a mortal antipathy-第40章

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as　he　passed　me；　and　I　noticed　that　he　put　his　hand　to　his　left　side

as　if　he　had　a　twinge　of　pain；　or　something　of　that　sort；spasm　or

neuralgia；I　don't　know　what。　　I　wondered　whether　he　had　what　you

call　angina　pectoris。　　It　was　the　same　kind　of　look　and　movement；　I

remember；　as　you　trust；　too；　in　my　uncle　who　died　with　that

complaint。〃



The　doctor　was　silent　for　a　moment。　　Then　he　asked；　〃Were　you　dressed

as　you　are　now？〃



〃Yes；　I　was；　except　that　I　had　a　thin　mantle　over　my　shoulders。　　I

was　out　early；　and　I　have　always　remembered　your　caution。〃



〃What　color　was　your　mantle？〃



〃It　was　black。　　I　have　been　over　all　this　with　Lucinda。　　A　black

mantle　on　a　white　dress。　　A　straw　hat　with　an　old　faded　ribbon。

There　can't　be　much　in　those　colors　to　trouble　him；　I　should　think；

for　his　man　wears　a　black　coat　and　white　linen；more　or　less　white；

as　you　must　have　noticed；　and　he　must　have　seen　ribbons　of　all　colors

often　enough。　　But　Lurida　believes　it　was　the　ribbon；　or　something　in

the　combination　of　colors。　　Her　head　is　full　of　Tarantulas　and

Tarantism。　　I　fear　that　she　will　never　be　easy　until　the　question　is

settled　by　actual　trial。　　And　will　you　believe　it？　the　girl　is

determined　in　some　way　to　test　her　supposition！〃



〃Believe　it；　Euthymia？　　I　can　believe　almost　anything　of　Lurida。　　She

is　the　most　irrepressible　creature　I　ever　knew。　　You　know　as　well　as

I　do　what　a　complete　possession　any　ruling　idea　takes　of　her　whole

nature。　　I　have　had　some　fears　lest　her　zeal　might　run　away　with　her

discretion。　　It　is　a　great　deal　easier　to　get　into　a　false　position

than　to　get　out　of　it。〃



〃I　know　it　well　enough。　　I　want　you　to　tell　me　what　you　think　about

the　whole　business。　　I　don't　like　the　look　of　it　at　all；　and　yet　I

can　do　nothing　with　the　girl　except　let　her　follow　her　fancy；　until　I

can　show　her　plainly　that　she　will　get　herself　into　trouble　in　some

way　or　other。　　But　she　is　ingenious；full　of　all　sorts　of　devices；

innocent　enough　in　themselves；　but　liable　to　be　misconstrued。　　You

remember　how　she　won　us　the　boat…race？〃



〃To　be　sure　I　do。　　It　was　rather　sharp　practice；　but　she　felt　she　was

paying　off　an　old　score。　　The　classical　story　of　Atalanta；　told；　like

that　of　Eve；　as　illustrating　the　weakness　of　woman；　provoked　her　to

make　trial　of　the　powers　of　resistance　in　the　other　sex。　　But　it　was

audacious。　　I　hope　her　audacity　will　not　go　too　far。　　You　must　watch

her。　　Keep　an　eye　on　her　correspondence。〃



The　doctor　had　great　confidence　in　the　good　sense　of　Lurida's　friend。

He　felt　sure　that　she　would　not　let　Lurida　commit　herself　by　writing

foolish　letters　to　the　subject　of　her　speculations；　or　similar

indiscreet　performances。　　The　boldness　of　young　girls；　who　think　no

evil；　in　opening　correspondence　with　idealized　personages　is

something　quite　astonishing　to　those　who　have　had　an　opportunity　of

knowing　the　facts。　　Lurida　had　passed　the　most　dangerous　age；　but　her

theory　of　the　equality　of　the　sexes　made　her　indifferent　to　the

by…laws　of　social　usage。　　She　required　watching；　and　her　two

guardians　were　ready　to　check　her；　in　case　of　need。









XVI



MISS　VINCENT　WRITES　A　LETTER。



Euthymia　noticed　that　her　friend　had　been　very　much　preoccupied　for

two　or　three　days。　　She　found　her　more　than　once　busy　at　her　desk；

with　a　manuscript　before　her；　which　she　turned　over　and　placed　inside

the　desk；　as　Euthymia　entered。



This　desire　of　concealment　was　not　what　either　of　the　friends

expected　to　see　in　the　other。　　It　showed　that　some　project　was　under

way；　which；　at　least　in　its　present　stage；　the　Machiavellian　young

lady　did　not　wish　to　disclose。　　It　had　cost　her　a　good　deal　of

thought　and　care；　apparently；　for　her　waste…basket　was　full　of　scraps

of　paper；　which　looked　as　if　they　were　the　remains　of　a　manuscript

like　that　at　which　she　was　at　work。　　〃Copying　and　recopying；

probably；〃　thought　Euthymia；　but　she　was　willing　to　wait　to　learn

what　Lurida　was　busy　about；　though　she　had　a　suspicion　that　it　was

something　in　which　she　might　feel　called　upon　to　interest　herself。



〃Do　you　know　what　I　think？〃　said　Euthymia　to　the　doctor；　meeting　him

as　he　left　his　door。　　〃I　believe　Lurida　is　writing　to　this　man；　and　I

don't　like　the　thought　of　her　doing　such　a　thing。　　Of　course　she　is

not　like　other　girls　in　many　respects；　but　other　people　will　judge

her　by　the　common　rules　of　life。〃



〃I　am　glad　that　you　spoke　of　it；〃　answered　the　doctor；　〃she　would

write　to　him　just　as　quickly　as　to　any　woman　of　his　age。　　Besides；

under　the　cover　of　her　office；　she　has　got　into　the　way　of　writing　to

anybody。　　I　think　she　has　already　written　to　Mr。　Kirkwood；　asking　him

to　contribute　a　paper　for　the　Society。　　She　can　find　a　pretext　easily

enough　if　she　has　made　up　her　mind　to　write。　　In　fact；　I　doubt　if　she

would　trouble　herself　for　any　pretext　at　all　if　she　decided　to　write。

Watch　her　well。　　Don't　let　any　letter　go　without　seeing　it；　if　you

can　help　it。〃



Young　women　are　much　given　to　writing　letters　to　persons　whom　they

only　know　indirectly；　for　the　most　part　through　their　books；　and

especially　to　romancers　and　poets。　　Nothing　can　be　more　innocent　and

simple…hearted　than　most　of　these　letters。　　They　are　the　spontaneous

outflow　of　young　hearts　easily　excited　to　gratitude　for　the　pleasure

which　some　story　or　poem　has　given　them；　and　recognizing　their　own

thoughts；　their　own　feelings；　in　those　expressed　by　the　author；　as　if

on　purpose　for　them　to　read。　　Undoubtedly　they　give　great　relief　to

solitary　young　persons；　who　must　have　some　ideal　reflection　of

themselves；　and　know　not　where　to　look　since　Protestantism　has　taken

away　the　crucifix　and　the　Madonna。　　The　recipient　of　these　letters

sometimes　wonders；　after　reading　through　one　of　them；　how　it　is　that

his　young　correspondent　has　managed　to　fill　so　much　space　with　her

simple　message　of　admiration　or　of　sympathy。



Lurida　did　not　belong　to　this　particular　class　of　correspondents；　but

she　could　not　resist　the　law　of　her　sex；　whose　thoughts　naturally

surround　themselves　with　superabundant　drapery　of　language；　as　their

persons　float　in　a　wide　superfluity　of　woven　tissues。　　Was　she　indeed

writing　to　this　unknown　gentleman？　　Euthymia　questioned　her　point…

blank。



〃Are　you　going　to　open　a　correspondence　with　Mr。　Maurice　Kirkwood；

Lurida？　　You　seem　to　be　so　busy　writing；　I　can　think　of　nothing　else。

Or　are　you　going　to　write　a　novel；　or　a　paper　for　the　Society；do

tell　me　what　you　are　so　much　taken　up　with。〃



〃I　will　tell　you；　Euthymia；　if　you　will　promise　not　to　find　fault

with　me　for　carrying　out　my　plan　as　I　have　made　up　my　mind　to　do。

You　may　read　this　letter　before　I　seal　it；　and　if　you　find　anything

in　it　you　don't　like　you　can　suggest　any　change　that　you　think　will

improve　it。　　I　hope　you　will　see　that　it　explains　itself。　　I　don't

believe　that　you　will　find　anything　to　frighten　you　in　it。〃



This　is　the　letter；　as　submitted　to　Miss　Tower　by　her　friend。　　The

bold　handwriting　made　it　look　like　a　man's　letter；　and　gave　it

consequently　a　less　dangerous　expression　than　that　which　belongs　to

the　tinted　and　often　fragrant　sheet　with　its　delicate　thready

characters；　which　slant　across　the　page　like　an　April　shower　with　a

south　wind　chasing　it。





ARROWHEAD　VILLAGE；　August；　18。



MY　DEAR　SIR；You　will　doubtless　be　surprised　at　the　sight　of　a

letter　like　this　from　one　whom　you　only　know　as　the　Secretary　of　the

Pansophian　Society。　　There　is　a　very　common　feeling　that　it　is

unbecoming　in　one　of　my　sex　to　address　one　of　your　own　with　whom　she

is　unacquainted；　unless　she　has　some　special　claim　upon　his

attention。　　I　am　by　no　means　disposed　to　concede　to　the　vulgar

prejudice　on　this　point。　　If　one　human　being　has　anything　to

communicate　to　another；anything　which　deserves　being　communicated；

I　see　no　occasion　for　bringing　in　the　question　of　sex。　　I　do　not

think　the　homo　sum　of　Terence　can　be　claimed　for　the　male