the black robe-第27章

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make　some　little　atonement　to　the　poor　people　whom　he　had



wronged。'　I　thought　it　a　rash　proceeding　at　the　time；　and　I　am



confirmed　in　my　opinion　by　a　letter　from　the　surgeon；　received



yesterday。　Will　you　kindly　read　it　to　Lady　Loring？〃







He　handed　the　letter　to　Lord　Loring。　Translated　from　the　French；



it　ran　as　follows：















〃SIRI　am　at　last　able　to　answer　Mr。　Romayne's　letter



definitely；　with　the　courteous　assistance　of　the　French　Consul　in



London；　to　whom　I　applied　when　other　means　of　investigation　had



produced　no　result。







〃A　week　since　the　General　died；　circumstances　connected　with　the



burial　expenses　informed　the　Consul　that　he　had　taken　refuge　from



his　creditors；　not　in　Paris　as　we　supposed；　but　in　London。　The



address　is；　Number　10；　Camp's　Hill；　Islington。　I　should　also　add



that　the　General；　for　obvious　reasons；　lived　in　London　under　the



assumed　name　of　Marillac。　It　will　be　necessary；　therefore；　to



inquire　for　his　widow　by　the　name　of　Madame　Marillac。







〃You　will　perhaps　be　surprised　to　find　that　I　address　these　lines



to　you；　instead　of　to　Mr。　Romayne。　The　reason　is　soon　told。







〃I　was　acquainted　with　the　late　Generalas　you　knowat　a　time



when　I　was　not　aware　of　the　company　that　he　kept；　or　of　the



deplorable　errors　into　which　his　love　of　gambling　had　betrayed



him。　Of　his　widow　and　his　children　I　know　absolutely　nothing。



Whether　they　have　resisted　the　contaminating　influence　of　the



head　of　the　householdor　whether　poverty　and　bad　example



combined　have　hopelessly　degraded　themI　cannot　say。　There　is　at



least　a　doubt　whether　they　are　worthy　of　Mr。　Romayne's　benevolent



intentions　toward　them。　As　an　honest　man；　I　cannot　feel　this



doubt；　and　reconcile　it　to　my　conscience　to　be　the　means；　however



indirectly；　of　introducing　them　to　Mr。　Romayne。　To　your



discretion　I　leave　it　to　act　for　the　best；　after　this　warning。〃















Lord　Loring　returned　the　letter　to　Major　Hynd。　〃I　agree　with



you；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　more　than　doubtful　whether　you　ought　to



communicate　this　information　to　Romayne。〃







Lady　Loring　was　not　quite　of　her　husband's　opinion。　〃While　there



is　a　doubt　about　these　people；〃　she　said；　〃it　seems　only　just　to



find　out　what　sort　of　character　they　bear　in　the　neighborhood。　In



your　place；　Major　Hynd；　I　should　apply　to　the　person　in　whose



house　they　live；　or　to　the　tradespeople　whom　they　have　employed。〃







〃I　am　obliged　to　leave　London　again　to…day；〃　the　Major　replied；



〃but　on　my　return　I　will　certainly　follow　your　ladyship's



advice。〃







〃And　you　will　let　us　know　the　result？〃







〃With　the　greatest　pleasure。〃







Major　Hynd　took　his　leave。　〃I　think　you　will　be　responsible　for



wasting　the　Major's　time；〃　said　Lord　Loring；　when　the　visitor　had



retired。







〃I　think　not；〃　said　Lady　Loring。







She　rose　to　leave　the　room。　〃Are　you　going　out？〃　her　husband



asked。







〃No。　I　am　going　upstairs　to　Stella。〃







Lady　Loring　found　Miss　Eyrecourt　in　her　own　room。　The　little



portrait　of　Romayne　which　she　had　drawn　from　recollection　lay　on



the　table　before　her。　She　was　examining　it　with　the　closest



attention。







〃Well；　Stella；　and　what　does　the　portrait　tell　you？〃







〃What　I　knew　before；　Adelaide。　There　is　nothing　false　and　nothing



cruel　in　that　face。〃







〃And　does　the　discovery　satisfy　you？　For　my　part；　I　despise



Romayne　for　hiding　himself　from　us。　Can　you　excuse　him？〃







Stella　locked　up　the　portrait　in　her　writing…case。　〃I　can　wait；〃



she　said　quietly







Thi　s　assertion　of　patience　seemed　to　irritate　Lady　Loring　〃What



is　the　matter　with　you　this　morning？〃　she　asked。　〃You　are　more



reserved　than　ever。〃







〃No；　I　am　only　out　of　spirits；　Adelaide。　I　can't　help　thinking　of



that　meeting　with　Winterfield。　I　feel　as　if　some　misfortune　was



hanging　over　my　head。〃







〃Don't　speak　of　that　hateful　man！〃　her　ladyship　exclaimed。　〃I



have　something　to　tell　you　about　Romayne。　Are　you　completely



absorbed　in　your　presentiments　of　evil？　or　do　you　think　you　can



listen　to　me？〃







Stella's　face　answered　for　her。　Lady　Loring　described　the



interview　with　Major　Hynd　in　the　minutest　detailincluding；　by



way　of　illustration；　the　Major's　manners　and　personal　appearance。



〃He　and　Lord　Loring；〃　she　added；　〃both　think　that　Romayne　will



never　hear　the　last　of　it　if　he　allows　these　foreigners　to　look



to　him　for　money。　Until　something　more　is　known　about　them；　the



letter　is　not　to　be　forwarded。〃







〃I　wish　I　had　the　letter；〃　cried　Stella。







〃Would　you　forward　it　to　Romayne？〃







〃Instantly！　Does　it　matter　whether　these　poor　French　people　are



worthy　of　his　generosity？　If　it　restores　his　tranquillity　to　help



them；　who　cares　whether　they　deserve　the　help？　They　are　not　even



to　know　who　it　is　that　assists　themRomayne　is　to　be　their



unknown　friend。　It　is　he；　not　they；　whom　we　have　to　think　ofhis



peace　of　mind　is　everything；　their　merit　is　nothing。　I　say　it's



cruel　to　_him_　to　keep　him　in　ignorance　of　what　has　happened。　Why



didn't　you　take　the　letter　away　from　Major　Hynd？〃







〃Gently；　Stella！　The　Major　is　going　to　make　inquiries　about　the



widow　and　children　when　he　returns　to　London。〃







〃When　he　returns！〃　Stella　repeated　indignantly。　〃Who　knows　what



the　poor　wretches　may　be　suffering　in　the　interval；　and　what



Romayne　may　feel　if　he　ever　hears　of　it？　Tell　me　the　address



againit　was　somewhere　in　Islington；　you　said。〃







〃Why　do　you　want　to　know　it？〃　Lady　Loring　asked。　〃You　are　not



going　to　write　to　Romayne　yourself？〃







〃I　am　going　to　think；　before　I　do　anything。　If　you　can't　trust　my



discretion；　Adelaide；　you　have　only　to　say　so！〃







It　was　spoken　sharply。　Lady　Loring's　reply　betrayed　a　certain



loss　of　temper　on　her　side。　〃Manage　your　own　affairs；　StellaI



have　done　meddling　with　them。〃　Her　unlucky　visit　to　Romayne　at



the　hotel　had　been　a　subject　of　dispute　between　the　two



friendsand　this　referred　to　it。　〃You　shall　have　the　address；〃



my　lady　added　in　her　grandest　manner。　She　wrote　it　on　a　piece　of



paper；　and　left　the　room。







Easily　irritated；　Lady　Loring　had　the　merit　of　being　easily



appeased。　That　meanest　of　all　vices；　the　vice　of　sulkiness；　had



no　existence　in　her　nature。　In　five　minutes　she　regretted　her



little　outburst　of　irritability。　For　five　minutes　more　she



waited；　on　the　chance　that　Stella　might　be　the　first　to　seek　a



reconciliation。　The　interval　passed；　and　nothing　happened。　〃Have



I　really　offended　her？〃　Lady　Loring　asked　herself。　The　next



moment　she　was　on　her　way　back　to　Stella。　The　room　was　empty。　She



rang　the　bell　for　the　maid。







〃Where　is　Miss　Eyrecourt？〃







〃Gone　out；　my　lady。〃







〃Did　she　leave　no　message？〃







〃No；　my　lady。　She　went　away　in　a　great　hurry。〃







Lady　Loring　at　once　drew　the　conclusion　that　Stella　had　rashly



taken　the　affair　of　the　General's　family　into　her　own　hands。　Was



it　possible　to　say　how　this　most　imprudent　proceeding　might　end？



After　hesitating　and　reflecting；　and　hesitating　again；　Lady



Loring's　anxiety　got　beyond　her　control。　She　not　only　decided　on



following　Stella；　but；　in　the　excess　of　her　nervous　apprehension；



she　took　one　of　the　men…servants　with　her；　in　case　of　emergency！







CHAPTER　XII。







THE　GENERAL'S　FAMILY。







NOT　always　remarkable　for　arriving　at　just　conclusions；　Lady



Loring　had　drawn　the　right　inference　this　time。　Stella　had



stop