a mortal antipathy-第24节

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was　fair　to　look　upon。　　She　knew　that　she　was　called　The　Wonder　by

the　schoolmates　who　were　dazzled　by　her　singular　accomplishments；　but

she　did　not　overvalue　them。　　She　rather　tended　to　depreciate　her　own

gifts；　in　comparison　with　those　of　her　friend；　Miss　Lurida　Vincent。

The　two　agreed　all　the　better　for　differing　as　they　did。　　The　octave

makes　a　perfect　chord；　when　shorter　intervals　jar　more　or　less　on　the

ear。　　Each　admired　the　other　with　a　heartiness　which　if　they　had　been

less　unlike；　would　have　been　impossible。



It　was　a　pleasant　thing　to　observe　their　dependence　on　each　other。

The　Terror　of　the　schoolroom　was　the　oracle　in　her　relations　with　her

friend。　　All　the　freedom　of　movement　which　The　Wonder　showed　in　her

bodily　exercises　The　Terror　manifested　in　the　world　of　thought。　　She

would　fling　open　a　book；　and　decide　in　a　swift　glance　whether　it　had

any　message　for　her。　　Her　teachers　had　compared　her　way　of　reading　to

the　taking　of　an　instantaneous　photograph。　　When　she　took　up　the

first　book　on　Physiology　which　Dr。　Butts　handed　her；　it　seemed　to　him

that　if　she　only　opened　at　any　place；　and　gave　one　look；　her　mind

drank　its　meaning　up；　as　a　moist　sponge　absorbs　water。　　〃What　can　I

do　with　such　a　creature　as　this？〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃　There　is

only　one　way　to　deal　with　her；　treat　her　as　one　treats　a　silkworm：

give　it　its　mulberry　leaf；　and　it　will　spin　its　own　cocoon。　　Give　her

the　books；　and　she　will　spin　her　own　web　of　knowledge。〃



〃Do　you　really　think　of　studying　medicine？〃　said　Dr。　Butts　to　her。



〃I　have　n't　made　up　my　mind　about　that；〃　she　answered；　〃but　I　want　to

know　a　little　more　about　this　terrible　machinery　of　life　and　death　we

are　all　tangled　in。　　I　know　something　about　it；　but　not　enough。　　I

find　some　very　strange　beliefs　among　the　women　I　meet　with；　and　I

want　to　be　able　to　silence　them　when　they　attempt　to　proselyte　me　to

their　whims　and　fancies。　　Besides；　I　want　to　know　everything。〃



〃They　tell　me　you　do；　already；〃　said　Dr。　Butts。



〃I　am　the　most　ignorant　little　wretch　that　draws　the　breath　of　life！〃

exclaimed　The　Terror。



The　doctor　smiled。　　He　knew　what　it　meant。　　She　had　reached　that

stage　of　education　in　which　the　vast　domain　of　the　unknown　opens　its

illimitable　expanse　before　the　eyes　of　the　student。　　We　never　know

the　extent　of　darkness　until　it　is　partially　illuminated。



〃You　did　not　leave　the　Institute　with　the　reputation　of　being　the

most　ignorant　young　lady　that　ever　graduated　there；〃　said　the　doctor。

〃They　tell　me　you　got　the　highest　marks　of　any　pupil　on　their　record

since　the　school　was　founded。〃



〃What　a　grand　thing　it　was　to　be　the　biggest　fish　in　our　small

aquarium；　to　be　sure！〃　answered　The　Terror。　　〃He　was　six　inches　long；

the　monster；a　little　too　big　for　bait　to　catch　a　pickerel　with！

What　did　you　hand　me　that　schoolbook　for？　　Did　you　think　I　did　n't

know　anything　about　the　human　body？〃



〃You　said　you　were　such　an　ignorant　creature　I　thought　I　would　try

you　with　an　easy　book；　by　way　of　introduction。〃



The　Terror　was　not　confused　by　her　apparent　self…contradiction。



〃I　meant　what　I　said；　and　I　mean　what　I　say。　　When　I　talk　about　my

ignorance；　I　don't　measure　myself　with　schoolgirls；　doctor。　　I　don't

measure　myself　with　my　teachers；　either。　　You　must　talk　to　me　as　if　I

were　a　man；　a　grown　man；　if　you　mean　to　teach　me　anything。　　Where　is

your　hat；　doctor？　　Let　me　try　it　on。〃



The　doctor　handed　her　his　wide…awake。　　The　Terror's　hair　was　not

naturally　abundant；　like　Euthymia's；　and　she　kept　it　cut　rather

short。　　Her　head　used　to　get　very　hot　when　she　studied　hard。　　She

tried　to　put　the　hat　on。



〃Do　you　see　that？〃　she　said。　　〃I　could　n't　wear　itit　would　squeeze

my　eyes　out　of　my　head。　　The　books　told　me　that　women's　brains　were

smaller　than　men's：　〃perhaps　they　are；most　of　them；I　never

measured　a　great　many。　　But　when　they　try　to　settle　what　women　are

good　for；　by　phrenology；　I　like　to　have　them　put　their　tape　round　my

head。　　I　don't　believe　in　their　nonsense；　for　all　that。　　You　might　as

well　tell　me　that　if　one　horse　weighs　more　than　another　horse　he　is

worth　more；a　cart…horse　that　weighs　twelve　or　fourteen　hundred

pounds　better　than　Eclipse；　that　may　have　weighed　a　thousand。　　Give

me　a　list　of　the　best　books　you　can　think　of；　and　turn　me　loose　in

your　library。　　I　can　find　what　I　want；　if　you　have　it；　and　what　I

don't　find　there　I　will　get　at　the　Public　Library。　　I　shall　want　to

ask　you　a　question　now　and　then。〃



The　doctor　looked　at　her　with　a　kind　of　admiration；　but　thoughtfully；

as　if　he　feared　she　was　thinking　of　a　task　too　formidable　for　her

slight　constitutional　resource。



She　returned；　instinctively；　to　the　apparent　contradiction　in　her

statements　about　herself。



〃I　am　not　a　fool；　if　I　am　ignorant。　　Yes；　doctor；　I　sail　on　a　wide

sea　of　ignorance；　but　I　have　taken　soundings　of　some　of　its　shallows

and　some　of　its　depths。　　Your　profession　deals　with　the　facts　of　life

that　interest　me　most　just　now；　and　I　want　to　know　something　of　it。

Perhaps　I　may　find　it　a　calling　such　as　would　suit　me。〃



〃Do　you　seriously　think　of　becoming　a　practitioner　of　medicine？〃　said

the　doctor。



〃Certainly；　I　seriously　think　of　it　as　a　possibility；　but　I　want　to

know　something　more　about　it　first。　　Perhaps　I　sha'n't　believe　in

medicine　enough　to　practise　it。　　Perhaps　I　sha'n't　like　it　well

enough。　　No　matter　about　that。　　I　wish　to　study　some　of　your　best

books　on　some　of　the　subjects　that　most　interest　me。　　I　know　about

bones　and　muscles　and　all　that；　and　about　digestion　and　respiration

and　such　things。　　I　want　to　study　up　the　nervous　system；　and　learn

all　about　it。　　I　am　of　the　nervous　temperament　myself；　and　perhaps

that　is　the　reason。　　I　want　to　read　about　insanity　and　all　that

relates　to　it。〃



A　curious　expression　flitted　across　the　doctor's　features　as　The

Terror　said　this。



〃Nervous　system。　　Insanity。　　She　has　headaches；　I　know；all　those

large…headed；　hard…thinking　girls　do；　as　a　matter　of　course；　but　what

has　set　her　off　about　insanity　and　the　nervous　system？　　I　wonder　if

any　of　her　more　remote　relatives　are　subject　to　mental　disorder。

Bright　people　very　often　have　crazy　relations。　　Perhaps　some　of　her

friends　are　in　that　way。　　I　wonder　whether〃the　doctor　did　not　speak

any　of　these　thoughts；　and　in　fact　hardly　shaped　his　〃whether；〃　for

The　Terror　interrupted　his　train　of　reflection；　or　rather　struck　into

it　in　a　way　which　startled　him。



〃Where　is　the　first　volume　of　this　Medical　Cyclopaedia？〃　she　asked；

looking　at　its　empty　place　on　the　shelf。



〃On　my　table；〃　the　doctor　answered。　　〃I　have　been　consulting　it。〃



Lurida　flung　it　open；　in　her　eager　way；　and　turned　the　pages　rapidly

until　she　came　to　the　one　she　wanted。　　The　doctor　cast　his　eye　on　the

beading　of　the　page；　and　saw　the　large　letters　A　N　T。



〃I　thought　so；〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃We　shall　know　everything　there

is　in　the　books　about　antipathies　now；　if　we　never　did　before。　　She

has　a　special　object　in　studying　the　nervous　system；　just　as　I

suspected。　　I　think　she　does　not　care　to　mention　it　at　this　time；　but

if　she　finds　out　anything　of　interest　she　will　tell　me；　if　she　does

anybody。　　Perhaps　she　does　not　mean　to　tell　anybody。　　It　is　a　rather

delicate　business；a　young　girl　studying　the　natural　history　of　a

young　man。　　Not　quite　so　safe　as　botany　or　palaeontology！



Lurida；　lately　The　Terror；　now　Miss　Vincent；　had　her　own　plans；　and

chose　to　keep　them　to　herself；　for　the　present；　at　least。　　Her　hands

were　full　enough；　it　might　seem；　without　undertaking　the　solution　of

the　great　Arrowhead　Village　enigma。　　But　she　was　in　the　most　perfect

training；　so　far　as　her　intelligence　was　concerned；　and　the　summer

rest　had　restored　her　bodily　vigor；　so　that　her　brain　was　like　an

overcharged　battery　which　will　find　conductors　somewhere　to　carry　off

its　crowded　energy。



At　this　time　Arrowhead　Village　was　enjoying　the　most　successful

season　it　had　ever　known。　　The　Pansophian　Society　flourished　to　an

extraordinary　degree　under　the　fostering　care　of　the　new　Secretary。

The　rector　was　a　good　figure…head　as　President；　but　the　Secretary　was

the　life　of　the　Society。　　Communications　came　in　abundantly：　some

from　the　village　and　its　neighborhood；　some　from　the　University　and

the　Institute；　some　from　distant　and　unknown　sources。　　The　new

Secretary　was　very　busy　with　the　work　of　examining　these　papers。

After　a　forenoon　so　employed；　the　carpet　of　her　room　looked　like　a

barn　floor　after　a　husking…match。　　A　glance　at　the　manuscripts

strewed　about；　or　lying　in　heaps；　would　have　frightened　any　young

writer　away　from　the　thought　of　authorship　as　a　business。　　If　the

candidate　for　that　fearful　calling　had　seen　the　process　of　selection

and　elimination；　he　would　have　felt　still　more　desperately。　　A　paper

of　twenty　pages　would　come　in；　with　an　underscored　request　to　please

read　through；　carefully。　　That　re