the black robe-第69章

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



your　life。　If　you　wish　to　communicate　with　your　residence　at



Highgate〃







〃Don't　speak　of　it！〃







Father　Benwell　sighed。　〃Ah；　I　understand！〃　he　said；　sadly。　〃The



house　associated　with　Mr。　Winterfield's　visit〃







Romayne　again　interrupted　himthis　time　by　gesture　only。　The



hand　that　had　made　the　sign　clinched　itself　when　it　rested



afterward　on　the　table。　His　eyes　looked　downward；　under　frowning



brows。　At　the　name　of　Winterfield；　remembrances　that　poisoned



every　better　influence　in　him　rose　venomously　in　his　mind。　Once



more　he　loathed　the　deceit　that　had　been　practiced　on　him。　Once



more　the　detestable　doubt　of　that　asserted　parting　at　the　church



door　renewed　its　stealthy　torment；　and　reasoned　with　him　as　if　in



words：　She　has　deceived　you　in　one　thing；　why　not　in　another？







〃Can　I　see　my　lawyer　here？〃　he　asked；　suddenly。







〃My　dear　Romayne；　you　can　see　any　one　whom　you　like　to　invite。〃







〃I　shall　not　trouble　you　by　staying　very　long；　Father　Benwell。〃







〃Do　nothing　in　a　hurry；　my　son。　Pray　do　nothing　in　a　hurry！〃







Romayne　paid　no　attention　to　this　entreaty。　Shrinking　from　the



momentous　decision　that　awaited　him；　his　mind　instinctively　took



refuge　in　the　prospect　of　change　of　scene。　〃I　shall　leave



England；〃　he　said；　impatiently。







〃Not　alone！〃　Father　Benwell　remonstrated。







〃Who　will　be　my　companion？〃







〃I　will；〃　the　priest　answered。







Romayne's　weary　eyes　brightened　faintly。　In　his　desolate



position；　Father　Benwell　was　the　one　friend　on　whom　he　could



rely。　Penrose　was　far　away；　the　Lorings　had　helped　to　keep　him



deceived；　Major　Hynd　had　openly　pitied　and　despised　him　as　a



victim　to　priestcraft。







〃Can　you　go　with　me　at　any　time？〃　he　asked。　〃Have　you　no　duties



that　keep　you　in　England？〃







〃My　duties；　Romayne；　are　already　confided　to　other　hands。〃







〃Then　you　have　foreseen　this？〃







〃I　have　thought　it　possible。　Your　journey　may　be　long；　or　it　may



be　shortyou　shall　not　go　away　alone。〃







〃I　can　think　of　nothing　yet；　my　mind　is　a　blank；〃　Romayne



confessed　sadly。　〃I　don't　know　where　I　shall　go。〃







〃I　know　where　you　ought　to　goand　where　you　_will_　go；〃　said



Father　Benwell；　emphatically。







〃Where？〃







〃To　Rome。〃







Romayne　understood　the　true　meaning　of　that　brief　reply。　A　vague



sense　of　dismay　began　to　rise　in　his　mind。　While　he　was　still



tortured　by　doubt；　it　seemed　as　if　Father　Benwell　had；　by　some



inscrutable　process　of　prevision；　planned　out　his　future



beforehand。　Had　the　priest　foreseen　events？







Nohe　had　only　foreseen　possibilities；　on　the　day　when　it　first



occurred　to　him　that　Romayne's　marriage　was　assailable；　before



the　court　of　Romayne's　conscience；　from　the　Roman　Catholic　point



of　view。　By　this　means；　the　misfortune　of　Romayne's　marriage



having　preceded　his　conversion　might　be　averted；　and　the　one



certain　obstacle　in　the　way　of　any　change　of　purpose　on　his



partthe　obstacle　of　the　priesthoodmight　still　be　set　up；　by



the　voluntary　separation　of　the　husband　from　the　wife。　Thus　far



the　Jesuit　had　modestly　described　himself　to　his　reverend



colleagues；　as　regarding　his　position　toward　Romayne　in　a　new



light。　His　next　letter　might　boldly　explain　to　them　what　he　had



really　meant。　The　triumph　was　won。　Not　a　word　more　passed　between



his　guest　and　himself　that　morning。















Before　post…time；　on　the　same　day；　Father　Benwell　wrote　his　last



report　to　the　Secretary　of　the　Society　of　Jesus；　in　these　lines：







〃Romayne　is　free　from　the　domestic　ties　that　bound　him。　He　leaves



it　to　me　to　restore　Vange　Abbey　to　the　Church；　and　he



acknowledges　a　vocation　for　the　priesthood。　Expect　us　at　Rome　in



a　fortnight's　time。〃







AFTER　THE　STORY。







EXTRACTS　FROM　BERNARD　WINTERFIELD'S　DIARY。







I。







WINTERFIELD　DEFENDS　HIMSELF。







Beaupark　House；　June　17th；　18。







You　and　I；　Cousin　Beeminster；　seldom　meet。　But　I　occasionally



hear　of　you；　from　friends　acquainted　with　both　of　us。







I　have　heard　of　you　last　at　Sir　Philip's　rent…day　dinner　a　week



since。　My　name　happened　to　be　mentioned　by　one　of　the　gentlemen



present；　a　guest　like　yourself。　You　took　up　the　subject　of　your



own　free　will；　and　spoke　of　me　in　these　terms：







〃I　am　sorry　to　say　it　of　the　existing　head　of　the　familybut



Bernard　is　really　unfit　for　the　position　which　he　holds。　He　has；



to　say　the　least　of　it；　compromised　himself　and　his　relatives　on



more　than　one　occasion。　He　began　as　a　young　man　by　marrying　a



circus…rider。　He　got　into　some　other　scrape；　after　that；　which　he



has　contrived　to　keep　a　secret　from　us。　We　only　know　how



disgraceful　it　must　have　been　by　the　resultshe　was　a　voluntary



exile　from　England　for　more　than　a　year。　And　now；　to　complete　the



list；　he　has　mixed　himself　up　in　that　miserable　and　revolting



business　of　Lewis　Romayne　and　his　wife。〃







If　any　other　person　had　spoken　of　me　in　this　manner；　I　should



have　set　him　down　as　a　mischievous　idiotto　be　kicked　perhaps；



but　not　to　be　noticed　in　any　other　way。







With　you；　the　case　is　different。　If　I　die　without　male　offspring；



the　Beaupark　estate　goes　to　you；　as　next　heir。







I　don't　choose　to　let　a　man　in　this　position　slander　me；　and



those　dear　to　me；　without　promptly　contradicting　him。　The　name　I



bear　is　precious　to　me；　in　memory　of　my　father。　Your　unanswered



allusion　to　my　relations　with　〃Lewis　Romayne　and　his　wife；〃



coming　from　a　member　of　the　family；　will　be　received　as　truth。



Rather　than　let　this　be；　I　reveal　to　you；　without　reserve；　some



of　the　saddest　passages　of　my　life。　I　have　nothing　to　be　ashamed



ofand；　if　I　have　hitherto　kept　certain　events　in　the　dark；　it



has　been　for　the　sake　of　others；　not　for　my　own　sake。　I　know



better　now。　A　woman's　reputationif　she　is　a　good　womanis　not



easily　compromised　by　telling　the　truth。　The　person　of　whom　I　am



thinking；　when　I　write　this；　knows　what　I　am　going　to　doand



approves　of　it。







You　will　receive；　with　these　lines；　the　most　perfectly　candid



statement　that　I　can　furnish；　being　extracts　cut　out　of　my　own



private　Diary。　They　are　accompanied　（where　plain　necessity　seems



to　call　for　it）　by　the　written　evidence　of　other　persons。







There　has　never　been　much　sympathy　between　us。　But　you　have　been



brought　up　like　a　gentlemanand；　when　you　have　read　my



narrative；　I　expect　that　you　will　do　justice　to　me；　and　to



otherseven　though　you　think　we　acted　indiscreetly　under　trying



and　critical　circumstances。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　B。　W。







II。







WINTERFIELD　MAKES　EXTRACTS。







First　Extract。







April　11th；　1869。Mrs。　Eyrecourt　and　her　daughter　have　left



Beaupark　to…day　for　London。　Have　I　really　made　any　impression　on



the　heart　of　the　beautiful　Stella？　In　my　miserable



positionignorant　whether　I　am　free　or　notI　have　shrunk　from



formally　acknowledging　that　I　love　her。







12th。I　am　becoming　superstitious！　In　the　Obituary　of　to…day's



_Times_　the　death　is　recorded　of　that　unhappy　woman　whom　I　was



mad　enough　to　marry。　After　hearing　nothing　of　her　for　seven



yearsI　am　free！　Surely　this　is　a　good　omen？　Shall　I　follow　the



Eyrecourts　to　London；　and　declare　myself？　I　have　not　confidence



enough　in　my　own　power　of　attraction　to　run　the　risk。　Better　to



write　first；　in　strictest　confidence；　to　Mrs。　Eyrecou