poor miss finch-第79部分

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lawyer　had　recommended　me；　to　institute　that　search　for　Oscar　which　I　had
determined　to　set　on　foot　when　I　left　London。　The　person　was　connected
with　the　police；　in　the　capacity　（as　nearly　as　I　can　express　it　in
English）　of　a　sort　of　private　superintendentnot　officially　recognized；
but　secretly　trusted　for　all　that。

When　he　heard　of　the　time　that　had　elapsed　without　any　discovery　of　the
slightest　trace　of　the　fugitive；　he　looked　grave；　and　declared；　honestly
enough；　that　he　doubted　if　he　could　reward　my　confidence　in　him　by
proving　himself　to　be　of　the　slightest　service　to　me。　Seeing；　however；
that　I　was　earnestly　bent　on　making　some　sort　of　effort；　he　put　a　last
question　to　me　in　these　terms：〃You　have　not　described　the　gentleman
yet。　Is　there；　by　lucky　chance；　anything　remarkable　in　his　personal
appearance？〃

〃There　is　something　very　remarkable；　sir；〃　I　answered。　〃Describe　it
exactly；　ma'am；　if　you　please。〃

I　described　Oscar's　complexion。　My　excellent　superintendent　showed
encouraging　signs　of　interest　as　he　listened。　He　was　a　most
elegantly…dressed　gentleman；　with　the　gracious　manners　of　a　prince。　It
was　quite　a　privilege　to　be　allowed　to　talk　to　him。

〃If　the　missing　man　has　passed　through　France；〃　he　said；　〃with　such　a
remarkable　face　as　that；　there　is　a　fair　chance　of　finding　him。　I　will
set　preliminary　inquiries　going　at　the　railway　station；　at　the
steam…packet　office；　and　at　the　port。　You　shall　hear　the　result
to…morrow。〃

I　went　back　to　good　Papa's　bedsidesatisfied；　so　far。

The　next　day；　my　superintendent　honored　me　by　a　visit。

〃Any　news；　sir？〃　I　asked。

〃News　already；　ma'am。　The　clerk　at　the　steam…packet　office　perfectly　well
remembers　selling　a　ticket　to　a　stranger　with　a　terrible　blue　face。
Unhappily；　his　memory　is　not　equally　good；　as　to　other　matters。　He　cannot
accurately　call　to　mind；　either　the　name　of　the　stranger；　or　the　place
for　which　the　stranger　embarked。　We　know　that　he　must　either　have　gone　to
some　port　in　Italy；　or　to　some　port　in　the　East。　And；　thus　far；　we　know
no　more。

〃What　are　we　to　do　next？〃　I　inquired。

〃I　proposewith　your　permissionsending　personal　descriptions　of　the
gentleman；　by　telegraph；　to　the　different　ports　in　Italy　first。　If
nothing　is　heard　of　him　in　reply；　we　will　try　the　ports　in　the　East　next。
That　is　the　course　which　I　have　the　honor　of　submitting　to　your
consideration。　Do　you　approve　of　it？〃

I　cordially　approved　of　it；　and　waited　for　the　results　with　all　the
patience　that　I　could　command。

The　next　day　passed；　and　nothing　happened。　My　unhappy　father　got　on　very
slowly。　The　vile　woman　who　had　caused　the　disaster　（and　who　had　run　off
with　his　antagonist）　was　perpetually　in　his　mind；　disturbing　him　and
keeping　him　back。　Why　is　a　destroying　wretch　of　this　sort；　a　pitiless；
treacherous；　devouring　monster　in　female　form；　allowed　to　be　out　of
prison？　You　shut　up　in　a　cage　a　poor　tigress；　who　only　eats　you　when　she
is　hungry；　and　can't　provide　for　her　dear　little　children　in　any　other
wayand　you　let　the　other　and　far　more　dangerous　beast　of　the　two　range
at　large　under　protection　of　the　law！　Ah；　it　is　easy　to　see　that　the　men
make　the　laws。　Never　mind。　The　women　are　coming　to　the　front。　Wait　a
little。　The　tigresses　on　two　legs　will　have　a　bad　time　of　it　when　we　get
into　Parliament。

On　the　fourth　of　the　month；　the　superintendent　wrote　to　me。　More　news　of
the　lost　Oscar　already！

The　blue　man　had　disembarked　at　Genoa；　and　had　been　traced　to　the　station
of　the　railway　running　to　Turin。　More　inquiries　had　been；　thereupon；　sent
by　telegraph　to　Turin。　In　the　meantime；　and　in　the　possible　event　of　the
missing　person　returning　to　England　by　way　of　Marseilles；　experienced
men；　provided　with　a　personal　description　of　him；　would　be　posted　at
various　public　places；　to　pass　in　review　all　travelers　arriving　either　by
land　or　seaand　to　report　to　me　if　the　right　traveler　appeared。　Once
more；　my　princely　superintendent　submitted　this　course　to　my
considerationand　waited　for　my　approvaland　got　it；　with　my　admiration
thrown　in　as　part　of　the　bargain。

The　days　passedand　good　Papa　still　vacillated　between　better　and　worse。

My　sisters　broke　down；　poor　souls；　under　their　anxieties。　It　all　fell　as
usual　on　my　shoulders。　Day　by　day；　my　prospect　of　returning　to　England
seemed　to　grow　more　and　more　remote。　Not　a　line　of　reply　reached　me　from
Mrs。　Finch。　This　in　itself　fidgeted　and　disturbed　me。　Lucilla　was　now
hardly　ever　out　of　my　thoughts。　Over　and　over　again；　my　anxiety　urged　me
to　run　the　risk；　and　write　to　her。　But　the　same　obstacle　always　raised
itself　in　my　way。　After　what　had　happened　between　us；　it　was　impossible
for　me　to　write　to　her　directly；　without　first　restoring　myself　to　my
former　place　in　her　estimation。　And　I　could　only　do　this；　by　entering
into　particulars　which；　for　all　I　knew　to　the　contrary；　it　might　still　be
cruel　and　dangerous　to　reveal。

As　for　writing　to　Miss　Batchford；　I　had　already　tried　the　old　lady's
patience　in　that　way；　before　leaving　England。　If　I　tried　it　again；　with
no　better　excuse　for　a　second　intrusion　than　my　own　anxieties　might
suggest；　the　chances　were　that　this　uncompromising　royalist　would　throw
my　letter　in　the　fire；　and　treat　her　republican　correspondent　with
contemptuous　silence。　Grosse　was　the　third；　and　last；　person　from　whom　I
might　hope　to　obtain　information。　Butshall　I　confess　it？I　did　not
know　what　Lucilla　might　have　told　him　of　the　estrangement　between　us；　and
my　pride　（remember；　if　you　please；　that　I　am　a　poverty…stricken
foreigner）　revolted　at　the　idea　of　exposing　myself　to　a　possible　repulse。

However；　by　the　eleventh　of　the　month；　I　began　to　feel　my　suspense　so
keenly；　and　to　suffer　under　such　painful　doubts　of　what　Nugent　might　be
doing　in　my　absence；　that　I　resolved　at　all　hazards　on　writing　to　Grosse。
It　was　at　least　possible；　as　I　calculatedand　the　Journal　will　show　you
I　calculated　rightthat　Lucilla　had　only　told　him　of　my　melancholy
errand　at　Marseilles；　and　had　mentioned　nothing　more。　I　had　just　opened
my　deskwhen　our　doctor　in　attendance　entered　the　room；　and　announced
the　joyful　intelligence　that　he　could　answer　at　last　for　the　recovery　of
good　Papa。

〃Can　I　go　back　to　England？〃　I　asked　eagerly。

〃Not　immediately。　You　are　his　favorite　nurseyou　must　gradually　accustom
him　to　the　idea　of　your　going　away。　If　you　do　anything　sudden　you　may
cause　a　relapse。〃

〃I　will　do　nothing　sudden。　Only　tell　me；　when　it　will　be　safeabsolutely
safefor　me　to　go？〃

〃Say；　in　a　week。〃

〃On　the　eighteenth？〃

〃On　the　eighteenth。〃

I　shut　up　my　writing…desk。　Within　a　few　days；　I　might　now　hope　to　be　in
England　as　soon　as　I　could　receive　Grosse's　answer　at　Marseilles。　Under
these　circumstances；　it　would　be　better　to　wait　until　I　could　make　my
inquiries；　safely　and　independently；　in　my　own　proper　person。　Comparison
of　dates　will　show　that　if　I　_had_　written　to　the　German　oculist；　it
would　have　been　too　late。　It　was　now　the　eleventh；　and　Lucilla　had　left
Ramsgate　with　Nugent　on　the　fifth。

All　this　time　but　one　small　morsel　of　news　rewarded　our　inquiries　after
Oscarand　even　that　small　morsel　seemed　to　me　to　be　unworthy　of　belief。

It　was　said　that　he　had　been　seen　at　a　military　hospitalthe　hospital　of
Alessandria；　in　Piedmont；　I　thinkacting；　under　the　surgeons；　as
attendant　on　the　badly…wounded　men　who　had　survived　the　famous　campaign
of　France　and　Italy　against　Austria。　（Bear　in　mind；　if　you　please；　that　I
am　writing　of　the　year　eighteen　hundred　and　fifty…nine；　and　that　the
peace　of　Villafranca　was　only　signed　in　the　July　of　that　year。）
Occupation　as　hospital…man…nurse　was；　to　my　mind；　occupation　so　utterly
at　variance　with　Oscar's　temperament　and　character；　that　I　persisted　in
considering　the　intelligence　thus　received　of　him　to　be　on　the　face　of　it
false。

On　the　seventeenth　of　the　month；　I　had　got　my　passport　regulated；　and　had
packed　up　the　greater　part　of　my　baggage　in　anticipation　of　my　journey
back　to　England　on　the　next　day。

Carefully　as　I　had　tried　to　accustom　his　mind　to　the　idea；　my　poor　father
remained　so　immovably　reluctant　to　let　me　leave　him；　that　I　was　obliged
to　consent　to　a　sort　of　compromise。　I　promised；　when　the　business　which
took　me　to　England　was　settled；　to　return　again　to　Marseilles；　and　to
travel　back　with　him　to　his　home　in　Paris；　as　soon　as　he　was　fit　to　be
moved。　On　this　condition；　I　gained　permission　to　go。　Poor　as　I　was；　I
infinitely　preferred　charging　my　slender　purse　with　the　expense　of　the
double　journey；　to　remaining　any　longer　in　ignorance　of　what　was　going　on
at　Ramsgateor　at　Dimchurch；　as　the　case　might　be。　Now　that　my　mind　was
free　from　anxiety　about　my　father；　I　don't　know　which　tormented　me
mostmy　eagerness　to　set　myself　right　with　my　sister…friend；　or　my　vague
dread　of　the　mischief　which　Nugent　might　have　done　while　my　back　was
turned。　Over；　and　over　again　I　asked　myself；　whether　Miss　Batchford　had；
or　had　not；　shown　my　letter　to　Lucilla。　Over　and　over　again；　I　wondered
whether　it　had　been　my　happy　privilege　to　reveal　Nugent　under　his　true
aspect；　and　to　preserve　Lucilla　for　Oscar　after　all。

Towards　the　afternoon；　on　the　seventeenth；　I　went　out　alone　to　get　a
breath　of　fresh　air；　and　a　look　at　the　shop…windows。　I　don't　care　who　or
what　she　may　behigh　or　low；　handsome　or　ugly；　young　or　oldit　always
relieves　a　woman's　mind　to　look　at　the　shop…windows。

I　had　not　been　five　minutes　out；　before　I　met　my　princely　superintendent。

〃Any　news　for　me　to…day？〃　I　asked。

〃Not　yet。〃

〃Not　yet？〃　I　repeated。　〃You　expect　news　then？〃

〃We　expect　an　Italian　steam…ship　to　arrive　in　port　before　the　evening；〃
said　the　superintendent。　〃Who　knows　what　may　happen？〃

He　bowed　and　left　me。　I　felt　no　great　elation　on　contemplating　the　barren
prospect　which　his　last　words　had　placed　before　me。　So　many　steamers　had
arrived　at　Marseilles；　without　bringing　any　news　of　the　missing　man；　that
I　attached　very　little　importance　to　the　arrival　of　the　Italian　ship。
However；　I　had　nothing　to　doI　wanted　a　walkand　I　thought　I　might　as
well　stroll　down　to　the　port；　and　see　the　vessel　come　in。

The　vessel　was　just　entering　the　harbor　by　the　time　I　got　to　the
landing…stage。

I　found　our