poor miss finch-第38章

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that　did　not　express　itself　to　the　people　about　her；　at　the　time。〃

He　drew　his　chair　confidentially　nearer　to　mine。　〃How　old　is　she？〃　he
asked。

I　began　to　feel　more　than　a　little　surprised；　and　I　showed　it；　I　suppose；
on　telling　him　Lucilla's　age。

〃As　things　are　now；〃　he　explained；　〃there　are　reasons　which　make　me
hesitate　to　enter　on　the　question　of　Miss　Finch's　blindness　either　with
my　brother；　or　with　any　members　of　the　family。　I　must　wait　to　speak　about
it　to　_them；_　until　I　can　speak　to　good　practical　purpose。　There　is　no
harm　in　my　starting　the　subject　with　_you。_　When　she　first　lost　her
sight；　no　means　of　restoring　it　were　left　untried；　of　course？〃

〃I　should　suppose　not；〃　I　replied。　〃It's　so　long　since；　I　have　never
asked。〃

〃So　long　since；〃　he　repeatedand　then　considered　for　a　moment。

His　reflections　ended　in　a　last　question。

〃She　is　resigned；　I　supposeand　everybody　about　her　is　resignedto　the
idea　of　her　being　hopelessly　blind　for　life。〃

Instead　of　answering　him；　I　put　a　question　on　my　side。　My　heart　was
beginning　to　beat　rapidlywithout　my　knowing　why。

〃Mr。　Nugent　Dubourg；〃　I　said；　〃what　have　you　got　in　your　mind　about
Lucilla？〃

〃Madame　Pratolungo；〃　he　replied；　〃I　have　got　something　in　my　mind　which
was　put　into　it　by　a　friend　of　mine　whom　I　met　in　America。〃

〃The　friend　you　mentioned　in　your　letter　to　your　brother？〃

〃The　same。〃

〃The　German　gentleman　whom　you　propose　to　introduce　to　Oscar　and
Lucilla？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃May　I　ask　who　he　is？〃

Nugent　Dubourg　looked　at　me　attentively；　considered　with　himself　for　the
second　time；　and　answered　in　these　words：

〃He　is　the　greatest　living　authority；　and　the　greatest　living　operator；
in　diseases　of　the　eye。〃

The　idea　in　his　mind　burst　its　way　into　my　mind　in　a　moment。

〃Gracious　God！〃　I　exclaimed；　〃are　you　mad　enough　to　suppose　that
Lucilla's　sight　can　be　restored；　after　a　blindness　of　one…and…twenty
years？〃

He　suddenly　held　up　his　hand；　in　sign　to　me　to　be　silent。

At　the　same　moment　the　door　opened；　and　Lucilla　（followed　by　Oscar）
entered　the　room。

CHAPTER　THE　TWENTY…FOURTH

He　sees　Lucilla

THE　first　impression　which　poor　Miss　Finch　produced　on　Nugent　Dubourg；
was　precisely　the　same　as　the　first　impression　which　she　had　produced　on
me。

〃Good　Heavens！〃　he　cried。　〃The　Dresden　Madonna！　The　Virgin　of　San　Sisto！〃

Lucilla　had　already　heard　from　me　of　her　extraordinary　resemblance　to　the
chief　figure　in　Raphael's　renowned　picture。　Nugent's　blunt　outburst　of
recognition　passed　unnoticed　by　her。　She　stopped　short；　in　the　middle　of
the　roomstartled；　the　instant　he　spoke；　by　the　extraordinary　similarity
of　his　tone　and　accent　to　the　tone　and　accent　of　his　brother's　voice。

〃Oscar；〃　she　asked　nervously；　〃are　you　behind　me？　or　in　front　of　me？〃
Oscar　laughed；　and　answered　〃Here！〃speaking　behind　her。　She　turned　her
head　towards　the　place　in　front　of　her；　from　which　Nugent　had　spoken。
〃Your　voice　is　wonderfully　like　Oscar's；〃　she　said；　addressing　him
timidly。　〃Is　your　face　exactly　like　his　face；　too？　May　I　judge　for　myself
of　the　likeness　between　you？　I　can　only　do　it　in　one　wayby　my　touch。〃

Oscar　advanced；　and　placed　a　chair　for　his　brother　by　Lucilla's　side。

〃She　has　eyes　in　the　tips　of　her　fingers；〃　he　said。　〃Sit　down；　Nugent；
and　let　her　pass　her　hand　over　your　face。〃

Nugent　obeyed　him　in　silence。　Now　that　the　first　impression　of　surprise
had　passed　away；　I　observed　that　a　marked　change　was　beginning　to　assert
itself　in　his　manner。

Little　by　little；　an　unnatural　constraint　got　possession　of　him。　His
fluent　tongue　found　nothing　to　talk　about。　His　easy　movements　altered　in
the　strangest　way；　until　they　almost　became　the　movements　of　a　slow
awkward　man。　He　was　more　like　his　brother　than　ever；　as　he　sat　down　in
the　chair　to　submit　himself　to　Lucilla's　investigation。　She　had　produced；
at　first　sightas　well　as　I　could　judgesome　impression　on　him　for
which　he　had　not　been　prepared；　causing　some　mental　disturbance　in　him
which　he　was　for　the　moment　quite　unable　to　control。　His　eyes　looked　up
at　her；　spell…bound；　his　color　came　and　went；　his　breath　quickened
audibly　when　her　fingers　touched　his　face。

〃What's　the　matter？〃　said　Oscar；　looking　at　him　in　surprise。

〃Nothing　is　the　matter；〃　he　answered；　in　the　low　absent　tone　of　a　man
whose　mind　was　secretly　pursuing　its　own　train　of　thought。

Oscar　said　no　more。　Once；　twice；　three　times；　Lucilla's　hand　passed
slowly　over　Nugent's　face。　He　submitted　to　it；　silently；　gravely；
immovablya　perfect　contrast　to　the　talkative；　lively　young　man　of　half
an　hour　since。　Lucilla　employed　a　much　longer　time　in　examining　him　than
she　had　occupied　in　examining　me。

While　the　investigation　was　proceeding；　I　had　leisure　to　think　again　over
what　had　passed　between　Nugent　and　me　on　the　subject　of　Lucilla's
blindness；　before　she　entered　the　room。　My　mind　had　by　this　time
recovered　its　balance。　I　was　able　to　ask　myself　what　this　young　fellow's
daring　idea　was　really　worth。　Was　it　within　the　range　of　possibility　that
a　sense　so　delicate　as　the　sense　of　sight；　lost　for　one…and…twenty　years；
could　be　restored　by　any　means　short　of　a　miracle？　It　was　monstrous　to
suppose　it：　the　thing　could　not　be。　If　there　had　been　the　faintest　chance
of　giving　my　poor　dear　back　the　blessing　of　sight；　that　chance　would　have
been　tried　by　competent　persons　years　and　years　since。　I　was　ashamed　of
myself　for　having　been　violently　excited　at　the　moment　by　the　new　thought
which　Nugent　had　started　in　my　mind；　I　was　honestly　indignant　at　his
uselessly　disturbing　me　with　the　vainest　of　all　vain　hopes。　The　one　wise
thing　to　do　in　the　future；　was　to　caution　this　flighty　and　inconsequent
young　man　to　keep　his　mad　notion　about　Lucilla　to　himselfand　to　dismiss
it　from　my　own　thoughts；　at　once　and　for　ever。

Just　as　I　arrived　at　that　sensible　resolution；　I　was　recalled　to　what　was
going　on　in　the　room；　by　Lucilla's　voice；　addressing　me　by　my　name。

〃The　likeness　is　wonderful；〃　she　said。　〃Still；　I　think　I　can　find　a
difference　between　them。〃

（The　only　difference　between　them　was　in　the　contrast　of　complexion　and
in　the　contrast　of　mannerboth　these　being　dissimilarities　which
appealed　more　or　less　directly　to　the　eye。）

〃What　difference　do　you　find？〃　I　asked。

She　slowly　came　towards　me；　with　an　anxious　perplexed　face；　pondering　as
she　advanced。

〃I　can't　explain　it；〃　she　answeredafter　a　long　silence。

When　Lucilla　left　him；　Nugent　rose　from　his　chair。　He　abruptlyalmost
roughlytook　his　brother's　hand。　He　spoke　to　his　brother　in　a　strangely
excited；　feverish；　headlong　way。

〃My　dear　fellow；　now　I　have　seen　her；　I　congratulate　you　more　heartily
than　ever。　She　is　charming；　she　is　unique。　Oscar！　I　could　almost　envy
you；　if　you　were　anyone　else！〃

Oscar　was　radiant　with　delight。　His　brother's　opinion　ranked　above　all
human　opinions　in　his　estimation。　Before　he　could　say　a　word　in　return；
Nugent　left　him　as　abruptly　as　he　had　approached　him；　walking　away　by
himself　to　the　windowand　standing　there；　looking　out。

Lucilla　had　not　heard　him。　She　was　still　pondering；　with　the　same
perplexed　face。　The　likeness　between　the　twins　was　apparently　weighing　on
her　mindan　unsolved　problem　that　vexed　and　irritated　it。　Without
anything　said　by　me　to　lead　to　resuming　the　subject；　she　returned
obstinately　to　the　assertion　that　she　had　just　made。

〃I　tell　you　again　I　am　sensible　of　a　difference　between　them；〃　she
repeated〃though　you　don't　seem　to　believe　me。〃

I　interpreted　this　uneasy　reiteration　as　meaning　that　she　was　rather
trying　to　convince　herself　than　to　convince　me。　In　her　blind　condition；
it　was　doubly　and　trebly　embarrassing　not　to　know　one　brother　from　the
other。　I　understood　her　unwillingness　to　acknowledge　thisI　felt　（in　her
position）　how　it　would　have　irritated　me。　She　was　waitingimpatiently
waitingfor　me　to　say　something　on　my　side。　I　am；　as　you　know　already；
an　indiscreet　woman。　I　innocently　said　one　of　my　rash　things。

〃I　believe　whatever　you　tell　me；　my　dear；〃　I　answered。　〃You　can　find　out
a　difference　between　them；　I　have　no　doubt。　Still；　I　own　I　should　like　to
see　it　put　to　the　proof。〃

Her　color　rose。　〃How？〃　she　asked　a