the black robe-第63章

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Stella　resignedly　took　up　the　book　again。







〃I　daresay　you　are　right；〃　she　said。　〃Let　us　read　our　novel。〃







Before　she　had　reached　the　end　of　the　first　page；　her　mind　was



far　away　again　from　the　unfortunate　story。　She　was　thinking　of



that　〃other　presentiment；〃　which　had　formed　the　subject　of　her



mother's　last　satirical　inquiry。　The　vague　fear　that　had　shaken



her　when　she　had　accidentally　touched　the　French　boy；　on　her



visit　to　Camp's　Hill；　still　from　time　to　time　troubled　her



memory。　Even　the　event　of　his　death　had　failed　to　dissipate　the



delusion；　which　associated　him　with　some　undefined　evil　influence



that　might　yet　assert　itself。　A　superstitious　forewarning　of　this



sort　was　a　weakness　new　to　her　in　her　experience　of　herself。　She



was　heartily　ashamed　of　itand　yet　it　kept　its　hold。　Once　more



the　book　dropped　on　her　lap。　She　laid　it　aside；　and　walked



wearily　to　the　window　to　look　at　the　weather。







Almost　at　the　same　moment　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　maid　disturbed　her



mistress　over　the　second　volu　me　of　the　novel　by　entering　the



room　with　a　letter







〃For　me？〃　Stella　asked；　looking　round　from　the　window。







〃No；　ma'amfor　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。〃







The　letter　had　been　brought　to　the　house　by　one　of　Lady　Loring's



servants。　In　delivering　it　he　had　apparently　given　private



instructions　to　the　maid。　She　laid　her　finger　significantly　on



her　lips　when　she　gave　the　letter　to　her　mistress。







In　these　terms　Lady　Loring　wrote：







〃If　Stella　happens　to　be　with　you；　when　you　receive　my　note；



don't　say　anything　which　will　let　her　know　that　I　am　your



correspondent。　She　has　always；　poor　dear；　had　an　inveterate



distrust　of　Father　Benwell；　and；　between　ourselves；　I　am　not　sure



that　she　is　quite　so　foolish　as　I　once　thought。　The　Father　has



unexpectedly　left　uswith　a　well…framed　excuse　which　satisfied



Lord　Loring。　It　fails　to　satisfy　Me。　Not　from　any　wonderful



exercise　of　penetration　on　my　part；　but　in　consequence　of



something　I　have　just　heard　in　course　of　conversation　with　a



Catholic　friend。　Father　Benwell；　my　dear；　turns　out　to　be　a



Jesuit；　and；　what　is　more；　a　person　of　such　high　authority　in　the



Order；　that　his　concealment　of　his　rank；　while　he　was　with　us；



must　have　been　a　matter　of　necessity。　He　must　have　had　some　very



serious　motive　for　occupying　a　position　so　entirely　beneath　him



as　his　position　in　our　house。　I　have　not　the　shadow　of　a　reason



for　associating　this　startling　discovery　with　dear　Stella's



painful　misgivingsand　yet　there　is　something　in　my　mind　which



makes　me　want　to　hear　what　Stella's　mother　thinks。　Come　and　have



a　talk　about　it　as　soon　as　you　possibly　can。〃







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　put　the　letter　in　her　pocket　smiling　quietly　to



herself。







Applying　to　Lady　Loring's　letter　the　infallible　system　of



solution　which　she　had　revealed　to　her　daughter；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



solved　the　mystery　of　the　priest's　conduct　without　a　moment's



hesitation。　Lord　Loring's　check；　in　Father　Benwell's　pocket；



representing　such　a　liberal　subscription　that　my　lord　was



reluctant　to　mention　it　to　my　ladythere　was　the　reading　of　the



riddle。　as　plain　as　the　sun　at　noonday！　Would　it　be　desirable　to



enlighten　Lady　Loring　as　she　had　already　enlightened　Stella？　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　decided　in　the　negative。　As　Roman　Catholics；　and　as　old



friends　of　Romayne；　the　Lorings　naturally　rejoiced　in　his



conversion。　But　as　old　friends　also　of　Romayne's　wife；　they　were



bound　not　to　express　their　sentiments　too　openly。　Feeling　that



any　discussion　of　the　priest's　motives　would　probably　lead　to　the



delicate　subject　of　the　conversion；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　prudently



determined　to　let　the　matter　drop。　As　a　consequence　of　this



decision；　Stella　was　left　without　the　slightest　warning　of　the



catastrophe　which　was　now　close　at　hand。







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　joined　her　daughter　at　the　window。







〃Well；　my　dear；　is　it　clearing　up？　Shall　we　take　a　drive　before



luncheon？〃







〃If　you　like；　mama。〃







She　turned　to　her　mother　as　she　answered。







The　light　of　the　clearing　sky；　at　once　soft　and　penetrating；　fell



full　on　her。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　looking　at　her　as　usual；　suddenly



became　serious：　she　studied　her　daughter's　face　with　an　eager　and



attentive　scrutiny。







〃Do　you　see　any　extraordinary　change　in　me？〃　Stella　asked；　with　a



faint　smile。







Instead　of　answering；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　put　her　arm　round　Stella



with　a　loving　gentleness；　entirely　at　variance　with　any　ordinary



expression　of　her　character。　The　worldly　mother's　eyes　rested



with　a　lingering　tenderness　on　the　daughter's　face。　〃Stella！〃　she



said　softlyand　stopped；　at　a　loss　for　words　for　the　first　time



in　her　life。







After　a　while；　she　began　again。　〃Yes；　I　see　a　change　in　you；〃　she



whispered〃an　interesting　change　which　tells　me　something。　Can



you　guess　what　it　is？〃







Stella's　color　rose　brightly；　and　faded　again。







She　laid　her　head　in　silence　on　her　mother's　bosom。　Worldly；



frivolous；　self…interested；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　nature　was　the



nature　of　a　womanand　the　one　great　trial　and　triumph　of　a



woman's　life；　appealing　to　her　as　a　trial　and　a　triumph　soon　to



come　to　her　own　child；　touched　fibers　under　the　hardened　surface



of　her　heart　which　were　still　unprofaned。　〃My　poor　darling；〃　she



said；　〃have　you　told　the　good　news　to　your　husband？〃







〃No。〃







〃Why　not？〃







〃He　doesn't　care；　now；　for　anything　that　I　can　tell　him。〃







〃Nonsense；　Stella！　You　may　win　him　back　to　you　by　a　wordand　do



you　hesitate　to　say　the　word？　_I_　shall　tell　him！〃







Stella　suddenly　drew　herself　away　from　her　mother's　caressing



arm。　〃If　you　do；〃　she　cried；　〃no　words　can　say　how　inconsiderate



and　how　cruel　I　shall　think　you。　Promiseon　your　word　of



honorpromise　you　will　leave　it　to　me！〃







〃Will　you　tell　him；　yourselfif　I　leave　it　to　you？〃







〃Yesat　my　own　time。　Promise！〃







〃Hush；　hush！　don't　excite　yourself；　my　love；　I　promise。　Give　me　a



kiss。　I　declare　I　am　agitated　myself！〃　she　exclaimed；　falling



back　into　her　customary　manner。　〃Such　a　shock　to　my　vanity；



Stellathe　prospect　of　becoming　a　grandmother！　I　really　must



ring　for　Matilda；　and　take　a　few　drops　of　red　lavender。　Be



advised　by　me；　my　poor　dear；　and　we　will　turn　the　priest　out　of



the　house　yet。　When　Romayne　comes　back　from　his　ridiculous



Retreatafter　his　fasting　and　flagellation；　and　Heaven　knows



what　besides_then_　bring　him　to　his　senses；　then　is　the　time　to



tell　him。　Will　you　think　of　it？〃







〃Yes；　I　will　think　of　it。〃







〃And　one　word　more；　before　Matilda　comes　in。　Remember　the　vast



importance　of　having　a　male　heir　to　Vange　Abbey。　On　these



occasions　you　may　practice　with　perfect　impunity　on　the　ignorance



of　the　men。　Tell　him　you're　sure　it's　going　to　be　a　boy！〃







CHAPTER　II。







THE　SEED　IS　SOWN。







SITUATED　in　a　distant　quarter　of　the　vast　western　suburb　of



London；　the　house　called　The　Retreat　stood　in　the　midst　of　a



well…kept　garden；　protected　on　all　sides　by　a　high　brick　wall。



Excepting　the　grand　gilt　cross　on　the　roof　of　the　chapel；　nothing



revealed　externally　the　devotional　purpose　to　which　the　Roman



Catholic　priesthood　（assisted　by　the　liberality　of　〃the



Faithful〃）　had　dedicated　the　building。







But　the　convert　privileged　to　pass　the　gates　left　Protestant



England　outside；　and　found　himself；　as　it　were；　in　a　new　country。



Inside　The　Retreat；　the　paternal　care　of　the　Church　took



possession　o