the black robe-第54章

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can　remove　themwell　and　good。　If　I　failif　you　cannot　act　on



purely　conscientious　convictionI　not　only　advise；　I　entreat



you；　to　remain　as　you　are。　I　shall　be　the　first　to　acknowledge



that　you　have　done　right。〃







（This　moderation　of　tone　would　appeal　irresistibly；　as　Stella



well　knew；　to　her　husband's　ready　appreciation　of　those　good



qualities　in　others　which　he　did　not　himself　possess。　Once　more



her　suspicion　wronged　Penrose。　Had　he　his　own　interested　motives



for　pleading　her　cause？　At　the　bare　thought　of　it；　she　left　her



chair　and；　standing　under　the　window；　boldly　interrupted　the



conversation　by　calling　to　Romayne。）







〃Lewis！〃　she　cried；　〃why　do　you　stay　indoors　on　this　beautiful



day？　I　am　sure　Mr。　Penrose　would　like　a　walk　in　the　grounds。〃







Penrose　appeared　alone　at　the　window。　〃You　are　quite　right；　Mrs。



Romayne；〃　he　said；　〃we　will　join　you　directly。〃







In　a　few　minutes　he　turned　the　corner　of　the　house；　and　met



Stella　on　the　lawn。　Romayne　was　not　with　him。　〃Is　my　husband　not



coming　with　us？〃　she　asked。　〃He　will　follow　us；〃　Penrose



answered。　〃I　believe　he　has　some　letters　to　write。〃







Stella　looked　at　him；　suspecting　some　underhand　exercise　of



influence　on　her　husband。







If　she　had　been　able　to　estimate　the　noble　qualities　in　the



nature　of　Penrose；　she　might　have　done　him　the　justice　to　arrive



at　a　truer　conclusion。　It　was　he　who　had　asked　leave　（when　Stella



had　interrupted　them）　to　take　the　opportunity　of　speaking　alone



with　Mrs。　Romayne。　He　had　said　to　his　friend；　〃If　I　am　wrong　in



my　anticipation　of　the　effect　of　your　change　of　religion　on　your



wife；　let　me　find　it　out　from　herself。　My　one　object　is　to　act



justly　toward　you　and　toward　her。　I　should　never　forgive　myself



if　I　made　mischief　between　you；　no　matter　how　innocent　of　any



evil　intention　I　might　be。〃　Romayne　had　understood　him。　It　was



Stella's　misfortune　ignorantly　to　misinterpret　everything　that



Penrose　said　or　did；　for　the　all…sufficient　reason　that　he　was　a



Catholic　priest。　She　had　drawn　the　conclusion　that　her　husband



had　deliberately　left　her　alone　with　Penrose；　to　be　persuaded　or



deluded　into　giving　her　sanction　to　aid　the　influence　of　the



priest。　〃They　shall　find　they　are　mistaken；〃　she　thought　to



herself。







〃Have　I　interrupted　an　interesting　conversation？〃　she　inquired



abruptly。　〃When　I　asked　you　to　come　out；　were　you　talking　to　my



husband　about　his　historical　work？〃







〃No；　Mrs。　Romayne；　we　were　not　speaking　at　that　time　of　the



book。〃







〃May　I　ask　an　odd　question；　Mr。　Penrose？〃







〃Certainly！〃







〃Are　you　a　very　zealous　Catholic？〃







〃Pardon　me。　I　am　a　priest。　Surely　my　profession　speaks　for　me？〃







〃I　hope　you　are　not　trying　to　convert　my　husband？〃







Penrose　stopped　and　looked　at　her　attentively。







〃Are　you　strongly　opposed　to　your　husband's　conversion？〃　he



asked。







〃As　strongly；〃　she　answered；　〃as　a　woman　can　be。〃







〃By　religious　conviction；　Mrs。　Romayne？〃







〃No。　By　experience。〃







Penrose　started。　〃Is　it　indiscreet；〃　he　said　gently；　〃to　inquire



what　your　experience　may　have　been？〃







〃I　will　tell　you　what　my　experience　has　been；〃　Stella　replied。　〃I



am　ignorant　of　theological　subtleties；　and　questions　of　doctrine



are　quite　beyond　me。　But　this　I　do　know。　A　well…meaning　and



zealous　Catholic　shortened　my　father's　life；　and　separated　me



from　an　only　sister　whom　I　dearly　loved。　I　see　I　shock　youand　I



daresay　you　think　I　am　exaggerating？〃







〃I　hear　what　you　say；　Mrs。　Romayne；　with　very　great　painI　don't



presume　to　form　any　opinion　thus　far。〃







〃My　sad　story　can　be　told　in　a　few　words；〃　Stella　proceeded。



〃When　my　elder　sister　was　still　a　young　girl；　an　aunt　of　ours　（my



mother's　sister）　came　to　stay　with　us。　She　had　married　abroad；



and　she　was；　as　I　have　said；　a　zealous　Catholic。　Unknown　to　the



rest　of　us；　she　held　conversations　on　religion　with　my



sisterworked　on　the　enthusiasm　which　was　part　of　the　girl's



natureand　accomplished　her　conversion。　Other　influences；　of



which　I　know　nothing；　were　afterward　brought　to　bear　on　my



sister。　She　declared　her　intention　of　entering　a　convent。　As　she



was　under　age；　my　father　had　only　to　interpose　his　authority　to



prevent　this。　She　was　his　favorite　child。　He　had　no　heart　to



restrain　her　by　forcehe　could　only　try　all　that　the　kindest　and



best　of　fathers　could　do　to　persuade　her　to　remain　at　home。　Even



after　the　years　that　have　passed；　I　cannot　trust　myself　to　speak



of　it　composedly。　She　persisted；　she　was　as　hard　as　stone。　My



aunt；　when　she　was　entreated　to　interfere；　called　her　heartless



obstinacy　'a　vocation。'　My　poor　father's　loving　resistance　was



worn　out；　he　slowly　drew　nearer　and　nearer　to　death；　from　the　day



when　she　left　us。　Let　me　do　her　justice；　if　I　can。　She　has　not



only　never　regretted　entering　the　conventshe　is　so　happily



absorbed　in　her　religious　duties　that　she　has　not　the　slightest



wish　to　see　her　mother　or　me。　My　mother's　patience　was　soon　worn



out。　The　last　time　I　went　to　the　convent；　I　went　by　myself。　I



shall　never　go　there　again。　She　could　not　conceal　her　sense　of



relief　when　I　took　my　leave　of　her。　I　need　say　no　more。　Arguments



are　thrown　away　on　me；　Mr。　Penrose；　after　what　I　have　seen　and



felt。　I　have　no　right　to　expect　that　the　consideration　of　my



happiness　will　influence　youbut　I　may　perhaps　ask　you；　as　a



gentleman；　to　tell　me　the　truth。　Do　you　come　here　with　the



purpose　of　converting　my　husband？〃







Penrose　owned　the　truth；　without　an　instant's　hesitation。







〃I　cannot　take　your　view　of　your　sister's　pious　devotion　of



herself　to　a　religious　life；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　can；　and　will；



answer　you　truly。　From　the　time　when　I　first　knew　him；　my　dearest



object　has　been　to　convert　your　husband　to　the　Catholic　Faith。〃







Stella　drew　back　from　him；　as　if　he　had　stung　her；　and　clasped



her　hands　in　silent　despair。







〃But　I　am　bound　as　a　Christian；〃　he　went　on；　〃to　do　to　others　as



I　would　they　should　do　to　me。〃







She　turned　on　him　suddenly；　her　beautiful　face　radiant　with　hope；



her　hand　trembling　as　it　caught　him　by　the　arm。







〃Speak　plainly！〃　she　cried。







He　obeyed　her　to　the　letter。







〃The　happiness　of　my　friend's　wife；　Mrs。　Romayne；　is　sacred　to　me



for　his　sake。　Be　the　good　angel　of　your　husband's　life。　I　abandon



the　purpose　of　converting　him。〃







He　lifted　her　hand　from　his　arm　and　raised　it　respectfully　to　his



lips。　Then；　when　he　had　bound　himself　by　a　promise　that　was



sacred　to　him；　the　terrible　influence　of　the　priesthood　shook



even　that　brave　and　lofty　soul。　He　said　to　himself；　as　he　left



her；　〃God　forgive　me　if　I　have　done　wrong！〃







CHAPTER　III。







WINTERFIELD　RETURNS。







TWICE　Father　Benwell　called　at　Derwent's　Hotel；　and　twice　he　was



informed　that　no　news　had　been　received　there　of　Mr。　Winterfield。



At　the　third　attempt；　his　constancy　was　rewarded。　Mr。　Winterfield



had　written；　and　was　expected　to　arrive　at　the　hotel　by　five



o'clock。







It　was　then　half…past　four。　Father　Benwell　decided　to　await　the



return　of　his　friend。







He　was　as　anxious　to　deliver　the　papers　which　the　proprietor　of



the　asylum　had　confided　to　him；　as　if　he　had　never　broken　a　seal



or　used　a　counterfeit　to　hide　the　betrayal　of　a　trust。　The



re…sealed　packet　was　safe　in　the　pocket　of　his　long　black



frockcoat。　His　own　future　proceedings　depended；　in　some　degree；