a mortal antipathy-第46节

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have　seen　the　term　Gynophobia　before　I　opened　this　manuscript；　but　I

have　seen　the　malady　many　times。　　Only　one　word　has　stood　between

many　a　pair　of　young　people　and　their　lifelong　happiness；　and　that

word　has　got　as　far　as　the　lips；　but　the　lips　trembled　and　would　not；

could　not；　shape　that　little　word。　　All　young　women　are　not　like

Coleridge's　Genevieve；　who　knew　how　to　help　her　lover　out　of　his

difficulty；　and　said　yes　before　he　had　asked　for　an　answer。　　So　the

wave　which　was　to　have　wafted　them　on　to　the　shore　of　Elysium　has

just　failed　of　landing　them；　and　back　they　have　been　drawn　into　the

desolate　ocean　to　meet　no　more　on　earth。



Love　is　the　master…key；　he　went　on　thinking；　love　is　the　master…key

that　opens　the　gates　of　happiness；　of　hatred；　of　jealousy；　and；　most

easily　of　all；　the　gate　of　fear。　　How　terrible　is　the　one　fact　of

beauty！not　only　the　historic　wonder　of　beauty；　that　〃burnt　the

topless　towers　of　Ilium　〃for　the　smile　of　Helen；　and　fired　the

palaces　of　Babylon　by　the　hand　of　Thais；　but　the　beauty　which　springs

up　in　all　times　and　places；　and　carries　a　torch　and　wears　a　serpent

for　a　wreath　as　truly　as　any　of　the　Eumenides。　　Paint　Beauty　with　her

foot　upon　a　skull　and　a　dragon　coiled　around　her。



The　doctor　smiled　at　his　own　imposing　classical　allusions　and

pictorial　imagery。　　Drifting　along　from　thought　to　thought；　he

reflected　on　the　probable　consequences　of　the　general　knowledge　of

Maurice　Kirkwood's　story；　if　it　came　before　the　public。



What　a　piece　of　work　it　would　make　among　the　lively　youths　of　the

village；　to　be　sure！　　What　scoffing；　what　ridicule；　what

embellishments；　what　fables；　would　follow　in　the　trail　of　the　story！

If　the　Interviewer　got　hold　of　it；　how　〃The　People's　Perennial　and

Household　Inquisitor〃　would　blaze　with　capitals　in　its　next　issue！

The　young　fellows'　of　the　place　would　be　disposed　to　make　fun　of　the

whole　matter。　　The　young　girls…the　doctor　hardly　dared　to　think　what

would　happen　when　the　story　got　about　among　them。　　〃The　Sachem〃　of

the　solitary　canoe；　the　bold　horseman；　the　handsome　hermit；handsome

so　far　as　the　glimpses　they　had　got　of　him　went；must　needs　be　an

object　of　tender　interest　among　them；　now　that　he　was　ailing；

suffering；　in　danger　of　his　life；　away　from　friends；poor　fellow！

Little　tokens　of　their　regard　had　reached　his　sick…chamber；　bunches

of　flowers　with（dainty　little　notes；　some　of　them　pinkish；　some

three…cornered；　some　of　them　with　brief　messages；　others　〃criss…

crossed；〃　were　growing　more　frequent　as　it　was　understood　that　the

patient　was　likely　to　be　convalescent　before　many　days　had　passed。

If　it　should　come　to　be　understood　that　there　was　a　deadly　obstacle

to　their　coming　into　any　personal　relations　with　him；　the　doctor　had

his　doubts　whether　there　were　not　those　who　would　subject　him　to　the

risk；　for　there　were　coquettes　in　the　village；strangers；　visitors；

let　us　hope；who　would　sacrifice　anything　or　anybody　to　their　vanity

and　love　of　conquest。









XXI



AN　INTIMATE　CONVERSATION。



The　illness　from　which　Maurice　had　suffered　left　him　in　a　state　of

profound　prostration。　　The　doctor；　who　remembered　the　extreme　danger

of　any　overexertion　in　such　cases；　hardly　allowed　him　to　lift　his

head　from　the　pillow。　　But　his　mind　was　gradually　recovering　its

balance；　and　he　was　able　to　hold　some　conversation　with　those　about

him。　　His　faithful　Paolo　had　grown　so　thin　in　waiting　upon　him　and

watching　with　him　that　the　village　children　had　to　take　a　second　look

at　his　face　when　they　passed　him　to　make　sure　that　it　was　indeed

their　old　friend　and　no　other。　　But　as　his　master　advanced　towards

convalescence　and　the　doctor　assured　him　that　he　was　going　in　all

probability　to　get　well；　Paolo's　face　began　to　recover　something　of

its　old　look　and　expression；　and　once　more　his　pockets　filled

themselves　with　comfits　for　his　little　circle　of　worshipping　three

and　four　year　old　followers。



How　is　Mr。　Kirkwood？〃　was　the　question　with　which　he　was　always

greeted。　　In　the　worst　periods　of　the　fever　be　rarely　left　his

master。　　When　he　did；　and　the　question　was　put　to　him；　he　would　shake

his　head　sadly；　sometimes　without　a　word；　sometimes　with　tears　and

sobs　and　faltering　words；more　like　a　brokenhearted　child　than　a

stalwart　man　as　he　was；　such　a　man　as　soldiers　are　made　of　in　the

great　Continental　armies。



〃He　very　bad；he　no　eat　nothing；heno　say　nothing；he　never　be

no　better；〃　and　all　his　Southern　nature　betrayed　itself　in　a

passionate　burst　of　lamentation。　　But　now　that　he　began　to　feel　easy

about　his　master；　his　ready　optimism　declared　itself　no　less

transparently。



〃He　better　every　day　now。　　He　get　well　in　few　weeks；　sure。　　You　see

him　on　hoss　in　little　while。〃　　The　kind…hearted　creature's　life　was

bound　up　in　that　of　his　〃master；〃　as　he　loved　to　call　him；　in

sovereign　disregard　of　the　comments　of　the　natives；　who　held

themselves　too　high　for　any　such　recognition　of　another　as　their

better。　　They　could　not　understand　how　he；　so　much　their　superior　in

bodily　presence；　in　air　and　manner；　could　speak　of　the　man　who

employed　him　in　any　other　way　than　as　〃Kirkwood；〃　without　even

demeaning　himself　so　far　as　to　prefix　a　〃Mr。〃　　to　it。　　But　〃my

master〃　Maurice　remained　for　Paolo　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　all　men

are　born　free　and　equal。　　And　never　was　a　servant　more　devoted　to　a

master　than　was　Paolo　to　Maurice　during　the　days　of　doubt　and　danger。

Since　his　improvement　Maurice　insisted　upon　his　leaving　his　chamber

and　getting　out　of　the　house；　so　as　to　breathe　the　fresh　air　of　which

he　was　in　so　much　need。　　It　worried　him　to　see　his　servant　returning

after　too　short　an　absence。　　The　attendant　who　had　helped　him　in　the

care　of　the　patient　was　within　call；　and　Paolo　was　almost　driven　out

of　the　house　by　the　urgency　of　his　master's　command　that　he　should

take　plenty　of　exercise　in　the　open　air。



Notwithstanding　the　fact　of　Maurice's　improved　condition；　although

the　force　of　the　disease　had　spent　itself；　the　state　of　weakness　to

which　he　had　been　reduced　was　a　cause　of　some　anxiety；　and　required

great　precautions　to　be　taken。　　He　lay　in　bed；　wasted；　enfeebled　to

such　a　degree　that　he　had　to　be　cared　for　very　much　as　a　child　is

tended。　　Gradually　his　voice　was　coming　back　to　him；　so　that　he　could

hold　some　conversation；　as　was　before　mentioned；　with　those　about

him。　　The　doctor　waited　for　the　right　moment　to　make　mention　of　the

manuscript　which　Maurice　had　submitted　to　him。　　Up　to　this　time；

although　it　had　been　alluded　to　and　the　doctor　had　told　him　of　the

intense　interest　with　which　he　had　read　it；　he　had　never　ventured　to

make　it　the　subject　of　any　long　talk；　such　as　would　be　liable　to

fatigue　his　patient。　　But　now　he　thought　the　time　had　come。



〃I　have　been　thinking；〃　the　doctor　said；　〃of　the　singular　seizures　to

which　you　are　liable；　and　as　it　is　my　business　not　merely　to　think

about　such　cases；　but　to　do　what　I　can　to　help　any　who　may　be　capable

of　receiving　aid　from　my　art；　I　wish　to　have　some　additional　facts

about　your　history。　　And　in　the　first　place；　will　you　allow　me　to　ask

what　led　you　to　this　particular　place？　　It　is　so　much　less　known　to

the　public　at　large　than　many　other　resorts　that　we　naturally　ask；

What　brings　this　or　that　new　visitor　among　us？　　We　have　no　ill…

tasting；　natural　spring　of　bad　water　to　be　analyzed　by　the　state

chemist　and　proclaimed　as　a　specific。　　We　have　no　great　gambling…

houses；　no　racecourse　（except　that　fox　boats　on　the　lake）；　we　have　no

coaching…club；　no　great　balls；　few　lions　of　any　kind；　so　we　ask；　What

brings　this　or　that　stranger　here？　　And　I　think　I　may　venture　to　ask

you　whether　any；　special　motive　brought　you　among　us；　or　whether　it

was　accident　that　determined　your　coming　to　this　place。〃



〃Certainly；　doctor；〃　Maurice　answered；　〃I　will　tell　you　with　great

pleasure。　　Last　year　I　passed　on　the　border　of　a　great　river。　　The

year　before　I　lived　in　a　lonely　cottage　at　the　side　of　the　ocean。　　I

wanted　this　year　to　be　by　a　lake。　　You　heard　the　paper　read　at　the

meeting　of　your　society；　or　at　least　you　heard　of　it；for　such

matters　are　always　talked　over　in　a　village　like　this。　　You　can　judge

by　that　paper；　or　could；　if　it　were　before　you；　of　the　frame　of　mind

in　which　I　came　here。　　I　was　tired　of　the　sullen　indifference　of　the

ocean　and　the　babbling　egotism　of　the　river；　always　hurrying　along　on

its　own　private　business。　　I　wanted　the　dreamy　stillness　of　a　large；

tranquil　sheet　of　water　that　had　nothing　in　particular　to　do；　and

would　leave　me　to　myself　and　my　thoughts。　　I　had　read　somewhere　about

the　place；　and　the　old　Anchor　Tavern；　with　its　paternal　landlord　and

motherly　landlady　and　old…fashioned　household；　and　that；　though　it

was　no　longer　open　as　a　tavern；　I　could　find　a　resting…place　there

early　in　the　season；　at　least　for　a　few　days；　while　I　looked　about　me

for　a　quiet　place　in　which　I　might　pass　my　summer。　　I　have　fo