poor miss finch-第42章

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well　what　had　happened　on　the　former　occasion；　in　the　garden。　I　saw　too
plainly　that　Lucilla　must　have　connected　the　two　occurrences　in　her　mind；
and　must　have　had　her　ready　suspicion　roused　to　serious　action；　as　the
necessary　result。

〃I　understand；〃　I　said。　〃Of　course；　she　insisted　on　an　explanation。　Of
course；　Oscar　compromised　himself　by　a　clumsy　excuse；　and　wanted　you　to
help　him。　What　did　you　do？〃

〃What　I　told　you　I　should　do　this　morning。　He　had　counted　confidently　on
my　taking　his　sideit　was　pitiable　to　see　him；　poor　fellow！　Still；　for
his　own　sake；　I　refused　to　yield。　I　left　him　the　choice　of　giving　her　the
true　explanation　himself；　or　of　leaving　me　to　do　it。　There　wasn't　a
moment　to　lose；　she　was　in　no　humour　to　be　trifled　with；　I　can　tell　you！
Oscar　behaved　very　well　about　ithe　always　behaves　well　when　I　drive　him
into　a　corner！　In　one　word；　he　was　man　enough　to　feel　that　he　was　the
right　person　to　make　a　clean　breast　of　itnot　I。　I　gave　the　poor　old　boy
a　hug　to　encourage　him；　pushed　him　into　the　room；　shut　the　door　on　him；
and　came　out　here。　He　ought　to　have　done　it　by　this　time。　He　_has_　done
it！　Here　he　comes！〃

Oscar　ran　out；　bareheaded；　from　the　house。　There　were　signs　of
disturbance　in　him；　as　he　approached　us；　which　warned　me　that　something
had　gone　wrong；　before　he　opened　his　lips。

Nugent　spoke　first。

〃What's　amiss　now？〃　he　asked。　〃Have　you　told　her　the　truth？〃

〃I　have　tried　to　tell　her　the　truth。〃

〃Tried？　What　do　you　mean？〃

Oscar　put　his　arm　round　his　brother's　neck；　and　laid　his　head　on　his
brother's　shoulder；　without　answering　one　word。

I　put　a　question　to　him　on　my　side。

〃Did　Lucilla　refuse　to　listen　to　you？〃　I　asked。

〃No。〃

〃Has　she　said　anything　or　done　anything？〃

He　lifted　his　head　from　his　brother's　shoulder；　and　stopped　me　before　I
could　finish　the　sentence。

〃You　need　feel　no　anxiety　about　Lucilla。　Lucilla's　curiosity　is
satisfied。〃

Nugent　and　I　gazed　at　one　another；　in　complete　bewilderment。　Lucilla　had
heard　it　all；　Lucilla's　curiosity　was　satisfied。　He　had　that　incredibly
happy　result　to　communicate　to　usand　he　announced　it　with　a　look　of
humiliation；　in　a　tone　of　despair！　Nugent's　patience　gave　way。

〃Let　us　have　an　end　of　this　mystification；〃　he　said；　putting　Oscar　back
from　him；　sharply；　at　arm's　length。　〃I　want　a　plain　answer　to　a　plain
question。　She　knows　that　the　boy　knocked　at　the　door；　and　asked　if　Blue
Face　was　at　home。　Does　she　know　what　the　boy's　impudence　meant？　Yes？　or
No？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Does　she　know　that　it　is　you　who　are　Blue　Face？〃

〃No。〃

〃No！！！　Who　else　does　she　think　it　is？〃

As　he　asked　the　question；　Lucilla　appeared　at　the　door　of　the　house。　She
moved　her　blind　face　inquiringly　first　one　way；　then　the　other。　〃Oscar！〃
she　called　out；　〃why　have　you　left　me　alone？　where　are　you？〃

Oscar　turned；　trembling；　to　his　brother。

〃For　God's　sake　forgive　me；　Nugent！〃　he　said。　〃She　thinks　it's　YOU。〃


CHAPTER　THE　TWENTY…SIXTH

He　proves　Equal　to　the　Occasion

AT　that　astounding　confession；　abruptly　revealed　in　those　plain　words；
even　resolute　Nugent　lost　all　power　of　self…control。　He　burst　out　with　a
cry　which　reached　Lucilla's　ears。　She　instantly　turned　towards　us；　and
instantly　assumed　that　the　cry　had　come　from　Oscar's　lips。

〃Ah！　there　you　are！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Oscar！　Oscar！　what　is　the　matter
with　you　to…day？〃

Oscar　was　incapable　of　answering　her。　He　had　cast　one　glance　of　entreaty
at　his　brother　as　Lucilla　came　nearer　to　us。　The　mute　reproach　which　had
answered　him；　in　Nugent's　eyes；　had　broken　down　his　last　reserves　of
endurance。　He　was　crying　silently　on　Nugent's　breast。

It　was　necessary　that　one　of　us　should　make　his；　or　her；　voice　heard。　I
spoke　first。

〃Nothing　is　the　matter；　my　dear；〃　I　said；　advancing　to　meet　Lucilla。　〃We
were　passing　the　house；　and　Oscar　ran　out　to　stop　us　and　bring　us　in。〃

My　excuses　roused　a　new　alarm　in　her。

〃Us？〃　she　repeated。　〃Who　is　with　you？〃

〃Nugent　is　with　me。〃

The　result　of　the　deplorable　misunderstanding　which　had　taken　place；
instantly　declared　itself。　She　turned　deadly　pale　under　the　horror　of
feeling　that　she　was　in　the　presence　of　the　man　with　the　blue　face。

〃Take　me　near　enough　to　speak　to　him；　but　not　to　touch　him；〃　she
whispered。　〃I　have　heard　what　he　is　like。　（Oh；　if　you　saw　him；　as　I　see
him；　_in　the　dark！_）　I　must　control　myself。　I　must　speak　to　Oscar's
brother；　for　Oscar's　sake。〃

She　seized　my　arm　and　held　me　close　to　her。　What　ought　I　to　have　said？
What　ought　I　to　have　done？　I　neither　knew　what　to　say　or　what　to　do。　I
looked　from　Lucilla　to　the　twin　brothers。　There　was　Oscar　the　Weak；
overwhelmed　by　the　humiliating　position　in　which　he　had　placed　himself
towards　the　woman　whom　he　was　to　marry；　towards　the　brother　whom　he
loved！　And　there　was　Nugent　the　Strong；　master　of　himself；　with　his　arm
round　his　brother；　with　his　head　erect；　with　his　hand　signing　to　me　to
keep　silence。　He　was　right。　I　had　only　to　look　back　at　Lucilla's　face　to
see　that　the　delicate　and　perilous　work　of　undeceiving　her；　was　not　work
to　be　done　at　a　moment's　notice；　on　the　spot。

〃You　are　not　yourself　to…day；〃　I　said　to　her。　〃Let　us　go　home。〃

〃No！〃　she　answered。　〃I　must　accustom　myself　to　speak　to　him。　I　will　begin
to…day。　Take　me　to　himbut　don't　let　him　touch　me！〃

Nugent　disengaged　himself　from　Oscarwhose　unfitness　to　help　us　through
our　difficulties　was　too　manifest　to　be　mistakenas　he　saw　us
approaching。　He　pointed　to　the　low　wall　in　front　of　the　house；　and
motioned　to　his　brother　to　wait　there　out　of　the　way　before　Lucilla　could
speak　to　him　again。　The　wisdom　of　this　proceeding　was　not　long　in
asserting　itself。　Lucilla　asked　for　Oscar　the　moment　after　he　had　left
us。　Nugent　answered　that　Oscar　had　gone　back　to　the　house　to　get　his　hat。

The　sound　of　Nugent's　voice　helped　her　to　calculate　her　distance　from　him
without　assistance　from　me。　Still　holding　my　arm；　she　stopped　and　spoke
to　him。

〃Nugent；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　made　Oscar　tell　mewhat　he　ought　to　have
told　me　long　since。〃　（She　paused　between　each　sentence；　painfully
controlling　herself；　painfully　catching　her　breath。）　〃He　has　discovered　a
foolish　antipathy　of　mine。　I　don't　know　how；　I　tried　to　keep　it　a　secret
from　him。　I　need　not　tell　you　what　it　is。〃

She　made　a　longer　pause　at　those　words；　holding　me　closer　and　closer　to
her；　struggling　more　and　more　painfully　against　the　irresistible　nervous
loathing　that　had　got　possession　of　her。

He　listened；　on　his　side；　with　the　constraint　which　always　fell　upon　him
in　her　presence　more　marked　than　ever。　His　eyes　were　on　the　ground。　He
seemed　reluctant　even　to　look　at　her。

〃I　think　I　understand；〃　she　went　on；　〃why　Oscar　was　unwilling　to　tell
me〃　she　stopped；　at　a　loss　how　to　express　herself　without　running　the
risk　of　hurting　his　feelings〃to　tell　me；〃　she　resumed；　〃what　it　is　in
you　which　is　not　like　other　people。　He　was　afraid　my　stupid　weakness
might　prejudice　me　against　you。　I　wish　to　say　that　I　won't　let　it　do
that。　I　never　was　more　ashamed　of　it　than　now。　I；　too；　have　my
misfortune。　I　ought　to　sympathize　with　you；　instead　of〃

Her　voice　had　been　growing　fainter　and　fainter　as　she　proceeded。　She
leaned　against　me　heavily。　One　glance　at　her　told　me　that　if　I　let　it　go
on　any　longer　she　would　fall　into　a　swoon。　〃Tell　your　brother　that　we
have　gone　back　to　the　rectory；〃　I　said　to　Nugent。　He　looked　up　at　Lucilla
for　the　first　time。

〃You　are　right；〃　he　answered。　〃Take　her　home。〃　He　repeated　the　sign　by
which　he　had　already　hinted　to　me　to　be　silentand　joined　Oscar　at　the
wall　in　front　of　the　house。

〃Has　he　gone？〃　she　asked。

〃He　has　gone。〃

The　moisture　stood　thick　on　her　forehead。　I　passed　my　handkerchief　over
her　face；　and　turned　her　towards　the　wind。

〃Are　you　better　now？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Can　you　walk　home？〃

〃Easily。〃

I　put　her　arm　in　mine。　After　advancing　with　me　a　few　steps；　she　suddenly
stoppedwith　a　blind　apprehension；　as　it　seemed；　of　something　in　front
of　her。　She　lifted　her　little　walking…cane；　and　moved　it　slowly　backwards
and　forwards　in　the　empty　air；　with　the　action　of　some　one　who　is
clearing　away　an　encumbrance　to　a　free　advancesay　the　action　of　a