The Robe of Peace

by O. Henry

　　

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Mysteries follow one another so closely in a great city that the readingpublic and the friends of Johnny Bellchambers have ceased to marvelat his sudden and unexplained disappearance nearly a year ago. Thisparticular mystery has now been cleared up, but the solution is sostrange and incredible to the mind of the average man that only a selectfew who were in close touch with Bellchambers will give it fullcredence.Johnny Bellchambers, as is well known, belonged to the intrinsicallyinner circle of the _lite_. Without any of the ostentation of thefashionable ones who endeavor to attract notice by eccentric display ofwealth and show he still was _au fait_ in everything that gave deservedlustre to his high position in the ranks of society.Especially did he shine in the matter of dress. In this he was thedespair of imitators. Always correct, exquisitely groomed, and possessedof an unlimited wardrobe, he was conceded to be the best-dressed man inNew York, and, therefore, in America. There was not a tailor in Gothamwho would not have deemed it a precious boon to have been granted theprivilege of making Bellchambers' clothes without a cent of pay. As hewore them, they would have been a priceless advertisement. Trouserswere his especial passion. Here nothing but perfection would he notice.He would have worn a patch as quickly as he would have overlooked awrinkle. He kept a man in his apartments always busy pressing his amplesupply. His friends said that three hours was the limit of time that hewould wear these garments without exchanging.Bellchambers disappeared very suddenly. For three days his absencebrought no alarm to his friends, and then they began to operate theusual methods of inquiry. All of them failed. He had left absolutely notrace behind. Then the search for a motive was instituted, but none wasfound. He had no enemies, he had no debts, there was no woman. Therewere several thousand dollars in his bank to his credit. He had nevershowed any tendency toward mental eccentricity; in fact, he was of aparticularly calm and well-balanced temperament. Every means of tracingthe vanished man was made use of, but without avail. It was one of thosecases--more numerous in late years--where men seem to have gone out likethe flame of a candle, leaving not even a trail of smoke as a witness.In May, Tom Eyres and Lancelot Gilliam, two of Bellchambers' oldfriends, went for a little run on the other side. While pottering aroundin Italy and Switzerland, they happened, one day, to hear of a monasteryin the Swiss Alps that promised something outside of the ordinarytourist-beguiling attractions. The monastery was almost inaccessible tothe average sightseer, being on an extremely rugged and precipitous spurof the mountains. The attractions it possessed but did not advertisewere, first, an exclusive and divine cordial made by the monks that wassaid to far surpass benedictine and chartreuse. Next a huge brass bellso purely and accurately cast that it had not ceased sounding since itwas first rung three hundred years ago. Finally, it was asserted that noEnglishman had ever set foot within its walls. Eyres and Gilliam decidedthat these three reports called for investigation.It took them two days with the aid of two guides to reach the monasteryof St. Gondrau. It stood upon a frozen, wind-swept crag with the snowpiled about it in treacherous, drifting masses. They were hospitablyreceived by the brothers whose duty it was to entertain the infrequentguest. They drank of the precious cordial, finding it rarely potent andreviving. They listened to the great, ever-echoing bell, and learnedthat they were pioneer travelers, in those gray stone walls, over theEnglishman whose restless feet have trodden nearly every corner of theearth.At three o'clock on the afternoon they arrived, the two young Gothamitesstood with good Brother Cristofer in the great, cold hallway of themonastery to watch the monks march past on their way to the refectory.They came slowly, pacing by twos, with their heads bowed, treadingnoiselessly with sandaled feet upon the rough stone flags. As theprocession slowly filed past, Eyres suddenly gripped Gilliam by the arm."Look," he whispered, eagerly, "at the one just opposite you now--theone on this side, with his hand at his waist--if that isn't JohnnyBellchambers then I never saw him!"Gilliam saw and recognized the lost glass of fashion."What the deuce," said he, wonderingly, "is old Bell doing here? Tommy,it surely can't be he! Never heard of Bell having a turn for thereligious. Fact is, I've heard him say things when a four-in-hand didn'tseem to tie up just right that would bring him up for court-martialbefore any church.""It's Bell, without a doubt," said Eyres, firmly, "or I'm pretty badlyin need of an oculist. But think of Johnny Bellchambers, the Royal HighChancellor of swell togs and the Mahatma of pink teas, up here in coldstorage doing penance in a snuff-colored bathrobe! I can't get itstraight in my mind. Let's ask the jolly old boy that's doing thehonors."Brother Cristofer was appealed to for information. By that time themonks had passed into the refectory. He could not tell to which one theyreferred. Bellchambers? Ah, the brothers of St. Gondrau abandoned theirworldly names when they took the vows. Did the gentlemen wish to speakwith one of the brothers? If they would come to the refectory andindicate the one they wished to see, the reverend abbot in authoritywould, doubtless, permit it.Eyres and Gilliam went into the dining hall and pointed out to BrotherCristofer the man they had seen. Yes, it was Johnny Bellchambers. Theysaw his face plainly now, as he sat among the dingy brothers, neverlooking up, eating broth from a coarse, brown bowl.Permission to speak to one of the brothers was granted to the twotravelers by the abbot, and they waited in a reception room for him tocome. When he did come, treading softly in his sandals, both Eyres andGilliam looked at him in perplexity and astonishment. It was JohnnyBellchambers, but he had a different look. Upon his smooth-shaven facewas an expression of ineffable peace, of rapturous attainment, ofperfect and complete happiness. His form was proudly erect, his eyesshone with a serene and gracious light. He was as neat and well-groomedas in the old New York days, but how differently was he clad! Now heseemed clothed in but a single garment--a long robe of rough browncloth, gathered by a cord at the waist, and falling in straight, loosefolds nearly to his feet. He shook hands with his visitors with his oldease and grace of manner. If there was any embarrassment in that meetingit was not manifested by Johnny Bellchambers. The room had no seats;they stood to converse."Glad to see you, old man," said Eyres, somewhat awkwardly. "Wasn'texpecting to find you up here. Not a bad idea though, after all.Society's an awful sham. Must be a relief to shake the giddy whirl andretire to--er--contemplation and--er--prayer and hymns, and thosethings."Oh, cut that, Tommy," said Bellchambers, cheerfully. "Don't be afraidthat I'll pass around the plate. I go through these thing-um-bobs withthe rest of these old boys because they are the rules. I'm BrotherAmbrose here, you know. I'm given just ten minutes to talk to youfellows. That's rather a new design in waistcoats you have on, isn't it,Gilliam? Are they wearing those things on Broadway now?""It's the same old Johnny," said Gilliam, joyfully. "What the devil--Imean why-- Oh, confound it! what did you do it for, old man?""Peel the bathrobe," pleaded Eyres, almost tearfully, "and go back withus. The old crowd'll go wild to see you. This isn't in your line, Bell.I know half a dozen girls that wore the willow on the quiet when youshook us in that unaccountable way. Hand in your resignation, or get adispensation, or whatever you have to do to get a release from this icefactory. You'll get catarrh here, Johnny--and-- My God! you haven't anysocks on!"Bellchambers looked down at his sandaled feet and smiled."You fellows don't understand," he said, soothingly. "It's nice of youto want me to go back, but the old life will never know me again. Ihave reached here the goal of all my ambitions. I am entirely happyand contented. Here I shall remain for the remainder of my days. Yousee this robe that I wear?" Bellchambers caressingly touched thestraight-hanging garment: "At last I have found something that will notbag at the knees. I have attained--"At that moment the deep boom of the great brass bell reverberatedthrough the monastery. It must have been a summons to immediatedevotions, for Brother Ambrose bowed his head, turned and left thechamber without another word. A slight wave of his hand as he passedthrough the stone doorway seemed to say a farewell to his old friends.They left the monastery without seeing him again.And this is the story that Tommy Eyres and Lancelot Gilliam brought backwith them from their latest European tour.

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