the black robe-第8章

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delusion；　as　people　say。　It　is　no　delusion。　In　the　perfect



tranquillity　of　this　place　the　voice　has　come　back　to　me。　While



we　were　at　table　I　heard　it　againbehind　me；　in　the　library。　I



heard　it　still；　when　the　door　was　shut。　I　ran　up　here　to　try　if



it　would　follow　me　into　the　open　air。　It　_has_　followed　me。　We



may　as　well　go　down　again　into　the　hall。　I　know　now　that　there　is



no　escaping　from　it。　My　dear　old　home　has　become　horrible　to　me。



Do　you　mind　returning　to　London　tomorrow？〃







What　I　felt　and　feared　in　this　miserable　state　of　things　matters



little。　The　one　chance　I　could　see　for　Romayne　was　to　obtain　the



best　medical　advice。　I　sincerely　encouraged　his　idea　of　going



back　to　London　the　next　day。







We　had　sat　together　by　the　hall　fire　for　about　ten　minutes；　when



he　took　out　his　handkerchief；　and　wiped　away　the　perspiration



from　his　forehead；　drawing　a　deep　breath　of　relief。　〃It　has



gone！〃　he　said　faintly。







〃When　you　hear　the　boy's　voice；〃　I　asked；　〃do　you　hear　it



continuously？〃







〃No；　at　intervals；　sometimes　longer；　sometimes　shorter。〃







〃And　thus　far；　it　comes　to　you　suddenly；　and　leaves　you



suddenly？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃Do　my　questions　annoy　you？〃







〃I　make　no　complaint；〃　he　said　sadly。　〃You　can　see　for



yourselfI　patiently　suffer　the　punishment　that　I　have



deserved。〃







I　contradicted　him　at　once。　〃It　is　nothing　of　the　sort！　It's　a



nervous　malady；　which　medical　science　can　control　and　cure。　Wait



till　we　get　to　London。〃







This　expression　of　opinion　produced　no　effect　on　him。







〃I　have　taken　the　life　of　a　fellow…creature；〃　he　said。　〃I　have



closed　the　career　of　a　young　man　who；　but　for　me；　might　have



lived　long　and　happily　and　honorably。　Say　what　you　may；　I　am　of



the　race　of　Cain。　_　He_　had　the　mark　set　on　his　brow。　I　have　_my_



ordeal。　Delude　yourself；　if　you　like；　with　false　hopes。　I　can



endureand　hope　for　nothing。　Good…night。〃







VIII。







EARLY　the　next　morning；　the　good　old　butler　came　to　me；　in　great



perturbation；　for　a　word　of　advice。







〃Do　come；　sir；　and　look　at　the　master！　I　can't　find　it　in　my



heart　to　wake　him。〃







It　was　time　to　wake　him；　if　we　were　to　go　to　London　that　day。　I



went　into　the　bedroom。　Although　I　was　no　doctor；　the　restorative



importance　of　that　profound　and　quiet　sleep　impressed　itself　on



me　so　strongly；　that　I　took　the　responsibility　of　leaving　him



undisturbed。　The　event　proved　that　I　had　acted　wisely。　He　slept



until　noon。　There　was　no　return　of　〃the　torment　of　the　voice〃as



he　called　it；　poor　fellow。　We　passed　a　quiet　day；　excepting　one



little　interruption；　which　I　am　warned　not　to　pass　over　without　a



word　of　record　in　this　narrative。







We　had　returned　from　a　ride。　Romayne　had　gone　into　the　library　to



read；　and　I　was　just　leaving　the　stables；　after　a　look　at　some



recent　improvements；　when　a　pony…chaise　with　a　gentleman　in　it



drove　up　to　the　door。　He　asked　politely　if　he　might　be　allowed　to



see　the　house。　There　were　some　fine　pictures　at　Vange；　as　well　as



many　interesting　relics　of　antiquity；　and　the　rooms　were　shown；



in　Romayne's　absence；　to　the　very　few　travelers　who　were



adventurous　enough　to　cross　the　heathy　desert　that　surrounded　the



Abbey。　On　this　occasion；　the　stranger　was　informed　that　Mr。



Romayne　was　at　home。　He　at　once　apologizedwith　an　appearance　of



disappointment；　however；　which　induced　me　to　step　forward　and



speak　to　him。







〃Mr。　Romayne　is　not　very　well；〃　I　said；　〃and　I　cannot　venture　to



ask　you　into　the　house。　But　you　will　be　welcome；　I　am　sure；　to



walk　round　the　grounds；　and　to　look　at　the　ruins　of　the　Abbey。〃







He　thanked　me；　and　accepted　the　invitation。　I　find　no　great



difficulty　in　describing　him；　generally。　He　was　elderly；　fat。　and



cheerful；　buttoned　up　in　a　long　black　frockcoat；　and　presenting



that　closely　shaven　face　and　that　inveterate　expression　of



watchful　humility　about　the　eyes；　which　we　all　associate　with　the



reverend　personality　of　a　priest。







To　my　surprise；　he　seemed；　in　some　degree　at　least；　to　know　his



way　about　the　place。　He　made　straight　for　the　dreary　little　lake



which　I　have　already　mentioned；　and　stood　looking　at　it　with　an



interest　which　was　so　incomprehensible　to　me；　that　I　own　I



watched　him。







He　ascended　the　slope　of　the　moorland；　and　entered　the　gate　which



led　to　the　grounds。　All　that　the　gardeners　had　done　to　make　the



place　attractive　failed　to　claim　his　attention。　He　walked　past



lawns；　shrubs；　and　flower…beds；　and　only　stopped　at　an　old　stone



fountain；　which　tradition　declared　to　have　been　one　of　the



ornaments　of　the　garden　in　the　time　of　the　monks。　Having



carefully　examined　this　relic　of　antiquity；　he　took　a　sheet　of



paper　from　his　pocket；　and　consulted　it　attentively。　It　might



have　been　a　plan　of　the　house　and　grounds；　or　it　might　notI　can



only　report　that　he　took　the　path　which　led　him；　by　the　shortest



way；　to　the　ruined　Abbey　church。







As　he　entered　the　roofless　inclosure；　he　reverently　removed　his



hat。　It　was　impossible　for　me　to　follow　him　any　further；　without



exposing　myself　to　the　risk　of　discovery。　I　sat　down　on　one　of



the　fallen　stones；　waiting　to　see　him　again。　It　must　have　been　at



least　half　an　hour　before　he　appeared。　He　thanked　me　for　my



kindness；　as　composedly　as　if　he　had　quite　expected　to　find　me　in



the　place　that　I　occupied。







〃I　have　been　deeply　interested　in　all　that　I　have　seen；〃　he　said。



〃May　I　venture　to　ask；　what　is　perhaps　an　indiscreet　question　on



the　part　of　a　stranger？〃







I　ventured；　on　my　side；　to　inquire　what　the　question　might　be。







〃Mr。　Romayne　is　indeed　fortunate；〃　he　resumed；　〃in　the　possession



of　this　beautiful　place。　He　is　a　young　man；　I　think？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃Is　he　married？〃







〃No。〃







〃Excuse　my　curiosity。　The　owner　of　Vange　Abbey　is　an　interesting



person　to　all　good　antiquaries　like　myself。　Many　thanks　again。



Good…day。〃







His　pony…chaise　took　him　away。　His　last　look　restednot　on



mebut　on　the　old　Abbey。







IX。







MY　record　of　events　approaches　its　conclusion。







On　the　next　day　we　returned　to　the　hotel　in　London。　At　Romayne's



suggestion；　I　sent　the　same　evening　to　my　own　house　for　any



letters　which　might　be　waiting　for　me。　His　mind　still　dwelt　on



the　duel；　he　was　morbidly　eager　to　know　if　any　communication　had



been　received　from　the　French　surgeon。







When　the　messenger　returned　with　my　letters；　the　Boulogne



postmark　was　on　one　of　the　envelopes。　At　Romayne's　entreaty；　this



was　the　letter　that　I　opened　first。　The　surgeon's　signature　was



at　the　end。







One　motive　for　anxietyon　my　partwas　set　at　rest　in　the　first



lines。　After　an　official　inquiry　into　the　circumstances；　the



French　authorities　had　decided　that　it　was　not　expedient　to　put



the　survivor　of　the　duelists　on　his　trial　before　a　court　of　law。



No　jury；　hearing　the　evidence；　would　find　him　guilty　of　the　only



charge　that　could　be　formally　brought　against　himthe　charge　of



〃homicide　by　premeditation。〃　Homicide　by　misadventure；　occurring



in　a　duel；　was　not　a　punishable　offense　by　the　French　law。　My



correspondent　cited　many　cases　in　proof　of　it；　strengthened　by



the　publicly…expressed　opinion　of　the　illustrious　Berryer



himself。　In　a　word；　we　had　nothing　to　fear。







The　next　page　of　the　letter　informed　us　that　the　police　had



surprised　the　card　playing　community　with　whom　we　had　spent　the