poor miss finch-第97节

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one　in　the　room；〃　she　said。　〃Some　one　who　is　crying！　Who　is　it？〃

Oscar　was　close　to　us。　The　tears　were　falling　fast　over　his　cheeksthe
one　faint　sobbing　breath　which　had　escaped　him　had　caught　my　ear　as　well
as　Lucilla's。　I　took　his　hand　in　one　of　my　hands；　and　I　took　Lucilla's
hand　in　the　other。　For　good　or　for　evil；　the　result　rested　with　God's
mercy。　The　time　had　come。

〃Who　is　it？〃　Lucilla　repeated　impatiently。

〃Try　if　you　can　tell；　my　love；　without　asking　me。〃

With　those　words；　I　put　her　hand　in　Oscar's　handand　stood　close；
watching　her　face。

For　one　awful　moment；　when　she　first　felt　the　familiar　touch；　the　blood
left　her　cheeks。　Her　blind　eyes　dilated　fearfully。　She　stood　petrified。
Then；　with　a　long　low　crya　cry　of　breathless　raptureshe　flung　her
arms　passionately　round　his　neck。　The　life　flowed　back　into　her　face；　her
lovely　smile　just　trembled　on　her　parted　lips；　her　breath　came　faint　and
quick　and　fluttering。　In　soft　tones　of　ecstasy；　with　her　lips　on　his
cheek；　she　murmured　the　delicious　words：

〃Oh；　Oscar！　I　know　you　once　more！〃



CHAPTER　THE　FIFTIETH

The　End　of　the　Journey

A　LITTLE　interval　of　time　elapsed。

Her　first　exquisite　sense　of　the　recognition　by　touch　had　passed　away。
Her　mind　had　recovered　its　balance。　She　separated　herself　from　Oscar；　and
turned　to　me；　with　the　one　inevitable　question　which　I　knew　must　follow
the　joining　of　their　hands。

〃What　does　it　mean？〃

The　exposure　of　Nugent's　perfidy；　the　revelation　of　the　fatal　secret　of
Oscar's　face；　and；　last　not　least；　the　defence　of　my　own　conduct　towards
her；　were　all　comprehended　in　the　answer　for　which　that　question　called。
As　carefully；　as　delicately；　as　mercifully　as　I　could；　I　disclosed　to　her
the　whole　truth。　How　the　shock　affected　her；　she　did　not　tell　me　at　the
time；　and　has　never　told　me　since。　With　her　hand　in　Oscar's　hand；　with
her　face　hidden　on　Oscar's　breast；　she　listened；　not　once　interrupting
me；　from　first　to　last；　by　so　much　as　a　single　word。　Now　and　then；　I　saw
her　tremble；　now　and　then　I　heard　her　sigh　heavily。　That　was　all。　It　was
only　when　I　had　endedit　was　only　after　a　long　interval　during　which
Oscar　and　I　watched　her　in　speechless　anxietythat　she　slowly　lifted　her
head　and　broke　the　silence。

〃Thank　God；〃　we　heard　her　say　to　herself　fervently〃Thank　God；　I　am
blind。〃

Those　were　her　first　words。　They　filled　me　with　horror。　I　cried　out　to
her　to　recall　them。

She　quietly　laid　her　head　back　on　Oscar's　breast。

〃Why　should　I　recall　them？〃　she　asked。　〃Do　you　think　I　wish　to　see　him
disfigured　as　he　is　now？　No！　I　wish　to　see　himand　I　_do_　see　him！as
my　fancy　drew　his　picture　in　the　first　days　of　our　love。　My　blindness　is
my　blessing。　It　has　given　me　back　my　old　delightful　sensation　when　I
touch　him；　it　keeps　my　own　beloved　image　of　himthe　one　image　I　care
forunchanged　and　unchangeable。　You　_will_　persist　in　thinking　that　my
happiness　depends　on　my　sight。　I　look　back　with　horror　at　what　I　suffered
when　I　had　my　sightmy　one　effort　is　to　forget　that　miserable　time。　Oh；
how　little　you　know　of　me！　Oh；　what　a　shock　it　would　be　to　me；　if　I　saw
him　as　you　see　him！　Try　to　understand　me；　and　you　won't　talk　of　my
lossyou　will　talk　of　my　gain。〃

〃Your　gain？〃　I　repeated。　〃What　have　you　gained？〃

〃Happiness；〃　she　answered。　〃My　life　lives　in　my　love。　And　my　love　lives
in　my　blindness。〃

There　was　the　story　of　her　whole　existencetold　in　two　words！

If　you　had　seen　her　radiant　face　as　she　raised　it　again　in　the　excitement
of　speaking；　if　you　had　remembered　（as　I　remembered）　what　her　surgeon　had
said　of　the　penalty　which　she　must　inevitably　pay　for　the　recovery　of　her
sighthow　would　you　have　answered　her？　It　is　barely　possible；　perhaps；
that　you　might　have　done　what　I　did。　That　is　to　say：　You　might　have
modestly　admitted　that　she　knew　what　the　conditions　of　her　happiness　were
better　than　youand　you　might　not　have　answered　her　at　all！

I　left　them　to　talk　together；　and　took　a　turn　in　the　room；　considering
with　myself　what　we　were　to　do　next。

It　was　not　easy　to　say。　The　barren　information　which　I　had　received　from
my　darling　was　all　the　information　that　I　possessed。　Nugent　had
unflinchingly　carried　his　cruel　deception　to　its　end。　He　had　falsely
given　notice　of　his　marriage　at　the　church；　in　his　brother's　name；　and　he
was　now　in　London；　falsely　obtaining　his　Marriage　License；　in　his
brother's　name　also。　So　much　I　knew　of　his　proceedingsand　no　more。

While　I　was　still　pondering；　Lucilla　cut　the　Gordian　knot。

〃Why　are　we　stopping　here？〃　she　asked。　〃Let　us　goand　never　return　to
this　hateful　place　again！〃

As　she　rose　to　her　feet；　we　were　startled　by　a　soft　knock　at　the　door。

I　answered　the　knock。　The　woman　who　had　brought　Lucilla　to　the　hotel
appeared　once　more。　She　seemed　to　be　afraid　to　venture　far　from　the　door。
Standing　just　inside　the　room；　she　looked　nervously　at　Lucilla；　and　said；
〃Can　I　speak　to　you；　Miss？〃

〃You　can　say　anything　you　like；　before　this　lady　and　gentleman；〃　Lucilla
answered。　〃What　is　it？〃

〃I'm　afraid　we　have　been　followed；　Miss。〃

〃Followed？　By　whom？〃

〃By　the　lady's　maid。　I　saw　her；　a　little　while　since；　looking　up　at　the
hoteland　then　she　went　back　in　a　hurry　on　the　way　to　the　houseand
that's　not　the　worse　of　it；　Miss。〃

〃What　else　has　happened？〃

〃We　have　made　a　mistake　about　the　railway；〃　said　the　woman。　〃There's　a
train　from　London　that　we　didn't　notice　in　the　timetable。　They　tell　me
down…stairs　it　came　in　more　than　a　quarter　of　an　hour　ago。　Please　to　come
back；　Missor　I　fear　we　shall　be　found　out。〃

〃You　can　go　back　at　once；　Jane；〃　said　Lucilla。

〃By　myself？〃

〃Yes。　Thank　you　for　bringing　me　herehere　I　remain。〃

She　had　barely　taken　her　seat　again　between　Oscar　and　me；　before　the　door
was　softly　opened　from　the　outside。　A　long　thin　nervous　hand　stole　in
through　the　opening；　took　the　servant　by　the　arm；　and　drew　her　out　into
the　passage。　In　her　place；　a　man　entered　the　room　with　his　hat　on。　The
man　was　Nugent　Dubourg。

He　stopped　where　the　servant　had　stopped。　He　looked　at　Lucilla；　he　looked
at　his　brother；　he　looked　at　me。

Not　a　word　fell　from　him。　There　he　stood；　fronting　the　friend　whom　he　had
calumniated　and　the　brother　whom　he　had　betrayed。　There　he　stoodwith
his　eyes　fixed　on　Lucilla；　sitting　between　usknowing　that　it　was　all
over；　knowing　that　the　woman　for　whom　he　had　degraded　himself；　was　a
woman　parted　from　him　for　ever。　There　he　stood；　in　the　hell　of　his　own
makingand　devoured　his　torture　in　silence。

On　his　brother's　appearance；　Oscar　had　risen；　and　had　raised　Lucilla　with
him。　He　now　advanced　a　step　towards　Nugent；　still　holding　to　him　his
betrothed　wife。

I　followed　them；　eagerly　watching　his　face。　There　was　no　fear　in　me　now
of　what　he　might　do。　Lucilla's　blessed　influence　had　found；　and　cast　out；
the　lurking　demon　that　had　been　hidden　in　him。　With　a　mind　attentive　but
not　alarmed；　I　waited　to　see　how　he　would　meet　the　emergency　that
confronted　him。

〃Nugent！〃　he　said；　very　quietly。

Nugent's　head　droopedhe　made　no　answer。

Lucilla；　hearing　Oscar　pronounce　the　name；　instantly　understood　what　had
happened。　She　shuddered　with　horror。　Oscar　gently　placed　her　in　my　arms；
and　advanced　again　alone　towards　his　brother。　His　face　expressed　the
struggle　in　him　of　some　subtly…mingling　influences　of　love　and　anguish；
of　sorrow　and　shame。　He　recalled　to　me　in　the　strangest　manner　my　past
experience　of　him；　when　he　had　first　trusted　me　with　the　story　of　the
Trial；　and　when　he　had　told　me　that　Nugent　was　the　good　angel　of　his
life。

He　went　up　to　the　place　at　which　his　brother　was　standing。　In　the　simple；
boyish　way；　so　familiar　to　me　in　the　bygone　time；　he　laid　his　hand　on　his
brother's　arm。

〃Nugent！〃　he　said。　〃Are　you　the　same　dear　good　brother　who　saved　me　from
dying　on　the　scaffold；　and　who　cheered　my　hard　life　afterwards？　Are　you
the　same　bright；　clever；　noble　fellow　that　I　was　always　so　fond　of；　and
so　proud　of？〃

He　paused；　and　removed　his　brother's　hat。　With　careful；　caressing　hand；
he　parted　his　brother's　ruffled　hair　over　the　forehead。　Nugent's　head
sank　lower。　His　face　was　distorted；　his　hands　were　clenched；　in　the　dumb
agony　of　remembrance　which　that　tender　voice　and　that　kind　hand　had　set
loose　in　him。　Oscar　gave　him　time　to　recover　himself：　Oscar　spoke　next　to
me。

〃You　know　Nugent；〃　he　said。　〃You　remember　when　we　first　met；　my　telling
you　that　Nugent　was　an　angel？　You　saw　for　yourself；　when　he　came　to
Dimchurch；　how　kindly　he　helped　me；　how　faithfully　he　kept　my　secrets；
what　a　true　friend　he　was。　Look　at　himand　you　will　feel；　as　I　do；　that
we　have　misunderstood　and　misinterpreted　him；　in　some　monstrous　way。〃　He
turned　again　to　Nugent。　〃I　daren't　tell　you；〃　he　went　on；　〃what　I　have
heard　about　you；　and　what　I　have　believed　about　you；　and　what　vile
unbrotherly　thoughts　I　have　had　of　being　revenged　on　you。　Thank　God；　they
are　gone！　My　dear　fellow；　I　look　back　at　themnow　I　see　youas　I　might
look　back　at　a　horrible　dream。　How　_can_　I　see　you；　Nugent；　and　believe
that　you　have　been　false　to　me？　You；　a　villain　who　has　tried　to　rob　poor
Me　of　the　only　woman　in　the　world　who　cares　for　me！　You；　so　handsome　and
so　popular；　who　ma