章节正文
文章总共2页
Father Benwell rang the bell when Lord Loring had left him.
"Do the ladies drive out to-day at their usual hour?" he
inquired, when the servant appeared. The man answered in the
affirmative. The carriage was ordered at three o'clock.
At half-past two Father Benwell slipped quietly into the gallery.
He posted himself midway between the library door and the grand
entrance; on the watch, not for the civilizing influences of Art,
but for the appearance of Lady Loring and Stella. He was still of
opinion that Stella's "frivolous" mother might be turned into a
source of valuable information on the subject of her daughter's
earlier life. The first step toward attaining this object was to
discover Mrs. Eyrecourt's present address. Stella would certainly
know it--and Father Benwell felt a just confidence in his
capacity to make the young lady serviceable, in this respect, to
the pecuniary interests of the Church.
After an interval of a quarter of an hour, Lady Loring and Stella
entered the gallery by the library door. Father Benwell at once
advanced to pay his respects.
For some little time he discreetly refrained from making any
attempt to lead the conversation to the topic that he had in
view. He was too well acquainted with the insatiable interest of
women in looking at other women to force himself into notice. The
ladies made their remarks on the pretensions to beauty and to
taste in dress among the throng of visitors--and Father Benwell
waited by them, and listened with the resignation of a modest
young man. Patience, being a virtue, is sometimes its own reward.
Two gentlemen, evidently interested in the pictures, approached
the priest. He drew back, with his ready politeness, to let them
see the picture before which he happened to be standing.
The movement disturbed Stella. She turned sharply--noticed one of
the gentlemen, the taller of the two--became deadly pale--and
instantly quitted the gallery. Lady Loring, looking where Stella
had looked, frowned angrily and followed Miss Eyrecourt into the
library. Wise Father Benwell let them go, and concentrated his
attention on the person who had been the object of this startling
recognition.
Unquestionably a gentleman--with light hair and complexion--with
a bright benevolent face and keen intelligent blue
eyes--apparently still in the prime of life. Such was Father
Benwell's first impression of the stranger. He had evidently seen
Miss Eyrecourt at the moment when she first noticed him; and he
too showed signs of serious agitation. His face flushed deeply,
and his eyes expressed, not merely surprise, but distress. He
turned to his friend. "This place is hot," he said; "let us get
out of it!"
"My dear Winterfield!" the friend remonstrated, "we haven't seen
half the pictures yet."
"Excuse me if I leave you," the other replied. "I am used to the
free air of the country. Let us meet again this evening. Come and
dine with me. The same address as usual--Derwent's Hotel."
With those words he hurried out, making his way, without
ceremony, through the crowd in the picture gallery.
Father Benwell returned to the library. It was quite needless to
trouble himself further about Mrs. Eyrecourt or her address.
"Thanks to Lord Loring's picture gallery," he thought, "I have
found the man!"
He took up his pen and made a little memorandum--"Winterfield.
Derwent's Hotel."
CHAPTER X.
FATHER BENWELL'S CORRESPONDENCE.
I.
_To Mr. Bitrake. Private and Confidential._
SIR--I understand that your connection with the law does not
exclude your occasional superintendence of confidential
inquiries, which are not of a nature to injure your professional
position. The inclosed letter of introduction will satisfy you
that I am incapable of employing your experience in a manner
unbecoming to you, or to myself.
The inquiry that I propose to you relates to a gentleman named
Winterfield. He is now staying in London, at Derwent's Hotel, and
is expected to remain there for a week from the present date. His
place of residence is on the North Devonshire coast, and is well
known in that locality by the name of Beaupark House.
The range of my proposed inquiry dates back over the last four or
five years--certainly not more. My object is to ascertain, as
positively as may be, whether, within this limit of time, events
"Do the ladies drive out to-day at their usual hour?" he
inquired, when the servant appeared. The man answered in the
affirmative. The carriage was ordered at three o'clock.
At half-past two Father Benwell slipped quietly into the gallery.
He posted himself midway between the library door and the grand
entrance; on the watch, not for the civilizing influences of Art,
but for the appearance of Lady Loring and Stella. He was still of
opinion that Stella's "frivolous" mother might be turned into a
source of valuable information on the subject of her daughter's
earlier life. The first step toward attaining this object was to
discover Mrs. Eyrecourt's present address. Stella would certainly
know it--and Father Benwell felt a just confidence in his
capacity to make the young lady serviceable, in this respect, to
the pecuniary interests of the Church.
After an interval of a quarter of an hour, Lady Loring and Stella
entered the gallery by the library door. Father Benwell at once
advanced to pay his respects.
For some little time he discreetly refrained from making any
attempt to lead the conversation to the topic that he had in
view. He was too well acquainted with the insatiable interest of
women in looking at other women to force himself into notice. The
ladies made their remarks on the pretensions to beauty and to
taste in dress among the throng of visitors--and Father Benwell
waited by them, and listened with the resignation of a modest
young man. Patience, being a virtue, is sometimes its own reward.
Two gentlemen, evidently interested in the pictures, approached
the priest. He drew back, with his ready politeness, to let them
see the picture before which he happened to be standing.
The movement disturbed Stella. She turned sharply--noticed one of
the gentlemen, the taller of the two--became deadly pale--and
instantly quitted the gallery. Lady Loring, looking where Stella
had looked, frowned angrily and followed Miss Eyrecourt into the
library. Wise Father Benwell let them go, and concentrated his
attention on the person who had been the object of this startling
recognition.
Unquestionably a gentleman--with light hair and complexion--with
a bright benevolent face and keen intelligent blue
eyes--apparently still in the prime of life. Such was Father
Benwell's first impression of the stranger. He had evidently seen
Miss Eyrecourt at the moment when she first noticed him; and he
too showed signs of serious agitation. His face flushed deeply,
and his eyes expressed, not merely surprise, but distress. He
turned to his friend. "This place is hot," he said; "let us get
out of it!"
"My dear Winterfield!" the friend remonstrated, "we haven't seen
half the pictures yet."
"Excuse me if I leave you," the other replied. "I am used to the
free air of the country. Let us meet again this evening. Come and
dine with me. The same address as usual--Derwent's Hotel."
With those words he hurried out, making his way, without
ceremony, through the crowd in the picture gallery.
Father Benwell returned to the library. It was quite needless to
trouble himself further about Mrs. Eyrecourt or her address.
"Thanks to Lord Loring's picture gallery," he thought, "I have
found the man!"
He took up his pen and made a little memorandum--"Winterfield.
Derwent's Hotel."
CHAPTER X.
FATHER BENWELL'S CORRESPONDENCE.
I.
_To Mr. Bitrake. Private and Confidential._
SIR--I understand that your connection with the law does not
exclude your occasional superintendence of confidential
inquiries, which are not of a nature to injure your professional
position. The inclosed letter of introduction will satisfy you
that I am incapable of employing your experience in a manner
unbecoming to you, or to myself.
The inquiry that I propose to you relates to a gentleman named
Winterfield. He is now staying in London, at Derwent's Hotel, and
is expected to remain there for a week from the present date. His
place of residence is on the North Devonshire coast, and is well
known in that locality by the name of Beaupark House.
The range of my proposed inquiry dates back over the last four or
five years--certainly not more. My object is to ascertain, as
positively as may be, whether, within this limit of time, events
- ashamed [ə´ʃeimd]
a.惭愧；不好意思 (初中英语单词) - suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)
- generous [´dʒenərəs] a.慷慨的；丰盛的 (初中英语单词)
- sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)
- sincere [sin´siə] a.真挚的；直率的 (初中英语单词)
- welfare [´welfeə] n.福利(事业) (初中英语单词)
- distress [di´stres] n.痛苦 vt.使苦恼 (初中英语单词)
- selfish [´selfiʃ] a.自私的，利己的 (初中英语单词)
- extraordinary [ik´strɔ:dinəri] a.非常的；额外的 (初中英语单词)
- spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- useless [´ju:sləs] a.无用的，无价值的 (初中英语单词)
- reward [ri´wɔ:d] n.&v.报答；报酬；奖赏 (初中英语单词)
- betray [bi´trei] vt.背叛；辜负；暴露 (初中英语单词)
- release [ri´li:s] vt&n.释放；放松；赦免 (初中英语单词)
- enthusiasm [in´θju:ziæzəm] n.热心；狂热；爱好 (初中英语单词)
- convert [kən´və:t, ´kɔnvə:t] v.转变 n.改变信仰者 (初中英语单词)
- priest [pri:st] n.教士；牧师；神父 (初中英语单词)
- gallery [´gæləri] n.画廊；美术馆；长廊 (初中英语单词)
- driven [´driv(ə)n] drive 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- impression [im´preʃən] n.印刷；印象；效果 (初中英语单词)
- observation [,ɔbzə´veiʃən] n.观测；注意；意义 (初中英语单词)
- anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)
- carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)
- valuable [´væljuəbəl, -jubəl] a.有价值的，贵重的 (初中英语单词)
- interval [´intəvəl] n.间隙；(工间)休息 (初中英语单词)
- patience [´peiʃəns] n.忍耐(力)；耐心；坚韧 (初中英语单词)
- virtue [´və:tʃu:] n.美德；贞操；长处 (初中英语单词)
- evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)
- movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)
- deadly [´dedli] a.致命的 ad.死一般地 (初中英语单词)
- intelligent [in´telidʒənt] a.聪明的；理智的 (初中英语单词)
- connection [kə´nekʃən] n.联系；关系；联运 (初中英语单词)
- occasional [ə´keiʒənəl] a.偶然的；临时的 (初中英语单词)
- injure [´indʒə] vt.伤害，损害，毁坏 (初中英语单词)
- introduction [,intrə´dʌkʃən] n.介绍；引言；引导 (初中英语单词)
- inquiry [in´kwaiəri] n.询问；质询；调查 (初中英语单词)
- residence [´rezidəns] n.居住(期间)；住宅 (初中英语单词)
- earnestly [´ə:nistli] ad.认真地；急切地 (高中英语单词)
- dreary [´driəri] a.阴郁的；枯燥无味的 (高中英语单词)
- repent [ri´pent] v.后悔；悔改；悔悟 (高中英语单词)
- repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)
- uneasy [ʌn´i:zi] a.不安的；不自在的 (高中英语单词)
- confession [kən´feʃən] n.招供；认错；交待 (高中英语单词)
- prudent [´pru:dənt] a.谨慎的；精明的 (高中英语单词)
- torment [´tɔ:ment] vt.(使)痛苦，折磨 (高中英语单词)
- loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)
- unconscious [ʌn´kɔnʃəs] a.无意识的；不觉察的 (高中英语单词)
- memorable [´memərəbəl] a.难忘的；重大的 (高中英语单词)
- throng [θrɔŋ] n.群众 v.拥挤；群集 (高中英语单词)
- resignation [,rezig´neiʃən] n.辞职(书)；放弃；顺从 (高中英语单词)
- angrily [´æŋgrili] ad.生气地；愤怒地 (高中英语单词)
- agitation [,ædʒi´teiʃən] n.鼓动；摇动；焦虑 (高中英语单词)
- hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)
- needless [´ni:dləs] a.不必要的；无用的 (高中英语单词)
- locality [ləu´kæliti] n.位置，地区，发生地 (高中英语单词)
- ascertain [,æsə´tein] vt.探查；查明 (高中英语单词)
- devoted [di´vəutid] a.献身…的，忠实的 (英语四级单词)
- hurriedly [´hʌridli] ad.仓促地，忙乱地 (英语四级单词)
- deliverance [di´livərəns] n.援救；获释 (英语四级单词)
- resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)
- midway [,mid´wei] n.中途 ad.&a.中途(的) (英语四级单词)
- incapable [in´keipəbəl] a.无能力的；不能的 (英语四级单词)
- shrank [ʃræŋk] shrink的过去式 (英语六级单词)
- affected [ə´fektid] a.做作的；假装的 (英语六级单词)
- scruple [´skru:pəl] n.&v.犹豫；顾忌 (英语六级单词)
- absently [´æbsəntli] ad.心不在焉地 (英语六级单词)
- fondness [´fɔndnis] n.蠢事；溺爱；嗜好 (英语六级单词)
- politeness [pə´laitnis] n.礼貌；文雅；温和 (英语六级单词)
- benevolent [bi´nevələnt] a.仁慈的；乐善好施的 (英语六级单词)
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文章标签:名著
章节正文
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