the black robe-第33章

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〃Nearly　a　week。〃







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



compliment　of　feigning　an　interest　in　Father　Benwell。







〃Has　he　a　long　journey　to　make　in　returning　to　London？〃　she



asked。







〃Yesall　the　way　from　Devonshire。〃







〃From　South　Devonshire？〃







〃No。　North　DevonshireClovelly。〃







The　smile　suddenly　left　her　face。　She　put　another



questionwithout　quite　concealing　the　effort　that　it　cost　her；



or　the　anxiety　with　which　she　waited　for　the　reply。







〃I　know　something　of　the　neighborhood　of　Clovelly；〃　she　said。　〃I



wonder　whether　Father　Benwell　is　visiting　any　friends　of　mine



there？〃







〃I　am　not　able　to　say；　Miss　Eyrecourt。　The　reverend　Father's



letters　are　forwarded　to　the　hotelI　know　no　more　than　that。〃







With　a　gentle　inclination　of　her　head；　she　turned　toward　other



guestslooked　backand　with　a　last　little　courteous　attention



offered　to　him；　said；　〃If　you　like　music；　Mr。　Penrose；　I　advise



you　to　go　to　the　picture　gallery。　They　are　going　to　play　a



Quartet　by　Mozart。〃







Penrose　thanked　her；　noticing　that　her　voice　and　manner　had



become　strangely　subdued。　She　made　her　way　back　to　the　room　in



which　the　hostess　received　her　guests。　Lady　Loring　was；　for　the



moment；　alone；　resting　on　a　sofa。　Stella　stooped　over　her；　and



spoke　in　cautiously　lowered　tones。







〃If　Father　Benwell　comes　here　to…night；〃　she　said；　〃try　to　find



out　what　he　has　been　doing　at　Clovelly。〃







〃Clovelly？〃　Lady　Loring　repeated。　〃Is　that　the　village　near



Winterfield's　house？〃







〃Yes。〃







CHAPTER　II。







THE　QUESTION　OF　MARRIAGE。







As　Stella　answered　Lady　Loring；　she　was　smartly　tapped　on　the



shoulder　by　an　eager　guest　with　a　fan。







The　guest　was　a　very　little　woman；　with　twinkling　eyes　and　a



perpetual　smile。　Nature；　corrected　by　powder　and　paint；　was　liber



ally　displayed　in　her　arms；　her　bosom；　and　the　upper　part　of　her



back。　Such　clothes　as　she　wore；　defective　perhaps　in　quantity；



were　in　quality　absolutely　perfect。　More　adorable　color；　shape；



and　workmanship　never　appeared；　even　in　a　milliner's



picture…book。　Her　light　hair　was　dressed　with　a　fringe　and



ringlets；　on　the　pattern　which　the　portraits　of　the　time　of



Charles　the　Second　have　made　familiar　to　us。　There　was　nothing



exactly　young　or　exactly　old　about　her　except　her　voice；　which



betrayed　a　faint　hoarseness；　attributable　possibly　to　exhaustion



produced　by　untold　years　of　incessant　talking。　It　might　be　added



that　she　was　as　active　as　a　squirrel　and　as　playful　as　a　kitten。



But　the　lady　must　be　treated　with　a　certain　forbearance　of　tone；



for　this　good　reasonshe　was　Stella's　mother。







Stella　turned　quickly　at　the　tap　of　the　fan。　〃Mamma！〃　she



exclaimed；　〃how　you　startle　me！〃







〃My　dear　child；〃　said　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　〃you　are　constitutionally



indolent；　and　you　want　startling。　Go　into　the　next　room　directly。



Mr。　Romayne　is　looking　for　you。〃







Stella　drew　back　a　step；　and　eyed　her　mother　in　blank　surprise。



〃Is　it　possible　that　you　know　him？〃　she　asked。







〃Mr。　Romayne　doesn't　go　into　Society；　or　we　should　have　met　long



since；〃　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　replied。　〃He　is　a　striking　personand　I



noticed　him　when　he　shook　hands　with　you。　That　was　quite　enough



for　me。　I　have　just　introduced　myself　to　him　as　your　mother。　He



was　a　little　stately　and　stiff；　but　most　charming　when　he　knew



who　I　was。　I　volunteered　to　find　you。　He　was　quite　astonished。　I



think　he　took　me　for　your　elder　sister。　Not　the　least　like　each



otherare　we；　Lady　Loring？　She　takes　after　her　poor　dear　father。



_He_　was　constitutionally　indolent。　My　sweet　child；　rouse



yourself。　You　have　drawn　a　prize　in　the　great　lottery　at　last。　If



ever　a　man　was　in　love；　Mr。　Romayne　is　that　man。　I　am　a



physiognomist；　Lady　Loring；　and　I　see　the　passions　in　the　face。



Oh；　Stella；　what　a　property！　Vange　Abbey。　I　once　drove　that　way



when　I　was　visiting　in　the　neighborhood。　Superb！　And　another



fortune　（twelve　thousand　a　year　and　a　villa　at　Highgate）　since



the　death　of　his　aunt。　And　my　daughter　may　be　mistress　of　this　if



she　only　plays　her　cards　properly。　What　a　compensation　after　all



that　we　suffered　through　that　monster；　Winterfield！〃







〃Mamma！　Pray　don't　！〃







〃Stella；　I　will　_not_　be　interrupted；　when　I　am　speaking　to　you



for　your　own　good。　I　don't　know　a　more　provoking　person；　Lady



Loring；　than　my　daughteron　certain　occasions。　And　yet　I　love



her。　I　would　go　through　fire　and　water　for　my　beautiful　child。



Only　last　week　I　was　at　a　wedding；　and　I　thought　of　Stella。　The



church　was　crammed　to　the　doors！　A　hundred　at　the　wedding



breakfast！　The　bride's　lacethere；　no　language　can　describe　it。



Ten　bridesmaids；　in　blue　and　silver。　Reminded　me　of　the　ten



virgins。　Only　the　proportion　of　foolish　ones；　this　time；　was



certainly　more　than　five。　However；　they　looked　well。　The



Archbishop　proposed　the　health　of　the　bride　and　bridegroom；　so



sweetly　pathetic。　Some　of　us　cried。　I　thought　of　my　daughter。　Oh；



if　I　could　live　to　see　Stella　the　central　attraction；　so　to



speak；　of　such　a　wedding　as　that。　Only　I　would　have　twelve



bridesmaids　at　least；　and　beat　the　blue　and　silver　with　green　and



gold。　Trying　to　the　complexion；　you　will　say。　But　there　are



artificial　improvements。　At　least；　I　am　told　so。　What　a　house



this　would　bea　broad　hint；　isn't　it；　dear　Lady　Loring？what　a



house　for　a　wedding；　with　the　drawing…room　to　assemble　in　and　the



picture　gallery　for　the　breakfast。　I　know　the　Archbishop。　My



darling；　he　shall　marry　you。　Why　_don't_　you　go　into　the　next



room？　Ah；　that　constitutional　indolence。　If　you　only　had　my



energy；　as　I　used　to　say　to　your　poor　father。　_Will_　you　go？　Yes；



dear　Lady　Loring；　I　should　like　a　glass　of　champagne；　and　another



of　those　delicious　chicken　sandwiches。　If　you　don't　go；　Stella；　I



shall　forget　every　consideration　of　propriety；　and；　big　as　you



are；　I　shall　push　you　out。〃







Stella　yielded　to　necessity。　〃Keep　her　quiet；　if　you　can；〃　she



whispered　to　Lady　Loring；　in　the　moment　of　silence　that　followed。



Even　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　was　not　able　to　talk　while　she　was　drinking



champagne。







In　the　next　room　Stella　found　Romayne。　He　looked　careworn　and



irritable；　but　brightened　directly　when　she　approached　him。







〃My　mother　has　been　speaking　to　you；〃　she　said。　〃I　am　afraid〃







He　stopped　her　there。　〃She　_is_　your　mother；〃　he　interposed；



kindly。　〃Don't　think　that　I　am　ungrateful　enough　to　forget　that。〃







She　took　his　arm；　and　looked　at　him　with　all　her　heart　in　her



eyes。　〃Come　into　a　quieter　room；〃　she　whispered。







Romayne　led　her　away。　Neither　of　them　noticed　Penrose　as　they



left　the　room。







He　had　not　moved　since　Stella　had　spoken　to　him。　There　he



remained　in　his　corner；　absorbed　in　thoughtand　not　in　happy



thought；　as　his　face　would　have　plainly　betrayed　to　any　one　who



had　cared　to　look　at　him。　His　eyes　sadly　followed　the　retiring



figures　of　Stella　and　Romayne。　The　color　rose　on　his　haggard



cheeks。　Like　most　men　who　are　accustomed　to　live　alone；　he　had



the　habit；　when　he　was　strongly　excited；　of　speaking　to　himself。



〃No；〃　he　said；　as　the　unacknowledged　lovers　disappeared　through



the　door；　〃it　is　an　insult　to　ask　me　to　do　it！〃　He　turned　the



other　way；　escaped　Lady　Loring's　notice　in　the　reception…room；



and　left　the　house。







Romayne　and　Stella　passed　through　the　card…room　and　the



chess…room；　turned　into　a　corridor；　and　entered　the　conservator