I REACHED London in the last week of Lucilla’s residence under her aunt’s roof, and waited in town until it was time to take her back to Dimchurch.
As soon as it had become obviously too late for Oscar to risk the dreaded1 meeting with Lucilla before strangers, his correspondence had, as a matter of course, assumed a brighter tone. She was in high spirits once more, poor thing, when we met — and full of delight at having me near her again. We thoroughly2 enjoyed our few days in London — and took our fill of music at operas and concerts. I got on excellently well with the aunt until the last day, when something happened which betrayed me into an avowal3 of my political convictions.
The old lady’s consternation4, when she discovered that I looked hopefully forward to a coming extermination5 of kings and priests, and a general re-distribution of property all over the civilized6 globe, is unutterable in words. On that occasion, I made one more aristocrat7 tremble. I also closed Miss Batchford’s door on me for the rest of my life. No matter! The day is coming when the Batchford branch of humanity will not possess a door to close. All Europe is drifting nearer and nearer to the Pratolungo programme. Cheer up, my brothers without land, and my sisters without money in the Funds! We will have it out with the infamous8 rich yet. Long live the Republic!
Early in the month of April, Lucilla and I took leave of the Metropolis9, and went back to Dimchurch.
As we drew nearer and nearer to the rectory, as Lucilla began to flush and fidget in eager anticipation10 of her re-union with Oscar, that uneasiness of mind which I had so readily dismissed while I was in Italy, began to find its way back to me again. My imagination now set to work at drawing pictures — startling pictures of Oscar as a changed being, as a Medusa’s head too terrible to be contemplated11 by mortal eyes. Where would he meet us? At the entrance to the village? No. At the rectory gate? No. In the quieter part of the garden which was at the back of the house? Yes! There he stood waiting for us — alone!
Lucilla flew into his arms with a cry of delight. I stood behind and looked at them.
Ah, how vividly12 I remember — at the moment when she embraced him — the first shock of seeing the two faces together! The drug had done its work. I saw her fair cheek laid innocently against the livid blackish blue of his discolored skin. Heavens, how cruelly that first embrace marked the contrast between what he had been when I left him, and what he had changed to when I saw him now! His eyes turned from her face to mine, in silent appeal to me while he held her in his arms. Their look told me the thought in him, as eloquently13 as if he had put it into words. “You, who love her, say — can we ever be cruel enough to tell her of this?”
I approached to take his hand. At the same moment, Lucilla suddenly drew back from him, laid her left hand on his shoulder, and passed her right hand rapidly over his face.
For an instant I felt my heart stand still. Her miraculous14 sensitiveness of touch had detected the dark color of my dress, on the day when we first met. Would it serve her, this time, as truly as it had served her then?
She paused, after the first passage of her fingers over his face, with the breathless attention to what she was about, which, in my own case, I remembered so well. A second time, she passed her hand over him — considered again — and turned my way next.
“What does his face tell you?” she asked. “It tells me that he has something on his mind. What is it?”
We were safe — so far! The hateful medicine, in altering the color, had not affected15 the texture16, of his skin. As her touch had left it on her departure, so her touch found it again, on her return.
Before I could reply to Lucilla, Oscar answered for himself.
“Nothing is wrong, my darling,” he said. “My nerves are a little out of order to-day; and the joy of seeing you again has overcome me for the moment — that is all.”
She shook her head impatiently.
“No,” she said, “it’s not all.” She touched his heart. “Why is it beating so fast?” She took his hand in hers. “Why has it turned so cold? I must know. I will know! Come indoors.”
At that awkward moment, the most wearisome of living men suddenly proved himself to be the most welcome of living men. The rector appeared in the garden, to receive his daughter on her return. Enfolded in Reverend Finch’s paternal17 embraces; harangued18 by Reverend Finch’s prodigious19 voice, Lucilla was effectually silenced — the subject was inevitably20 changed. Oscar drew me aside out of hearing, while her attention was diverted from him.
“I saw you,” he said. “You were horrified21 at the first sight of me. You were relieved when you found that her touch told her nothing. Help me to keep her from suspecting it, for two months more — and you will be the best friend that ever man had.”
“Two months?” I repeated.
“Yes. If there is no return of the fits in two months, the doctor will consider my recovery complete. Lucilla and I may be married at the end of the time.”
“My friend Oscar, are you contemplating22 a fraud on Lucilla?”
“What do you mean?”
“Come! come! you know what I mean! Is it honorable first to entrap23 her into marrying you — and then to confess to her the color of your face?”
He sighed bitterly.
“I shall fill her with horror of me, if I confess it. Look at me! look at me!” he said, lifting his ghastly hands in despair to his blue face.
I was determined24 not to give way — even to that.
“Be a man!” I said. “Own it boldly. What is she going to marry you for? For your face that she can never see? No! For your heart that is one with her own. Trust to her natural good sense — and, better than that, to the devoted25 love that you have inspired in her. She will see her stupid prejudice in its true light, when she feels it trying to part her from you.”
“No! no! no! Remember her letter to her father. I shall lose her for ever, if I tell her now!”
I took his arm, and endeavored to lead him to Lucilla. She as already trying to escape from her father; she was already longing26 to hear the sound of Oscar’s voice again.
He obstinately27 shrank back. I began to feel angry with him. In another moment, I should have said or done something that I might have repented28 of afterwards — if a new interruption had not happened before I could open my lips.
Another person appeared in the garden — the man-servant from Browndown; with a letter for his master in his hand.
“This has just come, sir,” said the man, “by the afternoon post. It is marked ‘Immediate.’ I thought I had better bring it to you here.”
Oscar took the letter, and looked at the address. “My brother’s writing!” he exclaimed. “A letter from Nugent!”
He opened the letter — and burst out with a cry of joy which brought Lucilla instantly to his side.
“What is it?” she asked eagerly.
“Nugent is coming back! Nugent will be here in a week! Oh, Lucilla! my brother is coming to stay with me at Browndown!”
He caught her in his arms, and kissed her, in the first rapture29 of receiving that welcome news. She forced herself away from him without answering a word. She turned her poor blind face round and round, in the search for me.
“Here I am!” I said.
She roughly and angrily put her arm in mine. I saw the jealous misery30 in her face as she dragged me away with here to the house. Never yet had Oscar’s voice, in her experience of him, sounded the note of happiness that she heard in it now! Never yet had she felt Oscar’s heart on Oscar’s lips, as she felt it when he kissed her in the first joy of anticipating Nugent’s return!
“Can he hear me?” she whispered, when we had left the lawn, and she felt the gravel31 under her feet.
“No. What is it?”
“I hate his brother!”
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1
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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2
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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3
avowal
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| n.公开宣称，坦白承认 | |
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4
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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extermination
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| n.消灭，根绝 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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aristocrat
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| n.贵族，有贵族气派的人，上层人物 | |
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infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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9
metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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eloquently
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| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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15
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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17
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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harangued
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| v.高谈阔论( harangue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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22
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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entrap
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| v.以网或陷阱捕捉，使陷入圈套 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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30
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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