the black robe-第29章

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your　father's　memory！〃　she　said。　Blanche　trembled　and　kept



silence。　〃I　have　no　false　pride；〃　Madame　Marillac　continued。　〃I



own　that　we　are　miserably　poor；　and　I　thank　you；　my　dear　young



lady；　for　your　kind　intentions　toward　us；　without　embarrassing



you　by　any　inquiries。　We　manage　to　live。　While　my　eyes　last；　our



work　helps　to　support　us。　My　good　eldest　daughter　has　some



employment　as　a　teacher　of　music；　and　contributes　her　little



share　to　assist　our　poor　household。　I　don't　distrust　youI　only



say；　let　us　try　a　little　longer　if　we　cannot　help　ourselves。〃







She　had　barely　pronounced　the　last　words；　when　a　startling



interruption　led　to　consequences　which　the　persons　present　had



not　foreseen。　A　shrill；　wailing　voice　suddenly　pierced　through



the　flimsy　partition　which　divided　the　front　room　and　the　back



room。　〃Bread！〃　cried　the　voice　in　French；　〃I'm　hungry。　Bread！



bread！〃







The　daughter　started　to　her　feet。　〃Think　of　his　betraying　us　at



this　moment！〃　she　exclaimed　indignantly。　The　mother　rose　in



silence；　and　opened　a　cupboard。　Its　position　was　opposite　to　the



place　in　which　Stella　was　sitting。　She　saw　two　or　three　knives



and　forks；　some　cups　and　saucers　and　plates；　and　a　folded



table…cloth。　Nothing　else　appeared　on　the　shelves；　not　even　the



stray　crust　of　bread　for　which　the　poor　woman　had　been　looking。



〃Go；　my　dear；　and　quiet　your　brother；〃　she　saidand　closed　the



cupboard　door　again　as　patiently　as　ever。







Stella　opened　her　pocketbook　when　Blanche　had　left　the　room。　〃For



God's　sake；　take　something！〃　she　cried。　〃　I　offer　it　with　the



sincerest　respectI　offer　it　as　a　loan。〃







Madame　Marillac　gently　signed　to　Stella　to　close　the　pocketbook



again。　〃That　kind　heart　of　yours　must　not　be　distressed　about



trifles；〃　she　said。　〃The　baker　will　trust　us　until　we　get　the



money　for　our　workand　my　daughter　knows　it。　If　you　can　tell　me



nothing　else；　my　dear；　will　you　tell　me　your　Christian　name？　It



is　painful　to　me　to　speak　to　you　quite　as　a　stranger。〃







Stella　at　once　complied　with　the　request。　Madame　Marillac　smiled



as　she　repeated　the　name。







〃There　is　almost　another　tie　between　us；〃　she　said。　〃We　have　your



name　in　Franceit　speaks　with　a　familiar　sound　to　me　in　this



strange　place。　Dear　Miss　Stella；　when　my　poor　boy　startled　you　by



that　cry　for　food；　he　recalled　to　me　the　saddest　of　all　my



anxieties。　When　I　think　of　him；　I　should　be　tempted　if　my　better



sense　did　not　restrain　me　No！　no！　put　back　the　pocketbook。　I　am



incapable　of　the　shameless　audacity　of　borrowing　a　sum　of　money



which　I　could　never　repay。　Let　me　tell　you　what　my　trouble　is；



and　you　will　understand　that　I　am　in　earnest。　I　had　two　sons；



Miss　Stella。　The　elderthe　most　lovable；　the　most　affectionate



of　my　childrenwas　killed　in　a　duel。〃







The　sudden　disclosure　drew　a　cry　of　sympathy　from　Stella；　which



she　was　not　mistress　enough　of　herself　to　repress。　Now　for　the



first　time　she　understood　the　remorse　that　tortured　Romayne；　as



she　had　not　understood　it　when　Lady　Loring　had　told　her　the



terrible　story　of　the　duel。　Attributing　the　effect　produced　on



her　to　the　sensitive　nature　of　a　young　woman；　Madame　Marillac



innocently　added　to　Stella's　distress　by　making　excuses。







〃I　am　sorry　to　have　frightened　you；　my　dear；〃　she　said。　〃In　your



happy　country　such　a　dreadful　death　as　my　son's　is　unknown。　I　am



obliged　to　mention　it；　or　you　might　not　understand　what　I　have



still　to　say。　Perhaps　I　had　better　not　go　on？〃







Stella　roused　herself。　〃Yes！　yes！〃　she　answered；　eagerly。　〃Pray



go　on！〃







〃My　son　in　the　next　room；〃　the　widow　resumed；　〃is　only　fourteen



years　old。　It　has　pleased　God　sorely　to　afflict　a　harmless



creature。　He　has　not　been　in　his　right　mind　sincesince　the



miserable　day　when　he　followed　the　duelists；　and　saw　his



brother's　death。　Oh！　you　are　turning　pale！　How　thoughtless；　how



cruel　of　me！　I　ought　to　have　remembered　that　such　horrors　as



these　have　never　overshadowed　your　happy　life！〃







Struggling　to　recover　her　self…control；　Stella　tried　to　reassure



Madame　Marillac　by　a　gesture。　The　voice　which　she　had　heard　in



the　next　room　wasas　she　now　knewthe　voice　that　haunted



Romayne。　Not　the　words　that　had　pleaded　hunger　and　called　for



breadbut　those　other　words；　〃Assassin！　assassin！　where　are



you？〃rang　in　her　ears。　She　entreated　Madame　Marillac　to　break



the　unendurable　interval　of　silence。　The　widow's　calm　voice　had　a



soothing　influence　which　she　was　eager　to　feel。　〃Go　on！〃　she



repeated。　〃Pray　go　on！〃







〃I　ought　not　to　lay　all　the　blame　of　my　boy's　affliction　on　the



duel；〃　said　Madame　Marillac。　〃In　childhood；　his　mind　never　grew



with　his　bodily　growth。　His　brother's　death　may　have　only　hurried



the　result　which　was　sooner　or　later　but　too　sure　to　come。　You



need　feel　no　fear　of　him。　He　is　never　violentand　he　is　the　most



beautiful　of　my　children。　Would　you　like　to　see　him？〃







〃No！　I　would　rather　hear　you　speak　of　him。　Is　he　not　conscious　of



his　own　misfortune？〃







〃For　weeks　together；　StellaI　am　sure　I　may　call　you　Stella？he



is　quite　calm；　you　would　see　no　difference　outwardly　between　him



and　other　boys。　Unhappily；　it　is　just　at　those　times　that　a



spirit　of　impatience　seems　to　possess　him。　He　watches　his



opportunity；　and；　however　careful　we　may　be；　he　is　cunning　enough



to　escape　our　vigilance。〃







〃Do　you　mean　that　he　leaves　you　and　his　sisters？〃







〃Yes；　that　is　what　I　mean。　For　nearly　two　months　past　he　has　been



away　from　us。　Yesterday　only；　his　return　relieved　us　from　a　state



of　suspense　which　I　cannot　attempt　to　describe。　We　don't　know



where　he　has　been；　or　in　the　company　of　what　persons　he　has



passed　the　time　of　his　absense。　No　persuasion　will　induce　him　to



spe　ak　to　us　on　the　subject。　This　morning　we　listened　while　he



was　talking　to　himself。〃







〃Was　it　part　of　the　boy's　madness　to　repeat　the　words　which　still



tormented　Romayne？〃　Stella　asked　if　he　ever　spoke　of　the　duel。







〃Never！　He　seems　to　have　lost　all　memory　of　it。　We　only　heard；



this　morning；　one　or　two　unconnected　wordssomething　about　a



woman；　and　then　more　that　appeared　to　allude　to　some　person's



death。　Last　night　I　was　with　him　when　he　went　to　bed；　and　I　found



that　he　had　something　to　conceal　from　me。　He　let　me　fold　all　his



clothes；　as　usual；　except　his　waistcoatand　that　he　snatched



away　from　me；　and　put　it　under　his　pillow。　We　have　no　hope　of



being　able　to　examine　the　waistcoat　without　his　knowledge。　His



sleep　is　like　the　sleep　of　a　dog；　if　you　only　approach　him；　he



wakes　instantly。　Forgive　me　for　troubling　you　with　these　trifling



details；　only　interesting　to　ourselves。　You　will　at　least



understand　the　constant　anxiety　that　we　suffer。〃







〃In　your　unhappy　position；〃　said　Stella；　〃I　should　try　to　resign



myself　to　parting　with　himI　mean　to　placing　him　under　medical



care。〃







The　mother's　face　saddened。　〃I　have　inquired　about　it；〃　she



answered。　〃He　must　pass　a　night　in　the　workhouse　before　he　can　be



received　as　a　pauper　lunatic　in　a　public　asylum。　Oh；　my　dear；　I



am　afraid　there　is　some　pride　still　left　in　me！　He　is　my　only　son



now；　his　father　was　a　General　in　the　French　army；　I　was　brought



up　among　people　of　good　blood　and　breedingI　can't　take　my　own



boy　to　the　workhouse！〃







Stella　understood　her。　〃I　feel　for　you　with　all　my　heart；〃　she



said。　〃Place　him　privately；　dear　Madame　Marillac；　under　skillful



and　kind　controland　let　me；　do　let　me；　open　the　pocketbook



again。〃