　her　whole　life　to　him；　than　the



fanatical　man　was　resolved　to　convert　him。　On　the　same　common



battle…ground　the　two　were　now　to　meet　in　unconscious　antagonism。



Would　the　priest　or　the　woman　win　the　day？







CHAPTER　IX。







THE　PUBLIC　AND　THE　PICTURES。







ON　the　memorable　Monday