poor miss finch-第69章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Tired；　ma'am？〃　he　said。

The　uppermost　idea　in　my　mind　found　its　way　somehow；　ill　as　I　was；　to
expression　on　my　lipsin　the　form　of　a　question　addressed　to　the
landlord。

〃Do　you　happen　to　have　seen　anything　of　Mr。　Nugent　Dubourg？〃　I　asked。

〃I　saw　him　not　five　minutes　since；　ma'am。〃

〃Where？〃

〃Going　into　Browndown。〃

I　started　up；　as　if　I　had　been　struck　or　shot。　Worthy　Mr。　Gootheridge
stared。　I　wished　him　good…day；　and　went　on　as　fast　as　my　feet　would　take
me；　straight　to　Browndown。　Had　the　brothers　met　in　the　house？　I　turned
cold　at　the　bare　thought　of　itbut　I　still　kept　on。　There　was　an
obstinate　resolution　in　me　to　part　them；　which　served　me　in　place　of
courage。　Account　for　it　as　you　may；　I　was　bold　and　frightened　both　at　the
same　time。　At　one　moment；　I　was　fool　enough　to　say　to　myself；　〃They　will
kill　me。〃　At　another；　just　as　foolishly；　I　found　comfort　in　the　opposite
view。　〃Bah！　They　are　gentlemen；　they　can't　hurt　a　woman！〃

The　servant　was　standing　idling　at　the　front　door；　when　I　arrived　in
sight　of　the　house。　This；　in　itself；　was　unusual。　He　was　a　hard…working
well…trained　man。　On　other　occasions；　nobody　had　ever　seen　him　out　of　his
proper　place。　He　advanced　a　few　steps　to　meet　me。　I　looked　at　him
carefully。　Not　the　slightest　appearance　of　disturbance　was　visible　in　his
face。

〃Is　Mr。　Oscar　at　home？〃　I　asked。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　ma'am。　Mr。　Oscar　is　at　homebut　you　can't　see　him。
He　and　Mr。　Nugent　are　together。〃

I　rested　my　hand　on　the　low　wall　in　front　of　the　house；　and　made　a
desperate　effort　to　put　a　calm　face　on　it。

〃Surely　Mr。　Oscar　will　see　_me？_〃　I　said。

〃I　have　Mr。　Oscar's　orders；　ma'am；　to　wait　at　the　door；　and　tell
everybody　who　comes　to　the　house　（without　exception）　that　he　is　engaged。〃

The　house…door　was　half　open。　I　listened　intently　while　the　man　was
speaking。　If　they　had　been　at　high　words　together；　I　must　have　heard　them
in　the　silence　of　the　lonely　hills　all　round　us。　I　heard　nothing。

It　was　strange；　it　was　inconceivable。　At　the　same　time　it　relieved　me。
There　they　were　together；　and　no　harm　had　come　of　it；　so　far。

I　left　my　cardand　walked　on　a　little；　past　the　corner　of　the　house
wall。　As　soon　as　I　was　out　of　the　servant's　sight；　I　turned　back　to　the
side　of　the　building；　and　ventured　as　near　as　I　durst　to　the　window　of
the　sitting…room。　Their　voices　reached　me；　but　not　their　words。　On　both
sides；　the　tones　were　low　and　confidential。　Not　a　note　of　anger　in　either
voicelisten　for　it　as　I　might！　I　left　the　house　again；　breathless　with
amazement；　and　（so　rapidly　does　a　woman　shift　from　one　emotion　to
another）　burning　with　curiosity。

After　half　an　hour　of　aimless　wandering　in　the　valley；　I　returned　to　the
rectory。

Lucilla　was　still　sleeping。　I　took　Zillah's　place；　and　sent　her　into　the
kitchen。　The　landlady　of　the　inn　was　there　to　help　us　with　the　dinner。
But　she　was　hardly　equal；　single…handed；　to　the　superintendence　of　such
dishes　as　we　had　to　set　before　Herr　Grosse。　It　was　high　time　I　relieved
Zillah　if　we　were　to　pass　successfully　through　the　ordeal　of　the　great
surgeon's　criticism；　as　reviewer　of　all　the　sauces。

An　hour　more　passed　before　Lucilla　woke。　I　sent　a　messenger　to　Grosse；
who　appeared　enveloped　in　a　halo　of　tobacco；　examined　the　patient's　eyes；
felt　her　pulse；　ordered　her　wine　and　jelly；　filled　his　monstrous　pipe；
and　gruffly　returned　to　his　promenade　in　the　garden。

The　day　wore　on。　Mr。　Finch　came　to　make　inquiries；　and　then　went　back　to
his　wifewhom　he　described　as　〃hysterically　irresponsible；〃　and　in
imminent　need　of　another　warm　bath。　He　declined；　in　his　most　pathetic
manner；　to　meet　the　German　at　dinner。　〃After　what　I　have　suffered；　after
what　I　have　seen；　these　banquetingsI　would　say；　these　ticklings　of　the
palateare　not　to　my　taste。　You　mean　well；　Madame　Pratolungo。　（Good
creature！）　But　I　am　not　in　heart　for　feasting。　Simple　fare；　by　my　wife's
couch；　a　few　consoling　words；　in　the　character　of　pastor　and　husband；
when　the　infant　is　quiet。　So　my　day　is　laid　out。　I　wish　you　well。　I　don't
object　to　your　little　dinner。　Good　day！　good　day！〃

A　second　examination　of　Lucilla's　eyes　brought　us　to　the　dinner…hour。

At　the　sight　of　the　table…cloth；　Herr　Grosse's　good　humour　returned。　We
two　dined　together　alonethe　German　sending　in　selections　of　his　own
making　from　the　dishes　to　Lucilla's　room。　So　far；　he　said；　she　had
escaped　any　serious　injury。　But　he　still　insisted　on　keeping　his　patient
perfectly　quiet；　and　he　refused　to　answer　for　anything　until　the　night
had　passed。　As　for　me；　Oscar's　continued　silence　weighed　more　and　more
heavily　on　my　spirits。　My　past　suspense　in　the　darkened　room　with　Lucilla
seemed　to　be　a　mere　trifle　by　comparison　with　the　keener　anxieties　which
I　suffered　now。　I　saw　Grosse's　eyes　glaring　discontentedly　at　me　through
his　spectacles。　He　had　good　reason　to　look　at　me　as　he　didI　had　never
before　been　so　stupid　and　so　disagreeable　in　all　my　life。

Towards　the　end　of　the　dinner；　there　came　news　from　Browndown　at　last。
The　servant　sent　in　a　message　by　Zillah；　begging　me　to　see　him　for　a
moment　outside　the　sitting…room　door。

I　made　my　excuses　to　my　guest；　and　hurried　out。

The　instant　I　saw　the　servant's　face；　my　heart　sank。　Oscar's　kindness　had
attached　the　man　devotedly　to　his　master。　I　saw　his　lips　tremble；　and　his
color　come　and　go；　when　I　looked　at　him。

〃I　have　brought　you　a　letter；　ma'am。〃

He　handed　me　a　letter　addressed　to　me　in　Oscar's　handwriting。

〃How　is　your　master？〃　I　asked。

〃Not　very　well；　when　I　saw　him　last。〃

〃When　you　saw　him　last？〃

〃I　bring　sad　news；　ma'am。　There's　a　break…up　at　Browndown。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？　Where　is　Mr。　Oscar？〃

〃Mr。　Oscar　has　left　Dimchurch。〃



CHAPTER　THE　THIRTY…SEVENTH

The　Brothers　change　Places

I　VAINLY　believed　I　had　prepared　myself　for　any　misfortune　that　could
fall　on　us。　The　man's　last　words　dispelled　my　delusion。　My　gloomiest
forebodings　had　never　contemplated　such　a　disaster　as　had　now　happened。　I
stood　petrified；　thinking　of　Lucilla；　and　looking　helplessly　at　the
servant。　Try　as　I　might；　I　was　perfectly　incapable　of　speaking　to　him。

He　felt　no　such　difficulty　on　his　side。　One　of　the　strangest
peculiarities　in　the　humbler　ranks　of　the　English　people；　is　the　sort　of
solemn　relish　which　they　have　for　talking　of　their　own　misfortunes。　To　be
the　objects　of　a　calamity　of　any　kind；　seems　to　raise　them　in　their　own
estimations。　With　a　dreary　enjoyment　of　his　miserable　theme；　the　servant
expatiated　on　his　position　as　a　man　deprived　of　the　best　of　masters；
turned　adrift　again　in　the　world　to　seek　another　service；　hopeless　of
ever　again　finding　himself　in　such　a　situation　as　he　had　lost。　He　roused
me　at　last　into　speaking　to　him；　by　sheer　dint　of　irritating　my　nerves
until　I　could　endure　him　no　longer。

〃Has　Mr。　Oscar　gone　away　alone？〃　I　asked。

〃Yes；　ma'am；　quite　alone。〃

（What　had　become　of　Nugent？　I　was　too　much　interested　in　Oscar　to　be　able
to　put　the　question；　at　that　moment。）

〃When　did　your　master　go？〃　I　went　on。

〃Better　than　two　hours　since。〃

〃Why　didn't　I　hear　of　it　before？〃

〃I　had　Mr。　Oscar's　orders　not　to　tell　you；　ma'am；　till　this　time　in　the
evening。〃

Wretched　as　I　was　already；　my　spirits　sank　lower　still　when　I　heard　that。
The　order　given　to　the　servant　looked　like　a　premeditated　design；　not
only　to　leave　Dimchurch；　but　also　to　keep　us　in　ignorance　of　his
whereabouts　afterwards。

〃Has　Mr。　Oscar　gone　to　London？〃　I　inquired。

〃He　hired　Gootheridge's　chaise；　ma'am；　to　take　him　to　Brighton。　And　he
told　me　with　his　own　lips　that　he　had　left　Browndown　never　to　come　back。
I　know　no　more　of　it　than　that。〃

He　had　left　Browndown；　never　to　come　back！　For　Lucilla's　sake；　I　declined
to　believe　that。　The　servant　was　exaggerating；　or　the　servant　had
misunderstood　what　had　been　said　to　him。　The　letter　in　my　hand　reminded
me　that　I　had　perhaps　needlessly　questioned　him　on　matters　which　his
master　had　confided　to　my　own　knowledge　only。　Before　I　dismissed　him　for
the　night；　I　made　my　deferred　inquiry　on　the　hateful　subject　of　the　other
brother。

〃Where　is　Mr。　Nugent？〃

〃At　Browndown。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　he　is　going　to　stay　at　Br