a mortal antipathy-第16节

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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。　　The　physician；　in　the　mean　time；

acquired　for　the　collection　some　of　those　medical　works　where　one　may

find　recorded　various　rare　and　almost　incredible　cases；　which　may　not

have　their　like　for　a　whole　century；　and　then　repeat　themselves；　so

as　to　give　a　new　lease　of　credibility　to　stories　which　had　come　to　be

looked　upon　as　fables。



Both　the　clergyman　and　the　physician　took　a　very　natural　interest　in

the　young　man　who　had　come　to　reside　in　their　neighborhood　for　the

present；　perhaps　for　a　long　period。　　The　rector　would　have　been　glad

to　see　him　at　church。　　He　would　have　liked　more　especially　to　have

had　him　hear　his　sermon　on　the　Duties　of　Young　Men　to　Society。　　The

doctor；　meanwhile；　was　meditating　on　the　duties　of　society　to　young

men；　and　wishing　that　he　could　gain　the　young　man's　confidence；　so　as

to　help　him　out　of　any　false　habit　of　mind　or　any　delusion　to　which

he　might　be　subject；　if　he　had　the　power　of　being　useful　to　him。



Dr。　Butts　was　the　leading　medical　practitioner；　not　only　of　Arrowhead

Village；　but　of　all　the　surrounding　region。　　He　was　an　excellent

specimen　of　the　country　doctor；　self…reliant；　self…sacrificing；

working　a　great　deal　harder　for　his　living　than　most　of　those　who

call　themselves　the　laboring　classes；as　if　none　but　those　whose

hands　were　hardened　by　the　use　of　farming　or　mechanical　implements

had　any　work　to　do。　　He　had　that　sagacity　without　which　learning　is　a

mere　incumbrance；　and　he　had　also　a　fair　share　of　that　learning

without　which　sagacity　is　like　a　traveller　with　a　good　horse；　but　who

cannot　read　the　directions　on　the　guideboards。　　He　was　not　a　man　to

be　taken　in　by　names。　　He　well　knew　that　oftentimes　very　innocent…

sounding　words　mean　very　grave　disorders；　that　all；　degrees　of

disease　and　disorder　are　frequently　confounded　under　the　same　term；

that　〃run　down〃　may　stand　for　a　fatigue　of　mind　or　body　from　which　a

week　or　a　month　of　rest　will　completely　restore　the　over…worked

patient；　or　an　advanced　stage　of　a　mortal　illness；　that　〃seedy〃　may

signify　the　morning's　state　of　feeling；　after　an　evening's　over…

indulgence；　which　calls　for　a　glass　of　soda…water　and　a　cup　of

coffee；　or　a　dangerous　malady　which　will　pack　off　the　subject　of　it；

at　the　shortest　notice；　to　the　south　of　France。　　He　knew　too　well

that　what　is　spoken　lightly　of　as　a　〃nervous　disturbance〃　may　imply

that　the　whole　machinery　of　life　is　in　a　deranged　condition；　and　that

every　individual　organ　would　groan　aloud　if　it　had　any　other　language

than　the　terrible　inarticulate　one　of　pain　by　which　to　communicate

with　the　consciousness。



When；　therefore；　Dr。　Butts　heard　the　word　antipatia　he　did　not　smile；

and　say　to　himself　that　this　was　an　idle　whim；　a　foolish　fancy；　which

the　young　man　had　got　into　his　head。　　Neither　was　he　satisfied　to　set

down　everything　to　the　account　of　insanity；　plausible　as　that

supposition　might　seem。　　He　was　prepared　to　believe　in　some

exceptional；　perhaps　anomalous；　form　of　exaggerated　sensibility；

relating　to　what　class　of　objects　he　could　not　at　present　conjecture；

but　which　was　as　vital　to　the　subject　of　it　as　the　insulating

arrangement　to　a　piece　of　electrical　machinery。　　With　this　feeling　he

began　to　look　into　tho　history　of　antipathies　as　recorded　in　all　the

books　and　journals　on　which　he　could　lay　his　hands。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



The　holder　of　the　Portfolio　asks　leave　to　close　it　for　a　brief

interval。　　He　wishes　to　say　a　few　words　to　his　readers；　before

offering　them　some　verses　which　have　no　connection　with　the　narrative

now　in　progress。



If　one　could　have　before　him　a　set　of　photographs　taken　annually；

representing　the　same　person　as　he　or　she　appeared　for　thirty　or

forty　or　fifty　years；　it　would　be　interesting　to　watch　the　gradual

changes　of　aspect　from　the　age　of　twenty；　or　even　of　thirty　or　forty；

to　that　of　threescore　and　ten。　　The　face　might　be　an　uninteresting

one；　still；　as　sharing　the　inevitable　changes　wrought　by　time；　it