the black robe-第85章

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〃Lift　him　to　me；〃　said　Romayne。







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



seemed　to　be　fast　leaving　him。　He　kissed　his　sonwith　a　panting



fatigue　under　that　trifling　exertion；　pitiable　to　see。　As　I



placed　the　boy　on　his　feet　again；　he　looked　up　at　his　dying



father；　with　the　one　idea　still　in　his　mind。







〃More；　papa！　More！〃







Romayne　put　the　will　into　his　hand。







The　child's　eyes　sparkled。　〃Burn？〃　he　asked；　eagerly。







〃Yes！〃







Father　Benwell　sprang　forward　with　outstretched　hands。　I　stopped



him。　He　struggled　with　me。　I　forgot　the　privilege　of　the　black



robe。　I　took　him　by　the　throat。







The　boy　threw　the　will　into　the　fire。　〃Oh！〃　he　shouted；　in　high



delight；　and　clapped　his　chubby　hands　as　the　bright　little　blaze



flew　up　the　chimney。　I　released　the　priest。







In　a　frenzy　of　rage　and　despair；　he　looked　round　at　the　persons



in　the　room。　〃I　take　you　all　to　witness；〃　he　cried；　〃this　is　an



act　of　madness！〃







〃You　yourself　declared　just　now；〃　said　the　lawyer；　〃that　Mr。



Romayne　was　in　perfect　possession　of　his　faculties。〃







The　baffled　Jesuit　turned　furiously　on　the　dying　man。　They　looked



at　each　other。







For　one　awful　moment　Romayne's　eyes　brightened；　Romayne's　voice



rallied　its　power；　as　if　life　was　returning　to　him。　Frowning



darkly；　the　priest　put　his　question。







〃What　did　you　do　it　for？〃







Quietly　and　firmly　the　answer　came：







〃Wife　and　child。〃







The　last　long…drawn　sigh　rose　and　fell。　With　those　sacred　words



on　his　lips；　Romayne　died。







London；　6th　May。At　Stella's　request；　I　have　returned　to



Penrosewith　but　one　fellow…traveler。　My　dear　old　companion；　the



dog；　is　coiled　up；　fast　asleep　at　my　feet；　while　I　write　these



lines。　Penrose　has　gained　strength　enough　to　keep　me　company　in



the　sitting…room。　In　a　few　days　more　he　will　see　Stella　again。







What　instructions　reached　the　Embassy　from　Romewhether　Romayne



received　the　last　sacrament　at　the　earlier　period　of　his



illnesswe　never　heard。　No　objection　was　made；　when　Lord　Loring



proposed　to　remove　the　body　to　England；　to　be　buried　in　the



family　vault　at　Vange　Abbey。







I　had　undertaken　to　give　the　necessary　directions　for　the



funeral；　on　my　arrival　in　London。　Returning　to　the　hotel；　I　met



Father　Benwell　in　the　street。　I　tried　to　pass　on。　He　deliberately



stopped　me。







〃How　is　Mrs。　Romayne？〃　he　asked；　with　that　infernal　suavity　which



he　seems　always　to　have　at　command。　〃Fairly　well　I　hope？　And　the



boy？　Ah；　he　little　thought　how　he　was　changing　his　prospects　for



the　better；　when　he　made　that　blaze　in　the　fire！　Pardon　me；　Mr。



Winterfield；　you　don't　seem　to　be　quite　so　cordial　as　usual。



Perhaps　you　are　thinking　of　your　inconsiderate　assault　on　my



throat？　Let　us　forgive　and　forget。　Or；　perhaps；　you　object　to　my



having　converted　poor　Romayne；　and　to　my　being　ready　to　accept



from　him　the　restoration　of　the　property　of　the　Church。　In　both



cases　I　only　did　my　duty　as　a　priest。　You　are　a　liberal…minded



man。　Surely　I　deserve　a　favorable　construction　of　my　conduct？〃







I　really　could　not　endure　this。　〃I　have　my　own　opinion　of　what



you　deserve；〃　I　answered。　〃Don't　provoke　me　to　mention　it。〃







He　eyed　me　with　a　sinister　smile。







〃I　am　not　so　old　as　I　look；〃　he　said；　〃I　may　live　another　twenty



years！〃







〃Well？〃　I　asked。







〃Well；〃　he　answered；　〃much　may　happen　in　twenty　years！〃







With　that　he　left　me。　If　he　means　any　further　mischief；　I　can



tell　him　thishe　will　find　Me　in　his　way。







To　turn　to　a　more　pleasant　subject。　Reflecting　on　all　that　had



passed　at　my　memorable　interview　with　Romayne；　I　felt　some



surprise　that　one　of　the　persons　present　had　made　no　effort　to



prevent　the　burning　of　the　will。　It　was　not　to　be　expected　of



Stellaor　of　the　doctors；　who　had　no　interest　in　the　matterbut



I　was　unable　to　understand　the　passive　position　maintained　by　the



lawyer。　He　enlightened　my　ignorance　in　two　words。







〃The　Vange　property　and　the　Berrick　property　were　both　absolutely



at　the　disposal　of　Mr。　Romayne；〃　he　said。　〃If　he　died　without



leaving　a　will；　he　knew　enough　of　the　law　to　foresee　that　houses；



lands；　and　money　would　go　to　his　'nearest　of　kin。'　In　plainer



words；　his　widow　and　his　son。〃







When　Penrose　can　travel；　he　accompanies　me　to　Beaupark。　Stella



and　her　little　son　and　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　will　be　the　only　other



guests　in　my　house。　Time　must　pass；　and　the　boy　will　be　older；



before　I　may　remind　Stella　of　Romayne's　last　wishes　on　that　sad



morning　when　we　two　knelt　on　either　side　of　him。　In　the



meanwhile；　it　is　almost　happiness　enough　for　me　to　look　forward



to　the　day















NOTE。The　next　leaf　of　the　Diary　is　missing。　By　some　accident；　a



manuscript　page　has　got　into　its　place；　bearing　a　later　date；　and



containing　elaborate　instructions　for　executing　a　design　for　a



wedding　dress。　The　handwriting　has　since　been　acknowledged　as　her



own；　by　no　less　a　person　thanMrs。　Eyrecourt。























End