the black robe-第31章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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



forbearing　and　kind　to　me　if　I　have　innocently　offended　in　this



matterand　I　shall　gratefully　remember　the　day　when　I　took　it　on



myself　to　be　Mr。　Romayne's　almoner。〃







Lady　Loring　read　these　concluding　sentences　twice　over。







〃I　think　the　end　of　your　letter　will　have　its　effect　on　him；〃　she



said。







〃If　it　brings　me　a　kind　letter　in　reply；〃　Stella　answered；　〃it



will　have　all　the　effect　I　hope　for。〃







〃If　it　does　anything；〃　Lady　Loring　rejoined；　〃it　will　do　more



than　that。〃







〃What　more　can　it　do？〃







〃My　dear；　it　can　bring　Romayne　back　to　you。　〃







Those　hopeful　words　seemed　rather　to　startle　Stella　than　to



encourage　her。







〃Bring　him　back　to　me？〃　she　repeated　〃Oh；　Adelaide；　I　wish　I



could　think　as　you　do！〃







〃Send　the　letter　to　the　post；〃　said　Lady　Loring；　〃and　we　shall



see。〃







CHAPTER　XIII







FATHER　BENWELL'S　CORRESPONDENCE。







I。







_Arthur　Penrose　to　Father　Benwell。_







REVEREND　AND　DEAR　FATHERWhen　I　last　had　the　honor　of　seeing



you；　I　received　your　instructions　to　report；　by　letter；　the



result　of　my　conversations　on　religion　with　Mr。　Romayne。







As　events　have　turned　out；　it　is　needless　to　occupy　your　time　by



dwelling　at　any　length　on　this　subject；　in　writing。　Mr。　Romayne



has　been　strongly　impressed　by　the　excellent　books　which　I　have



introduced　to　his　notice。　He　raises　certain　objections；　which　I



have　done　my　best　to　meet；　and　he　promises　to　consider　my



arguments　with　his　closest　attention；　in　the　time　to　come。　I　am



happier　in　the　hope　of　restoring　his　mental　tranquillityin



other　and　worthier　words；　of　effecting　his　conversionthan　I　can



tell　you　in　any　words　of　mine。　I　respect　and　admire；　I　may　almost



say　I　love；　Mr。　Romayne。







The　details　which　are　wanting　in　this　brief　report　of　progress　I



shall　have　the　privilege　of　personally　relating　to　you。　Mr。



Romayne　no　longer　desires　to　conceal　himself　from　his　friends。　He



received　a　letter　this　morning　which　has　changed　all　his　plans；



and　has　decided　him　on　immediately　returning　to　London。　I　am　not



acquainted　with　the　contents　of　the　letter；　or　with　the　name　of



the　writer；　but　I　am　pleased；　for　Mr。　Romayne's　sake；　to　see　that



the　reading　of　it　has　made　him　happy。







By　to…morrow　evening　I　hope　to　present　my　respects　to　you。







II。







_Mr。　Bitrake　to　Father　Benwell。_







SIRThe　inquiries　which　I　have　instituted　at　your　request　have



proved　successful　in　one　respect。







I　am　in　a　position　to　tell　you　that　events　in　Mr。　Winterfield's



life　have　unquestionably　connected　him　with　the　young　lady　named



Miss　Stella　Eyrecourt。







The　attendant　circumstances；　however；　are　not　so　easy　to



discover。　Judging　by　the　careful　report　of　the　person　whom　I



employ；　there　must　have　been　serious　reasons；　in　this　case；　for



keeping　facts　secret　and　witnesses　out　of　the　way。　I　mention



this；　not　to　discourage　you；　but　to　prepare　you　for　delays　that



may　occur　on　our　way　to　discovery。







Be　pleased　to　preserve　your　confidence　in　me；　and　to　give　me



timeand　I　answer　for　the　result。







BOOK　THE　SECOND。







CHAPTER　I。







THE　SANDWICH　DANCE。







A　FINE　spring；　after　a　winter　of　unusual　severity；　promised　well



for　the　prospects　of　the　London　season。







Among　the　social　entertainments　of　the　time；　general　curiosity



was　excited；　in　the　little　sphere　which　absurdly　describes　itself



under　the　big　name　of　Society；　by　the　announcement　of　a　party　to



be　given　by　Lady　Loring；　bearing　the　quaint　title　of　a　Sandwich



Dance。　The　invitations　were　issued　at　an　unusually　early　hour；



and　it　was　understood　that　nothing　so　solid　and　so　commonplace　as



the　customary　supper　was　to　be　offered　to　the　guests。　In　a　word；



Lady　Loring's　ball　was　designed　as　a　bold　protest　against　late



hours　and　heavy　midnight　meals。　The　younger　people　were　all　in



favor　of　the　proposed　reform。　Their　elders　declined　to　give　an



opinion　beforehand。







In　the　small　inner　circle　of　Lady　Loring's　most　intimate　friends；



it　was　whispered　that　an　innovation　in　the　matter　of　refreshments



was　contemplated；　which　would　put　the　tolerant　principles　of　the



guests　to　a　severe　test。　Miss　Notman；　the　housekeeper；　politely



threatening　retirement　on　a　small　annuity；　since　the　memorable



affair　of　the　oyster…omelet；　decided　on　carrying　out　her　design



when　she　heard　that　there　was　to　be　no　supper。　〃My　attachment　to



the　family　can　bear　a　great　deal；〃　she　said。　〃But　when　Lady



Loring　deliberately　gives　a　ball；　without　a　supper；　I　must　hide



my　head　somewhereand　it　had　better　be　out　of　the　house！〃　Taking



Miss　Notman　as　representative　of　a　class；　the　reception　of　the



coming　experiment　looked；　to　say　the　least　of　it；　doubtful。







On　the　appointed　evening；　the　guests　made　one　agreeable　discovery



when　they　entered　the　reception　rooms。　They　were　left　perfectly



free　to　amuse　themselves　as　they　liked。







The　drawing…rooms　were　given　up　to　dancing；　the　picture　gallery



was　devoted　to　chamber　music。　Chess…players　and　card…players



found　remote　and　quiet　rooms　especially　prepared　for　them。　People



who　cared　for　nothing　but　talking　were　accommodated　to　perfection



in　a　sphere　of　their　own。　And　lovers　（in　earnest　or　not　in



earnest）　discovered；　in　a　dimly…lighted　conservatory　with　many



recesses；　that　ideal　of　discreet　retirement　which　combines



solitude　and　society　under　one　roof。







But　the　ordering　of　the　refreshments　failed；　as　had　been



foreseen；　to　share　in　the　approval　conferred　on　the　arrangement



of　the　rooms。　The　first　impression　was　unfavorable。　Lady　Loring；



however；　knew　enough　of　human　nature　to　leave　results　to　two



potent　alliesexperience　and　time。







Excepting　the　conservatory；　the　astonished　guests　could　go



nowhere　without　discovering　tables　prettily　decorated　with



flowers；　and　bearing　hundreds　of　little　pure　white　china　plates；



loaded　with　nothing　but　sandwiches。　All　varieties　of　opinion　were



consulted。　People　of　ordinary　tastes；　who　liked　to　know　what　they



were　eating；　could　choose　conventional　beef　or　ham；　encased　in



thin　slices　of　bread　of　a　delicate　flavor　quite　new　to　them。



Other　persons；　less　easily　pleased；　were　tempted　by　sandwiches　of



_pate　de　fois　gras_　and　by　exquisite　combinations　of　chicken　and



truffles；　reduced　to　a　creamy　pulp　which　clung　to　the　bread　like



butter。　Foreigners；　making　experiments；　and　not　averse　to　garlic；



discovered　the　finest　sausages　of　Germany　and　Italy　transformed



into　English　sandwiches。　Anchovies　and　sardines　appealed；　in　the



same　unexpected　way；　to　men　who　desired　to　create　an　artificial



thirstafter　having　first　ascertained　that　the　champagne　was



something　to　be　fondly　remembered　and　regretted；　at　other



parties；　to　the　end　of　the　season。　The　hospitable　profusion　of



the　refreshments　was　all…pervading　and　inexhaustible。　Wherever



the　guests　might　be；　or　however　they　were　amusing　themselves；



there　were　the　pretty　little　white　plates　perpetually　tempting



them。　People　eat　as　they　had　never　eat　before；　and　even　the



inveterate　English　prejudice　against　anything　new　was　conquered



at　last。　Universal　opinion　declared　the　Sandwich　Dance　to　be　an



admirable　idea；　perfectly　carried　out。







Many　of　the　guests　paid　their　hostess　the　compliment　of　arriving



at　the　early　hour　mentioned　in　the　invitations。　One　of　them　was



Major　Hynd。　Lady　Loring　to