a mortal antipathy-第14章

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employment；　and　soon　found　it　in　the　shape　of　manual　labor；　which　he

undertook　and　performed　cheerfully。　　But　his　whole　appearance　showed

plainly　enough　that　he　was　bred　to　occupations　of　a　very　different

nature；　if；　in　deed；　he　had　been　accustomed　to　any　kind　of　toil　for

his　living。　　His　aspect　was　that　of　one　of　gentle　birth。　　His　hands

were　not　those　of　a　laborer；　and　his　features　were　delicate　and

refined；　as　well　as　of　remarkable　beauty。　　Who　he　was；　where　he　came

from；　why　he　had　come　to　Cantabridge；　was　never　clearly　explained。

He　was　alone；　without　friends；　except　among　the　acquaintances　he　had

made　in　his　new　residence。　　If　he　had　any　correspondents；　they　were

not　known　to　the　neighborhood　where　he　was　living。　　But　if　he　had

neither　friends　nor　correspondents；　there　was　some　reason　for

believing　that　he　had　enemies。　　Strange　circumstances　occurred　which

connected　themselves　with　him　in　an　ominous　and　unaccountable　way。　　A

threatening　letter　was　slipped　under　the　door　of　a　house　where　he　was

visiting。　　He　had　a　sudden　attack　of　illness；　which　was　thought　to

look　very　much　like　the　effect　of　poison。　　At　one　time　he

disappeared；　and　was　found　wandering；　bewildered；　in　a　town　many

miles　from　that　where　he　was　residing。　　When　questioned　how　he　came

there；　he　told　a　coherent　story　that　he　had　been　got；　under　some

pretext；　or　in　some　not　incredible　way；　into　a　boat；　from　which；　at　a

certain　landing…place；　he　had　escaped　and　fled　for　his　life；　which　he

believed　was　in　danger　from　his　kidnappers。



Whoever　his　enemies　may　have　been；if　they　really　existed；he　did

not　fall　a　victim　to　their　plots；　so　far　as　known　to　or　remembered　by

this　witness。



Various　interpretations　were　put　upon　his　story。　　Conjectures　were　as

abundant　as　they　were　in　the　case　of　Kaspar　Hauser。　　That　he　was　of

good　family　seemed　probable；　that　he　was　of　distinguished　birth；　not

impossible；　that　he　was　the　dangerous　rival　of　a　candidate　for　a

greatly　coveted　position　in　one　of　the　northern　states　of　Europe　was

a　favorite　speculation　of　some　of　the　more　romantic　young　persons。

There　was　no　dramatic　ending　to　this　story；at　least　none　is

remembered　by　the　present　writer。



〃He　left　a　name；〃　like　the　royal　Swede；　of　whose　lineage　he　may　have

been　for　aught　that　the　village　people　knew；　but　not　a　name　at　which

anybody　〃grew　pale；〃　for　he　had　swindled　no　one；　and　broken　no

woman's　heart　with　false　vows。　　Possibly　some　withered　cheeks　may

flush　faintly　as　they　recall　the　handsome　young　man　who　came　before

the　Cantabridge　maidens　fully　equipped　for　a　hero　of　romance　when　the

century　was　in　its　first　quarter。



The　writer　has　been　reminded　of　the　handsome　Swede　by　the　incidents

attending　the　advent　of　the　unknown　and　interesting　stranger　who　had

made　his　appearance　at　Arrowhead　Village。



It　was　a　very　insufficient　and　unsatisfactory　reason　to　assign　for

the　young　man's　solitary　habits　that　he　was　the　subject　of　an

antipathy。　　For　what　do　we　understand　by　that　word？　　When　a　young

lady　screams　at　the　sight　of　a　spider；　we　accept　her　explanation　that

she　has　a　natural　antipathy　to　the　creature。　　When　a　person　expresses

a　repugnance　to　some　wholesome　article　of　food；　agreeable　to　most

people；　we　are　satisfied　if　he　gives　the　same　reason。　　And　so　of

various　odors；　which　are　pleasing　to　some　persons　and　repulsive　to

others。　　We　do　not　pretend　to　go　behind　the　fact。　　It　is　an

individual；　and　it　may　be　a　family；　peculiarity。　　Even　between

different　personalities　there　is　an　instinctive　elective　dislike　as

well　as　an　elective　affinity。　　We　are　not　bound　to　give　a　reason　why

Dr。　Fell　is　odious　to　us　any　more　than　the　prisoner　who　peremptorily

challenges　a　juryman　is　bound　to　say　why　he　does　it；　it　is　enough

that　he　〃does　not　like　his　looks。〃



There　was　nothing　strange；　then；　that　Maurice　Kirkwood　should　have

his　special　antipathy；　a　great　many　other　people　have　odd　likes　and

dislikes。　　But　it　was　a　very　curious　thing　that　this　antipathy　should

be　alleged　as　the　reason　for　his　singular　mode　of　life。　　All　sorts　of

explanations　were　suggested；　not　one　of　them　in　the　least

satisfactory；　but　serving　to　keep　the　curiosity　of　inquirers　active

until　they　were　superseded　by　a　new　theory。　　One　story　was　that

Maurice　had　a　great　fear　of　dogs。　　It　grew　at　last　to　a　connected

narrative；　in　which　a　fright　in　childhood　from　a　rabid　mongrel　was

said　to　have　given　him　such　a　sensitiveness　to　the　near　presence　of

dogs　that　he　was　liable　to　convulsions　if　one　came　close　to　him。



This　hypothesis　had　some　plausibility。　　No　other　creature　would　be　so

likely　to　trouble　a　person　who　had　an　antipathy　to　it。　　Dogs　are　very

apt　to　make　the　acquaintance　of　strangers；　in　a　free　and　easy　way。

They　are　met　with　everywhere；in　one's　daily　walk；　at　the　thresholds

of　the　doors　one　enters；　in　the　gentleman's　library；　on　the　rug　of　my

lady's　sitting…room　and　on　the　cushion　of　her　carriage。　　It　is　true

that　there　are　few　persons　who　have　an　instinctive　repugnance　to　this

〃friend　of　man。〃　　But　what　if　this　so…called　antipathy　were　only　a

fear；　a　terror；　which　borrowed　the　less　unmanly　name？　　It　was　a　fair

question；　if；　indeed；　the　curiosity　of　the　public　had　a　right　to　ask

any　questions　at　all　about　a　harmless　individual　who　gave　no　offence；

and　seemed　entitled　to　the　right　of　choosing　his　way　of　living　to

suit　himself；　without　being　submitted　to　espionage。



There　was　no　positive　evidence　bearing　on　the　point　as　yet。　　But　one

of　the　village　people　had　a　large　Newfoundland　dog；　of　a　very

sociable　disposition；　with　which　he　determined　to　test　the　question。

He　watched　for　the　time　when　Maurice　should　leave　his　house　for　the

woods　or　the　lake；　and　started　with　his　dog　to　meet　him。　　The　animal

walked　up　to　the　stranger　in　a　very　sociable　fashion；　and　began

making　his　acquaintance；　after　the　usual　manner　of　well…bred　dogs；

that　is；　with　the　courtesies　and　blandishments　by　which　the　canine

Chesterfield　is　distinguished　from　the　ill…conditioned　cur。　　Maurice

patted　him　in　a　friendly　way；　and　spoke　to　him　as　one　who　was　used　to

the　fellowship　of　such　companions。　　That　idle　question　and　foolish

story　were　disposed　of；　therefore；　and　some　other　solution　must　be

found；　if　possible。



A　much　more　common　antipathy　is　that　which　is　entertained　with　regard

to　cats。　　This　has　never　been　explained。　　It　is　not　mere　aversion　to

the　look　of　the　creature；　or　to　any　sensible　quality　known　to　the

common　observer。　　The　cat　is　pleasing　in　aspect；　graceful　in

movement；　nice　in　personal　habits；　and　of　amiable　disposition。　　No

cause　of　offence　is　obvious；　and　yet　there　are　many　persons　who

cannot　abide　the　presence　of　the　most　innocent　little　kitten。　　They

can　tell；　in　some　mysterious　way；　that　there　is　a　cat　in　the　room

when　they　can　neither　see　nor　hear　the　creature。　　Whether　it　is　an

electrical　or　quasi…magnetic　phenomenon；　or　whatever　it　may　be；　of

the　fact　of　this　strange　influence　there　are　too　many　well…

authenticated　instances　to　allow　its　being　questioned。　　But　suppose

Maurice　Kirkwood　to　be　the　subject　of　this　antipathy　in　its　extremest

degree；　it　would　in　no　manner　account　for　the　isolation　to　which　he

had　condemned　himself。　　He　might　shun　the　firesides　of　the　old　women

whose　tabbies　were　purring　by　their　footstools；　but　these　worthy

dames　do　not　make　up　the　whole　population。



These　two　antipathies　having　been　disposed　of；　a　new　suggestion　was

started；　and　was　talked　over　with　a　curious　sort　of　half　belief；　very

much　as　ghost　stories　are　told　in　a　circle　of　moderately　instructed

and　inquiring　persons。　　This　was　that　Maurice　was　endowed　with　the

unenviable　gift　of　the　evil　eye。　　He　was　in　frequent　communication

with　Italy；　as　his　letters　showed；　and　had　recently　been　residing　in

that　country；　as　was　learned　from　Paolo。　　Now　everybody　knows　that

the　evil　eye　is　not　rarely　met　with　in　Italy。　　Everybody　who　has　ever

read　Mr。　Story's　〃Roba　di　Roma〃　knows　what　a