the black robe-第76章

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



the　baby。　When　I　wrote　to　her　I　signed　myself　〃yours



affectionately。〃　Stella　signs　〃yours　sincerely。〃　It　is　a　trifle；



I　daresaybut　I　feel　it；　for　all　that。







Matilda　is　faithful　to　her　engagement；　Matilda's　letter　tells　me



the　truth。







〃Since　the　birth　of　the　baby；〃　she　writes；　〃Mrs。　Romayne　has



never　once　mentioned　your　name；　she　can　talk　of　nothing；　and



think　of　nothing；　but　her　child。　I　make　every　allowance；　I　hope；



for　a　lady　in　her　melancholy　situation。　But　I　do　think　it　is　not



very　grateful　to　have　quite　forgotten　Mr。　Winterfield；　who　has



done　so　much　for　her；　and　who　only　asks　to　pass　a　few　hours　of



his　day　innocently　in　her　society。　Perhaps；　being　a　single　woman；



I　write　ignorantly　about　mothers　and　babies。　But　I　have　my



feelings；　and　（though　I　never　liked　Mr。　Romayne）　I　feel　for



_you；_　sirif　you　will　forgive　the　familiarity。　In　my　opinion



this　new　craze　about　the　baby　will　wear　out。　He　is　already　a



cause　of　difference　of　opinion。　My　good　mistress；　who　possesses



knowledge　of　the　world；　and　a　kind　heart　as　well；　advises　that



Mr。　Romayne　should　be　informed　of　the　birth　of　a　son　and　heir。



Mrs。　Eyrecourt　says；　most　truly；　that　the　hateful　old　priest　will



get　possession　of　Mr。　Romayne's　property；　to　the　prejudice　of　the



child；　unless　steps　are　taken　to　shame　him　into　doing　justice　to



his　own　son。　But　Mrs。　Romayne　is　as　proud　as　Lucifer；　she　will



not　hear　of　making　the　first　advances；　as　she　calls　it。　'The　man



who　has　deserted　me；'　she　says；　'has　no　heart　to　be　touched



either　by　wife　or　child。'　My　mistress　does　not　agree　with　her。



There　have　been　hard　words　already；　and　the　nice　old　French



gentleman　and　his　wife　try　to　make　peace。　You　will　smile　when　I



tell　you　that　they　offer　sugar…plums　as　a　sort　of　composing　gift。



My　mistress　accepts　the　gift；　and　has　been　to　the　theater　at



Paris；　with　Monsieur　and　Madame　Villeray　more　than　once　already。



To　conclude；　sir；　if　I　might　venture　to　advise　you；　I　should



recommend　trying　the　effect　on　Mrs。　R。　of　absence　and　silence。〃







A　most　sensibly　written　letter。　I　shall　certainly　take　Matilda's



advice。　My　name　is　never　mentioned　by　Stellaand　not　a　day　has



passed　without　my　thinking　of　her！







Well；　I　suppose　a　man　can　harden　his　heart　if　he　likes。　Let　me



harden　_my_　heart；　and　forget　her。







The　crew　shall　have　three　days　ashore　at　Naples；　and　then　we　sail



for　Alexandria。　In　that　port　the　yacht　will　wait　my　return。　I



have　not　yet　visited　the　cataracts　of　the　Nile；　I　have　not　yet



seen　the　magnificent　mouse…colored　women　of　Nubia。　A　tent　in　the



desert；　and　a　dusky　daughter　of　Nature　to　keep　house　for



methere　is　a　new　life　for　a　man　who　is　weary　of　the　vapid



civilization　of　Europe！　I　shall　begin　by　letting　my　beard　grow。







Fifth　Extract。







Civita　Vecchia；　February　28；　1863。Back　again　on　the　coast　of



Italyafter　an　absence；　at　sea　and　ashore；　of　nine　months！







What　have　my　travels　done　for　me？　They　have　made　me　browner　and



thinner；　they　have　given　me　a　more　patient　mind；　and　a　taste　for



mild　tobacco。　Have　they　helped　me　to　forget　Stella？　Not　the　least



in　the　worldI　am　more　eager　than　ever　to　see　her　again。　When　I



look　back　at　my　diary　I　am　really　ashamed　of　my　own　fretfulness



and　impatience。　What　miserable　vanity　on　my　part　to　expect　her　to



think　of　me；　when　she　was　absorbed　in　the　first　cares　and　joys　of



maternity；　especially　sacred　to　her；　poor　soul；　as　the　one



consolation　of　her　melancholy　life！　I　withdraw　all　that　I　wrote



about　herand　from　the　bottom　of　my　heart　I　forgive　the　baby。







Rome；　March　1。I　have　found　my　letters　waiting　for　me　at　the



office　of　my　banker。







The　latest　news　from　St。　Germain　is　all　that　I　could　wish。　In



acknowledging　the　receipt　of　my　last　letter　from　Cairo　（I　broke



my　rash　vow　of　silence　when　we　got　into　port；　after　leaving



Naples）　Stella　sends　me　the　long　desired　invitation。　〃Pray　take



care　to　return　to　us；　dear　Bernard；　before　the　first　anniversary



of　my　boy's　birthday；　on　the　twenty…seventh　of　March。〃　After



those　words　she　need　feel　no　apprehension　of　my　being　late　at　my



appointment。　Travelerthe　dog　has　well　merited　his　name　by　this



timewill　have　to　bid　good…by　to　the　yacht　（which　he　loves）；　and



journey　homeward　by　the　railway　（which　he　hates）。　No　more　risk　of



storms　and　delays　for　me。　Good…by　to　the　sea　for　one　while。







I　have　sent　the　news　of　my　safe　return　from　the　East；　by



telegraph。　But　I　must　not　be　in　too　great　a　hurry　to　leave　Rome；



or　I　shall　commit　a　serious　errorI　shall　disappoint　Stella's



mother。







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　writes　to　me　earnestly；　requesting；　if　I　return　by



way　of　Italy；　that　I　will　get　her　some　information　about　Romayne。



She　is　eager　to　know　whether　they　have　made　him　a　priest　yet。　I



am　also　to　discover；　if　I　can；　what　are　his　prospectswhether　he



is　as　miserable　as　he　deserves　to　bewhether　he　has　been



disappointed　in　his　expectations；　and　is　likely　to　be　brought



back　to　his　senses　in　that　wayand；　above　all；　whether　Father



Benwell　is　still　at　Rome　with　him。　My　idea　is　that　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



has　not　given　up　her　design　of　making　Romayne　acquainted　with　the



birth　of　his　son。







The　right　person　to　apply　to　for　information　is　evidently　my



banker。　He　has　been　a　resident　in　Rome　for　twenty　yearsbut　he



is　too　busy　a　man　to　be　approached；　by　an　idler　like　myself；　in



business　hours。　I　have　asked　him　to　dine　with　me　to…morrow。







March　2。My　guest　has　just　left　me。　I　am　afraid　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



will　be　sadly　disappointed　when　she　hears　what　I　have　to　tell　her







The　moment　I　mentioned　Romayne's　name；　the　banker　looked　at　me



with　an　expression　of　surprise。　〃'The　man　most　talked　about　in



Rome；〃　he　said；　〃I　wonder　you　have　not　heard　of　him　already。〃







〃Is　he　a　priest？〃







〃Certainly！　And；　what　is　more；　the　ordinary　preparations　for　the



priesthood　were　expressly　shortened　by　high　authority　on　his



account。　The　Pope　takes　the　greatest　interest　in　him；　and　as　for



the　people；　the　Italians　have　already　nicknamed　him　'the　young



cardinal。'　Don't　suppose；　as　some　of　our　countrymen　do；　that　he



is　indebted　to　his　wealth　for　the　high　position　which　he　has



already　attained。　His　wealth　is　only　one　of　the　minor　influences



in　his　favor。　The　truth　is；　he　unites　in　himself　two　opposite



qualities；　both　of　the　greatest　value　to　the　Church；　which　are



very　rarely　found　combined　in　the　same　man。　He　has　already　made　a



popular　reputation　here；　as　a　most　eloquent　and　convincing



preacher〃







〃A　preacher！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃And　a　popular　reputation！　How　do　the



Italians　understand　him？〃







The　banker　looked　puzzled。







〃Why　shouldn't　they　understand　a　man　who　addresses　them　in　their



own　language？〃　he　said。　〃Romayne　could　speak　Italian　when　he　came



hereand　since　that　time　he　has　learned　by　constant　practice　to



think　in　Italian。　While　our　Roman　season　lasts；　he　preaches



alternately　in　Italian　and　in　English。　But　I　was　speaking　of　the



two　opposite　accomplishments　which　this　remarkable　man　possesses。



Out　of　the　pulpit；　he　is　capable　of　applying　his　mind



successfully　to　the　polit　ical　necessities　of　the　Church。　As　I　am



told；　his　intellect　has　had　severe　practical　training；　by　means



of　historical　studies；　in　the　past　years　of　his　life。　Anyhow；　in



one　of　the　diplomatic　difficulties　here　between　the　Church　and



the　State；　he　wrote　a　memorial　on　the　subject；　which　the



Cardinal…Secretary　declar