a mortal antipathy-第33章

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they　had　been　passed　off　for　cents。　　He　had　bought　them　as

curiosities。　　One　had　the　name　of　Gallienus　upon　it；　tolerably

distinct；a　common　little　Roman　penny；　but　it　would　serve　his

purpose　of　asking　a　question；　as　would　two　or　three　others　with　less

legible　legends。　　Paolo　told　him　that　if　he　came　the　next　morning　he

would　stand　a　fair　chance　of　seeing　Mr。　Kirkwood。　　At　any　rate；　he

would　speak　to　his　master。



The　Interviewer　presented　himself　the　next　morning；　after　finishing

his　breakfast　and　his　cigar；　feeling　reasonably　sure　of　finding　Mr。

Kirkwood　at　home；　as　he　proved　to　be。　　He　had　told　Paolo　to　show　the

stranger　up　to　his　library；or　study；　as　he　modestly　called　it。



It　was　a　pleasant　room　enough；　with　a　lookout　on　the　lake　in　one

direction；　and　the　wooded　hill　in　another。　　The　tenant　had　fitted　it

up　in　scholarly　fashion。　　The　books　Paolo　spoke　of　were　conspicuous；

many　of　them；　by　their　white　vellum　binding　and　tasteful　gilding；

showing　that　probably　they　had　been　bound　in　Rome；　or　some　other

Italian　city。　　With　these　were　older　volumes　in　their　dark　original

leather；　and　recent　ones　in　cloth　or　paper。　　As　the　Interviewer　ran

his　eye　over　them；　he　found　that　he　could　make　very　little　out　of

what　their　backs　taught　him。　　Some　of　the　paper…covered　books；　some

of　the　cloth…covered　ones；　had　names　which　he　knew；　but　those　on　the

backs　of　many　of　the　others　were　strange　to　his　eyes。　　The　classics

of　Greek　and　Latin　and　Italian　literature　were　there；　and　he　saw

enough　to　feel　convinced　that　he　had　better　not　attempt　to　display

his　erudition　in　the　company　of　this　young　scholar。



The　first　thing　the　Interviewer　had　to　do　was　to　account　for　his

visiting　a　person　who　had　not　asked　to　make　his　acquaintance；　and　who

was　living　as　a　recluse。　　He　took　out　his　battered　coppers；　and

showed　them　to　Maurice。



〃I　understood　that　you　were　very　skilful　in　antiquities；　and　had　a

good　many　yourself。　　So　I　took　the　liberty　of　calling　upon　you；

hoping　that　you　could　tell　me　something　about　some　ancient　coins　I

have　had　for　a　good　while。〃　　So　saying；　he　pointed　to　the　copper　with

the　name　of　Gallienus。



〃Is　this　very　rare　and　valuable？　　I　have　heard　that　great　prices　have

been　paid　for　some　of　these　ancient　coins；ever　so　many　guineas；

sometimes。　　I　suppose　this　is　as　much　as　a　thousand　years　old。〃



〃More　than　a　thousand　years　old；〃　said　Maurice。



〃And　worth　a　great　deal　of　money？〃　asked　the　Interviewer。



〃No；　not　a　great　deal　of　money；〃　answered　Maurice。



〃How　much；　should　you　say？〃　said　the　Interviewer。



Maurice　smiled。　　〃A　little　more　than　the　value　of　its　weight　in

copper；I　am　afraid　not　much　more。　　There　are　a　good　many　of　these

coins　of　Gallienus　knocking　about。　　The　peddlers　and　the　shopkeepers

take　such　pieces　occasionally；　and　sell　them；　sometimes　for　five　or

ten　cents；　to　young　collectors。　　No；　it　is　not　very　precious　in　money

value；　but　as　a　relic　any　piece　of　money　that　was　passed　from　hand　to

hand　a　thousand　or　fifteen　hundred　years　ago　is　interesting。　　The

value　of　such　relics　is　a　good　deal　a　matter　of　imagination。〃



〃And　what　do　you　say　to　these　others？〃　asked　the　Interviewer。　　Poor

old　worn…out　things　they　were；　with　a　letter　or　two　only；　and　some

faint　trace　of　a　figure　on　one　or　two　of　them。



〃Very　interesting；　always；　if　they　carry　your　imagination　back　to　the

times　when　you　may　suppose　they　were　current。　　Perhaps　Horace　tossed

one　of　them　to　a　beggar。　　Perhaps　one　of　these　was　the　coin　that　was

brought　when　One　said　to　those　about　Him；　'Bring　me　a　penny；　that　I

may　see　it。'　　But　the　market　price　is　a　different　matter。　　That

depends　on　the　beauty　and　preservation；　and　above　all　the　rarity；　of

the　specimen。　　Here　is　a　coin；　now；〃he　opened　a　small　cabinet；　and

took　one　from　it。　　〃Here　is　a　Syracusan　decadrachm　with　the　head　of

Persephone；　which　is　at　once　rare；　well　preserved；　and　beautiful。　　I

am　afraid　to　tell　what　I　paid　for　it。〃



The　Interviewer　was　not　an　expert　in　numismatics。　　He　cared　very

little　more　for　an　old　coin　than　he　did　for　an　old　button；　but　he　had

thought　his　purchase　at　the　tollman's　might　prove　a　good　speculation。

No　matter　about　the　battered　old　pieces：　he　had　found　out；　at　any

rate；　that　Maurice　must　have　money　and　could　be　extravagant；　or　what

he　himself　considered　so；　also　that　he　was　familiar　with　ancient

coins。　　That　would　do　for　a　beginning。



〃May　I　ask　where　you　picked　up　the　coin　you　are　showing　me？〃　he　said



〃That　is　a　question　which　provokes　a　negative　answer。　　One　does　not

'pick　up'　first…class　coins　or　paintings；　very　often；　in　these　times。

I　bought　this　of　a　great　dealer　in　Rome。〃



〃Lived　in　Rome　once？〃　said　the　Interviewer。



〃For　some　years。　　Perhaps　you　have　been　there　yourself？〃



The　Interviewer　said　he　had　never　been　there　yet；　but　he　hoped　he

should　go　there；　one　of　these　years。　　〃suppose　you　studied　art　and

antiquities　while　you　were　there？〃　he　continued。



〃Everybody　who　goes　to　Rome　must　learn　something　of　art　and

antiquities。　　Before　you　go　there　I　advise　you　to　review　Roman

history　and　the　classic　authors。　　You　had　better　make　a　study　of

ancient　and　modern　art；　and　not　have　everything　to　learn　while　you

are　going　about　among　ruins；　and　churches；　and　galleries。　　You　know

your　Horace　and　Virgil　well；　I　take　it　for　granted？〃



The　Interviewer　hesitated。　　The　names　sounded　as　if　he　had　heard

them。　　〃Not　so　well　as　I　mean　to　before　going　to　Rome；〃　he　answered。

〃May　I　ask　how　long　you　lived　in　Rome？〃



〃Long　enough　to　know　something　of　what　is　to　be　seen　in　it。　　No　one

should　go　there　without　careful　preparation　beforehand。　　You　are

familiar　with　Vasari；　of　course？〃



The　Interviewer　felt　a　slight　moisture　on　his　forehead。　　He　took　out

his　handkerchief。　　〃It　is　a　warm　day；〃　he　said。　　〃I　have　not　had　time

to　read　allthe　works　I　mean　to。　　I　have　had　too　much　writing　to　do；

myself；　to　find　all　the　time　for　reading　and　study　I　could　have

wished。〃



〃In　what　literary　occupation　have　you　been　engaged；　if　you　will

pardon　my　inquiry？　　said　Maurice。



〃I　am　connected　with　the　press。　　I　understood　that　you　were　a　man　of

letters；　and　I　hoped　I　might　have　the　privilege　of　hearing　from　your

own　lips　some　account　of　your　literary　experiences。〃



〃Perhaps　that　might　be　interesting；　but　I　think　I　shall　reserve　it

for　my　autobiography。　　You　said　you　were　connected　with　the　press。

Do　I　understand　that　you　are　an　author？〃



By　this　time　the　Interviewer　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　a

very　warm　day。　　He　did　not　seem　to　be　getting　hold　of　his　pitcher　by

the　right　handle；　somehow。　　But　he　could　not　help　answering　Maurice's

very　simple　question。



〃If　writing　for　a　newspaper　gives　one　a　right　to　be　called　an　author；

I　may　call　myself　one。　　I　write　for　the　〃People's　Perennial　and

Household　Inquisitor。'〃



〃Are　you　the　literary　critic　of　that　well…known　journal；　or　do　you

manage　the　political　column？〃



〃I　am　a　correspondent　from　different　places　and　on　various　matters　of

interest。〃



〃Places　you　have　been　to；　and　people　you　have　known？〃



〃Well；　yes；…generally；　that　is。　　Sometimes　I　have　to　compile　my

articles。〃



〃Did　you　write　the　letter　from　Rome；　published　a　few　weeks　ago？〃



The　Interviewer　was　in　what　he　would　call　a　tight　place。　　However；　he

had　found　that　his　man　was　too　much　for　him；　and　saw　that　the　best

thing　he　could　do　was　to　submit　to　be　interviewed　himself。　　He

thought　that　he　should　be　able　to　pick　up　something　or　other　which　he

could　work　into　his　report　of　his　visit。



〃Well；　Iprepared　that　article　for　our　columns。　　You　know　one　does

not　have　to　see　everything　he　describes。　　You　found　it　accurate；　I

hope；　in　its　descriptions？〃



〃Yes；　Murray　is　generally　accurate。　　Sometimes　he　makes　mistakes；　but

I　can't　say　how　far　you　have　copied　them。　　You　got　the　Ponte　Molle

the　old　Milvian　bridgea　good　deal　too　far　down　the　stream；　if　I