a mortal antipathy-第34章

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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

remember。　　I　happened　to　notice　that；　but　I　did　not　read　the　article

carefully。　　May　I　ask　whether　you　propose　to　do　me　the　honor　of

reporting　this　visit　and　the　conversation　we　have　had；　for　the

columns　of　the　newspaper　with　which　you　are　connected？〃



The　Interviewer　thought　he　saw　an　opening。　　〃If　you　have　no

objections；〃　he　said；　〃I　should　like　very　much　to　ask　a　few

questions。〃　　He　was　recovering　his　professional　audacity。



〃You　can　ask　as　many　questions　as　you　consider　proper　and　discreet；

after　you　have　answered　one　or　two　of　mine：　Who　commissioned　you　to

submit　me　to　examination？〃



〃The　curiosity　of　the　public　wishes　to　be　gratified；　and　I　am　the

humble　agent　of　its　investigations。〃



〃What　has　the　public　to　do　with　my　private　affairs？〃



〃I　suppose　it　is　a　question　of　majority　and　minority。　　That　settles

everything　in　this　country。　　You　are　a　minority　of　one　opposed　to　a

large　number　of　curious　people　that　form　a　majority　against　you。

That　is　the　way　I've　heard　the　chief　put　it。〃



Maurice　could　not　help　smiling　at　the　quiet　assumption　of　the

American　citizen。　　The　Interviewer　smiled；　too；　and　thought　he　had

his　man；　sure；　at　last。　　Maurice　calmly　answered；　〃There　is　nothing

left　for　minorities；　then；　but　the　right　of　rebellion。　　I　don't　care

about　being　made　the　subject　of　an　article　for　your　paper。　　I　am　here

for　my　pleasure；　minding　my　own　business；　and　content　with　that

occupation。　　I　rebel　against　your　system　of　forced　publicity。

Whenever　I　am　ready　I　shall　tell　the　public　all　it　has　any　right　to

know　about　me。　　In　the　mean　time　I　shall　request　to　be　spared　reading

my　biography　while　I　am　living。　　I　wish　you　a　good…morning。〃



The　Interviewer　had　not　taken　out　his　note…book　and　pencil。　　In　his

next　communication　from　Arrowhead　Village　he　contented　himself　with　a

brief　mention　of　the　distinguished　and　accomplished　gentleman　now

visiting　the　place；　whose　library　and　cabinet　of　coins　he　had　had　the

privilege　of　examining；　and　whose　courtesy　was　equalled　only　by　the

modesty　that　shunned　the　public　notoriety　which　the　organs　of　popular

intelligence　would　otherwise　confer　upon　him。



The　Interviewer　had　attempted　the　riddle　of　the　Sphinx；　and　had

failed　to　get　the　first　hint　of　its　solution。



The　many　tongues　of　the　village　and　its　visitors　could　not　remain

idle。　　The　whole　subject　of　antipathies　had　been　talked　over；　and　the

various　cases　recorded　had　become　more　or　less　familiar　to　the

conversational　circles　which　met　every　evening　in　the　different

centres　of　social　life。　　The　prevalent　hypothesis　for　the　moment　was

that　Maurice　had　a　congenital　aversion　to　some　color；　the　effects　of

which　upon　him　were　so　painful　or　disagreeable　that　he　habitually

avoided　exposure　to　it。　　It　was　known；　and　it　has　already　been

mentioned；　that　such　cases　were　on　record。　　There　had　been　a　great

deal　of　discussion；　of　late；　with　reference　to　a　fact　long　known　to　a

few　individuals；　but　only　recently　made　a　matter　of　careful

scientific　observation　and　brought　to　the　notice　of　the　public。　　This

was　the　now　well…known　phenomenon　of　color…blindness。　　It　did　not

seem　very　strange　that　if　one　person　in　every　score　or　two　could　not

tell　red　from　green　there　might　be　other　curious　individual

peculiarities　relating　to　color。　　A　case　has　already　been　referred　to

where　the　subject　of　observation　fainted　at　the　sight　of　any　red

object。　　What　if　this　were　the　trouble　with　Maurice　Kirkwood？　　It

will　be　seen　at　once　how　such　a　congenital　antipathy　would　tend　to

isolate　the　person　who　was　its　unfortunate　victim。　　It　was　an

hypothesis　not　difficult　to　test；　but　it　was　a　rather　delicate

business　to　be　experimenting　on　an　inoffensive　stranger。　　Miss

Vincent　was　thinking　it　over；　but　said　nothing；　even　to　Euthymia；　of

any　projects　she　might　entertain。









XII



MISS　VINCENT　AS　A　MEDICAL　STUDENT。



The　young　lady　whom　we　have　known　as　The　Terror；　as　Lurida；　as　Miss

Vincent；　Secretary　of　the　Pansophian　Society；　had　been　reading

various　works　selected　for　her　by　Dr。　Butts；works　chiefly　relating

to　the　nervous　system　and　its　different　affections。　　She　thought　it

was　about　time　to　talk　over　the　general　subject　of　the　medical

profession　with　her　new　teacher；if　such　a　self…directing　person　as

Lurida　could　be　said　to　recognize　anybody　as　teacher。



She　began　at　the　beginning。　　〃What　is　the　first　book　you　would　put　in

a　student's　hands；　doctor？〃　she　said　to　him　one　day。　　They　were　in

his　study；　and　Lurida　had　just　brought　back　a　thick　volume　on

Insanity；　one　of　Bucknill　and　Puke's；　which　she　had　devoured　as　if　it

had　been　a　pamphlet。



〃Not　that　book；　certainly；〃　he　said。　　〃I　am　afraid　it　will　put　all

sorts　of　notions　into　your　head。　　Who　or　what　set　you　to　reading

that；　I　should　like　to　know？〃



〃I　found　it　on　one　of　your　shelves；　and　as　I　thought　I　might　perhaps

be　crazy　some　time　or　other；　I　felt　as　if　I　should　like　to　know　what

kind　of　a　condition　insanity　is。　　I　don't　believe　they　were　ever　very

bright；　those　insane　people；　most　of　them。　　I　hope　I　am　not　stupid

enough　ever　to　lose　my　wits。〃



〃There　is　no　telling；　my　dear；　what　may　happen　if　you　overwork　that

busy　brain　of　yours。　　But　did　n't　it　make　you　nervous；　reading　about

so　many　people　possessed　with　such　strange　notions？〃



〃Nervous？　　Not　a　bit。　　I　could　n't　help　thinking；　though；　how　many

people　I　had　known　that　had　a　little　touch　of　craziness　about　them。

Take　that　poor　woman　that　says　she　is　Her　Majesty's　Person；not　Her

Majesty；　but　Her　Majesty's　Person；a　very　important　distinction；

according　to　her：　how　she　does　remind　me　of　more　than　one　girl　I　have

known！　　She　would　let　her　skirts　down　so　as　to　make　a　kind　of　train；

and　pile　things　on　her　head　like　a　sort　of　crown；　fold　her　arms　and

throw　her　head　back；　and　feel　as　grand　as　a　queen。　　I　have　seen　more

than　one　girl　act　very　much　in　that　way。　　Are　not　most　of　us　a　little

crazy；　doctor；just　a　little？　　I　think　so。　　It　seems　to　me　I　never

saw　but　one　girl　who　was　free　from　every　hint　of　craziness。〃



〃And　who　was　that；　pray？〃



〃Why；　Euthymia；nobody　else；　of　course。　　She　never　loses　her　head；

I　don't　believe　she　would　in　an　earthquake。　　Whenever　we　were　at　work

with　our　microscopes　at　the　Institute　I　always　told　her　that　her　mind

was　the　only　achromatic　one　I　ever　looked　into；I　did　n't　say　looked

through。…But　I　did　n't　come　to　talk　about　that。　　I　read　in　one　of

your　books　that　when　Sydenham　was　asked　by　a　student　what　books　he

should　read；　the　great　physician　said；　'Read　〃Don　Quixote。〃'　I　want

you　to　explain　that　to　me；　and　then　I　want　you　to　tell　me　what　is　the

first　book；　according　to　your　idea；　that　a　student　ought　to　read。〃



〃What　do　you　say　to　my　taking　your　question　as　the　subject　of　a　paper

to　be　read　before　the　Society？　　I　think　there　may　be　other　young

ladies　at　the　meeting；　besides　yourself；　who　are　thinking　of　pursuing

the　study　of　medicine。　　At　any　rate；　there　are　a　good　many　who　are

interested　in　the　subject；　in　fact；　most　people　listen　readily　to

anything　doctors　tell　them　about　their　calling。〃



〃I　wish　you　would；　doctor。　　I　want　Euthymia　to　hear　it；　and　I　don't

doubt　there　will　be　others　who　will　be　glad　to　hear　everything　you

have　to　say　about　it。　　But　oh；　doctor；　if　you　could　only　persuade

Eutbymia　to　become　a　physician！　　What　a　doctor　she　would　make！　　So

strong；　so　calm；　so　full　of　wisdom！　　I　believe　she　could　take　the

wheel　of　a　steamboat　in　a　storm；　or　the　hose　of　a　fire…engine　in　a

conflagration；　and　handle　it　as　well　as　the　captain　of　the　boat　or　of

the　fire…company。〃



〃Have　you　ever　talked　with　her　about　studying　medicine？〃



〃Indeed　I　have。　　Oh；　if　she　would　only　begin　with　me！　　What　good

times　we　would　have　studying　together！〃



〃I　don't　doubt　it。　　Medicine　is　a　very　pleasant