a mortal antipathy-第51部分

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boat　one　day；　when　a　ring　slipped　off　his　thin　finger　and　sunk　in　a

place　where　the　water　was　rather　shallow。　　〃Jake〃you　know　Jake；

everybody　knows　Jakewas　rowing　him。　　He　promised　to　come　to　the

spot　and　fish　up　the　ring　if　he　could　possibly　find　it。　　He　was　seen

poking　about　with　fish…hooks　at　the　end　of　a　pole；　but　nothing　was

ever　heard　from　him　about　the　ring。　　It　was　an　antique　intaglio　stone

in　an　Etruscan　setting；a　wild　goose　flying　over　the　Campagna。　　Mr。

Kirkwood　valued　it　highly；　and　regretted　its　loss　very　much。



While　we　were　in　the　garden；　who　should　appear　at　the　gate　but　Jake；

with　a　great　basket；　inquiring　for　Mr。　Kirkwood。　　〃Come；〃　said

Maurice　to　me；　〃let　us　see　what　our　old　friend　the　fisherman　has

brought　us。　　What　have　you　got　there；　Jake？〃



〃What　I　've　got？　　Wall；　I　'll　tell　y'　what　I've　got：　I　've　got　the

biggest　pickerel　that's　been　ketched　in　this　pond　for　these　ten　year。

An'　I　've　got　somethin'　else　besides　the　pickerel。　　When　I　come　to

cut　him　open；　what　do　you　think　I　faound　in　his　insides　but　this　here

ring　o'　yourn；〃and　he　showed　the　one　Maurice　had　lost　so　long

before。　　There　it　was；　as　good　as　new；　after　having　tried　Jonah's

style　of　housekeeping　for　all　that　time。　　There　are　those　who

discredit　Jake's　story　about　finding　the　ring　in　the　fish；　anyhow；

there　was　the　ring　and　there　was　the　pickerel。　　I　need　not　say　that

Jake　went　off　well　paid　for　his　pickerel　and　the　precious　contents　of

its　stomach。　　Now　comes　the　chief　event　of　the　evening。　　I　went　early

by　special　invitation。　　Maurice　took　me　into　his　library；　and　we　sat

down　together。



〃I　have　something　of　great　importance；〃　he　said；　〃　to　say　to　you。　　I

learned　within　a　few　days　that　my　cousin　Laura　is　staying　with　a

friend　in　the　next　town　to　this。　　You　know；　doctor；　that　we　have

never　met　since　the　last；　almost　fatal；　experience　of　my　early　years。

I　have　determined　to　defy　the　strength　of　that　deadly　chain　of

associations　connected　with　her　presence；　and　I　have　begged　her　to

come　this　evening　with　the　friends　with　whom　she　is　staying。　　Several

letters　passed　between　us；　for　it　was　hard　to　persuade　her　that　there

was　no　longer　any　risk　in　my　meeting　her。　　Her　imagination　was　almost

as　deeply　impressed　as　mine　had　been　at　those　alarming　interviews；

and　I　had　to　explain　to　her　fully　that　I　had　become　quite　indifferent

to　the　disturbing　impressions　of　former　years。　　So；　as　the　result　of

our　correspondence；　Laura　is　coming　this　evening；　and　I　wish　you　to

be　present　at　our　meeting。　　There　is　another　reason　why　I　wish　you　to

be　here。　　My　little　boy　is　not　far　from　theage　at　which　I　received

my　terrifying；　almost　disorganizing　shock。　　I　mean　to　have　little

Maurice　brought　into　the　presence　of　Laura；　who　is　said　to　be　still　a

very　handsome　woman；　and　see　if　he　betrays　any　hint　of　that　peculiar

sensitiveness　which　showed　itself　in　my　threatening　seizure。　　It

seemed　to　me　not　impossible　that　he　might　inherit　some　tendency　of

that　nature；　and　I　wanted　you　to　be　at　hand　if　any　sign　of　danger

should　declare　itself。　　For　myself　I　have　no　fear。　　Some　radical

change　has　taken　place　in　my　nervous　system。　　I　have　been　born　again；

as　it　were；　in　my　susceptibilities；　and　am　in　certain　respects　a　new

man。　　But　I　must　know　how　it　is　with　my　little　Maurice。〃



Imagine　with　what　interest　I　looked　forward　to　this　experiment；　for

experiment　it　was；　and　not　without　its　sources　of　anxiety；　as　it

seemed　to　me。　　The　evening　wore　along；　friends　and　neighbors　came　in；

but　no　Laura　as　yet。　　At　last　I　heard　the　sound　of　wheels；　and　a

carriage　stopped　at　the　door。　　Two　ladies　and　a　gentleman　got　out；

and　soon　entered　the　drawing　room。



〃My　cousin　Laura！〃　whispered　Maurice　to　me；　and　went　forward　to　meet

her。　　A　very　handsome　woman；　who　might　well　have　been　in　the

thirties；one　of　those　women　so　thoroughly　constituted　that　they

cannot　help　being　handsome　at　every　period　of　life。　　I　watched　them

both　as　they　approached　each　other。　　Both　looked　pale　at　first；　but

Maurice　soon　recovered　his　usual　color；　and　Laura's　natural；　rich

bloom　came　back　by　degrees。　　Their　emotion　at　meeting　was　not　to　be

wondered　at；　but　there　was　no　trace　in　it　of　the　paralyzing　influence

on　the　great　centres　of　life　which　had　once　acted　upon　its　fated

victim　like　the　fabled　head　which　turned　the　looker…on　into　a　stone。



〃Is　the　boy　still　awake？〃　said　Maurice　to　Paolo；　who；　as　they　used　to

say　of　Pushee　at　the　old　Anchor　Tavern；　was　everywhere　at　once　on

that　gay　and　busy　evening。



〃What！　　Mahser　Maurice　asleep　an'　all　this　racket　going　on？　　I　hear

him　crowing　like　young　cockerel　when　he　fus'　smell　daylight。〃



〃Tell　the　nurse　to　bring　him　down　quietly　to　the　little　room　that

leads　out　of　the　library。〃



The　child　was　brought　down　in　his　night…clothes；　wide　awake；

wondering　apparently　at　the　noise　he　heard；　which　he　seemed　to　think

was　for　his　special　amusement。



〃See　if　he　will　go　to　that　lady；〃　said　his　father。　　Both　of　us　held

our　breath　as　Laura　stretched　her　arms　towards　little　Maurice。



The　child　looked　for　an　instant　searchingly；　but　fearlessly；　at　her

glowing　cheeks；　her　bright　eyes；　her　welcoming　smile；　and　met　her

embrace　as　she　clasped　him　to　her　bosom　as　if　he　had　known　her　all

his　days。



The　mortal　antipathy　had　died　out　of　the　soul　and　the　blood　of

Maurice　Kirkwood　at　that　supreme　moment　when　he　found　himself

snatched　from　the　grasp　of　death　and　cradled　in　the　arms　of　Euthymia。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　





In　closing　the　New　Portfolio　I　remember　that　it　began　with　a　prefix

which　the　reader　may　by　this　time　have　forgotten；　namely；　the　First

Opening。　　It　was　perhaps　presumptuous　to　thus　imply　the　probability

of　a　second　opening。



I　am　reminded　from　time　to　time　by　the　correspondents　who　ask　a

certain　small　favor　of　me　that；　as　I　can　only　expect　to　be　with　my

surviving　contemporaries　a　very　little　while　longer；　they　would　be

much　obliged　if　I　would　hurry　up　my　answer　before　it　is　too　late。

They　are　right；　these　delicious　unknown　friends　of　mine；　in　reminding

me　of　a　fact　which　I　cannot　gainsay　and　might　suffer　to　pass　from　my

recollection。　　I　thank　them　for　recalling　my　attention　to　a　truth

which　I　shall　be　wiser；　if　not　more　hilarious；　for　remembering。



No；　I　had　no　right　to　say　the　First　Opening。　　How　do　I　know　that　I

shall　have　a　chance　to　open　it　again？　　How　do　I　know　that　anybody

will　want　it　to　be　opened　a　second　time？　　How　do　I　know　that　I　shall

feel　like　opening　it？　　It　is　safest　neither　to　promise　to　open　the

New　Portfolio　once　more；　nor　yet　to　pledge　myself　to　keep　it　closed

hereafter。　　There　are　many　papers　potentially　existent　in　it；　some　of

which　might　interest　a　reader　here　and　there。　　The　Records　of　the

Pansophian　Society　contain　a　considerable　number　of　essays；　poems；

stories；　and　hints　capable　of　being　expanded　into　presentable

dimensions。　　In　the　mean　time　I　will　say　with　Prospero；　addressing　my

old　readers；　and　my　new　ones；　if　such　I　have；



　　　　〃If　you　be　pleased；　retire　into　my　cell

　　　　　And　there　repose：　a　turn　or　two　I'll　walk；

　　　　　To　still　my　beating　mind。〃



When　it　has　got　quiet　I　may　take　up　the　New　Portfolio　again；　and

consider　whether　it　is　worth　while　to　open　it。











End