Instead of seizing the opportunity, and directing Romayne's mind



to the consolations of religion, Penrose actually encouraged him

to reconsider his decision. All the weakness of my poor little



Arthur's character showed itself in his next words.

He said to Romayne: "It may be wrong in me to speak to you as



freely as I wish to speak. But you have so generously admitted me

to your confidence--you have been so considerate and so kind



toward me--that I feel an interest in your happiness, which

perhaps makes me over bold. Are you very sure that some such



entire change in your life as your marriage might not end in

delivering you from your burden? If such a thing could be, is it



wrong to suppose that your wife's good influence over you might

be the means of making your marriage a happy one? I must not



presume to offer an opinion on such a subject. It is only my

gratitude, my true attachment to you that ventures to put the



question. Are you conscious of having given this matter--so

serious a matter for you--sufficient thought?"



Make your mind easy, reverend sir! Romayne's answer set

everything right.



He said: "I have thought of it till I could think no longer. I

still believe that sweet woman might control the torment of the



voice. But could she deliver me from the remorse perpetually

gnawing at my heart? I feel as murderers feel. In taking another



man's life--a man who had not even injured me!--I have committed

the one unatonable and unpardonable sin. Can any human creature's



influence make me forget that? No more of it--no more. Come! Let

us take refuge in our books."



Those words touched Penrose in the right place. Now, as I

understand his scruples, he felt that he might honorably speak



out. His zeal more than balanced his weakness, as you will

presently see.



He was loud, he was positive, when I heard him next. "No!" he

burst out, "your refuge is not in books, and not in the barren



religious forms which call themselves Protestant. Dear master,

the peace of mind, which you believe you have lost forever, you



will find again in the divinewisdom and compassion of the holy

Catholic Church. There is the remedy for all that you suffer!



There is the new life that will yet make you a happy man!"

I repeat what he said, so far, merely to satisfy you that we can



trust his enthusiasm, when it is once roused. Nothing will

discourage, nothing will defeat him now. He spoke with all the



eloquence of conviction--using the necessary arguments with a

force and feeling which I have rarely heard equaled. Romayne's



silence vouched for the effect on him. He is not the man to

listen patiently to reasoning which he thinks he can overthrow.



Having heard enough to satisfy me that Penrose had really begun

the good work, I quietly slipped out of the waiting-room and left



the hotel.

To-day being Sunday, I shall not lose a post if I keep my letter



open until to-morrow. I have already sent a note to Penrose,

asking him to call on me at his earliest convenience. There may



be more news for you before post time.

Monday, 10 A.M..



There _is_ more news. Penrose has just left me.

His first proceeding, of course, was to tell me what I had



already discovered for myself. He is modest, as usual, about the

prospect of success which awaits him. But he has induced Romayne



to suspend his historical studies for a few days, and to devote

his attention to the books which we are accustomed to recommend



for perusal in such cases as his. This is un questionably a great

gain at starting.



But my news is not at an end yet. Romayne is actually playing our

game--he has resolveddefinitely to withdraw himself from the



influence of Miss Eyrecourt! In another hour he and Penrose will

have left London. Their destination is kept a profound secret.



All letters addressed to Romayne are to be sent to his bankers.

The motive for this sudden resolution is directly traceable to



Lady Loring.

Her ladyship called at the hotel yesterday evening, and had a



private interview with Romayne. Her object, no doubt, was to

• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


• faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)


• receipt [ri´si:t] n.收到；收据 (初中英语单词)


• enable [i´neibəl] vt.使能够；赋予权力 (初中英语单词)


• lately [´leitli] ad.近来，不久前 (初中英语单词)


• anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)


• acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)


• employer [im´plɔiə] n.雇佣者，雇主 (初中英语单词)


• absence [´æbsəns] n.不在，缺席；缺乏 (初中英语单词)


• visitor [´vizitə] n.访问者；来宾；参观者 (初中英语单词)


• meantime [´mi:ntaim] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)


• principal [´prinsəpəl] a.主要的 n.负责人 (初中英语单词)


• firmly [´fə:mli] ad.坚固地，稳定地 (初中英语单词)


• dreadful [´dredful] a.可怕的；讨厌的 (初中英语单词)


• astonish [ə´stɔniʃ] vt.使惊讶；使惊异 (初中英语单词)


• mysterious [mi´stiəriəs] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (初中英语单词)


• weakness [´wi:knis] n.虚弱；弱点，缺点 (初中英语单词)


• resist [ri´zist] v.抵抗；对抗；抵制 (初中英语单词)


• thereupon [,ðeərə´pɔn] ad.因此；于是 (初中英语单词)


• explanation [,eksplə´neiʃən] n.解释；说明；辩解 (初中英语单词)


• writing [´raitiŋ] n.书写；写作；书法 (初中英语单词)


• impression [im´preʃən] n.印刷；印象；效果 (初中英语单词)


• pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)


• definitely [´definitli] ad.明确地；绝对 (初中英语单词)


• catholic [´kæθəlik] a.天主教 n.天主教徒 (初中英语单词)


• actually [´æktʃuəli] ad.事实上；实际上 (初中英语单词)


• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)


• conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)


• refuge [´refju:dʒ] v.&n.避难(所)；庇护 (初中英语单词)


• divine [di´vain] a.神圣的 v.预言 (初中英语单词)


• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)


• enthusiasm [in´θju:ziæzəm] n.热心；狂热；爱好 (初中英语单词)


• rarely [´reəli] ad.难得；非凡地 (初中英语单词)


• modest [´mɔdist] a.谦虚的；朴素的 (初中英语单词)


• suspend [sə´spend] v.吊，挂；中止；暂停 (初中英语单词)


• withdraw [wið´drɔ:] v.收回；撤销；撤退 (初中英语单词)


• motive [´məutiv] n.动机；主题 a.运动的 (初中英语单词)


• resolution [,rezə´lu:ʃən] n.决心；坚决；果断 (初中英语单词)


• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)


• interview [´intəvju:] n.&vt.接见；会见；交谈 (初中英语单词)


• inclose [in´kləuz] vt.=enclose 围住 (高中英语单词)


• reverend [´revərənd] a.可尊敬的 (高中英语单词)


• gratify [´grætifai] vt.使高兴；满足 (高中英语单词)


• cupboard [´kʌbəd] n.碗柜，食橱 (高中英语单词)


• strict [strikt] a.严厉的；精确的 (高中英语单词)


• inflict [in´flikt] vt.加以(打击等) (高中英语单词)


• lordship [´lɔ:dʃip] n.贵族权力；阁下 (高中英语单词)


• apparently [ə´pærəntli] ad.显然，表面上地 (高中英语单词)


• hitherto [,hiðə´tu:] ad.至今，迄今 (高中英语单词)


• torment [´tɔ:ment] vt.(使)痛苦，折磨 (高中英语单词)


• positive [´pɔzətiv] a.确定的 (高中英语单词)


• protestant [´prɔtistənt] a.新教的 n.新教徒 (高中英语单词)


• remedy [´remidi] n.药品 vt.医治；减轻 (高中英语单词)


• patiently [´peiʃəntli] ad.有耐心地；坚韧地 (高中英语单词)


• reasoning [´ri:zəniŋ] n.推理，评理 a.推理的 (高中英语单词)


• convenience [kən´vi:niəns] n.方便；适当的机会 (高中英语单词)


• proceeding [prə´si:diŋ] n.程序；进程；行动 (高中英语单词)


• historical [his´tɔrikəl] a.历史(上)的 (高中英语单词)


• destination [,desti´neiʃən] n.目标地 (高中英语单词)


• profound [prə´faund] a.深奥的；渊博的 (高中英语单词)


• conversion [kən´və:ʃən] n.转化；变换；皈依 (英语四级单词)


• intrude [in´tru:d] v.闯进；打扰；强加 (英语四级单词)


• personage [´pə:sənidʒ] n.名流；人物，角色 (英语四级单词)


• touching [´tʌtʃiŋ] a.动人的 prep.提到 (英语四级单词)


• assuredly [ə´ʃuəridli] ad.确实地；确信地 (英语四级单词)


• passionately [´pæʃənitli] ad.多情地；热烈地 (英语四级单词)


• colleague [´kɔli:g] n.同事，同僚 (英语四级单词)


• forbade [fə´beid] forbid的过去式 (英语四级单词)


• generously [´dʒenərəsli] ad.慷慨地 (英语四级单词)


• attachment [ə´tætʃmənt] n.附着；附件；爱慕 (英语四级单词)


• remorse [ri´mɔ:s] n.懊悔；自责；同情 (英语四级单词)


• compassion [kəm´pæʃən] n.同情；怜悯 (英语四级单词)


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• effectually [i´fektjuəli] ad.有效地 (英语六级单词)


• unwelcome [ʌn´welkəm] a.不受欢迎的 n.冷淡 (英语六级单词)


• reproof [ri´pru:f] n.谴责；责备 (英语六级单词)


• admirably [´ædmərəbli] ad.令人钦佩地；极妙地 (英语六级单词)


• unchanged [ʌn´tʃeindʒd] a.不变的；依然如故的 (英语六级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• whichever [witʃ´evə] a.&pron.无论哪个(些) (英语六级单词)


• self-control [,self´kəntrəul] n.自我克制 (英语六级单词)


• practiced [´præktist] a.经验丰富的；熟练的 (英语六级单词)


• lunatic [´lu:nətik] a.精神错乱的 n.疯子 (英语六级单词)


• asylum [ə´sailəm] n.避难所，收容所 (英语六级单词)


• considerate [kən´sidərit] a.考虑周到的；体谅的 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• honorably [´ɔnərəbli] ad.光荣地；光明正大地 (英语六级单词)