the black robe-第41章

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



resource　was　in　his　books　and　his　pen。　For　the　first　time　since



his　union　with　Stella　he　opened　the　portfolios　in　which　Penrose



had　collected　the　first　introductory　chapters　of　his　historical



work。　Almost　at　every　page　the　familiar　handwriting　of　his



secretary　and　friend　met　his　view。　It　was　a　new　trial　to　his



resolution　to　be　working　alone；　never　had　he　felt　the　absence　of



Penrose　as　he　felt　it　now。　He　missed　the　familiar　face；　the　quiet



pleasant　voice；　and；　more　than　both；　the　ever…welcome　sympathy



with　his　work。　Stella　had　done　all　that　a　wife　could　do　to　fill



the　vacant　place；　and　her　husband's　fondness　had　accepted　the



effort　as　adding　another　charm　to　the　lovely　creature　who　had



opened　a　new　life　to　him。　But　where　is　the　woman　who　can



intimately　associate　herself　with　the　hard　brain…work　of　a　man



devoted　to　an　absorbing　intellectual　pursuit？　She　can　love　him；



admire　him；　serve　him；　believe　in　him　beyond　all　other　menbut



（in　spite　of　exceptions　which　only　prove　the　rule）　she　is　out　of



her　place　when　she　enters　the　study　while　the　pen　is　in　his　hand。



More　than　once；　when　he　was　at　work；　Romayne　closed　the　page



bitterly；　the　sad　thought　came　to　him；　〃Oh；　if　I　only　had　Penrose



here！〃　Even　other　friends　were　not　available　as　a　resource　in　the



solitary　evening　hours。　Lord　Loring　was　absorbed　in　social　and



political　engagements。　And　Major　Hyndtrue　to　the　principle　of



getting　away　as　often　as　possible　from　his　disagreeable　wife　and



his　ugly　childrenhad　once　more　left　London。







One　day；　while　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　still　lay　between　life　and　death；



Romayne　found　his　historical　labors　suspended　by　the　want　of　a



certain　volume　which　it　was　absolutely　necessary　to　consult。　He



had　mislaid　the　references　written　for　him　by　Penrose；　and　he　was



at　a　loss　to　remember　whether　the　book　was　in　the　British　Museum；



in　the　Bodleian　Library；　or　in　the　Bibliotheque　at　Paris。　In　this



emergency　a　letter　to　his　former　secretary　would　furnish　him　with



the　information　that　he　required。　But　he　was　ignorant　of



Penrose's　present　address。　The　Lorings　might　possibly　know　itso



to　the　Lorings　he　resolved　to　apply。







CHAPTER　III。







FATHER　BENWELL　AND　THE　BOOK。







R　OMAYNE'S　first　errand　in　London　was　to　see　his　wife；　and　to



make　inquiries　at　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　house。　The　report　was　more



favorable　than　usual。　Stella　whispered；　as　she　kissed　him；　〃I



shall　soon　come　back　to　you；　I　hope！〃







Leaving　the　horses　to　rest　for　a　while；　he　proceeded　to　Lord



Loring's　residence　on　foot。　As　he　crossed　a　street　in　the



neighborhood；　he　was　nearly　run　over　by　a　cab；　carrying　a



gentleman　and　his　luggage。　The　gentleman　was　Mr。　Winterfield；　on



his　way　to　Derwent's　Hotel。







Lady　Loring　very　kindly　searched　her　card…basket；　as　the　readiest



means　of　assisting　Romayne。　Penrose　had　left　his　card；　on　his



departure　from　London；　but　no　address　was　written　on　it。　Lord



Loring；　unable　himself　to　give　the　required　information；



suggested　the　right　person　to　consult。







〃Father　Benwell　will　be　here　later　in　the　day；〃　he　said。　〃If　you



will　write　to　Penrose　at　once；　he　will　add　the　address。　Are　you



sure；　before　the　letter　goes；　that　the　book　you　want　is　not　in　my



library？〃







〃I　think　not；〃　Romayne　answered；　〃but　I　will　write　down　the



title；　and　leave　it　here　with　my　letter。〃







The　same　evening　he　received　a　polite　note　from　Father　Benwell；



informing　him　that　the　letter　was　forwarded；　and　that　the　book　he



wanted　was　not　in　Lord　Loring's　library。　〃If　there　should　be　any



delay　or　difficulty　in　obtaining　this　rare　volume；〃　the　priest



added；　〃I　only　wait　the　expression　of　your　wishes；　to　borrow　it



from　the　library　of　a　friend　of　mine；　residing　in　the　country。〃







By　return　of　post　the　answer；　affectionately　and　gratefully



written；　arrived　from　Penrose。　He　regretted　that　he　was　not　able



to　assist　Romayne　personally。　But　it　was　out　of　his　power　（in



plain　words；　he　had　been　expressly　forbidden　by　Father　Benwell）



to　leave　the　service　on　which　he　was　then　engaged。　In　reference



to　the　book　that　was　wanted；　it　was　quite　likely　that　a　search　in



the　catalogues　of　the　British　Museum　might　discover　it。　He　had



only　met　with　it　himself　in　the　National　Library　at　Paris。







This　information　led　Romayne　to　London　again；　immediately。　For



the　first　time　he　called　at　Father　Benwell's　lodgings。　The　priest



was　at　home；　expecting　the　visit。　His　welcome　was　the　perfection



of　unassuming　politeness。　He　asked　for　the　last　news　of　〃poor



Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　health；〃　with　the　sympathy　of　a　true　friend。







〃I　had　the　honor　of　drinking　tea　with　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　some　little



time　since；〃　he　said。　〃Her　flow　of　conversation　was　never　more



delightfulit　seemed　impossible　to　associate　the　idea　of　illness



with　so　bright　a　creature。　And　how　well　she　kept　the　secret　of



your　contemplated　marriage！　May　I　offer　my　humble　congratulations



and　good　wishes？〃







Romayne　thought　it　needless　to　say　that　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　had　not



been　trusted　with　the　secret　until　the　wedding　day　was　close　at



hand。　〃My　wife　and　I　agreed　in　wishing　to　be　married　as　quietly



as　possible；〃　he　answered；　after　making　the　customary



acknowledgments。







〃And　Mrs。　Romayne？〃　pursued　Father　Benwell。　〃This　is　a　sad　trial



for　her。　She　is　in　attendance　on　her　mother；　I　suppose？〃







〃In　constant　attendance；　I　am　quite　alone　now。　To　change　the



subject；　may　I　ask　you　to　look　at　the　reply　which　I　have　received



from　Penrose？　It　is　my　excuse　for　troubling　you　with　this　visit。〃







Father　Benwell　read　the　letter　with　the　closest　attention。　In



spite　of　his　habitual　self…control；　his　vigilant　eyes　brightened



as　he　handed　it　back。







Thus　far；　the　priest's　well…planned　scheme；　（like　Mr。　Bitrake's



clever　inquiries）　had　failed。　He　had　not　even　entrapped　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　into　revealing　the　marriage　engagement。　Her



unconquerable　small…talk　had　foiled　him　at　every　point。　Even　when



he　had　deliberately　kept　his　seat　after　the　other　guests　at　the



tea…table　had　taken　their　departure；　she　rose　with　the　most



imperturbable　coolness；　and　left　him。　〃I　have　a　dinner　and　two



parties　to…night；　and　this　is　just　the　time　when　I　take　my　little



restorative　nap。　Forgive　meand　do　come　again！〃　When　he　sent　the



fatal　announcement　of　the　marriage　to　Rome；　he　had　been　obliged



to　confess　that　he　was　indebted　for　the　discovery　to　the



newspaper。　He　had　accepted　the　humiliation；　he　had　accepted　the



defeatbut　he　was　not　beaten　yet。　〃I　counted　on　Romayne's



weakness；　and　Miss　Eyrecourt　counted　on　Romayne's　weakness；　and



Miss　Eyrecourt　has　won。　So　let　it　be。　My　turn　will　come。〃　In　that



manner　he　had　reconciled　himself　to　his　position。　And　nowhe



knew　it　when　he　handed　back　the　letter　to　Romaynehis　turn　_had_



come！







〃You　can　hardly　go　to　Paris　to　consult　the　book；〃　he　said；　〃in



the　present　state　of　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　health？〃







〃Certainly　not！〃







〃Perhaps　you　will　send　somebody　to　search　the　catalogue　at　the



British　Museum？〃







〃I　should　have　done　that　already；　Father　Benwell；　but　for　the



very　kind　allusion　in　your　note　to　your　friend　in　the　country。



Even　if　the　book　is　in　the　Museum　Library；　I　shall　be　obliged　to



go　to　the　Reading　Room　to　get　my　information。　It　would　be　far



more　convenient　to　me　to　have　the　volume　at　home　to　consult；　if



you　think　your　friend　will　trust　me　with　it。〃







〃I　am　certain　he　will　trust　you　with　it