the black robe-第6章

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



appeared　to　subside。　His　head　drooped；　his　eyes　half　closedhe



looked　like　a　weary　man　quietly　falling　asleep。







On　leaving　the　steamboat；　I　ventured　to　ask　our　charming



fellow…passenger　if　I　could　be　of　any　service　in　reserving　places



in　the　London　train　for　her　mother　and　herself。　She　thanked　me；



and　said　they　were　going　to　visit　some　friends　at　Folkestone。　In



making　this　reply；　she　looked　at　Romayne。　〃I　am　afraid　he　is　very



ill；〃　she　said；　in　gently　lowered　tones。　Before　I　could　answer；



her　mother　turned　to　her　with　an　expression　of　surprise；　and



directed　her　attention　to　the　friends　whom　she　had　mentioned；



waiting　to　greet　her。　Her　last　look；　as　they　took　her　away；



rested　tenderly　and　sorrowfully　on　Romayne。　He　never　returned



ithe　was　not　even　aware　of　it。　As　I　led　him　to　the　train　he



leaned　more　and　more　heavily　on　my　arm。　Seated　in　the　carriage；



he　sank　at　once　into　profound　sleep。







We　drove　to　the　hotel　at　which　my　friend　was　accustomed　to　reside



when　he　was　in　London。　His　long　sleep　on　the　journey　seemed；　in



some　degree；　to　have　relieved　him。　We　dined　together　in　his



private　room。　When　the　servants　had　withdrawn；　I　found　that　the



unhappy　result　of　the　duel　was　still　preying　on　his　mind。







〃The　horror　of　having　killed　that　man；〃　he　said；　〃is　more　than　I



can　bear　alone。　For　God's　sake；　don't　leave　me！〃







I　had　received　letters　at　Boulogne；　which　informed　me　that　my



wife　and　family　had　accepted　an　invitation　to　stay　with　some



friends　at　the　sea…side。　Under　these　circumstances　I　was　entirely



at　his　service。　Having　quieted　his　anxiety　on　this　point；　I



reminded　him　of　what　had　passed　between　us　on　board　the



steamboat。　He　tried　to　change　the　subject。　My　curiosity　was　too



strongly　aroused　to　permit　this；　I　persisted　in　helping　his



memory。







〃We　were　looking　into　the　engine…room；〃　I　said；　〃and　you　asked　me



what　I　heard　there。　You　promised　to　tell　me　what　_you_　heard；　as



soon　as　we　got　on　shore〃







He　stopped　me；　before　I　could　say　more。







〃I　begin　to　think　it　was　a　delusion；〃　he　answered。　〃You　ought　not



to　interpret　too　literally　what　a　person　in　my　dreadful　situation



may　say。　The　stain　of　another　man's　blood　is　on　me〃







I　interrupted　him　in　my　turn。　〃I　refuse　to　hear　you　speak　of



yourself　in　that　way；〃　I　said。　〃You　are　no　more　responsible　for



the　Frenchman's　death　than　if　you　had　been　driving；　and　had



accidentally　run　over　him　in　the　street。　I　am　not　the　right



companion　for　a　man　who　talks　as　you　do。　The　proper　person　to　be



with　you　is　a　doctor。〃　I　really　felt　irritated　with　himand　I



saw　no　reason　for　concealing　it。







Another　man；　in　his　place；　might　have　been　offended　with　me。



There　was　a　native　sweetness　in　Romayne's　disposition；　which



asserted　itself　even　in　his　worst　moments　of　nervous



irritability。　He　took　my　hand。







〃Don't　be　hard　on　me；〃　he　pleaded。　〃I　will　try　to　think　of　it　as



you　do。　Make　some　little　concession　on　your　side。　I　want　to　see



how　I　get　through　the　night。　We　will　return　to　what　I　said　to　you



on　board　the　steamboat　to…morrow　morning。　Is　it　agreed？〃







It　was　agreed；　of　course。　There　was　a　door　of　communication



between　our　bedrooms。　At　his　suggestion　it　was　left　open。　〃If　I



find　I　can't　sleep；　〃　he　explained；　〃I　want　to　feel　assured　that



you　can　hear　me　if　I　call　to　you。〃







Three　times　in　the　night　I　woke；　and；　seeing　the　light　burning　in



his　room；　looked　in　at　him。　He　always　carried　some　of　his　books



with　him　when　he　traveled。　On　each　occasion　when　I　entered　the



room；　he　was　reading　quietly。　〃I　suppose　I　forestalled　my　night's



sleep　on　the　railway；〃　he　said。　〃It　doesn't　matter；　I　am　content。



Something　that　I　was　afraid　of　has　not　happened。　I　am　used　to



wakeful　nights。　Go　back　to　bed；　and　don't　be　uneasy　about　me。〃







The　next　morning　the　deferred　explanation　was　put　off　again。







〃Do　you　mind　waiting　a　little　longer？〃　he　asked。







〃Not　if　you　particularly　wish　it。〃







〃Will　you　do　me　another　favor？　You　know　that　I　don't　like　London。



The　noise　in　the　streets　is　distracting。　Besides；　I　may　tell　you



I　have　a　sort　of　distrust　of　noise；　since〃　He　stopped；　with　an



appearance　of　confusion。







〃Since　I　found　you　looking　into　the　engine…room？〃　I　asked。







〃Yes。　I　don't　feel　inclined　to　trust　the　chances　of　another　night



in　London。　I　want　to　try　the　effect　of　perfect　quiet。　Do　you　mind



going　back　with　me　to　Vange？　Dull　as　the　place　is；　you　can　amuse



yourself。　There　is　good　shooting；　as　you　know。〃







In　an　hour　more　we　had　left　London。







VII。







VANGE　ABBEY　is；　I　suppose；　the　most　solitary　country　house　in



England。　If　Romayne　wanted　quiet；　it　was　exactly　the　place　for



him。







On　the　rising　ground　of　one　of　the　wildest　moors　in　the　North



Riding　of　Yorkshire；　the　ruins　of　the　old　monastery　are　visible



from　all　points　of　the　compass。　There　are　traditions　of　thriving



villages　clustering　about　the　Abbey；　in　the　days　of　the　monks；



and　of　hostleries　devoted　to　the　reception　of　pilgrims　from　every



part　of　the　Christian　world。　Not　a　vestige　of　these　buildings　is



left。　They　were　deserted　by　the　pious　inhabitants；　it　is　said；　at



the　time　when　Henry　the　Eighth　suppress　ed　the　monasteries；　and



gave　the　Abbey　and　the　broad　lands　of　Vange　to　his　faithful



friend　and　courtier；　Sir　Miles　Romayne。　In　the　next　generation；



the　son　and　heir　of　Sir　Miles　built　the　dwelling…house；　helping



himself　liberally　from　the　solid　stone　walls　of　the　monastery。



With　some　unimportant　alterations　and　repairs；　the　house　stands；



defying　time　and　weather；　to　the　present　day。







At　the　last　station　on　the　railway　the　horses　were　waiting　for



us。　It　was　a　lovely　moonlight　night；　and　we　shortened　the



distance　considerably　by　taking　the　bridle　path　over　the　moor。



Between　nine　and　ten　o'clock　we　reached　the　Abbey。







Years　had　passed　since　I　had　last　been　Romayne's　guest。　Nothing；



out　of　the　house　or　in　the　house；　seemed　to　have　undergone　any



change　in　the　interval。　Neither　the　good　North…country　butler；



nor　his　buxom　Scotch　wife；　skilled　in　cookery；　looked　any　older：



they　received　me　as　if　I　had　left　them　a　day　or　two　since；　and



had　come　back　again　to　live　in　Yorkshire。　My　well…remembered



bedroom　was　waiting　for　me；　and　the　matchless　old　Madeira



welcomed　us　when　my　host　and　I　met　in　the　inner…hall；　which　was



the　ordinary　dining…room　of　the　Abbey。







As　we　faced　each　other　at　the　well…spread　table；　I　began　to　hope



that　the　familiar　influences　of　his　country　home　were　beginning



already　to　breathe　their　blessed　quiet　over　the　disturbed　mind　of



Romayne。　In　the　presence　of　his　faithful　old　servants；　he　seemed



to　be　capable　of　controlling　the　morbid　remorse　that　oppressed



him。　He　spoke　to　them　composedly　and　kindly；　he　was



affectionately　glad　to　see　his　old　friend　once　more　in　the　old



house。







When　we　were　near　the　end　of　our　meal；　something　happened　that



startled　me。　I　had　just　handed　the　wine　to　Romayne；　and　he　had



filled　his　glasswhen　he　suddenly　turned　pale；　and　lifted　his



head　like　a　man　whose　attention　is　unexpectedly　roused。　No　person



but　ourselves　was　in　the　room；　I　was　not　speaking　to　him　at　the



time。　He　looked　round　suspiciously　at　the　door　behind　him；



leading　into　the　library；　and　rang　the　old…fashioned　handbell



which　stood　by　him　on　the　table。　The　servant　was　directed　to



close　the　door。