the black robe-第51部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





decision；　Stella　was　left　without　the　slightest　warning　of　the



catastrophe　which　was　now　close　at　hand。







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　joined　her　daughter　at　the　window。







〃Well；　my　dear；　is　it　clearing　up？　Shall　we　take　a　drive　before



luncheon？〃







〃If　you　like；　mama。〃







She　turned　to　her　mother　as　she　answered。







The　light　of　the　clearing　sky；　at　once　soft　and　penetrating；　fell



full　on　her。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　looking　at　her　as　usual；　suddenly



became　serious：　she　studied　her　daughter's　face　with　an　eager　and



attentive　scrutiny。







〃Do　you　see　any　extraordinary　change　in　me？〃　Stella　asked；　with　a



faint　smile。







Instead　of　answering；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　put　her　arm　round　Stella



with　a　loving　gentleness；　entirely　at　variance　with　any　ordinary



expression　of　her　character。　The　worldly　mother's　eyes　rested



with　a　lingering　tenderness　on　the　daughter's　face。　〃Stella！〃　she



said　softlyand　stopped；　at　a　loss　for　words　for　the　first　time



in　her　life。







After　a　while；　she　began　again。　〃Yes；　I　see　a　change　in　you；〃　she



whispered〃an　interesting　change　which　tells　me　something。　Can



you　guess　what　it　is？〃







Stella's　color　rose　brightly；　and　faded　again。







She　laid　her　head　in　silence　on　her　mother's　bosom。　Worldly；



frivolous；　self…interested；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　nature　was　the



nature　of　a　womanand　the　one　great　trial　and　triumph　of　a



woman's　life；　appealing　to　her　as　a　trial　and　a　triumph　soon　to



come　to　her　own　child；　touched　fibers　under　the　hardened　surface



of　her　heart　which　were　still　unprofaned。　〃My　poor　darling；〃　she



said；　〃have　you　told　the　good　news　to　your　husband？〃







〃No。〃







〃Why　not？〃







〃He　doesn't　care；　now；　for　anything　that　I　can　tell　him。〃







〃Nonsense；　Stella！　You　may　win　him　back　to　you　by　a　wordand　do



you　hesitate　to　say　the　word？　_I_　shall　tell　him！〃







Stella　suddenly　drew　herself　away　from　her　mother's　caressing



arm。　〃If　you　do；〃　she　cried；　〃no　words　can　say　how　inconsiderate



and　how　cruel　I　shall　think　you。　Promiseon　your　word　of



honorpromise　you　will　leave　it　to　me！〃







〃Will　you　tell　him；　yourselfif　I　leave　it　to　you？〃







〃Yesat　my　own　time。　Promise！〃







〃Hush；　hush！　don't　excite　yourself；　my　love；　I　promise。　Give　me　a



kiss。　I　declare　I　am　agitated　myself！〃　she　exclaimed；　falling



back　into　her　customary　manner。　〃Such　a　shock　to　my　vanity；



Stellathe　prospect　of　becoming　a　grandmother！　I　really　must



ring　for　Matilda；　and　take　a　few　drops　of　red　lavender。　Be



advised　by　me；　my　poor　dear；　and　we　will　turn　the　priest　out　of



the　house　yet。　When　Romayne　comes　back　from　his　ridiculous



Retreatafter　his　fasting　and　flagellation；　and　Heaven　knows



what　besides_then_　bring　him　to　his　senses；　then　is　the　time　to



tell　him。　Will　you　think　of　it？〃







〃Yes；　I　will　think　of　it。〃







〃And　one　word　more；　before　Matilda　comes　in。　Remember　the　vast



importance　of　having　a　male　heir　to　Vange　Abbey。　On　these



occasions　you　may　practice　with　perfect　impunity　on　the　ignorance



of　the　men。　Tell　him　you're　sure　it's　going　to　be　a　boy！〃







CHAPTER　II。







THE　SEED　IS　SOWN。







SITUATED　in　a　distant　quarter　of　the　vast　western　suburb　of



London；　the　house　called　The　Retreat　stood　in　the　midst　of　a



well…kept　garden；　protected　on　all　sides　by　a　high　brick　wall。



Excepting　the　grand　gilt　cross　on　the　roof　of　the　chapel；　nothing



revealed　externally　the　devotional　purpose　to　which　the　Roman



Catholic　priesthood　（assisted　by　the　liberality　of　〃the



Faithful〃）　had　dedicated　the　building。







But　the　convert　privileged　to　pass　the　gates　left　Protestant



England　outside；　and　found　himself；　as　it　were；　in　a　new　country。



Inside　The　Retreat；　the　paternal　care　of　the　Church　took



possession　of　him；　surrounded　him　with　monastic　simplicity　in　his



neat　little　bedroom；　and　dazzled　him　with　devotional　splendor



when　his　religious　duties　called　him　into　the　chapel。　The　perfect



tasteso　seldom　found　in　the　modern　arrangement　and　decoration



of　convents　and　churches　in　southern　countriesshowed　itself



here；　pressed　into　the　service　of　religion；　in　every　part　of　the



house。　The　severest　discipline　had　no　sordid　and　hideous　side　to



it　in　The　Retreat。　The　inmates　fasted　on　spotless　tablecloths；



and　handled　knives　and　forks　（the　humble　servants　of　half…filled



stomachs）　without　a　speck　on　their　decent　brightness。　Penitents



who　kissed　the　steps　of　the　altar　（to　use　the　expressive　Oriental



phrase）；　〃eat　no　dirt。〃　Friends；　liberal　friends；　permitted　to



visit　the　inmates　on　stated　days；　saw　copies　of　famous　Holy



Families　in　the　reception…room　which　were　really　works　of　Art；



and　trod　on　a　carpet　of　studiously　modest　pretensions；　exhibiting



pious　emblems　beyond　reproach　in　color　and　design。　The　Retreat



had　its　own　artesian　well；　not　a　person　in　the　house　drank



impurity　in　his　water。　A　faint　perfume　of　incense　was　perceptible



in　the　corridors。　The　soothing　and　mysterious　silence　of　the



place　was　intensified　rather　than　disturbed　by　soft　footsteps；



and　gentle　opening　and　closing　of　doors。　Animal　life　was　not　even



represented　by　a　cat　in　the　kitchen。　And　yet；　pervaded　by　some



inscrutable　influence；　the　house　was　not　dull。　Heretics；　with



lively　imaginations；　might　have　not　inappropriately　likened　it　to



an　enchanted　castle。　In　one　word；　the　Catholic　system　here　showed



to　perfection　its　masterly　knowledge　of　the　weakness　of　human



nature；　and　its　inexhaustible　dexterity　in　adapting　the　means　to



the　end。







On　the　morning　when　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　and　her　daughter　held　their



memorable　interview　by　the　fireside　at　Ten　Acres；　Father　Benwell



entered　one　of　the　private　rooms　at　The　Retreat；　devoted　to　the



use　of　the　priesthood。　The　demure　attendant；　waiting　humbly　for



instructions；　was　sent　to　request　the　presence　of



　one　of　the　inmates　of　the　house；　named　Mortleman。







Father　Benwell's　customary　serenity　was　a　little　ruffled；　on　this



occasion；　by　an　appearance　of　anxiety。　More　than　once　he　looked



impatiently　toward　the　door；　and　he　never　even　noticed　the　last



new　devotional　publications　laid　invitingly　on　the　table。







Mr。　Mortleman　made　his　appearancea　young　man　and　a　promising



convert。　The　wild　brightness　of　his　eyes　revealed　that　incipient



form　of　brain　disease　which　begins　in　fanaticism；　and　ends　not



infrequently　in　religious　madness。　His　manner　of　greeting　the



priest　was　absolutely　servile。　He　cringed　before　the　illustrious



Jesuit。







Father　Benwell　took　no　notice　of　these　demonstrations　of



humility。　〃Be　seated；　my　son；〃　he　said。　Mr。　Mortleman　looked　as



if　he　would　have　preferred　going　down　on　his　knees；　but　he



yielded；　and　took　a　chair。







〃I　think　you　have　been　Mr。　Romayne's　companion　for　a　few　days；　in



the　hours　of　recreation？〃　the　priest　began。







〃Yes；　Father。〃







〃Does　he　appear　to　be　at　all　weary　of　his　residence　in　this



house？〃







〃Oh；　far　from　it！　He　feels　the　benign　influence　of　The　Retreat；



we　have　had　some　delightful　hours　together。〃







〃Have　you　anything　to　report？〃







Mr。　Mortleman　crossed　his　hands　on　his　breast　and　bowed



profoundly。　〃I　have　to　report　of　myself；　Father；　that　I　have



committed　the　sin　of　presumption。　I　presumed　that　Mr。　Romayne



was；　like　myself；　not　married。〃







〃Have　I　spoken　to　you　on　that　subject？〃







〃No；　Father。〃







〃Then　you　have　committed　no　sin。　You　have　only　made　an　excusable



mistake。　How　were　you　led　into　error？〃







〃In　this　way；　Father。　Mr。　Romayne　had　been　speaking　to　me　of　a



book　which　you　had　been　so　good　as　to　send　to　him。　He　had　been



especially　interested　by　the　memoir　therein　contained　of　the



illustrious　Englishman；　Cardinal　Acton。　The　degrees　by　which　his



Eminence　rose　to　the　rank　of　a　Prince　of　the　Church　seemed；　as　I



thought；　to　have　aroused　in　my　friend　a　new　sense　of　vocation。　He



asked　me　if　I　myself　aspired　to　belong　to　the　holy　priesthood。　I



answered　that　this　was　indeed　my　aspiration；　if　I　might　hope　to



be　found　worthy。　He　appeared　to　be　deeply　affected。　I　ventured　to



ask　if　he　too　had　the　same　prospect　before　him。　He　grieved　me



indescribably。　He　sighed　and　said；　'I　have　no　such　hope；　I　am



married。'　Tell　me　Father；　I　entreat　you；　have　I　done　wrong？〃







Father　Benwell　considered　for　a　moment。　〃Did　Mr。　Romayne　say



anything　more？〃　he　asked。







〃No；　Father。〃







〃Did　you　attempt　to　return　to　the　subject？〃







〃I　thought　it　best　to　be　silent。〃







Father　Benwell　held　out　his　hand。　〃My　young　friend；　you　have　not



only　done　no　wrongyou　have　shown　the　most　commendable



discretion。　I　will　detain　you　no　longer　from　your　duties。　Go　to



Mr。　Romayne；　and　say　that　I　wish　to　speak　with　him。〃







Mr。　Mortleman　dropped　on　one　knee；　and　begged　for　a　blessing。



Father　Benwell　lifted　the　traditional　two　fingers；　and　gave　the



blessing。　The　conditions　of　human　happiness　are　easily　fulfilled



if　we　rightly　understand　them。　Mr。　Mortleman　retired　perfectly



happy。







Left　by　himself　again；　Father　Benwell　paced　the　room　rapidly　from



end　to　end。　The　disturbing　influence　visible　in　his　face　had　now



changed　from　anxiety　to　excitement。　〃I'll　try　it　to…day！〃　he　said



to　himselfand　stopped；　and　looked　round　him　doubtfully。　〃No；



not　here；〃　he　decided；　〃it　may　get　talked　about　too　soon。　It