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第49章

the black robe-第49章

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certain proportion of my patients happen to be people with a



large experience of society; I undertook to make inquiries; so



that the packet might be delivered; if possible; to the right



person。 You heard how Mrs。 Eyrecourt (surely a likely lady to



assist me?) received my unlucky reference to the madhouse; and



you saw how I puzzled Sir John。 I consider myself most fortunate;



Father Benwell; in having had the honor of meeting you? Will you



accompany me to the asylum to…morrow? And can you add to the



favor by bringing Mr。 Winterfield with you?〃







This last request it was out of my powerreally out of my



powerto grant。 Winterfield had left London that morning on his



visit to Paris。 His address there was; thus far; not known to me。







〃Well; you must represent your friend;〃 the doctor said。 〃Time is



every way of importance in this case。 Will you kindly call here



at five to…morrow afternoon?〃







I was punctual to my appointment。 We drove together to the



asylum。







There is no need for me to trouble you with a narrative of what I



sawfavored by Doctor Wybrow's introductionat the French boy's



bedside。 It was simply a repetition of what I had already heard。



There he lay; at the height of the fever; asking; in the



intervals of relief; intelligent questions relating to the



medicines administered to him; and perfectly understanding the



answers。 He was only irritable when we asked him to take his



memory back to the time before his illness; and then he answered



in French; 〃I haven't got a memory。〃







But I have something else to tell you; which is deserving of your



best attention。 The envelope and its inclosures (addressed to



〃Bernard Winterfield; Esqre。〃) are in my possession。 The



Christian name sufficiently identifies the inscription with the



Winterfield whom I know。







The circumstances under which the discovery was made were related



to me by the proprietor of the asylum。







When the boy was brought to the house; two French ladies (his



mother and sister) accompanied him。 and mentioned what had been



their own domestic experience of the case。 They described the



wandering propensities which took the lad away from home; and the



odd concealment of his waistcoat; on the last occasion when he



had returned from one of his vagrant outbreaks。







On his first night at the asylum; he became excited by finding



himself in a strange place。 It was necessary to give  him a



composing draught。 On goin g to bed; he was purposely not



prevented from hiding his waistcoat under the pillow; as usual。







When the sedative had produced its effect; the attendant easily



possessed himself of the hidden garment。 It was the plain duty of



the master of the house to make sure that nothing likely to be



turned to evil uses was concealed by a patient。 The seal which



had secured the envelope was found; on examination; to have been



broken。







〃I would not have broken the seal myself;〃 our host added。 〃But;



as things were; I thought it my duty to look at the inclosures。



They refer to private affairs of Mr。 Winterfield; in which he is



deeply interested; and they ought to have been long since placed



in his possession。 I need hardly say that I consider myself bound



to preserve the strictest silence as to what I have read。 An



envelope; containing some blank sheets of paper; was put back in



the boy's waistcoat; so that he might feel it in its place under



the lining; when he woke。 The original envelope and inclosures



(with a statement of circumstances signed by my assistant and



myself) have been secured under another cover; sealed with my own



seal。 I have done my best to discover Mr。 Bernard Winterfield。 He



appears not to live in London。 At least I failed to find his name



in the Directory。 I wrote next; mentioning what had happened; to



the English gentleman to whom I send reports of the lad's health。



He couldn't help me。 A second letter to the French ladies only



produced the same result。 I own I should be glad to get rid of my



responsibility on honorable terms。〃







All this was said in the boy's presence。 He lay listening to it



as if it had been a story told of some one else。 I could not



resist the useless desire to question him。 Not speaking French



myself (although I can read the language); I asked Doctor Wybrow



and his friend to interpret for me。







My questions led to nothing。 The French boy knew no more about



the stolen envelope than I did。







There was no discoverable motive; mind; for suspecting him of



imposing on us。 When I said; 〃Perhaps you stole it?〃 he answered



quite composedly; 〃Very likely; they tell me I have been mad; I



don't remember it myself; but mad people do strange things。〃 I



tried him again。 〃Or; perhaps; you took it away out of mischief?〃



〃Yes。〃 〃And you broke the seal; and looked at the papers?〃 〃I



dare say。〃 〃And then you kept them hidden; thinking they might be



of some use to you? Or perhaps feeling ashamed of what you had



done; and meaning to restore them if you got the opportunity?〃



〃You know best; sir。〃 The same result followed when we tried to



find out where he had been; and what people had taken care of



him; during his last vagrant escape from home。 It was a new



revelation to him that he had been anywhere。 With evident



interest; he applied to us to tell him where he had wandered to;



and what people he had seen!







So our last attempts at enlightenment ended。 We came to the final



question of how to place the papers; with the least possible loss



of time; in Mr。 Winterfield's hands。







His absence in Paris having been mentioned; I stated plainly my



own position toward him at the present time。







〃Mr。 Winterfield has made an appointment with me to call at his



hotel; on his return to London;〃 I said。 〃I shall probably be the



first friend who sees him。 If you will trust me with your sealed



packet; in consideration of these circumstances; I will give you



a formal receipt for it in Doctor Wybrow's presenceand I will



add any written pledge that you may require on my part; acting as



Mr。 Winterfield's representative and friend。 Perhaps you would



like a reference as well?〃







He made a courteous reply。 〃A friend of Dr。 Wybrow's;〃 he said;



〃requires no other reference。〃







〃Excuse me;〃 I persisted。 〃I had the honor of meeting Doctor



Wybrow; for the first time; yesterday。 Permit me to refer you to



Lord Loring; who has long known me as his spiritual director and



friend。〃







This account of myself settled the matter。 I drew out the



necessary securitiesand I have all the papers lying before me



on my desk at this moment。







You remember how seals were broken; and impressed again; at the



Roman post…office; in the revolutionary days when we were both



young men? Thanks to the knowledge then obtained; the



extraordinary events which once associated Mr。 Winterfield and



Miss Eyrecourt are at last plainly revealed to me。 Copies of the



papers are in my possession; and the originals are sealed again;



with the crest of the proprietor of the asylum; as if nothing had



happened。 I make no attempt to excuse myself。 You know our



motto:THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS。







I don't propose to make any premature use of the information



which I have obtained。 The first and foremost necessity; as I



have already reminded you; is to give Penrose the undisturbed



opportunity of completing the conversion of Romayne。 During this



interval; my copies of the pa

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