the black robe-第38章

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happened　about　two　years　since；　and　had　their　beginning　at



Beaupark　House。







2。　At　this　period；　Miss　Eyrecourt　and　her　mother　were　staying　at



Beaupark　House。　The　general　impression　in　the　neighborhood　was



that　Mr。　Winterfield　and　Miss　Eyrecourt　were　engaged　to　be



married。







3。　Not　long　afterward；　Miss　Eyrecourt　and　her　mother　surprised



the　neighborhood　by　suddenly　leaving　Beaupark　House。　Their



destination　was　supposed　to　be　London。







4。　Mr。　Winterfield　himself　next　left　his　country　seat　for　the



Continent。　His　exact　destination　was　not　mentioned　to　any　one。



The　steward；　soon　afterward；　dismissed　all　the　servants；　and　the



house　was　left　empty　for　more　than　a　year。







5。　At　the　end　of　that　time　Mr。　Winterfield　returned　alone　to



Beaupark　House；　and　told　nobody　how；　or　where；　he　had　passed　the



long　interval　of　his　absence。







6。　Mr。　Winterfield　remains；　to　the　present　day；　an　unmarried　man。







Having　arrived　at　these　preliminary　discoveries；　it　was　time　to



try　what　I　could　make　of　Mr。　Winterfield　next。







Among　the　other　good　things　which　this　gentleman　has　inherited　is



a　magnificent　library　collected　by　his　father。　That　one　learned



man　should　take　another　learned　man　to　see　the　books　was　a



perfectly　natural　proceeding。　My　introduction　to　the　master　of



the　house　followed　my　introduction　to　the　library　almost　as　a



matter　of　course。







I　am　about　to　surprise　you；　as　I　was　myself　surprised。　In　all　my



long　experience；　Mr。　Winterfield　is；　I　think；　the　most



fascinating　person　I　ever　met　with。　Genial；　unassuming　manners；　a



prepossessing　personal　appearance；　a　sweet　temper；　a　quaint　humor



delightfully　accompanied　by　natural　refinementsuch　are　the



characteristic　qualities　of　the　man　from　whom　I　myself　saw　Miss



Eyrecourt　（accidentally　meeting　him　in　public）　recoil　with　dismay



and　disgust！　It　is　absolutely　impossible　to　look　at　him；　and　to



believe　him　to　be　capable　of　a　cruel　or　dishonorable　action。　I



never　was　so　puzzled　in　my　life。







You　may　be　inclined　to　think　that　I　am　misled　by　a　false



impression；　derived　from　the　gratifying　welcome　that　I　received



as　a　friend　of　Father　Newbliss。　I　will　not　appeal　to　my　knowledge



of　human　natureI　will　refer　to　the　unanswerable　evidence　of　Mr。



Winterfield's　poorer　neighbors。　Wherever　I　went；　in　the　village



or　out　of　it；　if　I　mentioned　his　name；　I　produced　a　universal



outburst　of　admiration　and　gratitude。　〃There　never　was　such　a



friend　to　poor　people；　and　there　never　can　be　such　another　to　the



end　of　the　world。〃　Such　was　a　fisherman's　description　of　him；　and



the　one　cry　of　all　the　men　and　women　near　us　answered；　〃That's



the　truth！〃







And　yet　there　is　something　wrongfor　this　plain　reason；　that



there　is　something　to　be　concealed　in　the　past　lives　of　Mr。



Winterfield　and　Miss　Eyrecourt。







Under　these　perplexing　circumstances；　what　use　have　I　made　of　my



opportunities？　I　am　going　to　surprise　you　againI　have　mentioned



Romayne's　name　to　Mr。　Winterfield；　and　I　have　ascertained　that



they　are；　so　far；　perfect　strangers　to　one　anotherand　that　is



all。







The　little　incident　of　mentioning　Romayne　arose　out　of　my



examination　of　the　library。　I　discovered　certain　old　volumes；



which　may　one　day　be　of　use　to　him；　if　he　continues　his



contemplated　work　on　the　Origin　of　Religions。　Hearing　me　express



myself　to　this　effect；　Mr。　Winterfield　replied　with　the　readiest



kindness：







〃I　can't　compare　myself　to　my　excellent　father；〃　he　said；　〃but　I



have　at　least　inherited　his　respect　for　the　writers　of　books。　My



library　is　a　treasure　which　I　hold　in　trust　for　the　interests　of



literature。　Pray　say　so；　from　me；　to　your　friend　Mr。　Romayne。〃







And　what　does　this　amount　to？　you　will　ask。　My　reverend　friend；



it　offers　me　an　opportunity；　in　the　future；　of　bringing　Romayne



and　Winterfield　together。　Do　you　see　the　complications　which　may



ensue？　If　I　can　put　no　other　difficulty　in　Miss　Eyrecourt's　way；



I　think　there　is　fruitful　promise　of　a　scandal　of　some　kind



arising　out　of　the　introduction　to　each　other　of　those　two　men。



You　will　agree　with　me　that　a　scandal　may　prove　a　valuable



obstacle　in　the　way　of　a　marriage。







Mr。　Winterfield　has　kindly　invited　me　to　call　on　him　when　he　is



next　in　London。　I　may　then　have　opportunities　of　putting



questions　which　I　could　not　venture　to　ask　on　a　short



acquaintance。







In　the　meantime；　I　have　obtained　another　introduction　since　my



return　to　town。　I　have　been　presented　to　Miss　Eyrecourt's　mother；



and　I　am　invited　to　drink　tea　with　her　on　Wednesday。　My　next



letter　may　tell　youwhat　Penrose　ought　to　have



discoveredwhether　Romayne　has　been　already　entrapped　into　a



marriage　engagement　or　not。







Farewell　for　the　present。　Remind　the　Reverend　Fathers；　with　my



respects；　that　I　possess　one　of　the　valuable　qualities　of　an



EnglishmanI　never　know　when　I　am　beaten。







BOOK　THE　THIRD。







CHAPTER　I。







THE　HONEYMOON。







MORE　than　six　weeks　had　passed。　The　wedded　lovers　were　still



enjoying　their　honeymoon　at　Vange　Abbey。







Some　offense　had　been　given；　not　only　to　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　but　to



friends　of　her　way　of　thinking；　by　the　strictly　private　manner　in



which　the　marriage　had　been　celebrated。　The　event　took　everybody



by　surprise　when　the　customary　advertisement　appeared　in　the



newspapers。　Foreseeing　the　unfavorable　impression　that　might　be



produced　in　some　quarters；　Stella　had　pleaded　for　a　timely



retreat　to　the　seclusion　of　Romayne's　country　house。　The　will　of



the　bride　being；　as　usual；　the　bridegroom's　law；　to　Vange　they



retired　accordingly。







On　one　lovely　moonlight　night；　early　in　July；　Mrs。　Romayne　left



her　husband　on　the　Belvidere；　described　in　Major　Hynd's



narrative；　to　give　the　housekeeper　certain　instructions　relating



to　the　affairs　of　the　household。　Half　an　hour　later；　as　she　was



about　to　ascend　again　to　the　top　of　the　house；　one　of　the



servants　informed　her　that　〃the　master　had　just　left　the



Belvidere；　and　had　gone　into　his　study。〃







Crossing　the　inner　hall；　on　her　way　to　the　study；　Stella　noticed



an　unopened　letter；　addressed　to　Romayne；　lying　on　a　table　in　a



corner。　He　had　probably　laid　it　aside　and　forgotten　it。　She



entered　his　room　with　the　letter　in　her　hand。







The　only　light　was　a　reading　lamp；　with　the　shade　so　lowered　that



the　corners　of　the　study　were　left　in　obscurity。　In　one　of　these



corners　Romayne　was　dimly　visible；　sitting　with　his　head　sunk　on



his　breast。　He　never　moved　when　Stella　opened　the　door。　At　first



she　thought　he　might　be　asleep。







〃Do　I　disturb　you；　Lewis？〃　she　asked　softly。







〃No；　my　dear。〃







There　was　a　change　in　the　tone　of　his　voice；　which　his　wife's



quick　ear　detected。　〃I　am　afraid　you　are　not　well；〃　she　said



anxiously。







〃I　am　a　little　tired　after　our　long　ride　to…day。　Do　you　want　to



go　back　to　the　Belvidere？〃







〃Not　without　you。　Shall　I　leave　you　to　rest　here？〃







He　seemed　not　to　hear　the　question。　There　he　sat；　with　his　head



hanging　down；　the　shadowy　counterfeit　of　an　old　man。　In　her



anxiety；　Stella　approached　him；　and　put　her　hand　caressingly　on



his　head。　It　was　burning　hot。　〃O！〃　she　cried；　〃you　_are_　ill；　and



you　are　trying　to　hide　it　from　me。〃







He　put　his　arm　round　her　waist　and　made　her　sit　on　his　knee。



〃Nothing　is　the　matter　with　me；〃　he　said；　with　an　uneasy　laugh。



〃What　have　you　got　in



　your　hand？　A　lette