the black robe-第57章

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Naturally　enough；　perhaps；　considering　the　delicacy　of　the



subject；　he　has　not　taken　me　into　his　confidence。　I　can　only



guess　that　he　has　maintained　the　same　reserve　with　Mrs。　Romayne。







My　visit　to　the　Lodge　was　duly　paid　this　afternoon。







I　asked　first；　of　course；　for　the　lady　of　the　house；　and　hearing



she　was　in　the　grounds；　joined　her　there。　She　looked　ill　and



anxious；　and　she　received　me　with　rigid　politeness。　Fortunately；



Mrs。　Eyrecourt　（now　convalescent）　was　staying　at　Ten　Acres；　and



was　then　taking　the　air　in　her　chair　on　wheels。　The　good　lady's



nimble　and　discursive　tongue　offered　me　an　opportunity　of



referring；　in　the　most　innocent　manner　possible；　to　Winterfield's



favorable　opinion　of　Romayne's　pictures。　I　need　hardly　say　that　I



looked　at　Romayne's　wife　when　I　mentioned　the　name。　She　turned



paleprobably　fearing　that　I　had　some　knowledge　of　her　letter



warning　Winterfield　not　to　trust　me。　If　she　had　already　been



informed　that　he　was　not　to　be　blamed；　but　to　be　pitied；　in　the



matter　of　the　marriage　at　Brussels；　she　would　have　turned　red。



Such；　at　least；　is　my　experience；　drawn　from　recollections　of



other　days。　*







The　ladies　having　served　my　purpose；　I　ventured　into　the　house；



to　pay　my　respects　to　Romayne。







He　was　in　the　study；　and　his　excellent　friend　and　secretary　was



with　him。　After　the　first　greetings　Penrose　left　us。　His　manner



told　me　plainly　that　there　was　something　wrong。　I　asked　no



questionswaiting　on　the　chance　that　Romayne　might　enlighten　me。







〃I　hope　you　are　in　better　spirits；　now　that　you　have　your　old



companion　with　you；〃　I　said。







〃I　am　very　glad　to　have　Penrose　with　me；〃　he　answered。　And　then



he　frowned　and　looked　out　of　the　window　at　the　two　ladies　in　the



grounds。







It　occurred　to　me　that　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　might　be　occupying　the



customary　false　position　of　a　mother…in…law。　I　was　mistaken。　He



was　not　thinking　of　his　wife's　motherhe　was　thinking　of　his



wife。







〃I　suppose　you　know　that　Penrose　had　an　idea　of　converting　me？〃



he　said；　suddenly。







I　was　perfectly　candid　with　himI　said　I　knew　it；　and　approved



of　it。　〃May　I　hope　that　Arthur　has　succeeded　in　convincing　you？〃



I　ventured　to　add。







〃He　might　have　succeeded；　Father　Benwell；　if　he　had　chosen　to　go



on。〃







This　reply；　as　you　may　easily　imagine；　took　me　by　surprise。







〃Are　you　really　so　obdurate　that　Arthur　despairs　of　your



conversion？〃　I　asked。







〃Nothing　of　the　sort！　I　have　thought　and　thought　of　itand　I　can



tell　you　I　was　more　than　ready　to　meet　him　half　way。〃







〃Then　where　is　the　obstacle？〃　I　exclaimed。







He　pointed　thro　ugh　the　window　to　his　wife。　〃There　is　the



obstacle；〃　he　said；　in　a　tone　of　ironical　resignation。







Knowing　Arthur's　character　as　I　knew　it；　I　at　last　understood



what　had　happened。　For　a　moment　I　felt　really　angry。　Under　these



circumstances；　the　wise　course　was　to　say　nothing；　until　I　could



be　sure　of　speaking　with　exemplary　moderation。　It　doesn't　do　for



a　man　in　my　position　to　show　anger。







Romayne　went　on。







〃We　talked　of　my　wife；　Father　Benwell；　the　last　time　you　were



here。　You　only　knew；　then；　that　her　reception　of　Mr。　Winterfield



had　determined　him　never　to　enter　my　house　again。　By　way　of



adding　to　your　information　on　the　subject　of　'petticoat



government；'　I　may　now　tell　you　that　Mrs。　Romayne　has　forbidden



Penrose　to　proceed　with　the　attempt　to　convert　me。　By　common



consent；　the　subject　is　never　mentioned　between　us。〃　The　bitter



irony　of　his　tone；　thus　far；　suddenly　disappeared。　He　spoke



eagerly　and　anxiously。　〃I　hope　you　are　not　angry　with　Arthur？〃　he



said。







By　this　time　my　little　fit　of　ill…temper　was　at　an　end。　I



answeredand　it　was　really　in　a　certain　sense　true〃I　know



Arthur　too　well　to　be　angry　with　him。〃







Romayne　seemed　to　be　relieved。　〃I　only　troubled　you　with　this



last　domestic　incident；〃　he　resumed；　〃to　bespeak　your　indulgence



for　Penrose。　I　am　getting　learned　in　the　hierarchy　of　the　Church；



Father　Benwell！　You　are　the　superior　of　my　dear　little　friend；



and　you　exercise　authority　over　him。　Oh；　he　is　the　kindest　and



best　of　men！　It　is　not　his　fault。　He　submits　to　Mrs。



Romayneagainst　his　own　better　convictionin　the　honest　belief



that　he　consults　the　interests　of　our　married　life。〃







I　don't　think　I　misinterpret　the　state　of　Romayne's　mind；　and



mislead　you；　when　I　express　my　belief　that　this　second　indiscreet



interference　of　his　wife　between　his　friend　and　himself　will



produce　the　very　result　which　she　dreads。　Mark　my　words；　written



after　the　closest　observation　of　himthis　new　irritation　of



Romayne's　sensitive　self…respect　will　hasten　his　conversion。







You　will　understand　that　the　one　alternative　before　me；　after



what　has　happened；　is　to　fill　the　place　from　which　Penrose　has



withdrawn。　I　abstained　from　breathing　a　word　of　this　to　Romayne。



It　is　he；　if　I　can　manage　it；　who　must　invite　me　to　complete　the



work　of　conversionand；　besides；　nothing　can　be　done　until　the



visit　of　Penrose　has　come　to　an　end。　Romayne's　secret　sense　of



irritation　may　be　safely　left　to　develop　itself；　with　time　to



help　it。







I　changed　the　conversation　to　the　subject　of　his　literary　labors。







The　present　state　of　his　mind　is　not　favorable　to　work　of　that



exacting　kind。　Even　with　the　help　of　Penrose　to　encourage　him；　he



does　not　get　on　to　his　satisfactionand　yet；　as　I　could　plainly



perceive；　the　ambition　to　make　a　name　in　the　world　exercises　a



stronger　influence　over　him　than　ever。　All　in　our　favor；　my



reverend　friendall　in　our　favor！







I　took　the　liberty　of　asking　to　see　Penrose　alone　for　a　moment；



and；　this　request　granted；　Romayne　and　I　parted　cordially。　I　can



make　most　people　like　me；　when　I　choose　to　try。　The　master　of



Vange　Abbey　is　no　exception　to　the　rule。　Did　I　tell　you；



by…the…by；　that　the　property　has　a　little　declined　of　late　in



value？　It　is　now　not　worth　more　than　six　thousand　a　year。　_We_



will　improve　it　when　it　returns　to　the　Church。







My　interview　with　Penrose　was　over　in　two　minutes。　Dispensing



with　formality；　I　took　his　arm；　and　led　him　into　the　front



garden。







〃I　have　heard　all　about　it；〃　I　said；　〃and　I　must　not　deny　that



you　have　disappointed　me。　But　I　know　your　disposition；　and　I　make



allowances。　You　have　qualities；　dear　Arthur；　which　perhaps　put



you　a　little　out　of　place　among　us。　I　shall　be　obliged　to　report



what　you　have　donebut　you　may　trust　me　to　put　it　favorably。



Shake　hands；　my　son；　and；　while　we　are　still　together；　let　us　be



as　good　friends　as　ever。〃







You　may　think　that　I　spoke　in　this　way　with　a　view　to　my



indulgent　language　being　repeated　to　Romayne；　and　so　improving



the　position　which　I　have　already　gained　in　his　estimation。　Do



you　know；　I　really　believe　I　meant　it　at　the　time！　The　poor



fellow　gratefully　kissed　my　hand　when　I　offered　it　to　himhe　was



not　able　to　speak。　I　wonder　whether　I　am　weak　about　Arthur？　Say　a



kind　word　for　him；　when　his　conduct　comes　under　noticebut　pray



don't　mention　this　little　frailty　of　mine；　and　don't　suppose　I



have　any　sympathy　with　his　weak…minded　submission　to　Mrs。



Romayne's　prejudices。　If　I　ever　felt　the　smallest　consideration



for　_her_　（and　I　cannot　call　to　mind　any　amiable　emotion　of　that



sort）；　her　letter　to　Winterfield　would　have　effectually



extinguished　it。　There　is　something　quite　revolting　to　me　in　a



deceitful　woman。







In　closing　thi