第101章

ON THE ROAD TO ROME.

THERE was not a sound in the room.Romayne stood, looking at the priest"Did you hear what I said?" Father Benwell asked.

"Yes."

"Do you understand that I really mean what I said?"He made no reply--he waited, like a man expecting to hear more.

Father Benwell was alive to the vast importance, at such a moment, of not shrinking from the responsibility which he had assumed."I see how I distress you," he said; "but, for your sake, I am bound to speak out.Romayne! the woman whom you have married is the wife of another man.Don't ask me how I know it--Ido know it.You shall have positive proof, as soon as you have recovered.Come! rest a little in the easy-chair."He took Romayne's arm, and led him to the chair, and made him drink some wine.They waited a while.Romayne lifted his head, with a heavy sigh.

"The woman whom I have married is the wife of another man." He slowly repeated the words to himself--and then looked at Father Benwell.

"Who is the man?" he asked.

"I introduced you to him, when I was as ignorant of the circumstances as you are," the priest answered."The man is Mr.

Bernard Winterfield."

Romayne half raised himself from the chair.A momentary anger glittered in his eyes, and faded out again, extinguished by the nobler emotions of grief and shame.He remembered Winterfield's introduction to Stella.

"Her husband!" he said, speaking again to himself."And she let me introduce him to her.And she received him like a stranger."He paused, and thought of it."The proofs, if you please, sir,"he resumed, with sudden humility."I don't want to hear any particulars.It will be enough for me if I know beyond all doubt that I have been deceived and disgraced."Father Benwell unlocked his desk and placed two papers before Romayne.He did his duty with a grave indifference to all minor considerations.The time had not yet come for expressions of sympathy and regret.

"The first paper," he said, "is a certified copy of the register of the marriage of Miss Eyrecourt to Mr.Winterfield, celebrated (as you will see) by the English chaplain at Brussels, and witnessed by three persons.Look at the names."The bride's mother was the first witness.The two names t hat followed were the names of Lord and Lady Loring."_They_, too, in the conspiracy to deceive me!" Romayne said, as he laid the paper back on the table.

"I obtained that piece of written evidence," Father Benwell proceeded, "by the help of a reverend colleague of mine, residing at Brussels.I will give you his name and address, if you wish to make further inquiries.""Quite needless.What is this other paper?""This other paper is an extract from the short-hand writer's notes (suppressed in the reports of the public journals) of proceedings in an English court of law, obtained at my request by my lawyer in London.""What have I to do with it?"

He put the question in a tone of passive endurance--resigned to the severest moral martyrdom that could be inflicted on him.

"I will answer you in two words," said Father Benwell."In justice to Miss Eyrecourt, I am bound to produce her excuse for marrying you."Romayne looked at him in stern amazement.

"Excuse!" he repeated.

"Yes--excuse.The proceedings to which I have alluded declare Miss Eyrecourt's marriage to Mr.Winterfield to be null and void--by the English law--in consequence of his having been married at the time to another woman.Try to follow me.I will put it as briefly as possible.In justice to yourself, and to your future career, you must understand this revolting case thoroughly, from beginning to end."With those prefatory words, he told the story of Winterfield's first marriage; altering nothing; concealing nothing; doing the fullest justice to Winterfield's innocence of all evil motive, from first to last.When the plain truth served his purpose, as it most assuredly did in this case, the man has never yet been found who could match Father Benwell at stripping himself of every vestige of reserve, and exhibiting his naked heart to the moral admiration of mankind.

"You were mortified, and I was surprised," he went on, "when Mr.

Winterfield dropped his acquaintance with you.We now know that he acted like an honorable man."He waited to see what effect he had produced.Romayne was in no state of mind to do justice to Winterfield or to any one.His pride was mortally wounded; his high sense of honor and delicacy writhed under the outrage inflicted on it.

"And mind this," Father Benwell persisted, "poor human nature has its right to all that can be justly conceded in the way of excuse and allowance.Miss Eyrecourt would naturally be advised by her friends, would naturally be eager, on her own part, to keep hidden from you what happened at Brussels.A sensitive woman, placed in a position so horribly false and degrading, must not be too severely judged, even when she does wrong.I am bound to say this--and more.Speaking from my own knowledge of all the parties, I have no doubt that Miss Eyrecourt and Mr.Winterfield did really part at the church door."Romayne answered by a look--so disdainfully expressive of the most immovable unbelief that it absolutely justified the fatal advice by which Stella's worldly-wise friends had encouraged her to conceal the truth.Father Benwell prudently closed his lips.

He had put the case with perfect fairness--his bitterest enemy could not have denied that.

Romayne took up the second paper, looked at it, and threw it back again on the table with an expression of disgust.

"You told me just now," he said, "that I was married to the wife of another man.And there is the judge's decision, releasing Miss Eyrecourt from her marriage to Mr.Winterfield.May I ask you to explain yourself?""Certainly.Let me first remind you that you owe religious allegiance to the principles which the Church has asserted, for centuries past, with all the authority of its divine institution.

You admit that?"

"I admit it."