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He caught me by the arm； and looked me searchingly in the face。
〃Where？〃 he asked。 With _him？_〃
〃With a married lady who is a relative of his。〃
He dropped my arm； and considered for a moment。
〃My cousin at Sydenham！〃 he exclaimed。
〃Do you know the house？〃
〃Perfectly well。〃
〃We will go there to…morrow。 Let that content you for tonight。 Get to
rest。〃
I gave him my hand。 He took it mechanicallyabsorbed in his own
thoughts。
〃Didn't I say something foolish down stairs？〃 he asked； putting the
question suddenly； with an odd suspicious look at me。
〃You were quite worn out；〃 I said； consolingly。 〃Nobody noticed it。〃
〃You are sure of that？〃
〃Quite sure。 Good night。〃
I left the room； feeling much as I had felt at the station at Marseilles。
I was not satisfied with him。 I thought his conduct very strange。
On returning to the parlor； I found nobody there but Mrs。 Finch。 The
rector's offended dignity had left the rector no honorable alternative
but to withdraw to his own room。 I ate my supper in peace； and Mrs。 Finch
（rocking the cradle with her foot） chattered away to her heart's content
about all that had happened in my absence。
I gathered； here and there； from what she said； some particulars worth
mentioning。
The new disagreement between Mr。 Finch and Miss Batchford； which had
driven the old lady out of the rectory almost as soon as she set foot in
it； had originated in Mr。 Finch's exasperating composure when he heard of
his daughter's flight。 He supposed； of course； that Lucilla had left
Ramsgate with Oscarwhose signed settlements on his future wife were
safe in Mr。 Finch's possession。 It was only when Miss Batchford had
communicated with Grosse； and when the discovery followed which revealed
the penniless Nugent as the man who had eloped with Lucilla； that Mr。
Finch's parental anxiety （seeing no money likely to come of it） became
roused to action。 He； Miss Batchford； and Grosse； had all； in their
various ways； done their best to trace the fugitivesand had all alike
been baffled by the impossibility of discovering the residence of the
lady mentioned in Nugent's letter。 My telegram； announcing my return to
England with Oscar； had inspired them with their first hope of being able
to interfere； and stop the marriage before it was too late。
The occurrence of Grosse's name in Mrs。 Finch's rambling narrative；
recalled to my memory what the rector had told me at the garden gate。 I
had not yet received the letter which the German had sent to wait my
arrival at Dimchurch。 After a short search； we found itwhere it had
been contemptuously thrown by Mr。 Finchon the parlor table。
A few lines comprised the whole letter。 Grosse informed me that he had so
fretted himself about Lucilla； that he had been attacked by 〃a visitation
of gouts。〃 It was impossible to move his 〃foots〃 without instantly
plunging into the torture of the infernal regions。 〃If it is you； my goot
dear； who are going to find her；〃 he concluded； 〃come to me first in
London。 I have something most dismal…serious to say to you about our poor
little Feench's eyes。〃
No words can tell how that last sentence startled and grieved me。 Mrs。
Finch increased my anxiety and alarm by repeating what she had heard Miss
Batchford say； during her brief visit to the rectory； on the subject of
Lucilla's sight。 Grosse had been seriously dissatisfied with the state of
his patient's eyes； when he had seen them as long ago as the fourth of
the month； and； on the morning of the next day； the servant had reported
Lucilla as being hardly able to distinguish objects in the view from the
window of her room。 Later on the same day； she had secretly left
Ramsgate； and Grosse's letter proved that she had not been near her
surgical attendant since。
Weary as I was after the journey； this miserable news kept me waking long
after I had gone to my bed。 The next morning； I was up with the
servantsimpatient to start for London； by the first train。
CHAPTER THE FORTY…EIGHTH
On the Way to the End。 Second Stage
EARLY riser as I was； I found that Oscar had risen earlier still。 He had
left the rectory and had disturbed Mr。 Gootheridge's morning slumbers by
an application at the inn for the key of Browndown。
On his return to the rectory； he merely said that he had been to see
after various things belonging to him； which were still left in the empty
house。 His look and manner as he gave us this brief explanation were； to
my mind； more unsatisfactory than ever。 I made no remark； and； observing
that his loose traveling coat was buttoned awry over the breast； I set it
right for him。 My hand； as I did this； touched his breast…pocket。 He
started back directlyas if there was something in the pocket which he
did not wish me to feel。 Was it something he had brought from Browndown？
We got awayencumbered by Mr。 Finch； who insisted on attaching himself
to Oscarby the first express train； which took us straight to London。
Comparison of time…tables； on reaching the terminus； showed that I had
leisure to spare for a brief visit to Grosse； before we again took the
railway back to Sydenham。 Having decided not to mention the bad news
about Lucilla's sight to Oscar； until I had seen the German first； I made
the best excuse that suggested itself； and drove awayleaving the two
gentlemen in the waiting…room at the station。
I found Grosse confined to his easy…chair； with his gouty foot enveloped
in cool cabbage…leaves。 Between pain and anxiety； his eyes were wilder；
his broken English was more grotesque than ever。 When I appeared at the
door of his room and said good morningin the frenzy of his impatience
he shook his fist at me。
〃Good morning go…damn！〃 he roared out； 〃Where？ where？ where is Feench？〃
I told him where we believed Lucilla to be。 Grosse turned his head； and
shook his fist at a bottle on the chimney…piece next。
〃Get that bottles on the chimney；〃 he said。 〃And the eye…baths by the
side of him。 Don't stop with your talky…talky…chatterations here。 Go！
Save her eyes。 Look！ You do this。 You throw her head backsoh！〃 He
illustrated the position so forcibly with his own head that he shook his
gouty foot； and screamed with the pain of it。 He went on nevertheless；
glaring frightfully through his spectacles； gnashing his mustache
fiercely between his teeth。 〃Throw her head back。 Fill the eye…baths；
turn him upsides…down over her open eyes。 Drown them turn…turn…about in
my mixtures。 Drown them； I say； one…down…todder…come…on； and if she
screech never mind it。 Then bring her to me。 For the lofe of Gott； bring
her to me。 If you tie her hands and foots； bring her to me。 What is the
womans stopping for？ Go！ go！ go！〃
〃I want to ask you a question about Oscar；〃 I said； 〃before I go。〃
He seized the pillow which supported his headevidently intending to
expedite my departure by throwing it at me。 I produced the railway
time…table as the best defensive weapon at my command。 〃Look at it for
yourself；〃 I said； 〃and you will see that I must wait at the station； if
I don't wait here。〃
With some difficulty； I satisfied him that it was impossible to leave
London for Sydenham before a certain hour； and that I had at least ten
minutes to spare which might be just as well passed in consulting him。 He
closed his glaring eyes； and laid his head back on the chair； thoroughly
exhausted with his own outbreak of excitement。 〃No matter how things
goes；〃 he said； 〃a womans must wag her tongue。 Goot。 Wag yours。〃
〃I am placed in a very difficult position；〃 I began。 〃Oscar is going with
me to Lucilla。 I shall of course take care； in the first place； that he
and Nugent do not meet； unless I am present at the interview。 But I am
not equally sure of what I ought to do in the case of Lucilla。 Must I
keep them apart until I have first prepared her to see Oscar？〃
〃Let her see the devil himself if you like；〃 growled Grosse； 〃so long as
you bring her here afterwards…directly to me。 You will do the bettermost
thing； if you prepare Oscar。 _She_ wants no preparations！ She is enough
disappointed in him as it is！〃
〃Disappointed in him！〃 I repeated。 〃I don't understand you。〃
He settled himself wearily in his chair； and referred； in a softened and
saddened tone； to that private conversation of his with Lucilla； at
Ramsgate； which has already been reported in the Journal。 I was now
informed； for the first time； of those changes in her sensations and in
her ways of thinking which had so keenly vexed and mortified her。 I heard
of the ominous absence of the old thrill of pleasure； when Nugent took
her hand on meeting her at the seasideI heard how bitterly his personal
appearance had disappointed her （when she had seen his features in
detail） by comparison with the charming ideal picture which she had
formed of her lover in the days of her blindness： those happier days； as
she had called them； when she was Poor Miss Finch。
〃Surely；〃 I said； 〃all the old feelings will come back to her when she
sees Oscar？〃
〃They will never come back to herno； not if she sees fifty Oscars！〃
He was beginning to frighten me； or to irritate meI can hardly say
which。 I only know that I persisted in disputing wi