the black robe-第84章

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thought　he　was　composing　himself　to　sleep。　Stella　tried　to



relieve　him　of　the　boy。　〃No；〃　he　whispered；　〃I　am　only　resting　my



eyes　to　look　at　him　again。〃　We　waited。　The　child　stared　at　me；　in



infantine　curiosity。　His　mother　knelt　at　his　side；　and　whispered



in　his　ear。　A　bright　smile　irradiated　his　face；　his　clear　brown



eyes　sparkled；　he　repeated　the　forgotten　lesson　of　the　bygone



time；　and　called　me　once　more；　〃Uncle　Ber'。〃







Romayne　heard　it。　His　heavy　eyelids　opened　again。　〃No；〃　he　said。



〃Not　uncle。　Something　better　and　dearer。　Stella；　give　me　your



hand。〃







Still　kneeling；　she　obeyed　him。　He　slowly　raised　himself　on　the



chair。　〃Take　her　hand；〃　he　said　to　me。　I　too　knelt。　Her　hand　lay



cold　in　mine。　After　a　long　interval　he　spoke　to　me。　〃Bernard



Winterfield；〃　he　said；　〃love　them；　and　help　them；　when　I　am



gone。〃　He　laid　his　weak　hand　on　our　hands；　clasped　together。　〃May



God　protect　you！　may　God　bless　you！〃　he　murmured。　〃Kiss　me；



Stella。〃







I　remember　no　more。　As　a　man；　I　ought　to　have　set　a　better



example；　I　ought　to　have　preserved　my　self…control。　It　was　not　to



be　done。　I　turned　away　from　themand　burst　out　crying。







The　minutes　passed。　Many　minutes　or　few　minutes；　I　don't　know



which。







A　soft　knock　at　the　door　aroused　me。　I　dashed　away　the　useless



tears。　Stella　had　retired　to　the　further　end　of　the　room。　She　was



sitting　by　the　fireside；　with　the　child　in　her　arms。　I　withdrew



to　the　same　part　of　the　room；　keeping　far　enough　away　not　to



disturb　them。







Two　strangers　came　in　and　placed　themselves　on　either　side　of



Romayne's　chair。　He　seemed　to　recognize　them　unwillingly。　From



the　manner　in　which　they　examined　him；　I　inferred　that　they　were



medical　men。　After　a　consultation　in　low　tones；　one　of　them　went



out。







He　returned　again　almost　immediately；　followed　by　the　gray…headed



gentleman　whom　I　had　noticed　on　the　journey　to　Parisand　by



Father　Benwell。







The　Jesuit's　vigilant　eyes　discovered　us　instantly；　in　our　place



near　the　fireside。　I　thought　I　saw　suspicion　as　well　as　surprise



in　his　face。　But　he　recovered　himself　so　rapidly　that　I　could　not



feel　sure。　He　bowed　to　Stella。　She　made　no　return；　she　looked　as



if　she　had　not　even　seen　him。







One　of　the　doctors　was　an　Englishman。　He　said　to　Father　Benwell：



〃Whatever　your　business　may　be　with　Mr。　Romayne；　we　advise　you　to



enter　on　it　without　delay。　Shall　we　leave　the　room？〃







〃Certainly　not；〃　Father　Benwell　answered。　〃The　more　witnesses　are



present；　the　more　relieved　I　shall　feel。〃　He　turned　to　his



traveling　companion。　〃Let　Mr。　Romayne's　lawyer；〃　he　resumed；



〃state　what　our　business　is。〃







The　gray…headed　gentleman　stepped　forward。







〃Are　you　able　to　attend　to　me；　sir？〃　he　asked。







Romayne；　reclining　in　his　chair；　apparently　lost　to　all　interest



in　what　was　going　on；　heard　and　answered。　The　weak　tones　of　his



voice　failed　to　reach　my　ear　at　the　other　end　of　the　room。　The



lawyer；　seeming　to　be　satisfied　so　far；　put　a　formal　question　to



the　doctors　next。　He　inquired　if　Mr。　Romayne　was　in　full



possession　of　his　faculties。







Both　the　physicians　answered　without　hesitation　in　the



affirmative。　Father　Benwell　added　_his_　attestation。　〃Throughout



Mr。　Romayne's　illness；〃　he　said　firmly；　〃his　mind　has　been　as



clear　as　mine　is。〃







While　this　was　going　on；　the　child　had　slipped　off　his　mother's



lap；　with　the　natural　restlessness　of　his　age。　He　walked　to　the



fireplace　and　stoppedfascinated　by　the　bright　red　glow　of　the



embers　of　burning　wood。　In　one　corner　of　the　low　fender　lay　a



loose　little　bundle　of　sticks；　left　there　in　case　the　fire　might



need　relighting。　The　boy；　noticing　the　bundle；　took　out　one　of



the　sticks　and　threw　it　experimentally　into　the　grate。　The　flash



of　flame；　as　the　stick　caught　fire；　delighted　him。　He　went　on



burning　stick　after　stick。　The　new　game　kept　him　quiet：　his



mother　was　content　to　be　on　the　watch；　to　see　that　no　harm　was



done。







In　the　meantime；　the　lawyer　briefly　stated　his　case。







〃You　remember；　Mr。　Romayne；　that　your　will　was　placed；　for　safe



keeping；　in　our　office；〃　he　began。　〃Father　Benwell　called　upon



us；　and　presented　an　order；　signed　by　yourself；　authorizing　him



to　convey　the　will　from　London　to　Paris。　The　object　was　to　obtain



your　signature　to　a　codicil；　which　had　been　considered　a



necessary　addition　to　secure　the　validity　of　the　will。Are　you



favoring　me　with　your　attention；　sir？〃







Romayne　answered　by　a　slight　bending　of　his　head。　His　eyes　were



fixed　on　the　boystill　absorbed　in　throwing　his　sticks；　one　by



one；　into　the　fire。







〃At　the　time　when　your　will　was　executed；〃　the　lawyer　went　on；



〃Father　Benwell　obtained　your　permission　to　take　a　copy　of　it。



Hearing　of　your　illness；　he　submitted　the　copy　to　a　high　legal



authority。　The　written　opinion　of　this　competent　person　declares



the　clause；　bequeathing　the　Vange　estate　to　Father　Benwell；　to　be



so　imperfectly　expressed；　that　the　will　might　be　made　a　subject



of　litigation　after　the　testator's　death。　He　has　accordingly



appended　a　form　of　codicil　amending　the　defect；　and　we　have　added



it　to　the　will。　I　thought　it　my　duty；　as　one　of　your　legal



advisers；　to　accompany　Father　Benwell　on　his　return　to　Paris　in



charge　of　the　willin　case　you　might　feel　disposed　to　make　any



alteration。〃　He　looked　toward　Stella　and　the　child　as　he



completed　that　sentence。　The　Jesuit's　keen　eyes　took　the　same



direction。　〃Shall　I　read　the　will；　sir？〃　the　lawyer　resumed；　〃or



would　you　prefer　to　look　at　it　yourself？〃







Romayne　held　out　his　hand　for　the　will；　in　silence。　He　was　still



watching　his　son。　There　were　but　few　more　sticks　now　left　to　be



thrown　in　the　fire。







Father　Benwell　interfered；　for　the　first　time。







〃One　word；　Mr。　Romayne；　before　you　examine　that　document；〃　he



said。　〃The　Church　receives　back　from　you　（through　me）　the



property　which　was　once　its　own。　Beyond　that　it　authorizes　and



even　desires　you　to　make　any　changes　which　you　or　your　trusted



legal　adviser　may　think　right。　I　refer　to　the　clauses　of　the　will



which　relate　to　the　property　you　have　inherited　from　the　late



Lady　Berrickand　I　beg　the　persons　present　to　bear　in　memory　the



few　plain　words　that　I　have　now　spoken。〃







He　bowed　with　dignity　and　drew　back。　Even　the　lawyer　was



favorably　impressed。　The　doctors　looked　at　each　other　with　silent



approval。　For　the　first　time；　the　sad　repose　of　Stella's　face　was



disturbedI　could　see　that　it　cost　her　an　effort　to　repress　her



indignation。　The　one　unmoved　person　was　Romayne。　The　sheet　of



paper　on　which　the　will　was　written　lay　unregarded　upon　his　lap；



his　eyes　were　still　riveted　on　the　little　figure　at　the



fireplace。







The　child　had　thrown　his　last　stick　into　the　glowing　red　embers。



He　looked　about　him　for　a　fresh　supply；　and　found　nothing。　His



fresh　young　voice　rose　high　through　the　silence　of　the　room。







〃More！〃　he　cried。　〃More！〃







His　mother　held　up　a　warning　finger　。　〃Hush！〃　she　whispered。　He



shrank　away　from　her　as　she　tried　to　take　him　on　her　knee；　and



looked　across　the　room　at　his　father。　〃More！〃　he　burst　out　louder



than　ever。　Romayne　beckoned　to　me；　and　pointed　to　the　boy。







I　led　him　across　the　room。　He　was　quite　willing　to　go　with　mehe



reiterated　his　petition；　standing　at　his　father's　knees。







〃Lift　him　to　me；〃　said　Romayne。







I　could　barely　hear　the　words：　even　his　strength　to　whisper