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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
gentleman； if you had to earn your bread and cheese before you ate it。〃
He stared at me piteously。 The noble sentiments which I had inherited
from Doctor Pratolungo； completely bewildered Mr。 Oscar Dubourg。
〃Don't be angry with me；〃 he said； in his innocent way。 〃I couldn't eat
my cheese； if I did earn it。 I can't digest cheese。 Besides； I employ
myself as much as I can。〃 He took his little golden vase from the table
behind him； and told me what I had already heard him tell Lucilla while I
was listening at the window。 〃You would have found me at work this
morning；〃 he went on； 〃if the stupid people who send me my metal plates
had not made a mistake。 The alloy； in the gold and silver both； is all
wrong this time。 I must return the plates to be melted again before I can
do anything with them。 They are all ready to go back to…day； when the
cart comes。 If there are any laboring people here who want money； I'm
sure I will give them some of mine with the greatest pleasure。 It isn't
my fault； ma'am； that my father married my mother。 And how could I help
it if he left two thousand a year each to my brother and me？〃
Two thousand a year each to his brother and him！ And the illustrious
Pratolungo had never known what it was to have five pounds sterling at
his disposal before his union with Me！
I lifted my eyes to the ceiling。 In my righteous indignation； I forgot
Lucilla and her curiosity about OscarI forgot Oscar and his horror of
Lucilla discovering who he was。 I opened my lips to speak。 In another
moment I should have launched my thunderbolts against the whole infamous
system of modern society； when I was silenced by the most extraordinary
and unexpected interruption that ever closed a woman's lips。
CHAPTER THE TENTH
First Appearance of Jicks
THERE walked in； at the open door of the roomsoftly； suddenly； and
composedlya chubby female child； who could not possibly have been more
than three years old。 She had no hat or cap on her head。 A dirty pinafore
covered her from her chin to her feet。 This amazing apparition advanced
into the middle of the room； holding hugged under one arm a ragged and
disreputable…looking doll； stared hard； first at Oscar； then at me；
advanced to my knees； laid the disreputable doll on my lap； and； pointing
to a vacant chair at my side； claimed the rights of hospitality in these
words：
〃Jicks will sit down。〃
How was it possible； under these circumstances； to attack the infamous
system of modern society？ It was only possible to kiss 〃Jicks。〃
〃Do you know who this is？〃 I inquired； as I lifted our visitor on to the
chair。
Oscar burst out laughing。 Like me； he now saw this mysterious young lady
for the first time。 Like me； he wondered what the extraordinary nick…name
under which she had presented herself could possibly mean。
We looked at the child。 The childwith its legs stretched out straight
before it； terminating in a pair of little dusty boots with holes in
themlifted its large round eyes； overshadowed by a penthouse of
unbrushed flaxen hair； looked gravely at us in return； and made a second
call on our hospitality； as follows：
〃Jicks will have something to drink。〃
While Oscar ran into the kitchen for some milk； I succeeded in
discovering the identity of 〃Jicks。〃
SomethingI cannot well explain whatin the manner in which the child
had drifted into the room with her doll； reminded me of the lymphatic
lady of the rectory； drifting backwards and forwards with the baby in one
hand and the novel in the other。 I took the liberty of examining
〃Jicks's〃 pinafore； and discovered the mark in one corner：〃Selina
Finch。〃 Exactly as I had supposed； here was a member of Mrs。 Finch's
numerous family。 Rather a young member； as it struck me； to be wandering
hatless round the environs of Dimchurch； all by herself。
Oscar returned with the milk in a mug。 The childinsisting on taking the
mug into her own handssteadily emptied it to the last droprecovered
her breath with a gasplooked at me with a white mustache of milk on her
upper lipand announced the conclusion of her visit； in these terms：
〃Jicks will get down again。〃
I deposited our young friend on the floor。 She took her doll； and stood
for a moment deep in thought。 What was she going to do next？ We were not
kept long in suspense。 She suddenly put her little hot fat hand into
mine； and tried to pull me after her out of the room。
〃What do you want？〃 I asked。
Jicks answered in one untranslatable compound word：
〃Man…Gee…gee。〃
I suffered myself to be pulled out of the roomto see 〃Man…Gee…gee；〃 to
play 〃Man…Gee…gee；〃 or to eat 〃Man…Gee…gee；〃 it was impossible to tell
which。 I was pulled along the passageI was pulled out to the front
door。 Therehaving approached the house inaudibly to us； over the
grassstood the horse； cart； and man； waiting to take the case of gold
and silver plates back to London。 I looked at Oscar； who had followed me。
We now understood； not only the masterly compound word of Jicks
（signifying man and horse； and passing over cart as