the black robe-第58章

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



deceitful　woman。







In　closing　this　letter；　I　may　quiet　the　minds　of　our　reverend



brethren；　if　I　assure　them　that　my　former　objection　to



associating　myself　directly　with　the　conversion　of　Romayne　no



longer　exists。







Yes！　even　at　my　age；　and　with　my　habits；　I　am　now　resigned　to



hearing；　and　confuting；　the　trivial　arguments　of　a　man　who　is



young　enough　to　be　my　son。　I　shall　write　a　carefully…guarded



letter　to　Romayne；　on　the　departure　of　Penrose；　and　I　shall　send



him　a　book　to　read；　from　the　influence　of　which　I　expect



gratifying　results。　It　is　not　a　controversial　work　（Arthur　has



been　beforehand　with　me　there）it　is　Wiseman's　〃Recollections　of



the　Popes。〃　I　look　to　that　essentially　readable　book　to　excite



Romayne's　imagination；　by　vivid　descriptions　of　the　splendors　of



the　Church；　and　the　vast　influence　and　power　of　the　higher



priesthood。　Does　this　sudden　enthusiasm　of　mine　surprise　you？　And



are　you　altogether　at　a　loss　to　know　what　it　means？







It　means；　my　friend；　that　I　see　our　position　toward　Romayne　in　a



new　light。　Forgive　me；　if　I　say　no　more　for　the　present。　I　prefer



to　be　silent；　until　my　audacity　is　justified　by　events。







…　*　Father　Benwell's　experience　had；　in　this　case；　not　misled



him。　If　Stella　had　remained　unmarried；　Winterfield　might　have



justified　himself。　But　he　was　honorably　unwilling　to　disturb　her



relations　with　her　husband；　by　satisfying　her　that　he　had　never



been　unworthy　of　the　affection　which　had　once　united　them。







CHAPTER　V。







BERNARD　WINTERFIELD'S　CORRESPONDENCE。







I。







_From　Mrs。　Romayne　to　Mr。　Winterfield。_







HAS　my　letter　failed　to　reach　you？　I　directed　it　（as　I　direct



this）　to　Beaupark；　not　knowing　your　London　address。







Yesterday；　Father　Benwell　called　at　Ten　Acres　Lodge。　He　first　saw



my　mother　and　myself　and　he　contrived　to　mention　your　name。　It



was　done　with　his　usual　adroitness；　and　I　might　perhaps　have



passed　it　over　if　he　had　not　looked　at　me。　I　hope　and　pray　it　may



be　only　my　fancybut　I　thought　I　saw；　in　his　eyes；　that　he　was



conscious　of　having　me　in　his　power；　and　that　he　might　betray　me



to　my　husband　at　any　moment。







I　have　no　sort　of　claim　on　you。　And；　Heaven　knows；　I　have　little



reason　to　trust　you。　But　I　thought　you　meant　fairly　by　me　when　we



spoke　together　at　this　house。　In　that　belief；　I　entreat　you　to



tell　me　if　Father　Benwell　has　intruded　himself　into　your



confidenceor　even　if　you　have　hinted　anything　to　him　which



gives　him　a　hold　over　me。







II。







_From　Mr。　Winterfield　to　Mrs。　Romayne。_







Both　your　letters　have　reached　me。







I　have　good　reason　for　believing　that　you　are　entirely　mistaken



in　your　estimate　of　Father　Benwell's　character。　But　I　know；　by



sad　experience；　how　you　hold　to　your　opinions　when　they　are　once



formed；　and　I　am　eager　to　relieve　you　of　all　anxiety；　so　far　as　I



am　concerned。　I　have　not　said　one　wordI　have　not　even　let　slip



the　slightest　hintwhich　could　inform　Father　Benwell　of　that



past　event　in　our　lives　to　which　your　letter　alludes。　Your　secret



is　a　sacred　secret　to　me；　and　it　has　been；　and　shall　be；　sacredly



kept。







There　is　a　sentence　in　your　letter　which　has　given　me　great　pain。



You　reiterate　the　cruel　language　of　the　bygone　time。　You　say；



〃Heaven　knows　I　have　little　reason　to　trust　you。〃







I　have　reasons；　on　my　side；　for　not　justifying　myselfexcept



under　certain　conditions。　I　mean　under　conditions　which　might



place　me　in　a　position　to　serve　and　advise　you　as　a　friend　or



brother。　In　that　case；　I　undertake　to　prove；　even　to　you；　that　it



was　a　cruel　injustice　ever　to　have　doubted　me；　and　that　there　is



no　man　living　whom　y　ou　can　more　implicitly　trust　than　myself。







My　address；　when　I　am　in　London；　is　at　the　head　of　this　page。







III。







_From　Dr。　Wybrow　to　Mr。　Winterfield。_







Dear　SirI　have　received　your　letter；　mentioning　that　you　wish



to　accompany　me；　at　my　next　visit　to　the　asylum；　to　see　the



French　boy；　so　strangely　associated　with　the　papers　delivered　to



you　by　Father　Benwell。







Your　proposal　reaches　me　too　late。　The　poor　creature's　troubled



life　has　come　to　an　end。　He　never　rallied　from　the　exhausting



effect　of　the　fever。　To　the　last　he　was　attended　by　his　mother。







I　write　with　true　sympathy　for　that　excellent　ladybut　I　cannot



conceal　from　you　or　from　myself　that　this　death　is　not　to　be



regretted。　In　a　case　of　the　same　extraordinary　kind；　recorded　in



print；　the　patient　recovered　from　the　fever；　and　his　insanity



returned　with　his　returning　health。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Faithfully　yours；



JOSEPH　WYBROW。







CHAPTER　VI。







THE　SADDEST　OF　ALL　WORDS。







ON　the　tenth　morning；　dating　from　the　dispatch　of　Father



Benwell's　last　letter　to　Rome；　Penrose　was　writing　in　the　study



at　Ten　Acres　Lodge；　while　Romayne　sat　at　the　other　end　of　the



room；　looking　listlessly　at　a　blank　sheet　of　paper；　with　the　pen



lying　idle　beside　it。　On　a　sudden　he　rose；　and；　snatching　up



paper　and　pen；　threw　them　irritably　into　the　fire。







〃Don't　trouble　yourself　to　write　any　longer；〃　he　said　to　Penrose。



〃My　dream　is　over。　Throw　my　manuscripts　into　the　waste　paper



basket；　and　never　speak　to　me　of　literary　work　again。〃







〃Every　man　devoted　to　literature　has　these　fits　of　despondency；〃



Penrose　answered。　〃Don't　think　of　your　work。　Send　for　your　horse；



and　trust　to　fresh　air　and　exercise　to　relieve　your　mind。〃







Romayne　barely　listened。　He　turned　round　at　the　fireplace　and



studied　the　reflection　of　his　face　in　the　glass。







〃I　look　worse　and　worse；〃　he　said　thoughtfully　to　himself。







It　was　true。　His　flesh　had　fallen　away；　his　face　had　withered　and



whitened；　he　stooped　like　an　old　man。　The　change　for　the　worse



had　been　steadily　proceeding　from　the　time　when　he　left　Vange



Abbey。







〃It's　useless　to　conceal　it　from　me！〃　he　burst　out；　turning



toward　Penrose。　〃I　believe　I　am　in　some　way　answerablethough



you　all　deny　itfor　the　French　boy's　death。　Why　not？　His　voice



is　still　in　my　ears；　and　the　stain　of　his　brother's　blood　is　on



me。　I　am　under　a　spell！　Do　you　believe　in　the　witchesthe



merciless　old　women　who　made　wax　images　of　the　people　who　injured



them；　and　stuck　pins　in　their　mock　likenesses；　to　register　the



slow　wasting　away　of　their　victims　day　after　day？　People



disbelieve　it　in　these　times；　but　it　has　never　been　disproved。〃



He　stopped；　looked　at　Penrose；　and　suddenly　changed　his　tone。



〃Arthur！　what　is　the　matter　with　you？　Have　you　had　a　bad　night？



Has　anything　happened？〃







For　the　first　time　in　Romayne's　experience　of　him；　Penrose



answered　evasively。







〃Is　there　nothing　to　make　me　anxious；〃　he　said；　〃when　I　hear　you



talk　as　you　are　talking　now？　The　poor　French　boy　died　of　a　fever。



Must　I　remind　you　again　that　he　owed　the　happiest　days　of　his



life　to　you　and　your　good　wife？〃







Romayne　still　looked　at　him　without　attending　to　what　he　said。







〃Surely　you　don't　think　I　am　deceiving　you？〃　Penrose



remonstrated。







〃No；　I　was　thinking　of　something　else。　I　was　wondering　whether　I



really　know　you　as　well　as　I　thought　I　did。　Am　I　mistaken　in



supposing　that　you　are　not　an　ambitious　man？〃







〃My　only　ambition　is　to　lead　a　worthy　life；　and　to　be　as　useful



to　my　fellow…creatures　as　I　can。　Does　that　satisfy　you？〃