the black robe-第51章

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bone　of　the　skull。







I　need　hardly　add　that　all　the　information　I　can　give　you　is



willingly　at　your　service。







She　mentions；　poor　soul；　something　which　she　had　to　ask　of　you。　I



prefer　the　request　which；　in　her　exhausted　state；　she　was　unable



to　address　to　you　in　her　own　words。







While　the　performances　of　the　circus　were　taking　place　in　the



next　county　to　ours；　a　wandering　lad；　evidently　of　deficient



intelligence；　was　discovered；　trying　to　creep　under　the　tent　to



see　what　was　going　on。　He　could　give　no　intelligible　account　of



himself。　The　late　Mrs。　Winterfield　（who　was　born　and　brought　up；



as　I　understand；　in　France）　discovered　that　the　boy　was　French；



and　felt　interested　in　the　unfortunate　creature；　from　former



happy　association　with　kind　friends　of　his　nation。　She　took　care



of　him　from　that　time　to　the　day　of　her　deathand　he　appeared　to



be　gratefully　attached　to　her。







I　say　〃appeared；〃　because　an　inveterate　reserve　marks　one　of　the



peculiarities　of　the　mental　affliction　from　which　he　suffers。



Even　his　benefactress　never　could　persuade　him　to　take　her　into



his　confidence。　In　other　respects；　her　influence　（so　far　as　I　can



learn）　had　been　successfully　exerted　in　restraining　certain



mischievous　propensities　in　him；　which　occasionally　showed



themselves。　The　effect　of　her　death　has　been　to　intensify　that



reserve　to　which　I　have　already　alluded。　He　is　sullen　and



irritableand　the　good　landlady　at　the　lodgings　does　not



disguise　that　she　shrinks　from　taking　care　of　him；　even　for　a　few



days。　Until　I　hear　from　you；　he　will　remain　under　the　charge　of



my　housekeeper　at　the　rectory。







You　have；　no　doubt；　anticipated　the　request　which　the　poor



sufferer　wished　to　address　to　you　but　a　few　hours　before　her



death。　She　hoped　that　you　might　be　willing　to　place　this



friendless　and　helpless　creature　under　competent　protection。



Failing　your　assistance；　I　shall　have　no　alternative；　however　I



may　regret　it；　but　to　send　him　to　the　workhouse　of　this　town；　on



his　way；　probably；　to　the　public　asylum。







Believe　me；　sir；　your　faithful　servant；







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHARLES　FENNICK。







P。S。I　fear　my　letter　and　its　inclosures　may　be　delayed　in



reaching　you。







Yesterday　evening；　I　had　returned　to　my　house；　before　it　occurred



to　me　that　Mrs。　Winterfield　had　not　mentioned　your　address。　My



only　excuse　for　this　forgetfulness　is；　that　I　was　very　much



distressed　while　I　was　writing　by　her　bedside。　I　at　once　went



back　to　the　lodgings；　but　she　had　fallen　asleep；　and　I　dared　not



disturb　her。　This　morning；　when　I　returned　to　the　house；　she　was



dead。　There　is　an　allusion　to　Devonshire　in　her　letter；　which



suggests　that　your　residence　may　be　in　that　county；　and　I　think



she　once　spoke　of　you　as　a　person　of　rank　and　fortune。　Having



failed　to　find　your　name　in　a　London　Directory；　I　am　now　about　to



search　our　free　library　here　for　a　county　history　of　Devon；　on



the　chance　that　it　may　assist　me。　Let　me　add；　for　your　own



satisfaction；　that　no　eyes　but　mine　will　see　these　papers。　For



security's　sake；　I　shall　seal　them　at　once；　and　write　your　name



on　the　envelope。







_Added　by　Father　Benwell。_







How　the　boy　contrived　to　possess　himself　of　the　sealed　packet　we



shall　probably　never　discover。　Anyhow；　we　know　that　he　must　have



escaped　from　the　rectory；　with　the　papers　in　his　possession；　and



that　he　did　certainly　get　back　to　his　mother　and　sister　in



London。







With　such　complete　information　as　I　now　have　at　my　disposal；　the



prospect　is　as　clear　again　as　we　can　desire。　The　separation　of



Romayne　from　his　wife；　and　the　alteration　of　his　will　in　favor　of



the　Church；　seem　to　be　now　merely　questions　of　time。







BOOK　THE　FOURTH。







CHAPTER　I。







THE　BREACH　IS　WIDENED。







A　FORTNIGHT　after　Father　Benwell's　discovery；　Stella　followed　her



husband　one　morning　into　his　study。　〃Have　you　heard　from　Mr。



Penrose？〃　she　inquired。







〃Yes。　He　will　be　here　to…morrow。〃







〃To　make　a　long　visit？〃







〃I　hope　so。　The　longer　the　better。〃







She　looked　at　him　with　a　mingled　expression　of　surprise　and



reproach。　〃Why　do　you　say　that？〃　she　asked。　〃Why　do　you　want　him



so　muchwhen　you　have　got　Me？〃







Thus　far；　he　had　been　sitting　at　his　desk；　resting　his　head　on



his　hand；　with　his　downcast　eyes　fixed　on　an　open　book。　When　she



put　her　last　question　to　him　he　suddenly　looked　up。　Through　the



large　window　at　his　side　the　morning　light　fell　　on　his　face。　The



haggard　look　of　suffering；　which　Stella　remembered　on　the　day



when　they　met　on　the　deck　of　the　steamboat；　was　again



visiblenot　softened　and　chastened　now　by　the　touching



resignation　of　the　bygone　time；　but　intensified　by　the　dogged　and



despairing　endurance　of　a　man　weary　of　himself　and　his　life。　Her



heart　ached　for　him。　She　said；　softly：　〃I　don't　mean　to　reproach



you。〃







〃Are　you　jealous　of　Penrose？〃　he　asked；　with　a　bitter　smile。







She　desperately　told　him　the　truth。　〃I　am　afraid　of　Penrose；〃　she



answered。







He　eyed　her　with　a　strange　expression　of　suspicious　surprise。



〃Why　are　you　afraid　of　Penrose？〃







It　was　no　time　to　run　the　risk　of　irritating　him。　The　torment　of



the　Voice　had　returned　in　the　past　night。　The　old　gnawing　remorse



of　the　fatal　day　of　the　duel　had　betrayed　itself　in　the　wild



words　that　had　escaped　him；　when　he　sank　into　a　broken　slumber　as



the　morning　dawned。　Feeling　the　truest　pity　for　him；　she　was



still　resolute　to　assert　herself　against　the　coming　interference



of　Penrose。　She　tried　her　ground　by　a　dangerous　meansthe　means



of　an　indirect　reply。







〃I　think　you　might　have　told　me；〃　she　said；　〃that　Mr。　Penrose　was



a　Catholic　priest。〃







He　looked　down　again　at　his　book。　〃How　did　you　know　Penrose　was　a



Catholic　priest？〃







〃I　had　only　to　look　at　the　direction　on　your　letters　to　him。〃







〃Well；　and　what　is　there　to　frighten　you　in　his　being　a　priest？



You　told　me　at　the　Loring's　ball　that　you　took　an　interest　in



Penrose　because　I　liked　him。〃







〃I　didn't　know　then；　Lewis；　that　he　had　concealed　his　profession



from　us。　I　can't　help　distrusting　a　man　who　does　that。〃







He　laughednot　very　kindly。　〃You　might　as　well　say　you　distrust



a　man　who　conceals　that　he　is　an　author；　by　writing　an　anonymous



book。　What　Penrose　did；　he　did　under　orders　from　his



superiorand；　moreover；　he　frankly　owned　to　me　that　he　was　a



priest。　If　you　blame　anybody；　you　had　better　blame　me　for



respecting　his　confidence。〃







She　drew　back　from　him；　hurt　by　the　tone　in　which　he　spoke　to



her。　〃I　remember　the　time；　Lewis；〃　she　said；　〃when　you　would　have



been　more　indulgent　toward　my　errorseven　if　I　am　wrong。〃







That　simple　appeal　touched　his　better　nature。　〃I　don't　mean　to　be



hard　on　you；　Stella；〃　he　answered。　〃It　is　a　little　irritating　to



hear　you　say　that　you　distrust　the　most　devoted　and　most



affectionate　friend　that　man　ever　had。　Why　can't　I　love　my　wife；



and　love　my　friend；　too？　You　don't　know；　when　I　am　trying　to　get



on　with　my　book；　how　I　miss　the　help　and　sympathy　of　Penrose。　The



very　sound　of　his　voice　used　to　encourage　me。　Come；　Stella；　give



me　a　kissand　let　us；　as　the　children　say；　make　it　up！〃







He　rose　from　his　writing…table。　She　met　him　more　than　half　way；



and　pressed　all　her　loveand　perhaps　a　little　of　her　fearon



his　lips。　He　returned　the　kiss　as　warmly　as　it　was　given；　and



then；