poor miss finch-第52章

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We　may　go　on　again。〃

He　took　a　magnifying　glass　out　of　his　waistcoat　pocket；　and　waited　till
Lucilla　had　fairly　exhausted　herself　with　laughing。　Then　the
examinationso　cruelly　grotesque　in　itself；　so　terribly　serious　in　the
issues　which　it　involvedresumed　its　course：　Herr　Grosse　glaring　at　his
patient　through　his　magnifying　glass；　Lucilla　leaning　back　in　the　chair；
holding　the　handkerchief　over　her　nose。

A　minute；　or　more；　passedand　the　ordeal　of　the　examination　came　to　an
end。

Herr　Grosse　put　back　his　magnifying　glass　with　a　grunt　which　sounded　like
a　grunt　of　relief；　and　snatched　the　handkerchief　away　from　Lucilla。

〃Ach！　what　a　nasty　smell！〃　he　said；　holding　the　handkerchief　to　his　nose
with　a　grimace　of　disgust。　〃Tobaccos　is　much　better　than　this。〃　He
solaced　his　nostrils；　offended　by　the　lavender…water；　with　a　huge　pinch
of　snuff。　〃Now　I　am　going　to　talk；〃　he　went　on。　〃See！　I　keep　my　distance。
You　don't　want　your　handkerchiefsyou　smell　me　no　more。〃

〃Am　I　blind　for　life？〃　said　Lucilla。　〃Pray；　pray　tell　me；　sir！　Am　I　blind
for　life？〃

〃Will　you　kees　me　if　I　tell　you？〃

〃Oh；　do　consider　how　anxious　I　am！　Pray；　pray；　pray　tell　me！〃

She　tried　to　go　down　on　her　knees　before　him。　He　held　her　back　firmly　and
kindly　in　her　chair。

〃Now！　now！　now！　you　be　nice…goot；　and　tell　me　this　first。　When　you　are
out　in　the　garden；　taking　your　little　lazy　lady's　walks　on　a　shiny…sunny
day；　is　it　all　the　same　to　your　eyes　as　if　you　were　lying　in　your　bed　in
the　middles　of　the　night？〃

〃No。〃

〃Hah！　You　know　it　is　nice…light　at　one　time？　you　know　it　is　horrid…dark
at　the　odder？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Then　why　you　ask　me　if　you　are　blind　for　life？　If　you　can　see　as　much　as
that；　you　are　not　properly　blind　at　all？〃

She　clasped　her　hands；　with　a　low　cry　of　delight。　〃Oh；　where　is　Oscar？〃
she　said　softly。　〃Where　is　Oscar？〃　I　looked　round　for　him。　He　was　gone。
While　his　brother　and　I　had　been　hanging　spell…bound　over　the　surgeon's
questions　and　the　patient's　answers；　he　must　have　stolen　silently　out　of
the　room。

Herr　Grosse　rose；　and　vacated　the　chair　in　favor　of　Mr。　Sebright。　In　the
ecstasy　of　the　new　hope　now　confirmed　in　her；　Lucilla　seemed　to　be
unconscious　of　the　presence　of　the　English　oculist；　when　he　took　his
colleague's　place。　His　grave　face　looked　more　serious　than　ever；　as　he
too　produced　a　magnifying　glass　from　his　pocket；　and；　gently　parting　the
patient's　eyelids；　entered　on　the　examination　of　her　blindness；　in　his
turn。

The　investigation　by　Mr。　Sebright　lasted　a　much　longer　time　than　the
investigation　by　Herr　Grosse。　He　pursued　it　in　perfect　silence。　When　he
had　done　he　rose　without　a　word；　and　left　Lucilla　as　he　had　found　her；
rapt　in　the　trance　of　her　own　happinessthinking；　thinking；　thinking　of
the　time　when　she　should　open　her　eyes　in　the　new　morning；　and　see！

〃Well？〃　said　Nugent；　impatiently　addressing　Mr。　Sebright。　〃What　do　you
say？〃

〃I　say　nothing　yet。〃　With　that　implied　reproof　to　Nugent；　he　turned　to
me。　〃I　understand　that　Miss　Finch　was　blindor　as　nearly　blind　as　could
be　discoveredat　a　year　old？〃

〃I　have　always　heard　so；〃　I　replied。

〃Is　there　any　person　in　the　houseparent；　or　relative；　or　servantwho
can　speak　to　the　symptoms　noticed　when　she　was　an　infant？〃

I　rang　the　bell　for　Zillah。　〃Her　mother　is　dead；〃　I　said。　〃And　there　are
reasons　which　prevent　her　father　from　being　present　to…day。　Her　old　nurse
will　be　able　to　give　you　all　the　information　you　want。〃

Zillah　appeared。　Mr。　Sebright　put　his　questions。

〃Were　you　in　the　house　when　Miss　Finch　was　born？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Was　there　anything　wrong　with　her　eyes　at　her　birth；　or　soon
afterwards？〃

〃Nothing；　sir。〃

〃How　did　you　know？〃

〃I　knew　by　seeing　her　take　notice；　sir。　She　used　to　stare　at　the　candles；
and　clutch　at　things　that　were　held　before　her；　as　other　babies　do。〃

〃How　did　you　discover　it；　when　she　began　to　get　blind？〃

〃In　the　same　way；　sir。　There　came　a　time；　poor　little　thing；　when　her
eyes　looked　glazed…like；　and　try　her　as　we　might；　morning　or　evening；　it
was　all　the　sameshe　noticed　nothing。〃

〃Did　the　blindness　come　on　gradually？〃

〃Yes；　sirbit　by　bit；　as　you　may　say。　Slowly　worse　and　worse　one　week
after　another。　She　was　a　little　better　than　a　year　old　before　we　clearly
made　it　out　that　her　sight　was　gone。〃

〃Was　her　father's　sight；　or　her　mother's　sight　ever　affected　in　any　way？〃

〃Never；　sir；　that　I　heard　of。〃

Mr。　Sebright　turned　to　Herr　Grosse；　sitting　at　the　luncheon…table
resignedly　contemplating　the　Mayonnaise。　〃Do　you　wish　to　ask　the　nurse
any　questions？〃　he　said。

Herr　Grosse　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　pointed　backwards　with　his　thumb
at　the　place　in　which　Lucilla　was　sitting。

〃Her　case　is　as　plain　to　me　as　twos　and　twos　make　fours。　Ach　Gott！　what
do　I　want　with　the　nurse？〃　He　turned　again　longingly　towards　the
Mayonnaise。　〃My　fine　appetites　is　going！　When　shall　we　lonch？〃

Mr。　Sebright　dismissed　Zillah　with　a　frigid　inclination　of　the　head。　His
discouraging　manner　made　me　begin　to　feel　a　little　uneasy。　I　ventured　to
ask　if　he　had　arrived　at　a　conclusion　yet。　〃Permit　me　to　consult　with　my
colleague　before　I　answer　you；〃　said　the　impenetrable　man。　I　roused
Lucilla。　She　again　inquired　for　Oscar。　I　said　I　supposed　we　should　find
him　in　the　gardenand　so　took　her　out。　Nugent　followed　us。　I　heard　Herr
Grosse　whisper　to　him　piteously；　as　we　passed　the　luncheon…table；　〃For
the　lofe　of　Heaven；　come　back　soon；　and　let　us　lonch！〃　We　left　the
ill…assorted　pair　to　their　consultation　in　the　sitting…room。

CHAPTER　THE　THIRTY…FIRST

〃Who　Shall　Decide　when　Doctors　disagree？〃

WE　had　certainly　not　been　more　than　ten　minutes　in　the　garden；　when　we
were　startled　by　an　extraordinary　outbreak　of　shouting　in　broken　English；
proceeding　from　the　window　of　the　sitting…room。　〃Hi…hi…hoi！　hoi…hi！
hoi…hi！〃　We　looked　up；　and　discovered　Herr　Grosse；　frantically　waving　a
huge　red　silk　handkerchief　at　the　window。　〃Lonch！　lonch！〃　cried　the
German　surgeon。　〃The　consultations　is　done。　Come　begin…begin。〃

Obedient　to　this　peremptory　summons；　Lucilla；　Nugent；　and　I　returned　to
the　sitting…room。　We　had；　as　I　had　foreseen；　found　Oscar　wandering　alone
in　the　garden。　He　had　entreated　me；　by　a　sign；　not　to　reveal　our
discovery　of　him　to　Lucilla；　and　had　hurried　away　to　hide　himself　in　one
of　the　side…walks。　His　agitation　was　pitiable　to　see。　He　was　totally
unfit　to　be　trusted　in　Lucilla's　presence　at　that　anxious　moment。

When　we　had　left　the　oculists　together；　I　had　sent　Zillah　with　a　little
written　message　to　Reverend　Finch；　entreating　him　（if　it　was　only　for
form's　sake）　to　reconsider　his　resolution；　and　be　present　on　the
all…important　occasion　to　his　daughter　of　the　delivery　of　the　medical
opinions　on　her　case。　At　the　bottom　of　the　stairs　（on　our　return）；　my
answer　was　handed　to　me　on　a　slip　of　sermon…paper。　〃Mr。　Finch　declined　to
submit　a　question　of　principle　to　any　considerations　dictated　by　mere
expediency。　He　desired　seriously　to　remind　Madame　Pratolungo　of　what　he
had　already　told　her。　In　other　words；　he　would　repeat；　and　he　would　beg
her　to　remember　this　time；　that　his　Foot　was　down。〃

On　re…entering　the　room；　we　found　the　eminent　oculists　seated　as　far
apart　as　possible　one　from　the　other。　Both　gentlemen　were　engaged　in
reading。　Mr。　Sebright　was　reading　a　book。　Herr　Grosse　was　reading　the
Mayonnaise。

I　placed　Lucilla　close　by　me；　and　took　her　hand。　It　was　as　cold　as　ice。
My　poor　dear　trembled　pitiably。　For　her；　what　moments　of　unutterable
suffering　were　those　moments　of　suspense；　before　the　surgeons　delivered
their　sentence！　I　pressed　her　little　cold　hand　in　mine；　and　whispered
〃Courage！〃　Truly　I　can　say　it　（though　I　am　not　usually　one　of　the
sentimental　sort）；　my　heart　bled　for　her。

〃Well；　gentlemen；〃　said　Nugent；　〃what　is　the　result？　Are　you　both
agreed？〃

〃No；〃　said　Mr。　Sebright；　putting　aside　his　book。

〃No；〃　said　Herr　Grosse；　ogling　the　Mayonnaise。　Lucilla　turned　her　face
towards　me；　her　color　shifting　and　changing；　her　bosom　rising　and　falling
more　and　more　rapidly。　I　whispered　to　her　to　compose　herself。　〃One　of
them；　at　any　rate；〃　I　said；　〃thinks　you　will　recover　your　sight。〃　She
understood　me；　and　b