a mortal antipathy-第52节

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lets　the　old　water…course　fill　up；　and　never　returns　to　its　forsaken

bed。　　The　tyrannous　habit　was　broken。　　The　prophecy　of　the　gitana　had

verified　itself；　and　the　ill　a　fair　woman　had　wrought　a　fairer　woman

bad　conquered　and　abolished。



The　history　of　Maurice　Kirkwood　loses　its　exceptional　character　from

the　time　of　his　restoration　to　his　natural　conditions。　　His

convalescence　was　very　slow　and　gradual；　but　no　further　accident

interrupted　its　even　progress。　　The　season　was　over；　the　summer

visitors　had　left　Arrowhead　Village；　the　chrysanthemums　were　going

out　of　flower；　the　frosts　had　come；　and　Maurice　was　still　beneath　the

roof　of　the　kind　physician。　　The　relation　between　him　and　his

preserver　was　so　entirely　apart　from　all　common　acquaintances　and

friendships　that　no　ordinary　rules　could　apply　to　it。　　Euthymia

visited　him　often　during　the　period　of　his　extreme　prostration。



〃You　must　come　every　day；〃　the　doctor　said。　　〃He　gains　with　every

visit　you　make　him；　he　pines　if　you　miss　him　for　a　single　day。〃　　So

she　came　and　sat　by　him；　the　doctor　or　good　Mrs。　Butts　keeping　her

company　in　his　presence。　　He　grew　stronger；began　to　sit　up　in　bed；

and　at　last　Euthymia　found　him　dressed　as　in　health；　and　beginning　to

walk　about　the　room。　　She　was　startled。　　She　had　thought　of　herself

as　a　kind　of　nurse；　but　the　young　gentleman　could　hardly　be　said　to

need　a　nurse　any　longer。　　She　had　scruples　about　making　any　further

visits。　　She　asked　Lurida　what　she　thought　about　it。



〃Think　about　it？〃　said　Lurida。　　〃　Why　should　n't　you　go　to　see　a

brother　as　well　as　a　sister；　I　should　like　to　know？　　If　you　are

afraid　to　go　to　see　Maurice　Kirkwood；　I　am　not　afraid；　at　any　rate。

If　you　would　rather　have　me　go　than　go　yourself；　I　will　do　it；　and

let　people　talk　just　as　much　as　they　want　to。　　Shall　I　go　instead　of

you？〃



Euthymia　was　not　quite　sure　that　this　would　be　the　best　thing　for　the

patient。　　The　doctor　had　told　her　he　thought　there　were　special

reasons　for　her　own　course　in　coming　daily　to　see　him。　　〃I　am

afraid；〃　she　said；　〃　you　are　too　bright　to　be　safe　for　him　in　his

weak　state。　　Your　mind　is　such　a　stimulating　one；　you　know。　　A　dull

sort　of　person　like　myself　is　better　for　him　just　now。　　I　will

continue　visiting　him　as　long　as　the　doctor　says　it　is　important　that

I　should；　but　you　must　defend　me；　Lurida；I　know　you　can　explain　it

all　so　that　people　will　not　blame　me。〃



Euthymia　knew　full　well　what　the　effect　of　Lurida's　penetrating　head…

voice　would　be　in　a　convalescent's　chamber。　　She　knew　how　that　active

mind　of　hers　would　set　the　young　man's　thoughts　at　work；　when　what　he

wanted　was　rest　of　every　faculty。　　Were　not　these　good　and　sufficient

reasons　for　her　decision？　　What　others　could　there　be？



So　Euthymia　kept　on　with　her　visits；　until　she　blushed　to　see　that

she　was　continuing　her　charitable　office　for　one　who　was　beginning　to

look　too　well　to　be　called　an　invalid。　　It　was　a　dangerous　condition

of　affairs；　and　the　busy　tongues　of　the　village　gossips　were　free　in

their　comments。　　Free；　but　kindly；　for　the　story　of　the　rescue　had

melted　every　heart；　and　what　could　be　more　natural　than　that　these

two　young　people　whom　God　had　brought　together　in　the　dread　moment　of

peril　should　find　it　hard　to　tear　themselves　asunder　after　the　hour

of　danger　was　past？　　When　gratitude　is　a　bankrupt；　love　only　can　pay

his　debts；　and　if　Maurice　gave　his　heart　to　Euthymia；　would　not　she

receive　it　as　payment　in　full？



The　change　which　had　taken　place　in　the　vital　currents　of　Maurice

Kirkwood's　system　was　as　simple　and　solid　a　fact　as　the　change　in　a

magnetic　needle　when　the　boreal　becomes　the　austral　pole；　and　the

austral　the　boreal。　　It　was　well；　perhaps；　that　this　change　took

place　while　he　was　enfeebled　by　the　wasting　effects　of　long　illness。

For　all　the　long…defeated；　disturbed；　perverted　instincts　had　found

their　natural　channel　from　the　centre　of　consciousness　to　the　organ

which　throbs　in　response　to　every　profound　emotion。　　As　his　health

gradually　returned；　Euthymia　could　not　help　perceiving　a　flush　in　his

cheek；　a　glitter　in　his　eyes；　a　something　in　the　tone　of　his　voice；

which　altogether　were　a　warning　to　the　young　maiden　that　the　highway

of　friendly　intercourse　was　fast　narrowing　to　a　lane；　at　the　head　of

which　her　woman's　eye　could　read　plainly　enough；　〃Dangerous　passing。〃



〃You　look　so　much　better　to…day；　Mr。　Kirkwood；〃　she　said；　〃that　I

think　I　had　better　not　play　Sister　of　Charity　any　longer。　　The　next

time　we　meet　I　hope　you　will　be　strong　enough　to　call　on　me。〃



She　was　frightened　to　see　how　pale　he　turned；he　was　weaker　than　she

thought。　　There　was　a　silence　so　profound　and　so　long　that　Mrs。　Butts

looked　up　from　the　stocking　she　was　knitting。　　They　had　forgotten　the

good　woman's　presence。



Presently　Maurice　spoke；very　faintly；　but　Mrs。　Butts　dropped　a

stitch　at　the　first　word；　and　her　knitting　fell　into　her　lap　as　she

listened　to　what　followed。



〃No！　you　must　not　leave　me。　　You　must　never　leave　me。　　You　saved　my

life。　　But　you　have　done　more　than　that；more　than　you　know　or　can

ever　know。　　To　you　I　owe　it　that　I　am　living；　with　you　I　live

henceforth；　if　I　am　to　live　at　all。　　All　I　am；　all　I　hope；will　you

take　this　poor　offering　from　one　who　owes　you　everything；　whose　lips

never　touched　those　of　woman　or　breathed　a　word　of　love　before　you？



What　could　Euthymia　reply　to　this　question；　uttered　with　all　the

depth　of　a　passion　which　had　never　before　found　expression。



Not　one　syllable　of　answer　did　listening　Mrs。　Butts　overhear。　　But

she　told　her　husband　afterwards　that　there　was　nothing　in　the

tableaux　they　had　had　in　September　to　compare　with　what　she　then　saw。

It　was　indeed　a　pleasing　picture　which　those　two　young　heads

presented　as　Euthymia　gave　her　inarticulate　but　infinitely　expressive

answer　to　the　question　of　Maurice　Kirkwood。　　The　good…hearted　woman

thought　it　time　to　leave　the　young　people。　　Down　went　the　stocking

with　the　needles　in　it；　out　of　her　lap　tumbled　the　ball　of　worsted；

rolling　along　the　floor　with　its　yarn　trailing　after　it；　like　some

village　matron　who　goes　about　circulating　from　hearth　to　hearth；

leaving　all　along　her　track　the　story　of　the　new　engagement　or　of　the

arrival　of　the　last　〃little　stranger。〃



Not　many　suns　had　set　before　it　was　told　all　through　Arrowhead

Village　that　Maurice　Kirkwood　was　the　accepted　lover　of　Euthymia

Tower。









POSTSCRIPT：　AFTER…GLIMPSES。





MISS　LURIDA　VINCENT　TO　MRS。　EUTHYMIA　KIRKWOOD。

ARROWHEAD　VILLAGE；　May　18。



MY　DEAREST　EUTHYMIA；Who　would　have　thought；　when　you　broke　your　oar

as　the　Atalanta　flashed　by　the　Algonquin；　last　June；　that　before　the

roses　came　again　you　would　find　yourself　the　wife　of　a　fine　scholar

and　grand　gentleman；　and　the　head　of　a　household　such　as　that　of

which　you　are　the　mistress？　　You　must　not　forget　your　old　Arrowhead

Village　friends。　　What　am　I　saying？…you　forget　them！　　No；　dearest；

I　know　your　heart　too　well　for　that！　　You　are　not　one　of　those　who

lay　aside　their　old　friendships　as　they　do　last　years　bonnet　when

they　get　a　new　one。　　You　have　told　me　all　about　yourself　and　your

happiness；　and　now　you　want　me　to　tell　you　about　myself　and　what　is

going　on　in　our　little　place。



And　first　about　myself。　　I　have　given　up　the　idea　of　becoming　a

doctor。　　I　have　studied　mathematics　so　much　that　I　have　grown　fond　of

certainties；　of　demonstrations；　and　medicine　deals　chiefly　in

probabilities。　　The　practice　of　the　art　is　so　mixed　up　with　the

deepest　human　interests　that　it　is　hard　to　pursue　it　with　that　even

poise　of　the　intellect　which　is　demanded　by　science。　　I　want

knowledge　pure　and　simple；I　do　not　fancy　having　it　mixed。　　Neither

do　I　like　the　thought　of　passing　my　life　in　going　from　one　scene　of

suffering　to　another；　I　am　not　saintly　enough　for　such　a　daily

martyrdom；　nor　callous　enough　to　make　it　an　easy　occupation。　　I

fainted　at　the　first　operation　I　saw；　and　I　have　never　wanted　to　see

another。　　I　don't　say　that　I　wouldn't　marry　a　physician；　if　the　right

one　asked　me；　but　the　young　doctor　is　not　forthcoming　at　present。

Yes；　I　think　I　might　make　a　pretty　good　doctor's　wife。　　I　could　teach

him　a　good　deal　about　headaches　and　backaches　and　all　sorts　of

nervous　revolutions；　as　the　doctor　says　the　French　women　call　their

tantrums。　　I　don't　know　but　I　should　be　willing　to　let　him　try　his

new　medicines　on　me。　　If　he　were　a　homeopath；　I　know　I　should；　for　if

a　billionth　of　a　grain　of　sugar　won't　begin　to　sweeten　my　tea　or

coffee；　I　don't　feel　afraid　that　a　billionth　of　a　grain　of　anything

would　poison　me；no；　not　if　it　were　snake…venom；　and　if　it　were　not

disgusting；　I　would　swallow　a　handful　of　his　lachesis　globules；　to

please　my　husband。　　But　if　I　ever　become　a　doctor's　wife；　my　husband

will　not　be　one　of　that　kind　of　practitioners；　you　may　be　sure　of

that；　nor　an　〃eclectic；〃　nor　a　〃faith…cure　man。〃　　On　the　whole；　I