a mortal antipathy-第50章

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natural　channel；　it　will　probably　keep　to　that　channel　ever

afterwards。　　And　this　will；　it　is　most　likely；　be　effected　by　some

sudden；　unexpected　impression。　　If　he　were　drowning；　and　a　young

woman　should　rescue　him；　it　is　by　no　means　impossible　that　the　change

in　the　nervous　current　we　have　referred　to　might　be　brought　about　as

rapidly；　as　easily；　as　the　reversal　of　the　poles　in　a　magnet；　which

is　effected　in　an　instant。　　But　he　cannot　be　expected　to　throw

himself　into　the　water　just　at　the　right　moment　when　the　'fair　lady'

of　the　gitana's　prophecy　is　passing　on　the　shore。　　Accident　may

effect　the　cure　which　art　seems　incompetent　to　perform。　　It　would　not

be　strange　if　in　some　future　seizure　he　should　never　come　back　to

consciousness。　　But　it　is　quite　conceivable；　on　the　other　hand；　that

a　happier　event　may　occur；　that　in　a　single　moment　the　nervous

polarity　may　be　reversed；　the　whole　course　of　his　life　changed；　and

his　past　terrible　experiences　be　to　him　like　a　scarce…remembered

dream。



〃This　is　one；　of　those　cases　in　which　it　is　very　hard　to　determine

the　wisest　course　to　be　pursued。　　The　question　is　not　unlike　that

which　arises　in　certain　cases　of　dislocation　of　the　bones　of　the

neck。　　Shall　the　unfortunate　sufferer　go　all　his　days　with　his　face

turned　far　round　to　the　right　or　the　left；　or　shall　an　attempt　be

made　to　replace　the　dislocated　bones？　　an　attempt　which　may　succeed；

or　may　cause　instant　death。　　The　patient　must　be　consulted　as　to

whether　he　will　take　the　chance。　　The　practitioner　may　be　unwilling

to　risk　it；　if　the　patient　consents。　　Each　case　must　be　judged　on　its

own　special　grounds。　　We　cannot　think　that　this　young　man　is　doomed

to　perpetual　separation　from　the　society　of　womanhood　during　the

period　of　its　bloom　and　attraction。　　But　to　provoke　another　seizure

after　his　past　experiences　would　be　too　much　like　committing　suicide。

We　fear　that　we　must　trust　to　the　chapter　of　accidents。　　The　strange

maladyfor　such　it　ishas　become　a　second　nature；　and　may　require

as　energetic　a　shock　to　displace　it　as　it　did　to　bring　it　into

existence。　　Time　alone　can　solve　this　question；　on　which　depends　the

well…being　and；　it　may　be；　the　existence　of　a　young　man　every　way

fitted　to　be　happy；　and　to　give　happiness；　if　restored　to　his　true

nature。〃









XX。



DR。　BUTTS　REFLECTS。



Dr。　Butts　sat　up　late　at　night　reading　these　papers　and　reflecting

upon　them。　　He　was　profoundly　impressed　and　tenderly　affected　by　the

entire　frankness；　the　absence　of　all　attempt　at　concealment；　which

Maurice　showed　in　placing　these　papers　at　his　disposal。　　He　believed

that　his　patient　would　recover　from　this　illness　for　which　he　had

been　taking　care　of　him。　　He　thought　deeply　and　earnestly　of　what　he

could　do　for　him　after　he　should　have　regained　his　health　and

strength。



There　were　references；　in　Maurice's　own　account　of　himself；　which　the

doctor　called　to　mind　with　great　interest　after　reading　his　brief

autobiography。　　Some　one　personsome　young　woman；　it　must　behad

produced　a　singular　impression　upon　him　since　those　earlier　perilous

experiences　through　which　he　had　passed。　　The　doctor　could　not　help

thinking　of　that　meeting　with　Euthymia　of　which　she　had　spoken　to

him。　　Maurice；　as　she　said；　turned　pale；he　clapped　his　hand　to　his

breast。　　He　might　have　done　so　if　be　had　met　her　chambermaid；　or　any

straggling　damsel　of　the　village。　　But　Euthymia　was　not　a　young　woman

to　be　looked　upon　with　indifference。　　She　held　herself　like　a　queen；

and　walked　like　one；　not　a　stage　queen；　but　one　born　and　bred　to

self…reliance；　and　command　of　herself　as　well　as　others。　　One　could

not　pass　her　without　being　struck　with　her　noble　bearing　and　spirited

features。　　If　she　had　known　how　Maurice　trembled　as　he　looked　upon

her；　in　that　conflict　of　attraction　and　uncontrollable　dread；if　she

had　known　it！　　But　what；　even　then；　could　she　have　done？　　Nothing　but

get　away　from　him　as　fast　as　she　could。　　As　it　was；　it　was　a　long

time　before　his　agitation　subsided；　and　his　heart　beat　with　its

common　force　and　frequency。



Dr。　Butts　was　not　a　male　gossip　nor　a　matchmaking　go…between。　　But　he

could　not　help　thinking　what　a　pity　it　was　that　these　two　young

persons　could　not　come　together　as　other　young　people　do　in　the

pairing　season；　and　find　out　whether　they　cared　for　and　were　fitted

for　each　other。　　He　did　not　pretend　to　settle　this　question　in　his

own　mind；　but　the　thought　was　a　natural　one。　　And　here　was　a　gulf

between　them　as　deep　and　wide　as　that　between　Lazarus　and　Dives。

Would　it　ever　be　bridged　over？　　This　thought　took　possession　of　the

doctor's　mind；　and　he　imagined　all　sorts　of　ways　of　effecting　some

experimental　approximation　between　Maurice　and　Euthymia。　　From　this

delicate　subject　he　glanced　off　to　certain　general　considerations

suggested　by　the　extraordinary　history　he　had　been　reading。　　He　began

by　speculating　as　to　the　possibility　of　the　personal　presence　of　an

individual　making　itself　perceived　by　some　channel　other　than　any　of

the　five　senses。　　The　study　of　the　natural　sciences　teaches　those　who

are　devoted　to　them　that　the　most　insignificant　facts　may　lead　the

way　to　the　discovery　of　the　most　important；　all…pervading　laws　of　the

universe。　　From　the　kick　of　a　frog's　hind　leg　to　the　amazing　triumphs

which　began　with　that　seemingly　trivial　incident　is　a　long；　a　very

long　stride　if　Madam　Galvani　had　not　been　in　delicate　health；　which

was　the　occasion　of　her　having　some　frog…broth　prepared　for　her；　the

world　of　to…day　might　not　be　in　possession　of　the　electric　telegraph

and　the　light　which　blazes　like　the　sun　at　high　noon。　　A　common…

looking　occurrence；　one　seemingly　unimportant；　which　had　hitherto

passed　unnoticed　with　the　ordinary　course　of　things；　was　the　means　of

introducing　us　to　a　new　and　vast　realm　of　closely　related　phenomena。

It　was　like　a　key　that　we　might　have　picked　up；　looking　so　simple

that　it　could　hardly　fit　any　lock　but　one　of　like　simplicity；　but

which　should　all　at　once　throw　back　the　bolts　of　the　one　lock　which

had　defied　the　most　ingenious　of　our　complex　implements　and　open　our

way　into　a　hitherto　unexplored　territory。



It　certainly　was　not　through　the　eye　alone　that　Maurice　felt　the

paralyzing　influence。　　He　could　contemplate　Euthymia　from　a　distance；

as　he　did　on　the　day　of　the　boat…race；　without　any　nervous

disturbance。　　A　certain　proximity　was　necessary　for　the　influence　to

be　felt；　as　in　the　case　of　magnetism　and　electricity。　　An　atmosphere

of　danger　surrounded　every　woman　he　approached　during　the　period　when

her　sex　exercises　its　most　powerful　attractions。　　How　far　did　that

atmosphere　extend；　and　through　what　channel　did　it　act？



The　key　to　the　phenomena　of　this　case；　he　believed；　was　to　be　found

in　a　fact　as　humble　as　that　which　gave　birth　to　the　science　of

galvanism　and　its　practical　applications。　　The　circumstances

connected　with　the　very　common　antipathy　to　cats　were　as　remarkable

in　many　points　of　view　as　the　similar　circumstances　in　the　case　of

Maurice　Kirkwood。　　The　subjects　of　that　antipathy　could　not　tell　what

it　was　which　disturbed　their　nervous　system。　　All　they　knew　was　that

a　sense　of　uneasiness；　restlessness；　oppression；　came　over　them　in

the　presence　of　one　of　these　animals。　　He　remembered　the　fact　already

mentioned；　that　persons　sensitive　to　this　impression　can　tell　by

their　feelings　if　a　cat　is　concealed　in　the　apartment　in　which　they

may　happen　to　be。　　It　may　be　through　some　emanation。　　It　may　be

through　the　medium　of　some　electrical　disturbance。　　What　if　the

nerve…thrills　passing　through　the　whole　system　of　the　animal

propagate　themselves　to　a　certain　distance　without　any　more　regard　to

intervening　solids　than　is　shown　by　magnetism？　　A　sieve　lets　sand

pass　through　it；　a　filter　arrests　sand；　but　lets　fluids　pass；　glass

holds　fluids；　but　lets　light　through；　wood　shuts　out　light；　but

magnetic　attraction　goes　through　it　as　sand　went　through　the