a mortal antipathy-第21部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



him；　if　it　were　possible。　　It　seemed　as　if　she　might；　as　Secretary　of

the　Society；　request　the　cooperation　of　any　of　the　visitors；　without

impropriety。　　So；　after　much　deliberation；　she　wrote　a　careful　note；

of　which　the　following　is　an　exact　copy。　　Her　hand　was　bold；　almost

masculine；　a　curious　contrast　to　that　of　Euthymia；　which　was

delicately　feminine。





PANSOPHIAN　SOCIETY。



ARROWHEAD　VILLAGE；　August　3；　18…。



MAURICE　KIRKWOOD；　ESQ。



DEAR　SIR；You　have　received；　I　trust；　a　card　of　invitation　to　the

meetings　of　our　Society；　but　I　think　we　have　not　yet　had　the　pleasure

of　seeing　you　at　any　of　them。　　We　have　supposed　that　we　might　be

indebted　to　you　for　a　paper　read　at　the　last　meeting；　and　listened　to

with　much　interest。　　As　it　was　anonymous；　we　do　not　wish　to　be

inquisitive　respecting　its　authorship；　but　we　desire　to　say　that　any

papers　kindly　sent　us　by　the　temporary　residents　of　our　village　will

be　welcome；　and　if　adapted　to　the　wants　of　our　Association　will　be

read　at　one　of　its　meetings　or　printed　in　its　records；　or　perhaps

both　read　and　printed。　　May　we　not　hope　for　your　presence　at　the

meeting；　which　is　to　take　place　next　Wednesday　evening？

Respectfully　yours；



LURIDA　VINCENT；

Secretary　of　the　Pansophian　Society。





To　this　note　the　Secretary　received　the　following　reply：



MISS　LURIDA　VINCENT；



ARROWHEAD　VILLAGE；　August　4；　18…。



Secretary　of　the　Pansophian　Society：



DEAR　MISS　VINCENT；I　have　received　the　ticket　you　refer　to；　and

desire　to　express　my　acknowledgments　for　the　polite　attention。　　I

regret　that　I　have　not　been　and　I　fear　shall　not　be　able　to　attend

the　meetings　of　the　Society；　but　if　any　subject　occurs　to　me　on　which

I　feel　an　inclination　to　write；　it　will　give　me　pleasure　to　send　a

paper；　to　be　disposed　of　as　the　Society　may　see　fit。



Very　respectfully　yours；



MAURICE　KIRKWOOD。





〃He　says　nothing　about　the　authorship　of　the　paper　that　was　read　the

other　evening；〃　the　Secretary　said　to　herself。　　〃　No　matter；he

wrote　it；there　is　no　mistaking　his　handwriting。　　We　know　something

about　him；　now；　at　any　rate。　　But　why　doesn't　he　come　to　our

meetings？　　What　has　his　antipathy　to　do　with　his　staying　away？　　I

must　find　out　what　his　secret　is；　and　I　will。　　I　don't　believe　it's

harder　than　it　was　to　solve　that　prize　problem　which　puzzled　so　many

teachers；　or　than　beating　Crakowitz；　the　great　chess…player。〃



To　this　enigma；　then；　The　Terror　determined　to　bend　all　the　faculties

which　had　excited　the　admiration　and　sometimes　the　amazement　of　those

who　knew　her　in　her　school…days。　　It　was　a　very　delicate　piece　of

business；　for　though　Lurida　was　an　intrepid　woman's　rights　advocate；

and　believed　she　was　entitled　to　do　almost　everything　that　men　dared

to；　she　knew　very　well　there　were　certain　limits　which　a　young　woman

like　herself　must　not　pass。



In　the　mean　time　Maurice　had　received　a　visit　from　the　young　student

at　the　University；the　same　whom　he　had　rescued　from　his　dangerous

predicament　in　the　lake。　　With　him　had　called　one　of　the　teachers；

an　instructor　in　modern　languages；　a　native　of　Italy。　　Maurice　and

the　instructor　exchanged　a　few　words　in　Italian。　　The　young　man　spoke

it　with　the　ease　which　implied　long　familiarity　with　its　use。



After　they　left；　the　instructor　asked　many　curious　questions　about

him；who　he　was；　how　long　he　had　been　in　the　village；　whether

anything　was　known　of　his　history；all　these　inquiries　with　an

eagerness　which　implied　some　special　and　peculiar　reason　for　the

interest　they　evinced。



〃I　feel　satisfied；〃　the　instructor　said；　〃that　I　have　met　that　young

man　in　my　own　country。　　It　was　a　number　of　years　ago；　and　of　course

he　has　altered　in　appearance　a　good　deal；　but　there　is　a　look　about

him　ofwhat　shall　I　call　it？…apprehension；as　if　he　were　fearing

the　approach　of　something　or　somebody。　　I　think　it　is　the　way　a　man

would　look　that　was　haunted；　you　know　what　I　mean；followed　by　a

spirit　or　ghost。　　He　does　not　suggest　the　idea　of　a　murderer；very

far　from　it；　but　if　he　did；　I　should　think　he　was　every　minute　in

fear　of　seeing　the　murdered　man's　spirit。〃



The　student　was　curious；　in　his　turn；　to　know　all　the　instructor

could　recall。　　He　had　seen　him　in　Rome；　he　thought；　at　the　Fountain

of　Trevi；　where　so　many　strangers　go　before　leaving　the　city。　　The

youth　was　in　the　company　of　a　man　who　looked　like　a　priest。　　He　could

not　mistake　the　peculiar　expression　of　his　countenance；　but　that　was

all　he　now　remembered　about　his　appearance。　　His　attention　had　been

called　to　this　young　man　by　seeing　that　some　of　the　bystanders　were

pointing　at　him；　and　noticing　that　they　were　whispering　with　each

other　as　if　with　reference　to　him。　　He　should　say　that　the　youth　was

at　that　time　fifteen　or　sixteen　years　old；　and　the　time　was　about　ten

years　ago。



After　all；　this　evidence　was　of　little　or　no　value。　　Suppose　the

youth　were　Maurice；　what　then？　　We　know　that　he　had　been　in　Italy；

and　had　been　there　a　good　while；or　at　least　we　infer　so　much　from

his　familiarity　with　the　language；　and　are　confirmed　in　the　belief　by

his　having　an　Italian　servant；　whom　he　probably　brought　from　Italy

when　he　returned。　　If　he　wrote　the　paper　which　was　read　the　other

evening；　that　settles　it；　for　the　writer　says　he　had　lived　by　the

Tiber。　　We　must　put　this　scrap　of　evidence　furnished　by　the　Professor

with　the　other　scraps；　it　may　turn　out　of　some　consequence；　sooner　or

later。　　It　is　like　a　piece　of　a　dissected　map；　it　means　almost

nothing　by　itself；　but　when　we　find　the　pieces　it　joins　with　we　may

discover　a　very　important　meaning　in　it。



In　a　small；　concentrated　community　like　that　which　centred　in　and

immediately　around　Arrowhead　Village；　every　day　must　have　its　local

gossip　as　well　as　its　general　news。　　The　newspaper　tells　the　small

community　what　is　going　on　in　the　great　world；　and　the　busy　tongues

of　male　and　female；　especially　the　latter；　fill　in　with　the

occurrences　and　comments　of　the　ever…stirring　microcosm。　　The　fact

that　the　Italian　；　teacher　had；　or　thought　he　had；　seen　Maurice　ten

years　before　was　circulated　and　made　the　most　of；turned　over　and

over　like　a　cake；　until　it　was　thoroughly　done　on　both　sides　and　all

through。　　It　was　a　very　small　cake；　but　better　than　nothing。　　Miss

Vincent　heard　this　story；　as　others　did；　and　talked　about　it　with　her

friend；　Miss　Tower。　　Here　was　one　more　fact　to　help　along。



The　two　young　ladies　who　had　recently　graduated　at　the　Corinna

Institute　remained；　as　they　had　always　been；　intimate　friends。　　They

were　the　natural　complements　of　each　other。　　Euthymia　represented　a

complete；　symmetrical　womanhood。　　Her　outward　presence　was　only　an

index　of　a　large；　wholesome；　affluent　life。　　She　could　not　help　being

courageous；　with　such　a　firm　organization。　　She　could　not　help　being

generous；　cheerful；　active。　　She　had　been　told　often　enough　that　she

was　fair　to　look　upon。　　She　knew　that　she　was　called　The　Wonder　by

the　schoolmates　who　were　dazzled　by　her　singular　accomplishments；　but

she　did　not　overvalue　them。　　She　rather　tended　to　depreciate　her　own

gifts；　in　comparison　with　those　of　her　friend；　Miss　Lurida　Vincent。

The　two　agreed　all　the　better　for　differing　as　they　did。　　The　octave

makes　a　perfect　chord；　when　shorter　intervals　jar　more　or　less　on　the

ear。　　Each　admired　the　other　with　a　heartiness　which　if　they　had　been

less　unlike；　would　have　been　impossible。



It　was　a　pleasant　thing　to　observe　their　dependence　on　each　other。

The　Terror　of　the　schoolroom　was　the　oracle　in　her　relations　with　her

friend。　　All　the　freedom　of　movement　which　The　Wonder　showed　in　her

bodily　exercises　The　Terror　manifested　in　the　world　of　thought。　　She

would　fling　open　a　book；　and　decide　in　a　swift　glance　whether　it　had

any　message　for　her。　　Her　teachers　had　compared　her　way　of　reading　to

the　taking　of　an　instantaneous　photograph。　　When　she　took　up　the

first　book　on　Physiology　which　Dr。　Butts　handed　her；　it　seemed　to　him

that　if　she　only　opened　at　any　place；　and　gave　one　look；　her　mind

drank　its　meaning　up；　as　a　moist　sponge　absorbs　water。　　〃What　can　I

do　with　such　a　creature　as　this？〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃　There　is

only　one　way　to　deal　with　her；　treat　her　as　one　treats　a　silkworm：

give　it　its　mulberry　leaf；　and　it　will　spin　its　own　cocoon。　　Give　her

the　books；　and　she　will　spin　her　own　web　of　knowledge。〃



〃Do　you　really　think　of　studying　medicine？〃　said　Dr。　Butts　to　her。



〃I　have　n't　made　up　my　mind　about　that；〃　she　answered；　〃but　I　want　to

know　a　little　more　about　this　terrible　machinery　of　life　and　death　we

are　all　tangled　in。　　I　know　something　about　it；　but　not　enough。　　I

find　some　very　strange　beliefs　among　the　women　I　meet　with；　and　I

want　to　be　able　to　silence　them　when　they　attempt　to　proselyte　me　to

their　whims　and　fancies。　　Besides；　I　want　to　know　everything。〃



〃They　tell　me　you　do；　already；〃　said　Dr。　Butts。



〃I　am　the　most　ignorant　little　wretch　that　draws　the　breath　of　life！〃

exclaimed　The　Terror。



The　doctor　smiled。　　He　knew　what　it　meant。　　She　had　reached　that

stage　of　education　in　which　the　vast　domain　of　the　unknown　opens　its

illimitable　expanse　before　the　eyes　of　the　student。　　We　never　know

the　extent　of　darkness　until　it　is　partially　illuminated。



〃You　did　not　leave　the　Institute　with　the　reputation　of　being　the

most　ignorant　young　lady　that　ever　graduated　there；〃　said　the　doctor。

〃They　tell　me　you　got　the　highest　marks　of　any　pupil　on　their　record

since　the　school　was　founded。〃



〃What　a　grand　thing　it　was　to　be　the　biggest　fish　in　our　small

aquarium；　to　be　sure！〃　answered　The　Terror。　　〃He　was　six　inches　long；

the　monster；a　little　too　big　for　bait　to　catch　a　pickerel　with！

What　did　you　hand　me　that　schoolbook　for？　　Did　you　think　I　did　n't

know　anything　about　the　human　body？〃



〃You　said　you　were　such　an　ignorant　creature　I　thought　I　would　try

you　with　an　easy　book；