a mortal antipathy-第23节

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come；　and　as　yet　the　enigma　which　had　completely　puzzled　Arrowhead

Village　and　its　visitors　remained　unsolved。　　The　white　canoe　still

wandered　over　the　lake；　alone；　ghostly；　always　avoiding　the　near

approach　of　the　boats　which　seemed　to　be　coming　in　its　direction。

Now　and　then　a　circumstance　would　happen　which　helped　to　keep　inquiry

alive。　　Good　horsemanship　was　not　so　common　among　the　young　men　of

the　place　and　its　neighborhood　that　Maurice's　accomplishment　in　that

way　could　be　overlooked。　　If　there　was　a　wicked　horse　or　a　wild　colt

whose　owner　was　afraid　of　him；　he　would　be　commended　to　Maurice's

attention。　　Paolo　would　lead　him　to　his　master　with　all　due

precaution；for　he　had　no　idea　of　risking　his　neck　on　the　back　of

any　ill…conditioned　beast；and　Maurice　would　fasten　on　his　long

spurs；　spring　into　the　saddle；　and　very　speedily　teach　the　creature

good　behavior。　　There　soon　got　about　a　story　that　he　was　what　the

fresh…water　fisherman　called　〃one　o'　them　whisperers。〃　　It　is　a

common　legend　enough；　coming　from　the　Old　World；　but　known　in

American　horse…talking　circles；　that　some　persons　will　whisper

certain　words　in　a　horse's　ear　which　will　tame　him　if　he　is　as　wild

and　furious　as　ever　Cruiser　was。　　All　this　added　to　the　mystery　which

surrounded　the　young　man。　　A　single　improbable　or　absurd　story

amounts　to　very　little；　but　when　half　a　dozen　such　stories　are　told

about　the　same　individual　or　the　same　event；　they　begin　to　produce

the　effect　of　credible　evidence。　　If　the　year　had　been　1692　and　the

place　had　been　Salem　Village；　Maurice　Kirkwood　would　have　run　the

risk　of　being　treated　like　the　Reverend　George　Burroughs。



Miss　Lurida　Vincent's　curiosity　had　been　intensely　excited　with

reference　to　the　young　man　of　whom　so　many　stories　were　told。　　She

had　pretty　nearly　convinced　herself　that　he　was　the　author　of　the

paper　on　Ocean；　Lake；　and　River；　which　had　been　read　at　one　of　the

meetings　of　the　Pansophian　Society。　　She　was　very　desirous　of　meeting

him；　if　it　were　possible。　　It　seemed　as　if　she　might；　as　Secretary　of

the　Society；　request　the　cooperation　of　any　of　the　visitors；　without

impropriety。　　So；　after　much　deliberation；　she　wrote　a　careful　note；

of　which　the　following　is　an　exact　copy。　　Her　hand　was　bold；　almost

masculine；　a　curious　contrast　to　that　of　Euthymia；　which　was

delicately　feminine。





PANSOPHIAN　SOCIETY。



ARROWHEAD　VILLAGE；　August　3；　18…。



MAURICE　KIRKWOOD；　ESQ。



DEAR　SIR；You　have　received；　I　trust；　a　card　of　invitation　to　the

meetings　of　our　Society；　but　I　think　we　have　not　yet　had　the　pleasure

of　seeing　you　at　any　of　them。　　We　have　supposed　that　we　might　be

indebted　to　you　for　a　paper　read　at　the　last　meeting；　and　listened　to

with　much　interest。　　As　it　was　anonymous；　we　do　not　wish　to　be

inquisitive　respecting　its　authorship；　but　we　desire　to　say　that　any

papers　kindly　sent　us　by　the　temporary　residents　of　our　village　will

be　welcome；　and　if　adapted　to　the　wants　of　our　Association　will　be

read　at　one　of　its　meetings　or　printed　in　its　records；　or　perhaps

both　read　and　printed。　　May　we　not　hope　for　your　presence　at　the

meeting；　which　is　to　take　place　next　Wednesday　evening？

Respectfully　yours；



LURIDA　VINCENT；

Secretary　of　the　Pansophian　Society。





To　this　note　the　Secretary　received　the　following　reply：



MISS　LURIDA　VINCENT；



ARROWHEAD　VILLAGE；　August　4；　18…。



Secretary　of　the　Pansophian　Society：



DEAR　MISS　VINCENT；I　have　received　the　ticket　you　refer　to；　and

desire　to　express　my　acknowledgments　for　the　polite　attention。　　I

regret　that　I　have　not　been　and　I　fear　shall　not　be　able　to　attend

the　meetings　of　the　Society；　but　if　any　subject　occurs　to　me　on　which

I　feel　an　inclination　to　write；　it　will　give　me　pleasure　to　send　a

paper；　to　be　disposed　of　as　the　Society　may　see　fit。



Very　respectfully　yours；



MAURICE　KIRKWOOD。





〃He　says　nothing　about　the　authorship　of　the　paper　that　was　read　the

other　evening；〃　the　Secretary　said　to　herself。　　〃　No　matter；he

wrote　it；there　is　no　mistaking　his　handwriting。　　We　know　something

about　him；　now；　at　any　rate。　　But　why　doesn't　he　come　to　our

meetings？　　What　has　his　antipathy　to　do　with　his　staying　away？　　I

must　find　out　what　his　secret　is；　and　I　will。　　I　don't　believe　it's

harder　than　it　was　to　solve　that　prize　problem　which　puzzled　so　many

teachers；　or　than　beating　Crakowitz；　the　great　chess…player。〃



To　this　enigma；　then；　The　Terror　determined　to　bend　all　the　faculties

which　had　excited　the　admiration　and　sometimes　the　amazement　of　those

who　knew　her　in　her　school…days。　　It　was　a　very　delicate　piece　of

business；　for　though　Lurida　was　an　intrepid　woman's　rights　advocate；

and　believed　she　was　entitled　to　do　almost　everything　that　men　dared

to；　she　knew　very　well　there　were　certain　limits　which　a　young　woman

like　herself　must　not　pass。



In　the　mean　time　Maurice　had　received　a　visit　from　the　young　student

at　the　University；the　same　whom　he　had　rescued　from　his　dangerous

predicament　in　the　lake。　　With　him　had　called　one　of　the　teachers；

an　instructor　in　modern　languages；　a　native　of　Italy。　　Maurice　and

the　instructor　exchanged　a　few　words　in　Italian。　　The　young　man　spoke

it　with　the　ease　which　implied　long　familiarity　with　its　use。



After　they　left；　the　instructor　asked　many　curious　questions　about

him；who　he　was；　how　long　he　had　been　in　the　village；　whether

anything　was　known　of　his　history；all　these　inquiries　with　an

eagerness　which　implied　some　special　and　peculiar　reason　for　the

interest　they　evinced。



〃I　feel　satisfied；〃　the　instructor　said；　〃that　I　have　met　that　young

man　in　my　own　country。　　It　was　a　number　of　years　ago；　and　of　course

he　has　altered　in　appearance　a　good　deal；　but　there　is　a　look　about

him　ofwhat　shall　I　call　it？…apprehension；as　if　he　were　fearing

the　approach　of　something　or　somebody。　　I　think　it　is　the　way　a　man

would　look　that　was　haunted；　you　know　what　I　mean；followed　by　a

spirit　or　ghost。　　He　does　not　suggest　the　idea　of　a　murderer；very

far　from　it；　but　if　he　did；　I　should　think　he　was　every　minute　in

fear　of　seeing　the　murdered　man's　spirit。〃



The　student　was　curious；　in　his　turn；　to　know　all　the　instructor

could　recall。　　He　had　seen　him　in　Rome；　he　thought；　at　the　Fountain

of　Trevi；　where　so　many　strangers　go　before　leaving　the　city。　　The

youth　was　in　the　company　of　a　man　who　looked　like　a　priest。　　He　could

not　mistake　the　peculiar　expression　of　his　countenance；　but　that　was

all　he　now　remembered　about　his　appearance。　　His　attention　had　been

called　to　this　young　man　by　seeing　that　some　of　the　bystanders　were

pointing　at　him；　and　noticing　that　they　were　whispering　with　each

other　as　if　with　reference　to　him。　　He　should　say　that　the　youth　was

at　that　time　fifteen　or　sixteen　years　old；　and　the　time　was　about　ten

years　ago。



After　all；　this　evidence　was　of　little　or　no　value。　　Suppose　the

youth　were　Maurice；　what　then？　　We　know　that　he　had　been　in　Italy；

and　had　been　there　a　good　while；or　at　least　we　infer　so　much　from

his　familiarity　with　the　language；　and　are　confirmed　in　the　belief　by

his　having　an　Italian　servant；　whom　he　probably　brought　from　Italy

when　he　returned。　　If　he　wrote　the　paper　which　was　read　the　other

evening；　that　settles　it；　for　the　writer　says　he　had　lived　by　the

Tiber。　　We　must　put　this　scrap　of　evidence　furnished　by　the　Professor

with　the　other　scraps；　it　may　turn　out　of　some　consequence；　sooner　or

later。　　It　is　like　a　piece　of　a　dissected　map；　it　means　almost

nothing　by　itself；　but　when　we　find　the　pieces　it　joins　with　we　may

discover　a　very　important　meaning　in　it。



In　a　small；　concentrated　community　like　that　which　centred　in　and

immediately　around　Arrowhead　Village；　every　day　must　have　its　local

gossip　as　well　as　its　general　news。　　The　newspaper　tells　the　small

community　what　is　going　on　in　the　great　world；　and　the　busy　tongues

of　male　and　female；　especially　the　latter；　fill　in　with　the

occurrences　and　comments　of　the　ever…stirring　microcosm。　　The　fact

that　the　Italian　；　teacher　had；　or　thought　he　had；　seen　Maurice　ten

years　before　was　circulated　and　made　the　most　of；turned　over　and

over　like　a　cake；　until　it　was　thoroughly　done　on　both　sides　and　all

through。　　It　was　a　very　small　cake；　but　better　than　nothing。　　Miss

Vincent　heard　this　story；　as　others　did；　and　talked　about　it　with　her

friend；　Miss　Tower。　　Here　was　one　more　fact　to　help　along。



The　two　young　ladies　who　had　recently　graduated　at　the　Corinna

Institute　remained；　as　they　had　always　been；　intimate　friends。　　They

were　the　natural　complements　of　each　other。　　Euthymia　represented　a

complete；　symmetrical　womanhood。　　Her　outward　presence　was　only　an

index　of　a　large；　wholesome；　affluent　life。　　She　could　not　help　being

courageous；　with　such　a　firm　organization。　　She　could　not　help　being

generous；　cheerful；　active。　　She　had　been　told　often　enough　that　she

was　fair　to　look　upon。　　She　knew　that　she