the black robe-第46章

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course　of　medicine。　Don't　suppose　that　I　trouble　you　by



mentioning　these　trumpery　circumstances　without　a　reason。　We



shall　have　occasion　to　return　to　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　and　her　doctor。







Before　I　had　been　five　minutes　in　his　company；　Romayne　asked　me



if　I　had　seen　Winterfield　since　his　visit　to　Ten　Acres　Lodge。







I　said　I　had　seen　him；　and　waited；　anticipating　the　next



question。　Romayne　fulfilled　my　expectations。　He　inquired　if



Winterfield　had　left　London。







There　are　certain　cases　（as　I　am　told　by　medical　authorities）　in



which　the　dangerous　system　of　bleeding　a　patient　still　has　its



advantages。　There　are　other　cases　in　which　the　dangerous　system



of　telling　the　truth　becomes　equally　judicious。　I　said　to



Romayne；　〃If　I　answer　you　honestly；　will　you　consider　it　as



strictly　confidential？　Mr。　Winterfield；　I　regret　to　say；　has　no



intention　of　improving　his　acquaintance　with　you。　He　asked　me　to



conceal　from　you　that　he　is　still　in　London。〃







Romayne's　face　plainly　betrayed　that　he　was　annoyed　and



irritated。　〃Nothing　that　you　say　to　me；　Father　Benwell；　shall



pass　the　walls　of　this　room；〃　he　replied。　〃Did　Winterfield　give



any　reason　for　not　continuing　his　acquaintance　with　me？〃







I　told　the　truth　once　more；　with　courteous　expressions　of　regret。



〃Mr。　Winterfield　spoke　of　an　ungracious　reception　on　the　part　of



Mrs。　Romayne。〃







He　started　to　his　feet；　and　walked　irritably　up　and　down　the



room。　〃It　is　beyond　endurance！〃　he　said　to　himself。







The　truth　had　served　its　purpose　by　this　time。　I　affected　not　to



have　heard　him。　〃Did　you　speak　to　me？〃　I　asked。







He　used　a　milder　form　of　expression。　〃It　is　most　unfortunate；〃　he



said。　〃I　must　immediately　send　back　the　valuable　book　which　Mr。



Winterfield　has　lent　to　me。　And　that　is　not　the　worst　of　it。



There　are　other　volumes　in　his　library　which　I　have　the　greatest



interest　in　consultingand　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　borrow



them　now。　At　this　time；　too；　when　I　have　lost　Penrose；　I　had



hoped　to　find　in　Winterfield　another　friend　who　sympathized　with



my　pursuits。　There　is　something　so　cheering　and　attractive　in　his



mannerand　he　has　just　the　boldness　and　novelty　of　view　in　his



opinions　that　appeal　to　a　man　like　me。　It　was　a　pleasant　future



to　look　forward　to；　and　it　must　be　sacrificedand　to　what？　To　a



woman's　caprice。〃







From　our　point　of　view　this　was　a　frame　of　mind　to　be　encouraged。



I　tried　the　experiment　of　modestly　taking　the　blame　on　myself。　I



suggested　that　I　might　be　（quite　innocently）　answerable　for



Romayne's　disappointment。







He　looked　at　me　thoroughly　puzzled。　I　repeated　what　I　had　said　to



Winterfield。　〃Did　you　mention　to　Mrs。　Romayne　that　I　was　the



means　of　introducing　you？〃







He　was　too　impatient　to　let　me　finish　the　sentence。　〃I　did



mention　it　to　Mrs。　Romayne；〃　he　said。　〃And　what　of　it？〃







〃Pardon　me　for　reminding　you　that　Mrs。　Romayne　has　Protestant



prejudices；〃　I　rejoined。　〃Mr。　Winterfield　would；　I　fear；　not　be



very　welcome　to　her　as　the　friend　of　a　Catholic　priest。〃







He　was　almost　angry　with　me　for　suggesting　the　very　explanation



which　had　proved　so　acceptable　to　Winterfield。







〃Nonsense！〃　he　cried。　〃My　wife　is　far　too　well…bred　a　woman　to



let　her　prejudices　express　themselves　in　_that_　way。



Winterfield's　personal　appearance　must　have　inspired　her　with



some　unreasonable　antipathy；　or〃







He　stopped；　and　turned　away　thoughtfully　to　the　window。　Some



vague　suspicion　had　probably　entered　his　mind；　which　he　had　only



become　aware　of　at　that　moment；　and　which　he　was　not　quite　able



to　realize　as　yet。　I　did　my　best　to　encourage　the　new　train　of



thought。







〃What　other　reason　_can_　there　be？〃　I　asked。







He　turned　on　me　sharply。　〃I　don't　know。　Do　you？〃







I　ventured　on　a　courteous　remonstrance。　〃My　dear　sir！　if　you



can't　find　another　reason；　how　can　I？　It　must　have　been　a　sudden



antipathy；　as　you　say。　Such　things　do　happen　between　strangers。　I



suppose　I　am　right　in　assuming　that　Mrs。　Romayne　and　Mr。



Winterfield　are　strangers？〃







His　eyes　flashed　with　a　sudden　sinister　brightnessthe　new　idea



had　caught　light　in　his　mind。　〃They　_met_　as　strangers；〃　he　said。







There　he　stopped　again；　and　returned　to　the　window。　I　felt　that　I



might　lose　the　place　I　had　gained　in　his　confidence　if　I　pressed



the　subject　any　further。　Besides；　I　had　my　reasons　for　saying　a



word　about　Penrose　next。　As　it　happened；　I　had　received　a　letter



from　him；　relating　to　his　present　employment；　and　sending　kindest



regards　to　his　dear　friend　and　master　in　the　postscript。







I　gave　the　message。　Romayne　looked　round；　with　an　instant　change



in　his　face。　The　mere　sound　of　Penrose's　name　seemed　to　act　as　a



relief　to　the　gloom　and　suspicion　that　had　oppressed　him　the



moment　before。　〃You　don't　know　how　I　miss　the　dear　gentle　little



fellow；〃　he　said；　sadly。







〃Why　not　write　to　him？〃　I　suggested。　〃He　would　be　so　glad　to　hear



from　you　again。〃







〃I　don't　know　where　to　write。〃







〃Did　I　not　send　you　his　address　when　I　forwarded　your　letter　to



him？〃







〃No。〃







〃Then　let　me　atone　for　my　forgetfulness　at　once。〃







I　wrote　down　the　address；　and　took　my　leave。







As　I　approached　the　door　I　noticed　on　a　side　table　the　Catholic



volumes　which　Penrose　left　with　Romayne。　One　of　them　was　open；



with　a　pencil　lying　beside　it。　I　thought　that　a　good　signbut　I



said　nothing。







Romayne　pressed　my　hand　at　parting。　〃You　have　been　very　kind　and



friendly；　Father　Benwell；〃　he　said。　〃I　shall　be　glad　to　see　you



again。〃







Don't　mention　it　in　quarters　where　it　might　do　me　harm。　Do　you



know；　I　really　pitied　him。　He　has　sacrificed　everything　to　his



marriageand　his　marriage　has　disappointed　him。　He　was　even



reduced　to　be　friendly　with　Me。







Of　course　when　the　right　time　comes　I　shall　give　Penrose　leave　of



absence。　Do　you　foresee；　as　I　do；　the　speedy　return　of　〃the　dear



gentle　little　fellow〃　to　his　old　employment；　the　resumed　work　of



conversion　advancing　more　rapidly　than　ever；　and　the　jealousy　of



the　Protestant　wife　aggravating　the　false　position　in　which　she



is　already　placed　by　her　equivocal　reception　of　Winterfield？　You



may　answer　this　by　reminding　me　of　the　darker　side　of　the



prospect。　An　heir　may　be　born；　and　the　heir's　mother；　backed　by



general　opinion；　may　insistif　there　is　any　hesitation　in　the



matteron　asserting　the　boy's　natural　right　to　succeed　his



father。







Patience；　my　reverend　colleague！　There　is　no　threatening　of　any



such　calamity　yet。　And；　even　if　it　happens；　don't　forget　that



Romayne　has　inherited　a　second　fortune。　The　Vange　estate　has　an



estimated　value。　If　the　act　of　restitution　represented　that　value



in　ready　money；　do　you　think　the　Church　would　discourage　a　good



convert　by　refusing　his　check？　You　know　better　than　thatand　so



do　I。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　







The　next　day　I　called　to　inquire　how　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　was　getting



on。　The　report　was　favorable。　Three　days　later　I　called　again。



The　report　was　still　more　encouraging。　I　was　also　informed　that



Mrs。　Romayne　had　returned　to　Ten　Acres　Lodge。







Much　of　my　success　in　life　has　been　achieved　by　never　being　in　a



hurry。　I　was　not　in　a　hurry　now。　Time　sometimes　brings



opportunitiesand　opportunities　are　worth　waiting　for。







Let　me　make　this　clear　by　an　example。







A　man　of　headlong　disposition；　in　my　place；　woul