Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (803 page)

I looked at my bed. Bah! what was the use of going to bed? She was her own mistress. She was perfectly free to take her next walk to Browndown alone! and to place herself, for all I knew to the contrary, at the mercy of a dishonourable and designing man. What was I? Only her companion. I had no right to interfere — and yet, if anything happened, I should be blamed. It is so easy to say, “You ought to have done something.” Whom could I consult? The worthy old nurse only held the position of servant. Could I address myself to the lymphatic lady with the baby in one hand, and the novel in the other? Absurd! her stepmother was not to be thought of. Her father? Judging by hearsay, I had not derived a favorable impression of the capacity of Reverend Finch for interfering successfully in a matter of this sort. However, he was her father; and I could feel my way cautiously with him at first. Hearing Zillah moving about the corridor, I went out to her. In the course of a little gossip, I introduced the name of the master of the house. How was it I had not seen him yet? For an excellent reason. He had gone to visit a friend at Brighton. It was then Tuesday. He was expected back on “sermon-day” — that is to say on Saturday in the same week.

I returned to my room, a little out of temper. In this state my mind works with wonderful freedom. I had another of my inspirations. Mr. Dubourg had taken the liberty of speaking to me that evening. Good. I determined to go alone to Browndown the next morning, and take the liberty of speaking to Mr. Dubourg.

Was this resolution solely inspired by my interest in Lucilla? Or had my own curiosity been all the time working under the surface, and influencing the course of my reflections unknown to myself? I went to bed without inquiring. I recommend you to go to bed without inquiring too.

CHAPTER THE SEVENTH

Daylight View of the Man

WHEN I put out my candle that night, I made a mistake — I trusted entirely to myself to wake in good time in the morning. I ought to have told Zillah to call me.

Hours passed before I could close my eyes. It was broken rest when it came, until the day dawned. Then I fell asleep at last in good earnest. When I woke, and looked at my watch, I was amazed to find that it was ten o’clock.

I jumped out of bed, and rang for the old nurse. Was Lucilla at home? No: she had gone out for a little walk. By herself? Yes — by herself. In what direction? Up the valley, towards Browndown.

I instantly arrived at my own conclusion.

She had got the start of me — thanks to my laziness in sleeping away the precious hours of the morning in bed. The one thing to do, was to follow her as speedily as possible. In half an hour more,
I
was out for a little walk by myself — and (what do you think?)
my
direction also was up the valley, towards Browndown.

A pastoral solitude reigned round the lonely little house. I went on beyond it, into the next winding of the valley. Not a human creature was to be seen. I returned to Browndown to reconnoiter. Ascending the rising ground on which the house was built, I approached it from the back. The windows were all open. I listened. (Do you suppose I felt scruples in such an emergency as this? Oh, pooh! pooh! who but a fool would have felt anything of the sort!) I listened with both my ears. Through a window at the side of the house, I heard the sound of voices. Advancing noiselessly on the turf, I heard the voice of Dubourg. He was answered by a woman. Aha, I had caught her. Lucilla herself!

“Wonderful!” I heard him say. “I believe you have eyes in the ends of your fingers. Take this, now — and try if you can tell me what it is.”

“A little vase,” she answered — speaking, I give you my word of honour, as composedly as if she had known him for years. “Wait! what metal is it? Silver? No. Gold. Did you really make this yourself as well as the box?”

“Yes. It is an odd taste of mine — isn’t it? — to be fond of chasing in gold and silver. Years ago I met with a man in Italy, who taught me. It amused me, then — and it amuses me now. When I was recovering from an illness last spring, I shaped that vase out of the plain metal, and made the ornaments on it.”

“Another mystery revealed!” she exclaimed. “Now I know what you wanted with those gold and silver plates that came to you from London. Are you aware of what a character you have got here? There are some of us who suspect you of coining false money!”

They both burst out laughing as gaily as a couple of children. I declare I wished myself one of the party! But no. I had my duty to do as a respectable woman. My duty was to steal a little nearer, and see if any familiarities were passing between these two merry young people. One half of the open window was sheltered, on the outer side, by a Venetian blind. I stood behind the blind, and peeped in. (Duty! oh, dear me, painful, but necessary duty!) Dubourg was sitting with his back to the window. Lucilla faced me opposite to him. Her cheeks were flushed with pleasure. She held in her lap a pretty little golden vase. Her clever fingers were passing over it rapidly, exactly as they had passed, the previous evening, over my face.

“Shall I tell you what the pattern is on your vase?” she went on.

“Can you really do that?”

“You shall judge for yourself. The pattern is made of leaves, with birds placed among them, at intervals. Stop! I think I have felt leaves like these on the old side of the rectory, against the wall. Ivy?”

“Amazing! it
is
ivy.”

“The birds,” she resumed. “I shan’t be satisfied till I have told you what the birds are. Haven’t I got silver birds like them — only much larger — for holding pepper, and mustard, and sugar, and so on. Owls!” she exclaimed, with a cry of triumph. “Little owls, sitting in ivy-nests. What a delightful pattern! I never heard of anything like it before.”

“Keep the vase!” he said. “You will honour me, you will delight me, if you will keep the vase.”

She rose and shook her head — without giving him back the vase, however.

“I might take it, if you were not a stranger,” she said. “Why don’t you tell us who you are, and what your reason is for living all by yourself in this dull place?”

He stood before her, with his head down, and sighed bitterly.

“I know I ought to explain myself,” he answered. “I can’t be surprised if people are suspicious of me.” He paused, and added very earnestly, “I can’t tell it to
you.
Oh, no — not to
you!
”

“Why not?”

“Don’t ask me!”

She felt for the table, with her ivory cane, and put the vase down on it — very unwillingly.

“Good morning, Mr. Dubourg,” she said.

He opened the door of the room for her in silence. Waiting close against the side of the house, I saw them appear under the porch, and cross the little walled enclosure in front. As she stepped out on the open turf beyond, she turned, and spoke to him again.

“If you won’t tell
me
your secret,” she said, “will you tell it to some one else? Will you tell it to a friend of mine?”

“To what friend?” he asked.

“To the lady whom you met with me last night.”

He hesitated. “I am afraid I offended the lady,” he said.

“So much the more reason for your explaining yourself,” she rejoined. “If you will only satisfy
her,
I might ask you to come and see us — I might even take the vase.” With that strong hint, she actually gave him her hand at parting. Her perfect self-possession, her easy familiarity with this stranger — so bold, and yet so innocent — petrified me. “I shall send my friend to you this morning,” she said imperiously, striking her cane on the turf. “I insist on your telling her the whole truth.”

With that, she signed to him that he was to follow her no farther, and went her way back to the village.

Does it not surprise you, as it surprised me? Instead of her blindness making her nervous in the presence of a man unknown to her, it appeared to have exactly the contrary effect. It made her fearless.

He stood on the spot where she had left him, watching her as she receded in the distance. His manner towards her, in the house and out of the house, had exhibited, it is only fair to say, the utmost consideration and respect. Whatever shyness there had been between them, was shyness entirely on his side. I had a short stuff dress on, which made no noise over the grass. I skirted the wall of the enclosure, and approached him unsuspected, from behind. “The charming creature!” he said to himself, still following her with his eyes. As the words passed his lips, I struck him smartly on the shoulder with my parasol.

“Mr. Dubourg,” I said, “I am waiting to hear the truth.”

He started violently — and confronted me in speechless dismay; his colour coming and going like the colour of a young girl. Anybody who understands women will understand that this behavior on his part, far from softening me towards him, only encouraged me to bully him.

“In your present position in this place, sir,” I went on, “do you think it honourable conduct on your part to decoy a young lady, to whom you are a perfect stranger, into your house — a young lady who claims, in right of her sad affliction, even more than the usual forbearance and respect which a gentleman owes to her sex?”

His shifting colour settled, for the time, into an angry red.

“You are doing me a great injustice, ma’am,” he answered. “It is a shame to say that I have failed in respect to the young lady! I feel the sincerest admiration and compassion for her. Circumstances justify me in what I have done; I could not have acted otherwise. I refer you to the young lady herself.”

His voice rose higher and higher — he was thoroughly offended with me. Need I add (seeing the prospect not far off of
his
bullying
me
), that I unblushingly shifted my ground, and tried a little civility next?

“If I have done you an injustice, sir, I ask your pardon,” I answered. “Having said so much, I have only to add that I shall be satisfied if I hear what the circumstances are, from yourself.”

This soothed his offended dignity. His gentler manner began to show itself again.

“The truth is,” he said, “that I owe my introduction to the young lady to an ill-tempered little dog belonging to the people at the inn. The dog had followed the person here who attends on me: and it startled the lady by flying out and barking at her as she passed this house. After I had driven away the dog, I begged her to come in and sit down until she had recovered herself. Am I to blame for doing that? I don’t deny that I felt the deepest interest in her and that I did my best to amuse her, while she honoured me by remaining in my house. May I ask if I have satisfied you?”

With the best will in the world to maintain my unfavorable opinion of him, I was, by this time, fairly forced to acknowledge to myself that the opinion was wrong. His explanation was, in tone and manner as well as in language, the explanation of a gentleman.

And, besides — though he was a little too effeminate for my taste — he really was such a handsome young man! His hair was of a fine bright chestnut colour, with a natural curl in it. His eyes were of the lightest brown I had ever seen — with a singularly winning gentle modest expression in them. As for his complexion — so creamy and spotless and fair — he had no right to it: it ought to have been a woman’s complexion, or at least a boy’s. He looked indeed more like a boy than a man: his smooth face was quite uncovered, either by beard, whisker, or mustache. If he had asked me, I should have guessed him (though he was really three years older) to have been younger than Lucilla.

“Our acquaintance has begun rather oddly, sir,” I said. “You spoke strangely to me last night; and I have spoken hastily to you this morning. Accept my excuses — and let us try if we can’t do each other justice in the end. I have something more to say to you before we part. Will you think me a very extraordinary woman, if I suggest that you may as well invite
me
next, to take a chair in your house?”

He laughed with the pleasantest good temper, and led the way in.

We entered the room in which he had received Lucilla; and sat down together on the two chairs near the window — with this difference — that I contrived to possess myself of the seat which he had occupied, and so to place him with his face to the light.