登陆注册
5168600000026

第26章

Tomorrow, and next day, we are disengaged.Which day shall it be?"Romayne still resisted."You are very kind.In my state of health, I am unwilling to make engagements which I may not be able to keep."Lady Loring was just as resolute on her side.She appealed to Stella."Mr.Romayne persists, my dear, in putting me off with excuses.Try if you can persuade him.""_I_ am not likely to have any influence, Adelaide."The tone in which she replied struck Romayne.He looked at her.

Her eyes, gravely meeting his eyes, held him with a strange fascination.She was not herself conscious how openly all that was noble and true in her nature, all that was most deeply and sensitively felt in her aspirations, spoke at that moment in her look.Romayne's face changed: he turned pale under the new emotion that she had roused in him.Lady Loring observed him attentively.

"Perhaps you underrate your influence, Stella?" she suggested.

Stella remained impenetrable to persuasion."I have only been introduced to Mr.Romayne half an hour since," she said."I am not vain enough to suppose that I can produce a favorable impression on any one in so short a time."She had expressed, in other words, Romayne's own idea of himself, in speaking of her to Lord Loring.He was struck by the coincidence.

"Perhaps we have begun, Miss Eyrecourt, by misinterpreting one another," he said."We may arrive at a better understanding when I have the honor of meeting you again."He hesitated and looked at Lady Loring.She was not the woman to let a fair opportunity escape her."We will say to-morrow evening," she resumed, "at seven o'clock.""To-morrow," said Romayne.He shook hands with Stella, and left the picture gallery.

Thus far, the conspiracy to marry him promised even more hopefully than the conspiracy to convert him.And Father Benwell, carefully instructing Penrose in the next room, was not aware of it!

But the hours, in their progress, mark the march of events as surely as they mark the march of time.The day passed, the evening came--and, with its coming, the prospects of the conversion brightened in their turn.

Let Father Benwell himself relate how it happened--in an extract from his report to Rome, written the same evening.

"...I had arranged with Penrose that he should call at my lodgings, and tell me how he had prospered at the first performance of his duties as secretary to Romayne.

"The moment he entered the room the signs of disturbance in his face told me that something serious had happened.I asked directly if there had been any disagreement between Romayne and himself.

"He repeated the word with every appearance of surprise.

'Disagreement?' he said.'No words can tell how sincerely I feel for Mr.Romayne.I cannot express to you, Father, how eager I am to be of service to him!'

"Relieved, so far, I naturally asked what had happened.Penrose betrayed a marked embarrassment in answering my question.

" 'I have innocently surprised a secret,' he said, 'on which Ihad no right to intrude.All that I can honorably tell you, shall be told.Add one more to your many kindnesses--don't command me to speak, when it is my duty toward a sorely-tried man to be silent, even to you.'

"It is needless to say that I abstained from directly answering this strange appeal.'Let me hear what you can tell,' I replied, 'and then we shall see.'

同类推荐
  • 时病论

    时病论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 录异记

    录异记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 圣安本纪

    圣安本纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 华严镜灯章

    华严镜灯章

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 嘉运

    嘉运

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 孤岛求生之大逃杀

    孤岛求生之大逃杀

    往天堂的石柱,震撼人心的黄金宫殿,危机四伏的死亡沼泽,一望无际的无尽海洋...这一切究竟在昭示着什么?欢迎走进冷若清霜的《孤岛求生之大逃杀》,VIP卷每天稳定两更,上午七点和下午四点,打赏达到一万起点币(舵主)可以加更一章。孤岛后宫:二四一九四三七三五荒岛的故事由你我共建!
  • 变身二次元便当少女

    变身二次元便当少女

    当你喜爱的二次元少女在你面前闭上眼睛,坐在屏幕前的你是否会感到遗憾?坚持住,我来了!拯救这些领了便当的少女刻不容缓!……画风本应该是这样的。但是为什么,会变成这样的状况?……「喂,送外卖的,麻烦领一下你的便当。」「不领,滚!」……总之,这是一个化身那些领了便当的少女,在二次元里自救♂的故事。
  • 武当纪胜集

    武当纪胜集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大萨遮尼干子所说经卷第一

    大萨遮尼干子所说经卷第一

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 岁月繁花

    岁月繁花

    岁月繁花是一部女人的经历与心灵杰作,女人它们有着说不完的故事,一个女人的手就是一个故事,手与手连在一起,就等于与女人的人生、家庭、品质和生命的质量连在了一起。
  • 冷妻价到,总裁请认输

    冷妻价到,总裁请认输

    他是这座城市举足轻重的慕氏继承人,而她,不过是一个家庭破碎内心受创的人。六年的离开,原来是为了更好地重逢。只是到底是什么让他们整整分开六年?又是什么让他们重逢以后却又爱恨纠缠?苏末兮,我可以爱你,也可以恨你,但就是不能离开你——慕少峰。
  • 悍妻之老公太娇气

    悍妻之老公太娇气

    巴顿。乔治193的身高,俊朗的五官,高贵优雅的外表,是巴顿集团大财阀的独子;他不务正业,看清了家族企业那股涌动的黑暗。***贺敏,只是出生在一个普通家庭的大高个,即使有着天生丽质的外在也因为身高而不受待见。她大学毕业后到了美丽的风车之都荷兰,只为实现灰姑娘穿高跟鞋的梦想。***★相见他耍赖要睡在她的房间,只为试探她。她妥协,因为她相信他。★相处他与她达成协议只为博得老爷子的认可,得以实施他的计划。她同意她的协议,只因不希望再成为同伴的累赘。她夺走他清白,拿了钱从人间蒸发。她献出她的身子,销声匿迹只为抚平那颗不安的心。再次遇到他,他变得阴沉暴戾,口口声声让她还钱。再次遇到她,她怀了他的孩子,她变得懦弱爱哭。
  • 意中人

    意中人

    这世上美好的爱情,就是我喜欢你,你也恰好喜欢着我。一段关于暗恋的少女心事,横贯她整个年少青春。十年光阴,他给了她最好的护佑宠爱,可当她鼓起勇气告白,却意外地遭到了他的拒绝。或许连纪珩东自己都不知道,褚唯愿这三字,早已不仅仅是他的责任,而是已然融入他骨血的至爱之人。他要像个真正的勇士那样,将被他遗失错过的心爱的姑娘,重新找回来。
  • 朱颜杀

    朱颜杀

    这是一个很像清穿但不是清穿,很像重生但不是重生,很像噩梦但又不仅仅是梦的……神奇的故事。虐时很虐,爽时很爽,峰回路转,各种反转——总结一句话:非常规宫斗,非正常人类,非……非常……非常!Ps.你以为你以为的就是你以为的?“贫生”掐指一算,此文越往后越精彩,不信,施主收藏看看?(围围一笑)
  • 快穿之女配功德无量

    快穿之女配功德无量

    从混沌中醒来的苏离没有记忆,身上也没有系统,只是按照冥冥之中的指引,淡然的过好每一次的轮回的生活慢慢的她发现,她每一世的身份均是下场不太好的炮灰.....百世轮回,积累了无量的功德金光的苏离才发现,事情远不是她认为的那样简单