the black robe-第83章

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accompanied　by　a　gray…haired　gentleman　who　was　a　stranger　to　both



of　us。　Lord　Loring　dislikes　strangers。　Otherwise；　I　might　have



found　myself　traveling　to　Paris　with　that　detestable　Jesuit　for　a



companion。







Paris；　May　3。On　our　arrival　at　the　hotel　I　was　informed　that　no



message　had　yet　been　received　from　the　Embassy。







We　found　Lady　Loring　alone　at　the　breakfast…table；　when　we　had



rested　after　our　night　journey。







〃Romayne　still　lives；〃　she　said。　〃But　his　voice　has　sunk　to　a



whisper；　and　he　is　unable　to　breathe　if　he　tries　to　rest　in　bed。



Stella　has　gone　to　the　Embassy；　she　hopes　to　see　him　to…day　for



the　second　time。〃







〃Only　for　the　second　time！〃　I　exclaimed。







〃You　forget；　Mr。　Winterfield；　that　Romayne　is　a　priest。　He　was



only　consecrated　on　the　customary　condition　of　an　absolute



separation　from　his　wife。　On　her　sidenever　let　her　know　that　I



told　you　thisStella　signed　a　formal　document；　sent　from　Rome；



asserting　that　she　consented　of　her　own　free　will　to　the



separation。　She　was　relieved　from　the　performance　of　another



formality　（which　I　need　not　mention　more　particularly）　by　a



special　dispensation。　Under　these　circumstancescommunicated　to



me　while　Stella　and　I　have　been　together　in　this　housethe



wife's　presence　at　the　bedside　of　her　dying　husband　is　regarded



by　the　other　priests　at　the　Embassy　as　a　scandal　and　a



profanation。　The　kind…hearted　Nuncio　is　blamed　for　having



exceeded　his　powers　in　yielding　（even　under　protest）　to　the　last



wishes　of　a　dying　man。　He　is　now　in　communication　with　Rome；



waiting　for　the　final　instructions　which　are　to　guide　him。〃







〃Has　Romayne　seen　his　child？〃　I　asked。







〃Stella　has　taken　the　child　with　her　to…day。　It　is　doubtful　in



the　last　degree　whether　the　poor　little　boy　will　be　allowed　to



enter　his　father's　room。　_That_　complication　is　even　more　serious



than　the　other。　The　dying　Romayne　persists　in　his　resolution　to



see　the　child。　So　completely　has　his　way　of　thinking　been　altered



by　the　approach　of　death；　and　by　the　closing　of　the　brilliant



prospect　which　was　before　him；　that　he　even　threatens　to　recant；



with　his　last　breath；　if　his　wishes　are　not　complied　with。　How　it



will　end　I　cannot　even　venture　to　guess。







〃Unless　the　merciful　course　taken　by　the　Nuncio　is　confirmed；〃



said　Lord　Loring；　〃it　may　end　in　a　revival　of　the　protest　of　the



Catholic　priests　in　Germany　against　the　prohibition　of　marriage



to　the　clergy。　The　movement　began　in　Silesia　in　1826；　and　was



followed　by　unions　（or　Leagues；　as　we　should　call　them　now）　in



Baden；　Wurtemburg；　Bavaria；　and　Rhenish　Prussia。　Later　still；　the



agitation　spread　to　France　and　Austria。　It　was　only　checked　by　a



papal　bull　issued　in　1847；　reiterating　the　final　decision　of　the



famous　Council　of　Trent　in　favor　of　the　celibacy　of　the



priesthood。　Few　people　are　aware　that　this　rule　has　been　an



institution　of　slow　growth　among　the　clergy　of　the　Church　of



Rome。　Even　as　late　as　the　twelfth　century；　there　were　still



priests　who　set　the　prohibition　of　marriage　at　defiance。〃







I　listened；　as　one　of　the　many　ignorant　persons　alluded　to　by



Lord　Loring。　It　was　with　difficulty　that　I　fixed　my　attention　on



what　he　was　saying。　My　thoughts　wandered　to　Stella　and　to　the



dying　man。　I　looked　at　the　clock。







Lady　Loring　evidently　shared　the　feeling　of　suspense　that　had　got



possession　of　me。　She　rose　and　walked　to　the　window。







〃Here　is　the　message！〃　she　said；　recognizing　her　traveling



servant　as　he　entered　the　hotel　door。







The　man　appeared；　with　a　line　written　on　a　card。　I　was　requested



to　present　the　card　at　the　Embassy；　without　delay。







May　4。I　am　only　now　able　to　continue　my　record　of　the　events　of



yesterday。







A　silent　servant　received　me　at　the　Embassy；　looked　at　the　card；



and　led　the　way　to　an　upper　floor　of　the　house。　Arrived　at　the



end　of　a　long　passage；　he　opened　a　door；　and　retired。







As　I　crossed　the　threshold　Stella　met　me。　She　took　both　my　hands



in　hers　and　looked　at　me　in　silence。　All　that　was　true　and　good



and　noble　expressed　itself　in　that　look。







The　interval　passed；　and　she　spokevery　sadly；　very　quietly。







〃One　more　work　of　mercy；　Bernard。　Help　him　to　die　with　a　heart　at



rest。〃







She　drew　backand　I　approached　him。







He　reclined；　propped　up　with　pillows；　in　a　large　easy…chair；　it



was　the　one　position　in　which　he　could　still　breathe　with



freedom。　The　ashy　shades　of　death　were　on　his　wasted　face。　In　the



eyes　alone；　as　they　slowly　turned　on　me；　there　still　glimmered



the　waning　light　of　life。　One　of　his　arms　hung　down　over　the



chair；　the　other　was　clasped　round　his　child；　sitting　on　his



knee。　The　boy　looked　at　me　wonderingly；　as　I　stood　by　his　father。



Romayne　signed　to　me　to　stoop；　so　that　I　might　hear　him。







〃Penrose？〃　he　asked；　faintly　whispering。　〃Dear　Arthur！　Not　dying；



like　me？〃







I　quieted　_that_　anxiety。　For　a　moment　there　was　even　the　shadow



of　a　smile　on　his　face；　as　I　told　him　of　the　effort　that　Penrose



had　vainly　made　to　be　the　companion　of　my　journey。　He　asked　me；



by　another　gesture；　to　bend　my　ear　to　him　once　more。







〃My　last　grateful　blessing　to　Penrose。　And　to　you。　May　I　not　say



it？　You　have　saved　Arthur〃his　eyes　turned　toward　Stella〃you



have　been　_her_　best　friend。〃　He　paused　to　recover　his　feeble



breath；　looking　round　the　large　room；　without　a　creature　in　it



but　ourselves。　Once　more　the　melancholy　shadow　of　a　smile　passed



over　his　faceand　vanished。　I　listened；　nearer　to　him　still。







〃Christ　took　a　child　on　His　knee。　The　priests　call　themselves



ministers　of　Christ。　They　have　left　me；　because　of　_this_　child；



here　on　my　knee。　Wrong；　wrong；　wrong。　Winterfield；　Death　is　a



great　teacher。　I　know　how　I　have　erredwhat　I　have　lost。　Wife



and　child。　How　poor　and　barren　all　the　rest　of　it　looks　now！〃







He　was　silent　for　a　while。　Was　he　thi　nking？　No：　he　seemed　to　be



listeningand　yet　there　was　no　sound　in　the　room。　Stella；



anxiously　watching　him；　saw　the　listening　expression　as　I　did。



Her　face　showed　anxiety；　but　no　surprise。







〃Does　it　torture　you　still？〃　she　asked。







〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　never　heard　it　plainly；　since　I　left　Rome。



It　has　grown　fainter　and　fainter　from　that　time。　It　is　not　a



Voice　now。　It　is　hardly　a　whisper：　my　repentance　is　accepted；　my



release　is　coming。　Where　is　Winterfield？〃







She　pointed　to　me。







〃I　spoke　of　Rome　just　now。　What　did　Rome　remind　me　of？〃　He　slowly



recovered　the　lost　recollection。　〃Tell　Winterfield；〃　he　whispered



to　Stella；　〃what　the　Nuncio　said　when　he　knew　that　I　was　going　to



die。　The　great　man　reckoned　up　the　dignities　that　might　have　been



mine　if　I　had　lived。　From　my　place　here　in　the　Embassy〃







〃Let　me　say　it；〃　she　gently　interposed；　〃and　spare　your　strength



for　better　things。　From　your　place　in　the　Embassy　you　would　have



mounted　a　step　higher　to　the　office　of　Vice…Legate。　Those　duties



wisely　performed；　another　rise　to　the　Auditorship　of　the



Apostolic　Chamber。　That　office　filled；　a　last　step　upward　to　the



highest　rank　left；　the　rank　of　a　Prince　of　the　Church。〃







〃All　vanity！〃　said　the　dying　Romayne。　He　looked　at　his　wife　and



his　child。　〃The　true　happiness　was　waiting　for　me　here。　And　I



only　know　it　now。　Too　late。　Too　late。〃







He　laid　his　head　back　on　the　pillow　and　closed　his　weary　eyes。　We



thought　he　was　composing　himself　to　sleep。　Stella　tried　to



relieve　him　of　the　boy。　〃No；〃　he　whi