a mortal antipathy-第23部分

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he　remarked　to　Miss　Lurida。



〃It　is；　indeed；〃　she　said。　　〃Have　you　found　it　well　furnished　with

the　books　you　most　want？〃



〃Oh；　yes；books　enough。　　I　don't　care　so　much　for　the　books　as　I　do

for　the　Newspapers。　　I　like　a　Review　well　enough；it　tells　you　all

there　is　in　a　book；　but　a　good　abstract　of　the　Review　in　a　Newspaper

saves　a　fellow　the　trouble　of　reading　it。〃



〃You　find　the　papers　you　want；　here；　I　hope；〃　said　the　young　lady。



〃Oh；　I　get　along　pretty　well。　　It's　my　off…time；　and　I　don't　do　much

reading　or　writing。　　Who　is　the　city　correspondent　of　this　place？〃



〃I　don't　think　we　have　any　one　who　writes　regularly。　　Now　and　then；

there　is　a　letter；　with　the　gossip　of　the　place　in　it；　or　an　account

of　some　of　the　doings　at　our　Society。　　The　city　papers　are　always

glad　to　get　the　reports　of　our　meetings；　and　to　know　what　is　going　on

in　the　village。〃



〃I　suppose　you　write　about　the　Society　to　the　papers；　as　you　are　the

Secretary。〃



This　was　a　point…blank　shot。　　She　meant　to　question　the　young　man

about　his　business；　and　here　she　was　on　the　witness…stand。　　She

ducked　her　head；　and　let　the　question　go　over　her。



〃Oh；　there　are　plenty　of　members　who　are　willing　enough　to　write；

especially　to　give　an　account　of　their　own　papers。　　I　think　they　like

to　have　me　put　in　the　applause；　when　they　get　any。　　I　do　that

sometimes。〃　　（How　much　more；　she　did　not　say。）



〃I　have　seen　some　very　well　written　articles；　which；　from　what　they

tell　me　of　the　Secretary；　I　should　have　thought　she　might　have

written　herself。〃



He　looked　her　straight　in　the　eyes。



〃I　have　transmitted　some　good　papers；〃　she　said；　without　winking；　or

swallowing；　or　changing　color；　precious　little　color　she　had　to

change；　her　brain　wanted　all　the　blood　it　could　borrow　or　steal；　and

more　too。　　〃You　spoke　of　Newspapers；〃　she　said；　without　any　change　of

tone　or　manner：　〃do　you　not　frequently　write　for　them　yourself？〃



〃I　should　think　I　did；〃　answered　the　young　man。　　〃I　am　a　regular

correspondent　of　'The　People's　Perennial　and　Household　Inquisitor。'〃



〃The　regular　correspondent　from　where？〃



〃Where！　　Oh；　anywhere；the　place　does　not　make　much　difference。　　I

have　been　writing　chiefly　from　Naples　and　St。　Petersburg；　and　now　and

then　from　Constantinople。〃



〃How　long　since　your　return　to　this　country；　may　I　ask？〃



〃My　return？　　I　have　never　been　out　of　this　country。　　I　travel　with　a

gazetteer　and　some　guide…books。　　It　is　the　cheapest　way；　and　you　can

get　the　facts　much　better　from　them　than　by　trusting　your　own

observation。　　I　have　made　the　tour　of　Europe　by　the　help　of　them　and

the　newspapers。　　But　of　late　I　have　taken　to　interviewing。　　I　find

that　a　very　pleasant　specialty。　　It　is　about　as　good　sport　as　trout…

tickling；　and　much　the　same　kind　of　business。　　I　should　like　to　send

the　Society　an　account　of　one　of　my　interviews。　　Don't　you　think　they

would　like　to　hear　it？〃



〃I　have　no　doubt　they　would。　　Send　it　to　me；　and　I　will　look　it　over；

and　if　the　Committee　approve　it；　we　will　have　it　at　the　next　meeting。

You　know　everything　has　to　be　examined　and　voted　on　by　the

Committee；〃　said　the　cautious　Secretary。



〃Very　well；I　will　risk　it。　　After　it　is　read；　if　it　is　read；　please

send　it　back　to　me；　as　I　want　to　sell　it　to　'The　Sifter；'　or　'The

Second　Best；'　or　some　of　the　paying　magazines。〃



This　is　the　paper；　which　was　read　at　the　next　meeting　of　the

Pansophian　Society。





〃I　was　ordered　by　the　editor　of　the　newspaper　to　which　I　am　attached；

'The　People's　Perennial　and　Household　Inquisitor；'　to　make　a　visit　to

a　certain　well…known　writer；　and　obtain　all　the　particulars　I　could

concerning　him　and　all　that　related　to　him。　　I　have　interviewed　a

good　many　politicians；　who　I　thought　rather　liked　the　process；　but　I

had　never　tried　any　of　these　literary　people；　and　I　was　not　quite

sure　how　this　one　would　feel　about　it。　　I　said　as　much　to　the　chief；

but　he　pooh…poohed　my　scruples。　　'It　is　n't　our　business　whether　they

like　it　or　not；'　said　he；　'the　public　wants　it；　and　what　the　public

wants　it's　bound　to　have；　and　we　are　bound　to　furnish　it。　　Don't　be

afraid　of　your　man；　he　's　used　to　it；he's　been　pumped　often　enough

to　take　it　easy；　and　what　you've　got　to　do　is　to　pump　him　dry。　　You

need　n't　be　modest；ask　him　what　you　like；　he　is　n't　bound　to

answer；　you　know。'



As　he　lived　in　a　rather　nice　quarter　of　the　town；　I　smarted　myself　up

a　little；　put　on　a　fresh　collar　and　cuffs；　and　got　a　five…cent　shine

on　my　best　high…lows。　　I　said　to　myself；　as　I　was　walking　towards　the

house　where　he　lived；　that　I　would　keep　very　shady　for　a　while　and

pass　for　a　visitor　from　a　distance；　one　of　those　'admiring　strangers'

who　call　in　to　pay　their　respects；　to　get　an　autograph；　and　go　home

and　say　that　they　have　met　the　distinguished　So　and　So；　which　gives

them　a　certain　distinction　in　the　village　circle　to　which　they

belong。



〃My　man；　the　celebrated　writer；　received　me　in　what　was　evidently　his

reception…room。　　I　observed　that　he　managed　to　get　the　light　full　on

my　face；　while　his　own　was　in　the　shade。　　I　had　meant　to　have　his

face　in　the　light；　but　he　knew　the　localities；　and　had　arranged

things　so　as　to　give　him　that　advantage。　　It　was　like　two　frigates

manoeuvring；each　trying　to　get　to　windward　of　the　other。　　I　never

take　out　my　note…book　until　I　and　my　man　have　got　engaged　in　artless

and　earnest　conversation；always　about　himself　and　his　works；　of

course；　if　he　is　an　author。



〃I　began　by　saying　that　he　must　receive　a　good　many　callers。　　Those

who　had　read　his　books　were　naturally　curious　to　see　the　writer　of

them。



〃He　assented；　emphatically；　to　this　statement。　　He　had；　he　said；　a

great　many　callers。



〃I　remarked　that　there　was　a　quality　in　his　books　which　made　his

readers　feel　as　if　they　knew　him　personally；　and　caused　them　to

cherish　a　certain　attachment　to　him。



〃He　smiled；　as　if　pleased。　　He　was　himself　disposed　to　think　so；　he

said。　　In　fact；　a　great　many　persons；　strangers　writing　to　him；　had

told　him　so。



〃My　dear　sir；　I　said；　there　is　nothing　wonderful　in　the　fact　you

mention。　　You　reach　a　responsive　chord　in　many　human　breasts。



　　　　　'One　touch　of　Nature　makes　the　whole　world　kin。'



Everybody　feels　as　if　he；　and　especially　she　（his　eyes　sparkled）；

were　your　blood　relation。　　Do　they　not　name　their　children　after　you

very　frequently？



〃He　blushed　perceptibly。　　'Sometimes；'　he　answered。　　'I　hope　they

will　all　turn　out　well。'



〃I　am　afraid　I　am　taking　up　too　much　of　your　time；　I　said。



〃No；　not　at　all；'　he　replied。　　'Come　up　into　my　library；　it　is　warmer

and　pleasanter　there。'



〃I　felt　confident　that　I　had　him　by　the　right　handle　then；　for　an

author's　library；　which　is　commonly　his　working…room；　is；　like　a

lady's　boudoir；　a　sacred　apartment。



〃So　we　went　upstairs；　and　again　he　got　me　with　the　daylight　on　my

face；　when　I　wanted　it　on　has。



〃You　have　a　fine　library；　I　remarked。　　There　were　books　all　round　the

room；　and　one　of　those　whirligig　square　book…cases。　　I　saw　in　front　a

Bible　and　a　Concordance；　Shakespeare　and　Mrs。　Cowden　Clarke's　book；

and　other　classical　works　and　books　of　grave　aspect。　　I　contrived　to

give　it　a　turn；　and　on　the　side　next　the　wall　I　got　a　glimpse　of

Barnum's　Rhyming　Dictionary；　and　several　Dictionaries　of　Quotations

and　cheap　compends　of　knowledge。　　Always　twirl　one　of　those　revolving

book…cases　when　you　visit　a　scholar's　library。　　That　is　the　way　to

find　out　what　books　he　does　n't　want　you　to　see；　which　of　course　are

the　ones　you　particularly　wish　to　see。



〃Some　may　call　all　this　impertinent　and　inquisitive。　　What　do　you

suppose　is　an　interviewer's　business？　　Did　you　ever　see　an　oyster

opened？　　Yes？　　Well；　an　interviewer's　business　is　the　same　thing。

His　man　is　his　oyster；　which　he；　not　with　sword；　but　with　pencil　and

note…book；　must　open。　　Mark　how　the　oysterman's　thin　blade　insinuates

itself；how　gently　at　first；　how　strenuously　when　once　fairly

between　the　shells！



〃And　here；　I　said；　you　write　your　books；those　books　which　have

carried　your　name　to　all　parts　of　the　world；　and　will　convey　it　down

to　posterity！　　Is　this　the　desk　at　which　you　write？　　And　is　this　the

pen　you　write　with？



〃'It　is　the　desk　and　the　very　pen；'　he　replied。



〃He　was　pleased　with　my　questions　and　my　way　of　putting　them。　　I　took

up　the　pen　as　reverentially　as　if　it　had　been　made　of　the　feather

which　the　angel　I　used　to　read　about　in　Young's　〃Night　Thoughts〃

ought　to　have　dropped；　and　did　n't。



〃Would　you　kindly　write　your　autograph　in　my　note…book；　with　that

pen？　　I　asked　him。　　Yes；　he　would；　with　great　pleasure。



〃So　I　got　out　my　note…book。



〃It　was　a　spick　and　span　new　one；　bought　on　purpose　for　this

interview。　　I　admire　your　bookcases；　said　I。　　Can　you　tell　me　just

how　high　they　are？



〃'They　are　about　eight　feet；　with　the　cornice。'



〃I　should　like　to　have　some　like　those；　if　I　ever　get　rich　enough；

said　I。　　Eight　feet；eight　feet；　with　the　cornice。　　I　must　put　that

down。



〃So　I　got　out　my　pencil。



〃I　sat　there　with　my　pencil　and　note…book　in　my　hand；　all　ready；　but

not　using　them　as　yet。



〃I　have　heard　it　said；　I　observed；　that　you　began　writing　poems　at　a

very　early　age。　　Is　it　taking　too　great　a　liberty　to　ask　how　early

you　began　to　write　in　verse？



〃He　was　getting　interested；　as　people　are　apt　to　be　when　they　are

themselves　the　subjects　of　conversation。



〃'Very　early；I　hardly　know　how　early。　　I　can　say　truly；　as　Louise

Colet　said；



　　　　　'Je　fis　mes　premiers　vers　sans　savoir　les　ecrire。'〃



〃I　am　not　a　very　good　French　scholar；　said　I；　perhaps　you　will　be

kind　enough　to　translate　that　line　for　me。



〃'Certainly。　　With　pleasure。　　I　made　my　first

verses　without　knowing　how　to　write　them。'



〃How　interesting！　　But　I　never　heard　of　Louise　Colet。　　Who　was　she？



〃My　ma