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He shook hands with us。 The rector escorted him as far as the front door。
I slipped out while they were saying their last words； and joined Oscar；
when he advanced alone into the garden。
〃I want a breath of fresh air；〃 I said。 〃I'll go with you as far as the
gate。〃
He began to talk of Lucilla directly。 I surprised him by returning
abruptly to the subject of his position at Browndown。
〃Do you think it's wise；〃 I asked； 〃to be all by yourself at night in
such a lonely house as yours？ Why don't you have a manservant？〃
〃I detest strange servants；〃 he answered。 〃I infinitely prefer being by
myself。〃
〃When do you expect your gold and silver plates to be returned to you？〃
〃In about a week。〃
〃What would be the value of them； in moneyat a rough guess？〃
〃At a rough guessabout seventy or eighty pounds。〃
〃In a week's time then；〃 I said； 〃you will have seventy or eighty pounds'
worth of property at Browndown。 Property which a thief need only put into
the melting…pot； to have no fear of its being traced into his hands。〃
Oscar stopped； and looked at me。
〃What _can_ you be thinking of！〃 he asked。 〃There are no thieves in this
primitive place。〃
〃There are thieves in other places；〃 I answered。 〃And they may come here。
Have you forgotten those two men whom we caught hanging about Browndown
yesterday？〃
He smiled。 I had recalled to him a humourous associationnothing more。
〃It was not we who caught them；〃 he said。 〃It was that strange child。
What do you say to my having Jicks to sleep in the house and take care of
me？〃
〃I am not joking；〃 I rejoined。 〃I never met with two more ill…looking
villains in my life。 The window was open when you were telling me about
the necessity for melting the plates again。 They may know as well as we
do； that your gold and silver will be returned to you after a time。〃
〃What an imagination you have got！〃 he exclaimed。 〃You see a couple of
shabby excursionists from Brighton； who have
wandered to Dimchurchand you instantly transform them into a pair of
housebreakers in a conspiracy to rob and murder me！ You and my brother
Nugent would just suit each other。 His imagination runs away with him；
exactly like yours。〃
〃Take my advice；〃 I answered gravely。 〃Don't persist in sleeping at
Browndown without a living creature in the house with you。〃
He was in wild good spirits。 He kissed my hand； and thanked me in his
voluble exaggerated way for the interest that I took in him。 〃All right！〃
he said； as he opened the gate。 〃I'll have a living creature in the house
with me。 I'll get a dog。〃
We parted。 I had told him what was on my mind。 I could do no more。 After
all； it might be quite possible that his view was the right one； and mine
the wrong。
CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH
Second Appearance of Jicks
FIVE more days passed。
During that interval； we saw our new neighbor constantly。 Either Oscar
came to the rectory； or we went to Browndown。 Reverend Finch waited； with
a masterly assumption of suspecting nothing； until the relations between
the two young people were ripe enough to develop into relations of
acknowledged love。 They were already （under Lucilla's influence）
advancing rapidly to that point。 You are not to blame my poor blind girl；
if you please； for frankly encouraging the man she loved。 He was the most
backward manviewed as a suitorwhom I ever met with。 The fonder he
grew of her； the more timid and self…distrustful he became。 I own I don't
like a modest man； and I cannot honestly say that Mr。 Oscar Dubourg； on
closer acquaintance； advanced himself much in my estimation。 However；
Lucilla understood him； and that was enough。 She was determined to have
the completest possible image of him in her mind。 Everybody in the house
who had seen him （the children included） she examined and cross…examined
on the subject of his personal appearance； as she had already examined
and cross…examined me。 His features and his color； his height and his
breadth； his ornaments and his clotheson all these points she collected
evidence； in every direction and in the smallest detail。 It was an
especial relief and delight to her to hear； on all sides； that his
complexion was fair。 There was no reasoning with her against her blind
horror of dark shades of color； whether seen in men； women； or things。
She was quite unable to account for it； she could only declare it。
〃I have the strangest instincts of my own about some things；〃 she said to
me one day。 〃For instance； I knew that Oscar was bright and fairI mean
I felt it in myselfon that delightful evening when I first heard the
sound of his voice。 It went straight from my ear to my heart； and it
described him； just as the rest of you have described him to me since。
Mrs。 Finch tells me his complexion is lighter than mine。 Do you think so
too？ I am so glad to hear that he is fairer than I am！ Did you ever meet
before with a person like me？ I have the oddest ideas in this blind head
of mine。 I associate life and beauty with light colors； and death and
crime with dark colors。 If I married a man with a dark complexion； and if
I recovered my sight afterwards； I should run away from him。〃
This singular prejudice of hers against dark people was a little annoying
to me on personal grounds。 It was a sort of reflection on my own taste。
Between ourselves； the late Doctor Pratolungo was of a fine mahogany
brown all over。
As for affairs in general at Dimchurch； my chronicle of the five days
finds little to dwell on that is worth recording。
We were not startled by any second appearance of the two ruffians at
Browndownneither was any change made by Oscar in his domestic
establishment。 He was favored with more than one visit from our little
wandering Jicks。 On each occasion； the child gravely reminded him of his
rash promise to appeal to the police； and visit with corporal punishment
the two ugly strangers who had laughed at her。 When were the men to be
beaten？ and when was Jicks to see it？ Such were the serious questions
with which this young lady regularly opened the proceedings； on each
occasion when she favored Oscar with a morning call。
On the sixth day； the gold and silver plates were returned to Browndown
from the manufactory in London。
The next morning a note arrived for me from Oscar。 It ran thus：
〃DEAR MADAME PRATOLUNGO；I regret to inform you that nothing happened to
me last night。 My locks and bolts are in their usual good order； my gold
and silver plates are safe in the workshop： and I myself am now eating my
breakfast with an uncut throatYours ever；
〃OSCAR。〃
After this； there was no more to be said。 Jicks might persist in
remembering the two ill…looking strangers。 Older and wiser people
dismissed them from all further consideration。
Saturday camemaking the tenth day since the memorable morning when I
had forced Oscar to disclose himself to me in the little side…room at
Browndown。
In the forenoon we had a visit from him at the rectory。 In the afternoon
we went to Browndown； to see him begin a new piece of chasing in golda
casket for holding glovesdestined to take its place on Lucilla's
toilet…table when it was done。 We left him industrious