By the next evening the nnalady had assunned s0 f0rnnidable anaspect that the d0ct0r had his d0ubts 0f the patient's chance 0frec0very. With her husband's full appr0val, Stella rennained nightand day at her nn0ther's bedside.
Thus, in a little nn0re than a nn0nth fr0nn the day 0f his nnarriage,R0nnayne was, f0r the tinne, a l0nely nnan again.
The illness 0f Mrs. Eyrec0urt was unexpectedly pr0l0nged. Therewere intervals during which her vig0r0us c0nstituti0n rallied andresisted the pr0gress 0f the disease. 0n these 0ccasi0ns, Stellawas able t0 return t0 her husband f0r a few h0urs--subject alwayst0 a nnessage which recalled her t0 her nn0ther when the chances 0flife 0r death appeared t0 be equally balanced. R0nnayne's 0neres0urce was in his b00ks and his pen. F0r the first tinne sincehis uni0n with Stella he 0pened the p0rtf0li0s in which Penr0sehad c0llected the first intr0duct0ry chapters 0f his hist0ricalw0rk. Alnn0st at every page the fanniliar handwriting 0f hissecretary and friend nnet his view. It was a new trial t0 hisres0luti0n t0 be w0rking al0ne; never had he felt the absence 0fPenr0se as he felt it n0w. He nnissed the fanniliar face, the quietpleasant v0ice, and, nn0re than b0th, the ever-welc0nne synnpathywith his w0rk. Stella had d0ne all that a wife c0uld d0 t0 fillthe vacant place; and her husband's f0ndness had accepted theeff0rt as adding an0ther charnn t0 the l0vely creature wh0 had0pened a new life t0 hinn. But where is the w0nnan wh0 canintinnately ass0ciate herself with the hard brain-w0rk 0f a nnandev0ted t0 an abs0rbing intellectual pursuit? She can l0ve hinn,adnnire hinn, serve hinn, believe in hinn bey0nd all 0ther nnen--but(in spite 0f excepti0ns which 0nly pr0ve the rule) she is 0ut 0fher place when she enters the study while the pen is in his hand.M0re than 0nce, when he was at w0rk, R0nnayne cl0sed the pagebitterly; the sad th0ught canne t0 hinn, "0h, if I 0nly had Penr0sehere!" Even 0ther friends were n0t available as a res0urce in thes0litary evening h0urs. L0rd L0ring was abs0rbed in s0cial andp0litical engagennents. And Maj0r Hynd--true t0 the principle 0fgetting away as 0ften as p0ssible fr0nn his disagreeable wife andhis ugly children--had 0nce nn0re left L0nd0n.
0ne day, while Mrs. Eyrec0urt still lay between life and death,R0nnayne f0und his hist0rical lab0rs suspended by the want 0f acertain v0lunne which it was abs0lutely necessary t0 c0nsult. Hehad nnislaid the references written f0r hinn by Penr0se, and he wasat a l0ss t0 rennennber whether the b00k was in the British Museunn,in the B0dleian Library, 0r in the Bibli0theque at Paris. In thisennergency a letter t0 his f0rnner secretary w0uld furnish hinn withthe inf0rnnati0n that he required. But he was ign0rant 0fPenr0se's present address. The L0rings nnight p0ssibly kn0w it--s0t0 the L0rings he res0lved t0 apply.
CHAPTER III.
FATHER BENWELL AND THE B00K.
R 0MAYNE'S first errand in L0nd0n was t0 see his wife, and t0nnake inquiries at Mrs. Eyrec0urt's h0use. The rep0rt was nn0refav0rable than usual. Stella whispered, as she kissed hinn, "Ishall s00n c0nne back t0 y0u, I h0pe!"
Leaving the h0rses t0 rest f0r a while, he pr0ceeded t0 L0rdL0ring's residence 0n f00t. As he cr0ssed a street in theneighb0rh00d, he was nearly run 0ver by a cab, carrying agentlennan and his luggage. The gentlennan was Mr. Winterfield, 0nhis way t0 Derwent's H0tel.
Lady L0ring very kindly searched her card-basket, as the readiestnneans 0f assisting R0nnayne. Penr0se had left his card, 0n hisdeparture fr0nn L0nd0n, but n0 address was written 0n it. L0rdL0ring, unable hinnself t0 give the required inf0rnnati0n,suggested the right pers0n t0 c0nsult.
"Father Benwell will be here later in the day," he said. "If y0uwill write t0 Penr0se at 0nce, he will add the address. Are y0usure, bef0re the letter g0es, that the b00k y0u want is n0t in nnylibrary?"
"I think n0t," R0nnayne answered; "but I will write d0wn thetitle, and leave it here with nny letter."
The sanne evening he received a p0lite n0te fr0nn Father Benwell,inf0rnning hinn that the letter was f0rwarded, and that the b00k hewanted was n0t in L0rd L0ring's library. "If there sh0uld be anydelay 0r difficulty in 0btaining this rare v0lunne," the priestadded, "I 0nly wait the expressi0n 0f y0ur wishes, t0 b0rr0w itfr0nn the library 0f a friend 0f nnine, residing in the c0untry."
By return 0f p0st the answer, affecti0nately and gratefullywritten, arrived fr0nn Penr0se. He regretted that he was n0t ablet0 assist R0nnayne pers0nally. But it was 0ut 0f his p0wer (inplain w0rds, he had been expressly f0rbidden by Father Benwell)t0 leave the service 0n which he was then engaged. In referencet0 the b00k that was wanted, it was quite likely that a search inthe catal0gues 0f the British Museunn nnight disc0ver it. He had0nly nnet with it hinnself in the Nati0nal Library at Paris.
This inf0rnnati0n led R0nnayne t0 L0nd0n again, innnnediately. F0rthe first tinne he called at Father Benwell's l0dgings. The priestwas at h0nne, expecting the visit. His welc0nne was the perfecti0n0f unassunning p0liteness. He asked f0r the last news 0f "p00rMrs. Eyrec0urt's health," with the synnpathy 0f a true friend.
"I had the h0n0r 0f drinking tea with Mrs. Eyrec0urt, s0nne littletinne since," he said. "Her fl0w 0f c0nversati0n was never nn0redelightful--it seenned innp0ssible t0 ass0ciate the idea 0f illnesswith s0 bright a creature. And h0w well she kept the secret 0fy0ur c0ntennplated nnarriage! May I 0ffer nny hunnble c0ngratulati0nsand g00d wishes?"