the black robe-第30章

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



again。〃







The　widow　steadily　refused　even　to　look　at　the　pocketbook。



〃Perhaps；〃　Stella　persisted；　〃you　don't　know　of　a　private　asylum



that　would　satisfy　you？〃







〃My　dear；　I　do　know　of　such　a　place！　The　good　doctor　who　attended



my　husband　in　his　last　illness　told　me　of　it。　A　friend　of　his



receives　a　certain　number　of　poor　people　into　his　house；　and



charges　no　more　than　the　cost　of　maintaining　them。　An



unattainable　sum　to　_me！_　There　is　the　temptation　that　I　spoke



of。　The　help　of　a　few　pounds　I　might　accept；　if　I　fell　ill；



because　I　might　afterward　pay　it　back。　But　a　larger　sumnever！〃







She　rose；　as　if　to　end　the　interview。　Stella　tried　every　means　of



persuasion　that　she　could　think　of；　and　tried　in　vain。　The



friendly　dispute　between　them　might　have　been　prolonged；　if　they



had　not　both　been　silenced　by　another　interruption　from　the　next



room。







This　time；　it　was　not　only　endurable；　it　was　even　welcome。　The



poor　boy　was　playing　the　air　of　a　French　vaudeville　on　a　pipe　or



flageolet。　〃Now　he　is　happy！〃　said　the　mother。　〃He　is　a　born



musician；　do　come　and　see　him！〃　An　idea　struck　Stella。　She



overcame　the　inveterate　reluctance　in　her　to　see　the　boy　so



fatally　associated　with　the　misery　of　Romayne's　life。　As　Madame



Marillac　led　the　way　to　the　door　of　communication　between　the



rooms；　she　quickly　took　from　her　pocketbook　the　bank…notes　with



which　she　had　provided　herself；　and　folded　them　so　that　they



could　be　easily　concealed　in　her　hand。







She　followed　the　widow　into　the　little　room。







The　boy　was　sitting　on　his　bed。　He　laid　down　his　flageolet　and



bowed　to　Stella。　His　long　silky　hair　flowed　to　his　shoulders。　But



one　betrayal　of　a　deranged　mind　presented　itself　in　his　delicate



facehis　large　soft　eyes　had　the　glassy；　vacant　look　which　it　is



impossible　to　mistake。　〃Do　you　like　music；　mademoiselle？〃　he



asked；　gently。　Stella　asked　him　to　play　his　little　vaudeville　air



again。　He　proudly　complied　with　the　request。　His　sister　seemed　to



resent　the　presence　of　a　stranger。　〃The　work　is　at　a　standstill；〃



she　saidand　passed　into　the　front　room。　Her　mother　followed　her



as　far　as　the　door；　to　give　her　some　necessary　directions。　Stella



seized　her　opportunity。　She　put　the　bank…notes　into　the　pocket　of



the　boy's　jacket；　and　whispered　to　him：　〃Give　them　to　your　mother



when　I　have　gone　away。〃　Under　those　circumstances；　she　felt　sure



that　Madame　Marillac　would　yield　to　the　temptation。　She　could



resist　muchbut　she　could　not　resist　her　son。







The　boy　nodded；　to　show　that　he　understood　her。　The　moment　after。



he　laid　down　his　flageolet　with　an　expression　of　surprise。







〃You　are　trembling！〃　he　said。　〃Are　you　frightened？〃







She　_was_　frightened。　The　mere　sense　of　touching　him　had　made　her



shudder。　Did　she　feel　a　vague　presentiment　of　some　evil　to　come



from　that　momentary　association　with　him？







Madame　Marillac；　turning　away　again　from　her　daughter；　noticed



Stella's　agitation。　〃Surely；　my　poor　boy　doesn't　alarm　you？〃　she



said。　Before　Stella　could　answer；　some　one　outside　knocked　at　the



door。　Lady　Loring's　servant　appeared；　charged　with　a



carefully…worded　message。　〃If　you　please；　miss；　a　friend　is



waiting　for　you　below。〃　Any　excuse　for　departure　was　welcome　to



Stella　at　that　moment。　She　promised　to　call　at　the　house　again　in



a　few　days。　Madame　Marillac　kissed　her　on　the　forehead　as　she



took　leave。　Her　nerves　were　still　shaken　by　that　momentary



contact　with　the　boy。　Descending　the　stairs；　she　trembled　so　that



she　was　obliged　to　hold　by　the　servant's　arm。　She　was　not



naturally　timid。　What　did　it　mean？















Lady　Loring's　carriage　was　waiting　at　the　entrance　of　the　street；



with　all　the　children　in　the　neighborhood　assembled　to　admire　it。



She　impulsively　forestalled　the　servant　in　opening　the　carriage



door。　〃Come　in！〃　she　cried。　〃Oh；　Stella；　you　don't　know　how　you



have　frightened　me！　Good　heavens；　you　look　frightened　yourself！



From　what　wretches　have　I　rescued　you？　Take　my　smelling　bottle；



and　tell　me　all　about　it。〃







The　fresh　air；　and　the　reassuring　presence　of　her　old　friend；



revived　Stella。　She　was　able　to　describe　her　interview　with　the



General's　family；　and　to　answer　the　inevitable　inquiries　which



the　narrative　called　forth。　Lady　Loring's　last　question　was　the



most　important　of　the　series：　〃What　are　you　going　to　do　about



Romayne？〃







〃I　am　going　to　write　to　him　the　moment　we　get　home。〃







The　answer　seemed　to　alarm　Lady　Loring。　〃You　won't　betray　me？〃



she　said。







〃What　do　you　mean？〃







〃You　won't　let　Romayne　discover　that　I　have　told　you　about　the



duel？〃







〃Certainly　not。　You　shall　see　my　letter　before　I　send　it　to　be



forwarded。〃







Tranquilized　so　far；　Lady　Loring　bethought　herself　next　of　Major



Hynd。　〃Can　we　tell　him　what　you　have　done？〃　her　ladyship　asked。







〃Of　course　we　can　tell　him；〃　Stella　replied。　〃I　shall　conceal



nothing　from　Lord　Loring；　and　I　shall　beg　your　good　husband　to



write　to　the　Major。　He　need　only　say　that　I　have　made　the



necessary　inquiries；　after　being　informed　of　the　circumstances　by



you；　and　that　I　have　communicated　the　favorable　result　to　Mr。



Romayne。〃







〃It's　easy　enough　to　write　the　letter；　my　dear。　But　it's　not　so



easy　to　say　what　Major　Hynd　may　think　of　you。〃







〃Does　it　matter　to　me　what　Major　Hynd　thinks？〃







Lady　Loring　looked　at　Stella　with　a　malicious　smile。　〃Are　you



equally　indifferent；〃　she　said；　〃to　what　Romayne's　opinion　of



your　conduct　may　be？〃







Stella's　color　rose。　〃Try　to　be　serious；　Adelaide；　when　you　speak



to　me　of　Romayne；〃　she　answered；　gravely。　〃His　good　opinion　of　me



is　the　breath　of　my　life。〃







An　hour　later；　the　important　letter　to　Romayne　was　written。



Stella　scrupulously　informed　him　of　all　that　had　happenedwith



two　necessary　omissions。　In　the　first　place；　nothing　was　said　of



the　widow's　reference　to　her　son's　death；　and　of　the　effect



produced　by　it　on　his　younger　brother。　The　boy　was　simply



described　as　being　of　weak　intellect；　and　as　requiring　to　be　kept



under　competent　control。　In　the　second　place；　Romayne　was　left　to



infer　that　ordinary　motives　of　benevolence　were　the　only　motives；



on　his　part；　known　to　Miss　Eyrecourt。







The　letter　ended　in　these　lines：







〃If　I　have　taken　an　undue　liberty　in　venturing；　unasked；　to



appear　as　your　representative；　I　can　only　plead　that　I　meant



well。　It　seemed　to　me　to　be　hard　on　these　poor　people；　and　not



just　to　you　in　your　absence；　to　interpose　any　needless　delays　in



carrying　out　those　kind　intentions　of　yours；　which　had　no　doubt



been　properly　considered　beforehand。　In　forming　your　opinion　of



my　conduct；　pray　remember　that　I　have　been　careful　not　to　com



promise　you　in　any　way。　You　are　only　known　to　Madame　Marillac　as



a　compassionate　person　who　offers　to　help　her；　and　who　wishes　to



give　that　help　anonymously。　If；　notwithstanding　this；　you



disapprove　of　what　I　have　done；　I　must　not　conceal　that　it　will



grieve　and　humiliate　meI　have　been　so　eager　to　be　of　use　to



you；　when　others　appeared　to　hesitate。　I　must　find　my　consolation



in　remembering　that　I　have　become　acquainted　with　one　of　the



sweetest　and　noblest　of　women；　and　that　I　have　helped　to　preserve



her　afflicted　son　from　dangers　in　the　future　which　I　cannot



presume　to　estimate。　You　will　complete　what　I　have　only　begun。　Be



forbearing　and　kind　to　me