the black robe-第80章

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been　massacredwith　the　exception　of　two　priests；　carried　away



captive。　The　names　of　the　priests　are　not　known。　News　of　the



atrocity　has　been　delayed　four　months　on　its　way　to　Europe；　owing



partly　to　the　civil　war　in　the　United　States；　and　partly　to



disturbances　in　Central　America。







Looking　at　the　_Times_　（which　we　receive　regularly　at　St。



Germain）；　I　found　this　statement　confirmed　in　a　short



paragraphbut　here　also　the　names　of　the　two　prisoners　failed　to



appear。







Our　one　present　hope　of　getting　any　further　information　seems　to



me　to　depend　on　our　English　newspaper。　The　_Times_　stands　alone



as　the　one　public　journal　which　has　the　whole　English　nation　for



volunteer　contributors。　In　their　troubles　at　home；　they　appeal　to



the　Editor。　In　their　travels　abroad；　over　civilized　and　savage



regions　alike；　if　they　meet　with　an　adventure　worth　mentioning



they　tell　it　to　the　Editor。　If　any　one　of　our　countrymen　knows



anything　of　this　dreadful　massacre；　I　foresee　with　certainty



where　we　shall　find　the　information　in　print。







Soon　after　my　arrival　here；　Stella　had　told　me　of　her　memorable



conversation　with　Penrose　in　the　garden　at　Ten　Acres　Lodge。　I　was



well　acquainted　with　the　nature　of　her　obligation　to　the　young



priest；　but　I　was　not　prepared　for　the　outbreak　of　grief　which



escaped　her　when　she　had　read　the　telegram　from　Rome。　She



actually　went　the　length　of　saying；　〃I　shall　never　enjoy　another



happy　moment　till　I　know　whether　Penrose　is　one　of　the　two　living



priests！〃







The　inevitable　third　person　with　us；　this　morning；　was　Monsieur



Villeray。　Sitting　at　the　window　with　a　book　in　his



handsometimes　reading；　sometimes　looking　at　the　garden　with　the



eye　of　a　fond　horticulturisthe　discovered　a　strange　cat　among



his　flower　beds。　Forgetful　of　every　other　consideration；　the　old



gentleman　hobbled　out　to　drive　away　the　intruder；　and　left　us



together。







I　spoke　to　Stella；　in　words　which　I　would　now　give　everything　I



possess　to　recall。　A　detestable　jealousy　took　possession　of　me。　I



meanly　hinted　that　Penrose　could　claim　no　great　merit　（in　the



matter　of　Romayne's　conversion）　for　yielding　to　the　entreaties　of



a　beautiful　woman　who　had　fascinated　him；　though　he　might　be



afraid　to　own　it。　She　protested　against　my　unworthy



insinuationbut　she　failed　to　make　me　ashamed　of　myself。　Is　a



woman　ever　ignorant　of　the　influence　which　her　beauty　exercises



over　a　man？　I　went　on；　like　the　miserable　creature　that　I　was；



from　bad　to　worse。







〃Excuse　me；〃　I　said；　〃if　I　have　unintentionally　made　you　angry。　I



ought　to　have　known　that　I　was　treading　on　delicate　ground。　Your



interest　in　Penrose　may　be　due　to　a　warmer　motive　than　a　sense　of



obligation。〃







She　turned　away　from　mesa　dly；　not　angrilyintending；　as　it



appeared；　to　leave　the　room　in　silence。　Arrived　at　the　door；　she



altered　her　mind；　and　came　back。







〃Even　if　you　insult　me；　Bernard；　I　am　not　able　to　resent　it；〃　she



said；　very　gently。　_I_　once　wronged　_you_I　have　no　right　to



complain　of　your　now　wronging　me。　I　will　try　to　forget　it。〃







She　held　out　her　hand。　She　raised　her　eyesand　looked　at　me。







It　was　not　her　fault；　I　alone　am　to　blame。　In　another　moment　she



was　in　my　arms。　I　held　her　to　my　breastI　felt　the　quick　beating



of　her　heart　on　meI　poured　out　the　wild　confession　of　my



sorrow；　my　shame；　my　loveI　tasted　again　and　again　and　again　the



sweetness　of　her　lips。　She　put　her　arms　round　my　neck　and　drew



her　head　back　with　a　long　sigh。　〃Be　merciful　to　my　weakness；〃　she



whispered。　〃We　must　meet　no　more。〃







She　pushed　me　back　from　her；　with　a　trembling　hand；　and　left　the



room。







I　have　broken　my　resolution　not　to　write　about　myselfbut　there



is　no　egotism；　there　is　a　sincere　sense　of　humiliation　in　me；



when　I　record　this　confession　of　misconduct。　I　can　make　but　one



atonementI　must　at　once　leave　St。　Germain。　Now；　when　it　is　too



late；　I　feel　how　hard　for　me　this　life　of　constant　repression　has



been。







Thus　far　I　had　written；　when　the　nursemaid　brought　me　a　little



note；　addressed　in　pencil。　No　answer　was　required。







The　few　lines　were　in　Stella's　handwriting：　〃You　must　not　leave



us　too　suddenly；　or　you　may　excite　my　mother's　suspicions。　Wait



until　you　receive　letters　from　England；　and　make　them　the　pretext



for　your　departure。S。〃







I　never　thought　of　her　mother。　She　is　right。　Even　if　she　were



wrong；　I　must　obey　her。







September　14。The　letters　from　England　have　arrived。　One　of　them



presents　me　with　the　necessary　excuse　for　my　departure；　ready



made。　My　proposal　for　the　purchase　of　the　yacht　is　accepted。　The



sailing…master　and　crew　have　refused　all　offers　of　engagement；



and　are　waiting　at　Cowes　for　my　orders。　Here　is　an　absolute



necessity　for　my　return　to　England。







The　newspaper　arrived　with　the　letters。　My　anticipations　have



been　realized。　Yesterday's　paragraph　has　produced　another



volunteer　contributor。　An　Englishman　just　returned　from　Central



America；　after　traveling　in　Arizona；　writes　to　the　_Times。_　He



publishes　his　name　and　addressand　he　declares　that　he　has



himself　seen　the　two　captive　priests。







The　name　of　this　correspondent　carries　its　own　guarantee　with　it。



He　is　no　less　a　person　than　Mr。　Murthwaitethe　well…known



traveler　in　India；　who　discovered　the　lost　diamond　called　〃the



Moonstone；〃　set　in　the　forehead　of　a　Hindoo　idol。　He　writes　to



the　editor　as　follows：







〃SirI　can　tell　you　something　of　the　two　Jesuit　priests　who　were



the　sole　survivors　of　the　massacre　in　the　Santa　Cruz　Valley　four



months　since。







〃I　was　traveling　at　the　time　in　Arizona；　under　the　protection　of



an　Apache　chief；　bribed　to　show　me　his　country　and　his　nation



（instead　of　cutting　my　throat　and　tearing　off　my　scalp）　by　a



present　tribute　of　whisky　and　gunpowder；　and　by　the　promise　of



more　when　our　association　came　to　an　end。







〃About　twelve　miles　northward　of　the　little　silver…mining　town　of



Tubac　we　came　upon　an　Apache　encampment。　I　at　once　discovered　two



white　men　among　the　Indians　These　were　the　captive　priests。







〃One　of　them　was　a　Frenchman；　named　L'Herbier。　The　other　was　an



Englishman；　named　Penrose。　They　owed　their　lives　to　the　influence



of　two　powerful　considerations　among　the　Indians。　Unhappy



L'Herbier　lost　his　senses　under　the　horror　of　the　night　massacre。



Insanity；　as　you　may　have　heard；　is　a　sacred　thing　in　the



estimation　of　the　American　savages；　they　regard　this　poor　madman



as　a　mysteriously　inspired　person　The　other　priest；　Penrose；　had



been　in　charge　of　the　mission　medicine…chest；　and　had



successfully　treated　cases　of　illness　among　the　Apaches。　As　a



'great　medicine…man；'　he　too　is　a　privileged　personunder　the



strong　protection　of　their　interest　in　their　own　health。　The



lives　of　the　prisoners　are　in　no　danger；　provided　they　can　endure



the　hardship　of　their　wandering　existence　among　the　Indians。



Penrose　spoke　to　me　with　the　resignation　of　a　true　hero。　'I　am　in



the　hands　of　God；'　he　said；　'and　if　I　die；　I　die　in　God's



service。'







〃I　was　entirely　unprovided　with　the　means　of　ransoming　the



missionariesand　nothing　that　I　could　say；　or　that　I　could



promise；　had　the　smallest　effect　on　the　savages。　But　for　severe



and　tedious　illness；　I　should　long　since　have　been　on　my　way　back



to　Arizona　with　the　necessary　ransom。　As　it　is；　I　am　barely



strong　enough　to　write　this　letter。　But　I　can　head　a　subscription



to　pay　expenses；　and　I　can　give　in