the black robe-第77章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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



Cardinal…Secretary　declared　to　be　a　model　of　ability　in　applying



the　experience　of　the　past　to　the　need　of　the　present　time。　If　he



doesn't　wear　himself　out；　his　Italian　nickname　may　prove



prophetically　true。　We　may　live　to　see　the　new　convert；　Cardinal



Romayne。〃







〃Are　you　acquainted　with　him　yourself？〃　I　asked。







〃No　Englishman　is　acquainted　with　him；〃　the　banker　answered。



〃There　is　a　report　of　some　romantic　event　in　his　life　which　has



led　to　his　leaving　England；　and　which　makes　him　recoil　from



intercourse　with　his　own　nation。　Whether　this　is　true　or　false；



it　is　certain　that　the　English　in　Rome　find　him　unapproachable。　I



have　even　heard　that　he　refuses　to　receive　letters　from　England。



If　you　wish　to　see　him；　you　must　do　what　I　have　doneyou　must　go



to　church　and　look　at　him　in　the　pulpit。　He　preaches　in



EnglishI　think　for　the　last　time　this　seasonon　Thursday



evening　next。　Shall　I　call　here　and　take　you　to　the　church？〃







If　I　had　followed　my　inclinations；　I　should　have　refused。　I　feel



no　sort　of　interest　in　RomayneI　might　even　say　I　feel　a



downright　antipathy　toward　him。　But　I　have　no　wish　to　appear



insensible　to　the　banker's　kindness；　and　my　reception　at　St。



Germain　depends　greatly　on　the　attention　I　show　to　Mrs。



Eyrecourt's　request。　So　it　was　arranged　that　I　should　hear　the



great　preacherwith　a　mental　reservation　on　my　part；　which



contemplated　my　departure　from　the　church　before　the　end　of　his



sermon。







But；　before　I　see　him；　I　feel　assured　of　one　thingespecially



after　what　the　banker　has　told　me。　Stella's　view　of　his　character



is　the　right　one。　The　man　who　has　deserted　her　has　no　heart　to　be



touched　by　wife　or　child。　They　are　separated　forever。







March　3。I　have　just　seen　the　landlord　of　the　hotel；　he　can　help



me　to　answer　one　of　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　questions。　A　nephew　of　his



holds　some　employment　at　the　Jesuit　headquarters　here；　adjoining



their　famous　church　_Il　Gesu_。　I　have　requested　the　young　man　to



ascertain　if　Father　Benwell　is　still　in　Romewithout　mentioning



me。　It　would　be　no　small　trial　to　my　self…control　if　we　met　in



the　street。







March　4。Good　news　this　time　for　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　as　far　as　it



goes。　Father　Benwell　has　long　since　left　Rome；　and　has　returned



to　his　regular　duties　in　England。　If　he　exercises　any　further



influence　over　Romayne；　it　must　be　done　by　letter。







March　5。I　have　returned　from　Romayne's　sermon。　This　double



renegadehas　he　not　deserted　his　religion　and　his　wife？has



failed　to　convince　my　reason。　But　he　has　so　completely　upset　my



nerves　that　I　ordered　a　bottle　of　champagne　（to　the　great



amusement　of　my　friend　the　banker）　the　moment　we　got　back　to　the



hotel。







We　drove　through　the　scantily　lighted　streets　of　Rome　to　a　small



church　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　Piazza　Navona。　To　a　more



imaginative　man　than　myself；　the　scene　when　we　entered　the



building　would　have　been　too　impressive　to　be　described　in



wordsthough　it　might　perhaps　have　been　painted。　The　one　light



in　the　place　glimmered　mysteriously　from　a　great　wax　candle；



burning　in　front　of　a　drapery　of　black　cloth；　and　illuminating



dimly　a　sculptured　representation；　in　white　marble；　of　the



crucified　Christ；　wrought　to　the　size　of　life。　In　front　of　this



ghastly　emblem　a　platform　projected；　also　covered　with　black



cloth。　We　could　penetrate　no　further　than　to　the　space　just



inside　the　door　of　the　church。　Everywhere　else　the　building　was



filled　with　standing；　sitting　and　kneeling　figures；　shadowy　and



mysterious；　fading　away　in　far　corners　into　impenetrable　gloom。



The　only　sounds　were　the　low；　wailing　notes　of　the　organ；



accompanied　at　intervals　by　the　muffled　thump　of　fanatic



worshipers　penitentially　beating　their　breasts。　On　a　sudden　the



organ　ceased；　the　self…inflicted　blows　of　the　penitents　were



heard　no　more。　In　the　breathless　silence　that　followed；　a　man



robed　in　black　mounted　the　black　platform；　and　faced　the



congregation。　His　hair　had　become　prematurely　gray；　his　face　was



of　the　ghastly　paleness　of　the　great　crucifix　at　his　side。　The



light　of　the　candle；　falling　on　him　as　he　slowly　turned　his　head；



cast　shadows　into　the　hollows　of　his　cheeks；　and　glittered　in　his



gleaming　eyes。　In　tones　low　and　trembling　at　first；　he　stated　the



subject　of　his　address。　A　week　since；　two　noteworthy　persons　had



died　in　Rome　on　the　same　day。　One　of　them　was　a　woman　of



exemplary　piety；　whose　funeral　obsequies　had　been　celebrated　in



that　church。　The　other　was　a　criminal　charged　with　homicide　under



provocation；　who　had　died　in　prison；　refusing　the　services　of　the



priestimpenitent　to　the　last。　The　sermon　followed　the　spirit　of



the　absolved　woman　to　its　eternal　reward　in　heaven；　and　described



the　meeting　with　dear　ones　who　had　gone　before；　in　terms　so



devout　and　so　touching　that　the　women　near　us；　and　even　some　of



the　men；　burst　into　tears。　Far　different　was　the　effect　produced



when　the　preacher；　filled　with　the　same　overpowering　sincerity　of



belief　which　had　inspired　his　description　of　the　joys　of　heaven；



traced　the　downward　progress　of　the　lost　man；　from　his　impenitent



death…bed　to　his　doom　in　hell。　The　dreadful　superstition　of



everlasting　torment　became　doubly　dreadful　in　the　priest's



fervent　words。　He　described　the　retributive　voices　of　the　mother



and　the　brother　of　the　murdered　man　ringing　incessantly　in　the



ears　of　the　homicide。　〃I；　who　speak　to　you；　hear　the　voices；〃　he



cried。　〃Assassin！　assassin！　where　are　you？　I　see　himI　see　the



assassin　hurled　into　his　place　in　the　sleepless　ranks　of　the



damnedI　see　him；　dripping　with　the　flames　that　burn　forever；



writhing　under　the　torments　that　are　without　respite　and　without



end。〃　The　climax　of　this　terrible　effort　of　imagination　was



reached　when　he　fell　on　his　knees　and　prayed　with　sobs　and　cries



of　entreatyprayed；　pointing　to　the　crucifix　at　his　sidethat



he　and　all　who　heard　him　might　die　the　death　of　penitent　sinners；



absolved　in　the　divinely　atoning　name　of　Christ。　The　hysterical



shrieks　of　women　rang　through　the　church。　I　could　endure　it　no



longer。　I　hurried　into　the　street；　and　breathed　again　freely；



when　I　looked　up　at　the　cloudless　beauty　of　the　night　sky；　bright



with　the　peaceful　radiance　of　the　stars。







And　this　man　was　Romayne！　I　had　last　met　with　him　among　his



delightful　works　of　art；　an　enthusiast　in　literature；　the



hospitable　master　of　a　house　filled　with　comforts　and　luxuries　to



its　remotest　corner。　And　now　I　had　seen　what　Rome　had　made　of



him。







〃Yes；〃　said　my　companion；　〃the　Ancient　Church　not　only　finds　out



the　men　who　can　best　serve　it；　but　develops　qualities　in　those



men　of　which　they　have　been　themselves　unconscious。　The　advance



which　Roman　Catholic　Christianity　has　been；　and　is　still；　making



has　its　intelligible　reason。　Thanks　to　the　great　Reformation；　the



papal　scandals　of　past　centuries　have　been　atoned　for　by　the



exemplary　lives　of　servants　of　the　Church；　in　high　places　and　low



places　alike。　If　a　new　Luther　arose　among　us；　where　would　he　now



find　abuses　sufficiently　wicked　and　widely　spread　to　shock　the



sense　of　decency　in　Christendom？　He　would　find　them　nowhereand



he　would　probably　return　to　the　respectable　shelter　of　the　Roman



sheepfold。〃







I　listened；　without　making　any　remark。　To　tell　the　truth；　I　was



thinking　of　Stella。







March　6。I　have　been　to　Civita　Vecchia；　to　give　a　little



farewell　entertainment　to　the　officers　and　crew　before　they