poor miss finch-第52章

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〃As　to　Nugent　next。　I　owe　it　entirely　to　my　brother　（at　the　time　of　the
Trial）　that　the　honor　of　our　family　has　been　saved；　and　that　I　have
escaped　a　shameful　death　on　the　scaffold。　Is　there　any　limit　to　the
obligation　that　he　has　laid　on　me；　after　doing　me　such　a　service　as　this？
There　is　no　limit。　The　man　who　loves　Lucilla　and　the　brother　who　has
saved　my　life　are　one。　I　am　bound　to　leave　him　freeI　do　leave　him
freeto　win　Lucilla　by　open　and　loyal　means；　if　he　can。　As　soon　as　Herr
Grosse　considers　that　she　is　fit　to　bear　the　disclosure；　let　her　be　told
of　the　error　into　which　she　has　fallen　（through　my　fault）let　her　read
these　lines；　purposely　written　to　meet　her　eye　as　well　as　yoursand　let
my　brother　tell　her　afterwards　what　has　passed　to…night　in　this　house
between　himself　and　me。　She　loves　him　now；　believing　him　to　be　Oscar。
Will　she　love　him　still；　after　she　has　learnt　to　know　him　under　his　own
name？　The　answer　to　that　question　rests　with　Time。　If　it　is　an　answer　in
Nugent's　favor；　I　have　already　arranged　to　set　aside　from　my　income　a
sufficient　yearly　sum　to　place　my　brother　in　a　position　to　begin　his
married　life。　I　wish　to　leave　his　genius　free　to　assert　itself；
untrammeled　by　pecuniary　cares。　Possessing；　as　I　do；　far　more　than　enough
for　my　own　simple　wants；　I　can　dedicate　my　spare　money　to　no　better　and
nobler　use　than　this。

〃There　is　my　duty　towards　Nugentas　I　see　it。

〃What　I　have　decided　on　you　now　know。　What　I　have　done　can　be　told　in　two
words。　I　have　left　Browndown　for　ever。　I　have　gone；　to　live　or　die　（as
God　pleases）　under　the　blow　that　has　fallen　on　me；　far　away　from　you　all。

〃Perhaps；　when　years　have　passed；　and　when　their　children　are　growing　up
round　them；　I　may　see　Lucilla　again；　and　may　take　as　the　hand　of　my
sister；　the　hand　of　the　beloved　woman　who　might　once　have　been　my　wife。
This　may　happen；　if　I　live。　If　I　die；　you　will　none　of　you　know　it。　My
death　shall　not　cast　its　shadow　of　sadness　on　their　lives。　Forgive　me　and
forget　me；　and　keep；　as　I　keep；　that　first　and　noblest　of　all　mortal
hopesthe　hope　of　the　life　to　come。

〃I　enclose；　when　there　is　need　for　you　to　write　to　me；　the　address　of　my
bankers　in　London。　They　will　have　their　instructions。　If　you　love　me；　if
you　pity　me；　abstain　from　attempting　to　shake　my　resolution。　You　may
distress　mebut　you　will　never　change　me。　Wait　to　write；　until　Nugent
has　had　the　opportunity　of　pleading　his　own　cause；　and　Lucilla　has
decided　on　her　future　life。

〃Once　more；　I　thank　you　for　the　kindness　which　has　borne　with　my
weaknesses　and　my　follies。　God　bless　youand　goodbye。

〃OSCAR。



Of　the　effect　which　the　first　reading　of　this　letter　produced　on　me；　I
shall　say　nothing。　Even　at　this　distance　of　time；　I　shrink　from　reviving
the　memory　of　what　I　suffered；　alone　in　my　room　on　that　miserable　night。
Let　it　be　enough　if　I　tell　you　briefly　at　what　decision　I　arrived。

I　determined　on　doing　two　things。　First；　on　going　to　London　by　the
earliest　train　the　next　morning；　and　finding　my　way　to　Oscar　by　means　of
his　bankers。　Secondly；　on　preventing　the　villain　who　had　accepted　the
sacrifice　of　his　brother's　happiness　from　entering　the　rectory　in　my
absence。

The　one　comfort　I　had；　that　night；　was　in　feeling　that；　on　these　two
points；　my　mind　was　made　up。　There　was　a　stimulant　in　my　sense　of　my　own
resolution　which　strengthened　me　to　make　my　excuses　to　Lucilla；　without
betraying　the　grief　that　tortured　me　when　I　found　myself　in　her　presence
again。　Before　I　went　to　my　bed；　I　had　left　her　quiet　and　happy；　I　had
arranged　with　Herr　Grosse　that　he　was　still　to　keep　his　excitable　patient
secluded　from　visitors　all　through　the　next　day；　and　I　had　secured　as　an
ally　to　help　me　in　preventing　Nugent　from　entering　the　house；　no　less　a
person　than　Reverend　Finch　himself。　I　saw　him　in　his　study　overnight；　and
told　him　all　that　had　happened；　keeping　one　circumstance　only
concealednamely；　Oscar's　insane　determination　to　share　his　fortune　with
his　infamous　brother。　I　purposely　led　the　rector　to　suppose　that　Oscar
had　left　Lucilla　free　to　receive　the　addresses　of　a　man　who　had
dissipated　his　fortune　to　the　last　farthing。　Mr。　Finch's　harangue　when
this　prospect　was　brought　within　his　range　of　contemplation；　was
something　to　be　remembered；　but　not　（on　this　occasion）　to　be　reportedin
mercy　to　the　Church。

By　the　train　of　the　next　morning；　I　left　for　London。

By　the　train　of　the　same　evening；　I　returned　alone　to　Dimchurch；　having
completely　failed　to　achieve　the　purpose　which　taken　me　to　the
metropolis。

Oscar　had　appeared　at　the　bank　as　soon　as　the　doors　were　opened　in　the
morning；　had　drawn　out　some　hundreds　of　pounds　in　circular　notes；　had
told　the　bankers　that　they　should　be　furnished　with　an　address　at　which
they　could　write　to　him；　in　due　course　of　time；　and　had　departed　for　the
Continent；　without　leaving　a　trace　behind　him。

I　spent　the　day　in　making　what　arrangements　I　could　for　discovering　him
by　the　usual　methods　of　inquiry　pursued　in　such　cases；　and　took　the
return　train　to　the　country；　with　my　mind　alternating　between　despair
when　I　thought　of　Lucilla；　and　anger　when　I　thought　of　the　twin…brothers。
In　the　first　bitterness　of　my　disappointment；　I　was　quite　as　indignant
with　Oscar　as　with　Nugent。　With　all　my　heart　I　cursed　the　day　which　had
brought　the　one　and　the　other　to　Dimchurch。

As　we　lengthened　our　distance　from　London；　flying　smoothly　the　tranquil
woods　and　fields；　my　mind；　with　time　to　help　it；　began　to　recover　its
balance。　Little　by　little；　the　unexpected　revelation　of　firmness　and
decision　in　Oscar's　conductheartily　as　I　still　deplored　and　blamed　that
conductbegan　to　have　a　new　effect　on　my　mind。　I　now　looked　back　in
amazement　and　self…reproach；　at　my　own　superficial　estimate　of　the
characters　of　the　twin…brothers。

Thinking　it　over　uninterruptedly；　with　no　one　in　the　carriage　but　myself；
I　arrived　at　a　conclusion　which　strongly　influenced　my　conduct　in　guiding
Lucilla　through　the　troubles　and　perils　that　were　still　to　come。

Our　physical　constitutions　have；　as　I　take　it；　more　to　do　with　the
actions　which　determine　other　people's　opinions　of　us　（as　well　as　with
the　course　of　our　own　lives）　than　we　generally　suppose。　A　man　with
delicately…strung　nerves　says　and　does　things　which　often　lead　us　to
think　more　meanly　of　him　than　he　deserves。　It　is　his　great　misfortune
constantly　to　present　himself　at　his　worst。　On　the　other　hand；　a　man
provided　with　nerves　vigorously　constituted；　is　provided　also　with　a
constitutional　health　and　hardihood　which　express　themselves　brightly　in
his　manners；　and　which　lead　to　a　mistaken　impression　that　his　nature　is
what　it　appears　to　be　on　the　surface。　Having　good　health；　he　has　good
spirits。　Having　good　spirits；　he　wins　as　an　agreeable　companion　on　the
persons　with　whom　he　comes　in　contactalthough　he　may　be　hiding　all　the
while；　under　an　outer　covering　which　is　physically　wholesome；　an　inner
nature　which　is　morally　diseased。　In　the　last　of　these　typical　men；　I　saw
reflectedNugent。　In　the　firstOscar。　All　that　was　feeblest　and　poorest
in　Oscar's　nature　had　shown　itself　on　the　surface　in　past　times；　to　the
concealment　of　its　stronger　and　its　nobler　side。　There　had　been　something
hidden　in　this　supersensitive　man；　who　had　shrunk　under　all　the　small
trials　of　his　life　in　our　village；　which　had　proved　firm　enough；　when　the
greatness　of　the　need　called　on　it；　to　sustain　the　terrible　disaster　that
had　fallen　on　him。　The　nearer　I　got　to　the　end　of　my　journey；　the　more
certain　I　felt　that　I　was　only　now　learning　（bitterly　as　he　had
disappointed　me）　to　estimate　Oscar's　character　at　its　true　value。
Inspired　by　this　conviction；　I　began　already　to　face　our　hopeless
prospects　boldly。　As　long　as　I　had　life　and　strength　to　help　her；　I
determined　that　Lucilla　should　_not_　lose　the　man；　whose　best　qualities　I
had　failed　to　discover　until　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　turn　his　back　on
her　for　ever。

When　I　reached　the　rectory；　I　was　informed　that　Mr。　Finch　wished　to　speak
to　me。　My　anxiety　about　Lucilla　made　me　unwilling　to　submit　to　any　delay
in　seeing　her。　I　sent　a　message；　informing　the　rector　that　I　would　be
with　him　in　a　few　minutesand　ran　up…stairs　into　Lucilla's　room。

〃Has　it　been　a　very　long　day；　my　dear？〃　I　asked；　when　our　first　greetings
were　over。

〃It　has　been　a　delightful　day；〃　she　answered　joyously。　〃Grosse　took　me
out　for　a　walk；　before　he　went　back　to　London。　Can　you　guess　where　our
walk　led　us？〃

A　chilly　sense　of　misgiving　seized　me。　I　drew　back　from　her。　I　looked　at
her　lovely　face　without　the　slightest　admiration　of　itworse　still；　with
downright　distrust　of　it。

〃Where　did　you　go？〃　I　asked。

〃To　Browndown；　of　course！〃

An　exclamation　escaped　me（〃Infamous　Grosse！〃　spit　out　between　my　teeth
in　my　own　language）。　I　could　_not_　help　it。　I　should　have　died　if　I　had
repressed　itI　was　in　such　a　rage。

Lucilla　laughed。　〃There！　there！　It　was　my　fault；　I　insisted　on　speaking
to　Oscar。　As　soon　as　I　had　my　own　way；　I　behaved　perfectly。　I　never　asked
to　have　the　bandage　taken　off；　I　was　satisfied　with　only　speaking　to　him。
Dear　old　Grossehe　isn't　half　as　hard　on　me　as　you　and　my　fatherwas
with　us；　all　the　time。　It　has　done　me　so　much　good。　Don't　be　sulky　about
it；　you　darling　Pratolungo！　My　'surgeon　optic'　sanctions　my　imprudence。　I
won't　ask　you　to　go　with　me　to　Browndown　to…morrow；　Oscar　is　coming　to
return　my　visit。〃

Those　last　words　decided　me。　I　had　had　a　weary　time　of　it　since　the
morning；　but　（for　me）　the　day　was　not　at　an　end　yet。　I　said　to　myself；　〃I
will　have　it　out　with　Mr。　Nugent　Dubourg；　before　I　go　to　my　bed
to…night！〃

〃Can　you　spare　me　for　a　little　while？〃　I　asked。　〃I　must　go　to　the　other
side　of　the　house。　Your　father　wishes　to　speak　to　me。

Lucilla　started。　〃About　what？〃　she　inquired　eagerly。

〃About　business　in　London；〃　I　answeredand　left　her；　before　her
curiosity　could　madden　me　（in　the　state　I　was　in　at　that　moment）　with
more　questions。

I　found　the　rector　prepared　to　favor　me　with　his　usual　flow　of　language。
Fifty　Mr。　Finches　could　not　have　possessed　themselves　of　my　attention　in
the　humour　I　was　in　at　that　moment。　To　the　reverend　gentleman's
amazement；　it　was　I　who　beganand　not　he。

〃I　have　just　left　Lucilla；　Mr。　Finch。　I　know　what　has　happened。〃

〃Wait　a　minute；　Madame　Pratolungo！　One　thing　is　of　the　utmost　importance
to　begin　with。　Do　you　thoroughly　understand　that　I　am；　in　no　sense　of　the
word；　to　blame？〃

〃Thoroughly；〃　I　interposed。　〃Of　course；　they　would　not　have　gone　to
Browndown；　if　you　had　consented　to　let　Nugent　Dubourg　into　the　house。〃

〃Stop！〃　said　Mr。　Finch；　elevating　his　right　hand。　〃My　good　creature；　you
are　in　a　state　of　hysterical　precipitation。　I　will　be　heard！　I　did　more
than　refuse　my　consent。　When　the　man　GrosseI　insist　on　your　composing
yourselfwhen　the　man　Grosse　came　and　spoke　to　me　about　it；　I　did　more；
I　say；　infinitely　more；　than　refuse　my　consent。　You　know　my　force　of
languagedon't　be　alarmed！　I　said；　'Sir！　As　pastor　and　parent；　My　Foot
is　down'〃

〃I　understand；　Mr。　Finch。　Whatever　you　said　to　Herr　Grosse　was　quite
useless；　he　entirely　ignored　your　personal　point　of　view。〃

〃Madame　Pratolungo！〃

〃He　found　Lucilla　danger