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