the black robe-第39章

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



〃What　have　you　got　in



　your　hand？　A　letter？〃







〃Yes。　Addressed　to　you　and　not　opened　yet。〃　He　took　it　out　of　her



hand；　and　threw　it　carelessly　on　a　sofa　near　him。　〃Never　mind



that　now！　Let　us　talk。〃　He　paused；　and　kissed　her；　before　he　went



on。　〃My　darling；　I　think　you　must　be　getting　tired　of　Vange？〃







〃Oh；　no！　I　can　be　happy　anywhere　with　youand　especially　at



Vange。　You　don't　how　this　noble　old　house　interests　me；　and　how　I



admire　the　glorious　country　all　round　it。〃







He　was　not　convinced。　〃Vange　is　very　dull；〃　he　said；　obstinately；



〃and　your　friends　will　be　wanting　to　see　you。　Have　you　heard　from



your　mother　lately？〃







〃No。　I　am　surprised　she　has　not　written。〃







〃She　has　not　forgiven　us　for　getting　married　so　quietly；〃　he　went



on。　〃We　had　better　go　back　to　London　and　make　our　peace　with　her。



Don't　you　want　to　see　the　house　my　aunt　left　me　at　Highgate？〃







Stella　sighed。　The　society　of　the　man　she　loved　was　society



enough　for　her。　Was　he　getting　tired　of　his　wife　already？　〃I　will



go　with　you　wherever　you　like。〃　She　said　those　words　in　tones　of



sad　submission；　and　gently　got　up　from　his　knee。







He　rose　also；　and　took　from　the　sofa　the　letter　which　he　had



thrown　on　it。　〃Let　us　see　what　our　friends　say；〃　he　resumed。　〃The



address　is　in　Loring's　handwriting。〃







As　he　approached　the　table　on　which　the　lamp　was　burning；　she



noticed　that　he　moved　with　a　languor　that　was　new　in　her



experience　of　him。　He　sat　down　and　opened　the　letter。　She　watched



him　with　an　anxiety　which　had　now　become　intensified　to



suspicion。　The　shade　of　the　lamp　still　prevented　her　from　seeing



his　face　plainly。　〃Just　what　I　told　you；〃　he　said；　〃the　Lorings



want　to　know　when　they　are　to　see　us　in　London；　and　your　mother



says　she　'feels　like　that　character　in　Shakespeare　who　was　cut　by



his　own　daughters。'　Read　it。〃







He　handed　her　the　letter。　In　taking　it；　she　contrived　to　touch



the　lamp　shade；　as　if　by　accident；　and　tilted　it　so　that　the　full



flow　of　the　light　fell　on　him。　He　started　backbut　not　before



she　had　seen　the　ghastly　pallor　on　his　face。　She　had　not　only



heard　it　from　Lady　Loring；　she　knew　from　his　own　unreserved



confession　to　her　what　that　startling　change　really　meant。　In　an



instant　she　was　on　her　knees　at　his　feet。　〃Oh；　my　darling；〃　she



cried；　〃it　was　cruel　to　keep　_that_　secret　from　your　wife！　You



have　heard　it　again！〃







She　was　too　irresistibly　beautiful；　at　that　moment；　to　be



reproved。　He　gently　raised　her　from　the　floorand　owned　the



truth。







〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　heard　it　after　you　left　me　on　the



Belviderejust　as　I　heard　it　on　another　moonlight　night；　when



Major　Hynd　was　here　with　me。　Our　return　to　this　house　is　perhaps



the　cause。　I　don't　complain；　I　have　had　a　long　release。〃







She　threw　her　arms　round　his　neck。　〃We　will　leave　Vange



to…morrow；〃　she　said。







It　was　firmly　spoken。　But　her　heart　sank　as　the　words　passed　her



lips。　Vange　Abbey　had　been　the　scene　of　the　most　unalloyed



happiness　in　her　life。　What　destiny　was　waiting　for　her　when　she



returned　to　London？







CHAPTER　II。







EVENTS　AT　TEN　ACRES。







THERE　was　no　obstacle　to　the　speedy　departure　of　Romayne　and　his



wife　from　Vange　Abbey。　The　villa　at　Highgatecalled　Ten　Acres



Lodge；　in　allusion　to　the　measurement　of　the　grounds　surrounding



the　househad　been　kept　in　perfect　order　by　the　servants　of　the



late　Lady　Berrick；　now　in　the　employment　of　her　nephew。







On　the　morning　after　their　arrival　at　the　villa；　Stella　sent　a



note　to　her　mother。　The　same　afternoon；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　arrived　at



Ten　Acreson　her　way　to　a　garden…party。　Finding　the　house；　to



her　great　relief；　a　modern　building；　supplied　with　all　the　newest



comforts　and　luxuries；　she　at　once　began　to　plan　a　grand　party；



in　celebration　of　the　return　of　the　bride　and　bridegroom。







〃I　don't　wish　to　praise　myself；〃　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　said；　〃but　if



ever　there　was　a　forgiving　woman；　I　am　that　person。　We　will　say



no　more；　Stella；　about　your　truly　contemptible　weddingfive



people　altogether；　including　ourselves　and　the　Lorings。　A　grand



ball　will　set　you　right　with　society；　and　that　is　the　one　thing



needful。　Tea　and　coffee；　my　dear　Romayne；　in　your　study；　Coote's



quadrille　band；　the　supper　from　Gunter's；　the　grounds　illuminated



with　colored　lamps；　Tyrolese　singers　among　the　trees；　relieved　by



military　musicand；　if　there　_are_　any　African　or　other　savages



now　in　London；　there　is　room　enough　in　these　charming　grounds　for



encampments；　dances；　squaws；　scalps；　and　all　the　rest　of　it；　to



end　in　a　blaze　of　fireworks。〃







A　sudden　fit　of　coughing　seized　her；　and　stopped　the　further



enumeration　of　attractions　at　the　contemplated　ball。　Stella　had



observed　that　her　mother　looked　unusually　worn　and　haggard；



through　the　disguises　of　paint　and　powder。　This　was　not　an



uncommon　result　of　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　devotion　to　the　demands　of



society；　but　the　cough　was　something　new；　as　a　symptom　of



exhaustion。







〃I　am　afraid；　mamma；　you　have　been　overexerting　yourself；〃　said



Stella。　〃You　go　to　too　many　parties。〃







〃Nothing　of　the　sort；　my　dear；　I　am　as　strong　as　a　horse。　The



other　night；　I　was　waiting　for　the　carriage　in　a　draught　（one　of



the　most　perfect　private　concerts　of　the　season；　ending　with　a



delightfully　naughty　little　French　play）and　I　caught　a　slight



cold。　A　glass　of　water　is　all　I　want。　Thank　you。　Romayne；　you　are



looking　shockingly　serious　and　severe；　our　ball　will　cheer　you。



If　you　would　only　make　a　bonfire　of　all　those　horrid　books；　you



don't　know　how　it　would　improve　your　spirits。　Dearest　Stella；　I



will　come　and　lunch　here　to…morrowyou　are　within　such　a　nice



easy　drive　from　townand　I'll　bring　my　visiting…book；　and　settle



about　the　invitations　and　the　day。　Oh；　dear　me；　how　late　it　is。　I



have　nearly　an　hour's　drive　before　I　get　to　my　garden　party。



Good…by；　my　turtle　doves　good…by。〃







She　was　stopped；　on　the　way　to　her　carriage；　by　another　fit　of



coughing。　But　she　still　persisted　in　making　light　of　it。　〃I'm　as



strong　as　a　horse；〃　she　repeated；　as　soon　as　she　could　speakand



skipped　into　the　carriage　like　a　young　girl。







〃Your　mother　is　killing　herself；〃　said　Romayne。







〃If　I　could　persuade　her　to　stay　with　us　a　little　while；〃　Stella



suggested；　〃the　rest　and　quiet　might　do　wonders　for　her。　Would



you　object　to　it；　Lewis？〃







〃My　darling；　I　object　to　nothingexcept　giving　a　ball　and



burning　my　books。　If　your　mother　will　yield　on　these　two　points；



my　house　is　entirely　at　her　disposal。〃







He　spoke　playfullyhe　looked　his　best；　since　he　had　separated



himself　from　the　painful　associations　that　were　now　connected



with　Vange　Abbey。　Had　〃the　torment　of　the　Voice〃　been　left　far



away　in　Yorkshire？　Stella　shrank　from　approaching　the　subject　in



her　husband's　presence；　knowing　that　it　must　remind　him　of　the



fatal　duel。　To　her　surprise；　Romayne　himself　referred　to　the



General's　family。







〃I　have　written　to　Hynd；〃　he　began。　〃Do　you　mind　his　dining　with



us　to…day？〃







〃Of　course　not！〃







〃I　want　to　hear　if　he　has　anything　to　tell　meabout　those　French



ladies。　He　undertook　to　see　them；　in　your　absence；　and　to



ascertain〃　He　was　unable　to　overcome　his　reluctance　to



pronounce　the　next　words。　Stella　was　quick　to　understand　what　he



meant。　She　finished　the　sentence　for　him。







〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　w