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〃We have had a weary journey；〃 I went on。 〃Oscar is not so well used to
traveling as I am。 Where is his room？〃
Mrs。 Finch rose to show the way。 Her husband opened his lips to
interfere。
〃Leave it to me；〃 I repeated。 〃I understand him； and you don't。〃
For once in his life； the Pope of Dimchurch was reduced to silence。 His
amazement at my audacity defied even his powers of expression。 I took
Oscar's arm； and said； 〃You are worn out。 Go to your room。 I will make
you something warm and bring it up to you myself in a few minutes。〃 He
neither looked at me nor answered mehe yielded silently and followed
Mrs。 Finch。 I took from the sideboard； on which supper was waiting； the
materials I wanted； set the kettle boiling； made my renovating mixture；
and advanced to the door with itfollowed from first to last； move where
I might； by the staring and scandalized eyes of Mr。 Finch。 The moment in
which I opened the door was also the moment in which the rector recovered
himself。 〃Permit me to inquire； Madame Pratolungo；〃 he said with his
loftiest emphasis； 〃in what capacity are You here？〃
〃In the capacity of Oscar's friend；〃 I answered。 〃You will get rid of us
both to…morrow。〃 I banged the door behind me； and went up…stairs。 If I
had been Mr。 Finch's wife； I believe I should have ended in making quite
an agreeable man of him。
Mrs。 Finch met me in the passage on the first floor； and pointed out
Oscar's room。 I found him walking backwards and forwards restlessly。 The
first words he said alluded to his brother's letter。 I had arranged not
to disturb him by any reference to that painful matter until the next
morning； and I tried to change the topic。 It was useless。 There was an
anxiety in his mind which was not to be dismissed at will。 He insisted on
my instantly setting that anxiety at rest。
〃I don't want to see the letter；〃 he said。 〃I only want to know all that
it says about Lucilla。〃
〃All that it says may be summed up in this。 Lucilla is perfectly safe。〃
He caught me by the arm； and looked me searchingly in the face。
〃Where？〃 he asked。 With _him？_〃
〃With a married lady who is a relative of his。〃
He dropped my arm； and considered for a moment。
〃My cousin at Sydenham！〃 he exclaimed。
〃Do you know the house？〃
〃Perfectly well。〃
〃We will go there to…morrow。 Let that content you for tonight。 Get to
rest。〃
I gave him my hand。 He took it mechanicallyabsorbed in his own
thoughts。
〃Didn't I say something foolish down stairs？〃 he asked； putting the
question suddenly； with an odd suspicious look at me。
〃You were quite worn out；〃 I said； consolingly。 〃Nobody noticed it。〃
〃You are sure of that？〃
〃Quite sure。 Good night。〃
I left the room； feeling much as I had felt at the station at Marseilles。
I was not satisfied with him。 I thought his conduct very strange。
On returning to the parlor； I found nobody there but Mrs。 Finch。 The
rector's offended dignity had left the rector no honorable alternative
but to withdraw to his own room。 I ate my supper in peace； and Mrs。 Finch
（rocking the cradle with her foot） chattered away to her heart's content
about all that had happened in my absence。
I gathered； here and there； from what she said； some particulars worth
mentioning。
The new disagreement between Mr。 Finch and Miss Batchford； which had
driven the old lady out of the rectory almost as soon as she set foot in
it； had originated in Mr。 Finch's exasperating composure when he heard of
his daughter's flight。 He supposed； of course； that Lucilla had left
Ramsgate with Oscarwhose signed settlements on his future wife were
safe in Mr。 Finch's possession。 It was only when Miss Batchford had
communicated with Grosse； and when the discovery followed which revealed
the penniless Nugent as the man who had eloped with Lucilla； that Mr。
Finch's parental anxiety （seeing no money likely to come of it） became
roused to action。 He； Miss Batchford； and Grosse； had all； in their
various ways； done their best to trace the fugitivesand had all alike
been baffled by the impossibility of discovering the residence of the
lady mentioned in Nugent's letter。 My telegram； announcing my return to
England with Oscar； had inspired them with their first hope of being able
to interfere； and stop the marriage before it was too late。
The occurrence of Grosse's name in Mrs。 Finch's rambling narrative；
recalled to my memory what the rector had told me at the garden gate。 I
had not yet received the letter which the German had sent to wait my
arrival at Dimchurch。 After a short search； we found itwhere it had
been contemptuously thrown by Mr。 Finchon the parlor table。
A few lines comprised the whole letter。 Grosse informed me that he had so
fretted himself about Lucilla； that he had been attacked by 〃a visitation
of gouts。〃 It was impossible to move his 〃foots〃 without instantly
plunging into the torture of the infernal regions。 〃If it is you； my goot
dear； who are going to find her；〃 he concluded； 〃come to me first in
London。 I have something most dismal…serious to say to you about our poor
little Feench's eyes。〃
No words can tell how that last sentence startled and grieved me。 Mrs。
Finch increased my anxiety and alarm by repeating what she had heard Miss
Batchford say； during her brief visit to the rectory； on the subject of
Lucilla's sight。 Grosse had been seriously dissatisfied with the state of
his patient's eyes； when he had seen them as long ago as the fourth of
the month； and； on the morning of the next day； the servant had reported
Lucilla as being hardly able to distinguish objects in the view from the
window of her room。 Later on the same day； she had secretly left
Ramsgate； and Grosse's letter proved that she had not been near her
surgical attendant since。
Weary as I was after the journey； this miserable news kept me waking long
after I had gone to my bed。 The next morning； I was up with the
servantsimpatient to start for London； by the first train。
CHAPTER THE FORTY…EIGHTH
On the Way to the End。 Second Stage
EARLY riser as I was； I found that Oscar had risen earlier still。 He had
left the rectory and had disturbed Mr。 Gootheridge's morning slumbers by
an application at the inn for the key of Browndown。
On his return to the rectory； he merely said that he had been to see
after various things belonging to him； which were still left in the empty
house。 His look and manner as he gave us this brief explanation were； to
my mind； more unsatisfactory than ever。 I made no remark； and； observing
that his loose traveling coat was buttoned awry over the breast； I set it
right for him。 My hand； as I did this； touched his breast…pocket。 He
started back directlyas if there was something in the pocket which he
did not wish me to feel。 Was it something he had brought from Browndown？
We got awayencumbered by Mr。 Finch； who insisted on attaching himself
to Oscarby the first express train； which took us straight to London。
Comparison of time…tables； on reaching the terminus； showed that I had
leisure to spare for a brief visit to Grosse； before we again took the
railway back to Sydenham。 Having decided not to mention the bad news