poor miss finch-第20节

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rectorat　some　little　distanceacted　as　rear…guard；　with　the　South
Downs　behind　him　to　retreat　upon。　Gootheridge　rapped　smartly　on　the　door；
and　called　out；　〃Mr。　Dubourg！〃　There　was　no　answer。　There　was　only　a
dreadful　silence。　The　suspense　was　more　than　I　could　endure。　I　pushed　by
the　landlord；　and　turned　the　handle　of　the　unlocked　door。

〃Let　me　go　first；　ma'am；〃　said　Gootheridge。

He　pushed　by　me；　in　his　turn。　I　followed　him　close。　We　entered　the　house；
and　called　again。　Again　there　was　no　answer。　We　looked　into　the　little
sitting…room　on　one　side　of　the　passage；　and　into　the　dining…room　on　the
other。　Both　were　empty。　We　went　on　to　the　back　of　the　house；　where　the
room　was　situated　which　Oscar　called　his　workshop。　When　we　tried　the　door
of　the　workshop　it　was　locked。

We　knocked；　and　called　again。　The　horrid　silence　was　all　that
followedas　before。

I　tried　the　keyhole　with　my　finger。　The　key　was　not　in　the　lock。　I　knelt
down；　and　looked　through　the　keyhole。　The　next　instant；　I　was　up　again　on
my　feet；　wild　and　giddy　with　horror。

〃Burst　open　the　door！〃　I　screamed。　〃I　can　just　see　his　hand　lying　on　the
floor！〃

The　landlord；　like　the　rector；　was　a　little　man；　and　the　door；　like
everything　else　at　Browndown；　was　of　the　clumsiest　and　heaviest
construction。　Unaided　by　instruments；　we　should　all　three　together　have
been　too　weak　to　burst　it　open。　In　this　difficulty；　Reverend　Finch　proved
to　befor　the　first　time；　and　also　for　the　lastof　some　use。

〃Stay！〃　he　said。　〃My　friends；　if　the　back　garden　gate　is　open；　we　can　get
in　by　the　window。〃

Neither　the　landlord　nor　I　had　thought　of　the　window。　We　ran　round　to　the
back　of　the　house；　seeing　the　marks　of　the　chaise…wheels　leading　in　the
same　direction。　The　gate　in　the　wall　was　wide　open。　We　crossed　the　little
garden。　The　window　of　the　workshopopening　to　the　groundgave　us
admission　as　the　rector　had　foretold。　We　entered　the　room。

There　he　laypoor　harmless；　unlucky　Oscarsenseless；　in　a　pool　of　his
own　blood。　A　blow　on　the　left　side　of　his　head　had；　to　all　appearance；
felled　him　on　the　spot。　The　wound　had　split　the　scalp。　Whether　it　had
also　split　the　skull　was　more　than　I　was　surgeon　enough　to　be　able　to
say。　I　had　gathered　some　experience　of　how　to　deal　with　wounded　men；　when
I　served　the　sacred　cause　of　Freedom　with　my　glorious　Pratolungo。　Cold
water；　vinegar；　and　linen　for　bandagesthese　were　all　in　the　house；　and
these　I　called　for。　Gootheridge　found　the　key　of　the　door　flung　aside　in
a　corner　of　the　room。　He　got　the　water　and　the　vinegar；　while　I　ran
up…stairs　to　Oscar's　bedroom；　and　provided　myself　with　some　of　his
handkerchiefs。　In　a　few　minutes；　I　had　a　cold　water　bandage　over　the
wound；　and　was　bathing　his　face　in　vinegar　and　water。　He　was　still
insensible；　but　he　lived。　Reverend　Finchnot　of　the　slightest　help　to
anybodyassumed　the　duty　of　feeling　Oscar's　pulse。　He　did　it　as　if；
under　the　circumstances；　this　was　the　one　meritorious　action　that　could
be　performed。　He　looked　as　if　nobody　could　feel　a　pulse　but　himself。
〃Most　fortunate；〃　he　said；　counting　the　slow；　faint　throbbing　at　the　poor
fellow's　wrist〃most　fortunate　that　I　was　at　home。　What　would　you　have
done　without　me？〃

The　next　necessity　was；　of　course；　to　send　for　the　doctor；　and　to　get
help；　in　the　meantime；　to　carry　Oscar　up…stairs　to　his　bed。

Gootheridge　volunteered　to　borrow　a　horse；　and　to　ride　off　for　the
doctor。　We　arranged　that　he　was　to　send　his　wife　and　his　wife's　brother
to　help　me。　This　settled；　the　one　last　embarrassment　left　to　deal　with；
was　the　embarrassment　of　Mr。　Finch。　Now　that　we　were　free　from　all　fear
of　encountering　bad　characters　in　the　house；　the　_boom…boom_　of　the
little　man's　big　voice　went　on　unintermittingly；　like　a　machine　at　work
in　the　neighborhood。　I　had　another　of　my　inspirationssitting　on　the
floor　with　Oscar's　head　on　my　lap。　I　gave　my　reverend　companion　something
to　do。　〃Look　about　the　room！〃　I　said。　〃See　if　the　packing…case　with　the
gold　and　silver　plates　is　here　or　not。〃

Mr。　Finch　did　not　quite　relish　being　treated　like　an　ordinary　mortal；　and
being　told　what　he　was　to　do。

〃Compose　yourself；　Madame　Pratolungo；〃　he　said。　〃No　hysterical　activity；
if　you　please。　This　business　is　in　My　hands。　Quite　needless；　ma'am；　to
tell　Me　to　look　for　the　packing…case。〃

〃Quite　needless；〃　I　agreed。　〃I　know　beforehand　the　packing…case　is　gone。〃

That　answer　instantly　set　him　fussing　about　the　room。　Not　a　sign　of　the
case　was　to　be　seen。

All　doubt　in　my　mind　was　at　an　end　now。　The　two　ruffians　lounging　against
the　wall　had　justified；　horribly　justified；　my　worst　suspicions　of　them。

On　the　arrival　of　Mrs。　Gootheridge　and　her　brother；　we　carried　him　up　to
his　room。　We　laid　him　on　the　bed；　with　his　neck…tie　off；　and　his　throat
free；　and　the　air　blowing　over　him　from　the　open　window。　He　showed　no
sign　yet　of　coming　to　his　senses。　But　still　the　pulse　went　faintly　on。　No
change　was　discernible　for　the　worse。

It　was　useless　to　hope　for　the　doctor's　arrival；　before　another　hour　at
least。　I　felt　the　necessity　of　getting　back　at　once　to　the　rectory；　so　as
to　be　able　to　tell　Lucilla　（with　all　needful　preparation）　the　melancholy
truth。　Otherwise；　the　news　of　what　had　happened　would　get　abroad　in　the
village；　and　might　come　to　her　ears；　in　the　worst　possible　way；　through
one　of　the　servants。　To　my　infinite　relief；　Mr。　Finch；　when　I　rose　to　go；
excused　himself　from　accompanying　me。　He　had　discovered　that　it　was　his
duty；　as　rector；　to　give　the　earliest　information　of　the　outrage　at
Browndown　to　the　legal　authorities。　He　went　his　way　to　the　nearest
magistrate。　And　I　went　mineleaving　Oscar　under　the　care　of　Mrs。
Gootheridge　and　her　brotherback　to　the　house。　Mr。　Finch's　last　words　at
parting　reminded　me；　once　more；　that　we　had　one　thing　at　least　to　be
thankful　for　under　the　circumstancessad　as　they　otherwise　were。

〃Most　fortunate；　Madame　Pratolungo；　that　I　was　at　home。　What　would　you
have　done　without　me？〃

CHAPTER　THE　FIFTEENTH

Events　at　the　Bedside

I　AM；　if　you　will　be　so　good　as　to　remember；　constitutionally
Frenchand；　therefore；　constitutionally　averse　to　distressing　myself；　if
I　can　possibly　help　it。　For　this　reason；　I　really　cannot　summon　courage
to　describe　what　passed　between　my　blind　Lucilla　and　me　when　I　returned
to　our　pretty　sitting…room。　She　made　me　cry　at　the　time；　and　she　would
make　me　（and　perhaps　you）　cry　again　now；　if　I　wrote　the　little　melancholy
story　of　what　this　tender　young　creature　suffered　when　I　told　her　my
miserable　news。　I　won't　write　it；　I　am　dead　against　tears。　They　affect
the　nose；　and　my　nose　is　my　best　feature。　Let　us　use　our　eyes；　my　fair
friends；　to　conquer；　not　to　cry。

Be　it　enough　to　say；　that　when　I　went　back　to　Browndown；　Lucilla　went
with　me。

I　now　observed　her；　for　the　first　time；　to　be　jealous　of　the　eyes　of　us
happy　people　who　could　see。　The　instant　she　entered；　she　insisted　on
being　near　enough　to　the　bed；　to　hear　us；　or　to　touch　us；　as　we　waited　on
the　injured　man。　This　was　at　once　followed　by　her　taking　the　place
occupied　by　Mrs。　Gootheridge　at　the　bed…head；　and　herself　bathing　Oscar's
face　and　forehead。　She　was　even　jealous　of　_me；_　when　she　discovered　that
I　was　moistening　the　bandages　on　the　wound。　I　irritated　her　into　boldly
kissing　the　poor　insensible　face　in　our　presence！　The　landlady　of　the
Cross　Hands　was　one　of　my　sort：　she　took　cheerful　views　of　things。　〃Sweet
on　himeh；　ma'am？〃　she　whispered　in　my　ear；　〃we　shall　have　a　wedding　in
Dimchurch。〃　In　presence　of　these　kissings　and　whisperings；　Mrs。
Gootheridge's　brother；　as　the　only　man　present；　began　to　look　very
uncomfortable。　This　worthy　creature　belonged　to　that　large　and
respectable　order　of　Englishmen；　who　don't　know　what　to　do　with　their
hands；　or　how　to　get　out　of　a　room。　I　took　pity　on　himhe　was；　I　assure
you；　a　fine　man。　〃Smoke　your　pipe；　sir；　in　the　garden；〃　I　said。　〃We　will
call　to　you　from　the　window；　if　we　want　you　up　here。〃　Mrs。　Gootheridge's
brother　cast　on　me　one　look　of　unutterable　gratitudeand　escaped；　as　if
he　had　been　let　out　of　a　trap。

At　last；　the　doctor　came。

His　first　words　were　an　indescribable　relief　to　us。　The　skull　of　our　poor
Oscar　was　not　injured。　There　was　concussion　of　the　brain；　and　there　was　a
scalp…woundinflicted　evidently　with　a　blunt　instrument。　As　to　the
wound；　I　had　done　all　that　was　necessary　in　the　doctor's　absence。　As　to
the　injury　to　the　brain；　time　and　care　would　put　everything　right　again。
〃Make　your　minds　easy；　ladies；〃　said　this　angel　of　a　man。　〃There　is　no
reason　for　feeling　the　slightest　alarm　about　him。〃

He　came　to　his　sensesthat　is　to　say；　he　opened　his　eyes　and　looked
vacantly　about　himbetween　four　and　five　hours　after　the　time　when　we
had　found　him　on　the　floor　of　the　workshop。

His　mind；　poor　fellow；　was　still　all　astray。　He　recognized　nobody。　He
imitated　the　action　of　writing　with　his　finger；　and　said　very　earnestly；
over　and　over　again；　〃Go　home；　Jicks；　go　home；　go　home！〃　fancying　himself
（as　I　suppose）；　lying　helpless　on　the　floor；　and　sending　the　child　back
to　us　to　give　the　alarm。　Later　in　the　night　he　fell　asleep。　All　through
the　next　day；　he　still　wandered　in　his　mind　when　he　spoke。　It　was