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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 yourself； Madame Pratolungo；〃 he said。 〃No hysterical activity；
if you please。 This business is in My hands。 Quite needless； ma'am； to
tell Me to look for the packing…case。〃
〃Quite needless；〃 I agreed。 〃I know beforehand the packing…case is gone。〃
That answer instantly set him fussing about the room。 Not a sign of the
case was to be seen。
All doubt in my mind was at an end now。 The two ruffians lounging against
the wall had justified； horribly justified； my worst suspicions of them。
On the arrival of Mrs。 Gootheridge and her brother； we carried him up to
his room。 We laid him on the bed； with his neck…tie off； and his throat
free； and the air blowing over him from the open window。 He showed no
sign yet of coming to his senses。 But still the pulse went faintly on。 No
change was discernible for the worse。
It was useless to hope for the doctor's arrival； before another hour at
least。 I felt the necessity of getting back at once to the rectory； so as
to be able to tell Lucilla （with all needful preparation） the melancholy
truth。 Otherwise； the news of what had happened would get abroad in the
village； and might come to her ears； in the worst possible way； through
one of the servants。 To my infinite relief； Mr。 Finch； when I rose to go；
excused himself from accompanying me。 He had discovered that it was his
duty； as rector； to give the earliest information of the outrage at
Browndown to the legal authorities。 He went his way to the nearest
magistrate。 And I went mineleaving Oscar under the care of Mrs。
Gootheridge and her brotherback to the house。 Mr。 Finch's last words at
parting reminded me； once more； that we had one thing at least to be
thankful for under the circumstancessad as they otherwise were。
〃Most fortunate； Madame Pratolungo； that I was at home。 What would you
have done without me？〃
CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH
Events at the Bedside
I AM； if you will be so good as to remember； constitutionally
Frenchand； therefore； constitutionally averse to distressing myself； if
I can possibly help it。 For this reason； I really cannot summon courage
to describe what passed between my blind Lucilla and me when I returned
to our pretty sitting…room。 She made me cry at the time； and she would
make me （and perhaps you） cry again now； if I wrote the little melancholy
story of what this tender young creature suffered when I told her my
miserable news。 I won't write it； I am dead against tears。 They affect
the nose； and my nose is my best feature。 Let us use our eyes； my fair
friends； to conquer； not to cry。
Be it enough to say； that when I went back to Browndown； Lucilla went
with me。
I now observed her； for the first time； to be jealous of the eyes of us
happy people who could see。 The instant she entered； she insisted on
being near enough to the bed； to hear us； or to touch us； as we waited on
the injured man。 This was at once followed by her taking the place
occupied by Mrs。 Gootheridge at the bed…head； and herself bathing Oscar's
face and forehead。 She was even jealous of _me；_ when she discovered that
I was moistening the bandages on the wound。 I irritated her into boldly
kissing the poor insensible face in our presence！ The landlady of the
Cross Hands was one of my sort： she took cheerful views of things。 〃Sweet
on himeh； ma'am？〃 she whispered in my ear； 〃we shall have a wedding in
Dimchurch。〃 In presence of these kissings and whisperings； Mrs。
Gootheridge's brother； as the only man present； began to look very
uncomfortable。 This worthy creature belonged to that large and
respectable order of Englishmen； who don't know what to do with their
hands； or how to get out of a room。 I took pity on himhe was； I assure
you； a fine man。 〃Smoke your pipe； sir； in the garden；〃 I said。 〃We will
call to you from the window； if we want you up here。〃 Mrs。 Gootheridge's
brother cast on me one look of unutterable gratitudeand escaped； as if
he had been let out of a trap。
At last； the doctor came。
His first words were an indescribable relief to us。 The skull of our poor
Oscar was not injured。 There was concussion of the brain； and there was a
scalp…woundinflicted evidently with a blunt instrument。 As to the
wound； I had done all that was necessary in the doctor's absence。 As to
the injury to the brain； time and care would put everything right again。
〃Make your minds easy； ladies；〃 said this angel of a man。 〃There is no
reason for feeling the slightest alarm about him。〃
He came to his sensesthat is to say； he opened his eyes and looked
vacantly about himbetween four and five hours after the time when we
had found him on the floor of the workshop。
His mind； poor fellow； was still all astray。 He recognized nobody。 He
imitated the action of writing with his finger； and said very earnestly；
over and over again； 〃Go home； Jicks； go home； go home！〃 fancying himself
（as I suppose）； lying helpless on the floor； and sending the child back
to us to give the alarm。 Later in the night he fell asleep。 All through
the next day； he still wandered in his mind when he spoke。 It was