the black robe-第5章

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signal；　only　lift　your　arm　as　far　as　the　elbow；　keep　the　elbow



pressed　against　your　sideand　fire。〃　We　could　do　no　more　for



him。　As　we　drew　asideI　own　itmy　tongue　was　like　a　cinder　in



my　mouth；　and　a　horrid　inner　cold　crept　through　me　to　the　marrow



of　my　bones。







The　signal　was　given；　and　the　two　shots　were　fired　at　the　same



time。







My　first　look　was　at　Romayne。　He　took　off　his　hat；　and　handed　it



to　me　with　a　smile。　His　adversary's　bullet　had　cut　a　piece　out　of



the　brim　of　his　hat；　on　the　right　side。　He　had　literally　escaped



by　a　hair…breadth。







While　I　was　congratulating　him；　the　fog　gathered　again　more



thickly　than　ever。　Looking　anxiously　toward　the　ground　occupied



by　our　adversaries；　we　could　only　see　vague；　shadowy　forms



hurriedly　crossing　and　recrossing　each　other　in　the　mist。



Something　had　happened！　My　French　colleague　took　my　arm　and



pressed　it　significantly。　〃Leave　_me_　to　inquire；〃　he　said。



Romayne　tried　to　follow；　I　held　him　backwe　neither　of　us



exchanged　a　word。







The　fog　thickened　and　thickened；　until　nothing　was　to　be　seen。



Once　we　heard　the　surgeon's　voice；　calling　impatiently　for　a



light　to　help　him。　No　light　appeared　that　_we_　could　see。　Dreary



as　the　fog　itself；　the　silence　gathered　round　us　again。　On　a



sudden　it　was　broken；　horribly　broken；　by　another　voice；　strange



to　both　of　us；　shrieking　hysterically　through　the　impenetrable



mist。　〃Where　is　he？〃　the　voice　cried；　in　the　French　language。



〃Assassin！　Assassin！　where　are　you？〃　Was　it　a　woman？　or　was　it　a



boy？　We　heard　nothing　more。　The　effect　upon　Romayne　was　terrible



to　see。　He　who　had　calmly　confronted　the　weapon　lifted　to　kill



him；　shuddered　dumbly　like　a　terror…stricken　animal。　I　put　my　arm



round　him；　and　hurried　him　away　from　the　place。







We　waited　at　the　hotel　until　our　French　friend　joined　us。　After　a



brief　interval　he　appeared；　announcing　that　the　surgeon　would



follow　him。







The　duel　had　ended　fatally。　The　chance　course　of　the　bullet；



urged　by　Romayne's　unpracticed　hand；　had　struck　the　General's　son



just　above　the　right　nostrilhad　penetrated　to　the　back　of　his



neckand　had　communicated　a　fatal　shock　to　the　spinal　marrow。　He



was　a　dead　man　before　they　could　take　him　back　to　his　father's



house。







So　far；　our　fears　were　confirmed。　But　there　was　something　else　to



tell；　for　which　our　worst　presentiments　had　not　prepared　us。







A　younger　brother　of　the　fallen　man　（a　boy　of　thirteen　years　old）



had　secretly　followed　the　dueling　party；　on　their　way　from　his



father's　househad　hidden　himselfand　had　seen　the　dreadful



end。　The　seconds　only　knew　of　it　when　he　burst　out　of　his　place



of　concealment；　and　fell　on　his　knees　by　his　dying　brother's



side。　His　were　the　frightful　cries　which　we　had　heard　from



invisible　lips。　The　slayer　of　his　brother　was　the　〃assassin〃　whom



he　had　vainly　tried　to　discover　through　the　fathomless　obscurity



of　the　mist。







We　both　looked　at　Romayne。　He　silently　looked　back　at　us；　like　a



man　turned　to　stone。　I　tried　to　reason　with　him。







〃Your　life　was　at　your　opponent's　mercy；〃　I　said。　〃It　was　_he_



who　was　skilled　in　the　use　of　the　pistol；　your　risk　was



infinitely　greater　than　his。　Are　you　responsible　for　an　accident？



Rouse　yourself；　Romayne！　Think　of　the　time　to　come；　when　all　this



will　be　forgotten。〃







〃Never；〃　he　said；　〃to　the　end　of　my　life。〃







He　made　that　reply　in　dull；　monotonous　tones。　His　eyes　looked



wearily　and　vacantly　straight　before　him。　I　spoke　to　him　again。



He　remained　impenetrably　silent；　he　appeared　not　to　hear；　or　not



to　understand　me。　The　surgeon　came　in；　while　I　was　still　at　a



loss　what　to　say　or　do　next。　Without　waiting　to　be　asked　for　his



opinion；　he　observed　Romayne　attentively；　and　then　drew　me　away



into　the　next　room。







〃Your　friend　is　suffering　from　a　severe　nervous　shock；〃　he　said。



〃Can　you　tell　me　anything　of　his　habits　of　life？〃







I　mentioned　the　prolonged　night　studies　and　the　excessive　use　of



tea。　The　surgeon　shook　his　head。







〃If　you　want　my　advice；〃　he　proceeded；　〃take　him　home　at　once。



Don't　subject　　hi　m　to　further　excitement；　when　the　result　of　the



duel　is　known　in　the　town。　If　it　ends　in　our　appearing　in　a　court



of　law；　it　will　be　a　mere　formality　in　this　case；　and　you　can



surrender　when　the　time　comes。　Leave　me　your　address　in　London。〃







I　felt　that　the　wisest　thing　I　could　do　was　to　follow　his　advice。



The　boat　crossed　to　Folkestone　at　an　early　hour　that　daywe　had



no　time　to　lose。　Romayne　offered　no　objection　to　our　return　to



England；　he　seemed　perfectly　careless　what　became　of　him。　〃Leave



me　quiet；〃　he　said；　〃and　do　as　you　like。〃　I　wrote　a　few　lines　to



Lady　Berrick's　medical　attendant；　informing　him　of　the



circumstances。　A　quarter　of　an　hour　afterward　we　were　on　board



the　steamboat。







There　were　very　few　passengers。　After　we　had　left　the　harbor；　my



attention　was　attracted　by　a　young　English　ladytraveling；



apparently；　with　her　mother。　As　we　passed　her　on　the　deck　she



looked　at　Romayne　with　compassionate　interest　so　vividly



expressed　in　her　beautiful　face　that　I　imagined　they　might　be



acquainted。　With　some　difficulty；　I　prevailed　sufficiently　over



the　torpor　that　possessed　him　to　induce　him　to　look　at　our　fellow



passenger。







〃Do　you　know　that　charming　person？〃　I　asked。







〃No；〃　he　replied；　with　the　weariest　indifference。　〃I　never　saw



her　before。　I'm　tiredtiredtired！　Don't　speak　to　me；　leave　me



by　myself。〃







I　left　him。　His　rare　personal　attractionsof　which；　let　me　add；



he　never　appeared　to　be　conscioushad　evidently　made　their



natural　appeal　to　the　interest　and　admiration　of　the　young　lady



who　had　met　him　by　chance。　The　expression　of　resigned　sadness　and



suffering；　now　visible　in　his　face；　added　greatly　no　doubt　to　the



influence　that　he　had　unconsciously　exercised　over　the　sympathies



of　a　delicate　and　sensitive　woman。　It　was　no　uncommon



circumstance　in　his　past　experience　of　the　sexas　I　myself　well



knewto　be　the　object；　not　of　admiration　only；　but　of　true　and



ardent　love。　He　had　never　reciprocated　the　passionhad　never



even　appeared　to　take　it　seriously。　Marriage　might；　as　the　phrase



is；　be　the　salvation　of　him。　Would　he　ever　marry？







Leaning　over　the　bulwark；　idly　pursuing　this　train　of　thought；　I



was　recalled　to　present　things　by　a　low　sweet　voicethe　voice　of



the　lady　of　whom　I　had　been　thinking。







〃Excuse　me　for　disturbing　you；〃　she　said；　〃I　think　your　friend



wants　you。〃







She　spoke　with　the　modesty　and　self…possession　of　a　highly…bred



woman。　A　little　heightening　of　her　color　made　her；　to　my　eyes；



more　beautiful　than　ever。　I　thanked　her；　and　hastened　back　to



Romayne。







He　was　standing　by　the　barred　skylight　which　guarded　the



machinery。　I　instantly　noticed　a　change　in　him。　His　eyes



wandering　here　and　there；　in　search　of　me；　had　more　than



recovered　their　animationthere　was　a　wild　look　of　terror　in



them。　He　seized　me　roughly　by　the　arm　and　pointed　down　to　the



engine…room。







〃What　do　you　hear　there？〃　he　asked。







〃I　hear　the　thump　of　the　engines。〃







〃Nothing　else？〃







〃Nothing。　What　do　_you_　hear？〃







He　suddenly　turned　away。







〃I'll　tell　you；〃　he　said；　〃when　we　get　on　shore。〃







SECOND　SCENE。







VANGE　ABBEY。THE　FOREWARNINGS







VI。







As　we　approached　the　harbor　at　Folkestone；　Romayne's　agitation



appeared　to　subside。　His