poor miss finch-第91节

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until　the　next　day；　on　the　chance　of　finding　it。　If　she　failed　she　must
try　Poste…Restante；　at　the　suggestion　（not　of　Mr。　Finchthere　I　was
wrong）at　the　suggestion　of　Zillah；　who　had　relatives　in　foreign　parts；
and　had　tried　Poste…Restante　in　her　case　too。　So　Mrs。　Finch　driveled
mildly　on；　in　her　large　loose　untidy　handwriting；　to　the　bottom　of　the
third　page。

I　turned　over。　The　handwriting　suddenly　grew　untidier　than　ever；　two
great　blots　defaced　the　paper；　the　style　became　feebly　hysterical。　Good
Heavens！　what　did　I　read　when　I　made　it　out　at　last！　See　for　yourselves；
here　are　the　words：　〃Some　hours　have　passedit　is　just　tea…time…oh；　my
dear　friend；　I　can　hardly　hold　the　pen；　I　tremble　sowould　you　believe
it；　Miss　Batchford　has　arrived　at　the　rectoryshe　brings　the　dreadful
news　that　Lucilla　has　eloped　with　Oscarwe　don't　know　whywe　don't　know
where；　except　that　they　have　gone　away　together　privatelya　letter　from
Oscar　tells　Miss　Batchford　as　much　as　that；　and　no　moreoh；　pray　come
back　as　soon　as　you　canMr。　Finch　washes　his　hands　of　itand　Miss
Batchford　has　left　the　house　again　in　a　fury　with　himI　am　in　dreadful
agitation；　and　I　have　given　it　Mr。　Finch　says　to　baby；　who　is　screaming
black　in　the　face。　Yours　affectionately；

〃AMELIA　FINCH。〃



All　the　rages　I　had　ever　been　in　before　in　my　life　were　as　nothing
compared　with　the　rage　that　devoured　me　when　I　had　read　that　fourth　page
of　Mrs。　Finch's　letter。　Nugent　had　got　the　better　of　me　and　my
precautions！　Nugent　had　robbed　his　brother　of　Lucilla；　in　the　vilest
manner；　with　perfect　impunity！　I　cast　all　feminine　restraints　to　the
winds。　I　sat　down　with　my　legs　anyhow；　like　a　man。　I　rammed　my　hands　into
the　pockets　of　my　dressing…gown。　Did　I　cry？　A　word　in　your　earand　let
it　go　no　farther。　I　swore。

How　long　the　fit　lasted；　I　don't　know。　I　only　remember　that　I　was
disturbed　by　a　knock　at　my　door。

I　flung　open　the　door　in　a　furyand　confronted　Oscar　on　the　threshold。

There　was　a　look　in　his　face　that　instantly　quieted　me。　There　was　a　tone
in　his　voice　that　brought　the　tears　suddenly　into　my　eyes。

〃I　must　leave　for　England　in　two　hours；〃　he　said。　〃Will　you　forgive　me；
Madame　Pratolungo；　before　I　go？〃

Only　those　words！　And　yetif　you　had　seen　him；　if　you　had　heard　him；　as
he　spoke　themyou　would　have　been　ready　as　I　wasnot　only　to　forgive
himbut　to　go　to　the　ends　of　the　earth　with　him；　and　you　would　have　told
him　so；　as　I　did。

In　two　hours　more；　we　were　in　the　train；　on　our　way　to　England。


CHAPTER　THE　FORTY…SEVENTH

On　the　Way　to　the　End。　First　Stage

You　will　perhaps　expect　me　to　give　some　account　of　how　Oscar　bore　the
discovery　of　his　brother's　conduct。

I　find　it　by　no　means　easy　to　do　this。　Oscar　baffled　me。

The　first　words　of　any　importance　which　he　addressed　to　me　were　spoken　on
our　way　to　the　station。　Rousing　himself　from　his　own　thoughts；　he　said
very　earnestly

〃I　want　to　know　what　conclusion　you　have　drawn　from　Mrs。　Finch's　letter。〃

Naturally　enough；　under　the　circumstances；　I　tried　to　avoid　answering
him。　He　was　not　to　be　put　off　in　that　way。

〃You　will　do　me　a　favor；〃　he　went　on；　〃if　you　will　reply　to　my　question。
The　letter　has　bred　in　me　such　a　vile　suspicion　of　my　dear　good　brother；
who　never　deceived　me　in　his　life；　that　I　would　rather　believe　I　am　out
of　my　mind　than　believe　in　my　own　interpretation　of　it。　Do　_you_　infer
from　what　Mrs。　Finch　writes；　that　Nugent　has　presented　himself　to　Lucilla
under　my　name？　Do　_you_　believe　that　he　has　persuaded　her　to　leave　her
friends；　under　the　impression　that　she　has　yielded　to　My　entreaties；　and
trusted　herself　to　My　care？〃

I　answered　in　the　fewest　and　plainest　words；　〃That　is　what　your　brother
has　done。〃

A　sudden　change　passed　over　him。　My　reply　seemed　to　have　set　his　last
doubts　at　rest　in　an　instant。

〃That　is　what　my　brother　has　done；〃　he　repeated。　〃After　all　that　I
sacrificed　to　himafter　all　that　I　trusted　to　his　honorwhen　I　left
England。〃　He　paused；　and　considered　a　little。　〃What　does　such　a　man
deserve？〃　he　went　on；　speaking　to　himself；　in　a　low　threatening　tone　that
startled　me。

〃He　deserves；〃　I　said；　〃what　he　will　get　when　we　reach　England。　You　have
only　to　show　yourself　to　make　him　repent　his　wickedness　to　the　last　day
of　his　life。　Are　exposure　and　defeat　not　punishment　enough　for　such　a　man
as　Nugent？〃　I　stopped；　and　waited　for　his　answer。

He　turned　his　face　away　from　me；　and　said　no　more　until　we　arrived　at　the
station。　There；　he　drew　me　aside　for　a　moment　out　of　hearing　of　the
strangers　about　us。

〃Why　should　I　take　you　away　from　your　father？〃　he　asked　abruptly。　〃I　am
behaving　very　selfishlyand　I　only　see　it　now。〃

〃Make　your　mind　easy；〃　I　said。　〃If　I　had　not　met　you　to…day；　I　should
have　gone　to　England　to…morrow　for　Lucilla's　sake。〃

〃But　now　you　_have_　met　me；〃　he　persisted；　〃why　shouldn't　I　spare　you　the
journey？　I　could　write　and　tell　you　every　thingwithout　putting　you　to
this　fatigue　and　expense。〃

〃If　you　say　a　word　more；〃　I　answered；　〃I　shall　think　you　have　some　reason
of　your　own　for　wishing　to　go　to　England　by　yourself。〃

He　cast　one　quick　suspicious　look　at　meand　led　the　way　back　to　the
booking…office　without　uttering　another　word。　I　was　not　at　all　satisfied
with　him。　I　thought　his　conduct　very　strange。

In　silence　we　took　our　tickets；　in　silence；　we　got　into　the
railway…carriage。　I　attempted　to　say　something　encouraging；　when　we
started。　〃Don't　notice　me；〃　was　all　he　replied。　〃You　will　be　doing　me　a
kindness；　if　you　will　let　me　bear　it　by　myself。〃　In　my　former　experience
of　him；　he　had　talked　his　way　out　of　all　his　other　troubleshe　had
clamorously　demanded　the　expression　of　my　sympathy　with　him。　In　this
greatest　trouble；　he　was　like　another　being；　I　hardly　knew　him　again！
Were　the　hidden　reserves　in　his　nature　（stirred　up　by　another　serious
call　on　them）　showing　themselves　once　more　on　the　surface　as　they　had
shown　themselves　already；　on　the　fatal　first　day　when　Lucilla　tried　her
sight？　In　that　way　I　accounted　for　the　mere　superficial　change　in　him；　at
the　time。　What　was　actually　going　on　below　the　surface　it　defied　my
ingenuity　even　to　guess。　Perhaps　I　shall　best　describe　the　sort　of　vague
apprehension　which　he　aroused　in　meafter　what　had　passed　between　us　at
the　stationby　saying　that　I　would　not　for　worlds　have　allowed　him　to　go
to　England　by　himself。

Left　as　I　now　was　to　my　own　resources；　I　occupied　the　first　hours　of　the
journey；　in　considering　what　course　it　would　be　safest　and　best　for　us　to
take；　on　reaching　England。

I　decided；　in　the　first　place；　that　we　ought　to　go　straight　to　Dimchurch。
If　any　tidings　had　been　obtained　of　Lucilla；　they　would　be　sure　to　have
received　them　at　the　rectory。　Our　route；　after　reaching　Paris；　must　be
therefore　by　way　of　Dieppe；　thence　across　the　Channel　to　Newhaven；　near
Brightonand　so　to　Dimchurch。

In　the　second　placeassuming　it　to　be　always　possible　that　we　might　see
Lucilla　at　the　rectorythe　risk　of　abruptly　presenting　Oscar　to　her　in
his　own　proper　person　might；　for　all　I　knew　to　the　contrary；　be　a　very
serious　one。　It　would　relieve　us；　as　I　thought；　of　a　grave
responsibility；　if　we　warned　Grosse　of　our　arrival；　and　so　enabled　him　to
be　present；　if　he　thought　it　necessary；　in　the　interests　of　Lucilla's
health。　I　put　this　view　（as　also　my　plan　for　returning　by　way　of　Dieppe）
to　Oscar。　He　briefly　consented　to　everythinghe　ungraciously　left　it　all
to　me。

Accordingly；　on　our　arrival　at　Lyons；　having　some　time　for　refreshment　at
our　disposal　before　we　went　on；　I　telegraphed　to　Mr。　Finch　at　the
rectory；　and　to　Grosse　in　London；　informing　them　（as　well　as　I　could
calculate　it）　that；　if　we　were　lucky　in　catching　trains　and　steamboats；
Oscar　and　I　might　be　in　Dimchurch　in　good　time；　on　the　next　nightthat
is　to　say；　on　the　night　of　the　eighteenth。　In　any　case；　they　were　to
expect　us　at　the　earliest　possible　moment。

These　difficulties　disposed　of；　and　a　little　store　of　refreshment　for　the
night　packed　in　my　basket；　we　re…entered　the　train；　for　our　long　journey
to　Paris。

Among　the　new　passengers　who　joined　us　at　Lyons　was　a　gentleman　whose
face　was　English；　and　whose　dress　was　the　dress　of　a　clergyman。　For　the
first　time　in　my　life；　I　hailed　the　appearance　of　a　priest　with　a　feeling
of　relief。　The　reason　was　this。　From　the　moment　when　I　had　read　Mrs。
Finch's　letter　until　now；　a　horrid　doubt；　which　a　priest　was　just　the　man
to　solve；　had　laid　its　leaden　weight　on　my　mindand；　I　firmly　believe；
on　Oscar's　mind　as　well。　Had　time　enough　passed；　since　Lucilla　had　left
Ramsgate；　to　allow　of　Nugent's　marrying　her；　under　his　brother's　name？

As　the　train　rolled　out　of　the　station；　I；　the　enemy　of　priests；　began　to
make　myself　agreeable　to　_this_　priest。　He　was　young　and　shybut　I
conquered　him。　Just　as　the　other　travelers　were　beginning　（with　the
exception　of　Oscar）　to　compose　themselves　to　sleep；　I　put　my　case　to　the
clergyman。　〃A　and　B；　sir；　lady　and　gentleman；　both　of　age；　leave　one
place　in　England；　and　go　to　live　in　another　place；　on　the　fifth　of　this
monthhow　soon；　if　you　please；　can　they　be　lawfully　married　after　that？〃

〃I　presume　you　mean　in　church？〃　said　the　young　clergyman。

〃In　church；