a mortal antipathy-第53章

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

but　I　held　a　powerful　opera…glass　in　my　hand；　which　brought　the　whole

crew　of　the　young　ladies'　boat　so　close　to　me　that　I　could　see　the

features；　the　figures；　the　movements；　of　every　one　of　the　rowers。　　I

saw　the　little　coxswain　fling　her　bouquet　in　the　track　of　the　other

boat；you　remember　how　the　race　was　lost　and　won；but　I　saw　one

face　among　those　young　girls　which　drew　me　away　from　all　the　rest。

It　was　that　of　the　young　lady　who　pulled　the　bow　oar；　the　captain　of

the　boat's　crew。　　I　have　since　learned　her　name；　you　know　it　well；I

need　not　name　her。　　Since　that　day　I　have　had　many　distant　glimpses

of　her；　and　once　I　met　her　so　squarely　that　the　deadly　sensation　came

over　me；　and　I　felt　that　in　another　moment　I　should　fall　senseless　at

her　feet。　　But　she　passed　on　her　way　and　I　on　mine；　and　the　spasm

which　had　clutched　my　heart　gradually　left　it；　and　I　was　as　well　as

before。　　You　know　that　young　lady；　doctor？〃



〃I　do；　and　she　is　a　very　noble　creature。　　You　are　not　the　first　young

man　who　has　been　fascinated；　almost　at　a　glance；　by　Miss　Euthymia

Tower。　　And　she　is　well　worth　knowing　more　intimately。〃



The　doctor　gave　him　a　full　account　of　the　young　lady；　of　her　early

days；　her　character；　her　accomplishments。　　To　all　this　he　listened

devoutly；　and　when　the　doctor　left　him　he　said　to　himself；

〃I　will　see　her　and　speak　with　her；　if　it　costs　me　my　life。〃









XXII



EUTHYMIA。



〃The　Wonder〃　of　the　Corinna　Institute　had　never　willingly　made　a　show

of　her　gymnastic　accomplishments。　　Her　feats；　which　were　so　much

admired；　were　only　her　natural　exercise。　　Gradually　the　dumb…bells

others　used　became　too　light　for　her；　the　ropes　she　climbed　too

short；　the　clubs　she　exercised　with　seemed　as　if　they　were　made　of

cork　instead　of　being　heavy　wood；　and　all　the　tests　and　meters　of

strength　and　agility　had　been　strained　beyond　the　standards　which　the

records　of　the　school　had　marked　as　their　historic　maxima。　　It　was

not　her　fault　that　she　broke　a　dynamometer　one　day；　she　apologized

for　it；　but　the　teacher　said　he　wished　he　could　have　a　dozen　broken

every　year　in　the　same　way。　　The　consciousness　of　her　bodily　strength

had　made　her　very　careful　in　her　movements。　　The　pressure　of　her　hand

was　never　too　hard　for　the　tenderest　little　maiden　whose　palm　was

against　her　own。　　So　far　from　priding　herself　on　her　special　gifts；

she　was　disposed　to　be　ashamed　of　them。　　There　were　times　and　places

in　which　she　could　give　full　play　to　her　muscles　without　fear　or

reproach。　　She　had　her　special　costume　for　the　boat　and　for　the

woods。　　She　would　climb　the　rugged　old　hemlocks　now　and　then　for　the

sake　of　a　wide　outlook；　or　to　peep　into　the　large　nest　where　a　hawk；

or　it　may　be　an　eagle；　was　raising　her　little　brood　of　air…pirates。



There　were　those　who　spoke　of　her　wanderings　in　lonely　places　as　an

unsafe　exposure。　　One　sometimes　met　doubtful　characters　about　the

neighborhood；　and　stories　weretold　of　occurrences　which　might　well

frighten　a　young　girl；　and　make　her　cautious　of　trusting　herself

alone　in　the　wild　solitudes　which　surrounded　the　little　village。。

Those　who　knew　Euthymia　thought　her　quite　equal　to　taking　care　of

herself。　　Her　very　look　was　enough　to　ensure　the　respect　of　any

vagabond　who　might　cross　her　path；　and　if　matters　came　to　the　worst

she　would　prove　as　dangerous　as　a　panther。



But　it　was　a　pity　to　associate　this　class　of　thoughts　with　a　noble

specimen　of　true　womanhood。　　Health；　beauty；　strength；　were　fine

qualities；　and　in　all　these　she　was　rich。　　She　enjoyed　all　her

natural　gifts；　and　thought　little　about　them。　　Unwillingly；　but　over…

persuaded　by　some　of　her　friends；　she　had　allowed　her　arm　and　hand　to

be　modelled。　　The　artists　who　saw　the　cast　wondered　if　it　would　be

possible　to　get　the　bust　of　the　maiden　from　whom　it　was　taken。

Nobody　would　have　dared　to　suggest　such　an　idea　to　her　except　Lurida。

For　Lurida　sex　was　a　trifling　accident；　to　be　disregarded　not　only　in

the　interests　of　humanity；　but　for　the　sake　of　art。



〃It　is　a　shame；〃　she　said　to　Euthymia；　〃that　you　will　not　let　your

exquisitely　moulded　form　be　perpetuated　in　marble。　　You　have　no　right

to　withhold　such　a　model　from　the　contemplation　of　your　fellow…

creatures。　　Think　how　rare　it　is　to　see　a　woman　who　truly　represents

the　divine　idea！　　You　belong　to　your　race；　and　not　to　yourself；at

least；　your　beauty　is　a　gift　not　to　be　considered　as　a　piece　of

private　property。　　Look　at　the　so…called　Venus　of　Milo。　　Do　you

suppose　the　noble　woman　who　was　the　original　of　that　divinely　chaste

statue　felt　any　scruple　about　allowing　the　sculptor　to　reproduce　her

pure；　unblemished　perfections？〃



Euthymia　was　always　patient　with　her　imaginative　friend。　　She

listened　to　her　eloquent　discourse；　but　she　could　not　help　blushing；

used　as　she　was　to　Lurida's　audacities。　　〃The　Terror's〃　brain　had　run

away　with　a　large　share　of　the　blood　which　ought　to　have　gone　to　the

nourishment　of　her　general　system。　　She　could　not　help　admiring；

almost　worshipping；　a　companion　whose　being　was　rich　in　the　womanly

developments　with　which　nature　had　so　economically　endowed　herself。

An　impoverished　organization　carries　with　it　certain　neutral

qualities　which　make　its　subject　appear；　in　the　presence　of　complete

manhood　and　womanhood；　like　a　deaf…mute　among　speaking　persons。　　The

deep　blush　which　crimsoned　Euthymia's　cheek　at　Lurida's　suggestion

was　in　a　strange　contrast　to　her　own　undisturbed　expression。　　There

was　a　range　of　sensibilities　of　which　Lurida　knew　far　less　than　she

did　of　those　many　and　difficult　studies　which　had　absorbed　her　vital

forces。　　She　was　startled　to　see　what　an　effect　her　proposal　had

produced；　for　Euthymia　was　not　only　blushing；　but　there　was　a　flame

in　her　eyes　which　she　had　hardly　ever　seen　before。



〃Is　this　only　your　own　suggestion？〃　Euthymia　said；　〃or　has　some　one

been　putting　the　idea　into　your　head？〃　　The　truth　was　that　she　had

happened　to　meet　the　Interviewer　at　the　Library；　one　day；　and　she　was

offended　by　the　long；　searching　stare　with　which　that　individual　had

honored　her。　　It　occurred　to　her　that　he；　or　some　such　visitor　to　the

place；　might　have　spoken　of　her　to　Lurida；　or　to　some　other　person

who　had　repeated　what　was　said　to　Lurida；　as　a　good　subject　for　the

art　of　the　sculptor；　and　she　felt　all　her　maiden　sensibilities

offended　by　the　proposition。　　Lurida　could　not　understand　her

excitement；　but　she　was　startled　by　it。　　Natures　which　are

complementary　of　each　other　are　liable　to　these　accidental　collisions

of　feeling。　　They　get　along　very　well　together；　none　the　worse　for

their　differences；　until　all　at　once　the　tender　spot　of　one　or　the

other　is　carelessly　handled　in　utter　unconsciousness　on　the　part　of

the　aggressor；　and　the　exclamation；　the　outcry；　or　the　explosion

explains　the　situation　altogether　too　emphatically。　　Such　scenes　did

not　frequently　occur　between　the　two　friends；　and　this　little　flurry

was　soon　over；　but　it　served　to　warn　Lurida　that　Miss　Euthymia　Tower

was　not　of　that　class　of　self…conscious　beauties　who　would　be　ready

to　dispute　the　empire　of　the　Venus　of　Milo　on　her　own　ground；　in

defences　as　scanty　and　insufficient　as　those　of　the　marble　divinity。



Euthymia　had　had　admirers　enough；　at　a　distance；　while　at　school；　and

in　the　long　vacations；　near　enough　to　find　out　that　she　was　anything

but　easy　to　make　love　to。　　She　fairly　frightened　more　than　one　rash

youth　who　was　disposed　to　be　too　sentimental　in　her　company。　　They

overdid　flattery；　which　she　was　used　to　and　tolerated；　but　which

cheapened　the　admirer　in　her　estimation；　and　now　and　then　betrayed

her　into　an　expression　which　made　him　aware　of　the　fact；　and　was　a

discouragement　to　aggressive　amiability。　　The　real　difficulty　was

that　not　one　of　her　adorers　had　ever　greatly　interested　her。　　It

could　not　be　that　nature　had　made　her　insensible。　　It　must　have　bee