the black robe-第47章

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Let　me　make　this　clear　by　an　example。







A　man　of　headlong　disposition；　in　my　place；　would　have　probably



spoken　of　Miss　Eyrecourt's　marriage　to　Romayne　at　his　first



meeting　with　Winterfield；　and　would　have　excited　their　distrust；



and　put　them　respectively　on　their　guard；　without　obtaining　any



useful　result。　I　can；　at　any　time；　make　the　disclosure　to　Romayne



which　informs　him　that　his　wife　had　been　Winterfield's　guest　in



Devonshire；　when　she　affected　to　meet　her　former　host　on　the



footing　of　a　stranger。　In　the　meanwhile；　I　give　Penrose　ample



opportunity　for　innocently　widening　the　breach　between　husband



and　wife。







You　see；　I　hope；　that　if　I　maintain　a　passive　position；　it　is　not



from　indolence　or　discouragement。　Now　we　may　get　on。







After　an　interval　of　a　few　days　more　I　decided　on　making　further



inquiries　at　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　house。　This　time；　when　I　left　my



card；　I　sent　a　message；　asking　if　the　lady　could　receive　me。



Shall　I　own　my　weakness？　She　possesses　all　the　information　that　I



want；　and　she　has　twice　baffled　my　inquiries。　Under　these



humiliating　circumstances；　it　is　part　of　the　priestly　pugnacity



of　my　disposition　to　inquire　again。







I　was　invited　to　go　upstairs。







The　front　and　back　drawing…rooms　of　the　house　were　thrown　into



one。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　was　being　gently　moved　backward　and　forward



in　a　chair　on　wheels；　propelled　by　her　maid；　two　gentlemen　being



present；　visitors　like　myself。　In　spite　of　rouge　and　loosely



folded　lace　and　flowing　draperies；　she　presented　a　deplorable



spectacle。　The　bodily　part　of　her　looked　like　a　dead　woman；



painted　and　revivedwhile　the　moral　part；　in　the　strongest



contrast；　was　just　as　lively　as　ever。







〃So　glad　to　see　you　again；　Father　Benwell；　and　so　much　obliged　by



your　kind　inquiries。　I　am　quite　well；　though　the　doctor　won't



admit　it。　Isn't　it　funny　to　see　me　being　wheeled　about；　like　a



child　in　a　perambulator？　Returning　to　first　principles；　I　call



it。　You　see　it's　a　law　of　my　nature　that　I　must　go　about。　The



doctor　won't　let　me　go　about　outside　the　house；　so　I　go　about



inside　the　house。　Matilda　is　the　nurse；　and　I　am　the　baby　who



will　learn　to　walk　some　of　these　days。　Are　you　tired；　Matilda？



No？　Then　give　me　another　turn；　there's　a　good　creature。　Movement；



perpetual　movement；　is　a　law　of　Nature。　Oh；　dear　no；　doctor；　I



didn't　make　that　discovery　for　myself。　Some　eminent　scientific



person　mentioned　it　in　a　lecture。　The　ugliest　man　I　ever　saw。　Now



back　again；　Matilda。　Let　me　introduce　you　to　my　friends；　Father



Benwell。　Introducing　is　out　of　fashion；　I　know。　But　I　am　one　of



the　few　women　who　can　resist　the　tyranny　of　fashion。　I　like



introducing　people。　Sir　John　DroneFather　Benwell。　Father



BenwellDoctor　Wybrow。　Ah；　yes；　you　know　the　doctor　by



reputation？　Shall　I　give　you　his　character？　Personally　charming；



professionally　detestable。　Pardon　my　impudence；　doctor；　it　is　one



of　the　consequences　of　the　overflowing　state　of　my　health。



Another　turn；　Matildaand　a　little　faster　this　time。　Oh；　how　I



wish　I　was　traveling　by　railway！〃







There；　her　breath　failed　her。　She　reclined　in　her　chair；　and



fanned　herself　silentlyfor　a　while。







I　was　now　able　to　turn　my　attention　to　the　two　visitors。　Sir　John



Drone；　it　was　easy　to　see；　would　be　no　obstacle　to　confidential



conversation　with　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　An　excellent　country　gentleman；



with　the　bald　head；　the　ruddy　complexion；　and　the　inexhaustible



capacity　for　silence；　so　familiar　to　us　in　English　societythere



you　have　the　true　description　of　Sir　John。　But　the　famous



physician　was　quite　another　sort　of　man。　I　had　only　to　look　at



him；　and　to　feel　myself　condemned　to　small　talk　while　_he_　was　in



the　room。







You　have　always　heard　of　it　in　my　correspondence；　whenever　I　have



been　in　the　wrong。　I　was　in　the　wrong　again　nowI　had　forgotten



the　law　of　chances。　Capricious　Fortune；　after　a　long　interval；



was　about　to　declare　herself　again　in　my　favor；　by　means　of　the



very　woman　who　had　twice　already　got　the　better　of　me。　What　a



recompense　for　my　kind　inquiries　after　Mrs。　Eyrecourt！　She



recovered　breath　enough　to　begin　talking　again。







〃Dear　me；　how　dull　you　are！〃　she　said　to　us。　〃Why　don't　you　amuse



a　poor　prisoner　confined　to　the　house？　Rest　a　little；　Matilda；　or



you　will　be　falling　ill　next。　Doctor！　is　this　your　last



professional　visit？〃







〃Promise　to　take　care　of　yourself；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　and　I　will



confess　that　the　professional　visits　are　over。　I　come　here　to…day



only　as　a　friend。〃







〃You　best　of　men！　Do　me　another　favor。　Enliven　our　dullness。　Tell



us　some　interesting　story　about　a　patient。　These　great　doctors；



Sir　John；　pass　their　lives　in　a　perfect　atmosphere　of　romance。



Dr。　Wybrow's　consulting…room　is　like　your　confessional；　Father



Benwell。　The　most　fascinating　sins　and　sorrows　are　poured　into



his　ears。　What　is　the　last　romance　in　real　life；　doctor；　that　has



asked　you　to　treat　it　medically？　We　don't　want　names　and



placeswe　are　good　children；　we　only　want　a　story。〃







Dr。　Wybrow　looked　at　me　with　a　smile。







〃It　is　impossible　to　persuade　ladies；〃　he　said；　〃that　we；　too；



are　father…confessors　in　our　way。　The　first　duty　of　a　doctor；



Mrs。　Eyrecourt〃







〃Is　to　cure　people；　of　course；〃　she　interposed　in　her　smartest



manner。







The　doctor　answered　seriously。　〃No；　indeed。　That　is　only　the



second　duty。　Our　first　duty　is　invariably　to　respect　the



confidence　of　our　patients。　However；〃　he　resumed　in　his　easier



tone；　〃I　happen　to　have　seen　a　patient　to…day；　under



circumstances　which　the　rules　of　professional　honor　do　not　forbid



me　to　mention。　I　don't　know；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　whether　you　will



quite　like　to　be　introduced　to　the　scene　of　the　story。　The　scene



is　in　a　madhouse。〃







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　burst　out　with　a　coquettish　little　scream；　and



shook　her　fan　at　the　doctor。　〃No　horrors！〃　she　cried。　〃The　bare



idea　of　a　madhouse　distracts　me　with　terror。　Oh；　fie；　fie！　I



won't　listen　to　youI　won't　look　at　youI　positively　refuse　to



be　frightened　out　of　my　wits。　Matilda！　wheel　me　away　to　the



furthest　end　of　the　room。　My　vivid　imagination；　Father　Benwell；



is　my　rock　ahead　in　life。　I　declare　I　can　_smell_　the　odious



madhouse。　Go　straight　to　the　window；　Matilda；　I　want　to　bury　my



nose　among　the　flowers。〃







Sir　John；　upon　this；　spoke　for　the　first　time。　His　language



consisted　entirely　of　beginnings　of　sentences；　mutely　completed



by　a　smile。　〃Upon　my　word；　you　know。　Eh；　Doctor　Wybrow？　A　man　of



your　experience。　Horrors　in　madhouses。　A　lady　in　delicate　health。



No；　really。　Upon　my　honor；　now；　I　cannot。　Something　funny；　oh



yes。　But　such　a　subject；　oh　no。〃







He　rose　to　leave　us。　Dr。　Wybrow　gently　stopped　him。　〃I　had　a



motive；　Sir　John；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　won't　trouble　you　with



needless　explanations。　There　is　a　person；　unknown　to　me；　whom　I



want　to　discover。　You　are　a　great　deal　in　society　when　you　are　in



London。　May　I　ask　if　you　have　ever　met　with　a　gentleman　named



Winterfield？〃







I　have　always　considered　the　power　of　self…control　as　one　of　the



strongest　points　in　my　character。　For　the　future　I　shall　be　more



humble。　When　I　heard　that　name；　my　surprise　so　completely



mastered　me　that　I　sat　self…betrayed　to　Dr。　Wybrow　as　the　man　who



could　answer　his　question。







In　the　meanwhile；　Sir　John　took　his　time　to　consider；　and



discovered　that　he　had　never　heard　of　a　person　named　Winterfield。



Having　acknowledged　his　ignorance；　in　his　own　eloque