the black robe-第44章

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She　was　too　determined　to　prevent　Winterfield　from　ever　entering



the　house　again　to　shrink　from　the　meeting。　〃I　am　not　so　ill　as



you　think；　Lewis；〃　she　said；　bravely。　〃When　you　go　to　your　new



friend；　I　will　go　with　you。　I　am　a　little　tiredthat's　all。〃







Romayne　looked　at　her　anxiously。　〃Let　me　get　you　a　glass　of



wine；〃　he　said。







She　consentedshe　really　felt　the　need　of　it。　As　he　turned　away



to　ring　the　bell；　she　put　the　question　which　had　been　in　her　mind



from　the　moment　when　she　had　seen　Winterfield。







〃How　did　you　become　acquainted　with　this　gentleman？〃







〃Through　Father　Benwell。〃







She　was　not　surprised　by　the　answerher　suspicion　of　the　priest



had　remained　in　her　mind　from　the　night　of　Lady　Loring's　ball。



The　future　of　her　married　life　depended　on　her　capacity　to　check



the　growing　intimacy　between　the　two　men。　In　that　conviction　she



found　the　courage　to　face　Winterfield。







How　should　she　meet　him？　The　impulse　of　the　moment　pointed　to　the



shortest　way　out　of　the　dreadful　position　in　which　she　was



placedit　was　to　treat　him　like　a　stranger。　She　drank　her　glass



of　wine；　and　took　Romayne's　arm。　〃We　mustn't　keep　your　friend



waiting　any　longer；〃　she　resumed。　〃Come！〃







As　they　crossed　the　hall；　she　looked　suspiciously　toward　the



house　door。　Had　he　taken　the　opportunity　of　leaving　the　villa？　At



any　other　time　she　would　have　remembered　that　the　plainest　laws



of　good　breeding　compelled　him　to　wait　for　Romayne's　return。　His



own　knowledge　of　the　world　would　tell　him　that　an　act　of　gross



rudeness；　committed　by　a　well…bred　man；　would　inevitably　excite



suspicion　of　some　unworthy　motiveand　might；　perhaps；　connect



that　motive　with　her　unexpected　appearance　at　the　house。　Romayne



opened　the　door；　and　they　entered　the　room　together。







〃Mr。　Winterfield；　let　me　introduce　you　to　Mrs。　Romayne。〃　They



bowed　to　each　other；　they　spoke　the　conventional　words　proper　to



the　occasionbut　the　effort　that　it　cost　them　showed　itself。



Romayne　perceived　an　unusual　formality　in　his　wife's　manner；　and



a　strange　disappearance　of　Winterfield's　easy　grace　of　address。



Was　he　one　of　the　few　men；　in　these　days；　who　are　shy　in　the



presence　of　women？　And　was　the　change　in　Stella　attributable；



perhaps；　to　the　state　of　her　health？　The　explanation　might；　in



either　case；　be　the　right　one。　He　tried　to　set　them　at　their



ease。







〃Mr。　Winterfield　is　so　pleased　with　the　pictures；　that　he　means



to　come　and　see　them　again；〃　he　said　to　his　wife。　〃And　one　of　his



favorites　happens　to　be　your　favorite；　too。〃







She　tried　to　look　at　Winterfield；　but　her　eyes　sank。　She　could



turn　toward　him；　and　that　was　all。　〃Is　it　the　sea…piece　in　the



study？〃　she　said　to　him　faintly。







〃Yes；〃　he　answered；　with　formal　politeness；　〃it　seems　to　me　to　be



one　of　the　painter's　finest　works。〃







Romayne　looked　at　him　in　unconcealed　wonder。　To　what　flat



commonplace　Winterfield's　lively　enthusiasm　had　sunk　in　Stella's



presence！　She　perceived　that　some　unfavorable　impression　had　been



produced　on　her　husband；　and　interposed　with　a　timely　suggestion。



Her　motive　was　not　only　to　divert　Romayne's　attention　from



Winterfield；　but　to　give　him　a　reason　for　leaving　the　room。







〃The　little　water…color　drawing　in　my　bedroom　is　by　the　same



artist；〃　she　said。　〃Mr。　Winterfield　might　like　to　see　it。　If　you



will　ring　the　bell；　Lewis；　I　will　send　my　maid　for　it。〃







Romayne　had　never　allowed　the　servants　to　touch　his　works　of　art；



since　the　day　when　a　zealous　housemaid　had　tried　to　wash　one　of



his　plaster　casts。　He　made　the　reply　which　his　wife　had



anticipated。







〃No！　no！〃　he　said。　〃I　will　fetch　the　drawing　myself。〃　He　turned



gayly　to　Winterfield。　〃Prepare　yourself　for　another　work　that　you



would　like　to　kiss。〃　He　smiled；　and　left　the　room。







The　instant　the　door　was　closed；　Stella　approached　Winterfield。



Her　beautiful　face　became　distorted　by　a　mingled　expression　of



rage　and　contempt。　She　spoke　to　him　in　a　fierce　peremptory



whisper。







〃Have　you　any　consideration　for　me　left？〃　His　look　at　her；　as　she



put　that　question；　revealed　the　most　complete　contrast　between



his　face　and　hers。　Compassionate　sorrow　was　in　his　eyes；　tender



forbearance　and　respect　spoke　in　his　tones；　as　he　answered　her。







〃I　have　more　than　consideration　for　you；　Stella〃







She　angrily　interrupted　him。　〃How　dare　you　call　me　by　my



Christian　name？〃







He　remonstrated；　with　a　gentleness　that　might　have　touched　the



heart　of　any　woman。　〃Do　you　still　refuse　to　believe　that　I　never



deceived　you？　Has　time　not　softened　your　heart　to　me　yet？〃







She　was　more　contemptuous　toward　him　than　ever。　〃Spare　me　your



protestations；〃　she　said；　〃I　heard　enough　of　them　two　years



since。　Will　you　do　what　I　ask　of　you？〃







〃You　know　that　I　will。〃







〃Put　an　end　to　your　acquaintance　with　my　husband。　Put　an　end　to



it；〃　she　repeated　vehemently；　〃from　this　day；　at　once　and



forever！　Can　I　trust　you　to　do　it？〃







〃Do　you　think　I　would　have　entered　this　house　if　I　had　known　he



was　your　husband？〃　He　made　that　reply　with　a　sudden　change　in



himwith　a　rising　color　and　in　firm　tones　of　indignation。　In　a



moment　more；　his　voice　softened　again；　and　his　kind　blue　eyes



rested　on　her　sadly　and　devotedly。　〃You　may　trust　me　to　do　more



than　you　ask；〃　he　resumed。　〃You　have　made　a　mistake。〃







〃What　mistake？〃







〃When　Mr。　Romayne　introduced　us；　you　met　me　like　a　strangerand



you　left　me　no　choice　but　to　do　as　you　did。〃







〃I　wish　you　to　be　a　stranger。〃







Her　sharpest　replies　made　no　change　in　his　manner。　He　spoke　as



kindly　and　as　patiently　as　ever。







〃You　forget　that　you　and　your　mother　were　my　guests　at　Beaupark；



two　years　ago〃







Stella　understood　what　he　meantand　more。　In　an　instant　she



remembered　that　Father　Benwell　had　been　at　Beaupark　House。　Had　he



heard　of　the　visit？　She　clasped　her　hands　in　speechless　terror。







Winterfield　gently　reassured　her。　〃You　must　not　be　frightened；〃



he　said。　〃It　is　in　the　last　degree　unlikely　that　Mr。　Romayne　will



ever　find　out　that　you　were　at　my　house。　If　he　doesand　if　you



deny　itI　will　do　for　you　what　I　would　do　for　no　other　human



creature；　I　will　deny　it　too。　You　are　safe　from　discovery。　Be



happyand　forget　me。〃







For　the　first　time　she　showed　signs　of　relentingshe　turned　her



head　away；　and　sighed。　Although　her　mind　was　full　of　the　serious



necessity　of　warning　him　against　Father　Benwell；　she　had　not　even



command　enough　over　her　own　voice　to　ask　how　he　had　become



acquainted　with　the　priest。　His　manly　devotion；　the　perfect　and



pathetic　sincerity　of　his　respect；　pleaded　with　her；　in　spite　of



herself。　For　a　moment　she　paused　to　recover　her　composure。　In



that　moment　Romayne　returned　to　them　with　the　drawing　in　his



hand。







〃There！〃　he　said。　〃It's　nothing；　this　time；　but　some　children



gathering　flowers　on　the　outskirts　of　a　wood。　What　do　you　think



of　it？〃







〃What　I　thought　of　the　larger　work；〃　Winterfield　answered。　〃I



could　look　at　it　by　the　hour　together。〃　He　consulted　his　watch。



〃But　time　is　a　hard　master；　and　tells　me　that　my　visit　must　come



to　an　end。　Thank　you；　most　sincerely。〃







He　bowed　to　Stella。　Romayne　thought　his　guest　might　have　taken



the　English　freedom　of　shaking　hands。　〃When　will　you　come　and



look　at　the　pictures　again？〃　he　asked。　〃Will　you　dine　with　us；



and　see　how　they　bear　the　lamplight？〃