a mortal antipathy-第22部分

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

you　with　an　easy　book；　by　way　of　introduction。〃



The　Terror　was　not　confused　by　her　apparent　self…contradiction。



〃I　meant　what　I　said；　and　I　mean　what　I　say。　　When　I　talk　about　my

ignorance；　I　don't　measure　myself　with　schoolgirls；　doctor。　　I　don't

measure　myself　with　my　teachers；　either。　　You　must　talk　to　me　as　if　I

were　a　man；　a　grown　man；　if　you　mean　to　teach　me　anything。　　Where　is

your　hat；　doctor？　　Let　me　try　it　on。〃



The　doctor　handed　her　his　wide…awake。　　The　Terror's　hair　was　not

naturally　abundant；　like　Euthymia's；　and　she　kept　it　cut　rather

short。　　Her　head　used　to　get　very　hot　when　she　studied　hard。　　She

tried　to　put　the　hat　on。



〃Do　you　see　that？〃　she　said。　　〃I　could　n't　wear　itit　would　squeeze

my　eyes　out　of　my　head。　　The　books　told　me　that　women's　brains　were

smaller　than　men's：　〃perhaps　they　are；most　of　them；I　never

measured　a　great　many。　　But　when　they　try　to　settle　what　women　are

good　for；　by　phrenology；　I　like　to　have　them　put　their　tape　round　my

head。　　I　don't　believe　in　their　nonsense；　for　all　that。　　You　might　as

well　tell　me　that　if　one　horse　weighs　more　than　another　horse　he　is

worth　more；a　cart…horse　that　weighs　twelve　or　fourteen　hundred

pounds　better　than　Eclipse；　that　may　have　weighed　a　thousand。　　Give

me　a　list　of　the　best　books　you　can　think　of；　and　turn　me　loose　in

your　library。　　I　can　find　what　I　want；　if　you　have　it；　and　what　I

don't　find　there　I　will　get　at　the　Public　Library。　　I　shall　want　to

ask　you　a　question　now　and　then。〃



The　doctor　looked　at　her　with　a　kind　of　admiration；　but　thoughtfully；

as　if　he　feared　she　was　thinking　of　a　task　too　formidable　for　her

slight　constitutional　resource。



She　returned；　instinctively；　to　the　apparent　contradiction　in　her

statements　about　herself。



〃I　am　not　a　fool；　if　I　am　ignorant。　　Yes；　doctor；　I　sail　on　a　wide

sea　of　ignorance；　but　I　have　taken　soundings　of　some　of　its　shallows

and　some　of　its　depths。　　Your　profession　deals　with　the　facts　of　life

that　interest　me　most　just　now；　and　I　want　to　know　something　of　it。

Perhaps　I　may　find　it　a　calling　such　as　would　suit　me。〃



〃Do　you　seriously　think　of　becoming　a　practitioner　of　medicine？〃　said

the　doctor。



〃Certainly；　I　seriously　think　of　it　as　a　possibility；　but　I　want　to

know　something　more　about　it　first。　　Perhaps　I　sha'n't　believe　in

medicine　enough　to　practise　it。　　Perhaps　I　sha'n't　like　it　well

enough。　　No　matter　about　that。　　I　wish　to　study　some　of　your　best

books　on　some　of　the　subjects　that　most　interest　me。　　I　know　about

bones　and　muscles　and　all　that；　and　about　digestion　and　respiration

and　such　things。　　I　want　to　study　up　the　nervous　system；　and　learn

all　about　it。　　I　am　of　the　nervous　temperament　myself；　and　perhaps

that　is　the　reason。　　I　want　to　read　about　insanity　and　all　that

relates　to　it。〃



A　curious　expression　flitted　across　the　doctor's　features　as　The

Terror　said　this。



〃Nervous　system。　　Insanity。　　She　has　headaches；　I　know；all　those

large…headed；　hard…thinking　girls　do；　as　a　matter　of　course；　but　what

has　set　her　off　about　insanity　and　the　nervous　system？　　I　wonder　if

any　of　her　more　remote　relatives　are　subject　to　mental　disorder。

Bright　people　very　often　have　crazy　relations。　　Perhaps　some　of　her

friends　are　in　that　way。　　I　wonder　whether〃the　doctor　did　not　speak

any　of　these　thoughts；　and　in　fact　hardly　shaped　his　〃whether；〃　for

The　Terror　interrupted　his　train　of　reflection；　or　rather　struck　into

it　in　a　way　which　startled　him。



〃Where　is　the　first　volume　of　this　Medical　Cyclopaedia？〃　she　asked；

looking　at　its　empty　place　on　the　shelf。



〃On　my　table；〃　the　doctor　answered。　　〃I　have　been　consulting　it。〃



Lurida　flung　it　open；　in　her　eager　way；　and　turned　the　pages　rapidly

until　she　came　to　the　one　she　wanted。　　The　doctor　cast　his　eye　on　the

beading　of　the　page；　and　saw　the　large　letters　A　N　T。



〃I　thought　so；〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃We　shall　know　everything　there

is　in　the　books　about　antipathies　now；　if　we　never　did　before。　　She

has　a　special　object　in　studying　the　nervous　system；　just　as　I

suspected。　　I　think　she　does　not　care　to　mention　it　at　this　time；　but

if　she　finds　out　anything　of　interest　she　will　tell　me；　if　she　does

anybody。　　Perhaps　she　does　not　mean　to　tell　anybody。　　It　is　a　rather

delicate　business；a　young　girl　studying　the　natural　history　of　a

young　man。　　Not　quite　so　safe　as　botany　or　palaeontology！



Lurida；　lately　The　Terror；　now　Miss　Vincent；　had　her　own　plans；　and

chose　to　keep　them　to　herself；　for　the　present；　at　least。　　Her　hands

were　full　enough；　it　might　seem；　without　undertaking　the　solution　of

the　great　Arrowhead　Village　enigma。　　But　she　was　in　the　most　perfect

training；　so　far　as　her　intelligence　was　concerned；　and　the　summer

rest　had　restored　her　bodily　vigor；　so　that　her　brain　was　like　an

overcharged　battery　which　will　find　conductors　somewhere　to　carry　off

its　crowded　energy。



At　this　time　Arrowhead　Village　was　enjoying　the　most　successful

season　it　had　ever　known。　　The　Pansophian　Society　flourished　to　an

extraordinary　degree　under　the　fostering　care　of　the　new　Secretary。

The　rector　was　a　good　figure…head　as　President；　but　the　Secretary　was

the　life　of　the　Society。　　Communications　came　in　abundantly：　some

from　the　village　and　its　neighborhood；　some　from　the　University　and

the　Institute；　some　from　distant　and　unknown　sources。　　The　new

Secretary　was　very　busy　with　the　work　of　examining　these　papers。

After　a　forenoon　so　employed；　the　carpet　of　her　room　looked　like　a

barn　floor　after　a　husking…match。　　A　glance　at　the　manuscripts

strewed　about；　or　lying　in　heaps；　would　have　frightened　any　young

writer　away　from　the　thought　of　authorship　as　a　business。　　If　the

candidate　for　that　fearful　calling　had　seen　the　process　of　selection

and　elimination；　he　would　have　felt　still　more　desperately。　　A　paper

of　twenty　pages　would　come　in；　with　an　underscored　request　to　please

read　through；　carefully。　　That　request　alone　is　commonly　sufficient

to　condemn　any　paper；　and　prevent　its　having　any　chance　of　a　hearing；

but　the　Secretary　was　not　hardened　enough　yet　for　that　kind　of

martial　law　in　dealing　with　manuscripts。　　The　looker…on　might　have

seen　her　take　up　the　paper；　cast　one　flashing　glance　at　its　title；

read　the　first　sentence　and　the　last；　dip　at　a　venture　into　two　or

three　pages；　and　decide　as　swiftly　as　the　lightning　calculator　would

add　up　a　column　of　figures　what　was　to　be　its　destination。　　If

rejected；　it　went　into　the　heap　on　the　left；　if　approved；　it　was　laid

apart；　to　be　submitted　to　the　Committee　for　their　judgment。　　The

foolish　writers　who　insist　on　one's　reading　through　their　manuscript

poems　and　stories　ought　to　know　how　fatal　the　request　is　to　their

prospects。　　It　provokes　the　reader；　to　begin　with。　　The　reading　of

manuscript　is　frightful　work；　at　the　best；　the　reading　of　worthless

manuscriptand　most　of　that　which　one　is　requested　to　read　through

is　worthlesswould　add　to　the　terrors　of　Tartarus；　if　any　infernal

deity　were　ingenious　enough　to　suggest　it　as　a　punishment。



If　a　paper　was　rejected　by　the　Secretary；　it　did　not　come　before　the

Committee；　but　was　returned　to　the　author；　if　he　sent　for　it；　which

he　commonly　did。　　Its　natural　course　was　to　try　for　admission　into

some　one　of　the　popular　magazines：　into　〃　The　Sifter；〃　the　most

fastidious　of　them　all；　if　that　declined　it；　into　〃The　Second　Best；〃

and　if　that　returned　it；　into　〃The　Omnivorous。〃　　If　it　was　refused

admittance　at　the　doors　of　all　the　magazines；　it　might　at　length　find

shelter　in　the　corner　of　a　newspaper；　where　a　good　deal　of　very

readable　verse　is　to　be　met　with　nowadays；　some　of　which　has　been；　no

doubt；　presented　to　the　Pansophian　Society；　but　was　not　considered　up

to　its　standard。









X



A　NEW　ARRIVAL。



There　was　a　recent　accession　to　the　transient　population　of　the

village　which　gave　rise　to　some　speculation。　　The　new…comer　was　a

young　fellow；　rather　careless　in　his　exterior；　but　apparently　as　much

at　home　as　if　he　owned　Arrowhead　Village　and　everything　in　it。　　He

commonly　had　a　cigar　in　his　mouth；　carried　a　pocket　pistol；　of　the

non…explosive　sort；　and　a　stick　with　a　bulldog's　bead　for　its　knob；

wore　a　soft　bat；　a　coarse　check　suit；　a　little　baggy；　and　gaiterboots

which　had　been　half…soled；a　Bohemian…looking　personage；　altogether。



This　individual　began　making　explorations　in　every　direction。　　He　was

very　curious　about　the　place　and　all　the　people　in　it。　　He　was

especially　interested　in　the　Pansophian　Society；　concerning　which　he

made　all　sorts　of　inquiries。　　This　led　him　to　form　a　summer

acquaintance　with　the　Secretary；　who　was　pleased　to　give　him　whatever

information　he　asked　for；　being　proud　of　the　Society；　as　she　had　a

right　to　be；　and　knowing　more　about　it　than　anybody　else。



The　visitor　could　not　have　been　long　in　the　village　without　hearing

something　of　Maurice　Kirkwood；　and　the　stories；　true　and　false；

connected　with　his　name。　　He　questioned　everybody　who　could　tell　him

anything　about　Maurice；　and　set　down　the　answers　in　a　little　note…

book　he　always　had　with　him。



All　this　naturally　excited　the　curiosity　of　the　village　about　this

new　visitor。　　Among　the　rest；　Miss　Vincent；　not　wanting　in　an

attribute　thought　to　belong　more　especially　to　her　sex；　became

somewhat　interested　to　know　more　exactly　who　this　inquiring；　note…

taking　personage；　who　seemed　to　be　everywhere　and　to　know　everybody；

might　himself　be。　　Meeting　him　at　the　Public　Library　at　a　fortunate

moment；　when　there　was　nobody　but　the　old　Librarian；　who　was　hard　of

hearing；　to　interfere　with　their　conversation；　the　little　Secretary

had　a　chance　to　try　to　find　out　something　about　him。



〃This　is　a　very　remarkable　library　for　a　small　village　to　possess；〃

he　remarked　to　Miss　Lurida。



〃It　is；　indeed；〃　she　said。　　〃Have　you　found　it　w