The Black Robe

Vange Abbey.- T

i

tion appeared to subside. His head drooped; his eyes half

reply, she looked at Romayne. "I am afraid he is very ill," she said, in gently lowered tones. Before I could answer, her mother turned to her with an expression of surprise, and directed her attention to the friends whom she had mentioned, waiting to greet her.

on the journey seemed, in some degree, to have relieved him. We dined together in his private room. Wh

," he said, "is more than I can bear

e. Under these circumstances I was entirely at his service. Having quieted his anxiety on this point, I reminded him of what had passed between u

d you asked me what I heard there. You promised to

, before I co

not to interpret too literally what a person in my dreadful

man's death than if you had been driving, and had accidentally run over him in the street. I am not the right companion for a man who t

as a native sweetness in Romayne's disposition, which asserted itsel

little concession on your side. I want to see how I get through the night. We will

drooms. At his suggestion it was left open. "If I find I can't sleep," he

aveled. On each occasion when I entered the room, he was reading quietly. "I suppose I forestalled my night's sleep on the railway," he said. "It doe

deferred explanatio

ting a little lo

particular

se in the streets is distracting. Besides, I may tell you I have a sort o

looking into the en

nt to try the effect of perfect quiet. Do you mind going back with me to Vange? D

more we had

i

y country house in England. If Romayne want

ption of pilgrims from every part of the Christian world. Not a vestige of these buildings is left. They were deserted by the pious inhabitants, it is said, at the time when Henry the Eighth suppressed the monasteries, and gave the Abbey and the broad lands of Vange to his faithful friend a

vely moonlight night, and we shortened the distance considerably by taking the

ry butler, nor his buxom Scotch wife, skilled in cookery, looked any older: they received me as if I had left them a day or two since, and had come back again to live in Yorkshire.

their blessed quiet over the disturbed mind of Romayne. In the presence of his faithful old servants, he seemed to be capable of controlling the mor

e, and lifted his head like a man whose attention is unexpectedly roused. No person but ourselves was in the room; I was not speaking to him at the time. He looked round su

cold?"

, and contradicted himself. "Yes - the

lazing coals and wood. I said nothing. The pale change in his face, and his c

ixed on the closed door. His attitude and expression were p

ly addressed me. "Do you cal

wind has dropped - and even the fire doesn't

idea in his mind. I asked as lightly as I could if I had said anything to surprise him

ned immediately to let this extraordinary proceeding pass wi

in blank amazement at the empty ch

lanation. "He may perhaps be ill," I added. "As his old servant, you can do no

began to feel seriously uneasy. My hand was on the bell again, when there was a knoc

said the man. "He asks, if you will plea

nded 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 mounte

"I believe old Garthwaite thinks I am dru

As he passed me on his way to the ladder, he whispered: "Be careful o

ew the meaning of the phrase. Garthwaite suspe

of 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 arm - and that was all. Neither in look nor manner did h

ery suddenly," I said

was frightened. Look at

do you

ated the strange question whi

ll it a qu

en 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 w

id. "So still a night I never r

boy say of me, whose brother I killed?" he asked. "What wo

to think of them. I ref

ver the nort

cept or refuse," he said, "I hear

pauses in the utterance of them with his fi

ssassin! whe

ou don't mean that you

creamed 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

e in his voice or his manner. He spoke with a melancholy resignation - he seemed like a prisoner submitting to a sentence that he had deserved. Remember

in the last degree improbable - but let us make sure that nob

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

t you heard on the voyage a

e engine-room; rising and falling, rising and fa

id you hear

on had deceived me - that 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 again - behind me, in the library. I heard it still, when the door w

The one chance I could see for Romayne was to obtain the best medical adv

ok out his handkerchief, and wiped away the perspiration from his fore

voice," I asked, "do yo

sometimes longer,

s to you suddenly, and

es

estions a

ou can see for yourself - I patiently su

sort! It's a nervous malady, which medical science

f opinion produce

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 bro

i

old butler came to me, in great p

the master! I can't find

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 torme

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 t

o ask you into the house. But you will be welcome, I am sure, t

, fat and cheerful; buttoned up in a long black frockcoat, and presenting that closely shaven face and that inveter

made straight for the dreary little lake which I have already mentioned, and stood looki

ds, and only stopped at an old stone fountain, which tradition declared to have been one of the ornaments of the garden in the time of the monks. Having carefully examined this relic of antiquity, he took a sheet of paper

g myself to the risk of discovery. I sat down on one of the fallen stones, waiting to see him again. It must have been at least half an

een," he said. "May I venture to ask, what is perha

de, to inquire what

esumed, "in the possession of this beau

es

e mar

N

is an interesting person to all good antiquar

. His last look rested - not

x

ents approaches

ing to my own house for any letters which might be waiting for me. His mind still dwelt on the du

was on one of the envelopes. At Romayne's entreaty, this was the

s trial before a court of law. No jury, hearing the evidence, would find him guilty of the only charge that could be formally brought against him - the charge of "homicide by premeditation." Homicide by misadventure, occurring

t the much-bejeweled old landlady had been sent to prison for the offense of keeping a gambling-house. It was suspected in the town that the General was

ad gone away in debt. No investigation had thus far

Romayne, I was interrupted

en carelessly made," he sai

you have in the inq

and children are in distressed circumstances (which seems to be only too likely) I may place them beyond the reach of anxiety - anonymously, of course. Give me the su

so plainly - and quite in vain. With his customary impetuosity,

earnestly pressed upon him), Romayne was disposed to be equally unr

at her death. The impression produced on his mind roused the better part of his nature. He was more distrustful of himself, more accessible to persuasion than usual. In this gentler frame of mind he received a welcome visit from an old frien

when he called at the hotel. I was present when they met, and rose to leave the room, feeling that the two friends might perhaps be embarrassed by the presence of a third person. Romayne called me back. "Lord Lo

th me. He was himself disposed to think that the moral rem

at he has been leading for years past. Why shouldn't he marry? A woman's influence, by merely giving a new turn to his thoughts, might charm away that horrible voice which haunts him. Perhaps you think this a merely sentimental v

. Romayne dislikes society; and, as to marrying, his coldness toward women see

othing of that sort is incurable, i

got "the right woman"- and I took the liberty of sayi

of pictures! It's quite natural that I should ask him to see some recent additions to my gallery - isn't it? There is the trap that I set! I have a sweet girl to tempt him, staying at my house, who is a little out of health and spirits herself. At the right moment, I shall send word u

xperiment. No one, however, could doubt Lord Loring's admirable

panied him to the door of the hotel, perceiving that he wished to say a word more to me in private. He had, it seemed, decided on waiting for the result of the medical cons

door for his master, and I became aware, for the first time, that a gentleman had accompanied Lord Loring to the hotel, and had waited for him in the carriage. The gentleman bent forward, and looked u

is was all I thought about it, at the time. If I had known then, what I know now, I might have dreamed, let us say, of throwing

y after Lord Loring's visit, domestic troubles separated me, to my most sincere regret, from Romayne. I have only to add, that the foregoing narrative

D, (late Major,