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The Black Robe-Part3_WILKIE COLLINS (1824-1899)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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neck--and had communicated a fatal shock to the spinalmarrow. He



was a dead man before they could take him back to his father's

house.



So far, our fears were confirmed. But there was something else to

tell, for which our worst presentiments had not prepared us.



A younger brother of the fallen man (a boy of thirteen years old)

had secretly followed the dueling party, on their way from his



father's house--had hidden himself--and had seen the dreadful

end. The seconds only knew of it when he burst out of his place



of concealment, and fell on his knees by his dying brother's

side. His were the frightful cries which we had heard from



invisible lips. The slayer of his brother was the "assassin" whom

he had vainly tried to discover through the fathomless obscurity



of the mist.

We both looked at Romayne. He silently looked back at us, like a



man turned to stone. I tried to reason with him.

"Your life was at your opponent's mercy," I said. "It was _he_



who was skilled in the use of the pistol; your risk was

infinitely greater than his. Are you responsible for an accident?



Rouse yourself, Romayne! Think of the time to come, when all this

will be forgotten."



"Never," he said, "to the end of my life."

He made that reply in dull, monotonous tones. His eyes looked



wearily and vacantly straight before him. I spoke to him again.

He remained impenetrably silent; he appeared not to hear, or not



to understand me. The surgeon came in, while I was still at a

loss what to say or do next. Without waiting to be asked for his



opinion, he observed Romayne attentively, and then drew me away

into the next room.



"Your friend is suffering from a severenervous shock," he said.

"Can you tell me anything of his habits of life?"



I mentioned the prolonged night studies and the excessive use of

tea. The surgeon shook his head.



"If you want my advice," he proceeded, "take him home at once.

Don't subject hi m to further excitement, when the result of the



duel is known in the town. If it ends in our appearing in a court

of law, it will be a mere formality in this case, and you can



surrender when the time comes. Leave me your address in London."

I felt that the wisest thing I could do was to follow his advice.



The boat crossed to Folkestone at an early hour that day--we had

no time to lose. Romayne offered no objection to our return to



England; he seemed perfectlycareless what became of him. "Leave

me quiet," he said; "and do as you like." I wrote a few lines to



Lady Berrick's medicalattendant, informing him of the

circumstances. A quarter of an hour afterward we were on board



the steamboat.

There were very few passengers. After we had left the harbor, my



attention was attracted by a young English lady--traveling,

apparently, with her mother. As we passed her on the deck she



looked at Romayne with compassionate interest so vividly

expressed in her beautiful face that I imagined they might be



acquainted. With some difficulty, I prevailed sufficiently over

the torpor that possessed him to induce him to look at our fellow



passenger.

"Do you know that charming person?" I asked.



"No," he replied, with the weariest indifference. "I never saw

her before. I'm tired--tired--tired! Don't speak to me; leave me



by myself."

I left him. His rare personal attractions--of which, let me add,



he never appeared to be conscious--had evidently made their

natural appeal to the interest and admiration of the young lady



who had met him by chance. The expression of resigned sadness and

suffering, now visible in his face, added greatly no doubt to the



influence that he had unconsciously exercised over the sympathies

of a delicate and sensitive woman. It was no uncommon



circumstance in his past experience of the sex--as I myself well

knew--to be the object, not of admiration only, but of true and



ardent love. He had never reciprocated the passion--had never

even appeared to take it seriously. Marriage might, as the phrase






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