poor miss finch-第78章

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She　answered　by　a　little　gesture　of　defiance；　and　took　three　hasty　steps
forward。　Bewildered　and　frightened；　she　stopped　suddenly　at　the　third
stepbefore　she　had　advanced　half　the　way　from　her　end　of　the　room　to
mine。

〃I　saw　her　here；〃　she　said；　pointing　down　to　the　spot　on　which　she　was
standing；　and　appealing　piteously　to　Grosse。　〃I　see　her　nowand　I　don't
know　where　she　is！　She　is　so　near；　I　feel　as　if　she　touched　my　eyesand
yet〃　（she　advanced　another　step；　and　clutched　with　her　hands　at　the　empty
air）〃and　yet；　I　can't　get　near　enough　to　take　hold　of　her。　Oh！　what
does　it　mean？　what　does　it　mean？〃

〃It　meanspay　me　my　six　pennies！〃　said　Grosse。　〃The　wager…bet　is　mine！〃

　She　resented　his　laughing　at　her；　with　an　obstinate　shake　of　her　head；
and　an　angry　knitting　of　her　pretty　eyebrows。

　〃Wait　a　little；〃　she　said。　〃You　shan't　win　quite　so　easily　as　that。　I
will　get　to　her　yet！〃

　She　came　straight　to　me　in　a　momentjust　as　easily　as　I　could　have　gone
to　her　myself　if　I　had　tried。

　〃Another　wager…bet！〃　cried　Grosse；　still　standing　behind　her；　and
calling　to　me。　〃Twenty　thousand　pounds　this　time　to　a　fourpennies…bit。
_She　has　shut　her　eyes　to　get　to　you。_　Hey！〃

　It　was　trueshe　had　blindfolded　herself！　With　her　eyes　closed；　she
could　measure　to　a　hair's　breadth　the　distance　which；　with　her　eyes
opened；　she　was　perfectly　incompetent　to　calculate！　Detected　by　both　of
us；　she　sat　down；　poor　dear；　with　a　sigh　of　despair。　〃Was　it　worth
while；〃　she　said　to　me　sadly；　〃to　go　through　the　operation　for　_this？_〃

　Grosse　joined　us　at　our　end　of　the　room。

〃All　in　goot　time；〃　he　said。　〃Patienceand　these　helpless　eyes　of　yours
will　learn。　Soh！　I　shall　begin　to　teach　them　now。　You　have　got　your　own
notionshey？about　this　colors　and　that？　When　you　were　blind；　did　you
think　what　would　be　your　favorite　colors　if　you　could　see？　You　did？　Which
colors　is　it？　Tell　me。　Come！〃

〃White　first；〃　she　answered。　〃Then　scarlet。〃

Grosse　paused；　and　considered。

〃White；　I　understand；〃　he　said。　〃White　is　the　fancy　of　a　young　girls。　But
why　scarlets？　Could　you　see　scarlets　when　you　were　blind？〃

〃Almost；〃　she　answered；　〃if　it　was　bright　enough。　I　used　to　feel
something　pass　before　my　eyes　when　scarlet　was　shown　to　me。〃

　〃In　these　cataracts…cases；　it　is　constantly　scarlets　that　they　almost
see；〃　muttered　Grosse　to　himself。　〃There　must　be　reason　for　thisand　I
must　find　him。〃　He　went　on　with　his　questions　to　Lucilla。　〃And　the　colors
you　hate　mostwhich　is　_he？_〃

〃Black。〃

Grosse　nodded　his　head　approvingly。　〃I　thought　so；〃　he　said。　〃It　is
always　black　that　they　hate。　For　this　also　there　must　be　reasonand　I
must　find　_him。_〃

Having　expressed　that　resolution；　he　approached　the　writing…table；　and
took　a　sheet　of　paper　out　of　the　case；　and　a　circular　pen…wiper　of
scarlet　cloth　out　of　the　inkstand。　After　that；　he　looked　about　him；
waddled　back　to　the　other　end　of　the　room；　and　fetched　the　black　felt　hat
in　which　he　had　traveled　from　London。　He　ranged　the　hat；　the　paper；　and
the　pen…wiper　in　a　row。　Before　he　could　put　his　next　question　to　her；　she
pointed　to　the　hat　with　a　gesture　of　disapproval。

〃Take　it　away；〃　she　said。　〃I　don't　like　that。〃

Grosse　stopped　me　before　I　could　speak。

〃Wait　a　little；〃　he　whispered　in　my　ear。　〃It　is　not　quite　so　wonderful　as
you　think。　These　blind　peoples；　when　they　first　see；　have　all　alike　the
same　hatred　of　anything　what　is　dark。〃　He　turned　to　Lucilla。　〃Say；〃　he
asked。　〃Is　your　favorite　colors　among　these　things　here？〃

She　passed　by　the　hat　in　contempt；　looked　at　the　pen…wiper；　and　put　it
down；　looked　at　the　sheet　of　paper；　and　put　it　down；　hesitatedand　again
shut　her　eyes。

〃No！〃　cried　Grosse。　〃I　won't　have　it！　How　dare　you　blind　yourself；　in　the
presence　of　Me？　What！　I　give　you　back　your　sights；　and　you　go　shut　your
eyes。　Open　themor　I　will　put　you　in　the　corner　like　a　naughty　girls。
Your　favorite　colors？　Now；　now；　now！〃

She　opened　her　eyes　（very　unwillingly）；　and　looked　once　more　at　the
pen…wiper　and　the　paper。

〃I　see　nothing　as　bright　as　my　favorite　colors　here；〃　she　said。

Grosse　held　up　the　sheet　of　paper；　and　pressed　the　question　without
mercy。

〃What！　is　white；　whiter　than　this？〃

〃Fifty　thousand　times　whiter　than　that！〃

〃Goot。　Now　mind！　This　paper　is　white；〃　（he　snatched　her　handkerchief　out
of　her　apron…pocket）。　〃This　handkerchief　is　white；　too；　whitest　of　white；
both　of　them。　First　lesson；　my　lofe！　Here　in　my　hands　is　your　favorite
colors；　in　the　time　when　you　were　blind。〃

　〃_Those！_〃she　exclaimed；　pointing　to　the　paper　and　the　handkerchief；
with　a　look　of　blank　disappointment　as　he　dropped　them　on　the　table。　She
turned　over　the　pen…wiper　and　the　hat；　and　looked　round　at　me。　Grosse；
waiting　to　try　another　experiment；　left　it　to　me　to　answer。　The　result；
in　both　cases；　was　the　same　as　in　the　cases　of　the　sheet　of　paper　and　the
handkerchief。　Scarlet　was　not　half　as　redblack；　not　one…hundredth　part
as　blackas　her　imagination　had　figured　them　to　her；　in　the　days　when
she　was　blind。　Still；　as　to　this　last　coloras　to　blackshe　could　feel
some　little　encouragement。　It　had　affected　her　disagreeably　（just　as　poor
Oscar's　face　had　affected　her）；　though　she　had　not　actually　known　it　for
the　color　that　she　disliked。　She　made　an　effort；　poor　child；　to　assert
herself；　against　her　merciless　surgeon…teacher。　〃I　didn't　know　it　was
black；〃　she　said。　〃But　I　hated　the　sight　of　it；　for　all　that。〃

　She　tried；　as　she　spoke；　to　toss　the　hat　on　to　a　chair；　standing　close
by　herand　threw　it　instead；　high　above　the　back　of　the　chair；　against
the　wall；　at　least　six　feet　away　from　the　object　at　which　she　had　aimed。
〃I　am　a　helpless　fool！〃　she　burst　out；　her　face　flushing　crimson　with
mortification。　〃Don't　let　Oscar　see　me！　I　can't　bear　the　thought　of
making　myself　ridiculous　before　_him！_　He　is　coming　here；〃　she　added；
turning　to　me　entreatingly。　〃Manage　to　make　some　excuse　for　his　not
seeing　me　till　later　in　the　day。〃

I　promised　to　find　the　excuseall　the　more　readily；　that　I　now　saw　an
unexpected　chance　of　reconciling　her　in　some　degree　（so　long　as　she　was
learning　to　see）　to　the　blank　produced　in　her　life　by　Oscar's　absence。

She　addressed　herself　again　to　Grosse。

〃Go　on！〃　she　said　impatiently。　〃Teach　me　to　be　something　better　than　an
idiotor　put　the　bandage　on；　and　blind　me　again。　My　eyes　are　of　no　use
to　me！　Do　you　hear？〃　she　cried　furiously；　taking　him　by　his　broad
shoulders　and　shaking　him　with　all　her　might〃my　eyes　are　of　no　use　to
me！〃

〃Now！　now！　now！〃　cried　Grosse。　〃If　you　don't　keep　your　tempers；　you
little　spitfire；　I　will　teach　you　nothing。〃　He　took　up　the　sheet　of　paper
and　the　pen…wiper；　and；　forcing　her　to　sit　down；　placed　them　together
before　her；　in　her　lap。

〃Do　you　know　one　thing？〃　he　went　on。　〃Do　you　know　what　is　meant　by　an
objects　which　is　square？　Do　you　know　what　is　meant　by　an　objects　which　is
round？〃

Instead　of　answering　him；　she　appealed　indignantly　to　my　opinion。

〃Is　it　not　monstrous；〃　she　asked；　〃to　hear　him　put　such　a　question　to　me
as　that？　Do　I　know　round　from　square？　Oh；　how　cruelly　humiliating！　Don't
tell　Oscar！　don't　tell　Oscar！〃

〃If　you　know；〃　persisted　Grosse；　〃you　can　tell　me。　Look　at　those　two
things　in　your　lap。　Are　they　both　round？　or　both　square？　or　is　one　round？
and　the　odder　square？　Look　now；　and　tell　me。〃

She　lookedand　said　nothing。

〃Well？〃　continued　Grosse。

〃You　put　me　out；　standing　there　staring　at　me　through　your　horrid
spectacles！〃　she　said　irritably。　〃Don't　look　at　me；　and　I　will　tell　you
directly。〃

Grosse　turned　his　head　my　way；　with　his　diabolical　grin；　and　signed　to　me
to　keep　watch　on　her；　in　his　place。

The　instant　his　back　was　turned；　she　shut　her　eyes；　and　ran　over　the
paper　and　the　pen…wiper　with　the　tips　of　her　fingers！

〃One　is　round　and　one　is　square；〃　she　answered；　cunningly　opening　her
eyes　again；　just　in　time　to　bear　critical　inspection　when　Grosse　turned
round　towards　her　once　more。

He　took　the　paper　and　the　pen…wiper　out　of　her　hands；　and　（thoroughly
understanding　the　trick　she　had　played　him）　changed　them　for　a　bronze
saucer　and　a　book。　〃Which　is　round？　and　which　is　square　of　these？〃　he
asked；　hold