a mortal antipathy-第31章

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〃An　antipathy！　　Why；　so　have　I　an　antipathy。　　I　hate　a　spider；　and　as

for　a　naked　caterpillar；I　believe　I　should　go　into　a　fit　if　I　had

to　touch　one。　　I　know　I　turn　pale　at　the　sight　of　some　of　those　great

green　caterpillars　that　come　down　from　the　elm…trees　in　August　and

early　autumn。〃



〃Afraid　of　them？〃　asked　the　young　lady。



〃Afraid？　　What　should　I　be　afraid　of？　　They　can't　bite　or　sting。　　I

can't　give　any　reason。　　All　I　know　is　that　when　I　come　across　one　of

these　creatures　in　my　path　I　jump　to　one　side；　and　cry　out；

sometimes　using　very　improper　words。　　The　fact　is；　they　make　me　crazy

for　the　moment。〃



〃I　understand　what　you　mean；〃　said　Miss　Vincent。　　〃I　used　to　have　the

same　feeling　about　spiders；　but　I　was　ashamed　of　it；　and　kept　a

little　menagerie　of　spiders　until　I　had　got　over　the　feeling；　that

is；　pretty　much　got　over　it；　for　I　don't　love　the　creatures　very

dearly；　though　I　don't　scream　when　I　see　one。〃



〃What　did　you　tell　me；　Miss　Vincent；　was　this　fellow's　particular

antipathy？〃



That　is　just　the　question。　　I　told　you　that　we　don't　know　and　we

can't　guess　what　it　is。　　The　people　here　are　tired　out　with　trying　to

discover　some　good　reason　for　the　young　man's　keeping　out　of　the　way

of　everybody；　as　he　does。　　They　say　he　is　odd　or　crazy；　and　they

don't　seem　to　be　able　to　tell　which。　　It　would　make　the　old　ladies　of

the　village　sleep　a　great　deal　sounder；yes；　and　some　of　the　young

ladies；　too；if　they　could　find　out　what　this　Mr。　Kirkwood　has　got

into　his　head；　that　he　never　comes　near　any　of　the　people　here。〃



〃I　think　I　can　find　out；〃　said　the　Interviewer；　whose　professional

ambition　was　beginning　to　be　excited。　　〃I　never　came　across　anybody

yet　that　I　could　n't　get　something　out　of。　　I　am　going　to　stay　here　a

week　or　two；　and　before　I　go　I　will　find　out　the　secret；　if　there　is

any；　of　this　Mr。　Maurice　Kirkwood。〃



We　must　leave　the　Interviewer　to　his　contrivances　until　they　present

us　with　some　kind　of　result；　either　in　the　shape　of　success　or

failure。









XI



THE　INTERVIEWER　ATTACKS　THE　SPHINX。



When　Miss　Euthymia　Tower　sent　her　oar　off　in　flashing　splinters；　as

she　pulled　her　last　stroke　in　the　boat…race；　she　did　not　know　what　a

strain　she　was　putting　upon　it。　　She　did　know　that　she　was　doing　her

best；　but　how　great　the　force　of　her　best　was　she　was　not　aware　until

she　saw　its　effects。　　Unconsciousness　belonged　to　her　robust　nature；

in　all　its　manifestations。　　She　did　not　pride　herself　on　her

knowledge；　nor　reproach　herself　for　her　ignorance。　　In　every　way　she

formed　a　striking　contrast　to　her　friend；　Miss　Vincent。　　Every　word

they　spoke　betrayed　the　difference　between　them：　the　sharp　tones　of

Lurida's　head…voice；　penetrative；　aggressive；　sometimes　irritating；

revealed　the　corresponding　traits　of　mental　and　moral　character；　the

quiet；　conversational　contralto　of　Euthymia　was　the　index　of　a　nature

restful　and　sympathetic。



The　friendships　of　young　girls　prefigure　the　closer　relations　which

will　one　day　come　in　and　dissolve　their　earlier　intimacies。　　The

dependence　of　two　young　friends　may　be　mutual；　but　one　will　always

lean　more　heavily　than　the　other；　the　masculine　and　feminine　elements

will　be　as　sure　to　assert　themselves　as　if　the　friends　were　of

different　sexes。



On　all　common　occasions　Euthymia　looked　up　to　her　friend　as　her

superior。　　She　fully　appreciated　all　her　varied　gifts　and　knowledge；

and　deferred　to　her　opinion　in　every…day　matters；　not　exactly　as　an

oracle；　but　as　wiser　than　herself　or　any　of　her　other　companions。　　It

was　a　different　thing；　however；　when　the　graver　questions　of　life

came　up。　　Lurida　was　full　of　suggestions；　plans；　projects；　which　were

too　liable　to　run　into　whims　before　she　knew　where　they　were　tending。

She　would　lay　out　her　ideas　before　Euthymia　so　fluently　and

eloquently　that　she　could　not　help　believing　them　herself；　and

feeling　as　if　her　friend　must　accept　them　with　an　enthusiasm　like　her

own。　　Then　Euthymia　would　take　them　up　with　her　sweet；　deliberate

accents；　and　bring　her　calmer　judgment　to　bear　on　them。



Lurida　was　in　an　excited　condition；　in　the　midst　of　all　her　new

interests　and　occupations。　　She　was　constantly　on　the　lookout　for

papers　to　be　read　at　the　meetings　of　her　Society；for　she　made　it

her　own　in　great　measure；　by　her　zeal　and　enthusiasm；and　in　the

mean　time　she　was　reading　in　various　books　which　Dr。　Butts　selected

for　her；　all　bearing　on　the　profession　to　which；　at　least　as　a

possibility；　she　was　looking　forward。　　Privately　and　in　a　very　still

way；　she　was　occupying　herself　with　the　problem　of　the　young

stranger；　the　subject　of　some　delusion；　or　disease；　or　obliquity　of

unknown　nature；　to　which　the　vague　name　of　antipathy　had　been

attached。　　Euthymia　kept　an　eye　upon　her；　partly　in　the　fear　that

over…excitement　would　produce　some　mental　injury；　and　partly　from

anxiety　lest　she　should　compromise　her　womanly　dignity　in　her　desire

to　get　at　the　truth　of　a　very　puzzling　question。



〃How　do　you　like　the　books　I　see　you　reading？〃　said　Euthymia　to

Lurida；　one　day；　as　they　met　at　the　Library。



〃Better　than　all　the　novels　I　ever　read；〃　she　answered。　　〃I　have　been

reading　about　the　nervous　system；　and　it　seems　to　me　I　have　come

nearer　the　springs　of　life　than　ever　before　in　all　my　studies。　　I

feel　just　as　if　I　were　a　telegraph　operator。　　I　was　sure　that　I　had　a

battery　in　my　head；　for　I　know　my　brain　works　like　one；　but　I　did　not

know　how　many　centres　of　energy　there　are；　and　how　they　are　played

upon　by　all　sorts　of　influences；　external　and　internal。　　Do　you　know；

I　believe　I　could　solve　the　riddle　of　the　'Arrowhead　Village　Sphinx；'

as　the　paper　called　him；　if　he　would　only　stay　here　long　enough？〃



〃What　paper　has　had　anything　about　it；　Lurida？　　I　have　not　seen　or

heard　of　its　being　mentioned　in　any　of　the　papers。〃



〃You　know　that　rather　queer…looking　young　man　who　has　been　about　here

for　some　time；the　same　one　who　gave　the　account　of　his　interview

with　a　celebrated　author？　　Well；　he　has　handed　me　a　copy　of　a　paper

in　which　he　writes；　'The　People's　Perennial　and　Household

Inquisitor。'　He　talks　about　this　village　in　a　very　free　and　easy　way。

He　says　there　is　a　Sphinx　here；　who　has　mystified　us　all。〃



〃And　you　have　been　chatting　with　that　fellow！　　Don't　you　know　that

he'll　have　you　and　all　of　us　in　his　paper？　　Don't　you　know　that

nothing　is　safe　where　one　of　those　fellows　gets　in　with　his　note…book

and　pencil？　　Oh；　Lurida；　Lurida；　do　be　careful！〃　　What　with　this

mysterious　young　man　and　this　very　questionable　newspaper…paragraph

writer；　you　will　be　talked　about；　if　you　don't　mind；　before　you　know

it。　　You　had　better　let　the　riddle　of　the　Sphinx　alone。　　If　you　must

deal　with　such　dangerous　people；　the　safest　way　is　to　set　one　of　them

to　find　out　the　other。　I　wonder　if　we　can't　get　this　new　man　to

interview　the　visitor　you　have　so　much　curiosity　about。　　That　might

be　managed　easily　enough　without　your　having　anything　to　do　with　it。

Let　me　alone；　and　I　will　arrange　it。　　But　mind；　now；　you　must　not

meddle；　if　you　do；　you　will　spoil　everything；　and　get　your　name　in

the　'Household　Inquisitor'　in　a　way　you　won't　like。〃



〃Don't　be　frightened　about　me；　Euthymia。　　I　don't　mean　to　give　him　a

chance　to　work　me　into　his　paper；　if　I　can　help　it。　　But　if　you　can

get　him　to　try　his　skill　upon　this　interesting　personage　and　his

antipathy；　so　much　the　better。　　I　am　very　curious　about　it；　and

therefore　about　him。　　I　want　to　know　what　has　produced　this　strange

state　of　feeling　in　a　young　man　who　ought　to　have　all　the　common

instincts　of　a　social　being。　　I　believe　there　are　unexplained　facts

in　the　region　of　sympathies　and　antipathies　which　will　repay　study

with　a　deeper　insight　into　the　mysteries　of　life　than　we　have　dreamed

of　hitherto。　　I　often　wonder　whether　there　are　not　heart…waves　and

soul…waves　as　well　as　'brain…waves；'　which　some　have　already

recognized。〃