poor miss finch-第6节

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their　own　mute　way。　As　he　read　the　truth　in　them；　the　man's　face　changed
from　the　keen　look　of　scrutiny　which　it　had　worn　thus　far；　to　an
expression　of　compassionI　had　almost　said；　of　distress。　He　again　took
off　his　hat；　and　bowed　to　me　with　the　deepest　respect。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　he　said；　very　earnestly。　〃I　beg　the　young　lady's
pardon。　Pray　forgive　me。　My　strange　behavior　has　its　excuseif　I　could
bring　myself　to　explain　it。　You　distressed　me；　when　you　looked　at　me。　I
can't　explain　why。　Good　evening。〃

He　turned　away　hastily；　like　a　man　confused　and　ashamed　of　himselfand
left　us。　I　can　only　repeat　that　there　was　nothing　strange　or　flighty　in
his　manner。　A　perfect　gentleman；　in　full　possession　of　his　sensesthere
is　the　unexaggerated　and　the　just　description　of　him。

I　looked　at　Lucilla。　She　was　standing；　with　her　blind　face　raised　to　the
sky；　lost　in　herself；　like　a　person　wrapped　in　ecstasy。

〃Who　is　that　man？〃　I　asked。

My　question　brought　her　down　suddenly　from　heaven　to　earth。　〃Oh！〃　she
said　reproachfully；　〃I　had　his　voice　still　in　my　earsand　now　I　have
lost　it！　'Who　is　he？'　〃　she　added；　after　a　moment；　repeating　my　question。
〃Nobody　knows。　Tell　mewhat　is　he　like。　Is　he　beautiful？　He　_must_　be
beautiful；　with　that　voice！〃

〃Is　this　the　first　time　you　have　heard　his　voice？〃　I　inquired。

〃Yes。　He　passed　us　yesterday；　when　I　was　out　with　Zillah。　But　he　never
spoke。　What　is　he　like？　Do；　pray　tell　mewhat　is　he　like？〃

There　was　a　passionate　impatience　in　her　tone　which　warned　me　not　to
trifle　with　her。　The　darkness　was　coming。　I　thought　it　wise　to　propose
returning　to　the　house。　She　consented　to　do　anything　I　liked；　as　long　as
I　consented；　on　my　side；　to　describe　the　unknown　man。

All　the　way　back；　I　was　questioned　and　cross…questioned　till　I　felt　like
a　witness　under　skillful　examination　in　a　court　of　law。　Lucilla　appeared
to　be　satisfied；　so　far；　with　the　results。　〃Ah！〃　she　exclaimed；　letting
out　the　secret　which　her　old　nurse　had　confided　to　me。　〃_You_　can　use
your　eyes。　Zillah　could　tell　me　nothing。〃

When　we　got　home　again；　her　curiosity　took　another　turn。　〃Exeter？〃　she
said；　considering　with　herself。　〃He　mentioned　Exeter。　I　am　like　youI
never　was　there。　What　will　books　tell　us　about　Exeter？〃　She　despatched
Zillah　to　the　other　side　of　the　house　for　a　gazetteer。　I　followed　the　old
woman　into　the　corridor；　and　set　her　mind　at　ease；　in　a　whisper。　〃I　have
kept　what　you　told　me　a　secret；〃　I　said。　〃The　man　was　out　in　the
twilight；　as　you　foresaw。　I　have　spoken　to　him；　and　I　am　quite　as　curious
as　the　rest　of　you。　Get　the　book。〃

Lucilla　had　（to　confess　the　truth）　infected　me　with　her　idea；　that　the
gazetteer　might　help　us　in　interpreting　the　stranger's　remarkable
question　relating　to　the　third　of　last　month；　and　his　extraordinary
assertion　that　I　had　distressed　him　when　I　looked　at　him。　With　the　nurse
breathless　on　one　side　of　me；　and　Lucilla　breathless　on　the　other；　I
opened　the　book　at　the　letter　〃E；〃　and　found　the　place；　and　read　aloud
these　lines；　as　follows：

〃EXETER：　A　city　and　seaport　in　Devonshire。　Formerly　the　seat　of　the　West
Saxon　Kings。　It　has　a　large　foreign　and　home　commerce。　Population　33；738。
The　Assizes　for　Devonshire　are　held　at　Exeter　in　the　spring　and　summer。〃

〃Is　that　all？〃　asked　Lucilla。

I　shut　the　book；　and　answered；　like　Finch's　boy；　in　three　monosyllabic
words：

〃That　is　all。〃

CHAPTER　THE　FIFTH

Candlelight　View　of　the　Man

THERE　had　been　barely　light　enough　left　for　me　to　read　by。　Zillah　lit　the
candles　and　drew　the　curtains。　The　silence　which　betokens　a　profound
disappointment　reigned　in　the　room。

〃Who　can　he　be？〃　repeated　Lucilla；　for　the　hundredth　time。　〃And　why
should　your　looking　at　him　have　distressed　him？　Guess；　Madame
Pratolungo！〃

The　last　sentence　in　the　gazetteer's　description　of　Exeter　hung　a　little
on　my　mindin　consequence　of　there　being　one　word　in　it　which　I　did　not
quite　understandthe　word　〃Assizes。〃　I　have；　I　hope；　shown　that　I
possess　a　competent　knowledge　of　the　English　language；　by　this　time。　But
my　experience　fails　a　little　on　the　side　of　phrases　consecrated　to　the
use　of　the　law。　I　inquired　into　the　meaning　of　〃Assizes；〃　and　was
informed　that　it　signified　movable　Courts；　for　trying　prisoners　at　given
times；　in　various　parts　of　England。　Hearing　this；　I　had　another　of　my
inspirations。　I　guessed　immediately　that　the　interesting　stranger　was　a
criminal　escaped　from　the　Assizes。

Worthy　old　Zillah　started　to　her　feet；　convinced　that　I　had　hit　him　off
（as　the　English　saying　is）　to　a　T。　〃Mercy　preserve　us！〃　cried　the　nurse；
〃I　haven't　bolted　the　garden　door！〃

She　hurried　out　of　the　room　to　defend　us　from　robbery　and　murder；　before
it　was　too　late。　I　looked　at　Lucilla。　She　was　leaning　back　in　her　chair；
with　a　smile　of　quiet　contempt　on　her　pretty　face。　〃Madame　Pratolungo；〃
she　remarked；　〃that　is　the　first　foolish　thing　you　have　said；　since　you
have　been　here。〃

〃Wait　a　little；　my　dear；〃　I　rejoined。　〃You　have　declared　that　nothing　is
known　of　this　man。　Now　you　mean　by　thatnothing　which　satisfies　_you。_
He　has　not　dropped　down　from　Heaven；　I　suppose？　The　time　when　he　came
here；　must　be　known。　Also；　whether　he　came　alone；　or　not。　Also；　how　and
where　he　has　found　a　lodging　in　the　village。　Before　I　admit　that　my　guess
is　completely　wrong；　I　want　to　hear　what　general　observation　in　Dimchurch
has　discovered　on　the　subject　of　this　gentleman。　How　long　has　he　been
here？〃

Lucilla　did　not；　at　first；　appear　to　be　much　interested　in　the　purely
practical　view　of　the　question　which　I　had　just　placed　before　her。

〃He　has　been　here　a　week；〃　she　answered　carelessly。

〃Did　he　come；　as　I　came；　over　the　hills？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃With　a　guide；　of　course？〃

Lucilla　suddenly　sat　up　in　her　chair。

〃With　his　brother；〃　she　said。　〃His　_twin_　brother；　Madame　Pratolungo。〃

_I_　sat　up　in　_my_　chair。　The　appearance　of　his　twin…brother　in　the　story
was　a　complication　in　itself。　Two　criminals　escaped　from　the　Assizes；
instead　of　one！

〃How　did　they　find　their　way　here？〃　I　asked　next。

〃Nobody　knows。〃

〃Where　did　they　go　to；　when　they　got　here？〃

〃To　the　Cross…Handsthe　little　public…house　in　the　village。　The　landlord
told　Zillah　he　was　perfectly　astonished　at　the　resemblance　between　them。
It　was　impossible　to　know　which　was　whichit　was　wonderful；　even　for
twins。　They　arrived　early　in　the　day；　when　the　tap…room　was　empty；　and
they　had　a　long　talk　together　in　private。　At　the　end　of　it；　they　rang　for
the　landlord；　and　asked　if　he　had　a　bed…room　to　let　in　the　house。　You
must　have　seen　for　yourself　that　The　Cross…Hands　is　a　mere　beer…shop。　The
landlord　had　a　room　that　he　could　sparea　wretched　place；　not　fit　for　a
gentleman　to　sleep　in。　One　of　the　brothers　took　the　room　for　all　that。〃

〃What　became　of　the　other　brother？〃

〃He　went　away　the　same　dayvery　unwillingly。　The　parting　between　them
was　most　affecting。　The　brother　who　spoke　to　us　to…night　insisted　on
itor　the　other　would　have　refused　to　leave　him。　They　both　shed
tears〃

〃They　did　worse　than　that；〃　said　old　Zillah；　re…entering　the　room　at　the
moment。　〃I　have　made　all　the　doors　and　windows　fast；　downstairs；　he　can't
get　in　now；　my　dear；　if　he　tries。〃

〃What　did　they　do　that　was　worse　than　crying？〃　I　inquired。

〃Kissed　each　other！〃　said　Zillah；　with　a　look　of　profound　disgust。　〃Two
men！　Foreigners；　of　course。〃

〃Our　man　is　no　foreigner；〃　I　said。　〃Did　they　give　themselves　a　name？〃

〃The　landlord　asked　the　one　who　stayed　behind　for　his　name；〃　replied
Lucilla。　〃He　said　it　was　'Dubourg。'　〃

This　confirmed　me　in　my　belief　that　I　had　guessed　right。　〃Dubourg〃　is　as
common　a　name　in　my　country　as　〃Jones〃　or　〃Thompson〃　is　in　Englandjust
the　sort　of　feigned　name　that　a　man　in　difficulties　would　give　among
_us。_　Was　he　a　criminal　countryman　of　mine？　No！　There　had　been　nothing
foreign　in　his　accent　when　he　spoke。　Pure　Englishthere　could　be　no
doubt　of　that。　And　yet　he　had　given　a　French　name。　Had　he　deliberately
insulted　my　nation？　Yes！　Not　content　with　being　stained　by　innumerable
crimes；　he　had　added　to　the　list　of　his　atrocitieshe　had　insulted　my
nation！

〃Well？〃　I　resumed。　〃We　have　left　this　undetected　ruffian　deserted　in　the
public…house。　Is　he　there　still？〃

〃Bless　your　heart！〃　cried　the　old　nurse；　〃he　is　settled　in　the
neighborhood。　He　has　taken　Browndown。〃

I　turned　to　Lucilla。　〃Browndown　belongs　to　Somebody；〃　I　said　hazarding
another　guess。　〃Did　Somebody　let　it　without　a　reference？〃

〃Browndown　belongs　to　a　gentleman　at　Brighton；〃　answered　Lucilla。　〃And
the　gentleman　was　referred　to　a　well…known　name　in　Londonone　of　the
great　City　merchants。　Here　is　the　most　provoking　part　of　the　whole
mystery。　The　merchant　said；　'I　have　known　Mr。　Dubourg　from　his　childhood。
He　has　reasons　for　wishing　to　live　in　the　strictest　retirement。　I　answer
for　his　being　an　honorable　man；　to　whom　you　can　safely　let　your　house。
More　than　this　I　am　not　authorized　to　tell　you。'　My　father　knows　the
landlord　of　Browndown；　and　that　is　what　the　reference　said　to　him；　word
for　word。　Isn't　it　provoking？　The　house　was　let　for　six　months　certain；
the　next　day。　It　is　wretchedly　furnished。　Mr。　Dubourg　has　had　several
things　that　he　wante