the black robe-第40章

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meant。　She　finished　the　sentence　for　him。







〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　wanted　to　hear　how　the　boy　is　getting　on；　and



if　there　is　any　hope　of　curing　him。　Is　it〃　he　trembled　as　he



put　the　question〃Is　it　hereditary　madness？〃







Feeling　the　serious　importance　of　concealing　the　truth；　Stella



only　replied　that　she　had　hesitated　to　ask　if　there　was　a　taint



of　madness　in　the　family。　〃I　suppose；〃　she　added；　〃you　would　not



like　to　see　the　boy；　and　judge　of　his　chances　of　recovery　for



yourself？〃







〃You　suppose？〃　he　burst　out；　with　sudden　anger。　〃You　might　be



sure。　The　bare　idea　of　seeing　him　turns　me　cold。　Oh；　when　shall　I



forget！　when　shall　I　forget！　Who　spoke　of　him　first？〃　he　said；



with　renewed　irritability；　after　a　moment　of　silence。　〃You　or　I？〃







〃It　was　my　fault；　lovehe　is　so　harmless　and　so　gentle；　and　he



has　such　a　sweet　faceI　thought　it　might　soothe　you　to　see　him。



Forgive　me；　we　will　never　speak　of　him　again。　Have　you　any　notes



for　me　to　copy？　You　know；　Lewis；　I　am　your　secretary　now。〃







So　she　led　Romayne　away　to　his　study　and　his　books。　When　Major



Hynd　arrived；　she　contrived　to　be　the　first　to　see　him。　〃Say　as



litt　le　as　possible　about　the　General's　widow　and　her　son；〃　she



whispered。







The　Major　understood　her。　〃Don't　be　uneasy；　Mrs。　Romayne；〃　he



answered。　〃I　know　your　husband　well　enough　to　know　what　you　mean。



Besides；　the　news　I　bring　is　good　news。〃







Romayne　came　in　before　he　could　speak　more　particularly。　When　the



servants　had　left　the　room；　after　dinner；　the　Major　made　his



report。







〃I　am　going　to　agreeably　surprise　you；〃　he　began。　〃All



responsibility　toward　the　General's　family　is　taken　off　our



hands。　The　ladies　are　on　their　way　back　to　France。〃







Stella　was　instantly　reminded　of　one　of　the　melancholy　incidents



associated　with　her　visit　to　Camp's　Hill。　〃Madame　Marillac　spoke



of　a　brother　of　hers　who　disapproved　of　the　marriage；〃　she　said。



〃Has　he　forgiven　her？〃







〃That　is　exactly　what　he　has　done；　Mrs。　Romayne。　Naturally



enough；　he　felt　the　disgrace　of　his　sister's　marriage　to　such　a



man　as　the　General。　Only　the　other　day　he　heard　for　the　first



time　that　she　was　a　widowand　he　at　once　traveled　to　England。　I



bade　them　good…by　yesterdaymost　happily　reunitedon　their



journey　home　again。　Ah；　I　thought　you　would　be　glad；　Mrs。



Romayne；　to　hear　that　the　poor　widow's　troubles　are　over。　Her



brother　is　rich　enough　to　place　them　all　in　easy



circumstanceshe　is　as　good　a　fellow　as　ever　lived。〃







〃Have　you　seen　him？〃　Stella　asked；　eagerly。







〃I　have　been　with　him　to　the　asylum。〃







〃Does　the　boy　go　back　to　France？〃







〃No。　We　took　the　place　by　surprise；　and　saw　for　ourselves　how



well　conducted　it　was。　The　boy　has　taken　a　strong　liking　to　the



proprietora　bright；　cheerful　old　man；　who　is　teaching　him　some



of　our　English　games；　and　has　given　him　a　pony　to　ride　on。　He



burst　out　crying；　poor　creature；　at　the　idea　of　going　awayand



his　mother　burst　out　crying　at　the　idea　of　leaving　him。　It　was　a



melancholy　scene　You　know　what　a　good　mother　isno　sacrifice　is



too　great　for　her。　The　boy　stays　at　the　asylum；　on　the　chance



that　his　healthier　and　happier　life　there　may　help　to　cure　him。



By…the…way；　Romayne；　his　uncle　desires　me　to　thank　you〃







〃Hynd！　you　didn't　tell　the　uncle　my　name？〃







〃Don't　alarm　yourself。　He　is　a　gentleman；　and　when　I　told　him　I



was　pledged　to　secrecy；　he　made　but　one　inquiryhe　asked　if　you



were　a　rich　man。　I　told　him　you　had　eighteen　thousand　a　year。〃







〃Well？〃







〃Well；　he　set　that　matter　right　between　us　with　perfect　taste。　He



said：　'I　cannot　presume　to　offer　repayment　to　a　person　so



wealthy。　We　gratefully　accept　our　obligation　to　our　kind　unknown



friend。　For　the　future；　however；　my　nephew's　expenses　must　be



paid　from　my　purse。'　Of　course　I　could　only　agree　to　that。　From



time　to　time　the　mother　is　to　hear；　and　I　am　to　hear；　how　the　boy



goes　on。　Or；　if　you　like；　Romaynenow　that　the　General's　family



has　left　EnglandI　don't　see　why　the　proprietor　might　not　make



his　report　directly　to　yourself。〃







〃No！〃　Romayne　rejoined；　positively。　〃Let　things　remain　as　they



are。〃







Very　well。　I　can　send　you　any　letters　that　I　may　receive　from　the



asylum。　Will　you　give　us　some　music；　Mrs。　Romayne？　Not　to…night？



Then　let　us　go　to　the　billiard…room；　and　as　I　am　the　worst　of　bad



players；　I　will　ask　you　to　help　me　to　beat　your　accomplished



husband。〃















On　the　afternoon　of　the　next　day；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　maid　arrived



at　Ten　Acres　with　a　note　from　her　mistress。







〃Dearest　StellaMatilda　must　bring　you　my　excuses　for　to…day。　I



don't　in　the　least　understand　it；　but　I　seem　to　have　turned　lazy。



It　is　most　ridiculousI　really　cannot　get　out　of　bed。　Perhaps　I



did　do　just　a　little　too　much　yesterday。　The　opera　after　the



garden　party；　and　a　ball　after　the　opera；　and　this　tiresome　cough



all　night　after　the　ball。　Quite　a　series；　isn't　it？　Make　my



apologies　to　our　dear　dismal　Romayneand　if　you　drive　out　this



afternoon；　come　and　have　a　chat　with　me。　Your　affectionate



mother；　Emily　Eyrecourt。　P。　S。You　know　what　a　fidget　Matilda



is。　If　she　talks　about　me；　don't　believe　a　word　she　says　to　you。〃







Stella　turned　to　the　maid　with　a　sinking　heart。







〃Is　my　mother　very　ill？〃　she　asked。







〃So　ill；　ma'am；　that　I　begged　and　prayed　her　to　let　me　send　for　a



doctor。　You　know　what　my　mistress　is。　If　you　would　please　to　use



your　influence〃







〃I　will　order　the　carriage　instantly；　and　take　you　back　with　me。〃







Before　she　dressed　to　go　out；　Stella　showed　the　letter　to　her



husband。　He　spoke　with　perfect　kindness　and　sympathy；　but　he　did



not　conceal　that　he　shared　his　wife's　apprehensions。　〃Go　at



once；〃　were　his　last　words　to　her；　〃and；　if　I　can　be　of　any　use；



send　for　me。〃







It　was　late　in　the　evening　before　Stella　returned。　She　brought



sad　news。







The　physician　consulted　told　her　plainly　that　the　neglected



cough；　and　the　constant　fatigue；　had　together　made　the　case　a



serious　one。　He　declined　to　say　that　there　was　any　absolute



danger　as　yet；　or　any　necessity　for　her　remaining　with　her　mother



at　night。　The　experience　of　the　next　twenty…four　hours；　at　most；



would　enable　him　to　speak　positively。　In　the　meantime；　the



patient　insisted　that　Stella　should　return　to　her　husband。　Even



under　the　influence　of　opiates；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　was　still　drowsily



equal　to　herself。　〃You　are　a　fidget；　my　dear；　and　Matilda　is　a



fidgetI　can't　have　two　of　you　at　my　bedside。　Good…night。〃



Stella　stooped　over　her　and　kissed　her。　She　whispered：　〃Three



weeks　notice；　remember；　for　the　party！〃







By　the　next　evening　the　malady　had　assumed　so　formidable　an



aspect　that　the　doctor　had　his　doubts　of　the　patient's　chance　of



recovery。　With　her　husband's　full　approval；　Stella　remained　night



and　day　at　her　mother's　bedside。







Thus；　in　a　little　more　than　a　month　from　the　day　of　his　marriage；



Romayne　was；　for　the　time；　a　lonely　man　again。







The　illness　of　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　was　unexpectedly　prolonged。　There



were　intervals　during　which　her　vigorous　constitution　rallied　and



resisted　the　progress　of　the　disease。　On　these　occasions；　Stella



was　able　to　return　to　her　husband　for　a　few　hourssubject　always



to　a　message　which　recalled　her　to　her　mother　when　the　chances　of



life　or　death　appeared　to　be　equally　balanced。　Romayne's　one



resource　was　in　his　books　and　his　pen。　For　the　first　tim