the black robe-第25章

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



fortunately；　as　the　event　proved；　I　had　not　seen　Penrose；　or



heard　from　him；　for　some　little　time；　and　I　thought　it　desirable



to　judge　for　myself　of　the　progress　that　he　was　making　in　the



confidence　of　his　employer。　I　said　I　would　wait。　The　hotel



servant　knows　me　by　sight。　I　was　shown　into　Romayne's



waiting…room。







This　room　is　so　small　as　to　be　a　mere　cupboard。　It　is　lighted　by



a　glass　fanlight　over　the　door　which　opens　from　the　passage；　and



is　supplied　with　air　（in　the　absence　of　a　fireplace）　by　a



ventilator　in　a　second　door；　which　communicates　with　Romayne's



study。　Looking　about　me；　so　far；　I　crossed　to　the　other　end　of



the　study；　and　discovered　a　dining…room　and　two　bedrooms



beyondthe　set　of　apartments　being　secluded；　by　means　of　a　door



at　the　end　of　the　passage；　from　the　other　parts　of　the　hotel。　I



trouble　you　with　these　details　in　order　that　you　may　understand



the　events　that　followed。







I　returned　to　the　waiting…room；　not　forgetting　of　course　to　close



the　door　of　communication。







Nearly　an　hour　must　have　passed　before　I　heard　footsteps　in　the



passage。　The　study　door　was　opened；



　and　the　voices　of　persons　entering　the　room　reached　me　through



the　ventilator。　I　recognized　Romayne；　Penroseand　Lord　Loring。







The　first　words　exchanged　among　them　informed　me　that　Romayne　and



his　secretary　had　overtaken　Lord　Loring　in　the　street；　as　he　was



approaching　the　hotel　door。　The　three　had　entered　the　house



togetherat　a　time；　probably；　when　the　servant　who　had　admitted



me　was　out　of　the　way。　However　it　may　have　happened；　there　I　was；



forgotten　in　the　waiting…room！







Could　I　intrude　myself　（on　a　private　conversation　perhaps）　as　an



unannounced　and　unwelcome　visitor？　And　could　I　help　it；　if　the



talk　found　its　way　to　me　through　the　ventilator；　along　with　the



air　that　I　breathed？　If　our　Reverend　Fathers　think　I　was　to



blame；　I　bow　to　any　reproof　which　their　strict　sense　of　propriety



may　inflict　on　me。　In　the　meantime；　I　beg　to　repeat　the



interesting　passages　in　the　conversation；　as　nearly　word　for　word



as　I　can　remember　them。







His　lordship；　as　the　principal　personage　in　social　rank；　shall　be



reported　first。　He　said：　〃More　than　a　week　has　passed；　Romayne；



and　we　have　neither　seen　you　nor　heard　from　you。　Why　have　you



neglected　us？〃







Here；　judging　by　certain　sounds　that　followed；　Penrose　got　up



discreetly；　and　left　the　room。　Lord　Loring　went　on。







He　said　to　Romayne：　〃Now　we　are　alone；　I　may　speak　to　you　more



freely。　You　and　Stella　seemed　to　get　on　together　admirably　that



evening　when　you　dined　with　us。　Have　you　forgotten　what　you　told



me　of　her　influence　over　you？　Or　have　you　altered　your



opinionand　is　that　the　reason　why　you　keep　away　from　us？〃







Romayne　answered：　〃My　opinion　remains　unchanged。　All　that　I　said



to　you　of　Miss　Eyrecourt；　I　believe　as　firmly　as　ever。〃







His　lordship　remonstrated；　naturally　enough。　〃Then　why　remain



away　from　the　good　influence？　Whyif　it　really　_can_　be



controlledrisk　another　return　of　that　dreadful　nervous



delusion？〃







〃I　have　had　another　return。〃







〃Which；　as　you　yourself　believe；　might　have　been　prevented！



Romayne；　you　astonish　me。〃







There　was　a　time　of　silence；　before　Romayne　answered　this。　He　was



a　little　mysterious　when　he　did　reply。　〃You　know　the　old　saying；



my　good　friendof　two　evils；　choose　the　least。　I　bear　my



sufferings　as　one　of　two　evils；　and　the　least　of　the　two。〃







Lord　Loring　appeared　to　feel　the　necessity　of　touching　a　delicate



subject　with　a　light　hand。　He　said；　in　his　pleasant　way：　〃Stella



isn't　the　other　evil；　I　suppose？〃







〃Most　assuredly　not。〃







〃Then　what　is　it？〃







Romayne　answered；　almost　passionately：　〃My　own　weakness　and



selfishness！　Faults　which　I　must　resist；　or　become　a　mean　and



heartless　man。　For　me；　the　worst　of　the　two　evils　is　there。　I



respect　and　admire　Miss　EyrecourtI　believe　her　to　be　a　woman　in



a　thousanddon't　ask　me　to　see　her　again！　Where　is　Penrose？　Let



us　talk　of　something　else。〃







Whether　this　wild　way　of　speaking　offended　Lord　Loring；　or　only



discouraged　him；　I　cannot　say。　I　heard　him　take　his　leave　in



these　words：　〃You　have　disappointed　me；　Romayne。　We　will　talk　of



something　else　the　next　time　we　meet。〃　The　study　door　was　opened



and　closed。　Romayne　was　left　by　himself。







Solitude　was　apparently　not　to　his　taste　just　then。　I　heard　him



call　to　Penrose。　I　heard　Penrose　ask：　〃Do　you　want　me？〃







Romayne　answered：　〃God　knows　I　want　a　friendand　I　have　no



friend　near　me　but　you！　Major　Hynd　is　away；　and　Lord　Loring　is



offended　with　me。〃







Penrose　asked　why。







Romayne；　thereupon；　entered　on　the　necessary　explanation。　As　a



priest　writing　to　priests；　I　pass　over　details　utterly



uninteresting　to　us。　The　substance　of　what　he　said　amounted　to



this：　Miss　Eyrecourt　had　produced　an　impression　on　him　which　was



new　to　him　in　his　experience　of　women。　If　he　saw　more　of　her；　it



might　endI　ask　your　pardon　for　repeating　the　ridiculous



expressionin　his　〃falling　in　love　with　her。〃　In　this　condition



of　mind　or　body；　whichever　it　may　be；　he　would　probably　be



incapable　of　the　self…control　which　he　had　hitherto　practiced。　If



she　consented　to　devote　her　life　to　him；　he　might　accept　the



cruel　sacrifice。　Rather　than　do　this；　he　would　keep　away　from



her；　for　her　dear　sakeno　matter　what　he　might　suffer；　or　whom



he　might　offend。







Imagine　any　human　being；　out　of　a　lunatic　asylum；　talking　in　this



way。　Shall　I　own　to　you；　my　reverend　colleague；　how　this　curious



self…exposure　struck　me？　As　I　listened　to　Romayne；　I　felt



grateful　to　the　famous　Council　which　definitely　forbade　the



priests　of　the　Catholic　Church　to　marry。　_We_　might　otherwise



have　been　morally　enervated　by　the　weakness　which　degrades



Romayneand　priests　might　have　become　instruments　in　the　hands



of　women。







But　you　will　be　anxious　to　hear　what　Penrose　did　under　the



circumstances。　For　the　moment；　I　can　tell　you　this；　he　startled



me。







Instead　of　seizing　the　opportunity；　and　directing　Romayne's　mind



to　the　consolations　of　religion；　Penrose　actually　encouraged　him



to　reconsider　his　decision。　All　the　weakness　of　my　poor　little



Arthur's　character　showed　itself　in　his　next　words。







He　said　to　Romayne：　〃It　may　be　wrong　in　me　to　speak　to　you　as



freely　as　I　wish　to　speak。　But　you　have　so　generously　admitted　me



to　your　confidenceyou　have　been　so　considerate　and　so　kind



toward　methat　I　feel　an　interest　in　your　happiness；　which



perhaps　makes　me　over　bold。　Are　you　very　sure　that　some　such



entire　change　in　your　life　as　your　marriage　might　not　end　in



delivering　you　from　your　burden？　If　such　a　thing　could　be；　is　it



wrong　to　suppose　that　your　wife's　good　influence　over　you　might



be　the　means　of　making　your　marriage　a　happy　one？　I　must　not



presume　to　offer　an　opinion　on　such　a　subject。　It　is　only　my



gratitude；　my　true　attachment　to　you　that　ventures　to　put　the



question。　Are　you　conscious　of　having　given　this　matterso



serious　a　matter　for　yousufficient　thought？〃







Make　your　mind　easy；　reverend　sir！　Romayne's　answer　set



everything　right。







He　said：　〃I　have　thought　of　it　till　I　could　think　no　longer。　I



still　believe　that　sweet　woman　might　control　the　torment　of　the



voice。　But　could　she　deliver　me　from　the　remorse　perpetually



gnawing　at　my　heart？　I　feel　as　mur