the black robe-第35章

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



be　treated　with　even　the　appearance　of　disrespect。　〃Oh；〃　she



said；　〃think　how　mortified　and　distressed　my　mother　would　be！　She



_must_　be　present　at　my　marriage。〃







An　idea　of　a　compromise　occurred　to　Romayne。　〃What　do　you　say；〃



he　proposed；　〃to　arranging　for　the　marriage　privatelyand　then



telling　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　only　a　day　or　two　beforehand；　when　it



would　be　too　late　to　send　out　invitations？　If　your　mother　would



be　disappointed〃







〃She　would　be　angry；〃　Stella　interposed。







〃Very　welllay　all　the　blame　on　me。　Besides；　there　might　be　two



other　persons　present；　whom　I　am　sure　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　is　always



glad　to　meet。　You　don't　object　to　Lord　and　Lady　Loring？〃







〃Object？　They　are　my　dearest　friends；　as　well　as　yours！〃







〃Any　one　else；　Stella？〃







〃Any　one；　Lewis；　whom　_you_　like。







〃Then　I　sayno　one　else。　My　own　love；　when　may　it　be？　My　lawyers



can　get　the　settlements　ready　in　a　fortnight；　or　less。　Will　you



say　in　a　fortnight？〃







His　arm　was　round　her　waist；　his　lips　were　touching　her　lovely



neck。　She　was　not　a　woman　to　take　refuge　in　the　commonplace



coquetries　of　the　sex。　〃Yes；〃　she　said；　softly；　〃if　you　wish　it。〃



She　rose　and　withdrew　herself　from　him。　〃For　my　sake；　we　must　not



be　here　together　any　longer；　Lewis。〃　As　she　spoke；　the　music　in



the　ballroom　ceased。　Stella　ran　out　of　the　conservatory。







The　first　person　she　encountered；　on　returning　to　the



reception…room；　was　Father　Benwell。







CHAPTER　III。







THE　END　OF　THE　BALL。







THE　priest's　long　journey　did　not　appear　to　have　fatigued　him。　He



was　as　cheerful　and　as　polite　as　everand　so　paternally



attentive　to　Stella　that　it　was　quite　impossible　for　her　to　pass



him　with　a　formal　bow。







〃I　have　come　all　the　way　from　Devonshire；〃　he　said。　〃The　train



has　been　behind　time　as　usual；　and　I　am　one　of　the　late　arrivals



in　consequence。　I　miss　some　familiar　faces　at　this　delightful



party。　Mr。　Romayne；　for　instance。　Perhaps　he　is　not　one　of　the



guests？〃







〃Oh；　yes。〃







〃Has　he　gone　away？〃







〃Not　that　I　know　of。〃







The　tone　of　her　replies　warned　Father　Benwell　to　let　Romayne　be。



He　tried　another　name。







〃And　Arthur　Penrose？〃　he　inquired　next。







〃I　think　Mr。　Penrose　has　left　us。〃







As　she　answered　she　looked　toward　Lady　Loring。　The　hostess　was



the　center　of　a　circle　of　ladles　and　gentlemen。　Before　she　was　at



liberty；　Father　Benwell　might　take　his　departure。　Stella　resolved



to　make　the　attempt　for　herself　which　she　had　asked　Lady　Loring



to　make　for　her。　It　was　better　to　try；　and　to　be　defeated；　than



not　to　try　at　all。







〃I　asked　Mr。　Penrose　what　part　of　Devonshire　you　were　visiting；〃



she　resumed；　assuming　her　more　gracious　manner。　〃I　know　something



myself　of　the　north　coast；　especially　the　neighborhood　of



Clovelly。〃







Not　the　faintest　change　passed　over　the　priest's　face；　his



fatherly　smile　had　never　been　in　a　better　state　of　preservation。







〃Isn't　it　a　charming　place？〃　he　said　with　enthusiasm。　〃Clovelly



is　the　most　remarkable　and　most　beautiful　village　in　England。　I



have　so　enjoyed　my　little　holidayexcursions　by　sea　and



excursions　by　land…　you　know　I　feel　quite　young　again？〃







He　lifted　his　eyebrows　playfully；　and　rubbed　his　plump　hands　one



over　the　other　with　such　an　intolerably　innocent　air　of　enjoyment



that　Stella　positively　hated　him。　She　felt　her　capacity　for



self…restraint　failing　her。　Under　the　influence　of　strong　emotion



her　thoughts　lost　their　customary　discipline。　In　attempting　to



fathom　Father　Benwell；　she　was　conscious　of　having　undertaken　a



task　which　required　more　pliable　moral　qualities　than　she



possessed。　To　her　own　unutterable　annoyance；　she　was　at　a　loss



what　to　say　next。







At　that　critical　moment　her　mother　appearedeager　for　news　of



the　conquest　of　Romayne。







〃My　dear　child；　how　pale　you　look！〃　said　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　〃Come



with　me　directlyyou　must　have　a　glass　of　wine。〃







This　dexterous　devic　e　for　entrapping　Stella　into　a　private



conversation　failed。　〃Not　now；　mamma；　thank　you；〃　she　said。







Father　Benwell；　on　the　point　of　discreetly　withdrawing；　stopped；



and　looked　at　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　with　an　appearance　of　respectful



interest。　As　things　were；　it　might　not　have　been　worth　his　while



to　take　the　trouble　of　discovering　her。　But　when　she　actually



placed　herself　in　his　way；　the　chance　of　turning　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



to　useful　account　was　not　a　chance　to　be　neglected。　〃Your



mother？〃　he　said　to　Stella。　〃I　should　feel　honored　if　you　will



introduce　me。〃







Having　（not　very　willingly）　performed　the　ceremony　of



presentation；　Stella　drew　back　a　little。　She　had　no　desire　to



take　any　part　in　the　conversation　that　might　followbut　she　had



her　own　reasons　for　waiting　near　enough　to　hear　it。







In　the　meanwhile；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　turned　on　her　inexhaustible　flow



of　small…talk　with　her　customary　facility。　No　distinction　of



persons　troubled　her；　no　convictions　of　any　sort　stood　in　her



way。　She　was　equally　ready　（provided　she　met　him　in　good　society）



to　make　herself　agreeable　to　a　Puritan　or　a　Papist。







〃Delighted　to　make　your　acquaintance；　Father　Benwell。　Surely　I



met　you　at　that　delightful　evening　at　the　Duke's？　I　mean　when　we



welcomed　the　Cardinal　back　from　Rome。　Dear　old　manif　one　may



speak　so　familiarly　of　a　Prince　of　the　Church。　How　charmingly　he



bears　his　new　honors。　Such　patriarchal　simplicity；　as　every　one



remarked。　Have　you　seen　him　lately？〃







The　idea　of　the　Order　to　which　he　belonged　feeling　any　special



interest　in　a　Cardinal　（except　when　they　made　him　of　some　use　to



them）　privately　amused　Father　Benwell。　〃How　wise　the　Church　was；〃



he　thought；　〃in　inventing　a　spiritual　aristocracy。　Even　this　fool



of　a　woman　is　impressed　by　it。〃　His　spoken　reply　was　true　to　his



assumed　character　as　one　of　the　inferior　clergy。　〃Poor　priests



like　me；　madam；　see　but　little　of　Princes　of　the　Church　in　the



houses　of　Dukes。〃　Saying　this　with　the　most　becoming　humility；　he



turned　the　talk　in　a　more　productive　direction；　before　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　could　proceed　with　her　recollections　of　〃the　evening　at



the　Duke's。〃







〃Your　charming　daughter　and　I　have　been　talking　about　Clovelly；〃



he　continued。　〃I　have　just　been　spending　a　little　holiday　in　that



delightful　place。　It　was　a　surprise　to　me；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　to　see



so　many　really　beautiful　country　seats　in　the　neighborhood。　I　was



particularly　struckyou　know　it；　of　course？by　Beaupark　House。〃







Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　little　twinging　eyes　suddenly　became　still　and



steady。　It　was　only　for　a　moment。　But　that　trifling　change　boded



ill　for　the　purpose　which　the　priest　had　in　view。　Even　the　wits



of　a　fool　can　be　quickened　by　contact　with　the　world。　For　many



years　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　had　held　her　place　in　society；　acting　under



an　intensely　selfish　sense　of　her　own　interests；　fortified　by



those　cunning　instincts　which　grow　best　in　a　barren　intellect。



Perfectly　unworthy　of　being　trusted　with　secrets　which　only



concerned　other　people；　this　frivolous　creature　could　be　the



unassailable　guardian　of　secrets　which　concerned　herself。　The



instant　the　priest　referred　indirectly　to　Winterfield；　by



speaking　of　Beaupark：　House；　her　instincts　warned　her；　as　if　in



words：Be　careful　for　Stella's　sake！







〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　〃I　know　Beaupark　House；　butmay



I　make　a　c