the black robe-第78章

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



farewell　entertainment　to　the　officers　and　crew　before　they　take



the　yacht　back　to　England。







In　a　few　words　I　said　at　parting；　I　mentioned　that　it　was　my



purpose　to　make　an　offer　for　the　purchase　of　the　vessel；　and　that



my　guests　should　hear　from　me　again　on　the　subject。　This



announcement　was　received　with　enthusiasm。　I　really　like　my



crewand　I　don't　think　it　is　vain　in　me　to　believe　that　they



return　the　feeling；　from　the　sailing…master　to　the　cabin…boy。　My



future　life；　after　all　that　has　passed；　is　likely　to　be　a　roving



life；　unlessNo！　I　may　think　sometimes　of　that　happier　prospect；



but　I　had　better　not　put　my　thoughts　into　w　ords。　I　have　a　fine



vessel；　I　have　plenty　of　money；　and　I　like　the　sea。　There　are



three　good　reasons　for　buying　the　yacht。







Returning　to　Rome　in　the　evening；　I　found　waiting　for　me　a　letter



from　Stella。







She　writes　（immediately　on　the　receipt　of　my　telegram）　to　make　a



similar　request　to　the　request　addressed　to　me　by　her　mother。　Now



that　I　am　at　Rome；　she　too　wants　to　hear　news　of　a　Jesuit　priest。



He　is　absent　on　a　foreign　mission；　and　his　name　is　Penrose。　〃You



shall　hear　what　obligations　I　owe　to　his　kindness；〃　she　writes；



〃when　we　meet。　In　the　meantime；　I　will　only　say　that　he　is　the



exact　opposite　of　Father　Benwell；　and　that　I　should　be　the　most



ungrateful　of　women　if　I　did　not　feel　the　truest　interest　in　his



welfare。〃







This　is　strange；　and；　to　my　mind；　not　satisfactory。　Who　is



Penrose？　and　what　has　he　done　to　deserve　such　strong　expressions



of　gratitude？　If　anybody　had　told　me　that　Stella　could　make　a



friend　of　a　Jesuit；　I　am　afraid　I　should　have　returned　a　rude



answer。　Well；　I　must　wait　for　further　enlightenment；　and　apply　to



the　landlord's　nephew　once　more。







March　7。There　is　small　prospect；　I　fear；　of　my　being　able　to



appreciate　the　merits　of　Mr。　Penrose　by　personal　experience。　He



is　thousands　of　miles　away　from　Europe；　and　he　is　in　a　situation



of　peril；　which　makes　the　chance　of　his　safe　return　doubtful　in



the　last　degree。







The　Mission　to　which　he　is　attached　was　originally　destined　to



find　its　field　of　work　in　Central　America。　Rumors　of　more



fighting　to　come；　in　that　revolutionary　part　of　the　world；



reached　Rome　before　the　missionaries　had　sailed　from　the　port　of



Leghorn。　Under　these　discouraging　circumstances；　the　priestly



authorities　changed　the　destination　of　the　Mission　to　the



territory　of　Arizona；　bordering　on　New　Mexico；　and　recently



purchased　by　the　United　States。　Here；　in　the　valley　of　Santa



Cruz；　the　Jesuits　had　first　attempted　the　conversion　of　the



Indian　tribes　two　hundred　years　since；　and　had　failed。　Their



mission…house　and　chapel　are　now　a　heap　of　ruins；　and　the



ferocious　Apache　Indians　keep　the　fertile　valley　a　solitude　by



the　mere　terror　of　their　name。　To　this　ill…omened　place　Penrose



and　his　companions　have　made　their　daring　pilgrimage；　and　they



are　now　risking　their　lives　in　the　attempt　to　open　the　hearts　of



these　bloodthirsty　savages　to　the　influence　of　Christianity。



Nothing　has　been　yet　heard　of　them。　At　the　best；　no　trustworthy



news　is　expected　for　months　to　come。







What　will　Stella　say　to　this？　Anyhow；　I　begin　to　understand　her



interest　in　Penrose　now。　He　is　one　of　a　company　of　heroes。　I　am



already　anxious　to　hear　more　of　him。







To…morrow　will　be　a　memorable　day　in　my　calendar。　To…morrow　I



leave　Rome　for　St。　Germain。







If　any　further　information　is　to　be　gained　for　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　and



her　daughter；　I　have　made　the　necessary　arrangements　for



receiving　it。　The　banker　has　promised　to　write　to　me；　if　there　is



a　change　in　Romayne's　life　and　prospects。　And　my　landlord　will



take　care　that　I　hear　of　it；　in　the　event　of　news　reaching　Rome



from　the　Mission　at　Arizona。







Sixth　Extract。







St。　Germain；　March　14。I　arrived　yesterday。　Between　the　fatigue



of　the　journey　and　the　pleasurable　agitation　caused　by　seeing



Stella　again；　I　was　unfit　to　make　the　customary　entry　in　my　diary



when　I　retired　for　the　night。







She　is　more　irresistibly　beautiful　than　ever。　Her　figure　（a



little　too　slender　as　I　remember　it）　has　filled　out。　Her　lovely



face　has　lost　its　haggard；　careworn　look；　her　complexion　has



recovered　its　delicacy；　I　see　again　in　her　eyes　the　pure　serenity



of　expression　which　first　fascinated　me；　years　since。　It　may　be



due　to　the　consoling　influence　of　the　childassisted；　perhaps；



by　the　lapse　of　time　and　the　peaceful　life　which　she　now



leadsbut　this　at　least　is　certain；　such　a　change　for　the　better



I　never　could　have　imagined　as　the　change　I　find　in　Stella　after



a　year's　absence。







As　for　the　baby；　he　is　a　bright；　good…humored　little　fellow；　and



he　has　one　great　merit　in　my　estimationhe　bears　no　resemblance



to　his　father。　I　saw　his　mother's　features　when　I　first　took　him



on　my　knee；　and　looked　at　his　face；　lifted　to　mine　in　grave



surprise。　The　baby　and　I　are　certain　to　get　on　well　together。







Even　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　seems　to　have　improved　in　the　French　air；　and



under　the　French　diet。　She　has　a　better　surface　to　lay　the　paint



on；　her　nimble　tongue　runs　faster　than　ever；　and　she　has　so



completely　recovered　her　good　spirits；　that　Monsieur　and　Madame



Villeray　declare　she　must　have　French　blood　in　her　veins。　They



were　all　so　unaffectedly　glad　to　see　me　（Matilda　included）；　that



it　was　really　like　returning　to　one's　home。　As　for　Traveler；　I



must　interfere　（in　the　interests　of　his　figure　and　his　health）　to



prevent　everybody　in　the　house　from　feeding　him　with　every



eatable　thing；　from　plain　bread　to　_pate　de　foie　gras。_







My　experience　of　to…day　will；　as　Stella　tells　me；　be　my　general



experience　of　the　family　life　at　St。　Germain。







We　begin　the　morning　with　the　customary　cup　of　coffee。　At　eleven



o'clock　I　am　summoned　from　my　〃pavilion〃　of　three　rooms　to　one　of



those　delicious　and　artfully　varied　breakfasts　which　are　only　to



be　found　in　France　and　in　Scotland。　An　interval　of　about　three



hours　follows；　during　which　the　child　takes　his　airing　and　his



siesta；　and　his　elders　occupy　themselves　as　they　please。　At　three



o'clock　we　all　go　outwith　a　pony　chaise　which　carries　the



weaker　members　of　the　householdfor　a　ramble　in　the　forest。　At



six　o'clock　we　assemble　at　the　dinner…table。　At　coffee　time；　some



of　the　neighbors　drop　in　for　a　game　at　cards。　At　ten；　we　all　wish



each　other　good…night。







Such　is　the　domestic　programme；　varied　by　excursions　in　the



country　and　by　occasional　visits　to　Paris。　I　am　naturally　a　man



of　quiet　stay…at…home　habits。　It　is　only　when　my　mind　is



disturbed　that　I　get　restless　and　feel　longings　for　change。



Surely　the　quiet　routine　at　St。　Germain　ought　to　be　welcome　to　me



now？　I　have　been　looking　forward　to　this　life　through　a　long　year



of　travel。　What　more　can　I　wish　for？







Nothing　more；　of　course。







And　yetand　yetStella　has　innocently　made　it　harder　than　ever



to　play　the　part　of　her　〃brother。〃　The　recovery　of　her　beauty　is



a　subject　for　congratulation　to　her　mother　and　her　friends。　How



does　it　affect　Me？







I　had　better　not　think　of　my　hard　fate。　Can　I　help　thinking　of



it？　Can　I　dismiss　from　memory　the　unmerited　misfortunes　which



have　taken　from　me；　in　the　prime　of　her　charms；　the　woman　whom　I



love？　At　least　I　can　try。







The　good　old　moral　must　be　_my_　moral：　〃Be　content　with　such



things　as　ye　have。〃







March　15。It　is　eight　in　the