the black robe-第59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！





I　don't　mean　to　allow　things　to　go　on　in　this　way。　My



contemptible　son…in…law　shall　return　to　his　wife。〃







This　startled　me；　and　I　suppose　I　showed　it。







〃Wait　a　little；〃　said　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。　〃There　is　nothing　to　be



alarmed　about。　Romayne　is　a　weak　fool；　and　Father　Benwell's



greedy　hands　are　（of　course）　　in　both　his　pockets。　But　he　has；



unless　I　am　e　ntirely　mistaken；　some　small　sense　of　shame；　and



some　little　human　feeling　still　left。　After　the　manner　in　which



he　has　behaved；　these　are　the　merest　possibilities；　you　will　say。



Very　likely。　I　have　boldly　appealed　to　those　possibilities



nevertheless。　He　has　already　gone　away　to　Rome；　and　I　need　hardly



addFather　Benwell　would　take　good　care　of　thathe　has　left　us



no　address。　It　doesn't　in　the　least　matter。　One　of　the　advantages



of　being　so　much　in　society　as　I　am　is　that　I　have　nice



acquaintances　everywhere；　always　ready　to　oblige　me；　provided　I



don't　borrow　money　of　them。　I　have　written　to　Romayne；　under



cover　to　one　of　my　friends　living　in　Rome。　Wherever　he　may　be；



there　my　letter　will　find　him。〃







So　far；　I　listened　quietly　enough；　naturally　supposing　that　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　trusted　to　her　own　arguments　and　persuasions。　I　confess



it　even　to　myself；　with　shame。　It　was　a　relief　to　me　to　feel　that



the　chances　（with　such　a　fanatic　as　Romayne）　were　a　hundred　to



one　against　her。







This　unworthy　way　of　thinking　was　instantly　checked　by　Mrs。



Eyrecourt's　next　words。







〃Don't　suppose　that　I　am　foolish　enough　to　attempt　to　reason　with



him；〃　she　went　on。　〃My　letter　begins　and　ends　on　the　first　page。



His　wife　has　a　claim　on　him；　which　no　newly…married　man　can



resist。　Let　me　do　him　justice。　He　knew　nothing　of　it　before　he



went　away。　My　lettermy　daughter　has　no　suspicion　that　I　have



written　ittells　him　plainly　what　the　claim　is。〃







She　paused。　Her　eyes　softened；　her　voice　sank　lowshe　became



quite　unlike　the　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　whom　I　knew。







〃In　a　few　months　more；　Winterfield；〃　she　said；　〃my　poor　Stella



will　be　a　mother。　My　letter　calls　Romayne　back　to　his　wife_and



his　child。〃_







Mrs。　Eyrecourt　paused；　evidently　expecting　me　to　offer　an　opinion



of　some　sort。　For　the　moment　I　was　really　unable　to　speak。



Stella's　mother　never　had　a　very　high　opinion　of　my　abilities。



She　now　appeared　to　consider　me　the　stupidest　person　in　the



circle　of　her　acquaintance。







〃Are　you　a　little　deaf；　Winterfield？〃　she　asked。







〃Not　that　I　know　of。〃







〃Do　you　understand　me？〃







〃Oh；　yes。〃







〃Then　why　can't　you　say　something？　I　want　a　man's　opinion　of　our



prospects。　Good　gracious；　how　you　fidget！　Put　yourself　in



Romayne's　place；　and　tell　me　this。　If　_you_　had　left　Stella〃







〃I　should　never　have　left　her；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。〃







〃Be　quiet。　You　don't　know　what　you　would　have　done。　I　insist　on



your　supposing　yourself　to　be　a　weak；　superstitious；　conceited；



fanatical　fool。　You　understand？　Now；　tell　me；　then。　Could　you



keep　away　from　your　wife；　when　you　were　called　back　to　her　in　the



name　of　your　firstborn　child？　Could　you　resist　that？〃







〃Most　assuredly　not！〃







I　contrived　to　reply　with　an　appearance　of　tranquillity。　It　was



not　very　easy　to　speak　with　composure。　Envious；　selfish；



contemptibleno　language　is　too　strong　to　describe　the　turn　my



thoughts　now　took。　I　never　hated　any　human　being　as　I　hated



Romayne　at　that　moment。



　〃Damn　him；　he　will　come　back！〃　There　was　my　inmost　feeling



expressed　in　words。







In　the　meantime；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　was　satisfied。



　She　dashed　at　the　next　subject　as　fluent　and　as　confident　as



ever。







〃Now；　Winterfield；　it　is　surely　plain　to　your　mind　that　you　must



not　see　Stella　againexcept　when　I　am　present　to　tie　the　tongue



of　scandal。　My　daughter's　conduct　must　not　allow　her　husbandif



you　only　knew　how　I　detest　that　man！must　not；　I　say；　allow　her



husband　the　slightest　excuse　for　keeping　away　from　her。　If　we



give　that　odious　old　Jesuit　the　chance；　he　will　make　a　priest　of



Romayne　before　we　know　where　we　are。　The　audacity　of　these



Papists　is　really　beyond　belief。　You　remember　how　they　made



Bishops　and　Archbishops　here；　in　flat　defiance　of　our　laws？



Father　Benwell　follows　that　example；　and　sets　our　other　laws　at



defianceI　mean　our　marriage　laws。　I　am　so　indignant　I　can't



express　myself　as　clearly　as　usual。　Did　Stella　tell　you　that　he



actually　shook　Romayne's　belief　in　his　own　marriage？　Ah；　I



understandshe　kept　that　to　herself；　poor　dear；　and　with　good



reason；　too。　〃







I　thought　of　the　turned…down　page　in　the　letter。　Mrs。　Eyrecourt



readily　revealed　what　her　daughter's　delicacy　had　forbidden　me　to



readincluding　the　monstrous　assumption　which　connected　my



marriage　before　the　registrar　with　her　son…in…law's　scruples。







〃Yes；〃　she　proceeded；　〃these　Catholics　are　all　alike。　My



daughterI　don't　mean　my　sweet　Stella；　I　mean　the　unnatural



creature　in　the　nunnerysets　herself　above　her　own　mother。　Did　I



ever　tell　you　she　was　impudent　enough　to　say　she　would　pray　for



me？　Father　Benwell　and　the　Papal　Aggression　over　again！　Now　tell



me；　Winterfield；　don't　you　think；　taking　the　circumstances　into



considerationthat　you　will　act　like　a　thoroughly　sensible　man



if　you　go　back　to　Devonshire　while　we　are　in　our　present



situation？　What　with　foot…warmers　in　the　carriage；　and　newspapers



and　magazines　to　amuse　you；　it　isn't　such　a　very　long　journey。



And　then　Beauparkdear　Beauparkis　such　a　remarkably



comfortable　house　in　the　winter；　and　you；　you　enviable　creature；



are　such　a　popular　man　in　the　neighborhood。　Oh；　go　back！　go



back！〃







I　got　up　and　took　my　hat。　She　patted　me　on　the　shoulder。　I　could



have　throttled　her　at　that　moment。　And　yet　she　was　right。







〃You　will　make　my　excuses　to　Stella？〃　I　said。







〃You　dear；　good　fellow；　I　will　do　more　than　make　your　excuses；　I



will　sing　your　praisesas　the　poet　says。〃　In　her　ungovernable



exultation　at　having　got　rid　of　me；　she　burst　into　extravagant



language。　〃I　feel　like　a　mother　to　you；〃　she　went　on；　as　we　shook



hands　at　parting。　〃I　declare　I　could　almost　let　you　kiss　me。〃







There　was　not　a　single　kissable　place　about　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；



unpainted；　undyed；　or　unpowdered。　I　resisted　temptation　and



opened　the　door。　There　was　still　one　last　request　that　I　could



not　help　making。







〃Will　you　let　me　know；〃　I　said；　〃when　you　hear　from　Rome？〃







〃With　the　greatest　pleasure；〃　Mrs。　Eyrecourt　answered；　briskly。



〃Good…by；　you　best　of　friendsgood…by。〃







I　write　these　lines　while　the　servant　is　packing　my　portmanteau。



Traveler　knows　what　that　means。　My　dog　is　glad；　at　any　rate；　to



get　away　from　London。　I　think　I　shall　hire　a　yacht；　and　try　what



a　voyage　round　the　world　will　do　for　me。　I　wish　to　God　I　had



never　seen　Stella！







Second　Extract。







Beaupark；　February　10。News　at　last　from　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。







Romayne　has　not　even　read　the　letter　that　she　addressed　to



himit　has　actually　been　returned　to　her　by　Father　Benwell。　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　writes；　naturally　enough；　in　a　state　of　fury。　Her　one



consolation；　under　this　insulting　treatment；　is　that　her　daughter



knows　nothing　of　the　circumstances。　She　warns　me　（quite



needlessly）　to　keep　the　secretand　sends　me　a　copy　of　Father



Benwell's　letter：







〃Dear　MadamMr。　Romayne　can　read　nothing　that　diverts　his



attention　from　his　preparation　for　the　priesthood；　or　that



recalls　past　associations　with　errors　which　he　has　renounced



forever。　When　a　letter　reaches　him；　it　is　his　wise　custom　to　look



at　the　signature　first。　He　has　handed　your　letter　to　me；



_unread_with　a　request　that　I　will　return　it　to　you。　In　his



presence；　I　instantly　sealed　it　up。　Neither　he　nor　I　know；　or



wish　to　know；　on　what　subject　you　have　addressed　him。　We



respectfully　advise　you　not　to　write　again。〃







This　is　really　too　bad；　but　it　has　one　advantage；　so　far　as　I　am



concerned。　It　sets　my　own　unworthy　doubts　and　jealousies　before



me　in　a　baser　light　than　ever。　How　honestly　I　defended　Father



Benwell！　and　how　completely　he　has　deceived　me！　I　wonder　whether



I　shall　live　long　enough　to　see　the　Jesuit　caught　in　one　of　his



own　traps？







11th。I　was　disappointed　at　not　hearing　from　Stella；　yesterday。



This　morning　has　made　amends；　it　has　brought　me　a　letter　from



her。







She　is　not　well；　and　her　mother's　conduct　sadly　perplexes　her。　At



one　time；　Mrs。　Eyrecourt's　sense　of　injury　urges　her　to　indulge



in　violent　measuresshe　is　eager　to　place　her　deserted　daughter



under　the　protection　of　the　law；　to　insist　on　a　restitution　of



conjugal　rights　or　on　a　judicial　separation。　At　another　time　she



sinks　into　a　state　of　abject　depression；　declares　that　it　is



impossible　for　her；　in　Stella's　deplorable　situation；　to　face



society；　and　recommends　immediate　retirement　to　some　place　on　the



Contin　ent　in　which　they　can　live　cheaply。　This　latter　suggestion



Stella　is　not　only　ready；　but　eager；　to　adopt。　She　proves　it　by



asking　for　my　advice；　in　a　postscript；　no　doubt　remembering　the



happy　days　when　I　courted　her　in　Paris；　and　the　many　foreign



friends　of　mine　who　called　at　our　hotel。







The　postscript　gave　me　the　excuse　that　I　wanted。　I　knew　perfectly



well　that　it　would　be　better　for　me　not　to　see　herand　I　went　to



London；　for　the　sole　purpose　of　seeing　her；　by　the　firs