the black robe-第61章

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and　manner。　〃I　am　so　much　obliged　to　you；　Father　Benwell。　I　have



not　offended　you；　I　hope　and　trust？〃







〃You　have　done　me　a　service；　dear　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　But　for　your



salutory　caution；　I　_might_　have　drifted　into　controversial



subjects。　I　shall　be　on　my　guard　now。〃







〃How　very　good　of　you！　We　shall　meet　again；　I　hope；　under　more



agreeable　circumstances。　After　that　polite　allusion　to　a



monastery；　I　understand　that　my　visit　to　my　son…in…law　may　as



well　come　to　an　end。　Please　don't　forget　five　o'clock　tea　at　my



house。〃







As　she　approached　the　door；　it　was　opened　from　the　outer　side。



Her　daughter　met　her　half…way。　〃Why　are　you　here；　mamma？〃　Stella



asked。







〃Why；　indeed；　my　love！　You　had　better　leave　the　room　with　me。　Our



amiable　Romayne's　present　idea　is　to　relieve　himself　of　our



society　by　retiring　to　a　monastery。　Don't　you　see　Father



Benwell？〃







Stella　coldly　returned　the　priest's　bowand　looked　at　Romayne。



She　felt　a　vague　forewarning　of　what　had　happened。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



proceeded　to　enlighten　her；　as　an　appropriate　expression　of



gratitude。　〃We　are　indeed　indebted　to　Father　Benwell；　my　dear。　He



has　been　most　considerate　and　kind〃







Romayne　interrupted　her　without　ceremony。　〃Favor　me；〃　he　said；



addressing　his　wife；　〃by　inducing　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　to　continue　her



narrative　in　some　other　room。〃







Stella　was　hardly　conscious　of　what　her　mother　or　her　husband　had



said。　She　felt　that　the　priest's　eyes　were　on　her。　Under　any



other　circumstances；　Father　Benwell's　good　breeding　and　knowledge



of　the　world　would　have　impelled　him　to　take　his　departure。　As



things　were；　he　knew　perfectly　well　that　the　more　seriously



Romayne　was　annoyed；　in　his　presence；　the　better　his　own　private



interests　would　be　served。　Accordingly；　he　stood　apart；　silently



observant　of　Stella。　In　spite　of　Winterfield's　reassuring　reply



to　her　letter；　Stella　instinctively　suspected　and　dreaded　the



Jesuit。　Under　the　spell　of　those　watchful　eyes　she　trembled



inwardly；　her　customary　tact　deserted　her；　she　made　an　indirect



apology　to　the　man　whom　she　hated　and　feared。







〃Whatever　my　mother　may　have　said　to　you；　Father　Benwell；　has



been　without　my　knowledge。〃







Romayne　attempted　to　speak；　but　Father　Benwell　was　too　quick　for



him。







〃Dear　Mrs。　Romayne；　nothing　has　been　said　which　needs　any



disclaimer　on　your　part。〃







〃I　should　think　not！〃　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　added。　〃Really；　Stella；　I



don't　understand　you。　Why　may　I　not　say　to　Father　Benwell　what



you　said　to　Mr。　Penrose？　You　trusted　Mr。　Penrose　as　your　friend。



I　can　tell　you　thisI　am　quite　sure　you　may　trust　Father



Benwell。〃







Once　more　Romayne　attempted　to　speak。　And；　once　more；　Father



Benwell　was　beforehand　with　him。







〃May　I　hope；〃　said　the　priest；　with　a　finely　ironical　smile；



〃that　Mrs。　Romayne　agrees　with　her　excellent　mother？〃







With　all　her　fear　of　him；　the　exasperating　influence　of　his　tone



and　his　look　was　more　than　Stella　could　endure。　Before　she　could



restrain　them；　the　rash　words　flew　out　of　her　lips。







〃I　am　not　sufficiently　well　acquainted　with　you；　Father　Benwell；



to　express　an　opinion。〃







With　that　answer；　she　took　her　mother's　arm　and　left　the　room。







The　moment　they　were　alone；　Romayne　turned　to　the　priest；



trembling　with　anger。　Father　Benwell；　smiling　indulgently　at　the



lady's　little　outbreak；　took　him　by　the　hand；　with　peace…making



intentions；　〃Now　don'tpray　don't　excite　yourself！〃







Romayne　was　not　to　be　pacified　in　that　way。　His　anger　was　trebly



intensified　by　the　long…continued　strain　on　his　nerves　of　the



effort　to　control　himself。







〃I　must；　and　will；　speak　out　at　last！〃　he　said。　〃Father　Benwell；



the　ladies　of　my　household　have　inexcusably　presumed　on　the



consideration　which　is　due　to　women。　No　words　can　say　how　ashamed



I　am　of　what　has　happened。　I　can　only　appeal　to　your　admirable



moderation　and　patience　to　accept　my　apologies；　and　the　most



sincere　expression　of　my　regret。〃







〃No　more；　Mr。　Romayne！　As　a　favor　to　Me；　I　beg　and　entreat　you



will　say　no　more。　Sit　down　and　compose　yourself。〃







But　Romayne　was　impenetrable　to　the　influence　of　friendly　and



forgiving　demonstrations。　〃I　can　never　expect　you　to　enter　my



house　again！〃　he　exclaimed。







〃My　dear　sir；　I　will　come　and　see　you　again；　with　the　greatest



pleasure；　on　any　day　that　you　may　appointthe　earlier　day　the



better。　Come！　come！　let　us　laugh。　I　don't　say　it　disrespectfully；



but　poor　dear　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　has　been　more　amusing　than　ever。　I



expect　to　see　our　excellent　Archbishop　to…morrow；　and　I　must



really　tell　him　how　the　good　lady　felt　insulted　when　her　Catholic



daughter　offered　to　pray　for　her。　There　is　hardly　anything　more



humorous；　even　in　Moliere。　And　the　double　chin；　and　the　red



noseall　the　fault　of　those　dreadful　Papists。　Oh；　dear　me；　you



still　take　it　seriously。　How　I　wish　you　had　my　sense　of　humor！



When　shall　I　come　again；　and　tell　you　how　the　Archbishop　likes



the　story　of　the　nun's　mother？〃







He　held　out　his　hand　with　irresistible　cordiality。　Romayne　took



it　gratefullystill　bent；　however；　on　making　atonement。







〃Let　me　first　do　myself　the　honor　of　calling　on　You；〃　he　said。　〃I



am　in　no　state　to　open　my　mindas　I　might　have　wished　to　open　it



to　youafter　what　has　happened。　In　a　day　or　two　more〃







〃Say　the　day　after　to…morrow；〃　Father　Benwell　hospitably



suggested。　〃Do　me　a　great　favor。　Come　and　eat　your　bit　of　mutton



at　my　lodgings。　Six　o'clock；　if　you　likeand　some　remarkably



good　claret；　a　present　from　one　of　the　Faithful。　You　will？　That's



hearty！　And　do　promise　me　to　think　no　more　of　our　little　domestic



comedy。　Relieve　your　mind。　Look　at　Wiseman's　'Recollections　of



the　Popes。'　Good…byGod　bless　you！〃







The　servant　who　opened　the　house　door　for　Father　Benwell　was



agreeably　surprised　by　the　Papist's　cheerfulness。　〃He　isn't　half



a　bad　fellow；〃　the　man　announced　among　his　colleagues。　〃Give　me



half…a…crown；　and　went　out　humming　a　tune。〃







CHAPTER　VIII。







FATHER　BENWELL'S　CORRESPONDENCE







_To　the　Secretary；　S。　J。；　Rome。_







I。







I　BEG　to　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　your　letter。　You　mention　that



our　Reverend　Fathers　are　discouraged　at　not　having　heard　from　me



for　more　than　six　weeks；　since　I　reported　the　little　dinner　given



to　Romayne　at　my　lodgings。







I　am　sorry　for　this；　and　more　than　sorry　to　hear　that　my



venerated　brethren　are　beginning　to　despair　of　Romayne's



conversion。　Grant　me　a　delay　of　another　weekand；　if　the



prospects　of　the　conversion　have　not　sensibly　improved　in　that



time；　I　will　confess　myself　defeated。　Meanwhile；　I　bow　to



superior　wisdom；　without　venturing　to　add　a　word　in　my　own



defense。







II。







The　week's　grace　granted　to　me　has　elapsed。　I　write　with



humility。　At　the　same　time　I　have　something　to　say　for　myself。







Yesterday；　Mr。　Lewis　Romayne；　of　Vange　Abbey；　was　received　into



the　community　of　the　Holy　Catholic　Church。　I　inclose　an　accurate



newspaper　report　of　the　ceremonies　which　attended　the　conversion。







Be　pleased　to　inform　me；　by　telegraph；　whether　our　Reverend



Fathers　wish　me　to　go　on；　or　not。







BOOK　THE　FIFTH。







CHAPTER　I。







MRS。　EYRECO　URT'S　DISCOVERY。







THE　leaves　had　fallen　in　the　grounds　at　Ten　Acres　Lodge；　and



stormy　winds　told　drearily　that　winter　had　come。







An　unchanging　dullness　pervade