the black robe-第15部分

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There　was　but　one　other　person　under　Lord　Loring's　roof　to　whom



he　could　address　himselfand　that　person　was　the　housekeeper。　As



an　old　servant；　possessing　Lady　Loring's　confidence；　she　might



prove　a　source　of　information　on　the　subject　of　Lady　Loring's



fair　friend；　and；　as　a　good　Catholic；　she　would　feel　flattered　by



the　notice　of　the　spiritual　director　of　the　household。







〃It　may　not　be　amiss；〃　thought　Father　Benwell；　〃if　I　try　the



housekeeper。〃







CHAPTER　VI。







THE　ORDER　OF　THE　DISHES。







WHEN　Miss　Notman　assumed　the　post　of　housekeeper　in　Lady　Loring's



service；　she　was　accurately　described　as　〃a　competent　and



respectable　person〃；　and　was　praised；　with　perfect　truth；　for　her



incorruptible　devotion　to　the　interests　of　her　employers。　On　its



weaker　side；　her　character　was　represented　by　the　wearing　of　a



youthful　wig；　and　the　erroneous　conviction　that　she　still



possessed　a　fine　figure。　The　ruling　idea　in　her　narrow　little



mind　was　the　idea　of　her　own　dignity。　Any　offense　offered　in　this



direction　oppressed　her　memory　for　days　together；　and　found　its



way　outward　in　speech　to　any　human　being　whose　attention　she



could　secure。







At　five　o'clock；　on　the　day　which　followed　his　introduction　to



Romayne；　Father　Benwell　sat　drinking　his　coffee　in　the



housekeeper's　roomto　all　appearance　as　much　at　his　ease　as　if



he　had　known　Miss　Notman　from　the　remote　days　of　her　childhood。　A



new　contribution　to　the　housekeeper's　little　library　of



devotional　works　lay　on　the　table；　and　bore　silent　witness　to　the



means　by　which　he　had　made　those　first　advances　which　had　won　him



his　present　position。　Miss　Notman's　sense　of　dignity　was　doubly



flattered。　She　had　a　priest　for　her　guest；　and　a　new　book　with



the　reverend　gentleman's　autograph　inscribed　on　the　title…page。







〃Is　your　coffee　to　your　liking；　Father？〃







〃A　little　more　sugar；　if　you　please。〃







Miss　Notman　was　proud　of　her　hand；　viewed　as　one　of　the



meritorious　details　of　her　figure。　She　took　up　the　sugar…tongs



with　suavity　and　grace；　she　dropped　the　sugar　into　the　cup　with　a



youthful　pleasure　in　ministering　to　the　minor　desires　of　her



illustrious　guest。　〃It　is　so　good　of　you；　Father；　to　honor　me　in



this　way；〃　she　saidwith　the　appearance　of　sixteen　super…induced



upon　the　reality　of　sixty。







Father　Benwell　was　an　adept　at　moral　disguises　of　all　kinds。　On



this　occasion　he　wore　the　disguise　of　pastoral　simplicity。　〃I　am



an　idle　old　man　at　this　hour　of　the　afternoon；〃　he　said。　〃I　hope



I　am　not　keeping　you　from　any　household　duties？〃







〃I　generally　enjoy　my　duties；〃　Miss　Notman　answered。　〃To…day；



they　have　not　been　so　agreeable　as　usual；　it　is　a　relief　to　me　to



have　done　with　them。　Even　my　humble　position　has　its　trials。〃







Persons　acquainted　with　Miss　Notman's　character；　hearing　these



last　words；　would　have　at　once　changed　the　subject。　When　she



spoke　of　〃her　humble　position；〃　she　invariably　referred　to　some



offense　offered　to　her　dignity；　and　she　was　invariably　ready　to



state　the　grievance　at　full　length。　Ignorant　of　this　peculiarity；



Father　Benwell　committed　a　fatal　error。　He　inquired；　with



courteous　interest；　what　the　housekeeper's　〃trials〃　might　be。







〃Oh；　sir；　they　are　beneath　your　notice！〃　said　Miss　Notman



modestly。　〃At　the　same　time；　I　should　feel　it　an　honor　to　have



the　benefit　of　your　opinionI　should　so　like　to　know　that　you　do



not　altogether　disapprove　of　my　conduct；　under　some　provocation。



You　see；　Father；　the　whole　responsibility　of　ordering　the　dinners



falls　on　me。　And；　when　there　is　company；　as　there　is　this



evening；　the　responsibility　is　particularly　trying　to　a　timid



person　like　myself。〃







〃A　large　dinner　party；　Miss　Notman？〃







〃Oh；　dear；　no！　Quite　the　reverse。　Only　one　gentlemanMr。



Romayne。〃







Father　Benwell　set　down　his　cup　of　coffee；　half　way　to　his　lips。



He　at　once　drew　the　correct　conclusion　that　the　invitation　to



Romayne　must　have　been　given　and　accepted　after　he　had　left　the



picture　gallery。　That　the　object　was　to　bring　Romayne　and　Stella



together；　under　circumstances　which　would　rapidly　improve　their



acquaintance；　was　as　plain　to　him　as　if　he　had　heard　it　confessed



in　so　many　words。　If　he　had　only　remained　in　the　gallery；　he



might　have　become　acquainted　with　the　form　of　persuasion　used　to



induce　a　man　so　unsocial　as　Romayne　to　accept　an　invitation。　〃I



have　myself　to　blame；〃　he　thought　bitterly；　〃for　being　left　in



the　dark。〃







〃Anything　wrong　with　the　coffee？〃　Miss　Notman　asked　anxiously。







He　rushed　on　his　fate。　He　said；　〃Nothing　whatever。　Pray　go　on。〃







Miss　Notman　went　on。







〃You　see；　Father；　Lady　Loring　was　unusually　particular　about　the



dinner　on　this　occasion。　She　said；　'Lord　Loring　reminds　me　that



Mr。　Romayne　is　a　very　little　eater；　and　yet　very　difficult　to



please　in　what　he　does　eat。'　Of　course　I　consulted　my　experience；



and　suggested　exactly　the　sort　of　dinner　that　was　wanted　under



the　circumstances。　I　wish　to　do　her　ladyship　the　utmost　justice。



She　made　no　objection　to　the　dinner　in　itself。　On　the　contrary；



she　complimented　me　on　what　she　was　pleased　to　call　my　ready



invention。　But　when　we　came　next　to　the　order　in　which　the　dishes



were　to　be　served〃　Miss　Notman　paused　in　the　middle　of　the



sentence；　and　shuddered　over　the　private　and　poignant



recollections　which　the　order　of　the　dishes　called　up。







By　this　time　Father　Benwell　had　discovered　his　mistake。　He　took　a



mean　advantage　of　Miss　Notman's　susceptibilities　to　slip　his　own



private　inquiries　into　the　interval　of　silence。







〃Pardon　my　ignorance；〃　he　said；　〃my　own　poor　dinner　is　a　matter



of　ten　minutes　and　one　dish。　I　don't　understand　a　difference　of



opinion　on　a　dinner　for　three　people　only；　Lord　and　Lady　Loring；



two；　Mr。　Romayne；　threeoh！　perhaps　I　am　mistaken？　Perhaps　Miss



Eyrecourt　makes　a　fourth？〃







〃Certainly；　Father！〃







〃A　very　charming　person；　Miss　Notman。　I　only　speak　as　a　stranger。



You；　no　doubt；　are　much　better　acquainted　with　Miss　Eyrecourt？〃







〃Much　better；　indeedif　I　may　presume　to　say　so；〃　Miss　Notman



replied。　〃She　is　my　lady's　intimate　friend；　we　have　often　talked



of　Miss　Eyrecourt　during　the　many　years　of　my　residence　in　this



house。　On　such　subjects；　her　ladyship　treats　me　quite　on　the



footing　of　a　humble　friend。　　A　complete　co　ntrast　to　the　tone　she



took；　Father；　when　we　came　to　the　order　of　the　dishes。　We　agreed；



of　course；　about　the　soup　and　the　fish；　but　we　had　a　little；　a



very　little；　divergence　of　opinion；　as　I　may　call　it；　on　the



subject　of　the　dishes　to　follow。　Her　ladyship　said；　'First　the



sweetbreads；　and　then　the　cutlets。'　I　ventured　to　suggest　that



the　sweetbreads；　as　white　meat；　had　better　not　immediately　follow



the　turbot；　as　white　fish。　'The　brown　meat；　my　lady；'　I　said；　'as



an　agreeable　variety　presented　to　the　eye；　and　then　the　white



meat；　recalling　pleasant　remembrances　of　the　white　fish。'　You　see



the　point；　Father？〃







〃I　see；　Miss　Notman；　that　you　are　a　consummate　mistress　of　an　art



which　is　quite　beyond　poor　me。　Was　Miss　Eyrecourt　present　at　the



little　discussion？〃







〃Oh；　no！　Indeed；　I　should　have　objected　to　her　presence；　I　should



have　said　she　was　a　young　lady　out　of　her　proper　place。〃







〃Yes；　I　understand。　Is　Miss　Eyrecourt　an　only　child？〃







〃She　had　two　sisters；　Father　Benwell。　One　of　them　is　in　a



convent。〃







〃Ah；　indeed？〃







〃And　the　other　is　dead。〃







〃Sad　for　the　father　and　mother；　Miss　Notman！〃







〃Pardon　me；　sad　for　the　mother；　no　doubt。　The　father　died　long



since。〃







〃Aye？　aye？　A　sweet　woman；　the　mother？　At　least；　I　think　I　have



heard　so。〃







Miss　Notman　shook　her　head。　〃I　should　wish　to　guard　myself



against　speaking　unjustly　of　any　one；〃　she　said；　〃but　when　you



talk　of　'a　sweet　woman；'　you　imply　（as　it　seems　to　me）　the



domestic　virtues。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　is　essentially　a　frivolous



person。〃







A　frivolous　person　is；　in　the　vast　majority　of　cases；　a　person



easily　persuaded　to　talk；　and　not　disposed　to　be　reticent　in



keeping　secrets。　Father　Benwell　began　to　see　his　way　already　to



the　necessary　information。　〃Is　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　living　in　London？〃



he　inquired。







〃Oh；　dear；　no！　At　this　time　of　year　she　lives　entirely　in　other



people's　housesgoes　from　one　country　seat　to　another；　and　only



thinks　of　amusing　herself。　No　domestic　qualities；　Father。　_She_



would　know　nothing　of　the　order　of　the　dishes！　Lady　Loring；　I



should　have　told　you；　gave　way　in　the　matter　of　the　sweetbread。



It　was　only　at　quite　the　latter　part　of　my　'Menoo'　（as　the　French



call　it）　that　she　showed　a　spirit　of　oppositionwell！　well！　I



won't　dwell　on　that。　I　will　only　ask　_you；_　Father；　at　what　part



of　a　dinner　an　oyster…omelet　ought　to　be　served？〃







Father　Benwell　seized　his　opportunity　of　discovering　Mrs。



Eyrecourt's　present　address。　〃My　dear　lady；〃　he　said；　〃I　know　no



more　when　the　omelet　ought　to　be　served　than　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



herself！　It　must　be　very　pleasant；　to　a　lady　of　her　way　of



thinking；　to　enjoy　the　beauties　of　Nature　inexpensivelyas　seen



in　other　people's　houses；　from　the　point　of　view　of　a　welcome



guest。　I　wonder　whether　she　is　staying　at　any　country　seat　which



I　happen　to　have　seen？〃







〃She　may　be　in　Eng