a mortal antipathy-第15章

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

read　Mr。　Story's　〃Roba　di　Roma〃　knows　what　a　terrible　power　it　is

which　the　owner　of　the　evil　eye　exercises。　　It　can　blight　and　destroy

whatever　it　falls　upon。　　No　person's　life　or　limb　is　safe　if　the

jettatura；　the　withering　glance　of　the　deadly　organ；　falls　upon　him。

It　must　be　observed　that　this　malign　effect　may　follow　a　look　from

the　holiest　personages；　that　is；　if　we　may　assume　that　a　monk　is　such

as　a　matter　of　course。　　Certainly　we　have　a　right　to　take　it　for

granted　that　the　late　Pope；　Pius　Ninth；　was　an　eminently　holy　man；

and　yet　he　had　the　name　of　dispensing　the　mystic　and　dreaded

jettatura　as　well　as　his　blessing。　　If　Maurice　Kirkwood　carried　that

destructive　influence；　so　that　his　clear　blue　eyes　were　more　to　be

feared　than　the　fascinations　of　the　deadliest　serpent；　it　could

easily　be　understood　why　he　kept　his　look　away　from　all　around　him

whom　he　feared　he　might　harm。



No　sensible　person　in　Arrowhead　Village　really　believed　in　the　evil

eye；　but　it　served　the　purpose　of　a　temporary　hypothesis；　as　do　many

suppositions　which　we　take　as　a　nucleus　for　our　observations　without

putting　any　real　confidence　in　them。　　It　was　just　suited　to　the

romantic　notions　of　the　more　flighty　persons　in　the　village；　who　had

meddled　more　or　less　with　Spiritualism；　and　were　ready　for　any　new

fancy；　if　it　were　only　wild　enough。



The　riddle　of　the　young　stranger's　peculiarity　did　not　seem　likely　to

find　any　very　speedy　solution。　　Every　new　suggestion　furnished　talk

for　the　gossips　of　the　village　and　the　babble　of　the　many　tongues　in

the　two　educational　institutions。　　Naturally；　the　discussion　was

liveliest　among　the　young　ladies。　　Here　is　an　extract　from　a　letter

of　one　of　these　young　ladies；　who；　having　received　at　her　birth　the

ever…pleasing　name　of　Mary；　saw　fit　to　have　herself　called　Mollie　in

the　catalogue　and　in　her　letters。　　The　old　postmaster　of　the　town　to

which　her　letter　was　directed　took　it　up　to　stamp；　and　read　on　the

envelope　the　direction　to　〃Miss　Lulu　Pinrow。〃　　He　brought　the　stamp

down　with　a　vicious　emphasis；　coming　very　near　blotting　out　the

nursery　name；　instead　of　cancelling　the　postage…stamp。　　〃Lulu！〃　he

exclaimed。　　〃I　should　like　to　know　if　that　great　strapping　girl　isn't

out　of　her　cradle　yet！　　I　suppose　Miss　Louisa　will　think　that　belongs

to　her；　but　I　saw　her　christened　and　I　heard　the　name　the　minister

gave　her；　and　it　was　n't　'Lulu；'　or　any　such　baby　nonsense。〃　　And　so

saying；　he　gave　it　a　fling　to　the　box　marked　P；　as　if　it　burned　his

fingers。　　Why　a　grown…up　young　woman　allowed　herself　to　be　cheapened

in　the　way　so　many　of　them　do　by　the　use　of　names　which　become　them

as　well　as　the　frock　of　a　ten…year…old　schoolgirl　would　become　a

graduate　of　the　Corinna　Institute；　the　old　postmaster　could　not

guess。　　He　was　a　queer　old　man。



The　letter　thus　scornfully　treated　runs　over　with　a　young　girl's

written　loquacity：



〃Oh；　Lulu；　there　is　such　a　sensation　as　you　never　saw　or　heard　of

'in　all　your　born　days；'　as　mamma　used　to　say。　　He　has　been　at　the

village　for　some　time；　but　lately　we　have　hadoh；　the　weirdest

stories　about　him！　　'The　Mysterious　Stranger　is　the　name　some　give

him；　but　we　girls　call　him　the　Sachem；　because　he　paddles　about　in　an

Indian　canoe。　　If　I　should　tell　you　all　the　things　that　are　said

about　him　I　should　use　up　all　my　paper　ten　times　over。　　He　has　never

made　a　visit　to　the　Institute；　and　none　of　the　girls　have　ever　spoken

to　him；　but　the　people　at　the　village　say　he　is　very；　very　handsome。

We　are　dying　to　get　a　look　at　him；　of　coursethough　there　is　a

horrid　story　about　himthat　he　has　the　evil　eye　did　you　ever　hear

about　the　evil　eye？　　If　a　person　who　is　born　with　it　looks　at　you；

you　die；　or　something　happensawfulis　n't　it？



〃The　rector　says　he　never　goes　to　church；　but　then　you　know　a　good

many　of　the　people　that　pass　the　summer　at　the　village　never　dothey

think　their　religion　must　have　vacationsthat's　what　I've　heard　they

sayvacations；　just　like　other　hard　workit　ought　not　to　be　hard

work；　I'm　sure；　but　I　suppose　they　feel　so　about　it。　　Should　you　feel

afraid　to　have　him　look　at　you？　　Some　of　the　girls　say　they　would　n't

have　him　for　the　whole　world；　but　I　shouldn't　mind　itespecially　if

I　had　on　my　eyeglasses。　　Do　you　suppose　if　there　is　anything　in　the

evil　eye　it　would　go　through　glass？　　I　don't　believe　it。　　Do　you

think　blue　eye…glasses　would　be　better　than　common　ones？　　Don't　laugh

at　methey　tell　such　weird　stories！　　The　TerrorLurida　Vincent；　you

know…makes　fun　of　all　they　say　about　it；　but　then　she　'knows

everything　and　doesn't　believe　anything；'　the　girls　sayWell；　I

should　be　awfully　scared；　I　know；　if　anybody　that　had　the　evil　eye

should　look　at　mebutoh；　I　don't　knowbut　if　it　was　a　young　man

and　if　he　was　veryvery　good…lookingI　thinkperhaps　I　would　run

the　riskbut　don't　tell　anybody　I　said　any　such　horrid　thingand

burn　this　letter　right　upthere　's　a　dear　good　girl。〃



It　is　to　be　hoped　that　no　reader　will　doubt　the　genuineness　of　this

letter。　　There　are　not　quite　so　many　〃awfuls〃　and　〃awfullys〃　as　one

expects　to　find　in　young　ladies'　letters；　but　there　are　two　〃weirds；〃

which　may　be　considered　a　fair　allowance。　　How　it　happened　that

〃jolly〃　did　not　show　itself　can　hardly　be　accounted　for；　no　doubt　it

turns　up　two　or　three　times　at　least　in　the　postscript。



Here　is　an　extract　from　another　letter。　　This　was　from　one　of　the

students　of　Stoughton　University　to　a　friend　whose　name　as　it　was

written　on　the　envelope　was　Mr。　Frank　Mayfield。　　The　old　postmaster

who　found　fault　with　Miss　〃Lulu's〃　designation　would　probably　have

quarrelled　with　this　address；　if　it　had　come　under　his　eye。　　〃Frank〃

is　a　very　pretty；　pleasant…sounding　name；　and　it　is　not　strange　that

many　persons　use　it　in　common　conversation　all　their　days　when

speaking　of　a　friend。　　Were　they　really　christened　by　that　name；　any

of　these　numerous　Franks？　　Perhaps　they　were；　and　if　so　there　is

nothing　to　be　said。　　But　if　not；　was　the　baptismal　name　Francis　or

Franklin？　　The　mind　is　apt　to　fasten　in　a　very　perverse　and

unpleasant　way　upon　this　question；　which　too　often　there　is　no

possible　way　of　settling。　　One　might　hope；　if　he　outlived　the　bearer

of　the　appellation；　to　get　at　the　fact；　but　since　even　gravestones

have　learned　to　use　the　names　belonging　to　childhood　and　infancy　in

their　solemn　record；　the　generation　which　docks　its　Christian　names

in　such　an　un…Christian　way　will　bequeath　whole　churchyards　full　of

riddles　to　posterity。　　How　it　will　puzzle　and　distress　the　historians

and　antiquarians　of　a　coming　generation　to　settle　what　was　the　real

name　of　Dan　and　Bert　and　Billy；　which　last　is　legible　on　a　white

marble　slab；　raised　in　memory　of　a　grown　person；　in　a　certain　burial…

ground　in　a　town　in　Essex　County；　Massachusetts！



But　in　the　mean　time　we　are　forgetting　the　letter　directed　to　Mr。

Frank　Mayfield。





〃DEAR　FRANK；Hooray！　Hurrah！　　Rah！



〃I　have　made　the　acquaintance　of　'The　Mysterious　Stranger'！　　It

happened　by　a　queer　sort　of　accident；　which　came　pretty　near

relieving　you　of　the　duty　of　replying　to　this　letter。　　I　was　out　in

my　little　boat；　which　carries　a　sail　too　big　for　her；　as　I　know　and

ought　to　have　remembered。　　One　of　those　fitful　flaws　of　wind　to　which

the　lake　is　so　liable　struck　the　sail　suddenly；　and　over　went　my

boat。　　My　feet　got　tangled　in　the　sheet　somehow；　and　I　could　not　get

free。　　I　had　hard　work　to　keep　my　head　above　water；　and　I　struggled

desperately　to　escape　from　my　toils；　for　if　the　boat　were　to　go　down

I　should　be　dragged　down　with　her。　　I　thought　of　a　good　many　things

in　the　course　of　some　four　or　five　minutes；　I　can　tell　you；　and　I　got

a　lesson　about　time　better　than　anything　Kant　and　all　the　rest　of

them　have　to　say　of　it。　　After　I　had　been　there　about　an　ordinary

lifetime；　I　saw　a　white　canoe　making　toward　me；　and　I　knew　that　our

shy　young　g