the black robe-第32章

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



Major　Hynd。　Lady　Loring　took　her　first　opportunity　of　speaking　to



him　apart。







〃I　hear　you　were　a　little　angry；〃　she　said；　〃when　you　were　told



that　Miss　Eyrecourt　had　taken　your　inquiries　out　of　your　hands。〃







〃I　thought　it　rather　a　bold　proceeding；　Lady　Loring；〃　the　Major



replied。　〃But　as　the　General's　widow　turned　out　to　be　a　lady；　in



the　best　sense　of　the　word；　Miss　Eyrecourt's　romantic　adventure



has　justified　itself。　I　wouldn't　recommend　her　to　run　the　same



risk　a　second　time。〃







〃I　suppos　e　you　know　what　Romayne　thinks　of　it？〃







〃Not　yet。　I　have　been　too　busy　to　call　on　him　since　I　have　been



in　town。　Pardon　me；　Lady　Loring；　who　is　that　beautiful　creature



in　the　pale　yellow　dress？　Surely　I　have　seen　her　somewhere



before？〃







〃That　beautiful　creature；　Major；　is　the　bold　young　lady　of　whose



conduct　you　don't　approve。〃







〃Miss　Eyrecourt？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃I　retract　everything　I　said！〃　cried　the　Major；　quite



shamelessly。　〃Such　a　woman　as　that　may　do　anything。　She　is



looking　this　way。　Pray　introduce　me。〃







The　Major　was　introduced；　and　Lady　Loring　returned　to　her　guests。







〃I　think　we　have　met　before；　Major　Hynd；〃　said　Stella。







Her　voice　supplied　the　missing　link　in　the　Major's　memory　of



events。　Remembering　how　she　had　looked　at　Romayne　on　the　deck　of



the　steamboat；　he　began　dimly　to　understand　Miss　Eyrecourt's



otherwise　incomprehensible　anxiety　to　be　of　use　to　the　General's



family。　〃I　remember　perfectly；〃　he　answered。　〃It　was　on　the



passage　from　Boulogne　to　Folkestoneand　my　friend　was　with　me。



You　and　he　have　no　doubt　met　since　that　time？〃　He　put　the



question　as　a　mere　formality。　The　unexpressed　thought　in　him　was；



〃Another　of　them　in　love　with　Romayne！　and　nothing；　as　usual；



likely　to　come　of　it。〃







〃I　hope　you　have　forgiven　me　for　going　to　Camp's　Hill　in　your



place；〃　said　Stella。







〃I　ought　to　be　grateful　to　you；〃　the　Major　rejoined。　〃No　time　has



been　lost　in　relieving　these　poor　peopleand　your　powers　of



persuasion　have　succeeded；　where　mine　might　have　failed。　Has



Romayne　been　to　see　them　himself　since　his　return　to　London？〃







〃No。　He　desires　to　remain　unknown；　and　he　is　kindly　content；　for



the　present；　to　be　represented　by　me。〃







〃For　the　present。〃　Major　Hynd　repeated。







A　faint　flush　passed　over　her　delicate　complexion。　〃I　have



succeeded；〃　she　resumed；　〃in　inducing　Madame　Marillac　to　accept



the　help　offered　through　me　to　her　son。　The　poor　creature　is



safe；　under　kind　superintendence；　in　a　private　asylum。　So　far；　I



can　do　no　more。〃







〃Will　the　mother　accept　nothing？〃







〃Nothing；　either　for　herself　or　her　daughter；　so　long　as　they　can



work。　I　cannot　tell　you　how　patiently　and　beautifully　she　speaks



of　her　hard　lot。　But　her　health　may　give　wayand　it　is　possible；



before　long；　that　I　may　leave　London。〃　She　paused；　the　flush



deepened　on　her　face。　〃The　failure　of　the　mother's　health　may



happen　in　my　absence；〃　she　continued；　〃and　Mr。　Romayne　will　ask



you　to　look　after　the　family；　from　time　to　time；　while　I　am



away。〃







〃I　will　do　it　with　pleasure；　Miss　Eyrecourt。　Is　Romayne　likely　to



be　here　to…night？〃







She　smiled　brightly；　and　looked　away。　The　Major's　curiosity　was



excitedhe　looked　in　the　same　direction。　There　was　Romayne；



entering　the　room；　to　answer　for　himself。







What　was　the　attraction　which　drew　the　unsocial　student　to　an



evening　party？　Major　Hynd's　eyes　were　on　the　watch。　When　Romayne



and　Stella　shook　hands；　the　attraction　stood　self…revealed　to



him；　in　Miss　Eyrecourt。　Recalling　the　momentary　confusion　which



she　had　betrayed；　when　she　spoke　of　possibly　leaving　London；　and



of　Romayne's　plans　for　supplying　her　place　as　his　almoner；　the



Major；　with　military　impatience　of　delays；　jumped　to　a



conclusion。　〃I　was　wrong；〃　he　thought；　〃my　impenetrable　friend　is



touched　in　the　right　place　at　last。　When　the　splendid　creature　in



yellow　leaves　London；　the　name　on　her　luggage　will　be　Mrs。



Romayne。〃







〃You　are　looking　quite　another　man；　Romayne！〃　he　said



mischievously；　〃since　we　met　last。〃







Stella　gently　moved　away；　leaving　them　to　talk　freely。　Romayne



took　no　advantage　of　the　circumstance　to　admit　his　old　friend　to



his　confidence。　Whatever　relations　might　really　exist　between



Miss　Eyrecourt　and　himself　were　evidently　kept　secret　thus　far。



〃My　health　has　been　a　little　better　lately；〃　was　the　only　reply



he　made。







The　Major　dropped　his　voice　to　a　whisper。







〃Have　you　not　had　any　return？〃　he　began。







Romayne　stopped　him　there。　〃I　don't　want　my　infirmities　made



public；〃　he　whispered　back　irritably。　〃Look　at　the　people　all



round　us！　When　I　tell　you　I　have　been　better　lately；　_you_　ought



to　know　what　it　means。〃







〃Any　discoverable　reason　for　the　improvement？〃　persisted　the



Major；　still　bent　on　getting　evidence　in　support　of　his　own



private　conclusions。







〃None！〃　Romayne　answered　sharply。







But　Major　Hynd　was　not　to　be　discouraged　by　sharp　replies。　〃Miss



Eyrecourt　and　I　have　been　recalling　our　first　meeting　on　board



the　steamboat；〃　he　went　on。　〃Do　you　remember　how　indifferent　you



were　to　that　beautiful　person　when　I　asked　you　if　you　knew　her？



I'm　glad　to　see　that　you　show　better　taste　to…night。　I　wish　I



knew　her　well　enough　to　shake　hands　as　you　did。〃







〃Hynd！　When　a　young　man　talks　nonsense；　his　youth　is　his　excuse。



At　your　time　of　life；　you　have　passed　the　excusable　ageeven　in



the　estimation　of　your　friends。〃







With　those　words　Romayne　turned　away。　The　incorrigible　Major



instantly　met　the　reproof　inflicted　on　him　with　a　smart　answer。



〃Remember；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　was　the　first　of　your　friends　to



wish　you　happiness！〃　He；　too；　turned　awayin　the　direction　of



the　champagne　and　the　sandwiches。







Meanwhile；　Stella　had　discovered　Penrose；　lost　in　the　brilliant



assemblage　of　guests；　standing　alone　in　a　corner。　It　was　enough



for　her　that　Romayne's　secretary　was　also　Romayne's　friend。



Passing　by　titled　and　celebrated　personages；　all　anxious　to　speak



to　her；　she　joined　the　shy；　nervous；　sad…looking　little　man；　and



did　all　she　could　to　set　him　at　his　ease。







〃I　am　afraid；　Mr。　Penrose；　this　is　not　a　very　attractive　scene　to



you。〃　Having　said　those　kind　words；　she　paused。　Penrose　was



looking　at　her　confusedly；　but　with　an　expression　of　interest



which　was　new　to　her　experience　of　him。　〃Has　Romayne　told　him？〃



she　wondered　inwardly。







〃It　is　a　very　beautiful　scene；　Miss　Eyrecourt；〃　he　said；　in　his



low　quiet　tones。







〃Did　you　come　here　with　Mr。　Romayne？〃　she　asked。







〃Yes。　It　was　by　his　advice　that　I　accepted　the　invitation　with



which　Lady　Loring　has　honored　me。　I　am　sadly　out　of　place　in　such



an　assembly　as　thisbut　I　would　make　far　greater　sacrifices　to



please　Mr。　Romayne。〃







She　smiled　kindly。　Attachment　so　artlessly　devoted　to　the　man　she



loved；　pleased　and　touched　her。　In　her　anxiety　to　discover　a



subject　which　might　interest　him；　she　overcame　her　antipathy　to



the　spiritual　director　of　the　household。　〃Is　Father　Benwell



coming　to　us　to…night？〃　she　inquired。







〃He　will　certainly　be　here；　Miss　Eyrecourt；　if　he　can　get　back　to



London　in　time。〃







〃Has　he　been　long　away？〃







〃Nearly　a　week。〃







Not　knowing　what　else　to　say；　she　still　paid　Penrose　the



com