the black robe-第62部分

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circus…rider。　He　got　into　some　other　scrape；　after　that；　which　he



has　contrived　to　keep　a　secret　from　us。　We　only　know　how



disgraceful　it　must　have　been　by　the　resultshe　was　a　voluntary



exile　from　England　for　more　than　a　year。　And　now；　to　complete　the



list；　he　has　mixed　himself　up　in　that　miserable　and　revolting



business　of　Lewis　Romayne　and　his　wife。〃







If　any　other　person　had　spoken　of　me　in　this　manner；　I　should



have　set　him　down　as　a　mischievous　idiotto　be　kicked　perhaps；



but　not　to　be　noticed　in　any　other　way。







With　you；　the　case　is　different。　If　I　die　without　male　offspring；



the　Beaupark　estate　goes　to　you；　as　next　heir。







I　don't　choose　to　let　a　man　in　this　position　slander　me；　and



those　dear　to　me；　without　promptly　contradicting　him。　The　name　I



bear　is　precious　to　me；　in　memory　of　my　father。　Your　unanswered



allusion　to　my　relations　with　〃Lewis　Romayne　and　his　wife；〃



coming　from　a　member　of　the　family；　will　be　received　as　truth。



Rather　than　let　this　be；　I　reveal　to　you；　without　reserve；　some



of　the　saddest　passages　of　my　life。　I　have　nothing　to　be　ashamed



ofand；　if　I　have　hitherto　kept　certain　events　in　the　dark；　it



has　been　for　the　sake　of　others；　not　for　my　own　sake。　I　know



better　now。　A　woman's　reputationif　she　is　a　good　womanis　not



easily　compromised　by　telling　the　truth。　The　person　of　whom　I　am



thinking；　when　I　write　this；　knows　what　I　am　going　to　doand



approves　of　it。







You　will　receive；　with　these　lines；　the　most　perfectly　candid



statement　that　I　can　furnish；　being　extracts　cut　out　of　my　own



private　Diary。　They　are　accompanied　（where　plain　necessity　seems



to　call　for　it）　by　the　written　evidence　of　other　persons。







There　has　never　been　much　sympathy　between　us。　But　you　have　been



brought　up　like　a　gentlemanand；　when　you　have　read　my



narrative；　I　expect　that　you　will　do　justice　to　me；　and　to



otherseven　though　you　think　we　acted　indiscreetly　under　trying



and　critical　circumstances。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　B。　W。







II。







WINTERFIELD　MAKES　EXTRACTS。







First　Extract。







April　11th；　1869。Mrs。　Eyrecourt　and　her　daughter　have　left



Beaupark　to…day　for　London。　Have　I　really　made　any　impression　on



the　heart　of　the　beautiful　Stella？　In　my　miserable



positionignorant　whether　I　am　free　or　notI　have　shrunk　from



formally　acknowledging　that　I　love　her。







12th。I　am　becoming　superstitious！　In　the　Obituary　of　to…day's



_Times_　the　death　is　recorded　of　that　unhappy　woman　whom　I　was



mad　enough　to　marry。　After　hearing　nothing　of　her　for　seven



yearsI　am　free！　Surely　this　is　a　good　omen？　Shall　I　follow　the



Eyrecourts　to　London；　and　declare　myself？　I　have　not　confidence



enough　in　my　own　power　of　attraction　to　run　the　risk。　Better　to



write　first；　in　strictest　confidence；　to　Mrs。　Eyrecourt。







14th。An　enchanting　answer　from　my　angel's　mother；　written　in



great　haste。　They　are　on　the　point　of　leaving　for　Paris。　Stella



is　restless　and　dissatisfied；　she　wants　change　of　scene；　and　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　adds；　in　so　many　words〃It　is　you　who　have　upset　her；



why　did　you　not　speak　while　we　were　at　Beaupark？〃　I　am　to　hear



again　from　Paris。　Good　old　Father　Newbliss　said　all　along　that



she　was　fond　of　me；　and　wondered；　like　Mrs。　Eyrecourt；　why　I



failed　to　declare　myself。　How　could　I　tell　them　of　the　hideous



fetters　which　bound　me　in　tho　se　days？







18th；　Paris。She　has　accepted　me！　Words　are　useless　to　express



my　happiness。







19th。A　letter　from　my　lawyer；　full　of　professional　subtleties



and　delays。　I　have　no　patience　to　enumerate　them。　We　move　to



Belgium　to…morrow。　Not　on　our　way　back　to　EnglandStella　is　so



little　desirous　of　leaving　the　Continent　that　we　are　likely　to　be



married　abroad。　But　she　is　weary　of　the　perpetual　gayety　and



glitter　of　Paris；　and　wants　to　see　the　old　Belgian　cities。　Her



mother　leaves　Paris　with　regret。　The　liveliest　woman　of　her　age



that　I　ever　met　with。







Brussels；　May　7。My　blessing　on　the　old　Belgian　cities。　Mrs。



Eyrecourt　is　so　eager　to　get　away　from　them　that　she　backs　me　in



hurrying　the　marriage；　and　even　consents；　sorely　against　the



grain；　to　let　the　wedding　be　celebrated　at　Brussels　in　a　private



and　unpretending　way。　She　has　only　stipulated　that　Lord　and　Lady



Loring　（old　friends）　shall　be　present。　They　are　to　arrive



tomorrow；　and　two　days　afterward　we　are　to　be　married。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。



。







（An　inclosure　is　inserted　in　this　place。　It　consists　of　the



death…bed　confession　of　Mr。　Winterfield's　wife；　and　of　the



explanatory　letter　written　by　the　rector　of　Belhaven。　The



circumstances　related　in　these　documents；　already　known　to　the



reader；　are　left　to　speak　for　themselves；　and　the　Extracts　from



the　Diary　are　then　continued。）







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。



。







Bingen；　on　the　Rhine；　May　19。Letters　from　Devonshire　at　last；



which　relieve　my　wretchedness　in　some　small　degree。　The　frightful



misfortune　at　Brussels　will　at　least　be　kept　secret；　so　far　as　I



am　concerned。　Beaupark　House　is　shut　up；　and　the　servants　are



dismissed；　〃in　consequence　of　my　residence　abroad。〃　To　Father



Newbliss　I　have　privately　written。　Not　daring　to　tell　him　the



truth；　I　leave　him　to　infer　that　my　marriage　engagement　has　been



broken　off；　he　writes　back　a　kind　and　comforting　letter。　Time



will；　I　suppose；　help　me　to　bear　my　sad　lot。　Perhaps　a　day　may



come　when　Stella　and　her　friends　will　know　how　cruelly　they　have



wronged　me。







London；　November　18；1860。The　old　wound　has　been　opened　again。　I



met　her　accidentally　in　a　picture　gallery。　She　turned　deadly



pale；　and　left　the　place。　Oh；　Stella！　Stella！







London；　August　12；　1861。Another　meeting　with　her。　And　another



shock　to　endure；　which　I　might　not　have　suffered　if　I　had　been　a



reader　of　the　marriage　announcements　in　the　newspapers。　Like



other　men；　I　am　in　the　habit　of　leaving　the　marriage



announcements　to　the　women。







I　went　to　visit　an　agreeable　new　acquaintance；　Mr。　Romayne。　His



wife　drove　up　to　the　house　while　I　was　looking　out　of　window。　I



recognized　Stella！　After　two　years；　she　has　made　use　of　the



freedom　which　the　law　has　given　to　her。　I　must　not　complain　of



that；　or　of　her　treating　me　like　a　stranger；　when　her　husband



innocently　introduced　us。　But　when　are　were　afterward　left



together　for　a　few　minutesno！　I　cannot　write　down　the　merciless



words　she　said　to　me。　Why　am　I　fool　enough　to　be　as　fond　of　her



as　ever？







Beaupark；　November　16。Stella's　married　life　is　not　likely　to　be



a　happy　one。　To…day's　newspaper　announces　the　conversion　of　her



husband　to　the　Roman　Catholic　Faith。　I　can　honestly　say　I　am



sorry　for　her；　knowing　how　she　has　suffered；　among　her　own



relatives；　by　these　conversions。　But　I　so　hate　him；　that　this



proof　of　his　weakness　is　a　downright　consolation　to　me。







Beaupark；　January　27；　1862。A　letter　from　Stella；　so　startling



and　deplorable　that　I　cannot　remain　away　from　her　after　reading



it。　Her　husband　has　deliberately　deserted　her。　He　has　gone　to



Rome；　to　serve　his　term　of　probation　for　the　priesthood。　I　travel



to　London　by　to…day's　train。







London；　January　27。Short　as　it　is；　I　looked　at　Stella's　letter



again　and　again　on　the　journey。　The　tone　of　the　closing　sentences



is　still　studiously　cold。　After　informing　me　that　she　is　staying



with　her　mother　in　London；　she　concludes　her　letter　in　these



terms：







〃Be　under　no　fear　that　the　burden　of　my　troubles　will　be　laid　on



your　shoulders。　Since　the　fatal　day　when　we　met　at　Ten　Acres；　you



have　shown　forbearance　and　compassion　toward　me。　I　don't　stop　to



inquire　if　you　are　sincereit　rests　with　you　to　prove　that。　But



I　have　some　questions　to　ask；　which　no　person　but　you　can　answer。



For　the　rest；　my　friendless　position　will　perhaps　plead　with　you



not　to　misunderstand　me。　May　I　write　again？〃







Inveterate　distrust　in　every　sentence！　If　any　other　woman　had



treated　me　in　this　way；　I　should　have　put　her　letter　into　the



fire；　and　should　not　have　stirred　from　my　comfortable　house。







January　29。A　day　missed　out　of　my　Diary。　The　events　of



yesterday　unnerved　me　for　the　time。







Arriving　at　Derwent's　Hotel　on　the　evening　of　the　27th；　I　sent　a



line　to　Stella　by　messenger；　to　ask　when　she　could　receive　me。







It　is　strange　how　the　mere