a mortal antipathy-第17章

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given　her　favorable　opinion　of　her　former　guest。　　She　now　added

something　to　her　description　as　a　sequel　to　her　husband's　remarks。



〃I　call　him；〃　she　said；　〃about　as　likely　a　young　gentleman　as　ever　I

clapped　my　eyes　on。　　He　is　rather　slighter　than　I　like　to　see　a　young

man　of　his　age；　if　he　was　my　sun；　I　should　like　to　see　him　a　little

more　fleshy。　　I　don't　believe　he　weighs　more　than　a　hundred　and

thirty　or　forty　pounds。　　Did　y'　ever　look　at　those　eyes　of　his；

M'randy？　　Just　as　blue　as　succory　flowers。　　I　do　like　those　light…

complected　young　fellows；　with　their　fresh　cheeks　and　their　curly

hair；　somehow；　curly　hair　doos　set　off　anybody's　face。　　He　is　n't　any

foreigner；　for　all　that　he　talks　Italian　with　that　Mr。　Paul　that's

his　help。　　He　looks　just　like　our　kind　of　folks；　the　college　kind；

that's　brought　up　among　books；　and　is　handling　'em；　and　reading　of

'em；　and　making　of　'em；　as　like　as　not；　all　their　lives。　　All　that

you　say　about　his　riding　the　mad　colt　is　just　what　I　should　think　he

was　up　to；　for　he's　as　spry　as　a　squirrel；　you　ought　to　see　him　go

over　that　fence；　as　I　did　once。　　I　don't　believe　there's　any　harm　in

that　young　gentleman；I　don't　care　what　people　say。　　I　suppose　he

likes　this　place　just　as　other　people　like　it；　and　cares　more　for

walking　in　the　woods　and　paddling　about　in　the　water　than　he　doos　for

company；　and　if　he　doos；　whose　business　is　it；　I　should　like　to

know？〃



The　third　of　the　speakers　was　Miranda；　who　had　her　own　way　of　judging

people。



〃I　never　see　him　but　two　or　three　times；〃　Miranda　said。　　〃I　should

like　to　have　waited　on　him；　and　got　a　chance　to　look　stiddy　at　him

when　he　was　eatin'　his　vittles。　　That　's　the　time　to　watch　folks；

when　their　jaws　get　a…goin'　and　their　eyes　are　on　what's　afore　'em。

Do　you　remember　that　chap　the　sheriff　come　and　took　away　when　we　kep'

tahvern？　　Eleven　year　ago　it　was；　come　nex'　Thanksgivin'　time。　　A

mighty　grand　gentleman　from　the　City　he　set　up　for。　　I　watched　him；

and　I　watched　him。　　Says　I；　I　don't　believe　you're　no　gentleman；

says　I。　　He　eat　with　his　knife；　and　that　ain't　the　way　city　folks

eats。　　Every　time　I　handed　him　anything　I　looked　closeter　and

closeter。　　Them　whiskers　never　grooved　on　them　cheeks；　says　I　to

myself。　　Them　's　paper　collars；　says　I。　　That　dimun　in　your　shirt…

front　hain't　got　no　life　to　it；　says　I。　　I　don't　believe　it's

nothiri'　more　'n　a　bit　o'　winderglass。　　So　says　I　to　Pushee；　'You

jes'　step　out　and　get　the　sheriff　to　come　in　and　take　a　look　at　that

chap。'　I　knowed　he　was　after　a　fellah。　　He　come　right　in；　an'　he　goes

up　to　the　chap。　　'Why；　Bill；'　says　he；　'I'm　mighty　glad　to　see　yer。

We've　had　the　hole　in　the　wall　you　got　out　of　mended；　and　I　want　your

company　to　come　and　look　at　the　old　place；'　says　he；　and　he　pulls　out

a　couple　of　handcuffs　and　has　'em　on　his　wrists　in　less　than　no　time；

an'　off　they　goes　together！　　I　know　one　thing　about　that　young

gentleman；　anyhow；there　ain't　no　better　judge　of　what's　good　eatin'

than　he　is。　　I　cooked　him　some　maccaroni　myself　one　day；　and　he　sends

word　to　me　by　that　Mr。　Paul；　'Tell　Miss　Miranda；'　says　he；　I　that　the

Pope　o'　Rome　don't　have　no　better　cooked　maccaroni　than　what　she　sent

up　to　me　yesterday；'　says　he。　　I　don'　know　much　about　the　Pope　o'

Rome　except　that　he's　a　Roman　Catholic；　and　I　don'　know　who　cooks　for

him；　whether　it's　a　man　or　a　woman；　but　when　it　comes　to　a　dish　o'

maccaroni；　I　ain't　afeard　of　their　shefs；　as　they　call　'em；them　he…

cooks　that　can't　serve　up　a　cold　potater　without　callin'　it　by　some

name　nobody　can　say　after　'em。　　But　this　gentleman　knows　good

cookin'；　and　that's　as　good　a　sign　of　a　gentleman　as　I　want　to　tell

'em　by。〃









VI



STILL　AT　FAULT。



The　house　in　which　Maurice　Kirkwood　had　taken　up　his　abode　was　not　a

very　inviting　one。　　It　was　old；　and　had　been　left　in　a　somewhat

dilapidated　and　disorderly　condition　by　the　tenants　who　had　lived　in

the　part　which　Maurice　now　occupied。　　They　had　piled　their　packing…

boxes　in　the　cellar；　with　broken　chairs；　broken　china；　and　other

household　wrecks。　　A　cracked　mirror　lay　on　an　old　straw　mattress；　the

contents　of　which　were　airing　themselves　through　wide　rips　and　rents。

A　lame　clothes…horse　was　saddled　with　an　old　rug　fringed　with　a

ragged　border；　out　of　which　all　the　colors　had　been　completely

trodden。　　No　woman　would　have　gone　into　a　house　in　such　a　condition。

But　the　young　man　did　not　trouble　himself　much　about　such　matters；

and　was　satisfied　when　the　rooms　which　were　to　be　occupied　by　himself

and　his　servant　were　made　decent　and　tolerably　comfortable。　　During

the　fine　season　all　this　was　not　of　much　consequence；　and　if　Maurice

made　up　his　mind　to　stay　through　the　winter　he　would　have　his　choice

among　many　more　eligible　places。



The　summer　vacation　of　the　Corinna　Institute　had　now　arrived；　and　the

young　ladies　had　scattered　to　their　homes。　　Among　the　graduates　of

the　year　were　Miss　Euthymia　Tower　and　Miss　Lurida　Vincent；　who　had

now　returned　to　their　homes　in　Arrowhead　Village。　　They　were　both

glad　to　rest　after　the　long　final　examinations　and　the　exercises　of

the　closing　day；　in　which　each　of　them　had　borne　a　conspicuous　part。

It　was　a　pleasant　life　they　led　in　the　village；　which　was　lively

enough　at　this　season。　　Walking；　riding；　driving；　boating；　visits　to

the　Library；　meetings　of　the　Pansophian　Society；　hops；　and　picnics

made　the　time　pass　very　cheerfully；　and　soon　showed　their　restoring

influences。　　The　Terror's　large　eyes　did　not　wear　the　dull；　glazed

look　by　which　they　had　too　often　betrayed　the　after　effects　of　over…

excitement　of　the　strong　and　active　brain　behind　them。　　The　Wonder

gained　a　fresher　bloom；　and　looked　full　enough　of　life　to　radiate

vitality　into　a　statue　of　ice。　　They　had　a　boat　of　their　own；　in

which　they　passed　many　delightful　hours　on　the　lake；　rowing；

drifting；　reading；　telling　of　what　had　been；　dreaming　of　what　might

be。



The　Library　was　one　of　the　chief　centres　of　the　fixed　population；　and

visited　often　by　strangers。　　The　old　Librarian　was　a　peculiar

character；　as　these　officials　are　apt　to　be。　　They　have　a　curious

kind　of　knowledge；　sometimes　immense　in　its　way。　　They　know　the　backs

of　books；　their　title…pages；　their　popularity　or　want　of　it；　the

class　of　readers　who　call　for　particular　works；　the　value　of

different　editions；　and　a　good　deal　besides。　　Their　minds　catch　up

hints　from　all　manner　of　works　on　all　kinds　of　subjects。　　They　will

give　a　visitor　a　fact　and　a　reference　which　they　are　surprised　to

find　they　remember　and　which　the　visitor　might　have　hunted　for　a

year。　　Every　good　librarian；　every　private　book…owner；　who　has　grown

into　his　library；　finds　he　has　a　bunch　of　nerves　going　to　every

bookcase；　a　branch　to　every　shelf；　and　a　twig　to　every　book。　　These

nerves　get　very　sensitive　in　old　librarians；　sometimes；　and　they　do

not　like　to　have　a　volume　meddled　with　any　more　than　they　would　like

to　have　their　naked　eyes　handled。　　They　come　to　feel　at　last　that　the

books　of　a　great　collection　are　a　part；　not　merely　of　their　own

property；　though　they　are　only　the　agents　for　their　distribution；　but

that　they　are；　as　it　were；　outlying　portions　of　their　own

organization。　　The　old　Librarian　was　getting　a　miserly　feeling　about

his　books；　as　he　called　them。　　Fortunately；　he　had　a　young　lady　for

his　assistant；　who　was　never　so　happy　as　when　she　could　find　the　work

any　visitor　wanted　and　put　it　in　his　hands；or　her　hands；　for　there

were　more　readers　among　the　wives　anddaughters；　and　especially

among　the　aunts；　than　there　were　among　their　male　relatives。　　The　old

Librarian　knew　the　books；　but　the　books　seemed　to　know　the　young

assistant；　so　it　looked；　at　least；　to　the　impatient　young　people　who

wanted　their　services。



Maurice　had　a　good　many　volumes　of　his　own；a　great　many；　according

to　Paolo's　account；　but　Paolo's　ideas　were　limited；　and　a　few　well…

filled　shelves　seemed　a　very　large　collection　to　him