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I said。 〃I have followed you here to make my excuses。〃
〃Oh； don't think of making excuses！〃 she rejoined； giving three…fourths
of her attention to the flowers； and one…fourth to me。 〃It's a pity you
took the trouble of coming here。 I quite agree with what you said in the
garden。 Considering the object I had in view at Browndown； I could not
possibly expect you to accompany me。 True！ quite true！〃
I kept my temper。 Not that I am a patient woman： not that I possess a
meek disposition。 Very far from it； I regret to say。 Nevertheless； I kept
my temperso far。
〃I wish to apologize for what I said in the garden；〃 I resumed。 〃I spoke
thoughtlessly； Lucilla。 It is impossible that I could intentionally
offend you。〃
I might as well have spoken to one of the chairs。 The whole of her
attention became absorbed in the breathless interest of making her
nosegay。
〃_Was_ I offended？〃 she said； addressing herself to the flowers。
〃Excessively foolish of me； if I was。〃 She suddenly became conscious of
my existence。 〃You had a perfect right to express your opinion；〃 she said
loftily。 〃Accept _my_ excuses if I appeared to dispute it。〃
She tossed her pretty head； she showed her brightest color； she tapped
her nice little foot briskly on the floor。 （Oh； Lucilla！ Lucilla！） I
still kept my temper。 More； by this time （I admit；） for Oscar's sake than
for her sake。 He looked so distressed； poor fellowso painfully anxious
to interfere； without exactly knowing how。
〃My dear Lucilla！〃 he began。 〃Surely you might answer Madame
Pratolungo〃
She petulantly interrupted him； with another toss of the heada little
higher than the last。
〃I don't attempt to answer Madame Pratolungo！ I prefer admitting that
Madame Pratolungo may have been quite right。 I dare say I am ready to
fall in love with the first man who comes my way。 I dare sayif I had
met your brother before I met youI should have fallen in love with
_him。_ Quite likely！〃
〃Quite likelyas you say；〃answered poor Oscar； humbly。 〃I am sure I
think it very lucky for _me；_ that you didn't meet Nugent first。〃
She threw her lapful of flowers away from her on the table at which she
was sitting。 She became perfectly furious with him for taking my side。 I
permitted myself （the poor child could not see it； remember）； the
harmless indulgence of a smile。
〃You agree with Madame Pratolungo；〃 she said to him viciously。 〃Madame
Pratolungo thinks your brother a much more agreeable man than you。〃
Humble Oscar shook his head in melancholy acknowledgment of this
self…evident fact。 〃There can be no two opinions about that；〃 he said
resignedly。
She stamped her foot on the carpetand raised quite a little cloud of
dust。 My lungs are occasionally delicate。 I permitted myself another
harmless indulgenceindulgence in a slight cough。 She heard the second
indulgenceand suddenly controlled herself； the instant it reached her
ears。 I am afraid she took my cough as my commentary on what was going
on。
〃Come here； Oscar；〃 she said； with a complete change of tone and manner。
〃Come and sit down by me。〃
Oscar obeyed。
〃Put your arm round my waist。〃
Oscar looked at me。 Having the use of his sight； he was sensible of the
absurd side of the demonstration required of himin the presence of a
third person。 She； poor soul； strong in her blind insensibility to all
shafts of ridicule shot from the eye； cared nothing for the presence of a
third person。 She repeated her commands； in a tone which said sharply；
〃Embrace meI am not to be trifled with。〃
Oscar timidly put his arm round her waistwith an appealing look at me。
She issued another command instantly。
〃Say you love me。〃
Oscar hesitated。
〃Say you love me！〃
Oscar whispered it。
〃Out loud！〃
Endurance has its limits： I began to lose my temper。 She could not have
been more superbly indifferent to my presence； if there had been a cat in
the room instead of a lady。
〃Permit me to inform you；〃 I said； 〃that I have not （as you appear to
suppose） left the room。〃
She took no notice。 She went on with her commands； rising irrepressibly
from one amatory climax to another。
〃Give me a kiss！〃
Unhappy Oscarsacrificed between usblushed。 Stop！ Don't revel
prematurely in the greatest enjoyment a reader hasnamely； catching a
writer out in a mistake。 I have not forgotten that his disfigured
complexion would prevent his blush from showing on the surface。 I beg to
say I saw it under the surfacesaw it in his expression： I repeathe
blushed。
I felt it necessary to assert myself for the second time。
〃I have only one object in remaining in the room； Miss Finch。 I merely
wish to know whether you refuse to accept my excuses。
〃Oscar！ give me a kiss！〃
He still hesitated。 She threw her arm round his neck。 My duty to myself
was plainmy duty was to go。
〃Good afternoon； Mr。 Dubourg；〃 I saidand turned to the door。 She heard
me cross the room； and called to me to stop。 I paused。 There was a glass
on the wall opposite to me。 On the authority of the glass； I beg to
mention that I paused in my most becoming manner。 Grace tempered with
dignity： dignity tempered with grace。
〃Madame Pratolungo！〃
〃Miss Finch？〃
〃This is the man who is not half so agreeable as his brother。 Look！〃
She tightened her hold round his neck； and gave himostentatiously gave
himthe kiss which he was ashamed to give _her。_ I advanced； in
contemptuous silence； to the door。 My attitude expressed disgust
accompanied by sorrow： sorrow； accompanied by disgust。
〃Madame Pratolungo！〃
I made no answer。
〃This is the man whom I should never have loved if I had happened to meet
his brother first。 Look！〃
She put both arms round his neck； and gave him a shower of kisses all in
one。 I indignantly withdrew。 The door had been imperfectly closed when I
had entered the room： it was ajar。 I pulled it openand found myself
face to face with Nugent Dubourg； standing by the table； with his letter
from Liverpool in his hand！ He must have certainly heard Lucilla cast my
own words back in my teethif he had heard no more。
I stopped short； looking at him in silent surprise。 He smiled； and held
out the open letter to me。 Before we could speak； we heard the door of
the room closed。 Oscar had followed me out （shutting the door behind him）
to apologize for Lucilla's behavior to me。 He explained what had happened
to his brother。 Nugent nodded； and tapped his open letter smartly。 〃Leave
me to manage it。 I shall give you something better to do than quarreling
among yourselves。 You will hear what it is directly。 In the meantime； I
have got a message for our friend at the inn。 Gootheridge is on his way
here； to speak to me about altering the stable。 Run and tell him I have
other business on hand； and I can't keep my appointment to…day。 Stop！
Give him this at the same time； and ask him to leave it at the rectory。〃
He took one of his visiting cards out of the case； wrote a few lines on
it in pencil； and handed it to his brother。 Oscar （always ready to go on
errands for Nugent） hurried out to meet the landlord。 Nugent turned to
me。
〃The German is in England；〃 he said。 〃Now I may open my lips。〃
〃At once！〃 I exclaimed