poor miss finch-第8节

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been　separated　for　years；　without　once　troubling　Her　Majesty's　Post
Office　to　convey　even　the　slightest　expression　of　sentiment　from　one　to
the　other。

The　first　wife　of　Reverend　Finch　was　a　Miss　Batchford。　The　members　of　her
family　（limited　at　the　time　of　the　marriage　to　her　brother　and　her
sister）　strongly　disapproved　of　her　choice　of　a　husband。　The　rank　of　a
Finch　（I　laugh　at　these　contemptible　distinctions！）　was　decided；　in　this
case；　to　be　not　equal　to　the　rank　of　a　Batchford。　Nevertheless；　Miss
married。　Her　brother　and　sister　declined　to　be　present　at　the　ceremony。
First　quarrel。

Lucilla　was　born。　Reverend　Finch's　elder　brother　（on　speaking　terms　with
no　other　member　of　the　family）　interfered　with　a　Christian
proposalnamelyto　shake　hands　across　the　baby's　cradle。　Adopted　by　the
magnanimous　Batchfords。　First　reconciliation。

Time　passed。　Reverend　Finchthen　officiating　in　a　poor　curacy　near　a
great　manufacturing　townfelt　a　want　（the　want　of　money）；　and　took　a
liberty　（the　liberty　of　attempting　to　borrow　of　his　brother…in…law）。　Mr。
Batchford；　being　a　rich　man；　regarded　this　overture；　it　is　needless　to
say；　in　the　light　of　an　insult。　Miss　Batchford　sided　with　her　brother。
Second　quarrel。

Time　passed；　as　before。　Mrs。　Finch　the　first　died。　Reverend　Finch's　elder
brother　（still　at　daggers　drawn　with　the　other　members　of　the　family）
made　a　second　Christian　proposalnamelyto　shake　hands　across　the
wife's　grave。　Adopted　once　more　by　the　bereaved　Batchfords。　Second
reconciliation。

Another　lapse　of　time。　Reverend　Finch；　left　a　widower　with　one　daughter；
became　personally　acquainted　with　an　inhabitant　of　the　great　city　near
which　he　ministered；　who　was　also　a　widower　with　one　daughter。　The　status
of　the　parent；　in　this　casesocial…political…religiouswas
Shoemaker…Radical…Baptist。　Reverend　Finch；　still　wanting　money；　swallowed
it　all；　and　married　the　daughter；　with　a　dowry　of　three　thousand　pounds。
This　proceeding　alienated　from　him　for　ever；　not　the　Batchfords　only；　but
the　peacemaking　elder　brother　as　well。　That　excellent　Christian　ceased　to
be　on　speaking　terms　now　with　his　brother　the　clergyman；　as　well　as　with
all　the　rest　of　the　family。　The　complete　isolation　of　Reverend　Finch
followed。　Regularly　every　year　did　the　second　Mrs。　Finch　afford
opportunities　of　shaking　hands；　not　only　over　one　cradle；　but　sometimes
over　two。　Vain　and　meritorious　fertility！　Nothing　came　of　it；　but　a　kind
of　compromise。　Lucilla；　quite　overlooked　among　the　rector's
rapidly…increasing　second　family；　was　allowed　to　visit　her　maternal　uncle
and　aunt　at　stated　periods　in　every　year。　Born；　to　all　appearance　with
the　full　possession　of　her　sight；　the　poor　child　had　become　incurably
blind　before　she　was　a　year　old。　In　all　other　respects；　she　presented　a
striking　resemblance　to　her　mother。　Bachelor　uncle　Batchford；　and　his　old
maiden　sister；　both　conceived　the　strongest　affection　for　the　child。　〃Our
niece　Lucilla；〃　they　said；　〃has　justified　our　fondest　hopesshe　is　a
Batchford；　not　a　Finch！〃　Lucilla's　father　（promoted；　by　this　time；　to　the
rectory　of　Dimchurch）　let　them　talk。　〃Wait　a　bit；　and　money　will　come　of
it；〃　was　all　he　said。　Truly　money　was　wanted！with　fruitful　Mrs。　Finch
multiplying　cradles；　year　after　year；　till　the　doctor　himself　（employed
on　contract）　got　tired　of　it；　and　said　one　day；　〃It　is　not　true　that
there　is　an　end　to　everything：　there　is　no　end　to　the　multiplying
capacity　of　Mrs。　Finch。〃

Lucilla　grew　up　from　childhood　to　womanhood。　She　was　twenty　years　old；
before　her　father's　expectations　were　realized；　and　the　money　came　of　it
at　last。

Uncle　Batchford　died　a　single　man。　He　divided　his　fortune　between　his
maiden　sister；　and　his　niece。　When　she　came　of　age；　Lucilla　was　to　have
an　income　of　fifteen　hundred　pounds　a　yearon　certain　conditions；　which
the　will　set　forth　at　great　length。　The　effect　of　these　conditions　was
（first）　to　render　it　absolutely　impossible　for　Reverend　Finch；　under　any
circumstances　whatever；　to　legally　inherit　a　single　farthing　of　the
moneyand　（secondly）；　to　detach　Lucilla　from　her　father's　household；　and
to　place　her　under　the　care　of　her　maiden　aunt；　so　long　as　she　remained
unmarried；　for　a　period　of　three　months　in　every　year。

　The　will　avowed　the　object　of　this　last　condition　in　the　plainest　words。
〃I　die　as　I　have　lived〃　（wrote　uncle　Batchford）；　〃a　High　Churchman　and　a
Tory。　My　legacy　to　my　niece　shall　only　take　effect　on　these
termsnamelythat　she　shall　be　removed　at　certain　stated　periods　from
the　Dissenting　and　Radical　influences　to　which　she　is　subjected　under　her
father's　roof；　and　shall　be　placed　under　the　care　of　an　English
gentlewoman　who　unites　to　the　advantages　of　birth　and　breeding　the
possession　of　high　and　honorable　principles〃etcetera；　etcetera。　Can　you
conceive　Reverend　Finch's　feelings；　sitting；　with　his　daughter　by　his
side；　among　the　company；　while　the　will　was　read；　and　hearing　this？　He
got　up；　like　a　true　Englishman；　and　made　them　a　speech。　〃Ladies　and
gentlemen；〃　he　said；　〃I　admit　that　I　am　a　Liberal　in　politics；　and　that
my　wife's　family　are　Dissenters。　As　an　example　of　the　principles　thus
engendered　in　my　household；　I　beg　to　inform　you　that　my　daughter　accepts
this　legacy　with　my　full　permission；　and　that　I　forgive　Mr。　Batchford。〃
With　that；　he　walked　out；　with　his　daughter　on　his　arm。　He　had　heard
enough；　please　to　observe；　to　satisfy　him　that　Lucilla　（while　she　lived
unmarried）　could　do　what　she　liked　with　her　income。　Before　they　had　got
back　to　Dimchurch；　Reverend　Finch　had　completed　a　domestic　arrangement
which　permitted　his　daughter　to　occupy　a　perfectly　independent　position
in　the　rectory；　and　which　placed　in　her　father's　pocketsas　Miss　Finch's
contribution　to　the　housekeepingfive　hundred　a　year。

（Do　you　know　what　I　felt　when　I　heard　this？　I　felt　the　deepest　regret
that　Finch　of　the　liberal　principles　had　not　made　a　third　with　my　poor
Pratolungo　and　me　in　Central　America。　With　him　to　advise　us；　we　should
have　saved　the　sacred　cause　of　Freedom　without　spending　a　single　farthing
on　it！）

　The　old　side　of　the　rectory；　hitherto　uninhabited；　was　put　in　order　and
furnishedof　course　at　Lucilla's　expense。　On　her　twenty…first　birthday；
the　repairs　were　completed；　the　first　installment　of　the　housekeeping
money　was　paid；　and　the　daughter　was　established；　as　an　independent
lodger；　in　her　own　father's　house！

In　order　to　thoroughly　appreciate　Finch's　ingenuity；　it　is　necessary　to
add　here　that　Lucilla　had　shown；　as　she　grew　up；　an　increasing　dislike　of
living　at　home。　In　her　blind　state；　the　endless　turmoil　of　the　children
distracted　her。　She　and　her　step…mother　did　not　possess　a　single　sympathy
in　common。　Her　relations　with　her　father　were　in　much　the　same　condition。
She　could　compassionate　his　poverty；　and　she　could　treat　him　with　the
forbearance　and　respect　due　to　him　from　his　child。　As　to　really
venerating　and　loving　himthe　less　said　about　that　the　better。　Her
happiest　days　had　been　the　days　she　spent　with　her　uncle　and　aunt；　her
visits　to　the　Batchfords　had　grown　to　be　longer　and　longer　visits　with
every　succeeding　year。　If　the　father；　in　appealing　to　the　daughter's
sympathies；　had　not　dexterously　contrived　to　unite　the　preservation　of
her　independence　with　the　continuance　of　her　residence　under　his　roof；
she　would；　on　coming　of　age；　either　have　lived　altogether　with　her　aunt；
or　have　set　up　an　establishment　of　her　own。　As　it　was；　the　rector　had
secured　his　five　hundred　a　year；　on　terms　acceptable　to　both　sidesand；
more　than　that；　he　had　got　her　safe　under　his　own　eye。　For；　remark；　there
was　one　terrible　possibility　threatening　him　in　the　futurethe
possibility　of　Lucilla's　marriage！

Such　was　the　strange　domestic　position　of　this　interesting　creature；　at
the　time　when　I　entered　the　house。

You　will　now　understand　how　completely　puzzled　I　was　when　I　recalled　what
had　happened　on　the　evening　of　my　arrival；　and　when　I　asked　myselfin
the　matter　of　the　mysterious　strangerwhat　course　I　was　to　take　next。　I
had　found　Lucilla　a　solitary　beinghelplessly　dependent　in　her　blindness
on　othersand；　in　that　sad　condition；　without　a　mother；　without　a
sister；　without　a　friend　even　in　whose　sympathies　she　could　take　refuge；
in　whose　advice　she　could　trust。　I　had　produced　a　first　favorable
impression　on　her；　I　had　won　her　liking　at　once；　as　she　had　won　mine。　I
had　accompanied　her　on　an　evening　walk；　innocent　of　all　suspicion　of　what
was　going　on　in　her　mind。　I　had　by　pure　accident　enabled　a　stranger　to
intensify　the　imaginary　interest　which　she　felt　in　him；　by　provoking　him
to　speak　in　her　hearing　for　the　first　time。　In　a　moment　of　hysterical
agitationand　in　sheer　despair　of　knowing　who　else　to　confide　inthe
poor；　foolish；　blind；　lonely　girl　had　opened　her　heart　to　me。　What　was　I
to　do？

If　the　case　had　been　an　ordinary　one；　the　whole　affair　would　have　been
simply　ridiculous。

But　the　case　of　Lucilla　was　not　the　case　of　girls　in　general。

The　minds　of　the　blind　are；　by　cruel　necessity；　forced　inward　on
themselves。　They　live　apart　from　usah；　how　hopelessly　far　apart！in
their　own　dark　sphere；　of　which　we　know　nothing。　What　relief　could　come
to　Lucilla　from　the　world　outside