poor miss finch-第12节

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right　again；　if　possible；　by　herself。

After　poking　under　the　clock　in　the　dark；　and　failing　to　set　the　pendulum
going　again　properly　in　that　way；　she　next　attempted　to　lift　the　clock；
and　give　it　a　shake。　It　was　set　in　a　marble　case；　with　a　bronze　figure　on
the　top；　and　it　was　so　heavy　that　she　was　obliged　to　hunt　for　something
which　she　could　use　as　a　lever。　The　thing　proved　to　be　not　easy　to　find
on　the　spur　of　the　moment。　Having　at　last　laid　her　hand　on　what　she
wanted；　she　contrived　so　to　lift　the　clock　a　few　inches　and　drop　it　again
on　the　mantelpiece；　as　to　set　it　going　once　more。

The　next　necessity　was　of　course　to　move　the　hands　on。　Here　again　she　was
met　by　an　obstacle。　There　was　a　difficulty　in　opening　the　glass…case
which　protected　the　dial。　After　uselessly　searching　for　some　instrument
to　help　her；　she　got　from　the　footman　（without　telling　him　what　she
wanted　it　for）　a　small　chisel。　With　this；　she　opened　the　caseafter
accidentally　scratching　the　brass　frame　of　itand　set　the　hands　of　the
clock　by　guess。　She　was　flurried　at　the　time；　fearing　that　her　mistress
would　discover　her。　Later　in　the　day；　she　found　that　she　had
over…estimated　the　interval　of　time　that　had　passed　while　she　was　trying
to　put　the　clock　right。　She　had；　in　fact；　set　it　exactly　_a　quarter　of　an
hour　too　fast。_

No　safe　opportunity　of　secretly　putting　the　clock　right　again　had
occurred；　until　the　last　thing　at　night。　She　had　then　moved　the　hands
back　to　the　right　time。　At　the　hour　of　the　evening　when　Mr。　Dubourg　had
called　on　her　mistress；　she　positively　swore　that　the　clock　was　a　quarter
of　an　hour　too　fast。　It　had　pointed；　as　her　mistress　had　declared；　to
twenty…five　minutes　to　ninethe　right　time　then　being；　as　Mr。　Dubourg
had　asserted；　twenty　minutes　past　eight。

Questioned　why　she　had　refrained　from　giving　this　extraordinary　evidence
at　the　inquiry　before　the　magistrate；　she　declared　that　in　the　remote
Cornish　village　to　which　she　had　gone　the　next　day；　and　in　which　her
illness　had　detained　her　from　that　time；　nobody　had　heard　of　the　inquiry
or　the　trial。　She　would　not　have　been　then　present　to　state　the　vitally
important　circumstances　to　which　she　had　just　sworn；　if　the　prisoner's
twin…brother　had　not　found　her　out　on　the　previous　dayhad　not
questioned　her　if　she　knew　anything　about　the　clockand　had　not　（hearing
what　she　had　to　tell）　insisted　on　her　taking　the　journey　with　him　to　the
court　the　next　morning。

This　evidence　virtually　decided　the　trial。　There　was　a　great　burst　of
relief　in　the　crowded　assembly　when　the　woman's　statement　had　come　to　an
end。

She　was　closely　cross…examined　as　a　matter　of　course。　Her　character　was
inquired　into；　corroborative　evidence　（relating　to　the　chisel　and　the
scratches　on　the　frame）　was　sought　for　and　was　obtained。　The　end　of　it
was　that；　at　a　late　hour　on　the　second　evening；　the　jury　acquitted　the
prisoner；　without　leaving　their　box。　It　was　not　too　much　to　say　that　his
life　had　been　saved　by　his　brother。　His　brother　alone　had　persisted；　from
first　to　last；　in　obstinately　disbelieving　the　clockfor　no　better
reason　than　that　the　clock　was　the　witness　which　asserted　the　prisoner's
guilt！　He　had　worried　everybody　with　incessant　inquirieshe　had
discovered　the　absence　of　the　housemaid；　after　the　trial　had　begunand
he　had　started　off　to　interrogate　the　girl；　knowing　nothing；　and
suspecting　nothing；　simply　determined　to　persist　in　the　one　everlasting
question　with　which　he　persecuted　everybody　belonging　to　the　house：　〃The
clock　is　going　to　hang　my　brother；　can　you　tell　me　anything　about　the
clock？〃

Four　months　later；　the　mystery　of　the　crime　was　cleared　up。　One　of　the
disreputable　companions　of　the　murdered　man　confessed　on　his　death…bed
that　he　had　done　the　deed。　There　was　nothing　interesting　or　remarkable　in
the　circumstances。　Chance　which　had　put　innocence　in　peril；　had　offered
impunity　to　guilt。　An　infamous　woman；　a　jealous　quarrel；　and　an　absence
at　the　moment　of　witnesses　on　the　spotthese　were　really　the　commonplace
materials　which　had　composed　the　tragedy　of　Pardon's　Piece。

CHAPTER　THE　NINTH

The　Hero　of　the　Trial

〃You　have　forced　it　out　of　me。　Now　you　have　had　your　way；　never　mind　my
feelingsGo！〃

Those　were　the　first　words　the　Hero　of　the　Trial　said　to　me；　when　he　was
able　to　speak　again！　He　withdrew　with　a　curious　sullen　resignation　to　the
farther　end　of　the　room。　There　he　stood　looking　at　me；　as　a　man　might
have　looked　who　carried　some　contagion　about　him；　and　who　wished　to
preserve　a　healthy　fellow…creature　from　the　peril　of　touching　him。

〃Why　should　I　go？〃　I　asked。

〃You　are　a　bold　woman；〃　he　said；　〃to　remain　in　the　same　room　with　a　man
who　has　been　pointed　at　as　a　murderer；　and　who　has　been　tried　for　his
life。〃

The　same　unhealthy　state　of　mind　which　had　brought　him　to　Dimchurch；　and
which　had　led　him　to　speak　to　me　as　he　had　spoken　on　the　previous
evening；　was；　as　I　understood　it；　now　irritating　him　against　me　as　a
person　who　had　made　his　own　quick　temper　the　means　of　entrapping　him　into
letting　out　the　truth。　How　was　I　to　deal　with　a　man　in　this　condition？　I
decided　to　perform　the　feat　which　you　call　in　England；　〃taking　the　bull
by　the　horns。〃

〃I　see　but　one　man　here；〃　I　said。　〃A　man　honorably　acquitted　of　a　crime
which　he　was　incapable　of　committing。　A　man　who　deserves　my　interest；　and
claims　my　sympathy。　Shake　hands；　Mr。　Dubourg。〃

I　spoke　to　him　in　a　good　hearty　voice；　and　I　gave　him　a　good　hearty
squeeze。　The　poor；　weak；　lonely；　persecuted　young　fellow　dropped　his　head
on　my　shoulder　like　a　child；　and　burst　out　crying。

〃Don't　despise　me！〃　he　said；　as　soon　as　he　had　got　his　breath　again。　〃It
breaks　a　man　down　to　have　stood　in　the　dock；　and　to　have　had　hundreds　of
hard…hearted　people　staring　at　him　in　horrorwithout　his　deserving　it。
Besides；　I　have　been　very　lonely；　ma'am；　since　my　brother　left　me。〃

We　sat　down　again；　side　by　side。　He　was　the　strangest　compound　of
anomalies　I　had　ever　met　with。　Throw　him　into　one　of　those　passions　in
which　he　flamed　out　so　easilyand　you　would　have　said；　This　is　a　tiger。
Wait　till　he　had　cooled　down　again　to　his　customary　mild　temperatureand
you　would　have　said　with　equal　truth；　This　is　a　lamb。

〃One　thing　rather　surprises　me；　Mr。　Dubourg；〃　I　went　on。　〃I　can't　quite
understand〃

〃Don't　call　me　〃Mr。　Dubourg；〃　he　interposed。　〃You　remind　me　of　the
disgrace　which　has　forced　me　to　change　my　name。　Call　me　by　my　Christian
name。　It's　a　foreign　name。　You　are　a　foreigner　by　your　accentyou　will
like　me　all　the　better　for　having　a　foreign　name。　I　was　christened
〃Oscar〃after　my　mother's　brother：　my　mother　was　a　Jersey　woman。　Call　me
〃Oscar。〃What　is　it　you　don't　understand？〃

〃In　your　present　situation；〃　I　resumed；　〃I　don't　understand　your　brother
leaving　you　here　all　by　yourself。〃

He　was　on　the　point　of　flaming　out　again　at　that。

〃Not　a　word　against　my　brother！〃　he　exclaimed　fiercely。　〃My　brother　is
the　noblest　creature　that　God　ever　created！　You　must　own　that
yourselfyou　know　what　he　did　at　the　trial。　I　should　have　died　on　the
scaffold　but　for　that　angel。　I　insist　on　it　that　he　is　not　a　man。　He　is
an　angel！〃

（I　admitted　that　his　brother　was　an　angel。　The　concession　instantly
pacified　him。）

〃People　say　there　is　no　difference　between　us；〃　he　went　on；　drawing　his
chair　companionably　close　to　mine。　〃Ah；　people　are　so　shallow！
Personally；　I　grant　you；　we　are　exactly　alike。　（You　have　heard　that　we
are　twins？）　But　there　it　ends；　unfortunately　for　_me。_　Nugent（my
brother　was　christened　Nugent　after　my　father）Nugent　is　a　hero！　Nugent
is　a　genius。　I　should　have　died　if　he　hadn't　taken　care　of　me　after　the
trial。　I　had　nobody　but　him。　We　are　orphans；　we　have　no　brothers　or
sisters。　Nugent　felt　the　disgrace　even　more　than　I　felt　itbut　_he_
could　control　himself。　It　fell　more　heavily　on　him　than　it　did　on　me。
I'll　tell　you　why。　Nugent　was　in　a　fair　way　to　make　our　family　namethe
name　that　we　have　been　obliged　to　dropfamous　all　over　the　world。　He　is
a　paintera　landscape　painter。　Have　you　never　heard　of　him？　Ah；　you　soon
will！　Where　do　you　think　he　has　gone　to？　He　has　gone　to　the　wilds　of
America；　in　search　of　new　subjects。　He　is　going　to　found　a　school　of
landscape　painting。　On　an　immense　scale。　A　scale　that　has　never　been
attempted　yet。　Dear　fellow！　Shall　I　tell　you　what　he　said　when　he　left　me
here？　Noble　wordsI　call　them　noble　words。　'Oscar！　I　go　to　make　our
assumed　name　famous。　You　shall　be　honorably　knownyou　shall　be
illustrious；　as　the　brother　of　Nugent　Dubourg。'　Do　you　think　I　could
stand　in　the　way　of　such　a　career　as　that？　After　what　he　has　sacrificed
for　_me；_　could　I　let　Such　a　Man　stagnate　herefor　no　better　purpose
than　to　keep　me　company？　What　does　it　matter　about　_my_　feeling　lonely？
Who　am　I？　Oh；　if　you　had　seen　how　he　bore　with　the　horrible　notoriety
that　followed　us；　after　the　trial！　He　was　constantly　stared　at　and
pointed　at；　for　_me。_　Not　a　word　of　complaint　escaped　him。　He　snapped　his
fingers　at　it。　'That　for　public　opinion！'　he　said。　What　strength　of
mindeh？　From　one　place　after　another　we　moved　and　moved；　and　still
there　were　the　photographs；　and　the　newspapers；　and　the　whole　infamous
story　（'romance　in　r