the black robe-第34章

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chess…room；　turned　into　a　corridor；　and　entered　the　conservatory。







For　the　first　time　the　place　was　a　solitude。　The　air　of　a



newly…invented　dance；　faintly　audible　through　the　open　windows　of



the　ballroom　above；　had　proved　an　irresistible　temptation。　Those



who　knew　the　dance　were　eager　to　exhibit　themselves。　Those　who



had　only　heard　of　it　were　equally　anxious　to　look　on　and　learn。



Even　toward　the　latter　end　of　the　nineteenth　century　the　youths



and　maidens　of　Society　can　still　be　in　earnestwhen　the　object



in　view　is　a　new　dance。







What　would　Major　Hynd　have　said　if　he　had　seen　Romayne　turn　into



one　of　the　recesses　of　the　conservatory；　in　which　there　was　a



seat　which　just　held　two？　But　the　Major　had　forgotten　his　years



and　his　family；　and　he　too　was　one　of　the　spectators　in　the



ballroom。







〃I　wonder；〃　said　Stella；　〃whether　you　know　how　I　feel　those　kind



words　of　yours　when　you　spoke　of　my　mother。　Shall　I　tell　you？〃







She　put　her　arm　round　his　neck　and　kissed　him。　He　was　a　man　new



to　love；　in　the　nobler　sense　of　the　word。　The　exquisite　softness



in　the　touch　of　her　lips；　the　delicious　fragrance　of　her　breath；



intoxicated　him。　Again　and　again　he　returned　the　kiss。　She　drew



back；　she　recovered　her　self…possession　with　a　suddenness　and　a



certainty　incomprehensible　to　a　man。　From　the　depths　of



tenderness　she　passed　to　the　shallows　of　frivolity。　In　her　own





defense　she　was　almost　as　superficial　as　her　mother；　in　less　than



a　moment。







〃What　would　Mr。　Penrose　say　if　he　saw　you？〃　she　whispered。







〃Why　do　you　speak　of　Penrose？　Have　you　seen　him　to…night？〃







〃Yeslooking　sadly　out　of　his　element；　poor　man。　I　did　my　best



to　set　him　at　his　easebecause　I　know　_you_　like　him。〃







〃Dear　Stella！〃







〃No；　not　again！　I　am　speaking　seriously　now。　Mr。　Penrose　looked



at　me　with　a　strange　kind　of　interestI　can't　describe　it。　Have



you　taken　him　into　our　confidence？〃







〃He　is　so　devotedhe　has　such　a　true　interest　in　me；〃　said



Romayne〃I　really　felt　ashamed　to　treat　him　like　a　stranger。　On



our　journey　to　London　I　did　own　that　it　was　your　charming　letter



which　had　decided　me　on　returning。　I　did　say；　'I　must　tell　her



myself　how　well　she　has　understood　me；　and　how　deeply　I　feel　her



kindness。'　Penrose　took　my　hand；　in　his　gentle；　considerate　way。



'I　understand　you；　too；'　he　saidand　that　was　all　that　passed



between　us。〃







〃Nothing　more；　since　that　time？〃







〃Nothing。〃







〃Not　a　word　of　what　we　said　to　each　other　when　we　were　alone　last



week　in　the　picture　gallery？〃







〃Not　a　word。　I　am　self…tormentor　enough　to　distrust　myself；　even



now。　God　knows　I　have　concealed　nothing　from　you；　and　yet　Am　I



not　selfishly　thinking　of　my　own　happiness；　Stella；　when　I　ought



to　be　thinking　only　of　you？　You　know；　my　angel；　with　what　a　life



you　must　associate　yourself　if　you　marry　me。　Are　you　really　sure



tha　t　you　have　love　enough　and　courage　enough　to　be　my　wife？〃







She　rested　her　head　caressingly　on　his　shoulder；　and　looked　up　at



him　with　her　charming　smile。







〃How　many　times　must　I　say　it；〃　she　asked；　〃before　you　will



believe　me？　Once　moreI　have　love　enough　and　courage　enough　to



be　your　wife；　and　I　knew　it；　Lewis；　the　first　time　I　saw　you！



Will　_that_　confession　satisfy　your　scruples？　And　will　you



promise　never　again　to　doubt　yourself　or　me？〃







Romayne　promised；　and　sealed　the　promiseunresisted　this



timewith　a　kiss。　〃When　are　we　to　be　married？〃　he　whispered。







She　lifted　her　head　from　his　shoulder　with　a　sigh。　〃If　I　am　to



answer　you　honestly；〃　she　replied；　〃I　must　speak　of　my　mother；



before　I　speak　of　myself。〃







Romayne　submitted　to　the　duties　of　his　new　position；　as　well　as



he　understood　them。　〃Do　you　mean　that　you　have　told　your　mother



of　our　engagement？〃　he　said。　〃In　that　case；　is　it　my　duty　or



yoursI　am　very　ignorant　in　these　mattersto　consult　her



wishes？　My　own　idea　is；　that　I　ought　to　ask　her　if　she　approves



of　me　as　her　son…in…law；　and　that　you　might　then　speak　to　her　of



the　marriage。〃







Stella　thought　of　Romayne's　tastes；　all　in　favor　of　modest



retirement；　and　of　her　mother's　tastes；　all　in　favor　of



ostentation　and　display。　She　frankly　owned　the　result　produced　in



her　own　mind。　〃I　am　afraid　to　consult　my　mother　about　our



marriage；　〃　she　said。







Romayne　looked　astonished。　〃Do　you　think　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　will



disapprove　of　it？〃　he　asked。







Stella　was　equally　astonished　on　her　side。　〃Disapprove　of　it？〃



she　repeated。　〃I　know　for　certain　that　my　mother　will　be



delighted。〃







〃Then　where　is　the　difficulty？〃







There　was　but　one　way　of　definitely　answering　that　question。



Stella　boldly　described　her　mother's　idea　of　a　weddingincluding



the　Archbishop；　the　twelve　bridesmaids　in　green　and　gold；　and　the



hundred　guests　at　breakfast　in　Lord　Loring's　picture　gallery。



Romayne's　consternation　literally　deprived　him；　for　the　moment；



of　the　power　of　speech。　To　say　that　he　looked　at　Stella；　as　a



prisoner　in　〃the　condemned　cell〃　might　have　looked　at　the



sheriff；　announcing　the　morning　of　his　execution；　would　be　to　do



injustice　to　the　prisoner。　He　receives　_his_　shock　without



flinching；　and；　in　proof　of　his　composure；　celebrates　his　wedding



with　the　gallows　by　a　breakfast　which　he　will　not　live　to　digest。







〃If　you　think　as　your　mother　does；〃　Romayne　began；　as　soon　as　he



had　recovered　his　self…possession；　〃no　opinion　of　mine　shall



stand　in　the　way〃　He　could　get　no　further。　His　vivid



imagination　saw　the　Archbishop　and　the　bridesmaids；　heard　the



hundred　guests　and　their　dreadful　speeches：　his　voice　faltered；



in　spite　of　himself。







Stella　eagerly　relieved　him。　〃My　darling；　I　don't　think　as　my



mother　does；〃　she　interposed；　tenderly。　〃I　am　sorry　to　say　we



have　very　few　sympathies　in　common。　Marriages；　as　I　think；　ought



to　be　celebrated　as　privately　as　possiblethe　near　and　dear



relations　present；　and　no　one　else。　If　there　must　be　rejoicings



and　banquets；　and　hundreds　of　invitations；　let　them　come　when　the



wedded　pair　are　at　home　after　the　honeymoon；　beginning　life　in



earnest。　These　are　odd　ideas　for　a　woman　to　havebut　they　_are_



my　ideas；　for　all　that。〃







Romayne's　face　brightened。　〃How　few　women　possess　your　fine　sense



and　your　delicacy　of　feeling！〃　he　exclaimed　〃Surely　your　mother



must　give　way；　when　she　hears　we　are　both　of　one　mind　about　our



marriage。〃







Stella　knew　her　mother　too　well　to　share　the　opinion　thus



expressed。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　capacity　for　holding　to　her　own



little　ideas；　and　for　persisting　（where　her　social　interests　were



concerned）　in　trying　to　insinuate　those　ideas　into　the　minds　of



other　persons；　was　a　capacity　which　no　resistance；　short　of



absolute　brutality；　could　overcome。　She　was　perfectly　capable　of



worrying　Romayne　（as　well　as　her　daughter）　to　the　utmost　limits



of　human　endurance；　in　the　firm　conviction　that　she　was　bound　to



convert　all　heretics；　of　their　way　of　thinking；　to　the　orthodox



faith　in　the　matter　of　weddings。　Putting　this　view　of　the　case



with　all　possible　delicacy；　in　speaking　of　her　mother；　Stella



expressed　herself　plainly　enough；　nevertheless；　to　enlighten



Romayne。







He　made　another　suggestion。　〃Can　we　marry　privately；〃　he　said；



〃and　tell　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　of　it　afterward？〃







This　essentially　masculine　solution　of　the　difficulty　was　at　once



rejected。　Stella　was　too　good　a　daughter　to　suffer　her　mother　to



be　treated