the black robe-第24章

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CHAPTER　IX。







THE　PUBLIC　AND　THE　PICTURES。







ON　the　memorable　Monday　；　when　the　picture　gallery　was　opened　to



the　public　for　the　first　time；　Lord　Loring　and　Father　Benwell　met



in　the　library。







〃Judging　by　the　number　of　carriages　already　at　the　door；〃　said



Father　Benwell；　〃your　lordship's　kindness　is　largely　appreciated



by　the　lovers　of　Art。〃







〃All　the　tickets　were　disposed　of　in　three　hours；〃　Lord　Loring



answered。　〃Everybody　（the　librarians　tell　me）　is　eager　to　see　the



pictures。　Have　you　looked　in　yet？〃







〃Not　yet。　I　thought　I　would　get　on　first　with　my　work　among　the



books。〃







〃I　have　just　come　from　the　gallery；〃　Lord　Loring　continued。　〃And



here　I　am；　driven　out　of　it　again　by　the　remarks　of　some　of　the



visitors。　You　know　my　beautiful　copies　of　Raphael's　Cupid　and



Psyche　designs？　The　general　impression；　especially　among　the



ladies；　is　that　they　are　disgusting　and　indecent。　That　was　enough



for　me。　If　you　happen　to　meet　Lady　Loring　and　Stella；　kindly　tell



them　that　I　have　gone　to　the　club。〃







〃Do　the　ladies　propose　paying　a　visit　to　the　gallery？〃







〃Of　courseto　see　the　people！　I　have　recommended　them　to　wait



until　they　are　ready　to　go　out　for　their　drive。　In　their　indoor



costume　they　might　become　the　objects　of　general　observation　as



the　ladies　of　the　house。　I　shall　be　anxious　to　hear；　Father；　if



you　can　discover　the　civilizing　influences　of　Art　among　my　guests



in　the　gallery。　Good…morning。〃







Father　Benwell　rang　the　bell　when　Lord　Loring　had　left　him。







〃Do　the　ladies　drive　out　to…day　at　their　usual　hour？〃　he



inquired；　when　the　servant　appeared。　The　man　answered　in　the



affirmative。　The　carriage　was　ordered　at　three　o'clock。







At　half…past　two　Father　Benwell　slipped　quietly　into　the　gallery。



He　posted　himself　midway　between　the　library　door　and　the　grand



entrance；　on　the　watch；　not　for　the　civilizing　influences　of　Art；



but　for　the　appearance　of　Lady　Loring　and　Stella。　He　was　still　of



opinion　that　Stella's　〃frivolous〃　mother　might　be　turned　into　a



source　of　valuable　information　on　the　subject　of　her　daughter's



earlier　life。　The　first　step　toward　attaining　this　object　was　to



discover　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　present　address。　Stella　would　certainly



know　itand　Father　Benwell　felt　a　just　confidence　in　his



capacity　to　make　the　young　lady　serviceable；　in　this　respect；　to



the　pecuniary　interests　of　the　Church。







After　an　interval　of　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　Lady　Loring　and　Stella



entered　the　gallery　by　the　library　door。　Father　Benwell　at　once



advanced　to　pay　his　respects。







For　some　little　time　he　discreetly　refrained　from　making　any



attempt　to　lead　the　conversation　to　the　topic　that　he　had　in



view。　He　was　too　well　acquainted　with　the　insatiable　interest　of



women　in　looking　at　other　women　to　force　himself　into　notice。　The



ladies　made　their　remarks　on　the　pretensions　to　beauty　and　to



taste　in　dress　among　the　throng　of　visitorsand　Father　Benwell



waited　by　them；　and　listened　with　the　resignation　of　a　modest



young　man。　Patience；　being　a　virtue；　is　sometimes　its　own　reward。



Two　gentlemen；　evidently　interested　in　the　pictures；　approached



the　priest。　He　drew　back；　with　his　ready　politeness；　to　let　them



see　the　picture　before　which　he　happened　to　be　standing。







The　movement　disturbed　Stella。　She　turned　sharplynoticed　one　of



the　gentlemen；　the　taller　of　the　twobecame　deadly　paleand



instantly　quitted　the　gallery。　Lady　Loring；　looking　where　Stella



had　looked；　frowned　angrily　and　followed　Miss　Eyrecourt　into　the



library。　Wise　Father　Benwell　let　them　go；　and　concentrated　his



attention　on　the　person　who　had　been　the　object　of　this　startling



recognition。







Unquestionably　a　gentlemanwith　light　hair　and　complexionwith



a　bright　benevolent　face　and　keen　intelligent　blue



eyesapparently　still　in　the　prime　of　life。　Such　was　Father



Benwell's　first　impression　of　the　stranger。　He　had　evidently　seen



Miss　Eyrecourt　at　the　moment　when　she　first　noticed　him；　and　he



too　showed　signs　of　serious　agitation。　His　face　flushed　deeply；



and　his　eyes　expressed；　not　merely　surprise；　but　distress。　He



turned　to　his　friend。　〃This　place　is　hot；〃　he　said；　〃let　us　get



out　of　it！〃







〃My　dear　Winterfield！〃　the　friend　remonstrated；　〃we　haven't　seen



half　the　pictures　yet。〃







〃Excuse　me　if　I　leave　you；〃　the　other　replied。　〃I　am　used　to　the



free　air　of　the　country。　Let　us　meet　again　this　evening。　Come　and



dine　with　me。　The　same　address　as　usualDerwent's　Hotel。〃







With　those　words　he　hurried　out；　making　his　way；　without



ceremony；　through　the　crowd　in　the　picture　gallery。







Father　Benwell　returned　to　the　library。　It　was　quite　needless　to



trouble　himself　further　about　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　or　her　address。



〃Thanks　to　Lord　Loring's　picture　gallery；〃　he　thought；　〃I　have



found　the　man！〃







He　took　up　his　pen　and　made　a　little　memorandum〃Winterfield。



Derwent's　Hotel。〃







CHAPTER　X。







FATHER　BENWELL'S　CORRESPONDENCE。







I。







_To　Mr。　Bitrake。　Private　and　Confidential。_







SIRI　understand　that　your　connection　with　the　law　does　not



exclude　your　occasional　superintendence　of　confidential



inquiries；　which　are　not　of　a　nature　to　injure　your　professional



position。　The　inclosed　letter　of　introduction　will　satisfy　you



that　I　am　incapable　of　employing　your　experience　in　a　manner



unbecoming　to　you；　or　to　myself。







The　inquiry　that　I　propose　to　you　relates　to　a　gentleman　named



Winterfield。　He　is　now　staying　in　London；　at　Derwent's　Hotel；　and



is　expected　to　remain　there　for　a　week　from　the　present　date。　His



place　of　residence　is　on　the　North　Devonshire　coast；　and　is　well



known　in　that　locality　by　the　name　of　Beaupark　House。







The　range　of　my　proposed　inquiry　dates　back　over　the　last　four　or



five　yearscertainly　not　more。　My　object　is　to　ascertain；　as



positively　as　may　be；　whether；　within　this　limit　of　time；　events



in　Mr。　Winterfield's　life　have　connected　him　with　a　young　lady



named　Miss　Stella　Eyrecourt。　If　this　proves　to　be　the　case　it　is



essential　that　I　should　be　made　acquainted　with　the　whole　of　the



circumstances。







I　have　now　informed　you　of　all　that　I　want　to　know。　Whatever　the



information　may　be；　it　is　most　important　that　it　shall　be



information　which　I　can　implicitly　trust。　Please　address　to　me；



when　you　write；　under　cover　to　the　friend　whose　letter　I　inclose。







I　beg　your　acceptanceas　time　is　of　importanceof　a　check　for



preliminary　expenses；　and　remain；　sir；　your　faithful　servant；







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AMBROSE　BENWELL。







II。







_To　the　Secretary；　Society　of　Jesus；　Rome。_







I　inclose　a　receipt　for　the　remittance　which　your　last　letter



confides　to　my　care。　Some　of　the　money　has　been　already　used　in



prosecuting　inquiries；　the　result　of　which　will；　as　I　hope　and



believe；　enable　me　to　effectually　protect　Romayne　from　the



advances　of　the　woman　who　is　bent　on　marrying　him。







You　tell　me　that　our　Reverend　Fathers；　lately　sitting　in　council



on　the　Vange　Abbey　affair；　are　anxious　to　hear　if　any　positive



steps　have　yet　been　taken　toward　the　conversion　of　Romayne。　I　am



happily　able　to　gratify　their　wishes；　as　you　shall　now　see。







Yesterday；　I　called　at　Romayne's　hotel　to　pay　one　of　those



occasional　visits　which　help　to　keep　up　our　acquaintance。　He　was



out；　and　Penrose　（for　whom　I　asked　next）　was　with　him。　Most



fortunat