按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
asked if anybody had seen the doctor。 No： it was not the doctor's day for
visiting Dimchurch。 I had heard the landlord of the Gross Hands described
as a capable and respectable man； and I suggested stopping at the inn；
and taking him with us。 Mr。 Finch instantly brightened at that proposal。
His sense of his own importance rose again； like the mercury in a
thermometer when you put it into a warm bath。
〃Exactly what I was about to suggest；〃 he said。 〃Gootheridge of the Gross
Hands is a very worthy personfor his station in life。 Let us have
Gootheridge； by all means。 Don't be alarmed； Madame Pratolungo。 We are
all in the hands of Providence。 It is most fortunate for you that I was
at home。 What would you have done without me？ Now don't； pray don't； be
alarmed。 In case of criminal personsI have my stick； as you see。 I am
not tall； but I possess immense physical strength。 I am； so to speak； all
muscle。 Feel！〃
He held out one of his wizen little arms。 It was about half the size of
my arm。 If I had not been far too anxious to think of playing tricks； I
should certainly have declared that it was needless； with such a tower of
strength by my side； to disturb the landlord。 I dare not assert that Mr。
Finch actually detected the turn my thoughts were takingI can only
declare that he did certainly shout for Gootheridge in a violent hurry；
the moment we were in sight of the inn。
The landlord came out； and； hearing what our errand was； instantly
consented to join us。
〃Take your gun；〃 said Mr。 Finch。
Gootheridge took his gun。 We hastened on to the house。
〃Were Mrs。 Gootheridge or your daughter at Browndown today？〃 I asked。
〃Yes； ma'amthey were both at Browndown。 They finished up their work as
usualand left the house more than an hour since。〃
〃Did anything out of the common happen while they were there？〃
〃Nothing that I heard of； ma'am。〃
I considered with myself for a minute； and ventured on putting a few more
questions to Mr。 Gootheridge。
〃Have any strangers been seen here this evening？〃 I inquired。
〃Yes； ma'am。 Nearly an hour ago two strangers drove by my house in a
chaise。〃
〃In what direction？〃
〃Coming from Brighton way； and going towards Browndown。〃
〃Did you notice the men？〃
〃Not particularly； ma'am。 I was busy。 at the time。〃
A sickening suspicion that the two strangers in the chaise might be the
two men whom I had seen lurking under the wall； forced its way into my
mind。 I said no more until we reached the house。
All was quiet。 The one sign of anything unusual was in the plain traces
of the passage of wheels over the turf in front of Browndown。 The
landlord was the first to see them。 〃The chaise must have stopped at the
house； sir；〃 he said； addressing himself to the rector。
Reverend Finch was suffering under a second suspension of speech。 All he
could say as we approached the door of the silent and solitary
buildingand he said that with extreme difficultywas； 〃Pray let us be
careful！〃
The landlord was the first to reach the door。 I was behind him。 The
rectorat some little distanceacted as rear…guard； with the South
Downs behind him to retreat upon。 Gootheridge rapped smartly on the door；
and called out； 〃Mr。 Dubourg！〃 There was no answer。 There was only a
dreadful silence。 The suspense was more than I could endure。 I pushed by
the landlord； and turned the handle of the unlocked door。
〃Let me go first； ma'am；〃 said Gootheridge。
He pushed by me； in his turn。 I followed him close。 We entered the house；
and called again。 Again there was no answer。 We looked into the little
sitting…room on one side of the passage； and into the dining…room on the
other。 Both were empty。 We went on to the back of the house； where the
room was situated which Oscar called his workshop。 When we tried the door
of the workshop it was locked。
We knocked； and called again。 The horrid silence was all that
followedas before。
I tried the keyhole with my finger。 The key was not in the lock。 I knelt
down； and looked through the keyhole。 The next instant； I was up again on
my feet； wild and giddy with horror。
〃Burst open the door！〃 I screamed。 〃I can just see his hand lying on the
floor！〃
The landlord； like the rector； was a little man； and the door； like
everything else at Browndown； was of the clumsiest and heaviest
construction。 Unaided by instruments； we should all three together have
been too weak to burst it open。 In this difficulty； Reverend Finch proved
to befor the first time； and also for the lastof some use。
〃Stay！〃 he said。 〃My friends； if the back garden gate is open； we can get
in by the window。〃
Neither the landlord nor I had thought of the window。 We ran round to the
back of the house； seeing the marks of the chaise…wheels leading in the
same direction。 The gate in the wall was wide open。 We crossed the little
garden。 The window of the workshopopening to the groundgave us
admission as the rector had foretold。 We entered the room。
There he laypoor harmless； unlucky Oscarsenseless； in a pool of his
own blood。 A blow on the left side of his head had； to all appearance；
felled him on the spot。 The wound had split the scalp。 Whether it had
also split the skull was more than I was surgeon enough to be able to
say。 I had gathered some experience of how to deal with wounded men； when
I served the sacred cause of Freedom with my glorious Pratolungo。 Cold
water； vinegar； and linen for bandagesthese were all in the house； and
these I called for。 Gootheridge found the key of the door flung aside in
a corner of the room。 He got the water and the vinegar； while I ran
up…stairs to Oscar's bedroom； and provided myself with some of his
handkerchiefs。 In a few minutes； I had a cold water bandage over the
wound； and was bathing his face in vinegar and water。 He was still
insensible； but he lived。 Reverend Finchnot of the slightest help to
anybodyassumed the duty of feeling Oscar's pulse。 He did it as if；
under the circumstances； this was the one meritorious action that could
be performed。 He looked as if nobody could feel a pulse but himself。
〃Most fortunate；〃 he said； counting the slow； faint throbbing at the poor
fellow's wrist〃most fortunate that I was at home。 What would you have
done without me？〃
The next necessity was； of course； to send for the doctor； and to get
help； in the meantime； to carry Oscar up…stairs to his bed。
Gootheridge volunteered to borrow a horse； and to ride off for the
doctor。 We arranged that he was to send his wife and his wife's brother
to help me。 This settled； the one last embarrassment left to deal with；
was the embarrassment of Mr。 Finch。 Now that we were free from all fear
of encountering bad characters in the house； the _boom…boom_ of the
little man's big voice went on unintermittingly； like a machine at work
in the neighborhood。 I had another of my inspirationssitting on the
floor with Oscar's head on my lap。 I gave my reverend companion something
to do。 〃Look about the room！〃 I said。 〃See if the packing…case with the
gold and silver plates is here or not。〃
Mr。 Finch did not quite relish being treated like an ordinary mortal； and
being told what he was to do。
〃Compose