a mortal antipathy-第14部分

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mighty　grand　gentleman　from　the　City　he　set　up　for。　　I　watched　him；

and　I　watched　him。　　Says　I；　I　don't　believe　you're　no　gentleman；

says　I。　　He　eat　with　his　knife；　and　that　ain't　the　way　city　folks

eats。　　Every　time　I　handed　him　anything　I　looked　closeter　and

closeter。　　Them　whiskers　never　grooved　on　them　cheeks；　says　I　to

myself。　　Them　's　paper　collars；　says　I。　　That　dimun　in　your　shirt…

front　hain't　got　no　life　to　it；　says　I。　　I　don't　believe　it's

nothiri'　more　'n　a　bit　o'　winderglass。　　So　says　I　to　Pushee；　'You

jes'　step　out　and　get　the　sheriff　to　come　in　and　take　a　look　at　that

chap。'　I　knowed　he　was　after　a　fellah。　　He　come　right　in；　an'　he　goes

up　to　the　chap。　　'Why；　Bill；'　says　he；　'I'm　mighty　glad　to　see　yer。

We've　had　the　hole　in　the　wall　you　got　out　of　mended；　and　I　want　your

company　to　come　and　look　at　the　old　place；'　says　he；　and　he　pulls　out

a　couple　of　handcuffs　and　has　'em　on　his　wrists　in　less　than　no　time；

an'　off　they　goes　together！　　I　know　one　thing　about　that　young

gentleman；　anyhow；there　ain't　no　better　judge　of　what's　good　eatin'

than　he　is。　　I　cooked　him　some　maccaroni　myself　one　day；　and　he　sends

word　to　me　by　that　Mr。　Paul；　'Tell　Miss　Miranda；'　says　he；　I　that　the

Pope　o'　Rome　don't　have　no　better　cooked　maccaroni　than　what　she　sent

up　to　me　yesterday；'　says　he。　　I　don'　know　much　about　the　Pope　o'

Rome　except　that　he's　a　Roman　Catholic；　and　I　don'　know　who　cooks　for

him；　whether　it's　a　man　or　a　woman；　but　when　it　comes　to　a　dish　o'

maccaroni；　I　ain't　afeard　of　their　shefs；　as　they　call　'em；them　he…

cooks　that　can't　serve　up　a　cold　potater　without　callin'　it　by　some

name　nobody　can　say　after　'em。　　But　this　gentleman　knows　good

cookin'；　and　that's　as　good　a　sign　of　a　gentleman　as　I　want　to　tell

'em　by。〃









VI



STILL　AT　FAULT。



The　house　in　which　Maurice　Kirkwood　had　taken　up　his　abode　was　not　a

very　inviting　one。　　It　was　old；　and　had　been　left　in　a　somewhat

dilapidated　and　disorderly　condition　by　the　tenants　who　had　lived　in

the　part　which　Maurice　now　occupied。　　They　had　piled　their　packing…

boxes　in　the　cellar；　with　broken　chairs；　broken　china；　and　other

household　wrecks。　　A　cracked　mirror　lay　on　an　old　straw　mattress；　the

contents　of　which　were　airing　themselves　through　wide　rips　and　rents。

A　lame　clothes…horse　was　saddled　with　an　old　rug　fringed　with　a

ragged　border；　out　of　which　all　the　colors　had　been　completely

trodden。　　No　woman　would　have　gone　into　a　house　in　such　a　condition。

But　the　young　man　did　not　trouble　himself　much　about　such　matters；

and　was　satisfied　when　the　rooms　which　were　to　be　occupied　by　himself

and　his　servant　were　made　decent　and　tolerably　comfortable。　　During

the　fine　season　all　this　was　not　of　much　consequence；　and　if　Maurice

made　up　his　mind　to　stay　through　the　winter　he　would　have　his　choice

among　many　more　eligible　places。



The　summer　vacation　of　the　Corinna　Institute　had　now　arrived；　and　the

young　ladies　had　scattered　to　their　homes。　　Among　the　graduates　of

the　year　were　Miss　Euthymia　Tower　and　Miss　Lurida　Vincent；　who　had

now　returned　to　their　homes　in　Arrowhead　Village。　　They　were　both

glad　to　rest　after　the　long　final　examinations　and　the　exercises　of

the　closing　day；　in　which　each　of　them　had　borne　a　conspicuous　part。

It　was　a　pleasant　life　they　led　in　the　village；　which　was　lively

enough　at　this　season。　　Walking；　riding；　driving；　boating；　visits　to

the　Library；　meetings　of　the　Pansophian　Society；　hops；　and　picnics

made　the　time　pass　very　cheerfully；　and　soon　showed　their　restoring

influences。　　The　Terror's　large　eyes　did　not　wear　the　dull；　glazed

look　by　which　they　had　too　often　betrayed　the　after　effects　of　over…

excitement　of　the　strong　and　active　brain　behind　them。　　The　Wonder

gained　a　fresher　bloom；　and　looked　full　enough　of　life　to　radiate

vitality　into　a　statue　of　ice。　　They　had　a　boat　of　their　own；　in

which　they　passed　many　delightful　hours　on　the　lake；　rowing；

drifting；　reading；　telling　of　what　had　been；　dreaming　of　what　might

be。



The　Library　was　one　of　the　chief　centres　of　the　fixed　population；　and

visited　often　by　strangers。　　The　old　Librarian　was　a　peculiar

character；　as　these　officials　are　apt　to　be。　　They　have　a　curious

kind　of　knowledge；　sometimes　immense　in　its　way。　　They　know　the　backs

of　books；　their　title…pages；　their　popularity　or　want　of　it；　the

class　of　readers　who　call　for　particular　works；　the　value　of

different　editions；　and　a　good　deal　besides。　　Their　minds　catch　up

hints　from　all　manner　of　works　on　all　kinds　of　subjects。　　They　will

give　a　visitor　a　fact　and　a　reference　which　they　are　surprised　to

find　they　remember　and　which　the　visitor　might　have　hunted　for　a

year。　　Every　good　librarian；　every　private　book…owner；　who　has　grown

into　his　library；　finds　he　has　a　bunch　of　nerves　going　to　every

bookcase；　a　branch　to　every　shelf；　and　a　twig　to　every　book。　　These

nerves　get　very　sensitive　in　old　librarians；　sometimes；　and　they　do

not　like　to　have　a　volume　meddled　with　any　more　than　they　would　like

to　have　their　naked　eyes　handled。　　They　come　to　feel　at　last　that　the

books　of　a　great　collection　are　a　part；　not　merely　of　their　own

property；　though　they　are　only　the　agents　for　their　distribution；　but

that　they　are；　as　it　were；　outlying　portions　of　their　own

organization。　　The　old　Librarian　was　getting　a　miserly　feeling　about

his　books；　as　he　called　them。　　Fortunately；　he　had　a　young　lady　for

his　assistant；　who　was　never　so　happy　as　when　she　could　find　the　work

any　visitor　wanted　and　put　it　in　his　hands；or　her　hands；　for　there

were　more　readers　among　the　wives　anddaughters；　and　especially

among　the　aunts；　than　there　were　among　their　male　relatives。　　The　old

Librarian　knew　the　books；　but　the　books　seemed　to　know　the　young

assistant；　so　it　looked；　at　least；　to　the　impatient　young　people　who

wanted　their　services。



Maurice　had　a　good　many　volumes　of　his　own；a　great　many；　according

to　Paolo's　account；　but　Paolo's　ideas　were　limited；　and　a　few　well…

filled　shelves　seemed　a　very　large　collection　to　him。　　His　master

frequently　sent　him　to　the　Public　Library　for　books；　which　somewhat

enlarged　his　notions；　still；　the　Signor　was　a　very　learned　man；　he

was　certain；　and　some　of　his　white　books　（bound　in　vellum　and　richly

gilt）　were　more　splendid；　according　to　Paolo；　than　anything　in　the

Library。



There　was　no　little　curiosity　to　know　what　were　the　books　that

Maurice　was　in　the　habit　of　taking　out；　and　the　Librarian's　record

was　carefully　searched　by　some　of　the　more　inquisitive　investigators。

The　list　proved　to　be　a　long　and　varied　one。　　It　would　imply　a

considerable　knowledge　of　modern　languages　and　of　the　classics；　a

liking　for　mathematics　and　physics；　especially　all　that　related　to

electricity　and　magnetism；　a　fancy　for　the　occult　sciences；　if　there

is　any　propriety　in　coupling　these　words；　and　a　whim　for　odd　and

obsolete　literature；　like　the　Parthenologia　of　Fortunius　Licetus；　the

quaint　treatise　'De　Sternutatione；〃　books　about　alchemy；　and

witchcraft；　apparitions；　and　modern　works　relating　to　Spiritualism。

With　these　were　the　titles　of　novels　and　now　and　then　of　books　of

poems；　but　it　may　be　taken　for　granted　that　his　own　shelves　held　the

works　he　was　most　frequently　in　the　habit　of　reading　or　consulting。

Not　much　was　to　be　made　out　of　this　beyond　the　fact　of　wide

scholarship；more　or　less　deep　it　might　be；　but　at　any　rate　implying

no　small　mental　activity；　for　he　appeared　to　read　very　rapidly；　at

any　rate　exchanged　the　books　he　had　taken　out　for　new　ones　very

frequently。　　To　judge　by　his　reading；　he　was　a　man　of　letters。　　But

so　wide…reading　a　man　of　letters　must　have　an　object；　a　literary

purpose　in　all　probability。　　Why　should　not　he　be　writing　a　novel？

Not　a　novel　of　society；　assuredly；　for　a　hermit　is　not　the　person　to

report　the　talk　and　manners　of　a　world　which　he　has　nothing　to　do

with。　　Novelists　and　lawyers　understand　the　art　of　〃cramming〃　better

than　any　other　persons　in　the　world。　　Why　should　not　this　young　man

be　working　up　the　picturesque　in　this　romantic　region　to　serve　as　a

background　for　some　story　with　magic；　perhaps；　and　mysticism；　and

hints　borrowed　from　science；　and　all　sorts　of　out…of…the…way

knowledge　which　his　odd　and　miscellaneous　selection　of　books

furnished　him？　　That　might　be；　or　possibly　he　was　only　reading　for

amusement。　　Who　could　say？



The　funds　of　the　Public　Library　of　Arrowhead　Village　allowed　the

managers　to　purchase　many　books　out　of　the　common　range　of　reading。

The　two　learned　people　of　the　village　were　the　rector　and　the　doctor。

These　two　worthies　kept　up　the　old　controversy　between　the

professions；　which　grows　out　of　the　fact　that　one　studies　nature　from

below　upwards；　and　the　other　from　above　downwards。　　The　rector

maintained　that　physicians　contracted　a　squint　which　turns　their　eyes

inwardly；　while　the　muscles　which　roll　their　eyes　upward　become

palsied。　　The　doctor　retorted　that　theological　students　developed　a

third　eyelid；the　nictitating　membrane；　which　is　so　well　known　in

birds；　and　which　serves　to　shut　out；　not　all　light；　but　all　the　light

they　do　not　want。　　Their　little　skirmishes　did　not　prevent　their

being　very　good　friends；　who　had　a　common　interest　in　many　things　and

many　persons。　　Both　were　on　the　committee　which　had　the　care　of　the

Library　and　attended　to　the　purchase　of　books。　　Each　was　scholar

enough　to　know　the　wants　of　scholars；　and　disposed　to　trust　the

judgment　of　the　other　as　to　what　books　should　be　purchased；。

Consequently；　the　clergyman　secured　the　addition　to　the　Library　of　a

good　many　old　theological　works　which　the　physician　would　have　called

brimstone　divinity；　and　held　to　be　just　the　thing　to　kindle　fires

with；good　books　still　for　those　who　know　how　to　use　them；

oftentimes　as　awful　examples　of　the　extreme　of　disorganization　the

whole　moral　system　may　undergo　when　a　barbarous　belief　has　strangled

the　natural　human　instincts