over the teacups-第53节

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have　some　influence　on　your　belief　in　this　matter。　　Will　you　take　the

trouble　to　ask　your　tailor　how　many　persons　have　their　two　shoulders

of　the　same　height？　　I　think　be　will　tell　you　that　the　majority　of

his　customers　show　a　distinct　difference　of　height　on　the　two　sides。

Will　you　ask　a　portrait…painter　how　many　of　those　who　sit　to　hint

have　both　sides　of　their　faces　exactly　alike？　　I　believe　he　will　tell

you　that　one　side　is　always　a　little　better　than　the　other。　　What

will　your　hatter　say　about　the　two　sides　of　the　head？　　Do　you　see

equally　well　with　both　eyes；　and　hear　equally　well　with　both　ears？

Few　persons　past　middle　age　will　pretend　that　they　do。　　Why　should

the　two　halves　of　a　brain　not　show　a　natural　difference；　leading　to

confusion　of　thought；　and　very　possibly　to　that　instinct　of

contradiction　of　which　I　was　speaking？　　A　great　deal　of　time　is　lost

in　profitless　conversation；　and　a　good　deal　of　ill　temper　frequently

caused；　by　not　considering　these　organic　and　practically　insuperable

conditions。　　In　dealing　with　them；　acquiescence　is　the　best　of

palliations　and　silence　the　sovereign　specific。



I　have　been　the　reporter；　as　you　have　seen；　of　my　own　conversation

and　that　of　the　other　Teacups。　　I　have　told　some　of　the　circumstances

of　their　personal　history；　and　interested；　as　I　hope；　here　and　there

a　reader　in　the　fate　of　different　members　of　our　company。　　Here　are

our　pretty　Delilah　and　our　Doctor　provided　for。　　We　may　take　it　for

granted　that　it　will　not　be　very　long　that　the　young　couple　will　have

to　wait；　for；　as　I　have　told　you　all；　the　Doctor　is　certainly　getting

into　business；　and　bids　fair　to　have　a　thriving　practice　before　he

saddles　his　nose　with　an　eyeglass　and　begins　to　think　of　a　pair　of

spectacles。　　So　that　part　of　our　little　domestic　drama　is　over；　and

we　can　only　wish　the　pair　that　is　to　be　all　manner　of　blessings

consistent　with　a　reasonable　amount　of　health　in　the　community　on

whose　ailings　must　depend　their　prosperity。



All　our　thoughts　are　now　concentrated　on　the　relation　existing　betwen

Number　Five　and　the　Tutor。　　That　there　is　some　profound　instinctive

impulse　which　is　drawing　them　closer　together　no　one　who　watches　them

can　for　a　moment　doubt。　　There　are　two　principles　of　attraction　which

bring　different　natures　together：　that　in　which　the　two　natures

closely　resemble　each　other；　and　that　in　which　one　is　complementary

of　the　other。　　In　the　first　case；　they　coalesce；　as　do　two　drops　of

water　or　of　mercury；　and　become　intimately　blended　as　soon　as　they

touch；　in　the　other；　they　rush　together　as　an　acid　and　an　alkali

unite；　predestined　from　eternity　to　find　all　they　most　needed　in　each

other。　　What　is　the　condition　of　things　in　the　growing　intimacy　of

Number　Five　and　the　Tutor？　　He　is　many　years　her　junior；　as　we　know。

Both　of　them　look　that　fact　squarely　in　the　face。　　The　presumption　is

against　the　union　of　two　persons　under　these　circumstances。

Presumptions　are　strong　obstacles　against　any　result　we　wish　to

attain；　but　half　our　work　in　life　is　to　overcome　them。　　A　great　many

results　look　in　the　distance　like　six…foot　walls；　and　when　we　get

nearer　prove　to　be　only　five…foot　hurdles；　to　be　leaped　over　or

knocked　down。　　Twenty　years　from　now　she　may　be　a　vigorous　and　active

old　woman；　and　he　a　middle…aged；　half…worn…out　invalid；　like　so　many

overworked　scholars。　　Everything　depends　on　the　number　of　drops　of

the　elixir　vitae　which　Nature　mingled　in　the　nourishment　she

administered　to　the　embryo　before　it　tasted　its　mother's　milk。　　Think

of　Cleopatra；　the　bewitching　old　mischief…maker；　think　of　Ninon　de

L'Enclos；　whose　own　son　fell　desperately　in　love　with　her；　not

knowing　the　relation　in　which　she　stood　to　him；　think　of　Dr。

Johnson's　friend；　Mrs。　Thrale；　afterward　Mrs。　Piozzi；　who　at　the　age

of　eighty　was　full　enough　of　life　to　be　making　love　ardently　and

persistently　to　Conway；　the　handsome　young　actor。　　I　can　readily

believe　that　Number　Five　will　outlive　the　Tutor；　even　if　he　is

fortunate　enough　rather　in　winning　his　way　into　the　fortress　through

gates　that　open　to　him　of　their　own　accord。　　If　he　fails　in　his

siege；　I　do　really　believe　he　will　die　early；　not　of　a　broken　heart；

exactly；　but　of　a　heart　starved；　with　the　food　it　was　craving　close

to　it；　but　unattainable。　　I　have；　therefore；　a　deep　interest　in

knowing　how　Number　Five　and　the　Tutor　are　getting　along　together。　　Is

there　any　danger　of　one　or　the　other　growing　tired　of　the　intimacy；

and　becoming　willing　to　get　rid　of　it；　like　a　garment　which　has

shrunk　and　grown　too　tight？　　Is　it　likely　that　some　other　attraction

may　come　into　disturb　the　existing　relation？　　The　problem　is　to　my

mind　not　only　interesting；　but　exceptionally　curious。　　You　remember

the　story　of　Cymon　and　Iphigenia　as　Dryden　tells　it。　　The　poor　youth

has　the　capacity　of　loving；　but　it　lies　hidden　in　his　undeveloped

nature。　　All　at　once　he　comes　upon　the　sleeping　beauty；　and　is

awakened　by　her　charms　to　a　hitherto　unfelt　consciousness。　　With　the

advent　of　the　new　passion　all　his　dormant　faculties　start　into　life；

and　the　seeming　simpleton　becomes　the　bright　and　intelligent　lover。

The　case　of　Number　Five　is　as　different　from　that　of　Cymon　as　it

could　well　be。　　All　her　faculties　are　wide　awake；　but　one　emotional

side　of　her　nature　has　never　been　called　into　active　exercise。　　Why

has　she　never　been　in　love　with　any　one　of　her　suitors？　　Because　she

liked　too　many　of　them。　　Do　you　happen　to　remember　a　poem　printed

among　these　papers；　entitled　〃I　Like　You　and　I　Love　You〃



No　one　of　the　poems　which　have　been　placed　in　the　urn；　that　is；　in

the　silver　sugar…bowl；has　had　any　name　attached　to　it；　but　you

could　guess　pretty　nearly　who　was　the　author　of　some　of　them；

certainly　of　the　one　just；　referred　to。　　Number　Five　was　attracted　to

the　Tutor　from　the　first　time　he　spoke　to　her。　　She　dreamed　about　him

that　night；　and　nothing　idealizes　and　renders　fascinating　one　in　whom

we　have　already　an　interest　like　dreaming　of　him　or　of　her。　　Many　a

calm　suitor　has　been　made　passionate　by　a　dream；　many　a　passionate

lover　has　been　made　wild　and　half　beside　himself　by　a　dream；　and　now

and　then　an　infatuated　but　hapless　lover；　waking　from　a　dream　of

bliss　to　a　cold　reality　of　wretchedness；　has　helped　himself　to

eternity　before　he　was　summoned　to　the　table。



Since　Number　Five　had　dreamed　about　the　Tutor；　he　had　been　more　in

her　waking　thoughts　than　she　was　willing　to　acknowledge。　　These

thoughts　were　vague；　it　is　true；emotions；　perhaps；　rather　than

worded　trains　of　ideas；　but　she　was　conscious　of　a　pleasing

excitement　as　his　name　or　his　image　floated　across　her　consciousness；

she　sometimes　sighed　as　she　looked　over　the　last　passage　they　had

read　from　the　same　book；　and　sometimes　when　they　were　together　they

were　silent　too　long；too　long！　　What　were　they　thinking　of？



And　so　it　was　all　as　plain　sailing　for　Number　Five　and　the　young

Tutor　as　it　had　been　for　Delilah　and　the　young　Doctor；　was　it？　　Do

you　think　so？　　Then　you　do　not　understand　Number　Five。　　Many　a　woman

has　as　many　atmospheric　rings　about　her　as　the　planet　Saturn。　　Three

are　easily　to　be　recognized。　　First；　there　is　the　wide　ring　of

attraction　which　draws　into　itself　all　that　once　cross　its　outer

border。　　These　revolve　about　her　without　ever　coming　any　nearer。

Next　is　the　inner　ring　of　attraction。　　Those　who　come　within　its

irresistible　influence　are　drawn　so　close　that　it　seems　as　if　they

must　become　one　with　her　sooner　or　later。　　But　within　this　ring　is

another；an　atmospheric　girdle；　one　of　repulsion；　which　love；　no

matter　how　enterprising；　no　matter　how　prevailing　or　how　insinuating；

has　never　passed；　and；　if　we　judge　of　what　is　to　be　by　what　has　been；

never　will。　　Perhaps　Nature　loved　Number　Five　so　well　that　she

grudged　her　to　any　mortal　man；　and　gave　her　this　inner　girdle　of

repulsion　to　guard　her　from　all　who　would　know　her　too　nearly　and

love　her　too　well。　　Sometimes　two　vessels　at　sea　keep　each　other

company　for　a　long　distance；　it　may　be　daring　a　whole　voyage。　　Very

pleasant　it　is　to　each　to　have　a　companion　to　exchange　signals　with

from　time　to　time；　to　came　near　enough；　when　the　winds　are　light；　to

hold　converse　in　ordinary　tones　from　deck　to　deck；　to　know　that；　in

case　of　need；　there's　help　at　hand。　　It　is　good　for　them　to　be　near

each　other；　but　not　good　to　be　too　near。　　Woe　is　to　them　if　they

touch！　　The　wreck　of　one　or　both　is　likely　to　be　the　consequence。

And　so　two　well…equipped　and　heavily　freighted　natures　may　be　the

best　of　companions　to　each　other；　and　yet　must　never　attempt　to　come

into　closer　union。　　Is　this　the　condition　of　affairs　between　Number

Five　and　the　Tutor？　　I　hope　not；　for　I　want　them　to　be　joined

together　in　that　dearest　of　intimacies；　which；　if　founded　in　true

affinity；　is　the　nearest　approach　to　happiness　to　be　looked　for　in

our　mortal；　experience。　　We　mast　wait。　　The　Teacups　will　meet　once

more　before　the