the black robe-第68章

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it　most　assuredly　did　in　this　case；　the　man　has　never　yet　been



found　who　could　match　Father　Benwell　at　stripping　himself　of



every　vestige　of　reserve；　and　exhibiting　his　naked　heart　to　the



moral　admiration　of　mankind。







〃You　were　mortified；　and　I　was　surprised；〃　he　went　on；　〃when　Mr。



Winterfield　dropped　his　acquaintance　with　you。　We　now　know　that



he　acted　like　an　honorable　man。〃







He　waited　to　see　what　effect　he　had　produced。　Romayne　was　in　no



state　of　mind　to　do　justice　to　Winterfield　or　to　any　one。　His



pride　was　mortally　wounded；　his　high　sense　of　honor　and　delicacy



writhed　under　the　outrage　inflicted　on　it。







〃And　mind　this；〃　Father　Benwell　persisted；　〃poor　human　nature　has



its　right　to　all　that　can　be　justly　conceded　in　the　way　of　excuse



and　allowance。　Miss　Eyrecourt　would　naturally　be　advised　by　her



friends；　would　naturally　be　eager；　on　her　own　part；　to　keep



hidden　from　you　what　happened　at　Brussels。　A　sensitive　woman；



placed　in　a　position　so　horribly　false　and　degrading；　must　not　be



too　severely　judged；　even　when　she　does　wrong。　I　am　bound　to　say



thisand　more。　Speaking　from　my　own　knowledge　of　all　the



parties；　I　have　no　doubt　that　Miss　Eyrecourt　and　Mr。　Winterfield



did　really　part　at　the　church　door。〃







Romayne　answered　by　a　lookso　disdainfully　expressive　of　the



most　immovable　unbelief　that　it　absolutely　justified　the　fatal



advice　by　which　Stella's　worldly…wise　friends　had　encouraged　her



to　conceal　the　truth。　Father　Benwell　prudently　closed　his　lips。



He　had　put　the　case　with　perfect　fairnesshis　bitterest　enemy



could　not　have　denied　that。







Romayne　took　up　the　second　paper；　looked　at　it；　and　threw　it　back



again　on　the　table　with　an　expression　of　disgust。







〃You　told　me　just　now；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　was　married　to　the　wife



of　another　man。　And　there　is　the　judge's　decision；　releasing　Miss



Eyrecourt　from　her　marriage　to　Mr。　Winterfield。　May　I　ask　you　to



explain　yourself？〃







〃Certainly。　Let　me　first　remind　you　that　you　owe　religious



allegiance　to　the　principles　which　the　Church　has　asserted；　for



centuries　past；　with　all　the　authority　of　its　divine　institution。



You　admit　that？〃







〃I　admit　it。〃







〃Now；　listen！　In　_our_　church；　Romayne；　marriage　is　even　more



than　a　religious　institutionit　is　a　sacrament。　We　acknowledge



no　human　laws　which　profane　that　sacrament。　Take　two　examples　of



what　I　say。　When　the　great　Napoleon　was　at　the　height　of　his



power；　Pius　the　Seventh　refused　to　acknowledge　the　validity　of



the　Emperor's　second　marriage　to　Maria　Louisawhile　Josephine



was　living；　divorced　by　the　French　Senate。　Again；　in　the　face　of



the　Royal　Marriage　Act；　the　Church　sanctioned　the　marriage　of



Mrs。　Fitzherbert　to　George　the　Fourth；　and　still　declares；　in



justice　to　her　memory；　that　she　was　the　king's　lawful　wife。　In



one　word；　marriage；　to　_be_　marriage　at　all；　must　be　the　object



of　a　purely　religious　celebrationand；　this　condition　complied



with；　marriage　is　only　to　be　dissolved　by　death。　You　remember



what　I　told　you　of　Mr。　Winterfield？〃







〃Yes。　His　first　marriage　took　place　before　the　registrar。〃







〃In　plain　English；　Romayne；　Mr。　Winterfield　and　the　woman…rider



in　the　circus　pronounced　a　formula　of　words　before　a　layman　in　an



office。　That　is　not　only　no　marriage；　it　is　a　blasphemous



profanation　of　a　holy　rite。　Acts　of　Parliament　which　sanction



such　proceedings　are　acts　of　infidelity。　The　Church　declares　it；



in　defense　of　religion。〃







〃I　understand　you；〃　said　Romayne。　〃Mr。　Winterfield's　marriage　at



Brussels〃







〃Which　the　English　law；〃　Father　Benwell　interposed；　〃declares　to



be　annulled　by　the　marriage　before　the　registrar；　stands　good；



nevertheless；　by　the　higher　law　of　the　Church。　Mr。　Winterfield　is



Miss　Eyrecourt's　husband；　as　long　as　they　both　live。　An　ordained



priest　performed　the　ceremony　in　a　consecrated　buildingand



Protestant　marriages；　so　celebrated；　are　marriages　acknowledged



by　the　Catholic　Church。　Under　those　circumstances；　the　ceremony



which　afterward　united　you　to　Miss　Eyrecourtthough　neither　you



nor　the　clergyman　were　to　blamewas　a　mere　mockery。　Need　I　to



say　any　more？　Shall　I　leave　you　for　a　while　by　yourself？〃







〃No！　I　don't　know　what　I　may　think；　I　don't　know　what　I　may　do；



if　you　leave　me　by　myself。〃







Father　Benwell　took　a　chair　by　Romayne's　side。　〃It　has　been　my



hard　duty　to　grieve　and　humiliate　you；〃　he　said。　〃Do　you　bear　me



no　ill　will？〃　He　held　out　his　hand。







Romayne　took　itas　an　act　of　justice；　if　not　as　an　act　of



gratitude。







〃Can　I　be　of　any　use　in　advising　you？〃　Father　Benwell　asked。







〃Who　can　advise　a　man　in　my　position？〃　Romayne　bitterly　rejoined。







〃I　can　at　least　suggest　that　you　should　take　time　to　think　over



your　position。〃







〃Time？　take　time？　You　talk　as　if　my　situation　was　endurable。〃







〃Everything　is　endurable；　Romayne！〃







〃It　may　be　so　to　you；　Father　Benwell。　Did　you　part　with　your



humanity　when　you　put　on　the　black　robe　of　the　priest？〃







〃I　parted；　my　son；　with　those　weaknesses　of　_our_　humanity　on



which　women　practice。　You　talk　of　your　position。　I　will　put　it



before　you　at　its　worst。〃







〃For　what　purpose？〃







〃To　show　you　exactly　what　you　have　now　to　decide。　Judged　by　the



law　of　England；　Mrs。　Romayne　is　your　wife。　Judged　by　the



principles　held　sacred　among　the　religious　community　to　which　you



belong；　she　is　not　Mrs。　Romayneshe　is　Mrs。　Winterfield；　living



with　you　in　adultery。　If　you　regret　your　conversion〃







〃I　don't　regret　it；　Father　Benwell。〃







〃If　you　renounce　the　holy　aspirations　which　you　have　yourself



acknowledged　to　me；　return　to　your　domestic　life。　But　don't　ask



us；　while　you　are　living　with　that　lady；　to　respect　you　as　a



member　of　our　communion。〃







Romayne　was　silent。　The　more　violent　emotions　aroused　in　him　had；



with　time；　subsided　into　calm。　Tenderness；　mercy；　past　affection；



found　their　opportunity；　and　pleaded　with　him。　The　priest's　bold



language　had　missed　the　object　at　which　it　aimed。　It　had　revived



in　Romayne's　memory　the　image　of　Stella　in　the　days　when　he　had



first　seen　her。　How　gently　her　influence　had　wrought　on　him　for



good！　how　tenderly；　how　truly；　she　had　loved　him。　〃Give　me　some



more　wine！〃　he　cried。　〃I　feel　faint　and　giddy。　Don't　despise　me；



Father　BenwellI　was　once　so　fond　of　her！〃







The　priest　poured　out　the　wine。　〃I　feel　for　you；〃　he　said。



〃Indeed；　indeed；　I　feel　for　you。〃







It　was　not　all　a　liethere　were　grains　of　truth　in　that　outburst



of　sympathy。　Father　Benwell　was　not　wholly　merciless。　His



far…seeing　intellect；　his　daring　duplicity；　carried　him　straight



on　to　his　end　in　view。　But；　that　end　once　gainedand；　let　it　be



remembered；　not　gained；　in　this　case；　whol　ly　for　himselfthere



were　compassionate　impulses　left　in　him　which　sometimes　forced



their　way　to　the　surface。　A　man　of　high　intelligencehowever　he



may　misuse　it；　however　unworthy　he　may　be　of　ithas　a　gift　from



Heaven。　When　you　want　to　see　unredeemed　wickedness；　look　for　it



in　a　fool。







〃Let　me　mention　one　circumstance；〃　Father　Benwell　proceeded；



〃which　may　help　to　relieve　you　for　the　moment。　In　your　present



state　of　mind；　you　cannot　return　to　The　Retreat。〃







〃Impossible！〃







〃I　have　had　a　room　prepared　for　you　in　this　house。　Here；　free



from　any　disturbing　influence；　you　can　shape　the　future　course　of



your　life。　If　you　wish　to　communicate　with　your　res