poor miss finch-第46节

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He　placed　a　chair　for　her　in　front　of　the　window。　There　was　a　warmth　in
his　tone　which　I　had　not　heard　yet；　when　he　begged　her　to　be　seated　in
that　place。　She　took　the　chair。　Mr。　Sebright　thereupon　drew　back；　and
bowed　to　Herr　Grosse；　with　a　courteous　wave　of　his　hand　towards　Lucilla
which　signified；　〃You　first！〃

Herr　Grosse　met　this　advance　with　a　counter…wave　of　the　hand；　and　a
vehement　shake　of　his　shock…head；　which　signified；　〃I　couldn't　think　of
such　a　thing！〃

〃Pardon　me；〃　entreated　Mr。　Sebright。　〃As　my　senior；　as　a　visitor　to
England；　as　a　master　in　our　art。〃

Herr　Grosse　responded　by　regaling　himself　with　three　pinches　of　snuff　in
rapid　successiona　pinch　as　senior；　a　pinch　as　visitor　to　England；　a
pinch　as　master　in　the　art。　An　awful　pause　followed。　Neither　of　the
surgeons　would　take　precedence　of　the　other。　Nugent　interfered。

〃Miss　Finch　is　waiting；〃　he　said。　〃Come；　Grosse；　you　were　first　presented
to　her。　You　examine　her　first。〃

Herr　Grosse　took　Nugent's　ear　between　his　finger　and　thumb；　and　gave　it　a
good…humoured　pinch。　〃You　clever　boys！〃　he　said。　〃You　have　the　right　word
always　at　the　tips　of　your　tongue。〃　He　waddled　to　Lucilla's　chair；　and
stopped　short　with　a　scandalized　look。　Oscar　was　bending　over　her；　and
whispering　to　her　with　her　hand　in　his。　〃Hey！　what？〃　cried　Herr　Grosse。
〃Is　this　a　third　surgeon…optic？　What；　sir！　you　treat　young　Miss's　eyes　by
taking　hold　of　young　Miss's　hand？　You　are　a　Quack。　Get　out！〃　Oscar
withdrewnot　very　graciously。　Herr　Grosse　took　a　chair　in　front　of
Lucilla；　and　removed　his　spectacles。　As　a　short…sighted　man；　he　had
necessarily　excellent　eyes　for　all　objects　which　were　sufficiently　near
to　him。　He　bent　forward；　with　his　face　close　to　Lucilla's；　and　parted　her
eyelids　alternately　with　his　finger　and　thumb；　peering　attentively；　first
into　one　eye；　then　into　the　other。

It　was　a　moment　of　breathless　interest。　Who　could　say　what　an　influence
on　her　future　life　might　be　exercised　by　this　quaint　kindly　uncouth
little　foreign　man？　How　anxiously　we　watched　those　shaggy　eyebrows；　those
piercing　goggle　eyes！　And；　oh；　heavens；　how　disappointed　we　were　at　the
first　result！　Lucilla　suddenly　gave　a　little　irrepressible　shudder　of
disgust。　Herr　Grosse　drew　back　from　her；　and　glared　at　her　benignantly
with　his　diabolical　smile。

〃Aha！〃　he　said。　〃I　see　what　it　is。　I　snuff；　I　smoke；　I　reek　of　tobaccos。
The　pretty　Miss　smells　me。　She　says　in　her　inmost　heartAch　Gott；　how　he
stink！〃

Lucilla　burst　into　a　fit　of　laughter。　Herr　Grosse；　unaffectedly　amused　on
his　side；　grinned　with　delight；　and　snatched　her　handkerchief　out　of　her
apron…pocket。　〃Gif　me　scents；〃　said　this　excellent　German。　〃I　shall　stop
up　her　nose　with　her　handkerchiefs。　So　she　will　not　smell　my
tobacco…stinksall　will　be　nice…right　againwe　shall　go　on。〃　I　gave　him
some　lavender…water　from　a　scent…bottle　on　the　table。　He　gravely　drenched
the　handkerchief　with　it；　and　popped　it　suddenly　on　Lucilla's　nose。　〃Hold
him　there；　Miss。　You　cannot　for　the　life　of　you　smell　Grosse　now。　Goot！
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