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Wait till he had cooled down again to his customary mild temperatureand
you would have said with equal truth； This is a lamb。
〃One thing rather surprises me； Mr。 Dubourg；〃 I went on。 〃I can't quite
understand〃
〃Don't call me 〃Mr。 Dubourg；〃 he interposed。 〃You remind me of the
disgrace which has forced me to change my name。 Call me by my Christian
name。 It's a foreign name。 You are a foreigner by your accentyou will
like me all the better for having a foreign name。 I was christened
〃Oscar〃after my mother's brother： my mother was a Jersey woman。 Call me
〃Oscar。〃What is it you don't understand？〃
〃In your present situation；〃 I resumed； 〃I don't understand your brother
leaving you here all by yourself。〃
He was on the point of flaming out again at that。
〃Not a word against my brother！〃 he exclaimed fiercely。 〃My brother is
the noblest creature that God ever created！ You must own that
yourselfyou know what he did at the trial。 I should have died on the
scaffold but for that angel。 I insist on it that he is not a man。 He is
an angel！〃
（I admitted that his brother was an angel。 The concession instantly
pacified him。）
〃People say there is no difference between us；〃 he went on； drawing his
chair companionably close to mine。 〃Ah； people are so shallow！
Personally； I grant you； we are exactly alike。 （You have heard that we
are twins？） But there it ends； unfortunately for _me。_ Nugent（my
brother was christened Nugent after my father）Nugent is a hero！ Nugent
is a genius。 I should have died if he hadn't taken care of me after the
trial。 I had nobody but him。 We are orphans； we have no brothers or
sisters。 Nugent felt the disgrace even more than I felt itbut _he_
could control himself。 It fell more heavily on him than it did on me。
I'll tell you why。 Nugent was in a fair way to make our family namethe
name that we have been obliged to dropfamous all over the world。 He is
a paintera landscape painter。 Have you never heard of him？ Ah； you soon
will！ Where do you think he has gone to？ He has gone to the wilds of
America； in search of new subjects。 He is going to found a school of
landscape painting。 On an immense scale。 A scale that has never been
attempted yet。 Dear fellow！ Shall I tell you what he said when he left me
here？ Noble wordsI call them noble words。 'Oscar！ I go to make our
assumed name famous。 You shall be honorably knownyou shall be
illustrious； as the brother of Nugent Dubourg。' Do you think I could
stand in the way of such a career as that？ After what he has sacrificed
for _me；_ could I let Such a Man stagnate herefor no better purpose
than to keep me company？ What does it matter about _my_ feeling lonely？
Who am I？ Oh； if you had seen how he bore with the horrible notoriety
that followed us； after the trial！ He was constantly stared at and
pointed at； for _me。_ Not a word of complaint escaped him。 He snapped his
fingers at it。 'That for public opinion！' he said。 What strength of
mindeh？ From one place after another we moved and moved； and still
there were the photographs； and the newspapers； and the whole infamous
story （'romance in real life；' they called it）； known beforehand to
everybody。 _He_ never lost heart。 'We shall find a place yet' （that was
the cheerful way he put it）； 'you have nothing to do with it； Oscar； you
are safe in my hands； I promise you exactly the place of refuge you
want。' It was he who got all the information； and found out this lonely
part of England where you live。 _I_ thought it pretty as we wandered
about the hillsit wasn't half grand enough for _him。_ We lost
ourselves。 I began to feel nervous。 He didn't mind it a bit。 〃You have Me
with you；〃 he said； 〃My luck is always to be depended on。 Mark what I
say！ We shall stumble on a village！〃 You will hardly believe mein ten
minutes more； we stumbled； exactly as he had foretold； on this place。 He
didn't leave mewhen I had prevailed on him to gowithout a
recommendation。 He recommended me to the landlord of the inn here。 He
said； 〃My brother is delicate； my brother wishes to live in retirement；
you will oblige me by looking after my brother。〃 Wasn't it kind？ The
landlord seemed to be quite affected by it。 Nugent cried when he took
leave of me。 Ah； what would I not give to have a heart like his and a
mind like his！ It's somethingisn't it？to have a face like him。 I
often say that to myself when I look in the glass。 Excuse my running on
in this way。 When I once begin to talk of Nugent； I don't know when to
leave off。〃
One thing； at any rate； was plainly discernible in this otherwise
inscrutable young man。 He adored his twin…brother。
It would have been equally clear to me that Mr。 Nugent Dubourg deserved
to be worshipped； if I could have reconciled to my mind his leaving his
brother to shift for himself in such a place as Dimchurch。 I was obliged
to remind myself of the admirable service which he had rendered at the
trial； before I could decide to do him the justice of suspending my
opinion of him； in his absence。 Having accomplished this act of
magnanimity； I took advantage of the first opportunity to change the
subject。 The most tiresome information that I am acquainted with； is the
information which tells us of the virtues of an absent personwhen that
absent person happens to be a stranger。
〃Is it true that you have taken Browndown for six months？〃 I asked。 〃Are
you really going to settle at Dimchurch？〃
〃Yesif you keep my secret；〃 he answered。 〃The people here know nothing
about me。 Don't； pray don't； tell them who I am！ You will drive me away；
if you do。〃
〃I must tell Miss Finch who you are；〃 I said。
〃No！ no！ no！〃 he exclaimed eagerly。 〃I can't bear the idea of her knowing
it。 I have been so horribly degraded。 What will she think of me？〃 He
burst into another explosion of rhapsodies on the subject of
Lucillamixed up with renewed petitions to me to keep his story
concealed from everybody。 I lost all patience with his want of common
fortitude and common sense。
〃Young Oscar； I should like to box your ears！〃 I said。 〃You are in a
villainously unwholesome state about this matter。 Have you nothing else
to think of？ Have you no profession？ Are you not obliged to work for your
living？〃
I spoke； as you perceive； with some force of expressionaided by a
corresponding asperity of voice and manner。
Mr。 Oscar Dubourg looked at me with the puzzled air of a man who feels an
overflow of new ideas forcing itself into his mind。 He modestly admitted
the degrading truth。 From his childhood upwards； he had only to put his
hand in his pocket； and to find the money there； without any preliminary
necessity of earning it first。 His father had been a fashionable
portrait…painter； and had married one of his sittersan heiress。 Oscar
and Nugent had been left in the detestable position of independent
gentlemen。 The dignity of labor was a dignity unknown to these degraded
young men。 〃I despise a wealthy idler；〃 I said to Oscar； with my
republican severity。 〃You want the ennobling influence of labor to make a
man of you。 Nobody has a right to be idlenobody has a right to be rich。
You would be in a more wholesome state of mind about yourself； my young
gen