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scandalously betrayed。 Here was a prospect！ Another person in perpetual
want of money； going to settle under the shadow of the rectory！ Another
man likely to borrow of Oscarand that man his brother！
〃I fail to take your light view of your brother's extravagance；〃 said the
rector； addressing Oscar with his loftiest severity of manner； at the
door。 〃I deplore and reprehend Mr。 Nugent's misuse of the bounty bestowed
on him by an all…wise Providence。 You will do well to consider； before
you encourage your brother's extravagance by lending him money。 What does
the great poet of humanity say of lenders？ The Bard of Avon tells us；
that 'loan oft loses both itself and friend。' Lay that noble line to
heart； Oscar！ Lucilla； be on your guard against that restlessness which I
have already had occasion to reprove。 I find I must leave you； Madame
Pratolungo。 I had forgotten my parish duties。 My parish duties are
waiting for me。 Good day！ good day！〃
He looked round on us all three； in turn； with a very sour face； and
walked out。 〃Surely；〃 I thought to myself； 〃this brother of Oscar's is
not beginning well！ First； the daughter takes offense at him； and now the
father follows her example。 Even on the other side of the Atlantic； Mr。
Nugent Dubourg exercises a malignant influence； and disturbs the family
tranquillity before he has shown his nose in the house！〃
Nothing more that is worth recording happened on that day。 We had a very
dull evening。 Lucilla was out of spirits。 As for me； I had not yet had
time to accustom myself to the shocking spectacle of Oscar's discolored
face。 I was serious and silent。 You would never have guessed me to be a
Frenchwoman； if you had seen me for the first time on the occasion of my
return to the rectory。
The next day a small domestic event happened； which must be chronicled in
this place。
Our Dimchurch doctor； always dissatisfied with his position in an obscure
country place； had obtained an appointment in India which offered great
professional advantages to an ambitious man。 He called to take leave of
us on his departure。 I found an opportunity of speaking to him about
Oscar。 He entirely agreed with me that the attempt to keep the change
produced in his former patient by the Nitrate of Silver from Lucilla's
knowledge； was simply absurd。 The truth would reach her； he said； before
many days were over our heads。 With that prediction； addressed to my
private ear； he left us。 The removal of him from the scene was； you will
please to bear in mind； the removal of an important local witness to the
medical treatment of Oscar； and was； as such； an incident with a bearing
of its own on the future； which claims a place for it in the present
narrative。
Two more days passed； and nothing happened。 On the morning of the third
day； the doctor's prophecy was all but fulfilled； through the medium of
the wandering Arab of the family； our funny little Jicks。
While Lucilla and I were strolling about the garden with Oscar； the child
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 exasp