the black robe-第35部分

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produced。　What　a　fascination　there　must　be　in　the　Art　which



exacts　and　receives　such　double　labor　as　this？〃







Romayne　thoughtnot　unkindlyof　his　wife。　Stella　had　once　asked



him　how　long　a　time　he　was　usually　occupied　in　writing　one　page。



The　reply　had　filled　her　with　pity　and　wonder。　〃Why　do　you　take



all　that　trouble？〃　she　had　gently　remonstrated。　〃It　would　be　just



the　same　to　the　people；　darling；　if　you　did　it　in　half　the　time。〃







By　way　of　changing　the　topic；　Romayne　led　his　visitor　into



another　room。　〃I　have　a　picture　here；〃　he　said；　〃which　belongs　to



a　newer　school　of　painting。　You　have　been　talking　of　hard　work　in



one　Art；　there　it　is　in　another。〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Winterfield；



　〃there　it　isthe　misdirected　hard　work；　which　has　been　guided



by　no　critical　faculty；　and　which　doesn't　know　where　to　stop。　I



try　to　admire　it；　and　I　end　in　pitying　the　poor　artist。　Look　at



that　leafless　felled　tree　in　the　middle　distance。　Every　little



twig；　on　the　smallest　branch；　is　conscientiously　paintedand　the



result　is　like　a　colored　photograph。　You　don't　look　at　a



landscape　as　a　series　of　separate　parts；　you　don't　discover　every



twig　on　a　tree；　you　see　the　whole　in　Nature；　and　you　want　to　see



the　whole　in　a　picture。　That　canvas　presents　a　triumph　of



patience　and　pains；　produced　exactly　as　a　piece　of　embroidery　is



produced；　all　in　little　separate　bits；　worked　with　the　same



mechanically　complete　care。　I　turn　away　from　it　to　your　shrubbery



there；　with　an　ungrateful　sense　of　relief。〃







He　walked　to　the　window　as　he　spoke。　It　looked　out　on　the　grounds



in　front　of　the　house。　At　the　same　moment　the　noise　of　rolling



wheels　became　audible　on　the　drive。　An　open　carriage　appeared　at



the　turn　in　the　road。　Winterfield　called　Romayne　to　the　window。



〃A　visitor；〃　he　beganand　suddenly　drew　back；　without　saying　a



word　more。







Romayne　looked　out；　and　recognized　his　wife。







〃Excuse　me　for　one　moment；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　Mrs。　Romayne。〃







On　that　morning　an　improvement　in　the　fluctuating　state　of　Mrs。



Eyrecourt's　health　had　given　Stella　another　of　those



opportunities　of　passing　an　hour　or　two　with　her　husband；　which



she　so　highly　prized。　Romayne　withdrew；　to　meet　her　at　the



doortoo　hurriedly　to　notice　Winterfield　standing；　in　the　corner



to　which　he　had　retreated；　like　a　man　petrified。







Stella　had　got　out　of　the　carriage　when　her　husband　reached　the



porch。　She　ascended　the　few　steps　that　led　to　the　hall　as　slowly



and　painfully　as　if　she　had　been　an　infirm　old　woman。　The



delicately　tinted　color　in　her　face　had　faded　to　an　ashy　white。



She　had　seen　Winterfield　at　the　window。







For　the　moment；　Romayne　looked　at　her　in　speechless



consternation。　He　led　her　into　the　nearest　room　that　opened　out



of　the　hall；　and　took　her　in　his　arms。　〃My　love；　this　nursing　of



your　mother　has　completely　broken　you　down！〃　he　said；　with　the



tenderest　pity　for　her。　〃If　you　won't　think　of　yourself；　you　must



think　of　me。　For　my　sake　remain　here；　and　take　the　rest　that　you



need。　I　will　be　a　tyrant；　Stella；　for　the　first　time；　I　won't　let



you　go　back。〃







She　roused　herself；　and　tried　to　smileand　hid　the　sad　result



from　him　in　a　kiss。　〃I　do　feel　the　anxiety　and　fatigue；〃　she



said。　〃But　my　mother　is　really　improving；　and；　if　it　only



continues；　the　blessed　sense　of　relief　will　make　me　strong



again。〃　She　paused；　and　roused　all　her　courage；　in　anticipation



of　the　next　wordsso　trivial　and　so　terriblethat　must；　sooner



or　later；　be　pronounced。　〃You　have　a　visitor？〃　she　said。







〃Did　you　see　him　at　the　window？　A　really　delightful　manI　know



you　will　like　him。　Under　any　other　circumstances；　I　should　have



introduced　him。　You　are　not　well　enough　to　see　strangers　today。〃







She　was　too　determined　to　prevent　Winterfield　from　ever　entering



the　house　again　to　shrink　from　the　meeting。　〃I　am　not　so　ill　as



you　think；　Lewis；〃　she　said；　bravely。　〃When　you　go　to　your　new



friend；　I　will　go　with　you。　I　am　a　little　tiredthat's　all。〃







Romayne　looked　at　her　anxiously。　〃Let　me　get　you　a　glass　of



wine；〃　he　said。







She　consentedshe　really　felt　the　need　of　it。　As　he　turned　away



to　ring　the　bell；　she　put　the　question　which　had　been　in　her　mind



from　the　moment　when　she　had　seen　Winterfield。







〃How　did　you　become　acquainted　with　this　gentleman？〃







〃Through　Father　Benwell。〃







She　was　not　surprised　by　the　answerher　suspicion　of　the　priest



had　remained　in　her　mind　from　the　night　of　Lady　Loring's　ball。



The　future　of　her　married　life　depended　on　her　capacity　to　check



the　growing　intimacy　between　the　two　men。　In　that　conviction　she



found　the　courage　to　face　Winterfield。







How　should　she　meet　him？　The　impulse　of　the　moment　pointed　to　the



shortest　way　out　of　the　dreadful　position　in　which　she　was



placedit　was　to　treat　him　like　a　stranger。　She　drank　her　glass



of　wine；　and　took　Romayne's　arm。　〃We　mustn't　keep　your　friend



waiting　any　longer；〃　she　resumed。　〃Come！〃







As　they　crossed　the　hall；　she　looked　suspiciously　toward　the



house　door。　Had　he　taken　the　opportunity　of　leaving　the　villa？　At



any　other　time　she　would　have　remembered　that　the　plainest　laws



of　good　breeding　compelled　him　to　wait　for　Romayne's　return。　His



own　knowledge　of　the　world　would　tell　him　that　an　act　of　gross



rudeness；　committed　by　a　well…bred　man；　would　inevitably　excite



suspicion　of　some　unworthy　motiveand　might；　perhaps；　connect



that　motive　with　her　unexpected　appearance　at　the　house。　Romayne



opened　the　door；　and　they　entered　the　room　together。







〃Mr。　Winterfield；　let　me　introduce　you　to　Mrs。　Romayne。〃　They



bowed　to　each　other；　they　spoke　the　conventional　words　proper　to



the　occasionbut　the　effort　that　it　cost　them　showed　itself。



Romayne　perceived　an　unusual　formality　in　his　wife's　manner；　and



a　strange　disappearance　of　Winterfield's　easy　grace　of　address。



Was　he　one　of　the　few　men；　in　these　days；　who　are　shy　in　the



presence　of　women？　And　was　the　change　in　Stella　attributable；



perhaps；　to　the　state　of　her　health？　The　explanation　might；　in



either　case；　be　the　right　one。　He　tried　to　set　them　at　their



ease。







〃Mr。　Winterfield　is　so　pleased　with　the　pictures；　that　he　means



to　come　and　see　them　again；〃　he　said　to　his　wife。　〃And　one　of　his



favorites　happens　to　be　your　favorite；　too。〃







She　tried　to　look　at　Winterfield；　but　her　eyes　sank。　She　could



turn　toward　him；　and　that　was　all。　〃Is　it　the　sea…piece　in　the



study？〃　she　said　to　him　faintly。







〃Yes；〃　he　answered；　with　formal　politeness；　〃it　seems　to　me　to　be



one　of　the　painter's　finest　works。〃







Romayne　looked　at　him　in　unconcealed　wonder。　To　what　flat



commonplace　Winterfield's　lively　enthusiasm　had　sunk　in　Stella's



presence！　She　perceived　that　some　unfavorable　impression　had　been



produced　on　her　husband；　and　interposed　with　a　timely　suggestion。



Her　motive　was　not　only　to　divert　Romayne's　attention　from



Winterfield；　but　to　give　him　a　reason　for　leaving　the　room。







〃The　little　water…color　drawing　in　my　bedroom　is　by　the　same



artist；〃　she　said。　〃Mr。　Winterfield　might　like　to　see　it。　If　you



will　ring　the　bell；　Lewis；　I　will　send　my　maid　for　it。〃







Romayne　had　never　allowed　the　servants　to　touch　his　works　of　art；



since　the　day　when　a　zealous　housemaid　had　tried　to　wash　one　of



his　plaster　casts。　He　made　the　reply　which　his　wife　had



anticipated。







〃No！　no！〃　he　said。　〃I　will　fetch　the　drawing　myself。〃　He　turned



gayly　to　Winterfield。　〃Prepare　yourself　for　another　work　that　you



would　like　to　kiss。〃　He　smiled；　and　left　the　room。







The　instant　the　door　was　closed；　Stella　approached　Winterfield。



Her　beautiful　face　became　distorted　by　a　mingled　expression　of



rage　and　contempt。　She　spoke　to　him　in　a　fierce　peremptory



whisper。







〃Have　you　any　consideration　for　me　left？〃　His　look　at　her；　as　she



put　that　question；　revealed　the　most　complete　contrast　between



his　face　and　hers。　Compassionate　sorrow　was　in　his　eyes；　tender



forbearance　and　respect　spoke　in　his　tones；　as　he　answered　her。







〃I　have　more　than　consideration　for　you；　Stella〃







She　angrily　interrupted　him。　〃How　dare　you　call　me　by　my



Christian　name？〃







He　remonstrated；　with　a　gentleness　that　might　have　touched　the



heart　of　any　woman。　〃Do　you　still　refuse　to　believe　that　I　never



deceived　you？　Has　time　not　softened　your　heart　to　me　yet？〃







She　was　more　contemptuous　toward　him　than　ever。　〃Spare　me　your



protestations；〃　she　said；　〃I　heard　enough　of　them　two　years



since。　Will　you　do　what　I　ask　of　you？〃







〃You　know　that　I　will。〃







〃Put　an　end　to　your　acquaintance　with　my　husband。　Put　an　end　to



it；〃　she　repeated　vehemently；　〃from　this　day；　at　once　and



forever！　Can　I　trust　you　to　do　it？〃







〃Do　you　think　I　would　have　entered　this　house　if　I　had　known　he



was　your　husband？〃　He　made　that　reply　with　a　sudden　change　in



himwith　a　rising　color　and　in　firm　tones　of　indignation。　In　a



moment　more；　his　voice　softened　again；　and　his　kind　blue　eyes



rested　on　her　sadly　and　devotedly。　〃You　may　trust　me　to　do　more



than　you　ask；〃　he　resumed。　〃You　have　made　a　mistake。〃







〃What　mistake？〃







〃When　Mr。　Romayne　introduced　us；　you　met　me　like　a　strangerand



you　left　me　no　choice　but　to　do　as　you　did。〃







〃I　wish　you　to　be　a　stranger。〃