the black robe-第37章

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〃Forgive　me　for　owning　it　plainly；〃　said　Lady　Loring〃I　think



you　and　your　mother　are　a　little　too　ready　to　suspect　Father



Benwell　without　any　discoverable　cause。　Thousands　of　people　go　to



Clovelly；　and　Beaupark　House　is　one　of　the　show…places　in　the



neighborhood。　Is　there　a　little　Protestant　prejudice　in　this　new



idea　of　yours？〃







Stella　made　no　reply；　she　seemed　to　be　lost　in　her　own　thoughts。







Lady　Loring　went　on。







〃I　am　open　to　conviction；　my　dear。　If　you　will　only　tell　me　what



interest　Father　Benwell　can　have　in　knowing　about　you　and



Winterfield〃







Stella　suddenly　looked　up。　〃Let　us　speak　of　another　person；〃　she



said；　〃I　own　I　don't　like　Father　Benwell。　As　you　know；　Romayne



has　concealed　nothing　from　me。　Ought　I　to　have　any　concealments



from　_him？_　Ought　I　not　to　tell　him　about　Winterfield？〃







Lady　Loring　started。　〃You　astonish　me；〃　she　said。　〃What　right　has



Romayne　to　know　it？〃







〃What　right　have　I　to　keep　it　a　secret　from　him？〃







〃My　dear　Stella！　if　you　had　been　in　any　way　to　blame　in　that



miserable　matter；　I　should　be　the　last　person　in　the　world　to



advise　you　to　keep　it　a　secret。　But　you　are　innocent　of　all



blame。　No　mannot　even　the　man　who　is　soon　to　be　your



husbandhas　a　right　to　know　what　you　have　so　unjustly　suffered。



Think　of　the　humiliation　of　even　speaking　of　it　to　Romayne！〃







〃I　daren't　think　of　it；〃　cried　Stella　passionately。　〃But　if　it　is



my　duty〃







〃It　is　your　duty　to　consider　the　consequences；〃　Lady　Loring



interposed。　〃You　don't　know　how　such　things　sometimes　rankle　in　a



man's　mind。　He　may　be　perfectly　willing　to　do　you　justiceand



yet；　there　may　be　moments　when　he　would　doubt　if　you　had　told　him



the　whole　truth。　I　speak　with　the　experience　of　a　married　woman。



Don't　place　yourself　in　_that_　position　toward　your　husband；　if



you　wish　for　a　happy　married　life。〃







Stella　was　not　quite　convinced　yet。　〃Suppose　Romayne　finds　it



out？〃　she　said。







〃He　can't　possibly　find　it　out。　I　detest　Winterfield；　but　let　us



do　him　justice。　He　is　no　fool。　He　has　his　position　in　the　world



to　keep　upand　that　is　enough　of　itself　to　close　his　lips。　And



as　for　others；　there　are　only　three　people　now　in　England　who



_could_　betray　you。　I　suppose　you　can　trust　your　mother；　and　Lord



Loring；　and　me？〃







It　was　needless　to　answer　such　a　question　as　that。　Before　Stella



could　speak　again；　Lord　Loring's　voice　was　audible　outside　the



door。　〃What！　talking　still；〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Not　in　bed　yet？〃







〃Come　in！〃　cried　his　wife。　〃Let　us　hear　what　my　husband　thinks；〃



she　said　to　Stella。







Lord　Loring　listened　with　the　closest　attention　while　the　subject



under　discussion　was　communicated　to　him。　When　the　time　came　to



give　his　opinion；　he　sided　unhesitatingly　with　his　wife。







〃If　the　fault　was　yours；　even　in　the　slightest　degree；〃　he　said



to　Stella；　〃Romayne　would　have　a　right　to　be　taken　into　your



confidence。　But；　my　dear　child；　we；　who　know　the　truth；　know　you



to　be　a　pure　and　innocent　woman。　You　go　to　Romayne　in　every　way



worthy　of　him；　and　you　know　that　he　loves　you。　If　you　did　tell



him　that　miserable　story；　he　could　only　pity　you。　Do　you　want　to



be　pitied？〃







Those　last　unanswerable　words　brought　the　debate　to　an　end。　From



that　moment　the　subject　was　dropped。















There　was　still　one　other　person　among　the　guests　at　the　ball　who



was　waking　in　the　small　hours　of　the　morning。　Father　Benwell；



wrapped　comfortably　in　his　dressing　gown；　was　too　hard　at　work　on



his　correspondence　to　think　of　his　bed。　With　one　exception；　all



the　letters　that　he　had　written　thus　far　were　closed；　directed



and　stamped　for　the　post。　The　letter　that　he　kept　open　he　was　now



engaged　in　reconsidering　and　correcting。　It　was　addressed　as



usual　to　the　Secretary　of　the　Order　at　Rome；　and；　when　it　had



undergone　the　final　revision；　it　contained　these　lines：







My　last　letter　informed　you　of　Romayne's　return　to　London　and　to



Miss　Eyrecourt。　Let　me　entreat　our　reverend　brethren　to　preserve



perfect　tranquillity　of　mind；　in　spite　of　this　circumstance。　The



owner　of　Vange　Abbey　is　not　married　yet。　If　patience　and



perseverance　on　my　part　win　their　fair　reward；　Miss　Eyrecourt



shall　never　be　his　wife。







But　let　me　not　conceal　the　truth。　In　the　uncertain　future　that



lies　before　us；　I　have　no　one　to　depend　on　but　myself。　Penrose　is



no　longer　to　be　trusted；　and　the　exertions　of　the　agent　to　whom　I



committed　my　inquiries　are　exertions　that　have　failed。







I　will　dispose　of　the　case　of　Penrose　first。







The　zeal　with　which　this　young　man　has　undertaken　the　work　of



conversion　intrusted　to　him　has；　I　regret　to　say；　not　been　fired



by　devotion　to　the　interests　of　the　Church；　but　by　a　dog…like



affection　for　Romayne。　Without　waiting　for　my　permission；　Penrose



has　revealed　himself　in　his　true　character　as　a　priest。　And；　more



than　this；　he　has　not　only　refused　to　observe　the　proceedings　of



Romayne　and　Miss　Eyrecourthe　has　deliberately　closed　his　ears



to　the　confidence　which　Romayne　wished　to　repose　in　him；　on　the



ground　that　I　might　have　ordered　him　to　repeat　that　confidence　to



me。







To　what　use　can　we　put　this　poor　fellow's　ungovernable　sense　of



honor　and　gratitude？　Under　present　circumstances；　he　is　clearly



of　little　use　to　us。　I　have　therefore　given　him　time　to　think。



That　is　to　say；　I　have　not　opposed　his　leaving　London；　to　assist



in　the　spiritual　care　of　a　country　district。　It　will　be　a



question　for　the　future；　whether　we　may　not　turn　his　enthusiasm



to　good　account　in　a　foreign　mission。　However；　as　it　is　always



possible　that　his　influence　may　still　be　of　use　to　us；　I　venture



to　suggest　keeping　him　within　our　reach　until　Romayne's



conversion　has　actually　taken　place。　Don't　suppose　that　the



present　separation　between　them　is　final；　I　will　answer　for　their



meeting　again。















I　may　now　proceed　to　the　failure　of　my　agent；　and　to　the　course



of　action　that　I　have　adopted　in　consequence。







The　investigations　appear　to　have　definitely　broken　down　at　the



seaside　village　of　Clovelly；　in　the　neighborhood　of　Mr。



Winterfield's　country　seat。　Knowing　that　I　could　depend　upon　the



information　which　associated　this　gentleman　with　Miss　Eyrecourt；



under　compromising　circumstances　of　some　sort；　I　decided　on



seeing　Mr。　Winterfield；　and　judging　for　myself。







The　agent's　report　informed　me　that　the　person　who　had　finally



baffled　his　inquiries　was　an　aged　Catholic　priest；　long　resident



at　Clovelly。　His　name　is　Newbliss；　and　he　is　much　respected　among



the　Catholic　gentry　in　that　part　of　Devonshire。　After　due



consideration；　I　obtained　a　letter　of　introduction　to　my　reverend



colleague；　and　traveled　to　Clovellytelling　my　friends　here　that



I　was　taking　a　little　holiday；　in　the　interests　of　my　health。







I　found　Father　Newbliss　a　venerable　and　reticent　son　of　the



Churchwith　one　weak　point；　however；　to　work　on；　which　was



entirely　beyond　the　reach　of　the　otherwise　astute　person　charged



with　my　inquiries。　My　reverend　friend　is　a　scholar；　and　is



inordinately　proud　of　his　learning。　I　am　a　scholar　too。　In　that



capacity　I　first　found　my　way　to　his　sympathies；　and　then　gently



encouraged　his　pride。　The　result　will　appear　in　certain



discoveries；　which　I　number　as　follows：







1。　The　events　which　connect　Mr。　Winterfield　with　Miss　Eyrecourt



happened　about　two　years　since；　and　had　their　beginning　at



Beaupa