a mortal antipathy-第29章

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but　he　pooh…poohed　my　scruples。　　'It　is　n't　our　business　whether　they

like　it　or　not；'　said　he；　'the　public　wants　it；　and　what　the　public

wants　it's　bound　to　have；　and　we　are　bound　to　furnish　it。　　Don't　be

afraid　of　your　man；　he　's　used　to　it；he's　been　pumped　often　enough

to　take　it　easy；　and　what　you've　got　to　do　is　to　pump　him　dry。　　You

need　n't　be　modest；ask　him　what　you　like；　he　is　n't　bound　to

answer；　you　know。'



As　he　lived　in　a　rather　nice　quarter　of　the　town；　I　smarted　myself　up

a　little；　put　on　a　fresh　collar　and　cuffs；　and　got　a　five…cent　shine

on　my　best　high…lows。　　I　said　to　myself；　as　I　was　walking　towards　the

house　where　he　lived；　that　I　would　keep　very　shady　for　a　while　and

pass　for　a　visitor　from　a　distance；　one　of　those　'admiring　strangers'

who　call　in　to　pay　their　respects；　to　get　an　autograph；　and　go　home

and　say　that　they　have　met　the　distinguished　So　and　So；　which　gives

them　a　certain　distinction　in　the　village　circle　to　which　they

belong。



〃My　man；　the　celebrated　writer；　received　me　in　what　was　evidently　his

reception…room。　　I　observed　that　he　managed　to　get　the　light　full　on

my　face；　while　his　own　was　in　the　shade。　　I　had　meant　to　have　his

face　in　the　light；　but　he　knew　the　localities；　and　had　arranged

things　so　as　to　give　him　that　advantage。　　It　was　like　two　frigates

manoeuvring；each　trying　to　get　to　windward　of　the　other。　　I　never

take　out　my　note…book　until　I　and　my　man　have　got　engaged　in　artless

and　earnest　conversation；always　about　himself　and　his　works；　of

course；　if　he　is　an　author。



〃I　began　by　saying　that　he　must　receive　a　good　many　callers。　　Those

who　had　read　his　books　were　naturally　curious　to　see　the　writer　of

them。



〃He　assented；　emphatically；　to　this　statement。　　He　had；　he　said；　a

great　many　callers。



〃I　remarked　that　there　was　a　quality　in　his　books　which　made　his

readers　feel　as　if　they　knew　him　personally；　and　caused　them　to

cherish　a　certain　attachment　to　him。



〃He　smiled；　as　if　pleased。　　He　was　himself　disposed　to　think　so；　he

said。　　In　fact；　a　great　many　persons；　strangers　writing　to　him；　had

told　him　so。



〃My　dear　sir；　I　said；　there　is　nothing　wonderful　in　the　fact　you

mention。　　You　reach　a　responsive　chord　in　many　human　breasts。



　　　　　'One　touch　of　Nature　makes　the　whole　world　kin。'



Everybody　feels　as　if　he；　and　especially　she　（his　eyes　sparkled）；

were　your　blood　relation。　　Do　they　not　name　their　children　after　you

very　frequently？



〃He　blushed　perceptibly。　　'Sometimes；'　he　answered。　　'I　hope　they

will　all　turn　out　well。'



〃I　am　afraid　I　am　taking　up　too　much　of　your　time；　I　said。



〃No；　not　at　all；'　he　replied。　　'Come　up　into　my　library；　it　is　warmer

and　pleasanter　there。'



〃I　felt　confident　that　I　had　him　by　the　right　handle　then；　for　an

author's　library；　which　is　commonly　his　working…room；　is；　like　a

lady's　boudoir；　a　sacred　apartment。



〃So　we　went　upstairs；　and　again　he　got　me　with　the　daylight　on　my

face；　when　I　wanted　it　on　has。



〃You　have　a　fine　library；　I　remarked。　　There　were　books　all　round　the

room；　and　one　of　those　whirligig　square　book…cases。　　I　saw　in　front　a

Bible　and　a　Concordance；　Shakespeare　and　Mrs。　Cowden　Clarke's　book；

and　other　classical　works　and　books　of　grave　aspect。　　I　contrived　to

give　it　a　turn；　and　on　the　side　next　the　wall　I　got　a　glimpse　of

Barnum's　Rhyming　Dictionary；　and　several　Dictionaries　of　Quotations

and　cheap　compends　of　knowledge。　　Always　twirl　one　of　those　revolving

book…cases　when　you　visit　a　scholar's　library。　　That　is　the　way　to

find　out　what　books　he　does　n't　want　you　to　see；　which　of　course　are

the　ones　you　particularly　wish　to　see。



〃Some　may　call　all　this　impertinent　and　inquisitive。　　What　do　you

suppose　is　an　interviewer's　business？　　Did　you　ever　see　an　oyster

opened？　　Yes？　　Well；　an　interviewer's　business　is　the　same　thing。

His　man　is　his　oyster；　which　he；　not　with　sword；　but　with　pencil　and

note…book；　must　open。　　Mark　how　the　oysterman's　thin　blade　insinuates

itself；how　gently　at　first；　how　strenuously　when　once　fairly

between　the　shells！



〃And　here；　I　said；　you　write　your　books；those　books　which　have

carried　your　name　to　all　parts　of　the　world；　and　will　convey　it　down

to　posterity！　　Is　this　the　desk　at　which　you　write？　　And　is　this　the

pen　you　write　with？



〃'It　is　the　desk　and　the　very　pen；'　he　replied。



〃He　was　pleased　with　my　questions　and　my　way　of　putting　them。　　I　took

up　the　pen　as　reverentially　as　if　it　had　been　made　of　the　feather

which　the　angel　I　used　to　read　about　in　Young's　〃Night　Thoughts〃

ought　to　have　dropped；　and　did　n't。



〃Would　you　kindly　write　your　autograph　in　my　note…book；　with　that

pen？　　I　asked　him。　　Yes；　he　would；　with　great　pleasure。



〃So　I　got　out　my　note…book。



〃It　was　a　spick　and　span　new　one；　bought　on　purpose　for　this

interview。　　I　admire　your　bookcases；　said　I。　　Can　you　tell　me　just

how　high　they　are？



〃'They　are　about　eight　feet；　with　the　cornice。'



〃I　should　like　to　have　some　like　those；　if　I　ever　get　rich　enough；

said　I。　　Eight　feet；eight　feet；　with　the　cornice。　　I　must　put　that

down。



〃So　I　got　out　my　pencil。



〃I　sat　there　with　my　pencil　and　note…book　in　my　hand；　all　ready；　but

not　using　them　as　yet。



〃I　have　heard　it　said；　I　observed；　that　you　began　writing　poems　at　a

very　early　age。　　Is　it　taking　too　great　a　liberty　to　ask　how　early

you　began　to　write　in　verse？



〃He　was　getting　interested；　as　people　are　apt　to　be　when　they　are

themselves　the　subjects　of　conversation。



〃'Very　early；I　hardly　know　how　early。　　I　can　say　truly；　as　Louise

Colet　said；



　　　　　'Je　fis　mes　premiers　vers　sans　savoir　les　ecrire。'〃



〃I　am　not　a　very　good　French　scholar；　said　I；　perhaps　you　will　be

kind　enough　to　translate　that　line　for　me。



〃'Certainly。　　With　pleasure。　　I　made　my　first

verses　without　knowing　how　to　write　them。'



〃How　interesting！　　But　I　never　heard　of　Louise　Colet。　　Who　was　she？



〃My　man　was　pleased　to　gi…ve　me　a　piece　of　literary　information。



〃'Louise　the　lioness！　　Never　heard　of　her？　　You　have　heard　of

Alphonse　Karr？'



〃Why；yes；more　or　less。　　To　tell　the　truth；　I　am　not　very　well　up

in　French　literature。　　What　had　he　to　do　with　your　lioness？



〃'A　good　deal。　　He　satirized　her；　and　she　waited　at　his　door　with　a

case…knife　in　her　hand；　intending　to　stick　him　with　it。　　By　and　by　he

came　down；　smoking　a　cigarette；　and　was　met　by　this　woman　flourishing

her　case…knife。　　He　took　it　from　her；　after　getting　a　cut　in　his

dressing…gown；　put　it　in　his　pocket；　and　went　on　with　his　cigarette。

He　keeps　it　with　an　inscription　：





　　　　　Donne　a　Alphonse　Karr

　　　　　Par　Madame　Louise　Colet。。。。

　　　　　Dans　le　dos。



Lively　little　female！'



〃I　could　n't　help　thinking　that　I　should　n't　have　cared　to　interview

the　lively　little　female。　　He　was　evidently　tickled　with　the　interest

I　appeared　to　take　in　the　story　he　told　me。　　That　made　him　feel

amiably　disposed　toward　me。



〃I　began　with　very　general　questions；　but　by　degrees　I　got　at

everything　about　his　family　history　and　the　small　events　of　his

boyhood。　　Some　of　the　points　touched　upon　were　delicate；　but　I　put　a

good　bold　face　on　my　most　audacious　questions；　and　so　I　wormed　out　a

great　deal　that　was　new　concerning　my　subject。　　He　had　been　written

about　considerably；　and　the　public　wouldn't　have　been　satisfied

without　some　new　facts；　and　these　I　meant　to　have；　and　I　got。　　No

matter　about　many　of　them　now；　but　here　are　some　questions　and

answers　that　may　be　thought　worth　reading　or　listening　to：



〃How　do　you　enjoy　being　what　they　call　'a　celebrity；'　or　a　celebrated

man？



〃'So　far　as　one's　vanity　is　concerned　it　is　well　enough。　　But　self…

love　is　a　cup　without　any　bottom；　and　you　might　pour　the　Great　Lakes

all　through　it；　and　never　fill　it　up。　　It　breeds　an　appetite　for　more

of　the　same　kind。　　It　tends　to　make　the　celebrity　a　mere　lump　of

egotism。　　It　genera