a mortal antipathy-第52章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



and　love　of　conquest。









XXI



AN　INTIMATE　CONVERSATION。



The　illness　from　which　Maurice　had　suffered　left　him　in　a　state　of

profound　prostration。　　The　doctor；　who　remembered　the　extreme　danger

of　any　overexertion　in　such　cases；　hardly　allowed　him　to　lift　his

head　from　the　pillow。　　But　his　mind　was　gradually　recovering　its

balance；　and　he　was　able　to　hold　some　conversation　with　those　about

him。　　His　faithful　Paolo　had　grown　so　thin　in　waiting　upon　him　and

watching　with　him　that　the　village　children　had　to　take　a　second　look

at　his　face　when　they　passed　him　to　make　sure　that　it　was　indeed

their　old　friend　and　no　other。　　But　as　his　master　advanced　towards

convalescence　and　the　doctor　assured　him　that　he　was　going　in　all

probability　to　get　well；　Paolo's　face　began　to　recover　something　of

its　old　look　and　expression；　and　once　more　his　pockets　filled

themselves　with　comfits　for　his　little　circle　of　worshipping　three

and　four　year　old　followers。



How　is　Mr。　Kirkwood？〃　was　the　question　with　which　he　was　always

greeted。　　In　the　worst　periods　of　the　fever　be　rarely　left　his

master。　　When　he　did；　and　the　question　was　put　to　him；　he　would　shake

his　head　sadly；　sometimes　without　a　word；　sometimes　with　tears　and

sobs　and　faltering　words；more　like　a　brokenhearted　child　than　a

stalwart　man　as　he　was；　such　a　man　as　soldiers　are　made　of　in　the

great　Continental　armies。



〃He　very　bad；he　no　eat　nothing；heno　say　nothing；he　never　be

no　better；〃　and　all　his　Southern　nature　betrayed　itself　in　a

passionate　burst　of　lamentation。　　But　now　that　he　began　to　feel　easy

about　his　master；　his　ready　optimism　declared　itself　no　less

transparently。



〃He　better　every　day　now。　　He　get　well　in　few　weeks；　sure。　　You　see

him　on　hoss　in　little　while。〃　　The　kind…hearted　creature's　life　was

bound　up　in　that　of　his　〃master；〃　as　he　loved　to　call　him；　in

sovereign　disregard　of　the　comments　of　the　natives；　who　held

themselves　too　high　for　any　such　recognition　of　another　as　their

better。　　They　could　not　understand　how　he；　so　much　their　superior　in

bodily　presence；　in　air　and　manner；　could　speak　of　the　man　who

employed　him　in　any　other　way　than　as　〃Kirkwood；〃　without　even

demeaning　himself　so　far　as　to　prefix　a　〃Mr。〃　　to　it。　　But　〃my

master〃　Maurice　remained　for　Paolo　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　all　men

are　born　free　and　equal。　　And　never　was　a　servant　more　devoted　to　a

master　than　was　Paolo　to　Maurice　during　the　days　of　doubt　and　danger。

Since　his　improvement　Maurice　insisted　upon　his　leaving　his　chamber

and　getting　out　of　the　house；　so　as　to　breathe　the　fresh　air　of　which

he　was　in　so　much　need。　　It　worried　him　to　see　his　servant　returning

after　too　short　an　absence。　　The　attendant　who　had　helped　him　in　the

care　of　the　patient　was　within　call；　and　Paolo　was　almost　driven　out

of　the　house　by　the　urgency　of　his　master's　command　that　he　should

take　plenty　of　exercise　in　the　open　air。



Notwithstanding　the　fact　of　Maurice's　improved　condition；　although

the　force　of　the　disease　had　spent　itself；　the　state　of　weakness　to

which　he　had　been　reduced　was　a　cause　of　some　anxiety；　and　required

great　precautions　to　be　taken。　　He　lay　in　bed；　wasted；　enfeebled　to

such　a　degree　that　he　had　to　be　cared　for　very　much　as　a　child　is

tended。　　Gradually　his　voice　was　coming　back　to　him；　so　that　he　could

hold　some　conversation；　as　was　before　mentioned；　with　those　about

him。　　The　doctor　waited　for　the　right　moment　to　make　mention　of　the

manuscript　which　Maurice　had　submitted　to　him。　　Up　to　this　time；

although　it　had　been　alluded　to　and　the　doctor　had　told　him　of　the

intense　interest　with　which　he　had　read　it；　he　had　never　ventured　to

make　it　the　subject　of　any　long　talk；　such　as　would　be　liable　to

fatigue　his　patient。　　But　now　he　thought　the　time　had　come。



〃I　have　been　thinking；〃　the　doctor　said；　〃of　the　singular　seizures　to

which　you　are　liable；　and　as　it　is　my　business　not　merely　to　think

about　such　cases；　but　to　do　what　I　can　to　help　any　who　may　be　capable

of　receiving　aid　from　my　art；　I　wish　to　have　some　additional　facts

about　your　history。　　And　in　the　first　place；　will　you　allow　me　to　ask

what　led　you　to　this　particular　place？　　It　is　so　much　less　known　to

the　public　at　large　than　many　other　resorts　that　we　naturally　ask；

What　brings　this　or　that　new　visitor　among　us？　　We　have　no　ill…

tasting；　natural　spring　of　bad　water　to　be　analyzed　by　the　state

chemist　and　proclaimed　as　a　specific。　　We　have　no　great　gambling…

houses；　no　racecourse　（except　that　fox　boats　on　the　lake）；　we　have　no

coaching…club；　no　great　balls；　few　lions　of　any　kind；　so　we　ask；　What

brings　this　or　that　stranger　here？　　And　I　think　I　may　venture　to　ask

you　whether　any；　special　motive　brought　you　among　us；　or　whether　it

was　accident　that　determined　your　coming　to　this　place。〃



〃Certainly；　doctor；〃　Maurice　answered；　〃I　will　tell　you　with　great

pleasure。　　Last　year　I　passed　on　the　border　of　a　great　river。　　The

year　before　I　lived　in　a　lonely　cottage　at　the　side　of　the　ocean。　　I

wanted　this　year　to　be　by　a　lake。　　You　heard　the　paper　read　at　the

meeting　of　your　society；　or　at　least　you　heard　of　it；for　such

matters　are　always　talked　over　in　a　village　like　this。　　You　can　judge

by　that　paper；　or　could；　if　it　were　before　you；　of　the　frame　of　mind

in　which　I　came　here。　　I　was　tired　of　the　sullen　indifference　of　the

ocean　and　the　babbling　egotism　of　the　river；　always　hurrying　along　on

its　own　private　business。　　I　wanted　the　dreamy　stillness　of　a　large；

tranquil　sheet　of　water　that　had　nothing　in　particular　to　do；　and

would　leave　me　to　myself　and　my　thoughts。　　I　had　read　somewhere　about

the　place；　and　the　old　Anchor　Tavern；　with　its　paternal　landlord　and

motherly　landlady　and　old…fashioned　household；　and　that；　though　it

was　no　longer　open　as　a　tavern；　I　could　find　a　resting…place　there

early　in　the　season；　at　least　for　a　few　days；　while　I　looked　about　me

for　a　quiet　place　in　which　I　might　pass　my　summer。　　I　have　found　this

a　pleasant　residence。　　By　being　up　early　and　out　late　I　have　kept

myself　mainly　in　the　solitude　which　has　become　my　enforced　habit　of

life。　　The　season　has　gone　by　too　swiftly　for　me　since　my　dream　has

become　a　vision。〃



The　doctor　was　sitting　with　his　hand　round　Maurice's　wrist；　three

fingers　on　his　pulse。　　As　he　spoke　these　last　words　he　noticed　that

the　pulse　fluttered　a　little；beat　irregularly　a　few　times；

intermitted；　became　feeble　and　thready；　while　his　cheek　grew　whiter

than　the　pallid　bloodlessness　of　his　long　illness　had　left　it。



〃No　more　talk；　now；〃　he　said。　　〃You　are　too　tired　to　be　using　your

voice。　　I　will　hear　all　the　rest　another　time。〃



The　doctor　had　interrupted　Maurice　at　an　interesting　point。　　What　did

he　mean　by　saying　that　his　dream　had　become　a　vision？　　This　is　what

the　doctor　was　naturally　curious；　and　professionally　anxious；　to

know。　　But　his　hand　was　still　on　his　patient's　pulse；　which　told　him

unmistakably　that　the　heart　had　taken　the　alarm　and　was　losing　its

energy　under　the　depressing　nervous　influence。　　Presently；　however；

it　recovered　its　natural　force　and　rhythm；　and　a　faint　flush　came

back　to　the　pale　cheek。　　The　doctor　remembered　the　story　of　Galen；

and　the　young　maiden　whose　complaint　had　puzzled　the　physicians。



The　next　day　his　patient　was　well　enough　to　enter　once　more　into

conversation。



〃You　said　something　about　a　dream　of　yours　which　had　become　a

vision；〃　said　the　doctor；　with　his　fingers　on　his　patient's　wrist；　as

before。　　He　felt　the　artery　leap；　under　his　pressure；　falter　a

little；　stop；　then　begin　again；　growing　fuller　in　its　beat。　　The

heart　had　felt　the　pull　of　the　bridle；　but　the　spur　had　roused　it　to

swift　reaction。



〃You　know　the　story　of　my　past　life；　doctor；〃　Maurice　answered；　〃and；

I　will　tell　you　what　is　the　vision　which　has　taken　the　place　of　my

dreams。　　You　remember　the　boat…race？　　I　watched　it　from　a　distance；

but　I　held　a　powerful　opera…glass　in　my　hand