was audible but the steady tick-tick of the clock.

"We have not been very long acquainted," Winterfield resumed.



"But our association has been a pleasant one, and I think I owe

to you the duty of a friend. I don't belong to your Church; bu t



I hope you will believe me when I say that ignorant prejudice

against the Catholic priesthood is not one of _my_ prejudices."



Father Benwell bowed, in silence.

"You are mentioned," Winterfield proceeded, "in the letter which



I have just read."

"Are you at liberty to tell me the name of your correspondent?"



Father Benwell asked.

"I am not at liberty to do that. But I think it due to you, and



to myself, to tell you what the substance of the letter is. The

writer warns me to be careful in my intercourse with you. Your



object (I am told) is to make yourself acquainted with events in

my past life, and you have some motive which my correspondent has



thus far failed to discover. I speak plainly, but I beg you to

understand that I also speak impartially. I condemn no man



unheard--least of all, a man whom I have had the honor of

receiving under my own roof."



He spoke with a certain simple dignity. With equal dignity,

Father Benwell answered. It is needless to say that he now knew



Winterfield's correspondent to be Romayne's wife.

"Let me sincerely thank you, Mr. Winterfield, for a candor which



does honor to us both," he said. "You will hardly expect me--if I

may use such an expression--to condescend to justify myself



against an accusation which is an anonymousaccusation so far as

I am concerned. I prefer to meet that letter by a plain proof;



and I leave you to judge whether I am still worthy of the

friendship to which you have so kindly alluded."



With this preface he brieflyrelated the circumstances under

which he had become possessed of the packet, and then handed it



to Winterfield--with the seal uppermost.

"Decide for yourself," he concluded, "whether a man bent on



prying into your private affairs, with that letter entirely at

his mercy, would have been true to the trust reposed in him."



He rose and took his hat, ready to leave the room, if his honor

was profaned by the slightest expression of distrust.



Winterfield's genial and unsuspicious nature instantly accepted

the offered proof as conclusive. "Before I break the seal," he



said, "let me do you justice. Sit down again, Father Benwell, and

forgive me if my sense of duty has hurried me into hurting your



feelings. No man ought to know better than I do how often people

misjudge and wrong each other."



They shook hands cordially. No moral relief is more eagerly

sought than relief from the pressure of a serious explanation. By



common consent, they now spoke as lightly as if nothing had

happened. Father Benwell set the example.



"You actually believe in a priest!" he said gayly. "We shall make

a good Catholic of you yet."



"Don't be too sure of that," Winterfield replied, with a touch of

his quaint humor. "I respect the men who have given to humanity



the inestimable blessing of quinine--to say nothing of preserving

learning and civilization--but I respect still more my own



liberty as a free Christian."

"Perhaps a free thinker, Mr. Winterfield?"



"Anything you like to call it, Father Benwell, so long as it _is_

free."



They both laughed. Father Benwell went back to his newspaper.

Winterfield broke the seal of the envelope and took out the



inclosures.

The confession was the first of the papers at which he happened



to look. At the opening lines he turned pale. He read more, and

his eyes filled with tears. In low broken tones he said to the



priest, "You have innocently brought me most distressing news. I

entreat your pardon if I ask to be left alone."



Father Benwell said a few well-chosen words of sympathy, and

immediately withdrew. The dog licked his master's hand, hanging

• softly [´sɔftli] ad.软化地；柔和地 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• variety [və´raiəti] n.变化；多样(性)；种类 (初中英语单词)


• handwriting [´hænd,raitiŋ] n.笔迹；书法 (初中英语单词)


• trifling [´traifliŋ] a.微小的；轻浮的 (初中英语单词)


• delicious [di´liʃəs] a.美味的，可口的 (初中英语单词)


• delightful [di´laitful] a.讨人喜欢的 (初中英语单词)


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


• downstairs [,daun´steəz] ad.在楼下 a.楼下的 (初中英语单词)


• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)


• childish [´tʃaildiʃ] a.孩子的；幼稚的 (初中英语单词)


• remind [ri´maind] vt.提醒；使记(想)起 (初中英语单词)


• anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)


• envelope [´envələup] n.信封，封皮 (初中英语单词)


• expose [ik´spəuz] vt.揭露，暴露；陈列 (初中英语单词)


• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)


• contents [´kɔ:ntents] n.容纳物；要旨 (初中英语单词)


• patience [´peiʃəns] n.忍耐(力)；耐心；坚韧 (初中英语单词)


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


• assist [ə´sist] v.协助；援助；搀扶 (初中英语单词)


• priest [pri:st] n.教士；牧师；神父 (初中英语单词)


• interfere [,intə´fiə] vi.干涉；妨碍；打扰 (初中英语单词)


• ceremony [´seriməni] n.典礼；礼仪；客气 (初中英语单词)


• helpless [´helpləs] a.无助的，无依靠的 (初中英语单词)


• legislation [,ledʒis´leiʃən] n.立法；法规 (初中英语单词)


• encourage [in´kʌridʒ] vt.鼓励；怂勇；促进 (初中英语单词)


• ignorant [´ignərənt] a.无知的，愚昧的 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• correspondent [,kɔri´spɔndənt] n.记者 a.符合的 (初中英语单词)


• plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)


• condemn [kən´dem] vt.谴责；定罪，判处 (初中英语单词)


• dignity [´digniti] n.尊严，尊贵；高官显贵 (初中英语单词)


• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)


• briefly [´bri:fli] ad.简短地；简略地 (初中英语单词)


• instantly [´instəntli] ad.立即，立刻 (初中英语单词)


• relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• pressure [´preʃə] n.压榨 vt.对…施压力 (初中英语单词)


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


• lightly [´laitli] ad.轻微地，稍微 (初中英语单词)


• blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)


• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)


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


• sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)


• customary [´kʌstəməri] a.通常的；惯例的 (高中英语单词)


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


• distrust [dis´trʌst] n.&vt.不信任，怀疑 (高中英语单词)


• tenderly [´tendəli] ad.娇嫩地；柔和地 (高中英语单词)


• inferior [in´fiəriə] n.下级的 n.下级；晚辈 (高中英语单词)


• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)


• mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)


• characteristic [,kæriktə´ristik] a.特有的 n.特性 (高中英语单词)


• simplicity [sim´plisiti] n.简单；朴素 (高中英语单词)


• inward [´inwəd] a.向内的；心灵上的 (高中英语单词)


• decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)


• appropriate [ə´prəupri-it, ə´prəuprieit] a.适宜的 vt.私占；拨给 (高中英语单词)


• politely [pə´laitli] ad.温和地；文雅地 (高中英语单词)


• correspondence [,kɔri´spɔndəns] n.通信；符合；相当 (高中英语单词)


• endurance [in´djuərəns] n.忍受(耐)；耐力 (高中英语单词)


• carelessly [´kɛəlisli] ad.粗心地；疏忽地 (高中英语单词)


• sensitive [´sensitiv] a.敏感的；感光的 (高中英语单词)


• needless [´ni:dləs] a.不必要的；无用的 (高中英语单词)


• sincerely [sin´siəli] ad.真诚地；诚恳地 (高中英语单词)


• concerned [kən´sə:nd] a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词)


• preface [´prefis] n.序 v.开始；导致 (高中英语单词)


• related [ri´leitid] a.叙述的；有联系的 (高中英语单词)


• hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)


• quaint [kweint] a.离奇的；奇妙的 (高中英语单词)


• confession [kən´feʃən] n.招供；认错；交待 (高中英语单词)


• withdrew [wið´dru:] withdraw的过去式 (高中英语单词)


• hanging [´hæŋiŋ] n.绞刑 a.悬挂着的 (高中英语单词)


• intellect [´intilekt] n.智力；有才智的人 (英语四级单词)


• warning [´wɔ:niŋ] n.警告；前兆 a.预告的 (英语四级单词)


• beforehand [bi´fɔ:hænd] ad.事先；提前 (英语四级单词)


• alternative [ɔ:l´tə:nətiv] a.二中选一的 n.选择 (英语四级单词)


• respectfully [ris´pektfuli] ad.恭敬地 (英语四级单词)


• discretion [di´skreʃən] n.谨慎；判断(力) (英语四级单词)


• audible [´ɔ:dibəl] a.听得见的 (英语四级单词)


• intercourse [´intəkɔ:s] n.交际；往来；交流 (英语四级单词)


• accusation [ækju:´zeiʃən] n.谴责；告发 (英语四级单词)


• packet [´pækit] n.盒 vt.…打成小包 (英语四级单词)


• genial [´dʒi:niəl] a.愉快的；和蔼的 (英语四级单词)


• cordially [´kɔ:djəli] ad.热诚地；亲切地 (英语四级单词)


• beating [´bi:tiŋ] n.敲；搅打；失败 (英语六级单词)


• outstretched [,aut´stretʃt] a.扩张的；伸长的 (英语六级单词)


• estimation [,esti´meiʃən] n.估计；评价；判断 (英语六级单词)


• sorely [´sɔ:li] ad.痛苦地；剧烈地 (英语六级单词)


• applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)


• condescend [,kɔndi´send] vi.屈尊；堕落 (英语六级单词)


• anonymous [ə´nɔniməs] a.不具名的；匿名的 (英语六级单词)


• innocently [´inəsntli] ad.天真地，单纯地 (英语六级单词)