CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SECOND
The Twin-Brother's Letter
LITTLE thinking what a storm he had raised, poor innocentOscar--paternally escorted by the rector--followed us into the house,with his open letter in his hand.
Judging by certain signs visible in my reverend friend, I concluded thatthe announcement of Nugent Dubourg's coming visit to Dimchurch--regardedby the rest of us as heralding the appearance of a twin-brother--wasregarded by Mr. Finch as promising the arrival of a twin-fortune. Oscarand Nugent shared the comfortable paternal inheritance. Finch smeltmoney.
"Compose yourself," I whispered to Lucilla as the two gentlemen followedus into the sitting-room. "Your jealousy of his brother is a childishjealousy. There is room enough in his heart for his brother as well asfor you."
She only repeated obstinately, with a vicious pinch on my arm, "I hatehis brother!"
"Come and sit down by me," said Oscar, approaching her on the other side."I want to run over Nugent's letter. It's so interesting! There is amessage in it to you." Too deeply absorbed in his subject to notice thesullen submission with which she listened to him, he placed her on achair, and began reading. "The first lines," he explained, "relate toNugent's return to England, and to his delightful idea of coming to staywith me at Browndown. Then he goes on: 'I found all your letters waitingfor me on my return to New York. Need I tell you, my dearest brother----'"
Lucilla stopped him at those words by rising abruptly from her seat.
"What is the matter?" he asked.
"I don't like this chair!"
Oscar got her another--an easy-chair this time--and returned to theletter.
"'Need I tell you, my dearest brother, how deeply you have interested meby the announcement of your contemplated marriage? Your happiness is myhappiness. I feel with you; I congratulate you; I long to see my futuresister-in-law----'"
Lucilla got up again. Oscar, in astonishment, asked what was wrong now?
"I am not comfortable at this end of the room."
She walked to the other end of the room. Patient Oscar walked after her,with his precious letter in his hand. He offered her a third chair. Shepetulantly declined to take it, and selected another chair for herself.Oscar returned to the letter:--
"'How melancholy, and yet how interesting it is, to hear that she isblind! My sketches of American scenery happened to be lying about in theroom when I read your letter. The first thought that came to me, onhearing of Miss Finch's affliction, was suggested by my sketches. I saidto myself, "Sad! sad! my sister-in-law will never see my Works." The trueartist, Oscar, is always thinking of his Works. I shall bring back, letme tell you, some very remarkable studies for future pictures. They willnot be so numerous, perhaps, as you may expect. I prefer to trust to myintellectual perception of beauty, rather than to mere laborioustranscripts from Nature. In certain moods of mine (speaking as an artist)Nature puts me out.'" There Oscar paused, and appealed to me. "Whatwriting!--eh? I always told you, Madame Pratolungo, that Nugent was agenius. You see it now. Don't get up, Lucilla. I am going on. There is amessage to you in this part of the letter. So neatly expressed!"
Lucilla persisted in getting up; the announcement of the neatly-expressedmessage to be read next, produced no effect on her. She walked to thewindow, and trifled impatiently with the flowers placed in it. Oscarlooked in mild astonishment, first at me--then at the rector. ReverendFinch--listening thus far with the complimentary attention due to thecorrespondence of one young man of fortune with another young man offortune--interfered in Oscar's interests, to secure him a patienthearing.
"My dear Lucilla, endeavor to control your restlessness. You interferewith our enjoyment of this interesting letter. I could wish to see fewerchanges of place, my child, and a more undivided attention to what Oscaris reading to you."
"I am not interested in what he is reading to me." In the nervousirritation which produced this ungracious answer, she overthrew one ofthe flower-pots. Oscar set it up again for her with undiminishedgood-temper.
"Not interested!" he exclaimed. "Wait a little. You haven't heardNugent's message yet. Listen to this! 'Present my best and kindestregards to the future Mrs. Oscar' (dear fellow!); 'and say that she hasgiven me a new interest in hastening my return to England.' There! Isn'tthat prettily put? Come Lucilla! own that Nugent is worth listening towhen he writes about _you!_"
She turned towards him for the first time. The charm of the tone in whichhe spoke those words subdued her, in spite of herself.
"I am much obliged to your brother," she answered gently, "and very muchashamed of myself for what I said just now." She stole her hand into his,and whispered, "You are so fond of Nugent--I begin to be almost afraidthere will be no love left for me."
Oscar was enchanted. "Wait till you see him, and you will be as fond ofhim as I am," he said. "Nugent is not like me. He fascinates people themoment they come in contact with him. Nobody can resist Nugent."
She still held his hand, with a perplexed and saddened face. Theadmirable absence of any jealousy on his side--his large and generousconfidence in _her_ love for _him_--was just the rebuke to her that shecould feel; just the rebuke also (in my opinion) that she had deserved.
"Go on, Oscar," said the rector, in his deepest notes of encouragement."What next, dear boy? what next?"
"Another interesting bit, of quite a new kind," Oscar replied. "There isa little mystery to stir us up on the last page of the letter. Nugentsays:--'I have become acquainted (here, in New York) with a veryremarkable man, a German who has made a great deal of money in the UnitedStates. He proposes visiting England early in the present year; and hewill write and let me know when he has arrived. I shall feel particularpleasure in presenting him to you and your future wife. It is quitepossible that you may have special reason to congratulate yourselves onmaking his acquaintance. For the present, no more of my new friend untilwe meet at Browndown.'--'Special reason to congratulate ourselves onmaking his acquaintance.'" repeated Oscar, folding up the letter."Nugent never writes in that way without a reason for it. Who can theGerman gentleman be?"
Mr. Finch suddenly lifted his head, and looked at Oscar with a certainappearance of alarm.
"Your brother mentions that he has made his fortune in America," said theReverend gentleman. "I hope he is not connected with the money-market. Hemight infect Mr. Nugent with the spirit of reckless speculation which is,so to speak, the national sin of the United States. Your brother, havingno doubt the same generous disposition as yours----"
"A far finer disposition than mine, Mr. Finch," interposed Oscar.
"Possessed, like you, of the gifts of fortune," proceeded the rector,with mounting enthusiasm.
"Once possessed of them," said Oscar. "Far from being overburdened withthe gifts of fortune, now!"
"What!!!" cried Mr. Finch, with a start of consternation.
"Nugent has run through his fortune," proceeded Oscar, quite composedly."I lent him the money to go to America. My brother is a genius, Mr.Finch. When did you ever hear of a genius who could keep within limits?Nugent is not content to live in my humble way. He has the tastes of aprince--money is nothing to him. It doesn't matter. He will make a newfortune Out of his pictures; and, in the meantime, you know, I can alwayslend him something to go on with."
Mr. Finch rose from his seat, with the air of a man whose justanticipations have not been realized--whose innocent confidence has beenscandalously betrayed. Here was a prospect! Another person in perpetualwant of money, going to settle under the shadow of the rectory! Anotherman likely to borrow of Oscar--and that man his brother!
"I fail to take your light view of your brother's extravagance," said therector, addressing Oscar with his loftiest severity of manner, at thedoor. "I deplore and reprehend Mr. Nugent's misuse of the bounty bestowedon him by an all-wise Providence. You will do well to consider, beforeyou encourage your brother's extravagance by lending him money. What doesthe great poet of humanity say of lenders? The Bard of Avon tells us,that 'loan o
ft loses both itself and friend.' Lay that noble line toheart, Oscar! Lucilla, be on your guard against that restlessness which Ihave already had occasion to reprove. I find I must leave you, MadamePratolungo. I had forgotten my parish duties. My parish duties arewaiting for me. Good day! good day!"
He looked round on us all three, in turn, with a very sour face, andwalked out. "Surely," I thought to myself, "this brother of Oscar's isnot beginning well! First, the daughter takes offense at him, and now thefather follows her example. Even on the other side of the Atlantic, Mr.Nugent Dubourg exercises a malignant influence, and disturbs the familytranquillity before he has shown his nose in the house!"