the black robe-第6部分

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on　the　bell　again；　when　there　was　a　knock　at　the　door。　I　had



expected　to　see　the　butler。　It　was　the　groom　who　entered　the



room。







〃Garthwaite　can't　come　down　to　you；　sir；〃　said　the　man。　〃He　asks；



if　you　will　please　go　up　to　the　master　on　the　Belvidere。〃







The　houseextending　round　three　sides　of　a　squarewas　only　two



stories　high。　The　flat　roof；　accessible　through　a　species　of



hatchway；　and　still　surrounded　by　its　sturdy　stone　parapet；　was



called　〃The　Belvidere；〃　in　reference　as　usual　to　the　fine　view



which　it　commanded。　Fearing　I　knew　not　what；　I　mounted　the　ladder



which　led　to　the　roof。　Romayne　received　me　with　a　harsh　outburst



of　laughterthat　saddest　false　laughter　which　is　true　trouble　in



disguise。







〃Here's　something　to　amuse　you！〃　he　cried。　〃I　believe　old



Garthwaite　thinks　I　am　drunkhe　won't　leave　me　up　here　by



myself。〃







Letting　this　strange　assertion　remain　unanswered；　the　butler



withdrew。　As　he　passed　me　on　his　way　to　the　ladder；　he　whispered：



〃Be　careful　of　the　master！　I　tell　you；　sir；　he　has　a　bee　in　his



bonnet　this　night。〃







Although　not　of　the　north　country　myself；　I　knew　the　meaning　of



the　phrase。　Garthwaite　suspected　that　the　master　was　nothing　less



than　mad！







Romayne　took　my　arm　when　we　were　alonewe　walked　slowly　from　end



to　end　of　the　Belvidere。　The　moon　was；　by　this　time；　low　in　the



heavens；　but　her　mild　mysterious　light　still　streamed　over　the



roof　of　the　house　and　the　high　heathy　ground　round　it。　I　looked



attentively　at　Romayne。　He　was　deadly　pale；　his　hand　shook　as　it



rested　on　my　armand　that　was　all。　Neither　in　look　nor　manner



did　he　betray　the　faintest　sign　of　mental　derangement。　He　had



perhaps　needlessly　alarmed　the　faithful　old　servant　by　something



that　he　had　said　or　done。　I　determined　to　clear　up　that　doubt



immediately。







〃You　left　the　table　very　suddenly；〃　I　said。　〃Did　you　feel　ill？〃







〃Not　ill；〃　he　replied。　〃I　was　frightened。　Look　at　meI'm



frightened　still。〃







〃What　do　you　mean？〃







Instead　of　answering；　he　repeated　the　strange　question　which　he



had　put　to　me　downstairs。







〃Do　you　call　it　a　quiet　night？〃







Considering　the　time　of　year；　and　the　exposed　situation　of　the



house；　the　night　was　almost　preternaturally　quiet。　Throughout　the



vast　open　country　all　round　us；　not　even　a　breath　of　air　could　be



heard。　The　night…birds　were　away；　or　were　silent　at　the　time。　But



one　sound　was　audible；　when　we　stood　still　and　listenedthe　cool



quiet　bubble　of　a　little　stream；　lost　to　view　in　the



valley…ground　to　the　south。







〃I　have　told　you　already；〃　I　said。　〃So　still　a　night　I　never



remember　on　this　Yorkshire　moor。〃







He　laid　one　hand　heavily　on　my　shoulder。　〃What　did　the　poor　boy



say　of　me；　whose　brother　I　killed？〃　he　asked。　〃What　words　did　we



hear　through　the　dripping　darkness　of　the　mist？〃







〃I　won't　encourage　you　to　think　of　them。　I　refuse　to　repeat　the



words。〃







He　pointed　over　the　northward　parapet。







〃It　doesn't　matter　whether　you　accept　or　refuse；〃　he　said；　〃I



hear　the　boy　at　this　momentthere！〃







He　repeated　the　horrid　wordsmarking　the　pauses　in　the　utterance



of　them　with　his　finger；　as　if　they　were　sounds　that　he　heard：







〃Assassin！　Assassin！　where　are　you？〃







〃Good　God！〃　I　cried。　〃You　don't　mean　that　you　really　_hear_　the



voice？〃







〃Do　you　hear　what　I　say？　I　hear　the　boy　as　plainly　as　you　hear



me。　The　voice　screams　at　me　through　the　clear　moonlight；　as　it



screamed　at　me　through　the　sea…fog。　Again　and　again。　It's　all



round　the　house。　_That_　way　now；　where　the　light　just　touches　on



the　tops　of　the　heather。　Tell　the　servants　to　have　the　horses



ready　the　first　thing　in　the　morning。　We　leave　Vange　Abbey



to…morrow。〃







These　were　wild　words。　If　he　had　spoken　them　wildly；　I　might　have



shared　the　butler's　conclusion　that　his　mind　was　deranged。　There



was　no　undue　vehemence　in　his　voice　or　his　manner。　He　spoke　with



a　melancholy　resignationhe　seemed　like　a　prisoner　submitting　to



a　sentence　that　he　had　deserved。　Remembering　the　cases　of　men



suffering　from　nervous　disease　who　had　been　haunted　by



apparitions；　I　asked　if　he　saw　any　imaginary　figure　under　the



form　of　a　boy。







〃I　see　nothing；〃　he　said；　〃I　only　hear。　Look　yourself。　It　is　in



the　last　degree　improbablebut　let　us　make　sure　that　nobody　has



followed　me　from　Boulogne；　and　is　playing　me　a　trick。〃







We　made　the　circuit　of　the　Belvidere。　On　its　eastward　side　the



house　wall　was　built　against　one　of　the　towers　of　the　old　Ab　bey。



On　the　westward　side；　the　ground　sloped　steeply　down　to　a　deep



pool　or　tarn。　Northward　and　southward；　there　was　nothing　to　be



seen　but　the　open　moor。　Look　where　I　might；　with　the　moonlight　to



make　the　view　plain　to　me；　the　solitude　was　as　void　of　any　living



creature　as　if　we　had　been　surrounded　by　the　awful　dead　world　of



the　moon。







〃Was　it　the　boy's　voice　that　you　heard　on　the　voyage　across　the



Channel？〃　I　asked。







〃Yes；　I　heard　it　for　the　first　timedown　in　the　engine…room；



rising　and　falling；　rising　and　falling；　like　the　sound　of　the



engines　themselves。〃







〃And　when　did　you　hear　it　again？〃







〃I　feared　to　hear　it　in　London。　It　left　me；　I　should　have　told



you；　when　we　stepped　ashore　out　of　the　steamboat。　I　was　afraid



that　the　noise　of　the　traffic　in　the　streets　might　bring　it　back



to　me。　As　you　know；　I　passed　a　quiet　night。　I　had　the　hope　that



my　imagination　had　deceived　methat　I　was　the　victim　of　a



delusion；　as　people　say。　It　is　no　delusion。　In　the　perfect



tranquillity　of　this　place　the　voice　has　come　back　to　me。　While



we　were　at　table　I　heard　it　againbehind　me；　in　the　library。　I



heard　it　still；　when　the　door　was　shut。　I　ran　up　here　to　try　if



it　would　follow　me　into　the　open　air。　It　_has_　followed　me。　We



may　as　well　go　down　again　into　the　hall。　I　know　now　that　there　is



no　escaping　from　it。　My　dear　old　home　has　become　horrible　to　me。



Do　you　mind　returning　to　London　tomorrow？〃







What　I　felt　and　feared　in　this　miserable　state　of　things　matters



little。　The　one　chance　I　could　see　for　Romayne　was　to　obtain　the



best　medical　advice。　I　sincerely　encouraged　his　idea　of　going



back　to　London　the　next　day。







We　had　sat　together　by　the　hall　fire　for　about　ten　minutes；　when



he　took　out　his　handkerchief；　and　wiped　away　the　perspiration



from　his　forehead；　drawing　a　deep　breath　of　relief。　〃It　has



gone！〃　he　said　faintly。







〃When　you　hear　the　boy's　voice；〃　I　asked；　〃do　you　hear　it



continuously？〃







〃No；　at　intervals；　sometimes　longer；　sometimes　shorter。〃







〃And　thus　far；　it　comes　to　you　suddenly；　and　leaves　you



suddenly？〃







〃Yes。〃







〃Do　my　questions　annoy　you？〃







〃I　make　no　complaint；〃　he　said　sadly。　〃You　can　see　for



yourselfI　patiently　suffer　the　punishment　that　I　have



deserved。〃







I　contradicted　him　at　once。　〃It　is　nothing　of　the　sort！　It's　a



nervous　malady；　which　medical　science　can　control　and　cure。　Wait



till　we　get　to　London。〃







This　expression　of　opinion　produced　no　effect　on　him。







〃I　have　taken　the　life　of　a　fellow…creature；〃　he　said。　〃I　have



closed　the　career　of　a　young　man　who；　but　for　me；　might　have



lived　long　and　happily　and　honorably。　Say　what　you　may；　I　am　of



the　race　of　Cain。　_　He_　had　the　mark　set　on　his　brow。　I　have　_my_



ordeal。　Delude　yourself；　if　you　like；　with　false　hopes。　I　can



endureand　hope　for　nothing。　Good…night。〃







VIII。







EARLY　the　next　morning；　the　good　old　butler　came　to　me；　in　great



perturbation；　for　a　word　of　advice。







〃Do　come；　sir；　and　look　at　the　master！　I　can't　find　it　in　my



heart　to　wake　him。〃







It　was　time　to　wake　him；　if　we　were　to　go　to　London　that　day。　I



went　into　the　bedroom。　Although　I　was　no　doctor；　the　restorative



importance　of　that　profound　and　quiet　sleep　impressed　itself　on



me　so　strongly；　that　I　took　the　responsibility　of　leaving　him



undisturbed。　The　event　proved　that　I　had　acted　wisely。　He　slept



until　noon。　There　was　no　return　of　〃the　torment　of　the　voice〃as



he　called　it；　poor　fellow。　We　passed　a　quiet　day；　excepting　one



little　interruption；　which　I　am　warned　not　to　pass　over　without　a



word　of　record　in　this　narrative。







We　had　returned　from　a　ride。　Romayne　had　gone　into　the　library　to



read；　and　I　was　just　leaving　the　stables；　after　a　look　at　some



recent　improvements；　when　a　pony…chaise　with　a　gentleman　in　it



drove　up　to　the　door。　He　asked　politely　if　he　might　be　allowed　to



see　the　house。　There　were　some　fine　pictures　at　Vange；　as　well　as



many　interesting　relics　of　antiquity；　and　the　rooms　were　shown；



in　Romayne's　absence；　to　the　very　few　travelers　who　were



adventurous　enough　to　cross　the　heathy　desert　that　surrounded　the



Abbey。　On　this　occasion；　the　stranger　was　informed　that　Mr。



Romayne　was　at　home。　He　at　once　apologizedwith　an　appearance　of



disappointment；　however；　which　induced　me　to　step　forward　and



speak　to　him。







〃Mr。　Romayne　is　not　very　well；〃　I　said；　〃and　I　cannot　venture　to



ask　you　into　the　house。　But　you　will　be　welcome；　I　am　sure；　to



walk　round　the　grounds；　and　to　look　at　the　ruins　of　the　Abbey。〃







He　thanked　me；　and　accepted　the　invitation。　I　find　no　great



difficulty　in　describing　him；　generally。　He　was　elderly