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suddenly darted out on us from behind a tree； and； seizing Oscar round
the legs； hailed him affectionately at the top of her voice as 〃The Blue
Man！〃 Lucilla instantly stopped； and said； 〃Who do you call 'The Blue
Man'？〃 Jicks answered boldly； 〃Oscar。〃 Lucilla caught the child up in her
arms。 〃Why do you call Oscar 'The Blue Man'？〃 she asked。 Jicks pointed to
Oscar's face； and then； remembering Lucilla's blindness； appealed to me。
〃You tell her！〃 said Jicks； in high glee。 Oscar seized my hand； and
looked at me imploringly。 I determined not to interfere。 It was bad
enough to remain passive； and to let her be kept in the dark。 Actively； I
was resolved to take no part in deceiving her。 Her color rose； she put
Jicks down on the ground。 〃Are you both dumb？〃 she asked。 〃Oscar！ I
insist on knowing ithow have you got the nick…name of 'The Blue Man'？〃
Left helpless； Oscar （to my disgust） took refuge in a lieand； worse
still； a clumsy lie。 He declared that he had got his nick…name in the
nursery； at the time of Lucilla's absence in London； by one day painting
his face in the character of Bluebeard to amuse the children！ If Lucilla
had felt the faintest suspicion of the truth； blind as she was； she must
now have discovered it。 As things were； Oscar annoyed and irritated her。
I could see that it cost her a struggle to suppress something like a
feeling of contempt for him。 〃Amuse the children； the next time； in some
other way；〃 she said。 〃Though I can't see you； still I don't like to hear
of your disfiguring your face by painting it blue。〃 With that answer； she
walked away a little by herself； evidently disappointed in her betrothed
husband for the first time in her experience of him。
He cast another imploring look at me。 〃Did you hear what she said about
my face？〃 he whispered。
〃You have lost an excellent opportunity of speaking out；〃 I answered。 〃I
believe you will bitterly regret the folly and the cruelty of deceiving
her。〃
He shook his head； with the immovable obstinacy of a weak man。
〃Nugent doesn't think as you do；〃 he said； handing me the letter。 〃Read
that bit therenow Lucilla is out of hearing。〃
I paused for a moment before I could read。 The resemblance between the
twins extended even to their handwritings！ If I had picked Nugent's
letter up； I should have handed it to Oscar as a letter of Oscar's own
writing。
The paragraph to which he pointed； only contained these lines：〃Your
last relieves my anxiety about your health。 I entirely agree with you
that any personal sacrifice which cures you of those horrible attacks is
a sacrifice wisely made。 As to your keeping the change a secret from the
young lady； I can only say that I suppose you know best how to act in
this emergency。 I will abstain from forming any opinion of my own until
we meet。〃
I handed Oscar back the letter。
〃There is no very warm approval there of the course you are taking；〃 I
said。 〃The only difference between your brother and me is； that he
suspends his opinion； and that I express mine。〃
〃I have no fear of my brother；〃 Oscar answered。 〃Nugent will feel for me；
and understand me； when he comes to Browndown。 In the meantime； this
shall not happen again。〃
He stooped over Jicks。 The child； while we were talking； had laid herself
down luxuriously on the grass； and was singing to herself little snatches
of a nursery song。 Oscar pulled her up on her legs rather roughly。 He was
out of temper with her； as well as with himself。
〃What are you going to do？〃 I asked。
〃I am going to see Mr。 Finch；〃 he answered； 〃and to have Jicks kept for
the future out of Lucilla's garden。〃
〃Does Mr。 Finch approve of your silence？〃
〃Mr。 Finch； Madame Pratolungo； leaves me to decide on a matter which
concerns nobody but Lucilla and myself。〃
After that reply； there was an end of all further remonstrance from me；
as a matter of course。
Oscar walked off with his prisoner to the house。 Jicks trotted along by
his side； unconscious of the mischief she had done； singing another verse
of the nursery song。 I rejoined Lucilla； with my mind made up as to the
line of conduct I should adopt in the future。 If Oscar did succeed in
keeping the truth concealed from her； I was positively resolved； come
what might of it； to enlighten her before they were married； with my own
lips。 What！ after pledging myself to keep the secret？ Yes。 Perish the
promise which makes me false to a person whom I love！ I despise such
promises from the bottom of my heart。
Two days more slipped byand then a telegram found its way to Browndown。
Oscar came running to us； at the rectory； with his news。 Nugent had
landed at Liverpool。 Oscar was to expect him at Dimchurch on the next
day。
CHAPTER THE TWENTY…THIRD
He sets us All Right
I HAVE thus far quite inadvertently omitted to mention one of the
prominent virtues of Reverend Finch。 He was an accomplished master of
that particular form of human persecution which is called reading aloud；
and he inflicted his accomplishment on his family circle at every
available opportunity。 Of what we suffered on these occasions； I shall
say nothing。 Let it be enough to mention that the rector thoroughly
enjoyed the pleasure of hearing his own magnificent voice。
There was no escaping Mr。 Finch when the rage for 〃reading〃 seized on
him。 Now on one pretense； and now on another； he descended on us
unfortunate women； book in hand； seated us at one end of the room； placed
himself at the other； opened his dreadful mouth； and fired words at us；
like shots at a target； by the hour together。 Sometimes he gave us
poetical readings from Shakespeare or Milton； and sometimes Parliamentary
speeches by Burke or Sheridan。 Read what he might； he made such a noise
and such a fuss over it； he put his own individuality so prominently in
the foremost place； and he kept the poets or the orators whom he was
supposed to be interpreting so far in the back ground； that they lost
every trace of character of their own； and became one and all perfectly
intolerable reflections of Mr。 Finch。 I date my first unhappy doubts of
the supreme excellence of Shakespeare's poetry from the rector's
readings； and I attribute to the same exasperating cause my implacable
hostility （on every question of the time） to the policy of Mr。 Burke。 On
the evening when Nugent Dubourg was expected at Browndownand when we
particularly wanted to be left alone to dress ourselves； and to gossip by
anticipation about the expected visitorMr。 Finch was seized with one of
his periodical rages for firing off words at his family； after tea。 He
selected _Hamlet_ as the medium for exhibiting his voice； on this
occasion； and he declared； as the principal motive for taking his
elocutionary exercise； that the object he especially had in view was the
benefit of poor Me！
〃My good creature； I accidentally heard you reading to Lucilla； the other
day。 It was very nice； as far as it wentvery nice indeed。 But you will
allow meas a person； Madame Pratolungo； possessing considerable
practice in the art of reading aloudto observe that you might be
benefited by a hint or two。 I will give you a few ideas。 （Mrs。 Finch！ I
propose giving Mada