the black robe-第72章

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Ah；　if　she　could　have　kissed　_me_but　that　was　not　to　be　done；



she　kissed　the　dog's　head；　and　then　she　spoke　to　me。　I　shall　not



set　down　what　she　said　in　these　pages。　While　I　live；　there　is　no



fear　of　my　forgetting　those　words。







I　led　her　back　to　her　chair。　The　letter　addressed　to　me　by　the



Rector　of　Belhaven　still　lay　on　the　table；　unread。　It　was　of　some



importance　to　Stella's　complete　enlightenment；　as　containing



evidence　that　the　confession　was　genuine。　But　I　hesitated；　for



her　sake；　to　speak　of　it　just　yet。







〃Now　you　know　that　you　have　a　friend　to　help　and　advise　you〃　I



began。







〃No；〃　she　interposed；　〃more　than　a　friend；　say　a　brother。〃







I　said　it。　〃You　had　something　to　ask　of　me；〃　I　resumed；　〃and　you



never　put　the　question。〃







She　understood　me。







〃I　meant　to　tell　you；〃　she　said；　〃that　I　had　written　a　letter　of



refusal　to　Mr。　Romayne's　lawyers。　I　have　left　Ten　Acres；　never　to



return；　and　I　refuse　to　accept　a　farthing　of　Mr。　Romayne's　money。



My　motherthough　she　knows　that　we　have　enough　to　live　ontells



me　I　have　acted　with　inexcusable　pride　and　folly。　I　wanted　to　ask



if　you　blame　me；　Bernard；　as　she　does？〃







I　daresay　I　was　inexcusably　proud　and　foolish　too。　It　was　the



second　time　she　had　called　me　by　my　Christian　name　since　the



happy　bygone　time；　never　to　come　again。　Under　whatever　influence



I　acted；　I　respected　and　admired　her　for　that　refusal；　and　I



owned　it　in　so　many　words。　This　little　encouragement　seemed　to



relieve　her。　She　was　so　much　calmer　that　I　ventured　to　speak　of



the　Rector's　letter。







She　wouldn't　hear　of　it。　〃Oh；　Bernard；　have　I　not　learned　to



trust　you　yet？　Put　away　those　papers。　There　is　only　one　thing　I



want　to　know。　Who　gave　them　to　you？　The　Rector？〃







〃No。〃







〃How　did　they　reach　you；　then？〃







〃Through　Father　Benwell。〃







She　started　at　that　name　like　a　woman　electrified。







〃I　knew　it！〃　she　cried。　〃It　_is_　the　priest　who　has　wrecked　my



married　lifeand　he　got　his　information　from　those　letters；



before　he　put　them　into　your　hands。〃　She　waited　a　while；　and



recovered　herself。　〃That　was　the　first　of　the　questions　I　wanted



to　put　to　you；〃　she　said。　〃I　am　answered。　I　ask　no　more。〃







She　was　surely　wrong　about　Father　Benwell？　I　tried　to　show　her



why。







I　told　her　that　my　reverend　friend　had　put　the　letters　into　my



hand；　with　the　seal　which　protected　them　unbroken。　She　laughed



disdainfully。　Did　I　know　him　so　little　as　to　doubt　for　a　moment



that　he　could　break　a　seal　and　replace　it　again？　This　view　was



entirely　new　to　me；　I　was　startled；　but　not　convinced。　I　never



desert　my　friendseven　when　they　are　friends　of　no　very　long



standingand　I　still　tried　to　defend　Father　Benwell。　The　only



result　was　to　make　her　alter　her　intention　of　asking　me　no　more



questions。　I　innocently　roused　in　her　a　ne　w　curiosity。　She　was



eager　to　know　how　I　had　first　become　acquainted　with　the　priest；



and　how　he　had　contrived　to　possess　himself　of　papers　which　were



intended　for　my　reading　only。







There　was　but　one　way　of　answering　her。







It　was　far　from　easy　to　a　man　like　myself；　unaccustomed　to　state



circumstances　in　their　proper　orderbut　I　had　no　other　choice



than　to　reply；　by　telling　the　long　story　of　the　theft　and



discovery　of　the　Rector's　papers。　So　far　as　Father　Benwell　was



concerned；　the　narrative　only　confirmed　her　suspicions。　For　the



rest；　the　circumstances　which　most　interested　her　were　the



circumstances　associated　with　the　French　boy。







〃Anything　connected　with　that　poor　creature；　〃　she　said；　〃has　a



dreadful　interest　for　me　now。〃







〃Did　you　know　him？〃　I　asked；　with　some　surprise。







〃I　knew　him　and　his　motheryou　shall　hear　how；　at　another　time。



I　suppose　I　felt　a　presentiment　that　the　boy　would　have　some　evil



influence　over　me。　At　any　rate；　when　I　accidentally　touched　him；



I　trembled　as　if　I　had　touched　a　serpent。　You　will　think　me



superstitiousbut；　after　what　you　have　said；　it　is　certainly



true　that　he　has　been　the　indirect　cause　of　the　misfortune　that



has　fallen　on　me。　How　came　he　to　steal　the　papers？　Did　you　ask



the　Rector；　when　you　went　to　Belhaven？〃







〃I　asked　the　Rector　nothing。　But　he　thought　it　his　duty　to　tell



me　all　that　he　knew　of　the　theft。〃







She　drew　her　chair　nearer　to　me。　〃Let　me　hear　every　word　of　it！〃



she　pleaded　eagerly。







I　felt　some　reluctance　to　comply　with　the　request。







〃Is　it　not　fit　for　me　to　hear？〃　she　asked。







This　forced　me　to　be　plain　with　her。　〃If　I　repeat　what　the　Rector



told　me；〃　I　said；　〃I　must　speak　of　my　wife。〃







She　took　my　hand。　〃You　have　pitied　and　forgiven　her；〃　she



answered。　〃Speak　of　her；　Bernardand　don't；　for　God's　sake；



think　that　my　heart　is　harder　than　yours。〃







I　kissed　the　hand　that　she　had　given　to　meeven　her　〃brother〃



might　do　that！







〃It　began；〃　I　said；　〃in　the　grateful　attachment　which　the　boy



felt　for　my　wife。　He　refused　to　leave　her　bedside　on　the　day　when



she　dictated　her　confession　to　the　Rector。　As　he　was　entirely



ignorant　of　the　English　language；　there　seemed　to　be　no　objection



to　letting　him　have　his　own　way。　He　became　inquisitive　as　the



writing　went　on。　His　questions　annoyed　the　Rectorand　as　the



easiest　way　of　satisfying　his　curiosity；　my　wife　told　him　that



she　was　making　her　will。　He　knew　just　enough；　from　what　he　had



heard　at　various　times；　to　associate　making　a　will　with　gifts　of



moneyand　the　pretended　explanation　silenced　and　satisfied　him。〃







〃Did　the　Rector　understand　it？〃　Stella　asked。







〃Yes。　Like　many　other　Englishmen　in　his　position；　although　he　was



not　ready　at　speaking　French；　he　could　read　the　language；　and



could　fairly　well　understand　it；　when　it　was　spoken。　After　my



wife's　death；　he　kindly　placed　the　boy；　for　a　few　days；　under　the



care　of　his　housekeeper。　Her　early　life　had　been　passed　in　the



island　of　Martinique；　and　she　was　able　to　communicate　with　the



friendless　foreigner　in　his　own　language。　When　he　disappeared；



she　was　the　only　person　who　could　throw　any　light　on　his　motive



for　stealing　the　papers。　On　the　day　when　he　entered　the　house；



she　caught　him　peeping　through　the　keyhole　of　the　study　door。　He



must　have　seen　where　the　confession　was　placed；　and　the　color　of



the　old…fashioned　blue　paper；　on　which　it　was　written；　would　help



him　to　identify　it。　The　next　morning；　during　the　Rector's



absence；　he　brought　the　manuscript　to　the　housekeeper；　and　asked



her　to　translate　it　into　French；　so　that　he　might　know　how　much



money　was　left　to　him　in　〃the　will。〃　She　severely　reproved　him；



made　him　replace　the　paper　in　the　desk　from　which　he　had　taken



it；　and　threatened　to　tell　the　Rector　if　his　misconduct　was



repeated。　He　promised　amendment；　and　the　good…natured　woman



believed　him。　On　that　evening　the　papers　were　sealed；　and　locked



up。　In　the　morning　the　lock　was　found　broken；　and　the　papers　and



the　boy　were　both　missing　together。〃







〃Do　you　think　he　showed　the　confession　to　any　other　person？〃



Stella　asked。　〃I　happen　to　know　that　he　concealed　it　from　his



mother。〃







〃After　the　housekeeper's　reproof；〃　I　replied；　〃he　would　be



cunning　enough；　in　my　opinion；　not　to　run　the　risk　of　showing　it



to　strangers。　It　is　far　more　likely　that　he　thought　he　might



learn　English　enough　to　read　it　himself。〃







There　the　subject　dropped。　We　were　silent　for　a　while。　She　was



thinking；　and　I　was　looking　at　her。　On　a　sudden；　she