Poor Miss Finch

WILKIE COLLINS

POOR

MISS FINCH

Москва, 2018

УДК 82 ББК 84

Wilkie Collins

Poor Miss Finch / W. Collins. – М. : T8RUGRAM / Original, 2018. – 608 с.

ISBN 978-5-521-06456-4

Wilkie Collins’s intriguing story about Lucilla Finch, a blind girl and the identical twins who both fall in love with her, has the exciting complications of his better-known novels but it also overturns conventional expectations. Using a background of myth and fairy-tale to expand the boundaries of nineteenthcentury realist fiction, Collins gives one of the best accounts in fiction of blindness and its implications.

Using a background of myth and fairy-tale to expand the boundaries of nineteenth century realist fiction, Collins not only takes a blind person as his central character but also explores the idea of blindness and its implications.

УДК 82 ББК 84 BIC FC

BISAC FIC000000

CONTENTS

NOTE TO THE PRESENT EDITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

PART THE FIRST

CHAPTER THE FIRST. Madame Pratolungo presents Herself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 CHAPTER THE SECOND. Madame Pratolungo

makes a Voyage on Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 CHAPTER THE THIRD. Poor Miss Finch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 CHAPTER THE FOURTH. Twilight View of the Man . . . . 34 CHAPTER THE FIFTH. Candlelight View of the Man . . . . 42 CHAPTER THE SIXTH. A Cage of Finches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 CHAPTER THE SEVENTH. Daylight View of the Man . . . 59 CHAPTER THE EIGHTH. The Perjury of the Clock. . . . . . . 69 CHAPTER THE NINTH. The Hero of the Trial . . . . . . . . . . . 78 CHAPTER THE TENTH. First Appearance of Jicks . . . . . . . . 85 CHAPTER THE ELEVENTH. Blind Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 CHAPTER THE TWELFTH. Mr. Finch smells Money . . . .104 CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH. Second Appearance

of Jicks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH. Discoveries

at Browndown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH. Events at the Bedside . . . . . .128

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CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH. First Result

of the Robbery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134 CHAPTER THE SEVENTEENTH. The Doctor’s

Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 CHAPTER THE EIGHTEENTH. Family Troubles . . . . . . . .148 CHAPTER THE NINETEENTH. Second Result

of the Robbery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 CHAPTER THE TWENTIETH. Good Papa again!. . . . . . . . .171 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIRST. Madame

Pratolungo Returns to Dimchurch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SECOND. T

he Twin-Brother’s Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-THIRD. He sets us

All Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FOURTH. He sees Lucilla . . .209 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIFTH. Nugent puzzles

Madame Pratolungo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SIXTH. He proves Equal

to the Occasion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .232 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SEVENTH. He finds

a Way out of it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-EIGHTH. He crosses

the Rubicon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254 CHAPTER THE TWENTY-NINTH. Parliamentary Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270 CHAPTER THE THIRTIETH. Herr Grosse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .276 CHAPTER THE THIRTY-FIRST. “Who Shall Decide

when Doctors disagree?” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .290

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CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SECOND. Alas for the

Marriage! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .300 CHAPTER THE THIRTY-THIRD. The Day Between . . . .317

PART THE SECOND

CHAPTER THE THIRTY-FOURTH. Nugent shows

his Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .337 CHAPTER THE THIRTY-FIFTH. Lucilla tries

her Sight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349 CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SIXTH. The Brothers Meet . . . .371 CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SEVENTH. The Brothers

change Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .382 CHAPTER THE THIRTY-EIGHTH. Is there

no Excuse for Him? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .399 CHAPTER THE THIRTY-NINTH. She Learns to See . . . .421 CHAPTER THE FORTIETH. Traces of Nugent . . . . . . . . . . .435 CHAPTER THE FORTY-FIRST. A Hard Time

for Madame Pratolungo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445 CHAPTER THE FORTY-SECOND. The Story

of Lucilla: told by Herself. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .460 CHAPTER THE FORTY-THIRD. Lucilla’s Journal, continued . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .470 CHAPTER THE FORTY-FOURTH. Lucilla’s Journal, continued . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .493 CHAPTER THE FORTY-FIFTH. Lucilla’s Journal, concluded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .514 CHAPTER THE FORTY-SIXTH. The Italian Steamer . . . .536

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TO MRS. ELLIOT,

(OF THE DEANERY, BRISTOL).

WILL YOU honor me by accepting the Dedication of this book, in remembrance of an uninterrupted friendship of many years?

More than one charming blind girl, in fi ction and in the drama, has preceded “Poor Miss Finch.” But, so far as I know, blindness in these cases has been always exhibited, more or less exclusively, from the ideal and the sentimental point of view. The attempt here made is to appeal to an interest of another kind, by exhibiting blindness as it really is. I have carefully gathered the information necessary to the execution of this purpose from competent authorities of all sorts. Whenever “Lucilla” acts or speaks in these pages, with reference to her blindness, she is doing or saying what persons affl icted as she is have done or said before her. Of the other features which I have added to produce and sustain interest in this central personage of my story, it does not become me to speak. It is for my readers to say if “Lucilla” has found her way to their sympathies. In this character, and more especially again in the characters of “Nugent Dubourg” and “Madame Pratolungo,” I have tried to present human nature in its inherent inconsistencies and self-contradictions – in its intricate mixture of good and evil, of great and small – as I see it in the world

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about me. But the faculty of observing character is so rare, the curiously mistaken tendency to look for logical consistency in human motives and human actions is so general, that I may possibly fi nd the execution of this part of my task misunderstood – sometimes even resented – in certain quarters. However, Time has stood my friend in relation to other characters of mine in other books – and who can say that Time may not help me again here? Perhaps, one of these days, I may be able to make use of some of the many interesting stories of events that have really happened, which have been placed in my hands by persons who could speak as witnesses to the truth of the narrative. Thus far, I have not ventured to disturb the repose of these manuscripts in the locked drawer allotted to them. The true incidents are so “far-fetched”; and the conduct of the real people is so “grossly improbable”!

As for the object which I have had in view in writing this story, it is, I hope, plain enough to speak for itself. I subscribe to the article of belief which declares, that the conditions of human happiness are independent of bodily affl iction, and that it is even possible for bodily affl iction itself to take its place among the ingredients of happiness. These are the views which “Poor Miss Finch” is intended to advocate – and this is the impression which I hope to leave on the mind of the reader when the book is closed.

W. C.

January 16th, 1872.

NOTE TO THE PRESENT

EDITION

IN expressing my acknowledgments for the favorable reception accorded to the previous editions of this story, I may take the present opportunity of adverting to one of the characters, not alluded to in the Letter of Dedication. The German oculist – “Herr Grosse” – has impressed himself so strongly as a real personage on the minds of some of my readers afflicted with blindness, or suffering from diseases of the eye, that I have received several written applications requesting me to communicate his present address to patients desirous of consulting him! Sincerely appreciating the testimony thus rendered to the truth of this little study of character, I have been obliged to acknowledge to my correspondents – and I may as well repeat it here – that Herr Grosse has no (individual) living prototype. Like the other Persons of the Drama, in this book and in the books which have preceded it, he is drawn from my general observation of humanity. I have always considered it to be a mistake in Art to limit the delineation of character in fiction to a literary portrait taken from any one “sitter.” The result of this process is generally (to my mind) to produce a caricature instead of a character.

November 27th, 1872