the black robe-第7章

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



close　the　door。







〃Are　you　cold？〃　I　asked。







〃No。〃　He　reconsidered　that　brief　answer；　and　contradicted



himself。　〃Yesthe　library　fire　has　burned　low；　I　suppose。〃







In　my　position　at　the　table；　I　had　seen　the　fire：　the　grate　was



heaped　with　blazing　coals　and　wood。　I　said　nothing。　The　pale



change　in　his　face；　and　his　contradictory　reply；　roused　doubts　in



me　which　I　had　hoped　never　to　feel　again。







He　pushed　away　his　glass　of　wine；　and　still　kept　his　eyes　fixed



on　the　closed　door。　His　attitude　and　expression　were　plainly



suggestive　of　the　act　of　listening。　Listening　to　what？







After　an　interval；　he　abruptly　addressed　me。　〃Do　you　call　it　a



quiet　night？〃　he　said。







〃As　quiet　as　quiet　can　be；〃　I　replied。　〃The　wind　has　droppedand



even　the　fire　doesn't　crackle。　Perfect　stillness　indoors　and



out。〃







〃Out？〃　he　repeated。　For　a　moment　he　looked　at　me　intently；　as　if



I　had　started　some　new　idea　in　his　mind。　I　asked　as　lightly　as　I



could　if　I　had　said　anything　to　surprise　him。　Instead　of



answering　me；　he　sprang　to　his　feet　with　a　cry　of　terror；　and



left　the　room。







I　hardly　knew　what　to　do。　It　was　impossible；　unless　he　returned



immediately　to　let　this　extraordinary　proceeding　pass　without



notice。　After　waiting　for　a　few　minutes　I　rang　the　bell。







The　old　butler　came　in。　He　looked　in　blank　amazement　at　the　empty



chair。　〃Where's　the　master？〃　he　asked。







I　could　only　answer　that　he　had　left　the　table　suddenly；　without



a　word　of　explanation。　〃He　may　perhaps　be　ill；〃　I　added。　〃As　his



old　servant；　you　can　do　no　harm　if　you　go　and　look　for　him。　Say



that　I　am　waiting　here；　if　he　wants　me。〃







The　minutes　passed　slowly　and　more　slowly。　I　was　left　alone　for



so　long　a　time　that　I　began　to　feel　seriously　uneasy。　My　hand　was



on　the　bell　again；　when　there　was　a　knock　at　the　door。　I　had



expected　to　see　the　butler。　It　was　the　groom　who　entered　the



room。







〃Garthwaite　can't　come　down　to　you；　sir；〃　said　the　man。　〃He　asks；



if　you　will　please　go　up　to　the　master　on　the　Belvidere。〃







The　houseextending　round　three　sides　of　a　squarewas　only　two



stories　high。　The　flat　roof；　accessible　through　a　species　of



hatchway；　and　still　surrounded　by　its　sturdy　stone　parapet；　was



called　〃The　Belvidere；〃　in　reference　as　usual　to　the　fine　view



which　it　commanded。　Fearing　I　knew　not　what；　I　mounted　the　ladder



which　led　to　the　roof。　Romayne　received　me　with　a　harsh　outburst



of　laughterthat　saddest　false　laughter　which　is　true　trouble　in



disguise。







〃Here's　something　to　amuse　you！〃　he　cried。　〃I　believe　old



Garthwaite　thinks　I　am　drunkhe　won't　leave　me　up　here　by



myself。〃







Letting　this　strange　assertion　remain　unanswered；　the　butler



withdrew。　As　he　passed　me　on　his　way　to　the　ladder；　he　whispered：



〃Be　careful　of　the　master！　I　tell　you；　sir；　he　has　a　bee　in　his



bonnet　this　night。〃







Although　not　of　the　north　country　myself；　I　knew　the　meaning　of



the　phrase。　Garthwaite　suspected　that　the　master　was　nothing　less



than　mad！







Romayne　took　my　arm　when　we　were　alonewe　walked　slowly　from　end



to　end　of　the　Belvidere。　The　moon　was；　by　this　time；　low　in　the



heavens；　but　her　mild　mysterious　light　still　streamed　over　the



roof　of　the　house　and　the　high　heathy　ground　round　it。　I　looked



attentively　at　Romayne。　He　was　deadly　pale；　his　hand　shook　as　it



rested　on　my　armand　that　was　all。　Neither　in　look　nor　manner



did　he　betray　the　faintest　sign　of　mental　derangement。　He　had



perhaps　needlessly　alarmed　the　faithful　old　servant　by　something



that　he　had　said　or　done。　I　determined　to　clear　up　that　doubt



immediately。







〃You　left　the　table　very　suddenly；〃　I　said。　〃Did　you　feel　ill？〃







〃Not　ill；〃　he　replied。　〃I　was　frightened。　Look　at　meI'm



frightened　still。〃







〃What　do　you　mean？〃







Instead　of　answering；　he　repeated　the　strange　question　which　he



had　put　to　me　downstairs。







〃Do　you　call　it　a　quiet　night？〃







Considering　the　time　of　year；　and　the　exposed　situation　of　the



house；　the　night　was　almost　preternaturally　quiet。　Throughout　the



vast　open　country　all　round　us；　not　even　a　breath　of　air　could　be



heard。　The　night…birds　were　away；　or　were　silent　at　the　time。　But



one　sound　was　audible；　when　we　stood　still　and　listenedthe　cool



quiet　bubble　of　a　little　stream；　lost　to　view　in　the



valley…ground　to　the　south。







〃I　have　told　you　already；〃　I　said。　〃So　still　a　night　I　never



remember　on　this　Yorkshire　moor。〃







He　laid　one　hand　heavily　on　my　shoulder。　〃What　did　the　poor　boy



say　of　me；　whose　brother　I　killed？〃　he　asked。　〃What　words　did　we



hear　through　the　dripping　darkness　of　the　mist？〃







〃I　won't　encourage　you　to　think　of　them。　I　refuse　to　repeat　the



words。〃







He　pointed　over　the　northward　parapet。







〃It　doesn't　matter　whether　you　accept　or　refuse；〃　he　said；　〃I



hear　the　boy　at　this　momentthere！〃







He　repeated　the　horrid　wordsmarking　the　pauses　in　the　utterance



of　them　with　his　finger；　as　if　they　were　sounds　that　he　heard：







〃Assassin！　Assassin！　where　are　you？〃







〃Good　God！〃　I　cried。　〃You　don't　mean　that　you　really　_hear_　the



voice？〃







〃Do　you　hear　what　I　say？　I　hear　the　boy　as　plainly　as　you　hear



me。　The　voice　screams　at　me　through　the　clear　moonlight；　as　it



screamed　at　me　through　the　sea…fog。　Again　and　again。　It's　all



round　the　house。　_That_　way　now；　where　the　light　just　touches　on



the　tops　of　the　heather。　Tell　the　servants　to　have　the　horses



ready　the　first　thing　in　the　morning。　We　leave　Vange　Abbey



to…morrow。〃







These　were　wild　words。　If　he　had　spoken　them　wildly；　I　might　have



shared　the　butler's　conclusion　that　his　mind　was　deranged。　There



was　no　undue　vehemence　in　his　voice　or　his　manner。　He　spoke　with



a　melancholy　resignationhe　seemed　like　a　prisoner　submitting　to



a　sentence　that　he　had　deserved。　Remembering　the　cases　of　men



suffering　from　nervous　disease　who　had　been　haunted　by



apparitions；　I　asked　if　he　saw　any　imaginary　figure　under　the



form　of　a　boy。







〃I　see　nothing；〃　he　said；　〃I　only　hear。　Look　yourself。　It　is　in



the　last　degree　improbablebut　let　us　make　sure　that　nobody　has



followed　me　from　Boulogne；　and　is　playing　me　a　trick。〃







We　made　the　circuit　of　the　Belvidere。　On　its　eastward　side　the



house　wall　was　built　against　one　of　the　towers　of　the　old　Ab　bey。



On　the　westward　side；　the　ground　sloped　steeply　down　to　a　deep



pool　or　tarn。　Northward　and　southward；　there　was　nothing　to　be



seen　but　the　open　moor。　Look　where　I　might；　with　the　moonlight　to



make　the　view　plain　to　me；　the　solitude　was　as　void　of　any　living



creature　as　if　we　had　been　surrounded　by　the　awful　dead　world　of



the　moon。







〃Was　it　the　boy's　voice　that　you　heard　on　the　voyage　across　the



Channel？〃　I　asked。







〃Yes；　I　heard　it　for　the　first　timedown　in　the　engine…room；



rising　and　falling；　rising　and　falling；　like　the　sound　of　the



engines　themselves。〃







〃And　when　did　you　hear　it　again？〃







〃I　feared　to　hear　it　in　London。　It　left　me；　I　should　have　told



you；　when　we　stepped　ashore　out　of　the　steamboat。　I　was　afraid



that　the　noise　of　the　traffic　in　the　streets　might　bring　it　back



to　me。　As　you　know；　I　passed　a　quiet　night。　I　had　the　hope　that



my　imagination　had　deceived　methat　I　was　the　victim　of　a



delusion；　as　people　say。　It　is　no　delusion。　In　the　perfect