第95章

"If Stella happens to be with you, when you receive my note, don't say anything which will let her know that I am your correspondent.She has always, poor dear, had an inveterate distrust of Father Benwell; and, between ourselves, I am not sure that she is quite so foolish as I once thought.The Father has unexpectedly left us--with a well-framed excuse which satisfied Lord Loring.It fails to satisfy Me.Not from any wonderful exercise of penetration on my part, but in consequence of something I have just heard in course of conversation with a Catholic friend.Father Benwell, my dear, turns out to be a Jesuit; and, what is more, a person of such high authority in the Order, that his concealment of his rank, while he was with us, must have been a matter of necessity.He must have had some very serious motive for occupying a position so entirely beneath him as his position in our house.I have not the shadow of a reason for associating this startling discovery with dear Stella's painful misgivings--and yet there is something in my mind which makes me want to hear what Stella's mother thinks.Come and have a talk about it as soon as you possibly can."Mrs.Eyrecourt put the letter in her pocket smiling quietly to herself.

Applying to Lady Loring's letter the infallible system of solution which she had revealed to her daughter, Mrs.Eyrecourt solved the mystery of the priest's conduct without a moment's hesitation.Lord Loring's check, in Father Benwell's pocket, representing such a liberal subscription that my lord was reluctant to mention it to my lady--there was the reading of the riddle.as plain as the sun at noonday! Would it be desirable to enlighten Lady Loring as she had already enlightened Stella? Mrs.

Eyrecourt decided in the negative.As Roman Catholics, and as old friends of Romayne, the Lorings naturally rejoiced in his conversion.But as old friends also of Romayne's wife, they were bound not to express their sentiments too openly.Feeling that any discussion of the priest's motives would probably lead to the delicate subject of the conversion, Mrs.Eyrecourt prudently determined to let the matter drop.As a consequence of this decision, Stella was left without the slightest warning of the catastrophe which was now close at hand.

Mrs.Eyrecourt joined her daughter at the window.

"Well, my dear, is it clearing up? Shall we take a drive before luncheon?""If you like, mama."

She turned to her mother as she answered.

The light of the clearing sky, at once soft and penetrating, fell full on her.Mrs.Eyrecourt, looking at her as usual, suddenly became serious: she studied her daughter's face with an eager and attentive scrutiny.

"Do you see any extraordinary change in me?" Stella asked, with a faint smile.

Instead of answering, Mrs.Eyrecourt put her arm round Stella with a loving gentleness, entirely at variance with any ordinary expression of her character.The worldly mother's eyes rested with a lingering tenderness on the daughter's face."Stella!" she said softly--and stopped, at a loss for words for the first time in her life.

After a while, she began again."Yes; I see a change in you," she whispered--"an interesting change which tells me something.Can you guess what it is?"Stella's color rose brightly, and faded again.

She laid her head in silence on her mother's bosom.Worldly, frivolous, self-interested, Mrs.Eyrecourt's nature was the nature of a woman--and the one great trial and triumph of a woman's life, appealing to her as a trial and a triumph soon to come to her own child, touched fibers under the hardened surface of her heart which were still unprofaned."My poor darling," she said, "have you told the good news to your husband?""No."

"Why not?"

"He doesn't care, now, for anything that I can tell him.""Nonsense, Stella! You may win him back to you by a word--and do you hesitate to say the word? _I_ shall tell him!"Stella suddenly drew herself away from her mother's caressing arm."If you do," she cried, "no words can say how inconsiderate and how cruel I shall think you.Promise--on your word of honor--promise you will leave it to me!""Will you tell him, yourself--if I leave it to you?""Yes--at my own time.Promise!"

"Hush, hush! don't excite yourself, my love; I promise.Give me a kiss.I declare I am agitated myself!" she exclaimed, falling back into her customary manner."Such a shock to my vanity, Stella--the prospect of becoming a grandmother! I really must ring for Matilda, and take a few drops of red lavender.Be advised by me, my poor dear, and we will turn the priest out of the house yet.When Romayne comes back from his ridiculous Retreat--after his fasting and flagellation, and Heaven knows what besides--_then_ bring him to his senses; then is the time to tell him.Will you think of it?""Yes; I will think of it."

"And one word more, before Matilda comes in.Remember the vast importance of having a male heir to Vange Abbey.On these occasions you may practice with perfect impunity on the ignorance of the men.Tell him you're sure it's going to be a boy!"