a mortal antipathy-第42章

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before　her　as　if　it　bad　been　dictated　by　her　guardian　angel。　　She

went　straight　over　to　the　home　of　Lurida；　who　was　just　dressed　for

breakfast。



She　was　naturally　a　little　surprised　at　this　early　visit。　　She　was

struck　with　the　excited　look　of　Euthymia；　being　herself　quite　calm；

and　contemplating　her　project　with　entire　complacency。



Euthymia　began；　in　tones　that　expressed　deep　anxiety。



〃I　have　read　your　letter；　my　dear；　and　admired　its　spirit　and　force。

It　is　a　fine　letter；　and　does　you　great　credit　as　an　expression　of

the　truest　human　feeling。　　But　it　must　not　be　sent　to　Mr。　Kirkwood。

If　you　were　sixty　years　old；　perhaps　if　you　were　fifty；　it　might　be

admissible　to　send　it。　　But　if　you　were　forty；　I　should　question　its

propriety；　if　you　were　thirty；　I　should　veto　it；　and　you　are　but　a

little　more　than　twenty。　　How　do　you　know　that　this　stranger　will　not

show　your　letter　to　anybody　or　everybody？　　How　do　you　know　that　he

will　not　send　it　to　one　of　the　gossiping　journals　like　the　'Household

Inquisitor'？　　But　supposing　he　keeps　it　to　himself；　which　is　more

than　you　have　a　right　to　expect；　what　opinion　is　he　likely　to　form　of

a　young　lady　who　invades　his　privacy　with　such　freedom？　　Ten　to　one

he　will　think　curiosity　is　at　the　bottom　of　it；and；come；　don't　be

angry　at　me　for　suggesting　it；may　there　not　be　a　little　of　that

same　motive　mingled　with　the　others？　　No；　don't　interrupt　me　quite

yet；　you　do　want　to　know　whether　your　hypothesis　is　correct。　　You　are

full　of　the　best　and　kindest　feelings　in　the　world；　but　your　desire

for　knowledge　is　the　ferment　under　them　just　now；　perhaps　more　than

you　know。〃



Lurida's　pale　cheeks　flushed　and　whitened　more　than　once　while　her

friend　was　speaking。　　She　loved　her　too　sincerely　and　respected　her

intelligence　too　much　to　take　offence　at　her　advice；　but　she　could

not　give　up　her　humane　and　sisterly　intentions　merely　from　the　fear

of　some　awkward　consequences　to　herself。　　She　had　persuaded　herself

that　she　was　playing　the　part　of　a　Protestant　sister　of　charity；　and

that　the　fact　of　her　not　wearing　the　costume　of　these　ministering

angels　made　no　difference　in　her　relations　to　those　who　needed　her

aid。



〃I　cannot　see　your　objections　in　the　light　in　which　they　appear　to

you；〃　she　said　gravely。　　〃It　seems　to　me　that　I　give　up　everything

when　I　hesitate　to　help　a　fellow…creature　because　I　am　a　woman。　　I　am

not　afraid　to　send　this　letter　and　take　all　the　consequences。〃



〃Will　you　go　with　me　to　the　doctor's；　and　let　him　read　it　in　our

presence？　　And　will　you　agree　to　abide　by　his　opinion；　if　it

coincides　with　mine？〃



Lurida　winced　a　little　at　this　proposal。　　〃I　don't　quite　like；〃　she

said；　〃showing　this　letter　toto〃　she　hesitated；　but　it　had　to　come

out〃to　a　man；　that　is；　to　another　man　than　the　one　for　whom　it　was

intended。〃



The　neuter　gender　business　had　got　a　pretty　damaging　side…hit。



〃Well；　never　mind　about　letting　him　read　the　letter。　　Will　you　go

over　to　his　house　with　me　at　noon；　when　he　comes　back　after　his

morning　visits；　and　have　a　talk　over　the　whole　matter　with　him？　　You

know　I　have　sometimes　had　to　say　must　to　you；　Lurida；　and　now　I　say

you　must　go　to　the　doctor's　with　me　and　carry　that　letter。〃



There　was　no　resisting　the　potent　monosyllable　as　the　sweet　but　firm

voice　delivered　it。　　At　noon　the　two　maidens　rang　at　the　doctor's

door。　　The　servant　said　he　had　been　at　the　house　after　his　morning

visits；　but　found　a　hasty　summons　to　Mr。　Kirkwood；　who　had　been　taken

suddenly　ill　and　wished　to　see　him　at　once。　　Was　the　illness

dangerous？　　The　servant…maid　did　n't　know；　but　thought　it　was　pretty

bad；　for　Mr。　Paul　came　in　as　white　as　a　sheet；　and　talked　all　sorts

of　languages　which　she　couldn't　understand；　and　took　on　as　if　he

thought　Mr。　Kirkwood　was　going　to　die　right　off。



And　so　the　hazardous　question　about　sending　the　letter　was　disposed

of；　at　least　for　the　present。









XVII



Dr。　BUTTS'S　PATIENT。



The　physician　found　Maurice　just　regaining　his　heat　after　a　chill　of

a　somewhat　severe　character。　　He　knew　too　well　what　this　meant；　and

the　probable　series　of　symptoms　of　which　it　was　the　prelude。　　His

patient　was　not　the　only　one　in　the　neighborhood　who　was　attacked　in

this　way。　　The　autumnal　fevers　to　which　our　country　towns　are

subject；　in　the　place　of　those　〃agues；〃　or　intermittents；　so　largely

prevalent　in　the　South　and　West；　were　already　beginning；　and　Maurice；

who　had　exposed　himself　in　the　early　and　late　hours　of　the　dangerous

season；　must　be　expected　to　go　through　the　regular　stages　of　this

always　serious　and　not　rarely　fatal　disease。



Paolo；　his　faithful　servant；　would　fain　have　taken　the　sole　charge　of

his　master　during　his　illness。　　But　the　doctor　insisted　that　he　must

have　a　nurse　to　help　him　in　his　task；　which　was　likely　to　be　long　and

exhausting。



At　the　mention　of　the　word　〃nurse〃　Paolo　turned　white；　and　exclaimed

in　an　agitated　and　thoroughly　frightened　way；



〃No！　no　nuss！　　no　woman！　　She　kill　him！　　I　stay　by　him　day　and　night；

but　don'　let　no　woman　come　near　him；if　you　do；　he　die！〃



The　doctor　explained　that　he　intended　to　send　a　man　who　was　used　to

taking　care　of　sick　people；　and　with　no　little　effort　at　last

succeeded　in　convincing　Paolo　that；　as　he　could　not　be　awake　day　and

night　for　a　fortnight　or　three　weeks；　it　was　absolutely　necessary　to

call　in　some　assistance　from　without。　　And　so　Mr。　Maurice　Kirkwood

was　to　play　the　leading　part　in　that　drama　of　nature's　composing

called　a　typhoid　fever；　with　its　regular　bedchamber　scenery；　its

properties　of　phials　and　pill…boxes；　its　little　company　of　stock

actors；　its　gradual　evolution　of　a　very　simple　plot；　its　familiar

incidents；　its　emotional　alternations；　and　its　denouement；　sometimes

tragic；　oftener　happy。



It　is　needless　to　say　that　the　sympathies　of　all　the　good　people　of

the　village；　residents　and　strangers；　were　actively　awakened　for　the

young　man　about　whom　they　knew　so　little　and　conjectured　so　much。

Tokens　of　their　kindness　came　to　him　daily：　flowers　from　the　woods

and　from　the　gardens；　choice　fruit　grown　in　the　open　air　or　under

glass；　for　there　were　some　fine　houses　surrounded　by　well…kept

grounds；　and　greenhouses　and　graperies　were　not　unknown　in　the　small

but　favored　settlement。



On　all　these　luxuries　Maurice　looked　with　dull　and　languid　eyes。　　A

faint　smile　of　gratitude　sometimes　struggled　through　the　stillness　of

his　features；　or　a　murmured　word　of　thanks　found　its　way　through　his

parched　lips；　and　he　would　relapse　into　the　partial　stupor　or　the

fitful　sleep　in　which；　with　intervals　of　slight　wandering；　the　slow

hours　dragged　along　the　sluggish　days　one　after　another。　　With　no

violent　symptoms；　but　with　steady　persistency；　the　disease　moved　on

in　its　accustomed　course。　　It　was　at　no　time　immediately　threatening；

but　the　experienced　physician　knew　its　uncertainties　only　too　well。

He　had　known　fever　patients　suddenly　seized　with　violent　internal

inflammation；　and　carried　off　with　frightful　rapidity。　　He　remembered

the　case　of　a　convalescent；　a　young　woman　who　had　been　attacked　while

in　apparently　vigorous　general　health；　who；　on　being　lifted　too

suddenly　to　a　sitting　position；　while　still　confined　to　her　bed；

fainted；　and　in　a　few　moments　ceased　to　breathe。　　It　may　well　be

supposed　that　he　took　every　possible　precaution　to　avert　the

accidents　which　tend　to　throw　from　its　track　a　disease　the　regular

course　of　which　is　arranged　by　nature　as　carefully　as　the　route　of　a

railroad　from　one　city　to　another。　　The　most　natural　interpretation

which　the　common　observer　would　put　upon　the　manifestations　of　one　of

these　autumnal　maladies　would　be　that　some　noxious　combustible

element　had　found　its　way　into　the　system　which　must　be　burned　to

ashes　before　the　heat　which　pervades　the　whole　body　can　subside。

Sometimes　the　fire　may　smoulder　and　seem　as　if　it　were　going　out；　or

were　quite　extinguishe