the black robe-第75章

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newspapers；〃　she　said。　〃Well…meaning　friends　are　calling　and



condoling　with　me　already。　I　shall　die；　if　you　don't　help　me　to



get　away　among　strangers！〃







I　start　for　Paris　by　the　mail　train；　to…night。







Paris；　February　13。It　is　evening。　I　have　just　returned　from　St。



Germain。　Everything　is　settledwith　more　slyness　on　my　part。　I



begin　to　think　I　am　a　born　Jesuit；　there　must　have　been　some



detestable　sympathy　between　Father　Benwell　and　me。







My　good　friends；　Monsieur　and　Madame　Villeray；　will　be　only　too



glad　to　receive　English　ladies；　known　to　me　for　many　years。　The



spacious　and　handsome　first　floor　of　their　house　（inherited　from



once　wealthy　ancestors　by　Madame　Villeray）　can　be　got　ready　to



receive　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　and　her　daughter　in　a　week's　time。　Our　one



difficulty　related　to　the　question　of　money。　Monsieur　Villeray；



living　on　a　Government　pension；　was　modestly　unwilling　to　ask



terms；　and　I　was　too　absolutely　ignorant　of　the　subject　to　be　of



the　slightest　assistance　to　him。　It　ended　in　our　appealing　to　a



house…agent　at　St。　Germain。　His　estimate　appeared　to　me　to　be



quite　reasonable。　But　it　exceeded　the　pecuniary　limit　mentioned



by　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　I　had　known　the　Villerays　long　enough　to　be　in



no　danger　of　offending　them　by　proposing　a　secret　arrangement



which　permitted　me　to　pay　the　difference。　So　that　difficulty　was



got　over　in　due　course　of　time。







We　went　into　the　large　garden　at　the　back　of　the　house；　and　there



I　committed　another　act　of　duplicity。







In　a　nice　sheltered　corner　I　discovered　one　of　those　essentially



French　buildings　called　a　〃pavilion；〃　a　delightful　little　toy



house　of　three　rooms。　Another　private　arrangement　made　me　the



tenant　of　this　place。　Madame　Villeray　smiled。　〃I　bet　you；〃　she



said　to　me　in　her　very　best　English；　〃one　of　these　ladies　is　in



her　fascinating　first　youth。〃　The　good　lady　little　knows　what　a



hopeless　love　affair　mine　is。　I　must　see　Stella　sometimesI　ask；



and　hope　for；　no　more。　Never　have　I　felt　how　lonely　my　life　is；



as　I　feel　it　now。







Third　Extract。







London；　March　1。Stella　and　her　mother　have　set　forth　on　their



journey　to　St。　Germain　this　morning；　without　allowing　me；　as　I



had　hoped　and　planned；　to　be　their　escort。







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　set　up　the　old　objection　of　the　claims　of



propriety。　If　that　were　the　only　obstacle　in　my　way；　I　should



have　set　it　aside　by　following　them　to　France。　Where　is　the



impropriety　of　my　seeing　Stella；　as　her　friend　and



brotherespecially　when　I　don't　live　in　the　same　house　with　her；



and　when　she　has　her　mother；　on　one　side；　and　Madame　Villeray；　on



the　other；　to　take　care　of　her？







No！　the　influence　that　keeps　me　away　from　St。　Germain　is　the



influence　of　Stella　herself。







〃I　will　write　to　you　often；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　beg　you；　for　my



sake；　not　to　accompany　us　to　France。〃　Her　look　and　tone　reduced



me　to　obedience。　Stupid　as　I　am　I　think　（after　what　passed



between　me　and　her　mother）　I　can　guess　what　she　meant。







〃Am　I　never　to　see　you　again？〃　I　asked。







〃Do　you　think　I　am　hard　and　ungrateful？〃　she　answered。　〃Do　you



doubt　that　I　shall　be　glad；　more　than　glad；　to　see　you；　when？〃







She　turned　away　from　me　and　said　no　more。







It　was　time　to　take　leave。　We　were　under　her　mother's



superintendence；　we　shook　hands　and　that　was　all。







Matilda　（Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　maid）　followed　me　downstairs　to　open



the　door。　I　suppose　I　looked；　as　I　felt；　wretchedly　enough。　The



good　creature　tried　to　cheer　me。　〃Don't　be　anxious　about　them；〃



she　said；　〃I　am　used　to　traveling；　sirand　I'll　take　care　of



them。〃　She　is　a　woman　to　be　thoroughly　depended　on；　a　faithful



and　attached　servant。　I　made　her　a　little　present　at　parting；　and



I　asked　her　if　she　would　write　to　me　from　time　to　time。







Some　people　might　consider　this　to　be　rather　an　undignified



proceeding　on　my　part。　I　can　only　say　it　came　naturally　to　me。　I



am　not　a　dignified　man；　and；　when　a　person　means　kindly　toward



me；　I　don't　ask　myself　whether　that　person　is　higher　or　lower；



richer　or　poorer；　than　I　am。　We　are；　to　my　mind；　on　the　same



level　when　the　same　sympathy　unites　us。　Matilda　was　sufficiently



acquainted　with　all　that　had　passed　to　foresee；　as　I　did；　that



there　would　be　certain　reservations　in　Stella's　letters　to　me。



〃You　shall　have　the　whole　truth　from　Me；　sir；　don't　doubt　it；〃



she　whispered。　I　believed　her。　When　my　heart　is　sore；　give　me　a



woman　for　my　friend。　Whether　she　is　lady　or　lady's…maid；　she　is



equally　precious　to　me。







Cowes；　March　2。I　am　in　treaty　with　an　agent　for　the　hire　of　a



yacht。







I　must　do　something；　and　go　somewhere。　Returning　to　Beaupark　is



out　of　the　question。　People　with　tranquil　minds　can　find　pleasure



in　the　society　of　their　country　neighbors。　I　am　a　miserable



creature；　with　a　mind　in　a　state　of　incessant　disturbance。



Excellent　fathers　of　families　talking　politics　to　me；　exemplary



mothers　of　families　offering　me　matrimonial　opportunities　with



their　daughtersthat　is　what　society　means；　if　I　go　back　to



Devonshire。　No。　I　will　go　for　a　cruise　in　the　Mediterranean；　and



I　will　take　one　friend　with　me　whose　company　I　never　weary　ofmy



dog。







The　vessel　is　discovereda　fine　schooner　of　three　hundred　tons；



just　returned　from　a　cruise　to　Madeira。　The　sailing…master　and



crew　only　ask　for　a　few　days　on　shore。　In　that　time　the　surveyor



will　have　examined　the　vessel；　and　the　stores　will　be　on　board。







March　3。I　have　written　to　Stella；　with　a　list　of　addresses　at



which　letters　will　reach　me；　and　I　have　sent　another　list　to　my



faithful　ally　the　maid。　When　we　leave　Gibraltar；　our　course　will



be　to　Naplesthence　to　Civita　Vecchia；　Leghorn；　Genoa；



Marseilles。　From　any　of　those　places；　I　am　within　easy　traveling



distance　of　St。　Germain。







March　7。　At　Sea。It　is　half…past　six　in　the　evening。　We　have



just　passed　the　Eddystone　Lighthouse；　with　the　wind　abeam。　The



log　registers　ten　knots　an　hour。







Fourth　Extract。







_Naples；　May_　10。The　fair　promise　at　the　beginning　of　my　voyage



has　not　been　fulfilled。　Owing　to　contrary　winds；　storms；　and



delays　at　Cadiz　in　repairing　damages；　we　have　only　arrived　at



Naples　this　evening。　Under　trying　circumstances　of　all　sorts；　the



yacht　has　behaved　admirably。　A　stouter　and　finer　sea…boat　never



was　built。







We　are　too　late　to　find　the　post…office　open。　I　shall　send　ashore



for　letters　the　first　thing　tomorrow　morning。　My　next　movements



will　depend　entirely　on　the　news　I　get　from　St。　Germain。　If　I



remain　for　any　length　of　time　in　these　regions；　I　shall　give　my



crew　the　holiday　they　have　well　earned　at　Civita　Vecchia。　I　am



never　weary　of　Romebut　I　always　did；　and　always　shall；　dislike



Naples。







May　11。　My　plans　are　completely　changed。　I　am　annoyed　and



angry；　the　further　I　get　away　from　France；　the　better　I　shall　be



pleased。







I　have　heard　from　Stella；　and　heard　from　the　maid。　Both　letters



inform　me　that　the　child　is　born；　and　that　it　is　a　boy。　Do　they



expect　me　to　feel　any　interest　in　the　boy？　He　is　my　worst　enemy



before　he　is　out　of　his　long…clothes。







Stella　writes　kindly　enough。　Not　a　line　in　her　letter；　however；



invites　me；　or　holds　out　the　prospect　of　inviting　me；　to　St。



Germain。　She　refers　to　her　mother　very　briefly；　merely　informing



me　that　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　is　well；　and　is　already　enjoying　the



gayeties　of　Paris。　Three…fourths　of　the　letter　are　occupied　with



the　baby。　When　I　wro