a mortal antipathy-第57章

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his　hands。



The　fresh…water　fisherman　had　pulled　out　a　rag　which　he　called　a

〃hangkercher；〃it　had　served　to　carry　bait　that　morning；and　was

making　use　of　its　best　corner　to　dry　the　tears　which　were　running

down　his　cheeks。　　The　whole　village　was　proud　of　Euthymia；　and　with

these　more　quiet　signs　of　grief　were　mingled　loud　lamentations；

coming　alike　from　old　and　young。



All　this　was　not　so　much　like　a　succession　of　events　as　it　was　like　a

tableau。　　The　lookers…on　were　stunned　with　its　suddenness；　and　before

they　had　time　to　recover　their　bewildered　senses　all　was　lost；　or

seemed　lost。　　They　felt　that　they　should　never　look　again　on　either

of　those　young　faces。



The　rector；　not　unfeeling　by　nature；　but　inveterately　professional　by

habit；　had　already　recovered　enough　to　be　thinking　of　a　text　for　the

funeral　sermon。　　The　first　that　occurred　to　him　was　this；vaguely；

of　course；　in　the　background　of　consciousness：



〃Then　Shadrach；　Meshach；　and　Abed…nego　came　forth　of　the　midst　of　the

fire。〃



The　village　undertaker　was　of　naturally　sober　aspect　and　reflective

disposition。　　He　had　always　been　opposed　to　cremation；　and　here　was　a

funeral　pile　blazing　before　his　eyes。　　He；　too；　had　his　human

sympathies；　but　in　the　distance　his　imagination　pictured　the　final

ceremony；　and　how　he　himself　should　figure　in　a　spectacle　where　the

usual　centre　piece　of　attraction　would　be　wanting；perhaps　his　own

services　uncalled　for。



Blame　him　not；　you　whose　garden…patch　is　not　watered　with　the　tears

of　mourners。　　The　string　of　self…interest　answers　with　its　chord　to

every　sound；　it　vibrates　with　the　funeral…bell；　it　finds　itself

trembling　to　the　wail　of　the　De　Profundis。　　Not　always；not　always；

let　us　not　be　cynical　in　our　judgments；　but　common　human　nature；　we

may　safely　say；　is　subject　to　those　secondary　vibrations　under　the

most　solemn　and　soul…subduing　influences。



It　seems　as　if　we　were　doing　great　wrong　to　the　scene　we　are

contemplating　in　delaying　it　by　the　description　of　little

circumstances　and　individual　thoughts　and　feelings。　　But　linger　as　we

may；　we　cannot　compress　into　a　chapterwe　could　not　crowd　into　a

volumeall　that　passed　through　the　minds　and　stirred　the　emotions　of

the　awe…struck　company　which　was　gathered　about　the　scene　of　danger

and　of　terror。　　We　are　dealing　with　an　impossibility：　consciousness

is　a　surface；　narrative　is　a　line。



Maurice　had　given　himself　up　for　lost。　　His　breathing　was　becoming

every　moment　more　difficult；　and　he　felt　that　his　strength　could　hold

out　but　a　few　minutes　longer。



〃Robert！〃　he　called　in　faint　accents。　　But　the　attendant　was　not

there　to　answer。



〃Paolo！　　Paolo！〃　But　the　faithful　servant；　who　would　have　given　his

life　for　his　master；　had　not　yet　reached　the　place　where　the　crowd

was　gathered。



〃Oh；　for　a　breath　of　air！　　Oh；　for　an　arm　to　lift　me　from　this　bed！

Too　late！　　Too　late！〃　he　gasped；　with　what　might　have　seemed　his

dying　expiration。



〃Not　too　late！〃　The　soft　voice　reached　his　obscured　consciousness　as

if　it　had　come　down　to　him　from　heaven。



In　a　single　instant　he　found　himself　rolled　in　a　blanket　and　in　the

arms　ofa　woman！



Out　of　the　stifling　chamber；over　the　burning　stairs；close　by　the

tongues　of　fire　that　were　lapping　up　all　they　could　reach；out　into

the　open　air；　he　was　borne　swiftly　and　safely；carried　as　easily　as

if　he　had　been　a　babe；　in　the　strong　arms　of　〃The　Wonder〃　of　the

gymnasium；　the　captain　of　the　Atalanta；　who　had　little　dreamed　of　the

use　she　was　to　make　of　her　natural　gifts　and　her　school…girl

accomplishments。



Such　a　cry　as　arose　from　the　crowd　of　on…lookers！　　It　was　a　sound

that　none　of　them　had　ever　heard　before　or　could　expect　ever　to　hear

again；　unless　he　should　be　one　of　the　last　boat…load　rescued　from　a

sinking　vessel。　　Then；　those　who　had　resisted　the　overflow　of　their

emotion；　who　had　stood　in　white　despair　as　they　thought　of　these　two

young　lives　soon　to　be　wrapped　in　their　burning　shroud；those　stern

menthe　old　sea…captain；　the　hard…faced；　moneymaking；　cast…iron

tradesmen　of　the　city　counting…roomsobbed　like　hysteric　women；　it

was　like　a　convulsion　that　overcame　natures　unused　to　those　deeper

emotions　which　many　who　are　capable　of　experiencing　die　without　ever

knowing。



This　was　the　scene　upon　which　the　doctor　and　Paolo　suddenly　appeared

at　the　same　moment。



As　the　fresh　breeze　passed　over　the　face　of　the　rescued　patient；　his

eyes　opened　wide；　and　his　consciousness　returned　in　almost

supernatural　lucidity。　　Euthymia　had　sat　down　upon　a　bank；　and　was

still　supporting　him。　　His　head　was　resting　on　her　bosom。　　Through

his　awakening　senses　stole　the　murmurs　of　the　living　cradle　which

rocked　him　with　the　wavelike　movements　of　respiration；　the　soft

susurrus　of　the　air　that　entered　with　every　breath；　the　double　beat

of　the　heart　which　throbbed　close　to　his　ear。　　And　every　sense；　and

every　instinct；　and　every　reviving　pulse　told　him　in　language　like　a

revelation　from　another　world　that　a　woman's　arms　were　around

him；　and　that　it　was　life；　and　not　death；　which　her　embrace　had

brought　him。



She　would　have　disengaged　him　from　her　protecting　hold；　but　the

doctor　made　her　a　peremptory　sign；　which　he　followed　by　a　sharp

command：



〃Do　not　move　him　a　hair's　breadth；〃　he　said。　　〃Wait　until　the　litter

comes。　　Any　sudden　movement　might　be　dangerous。　　Has　anybody　a　brandy

flask　about　him？〃



One　or　two　members　of　the　local　temperance　society　looked　rather

awkward；　but　did　not　come　forward。



The　fresh…water　fisherman　was　the　first　who　spoke。



〃I　han't　got　no　brandy；〃　he　said；　〃but　there's　a　drop　or　two　of　old

Medford　rum　in　this　here　that　you're　welcome　to；　if　it'll　be　of　any

help。　　I　alliz　kerry　a　little　on　't　in　case　o'　gettin'　wet　'n'

chilled。〃



So　saying　he　held　forth　a　flat　bottle　with　the　word　；Sarsaparilla

stamped　on　the　green　glass；　but　which　contained　half　a　pint　or　more

of　the　specific　on　which　he　relied　in　those　very　frequent　exposures

which　happen　to　persons　of　his　calling。



The　doctor　motioned　back　Paolo；　who　would　have　rushed　at　once　to　the

aid　of　Maurice；　and　who　was　not　wanted　at　that　moment。　　So　poor

Paolo；　in　an　agony　of　fear　for　his　master；　was　kept　as　quiet　as

possible；　and　had　to　content　himself　with　asking　all　sorts　of

questions　and　repeating　all　the　prayers　he　could　think　of　to　Our　Lady

and　to　his　holy　namesake　the　Apostle。



The　doctor　wiped　the　mouth　of　the　fisherman's　bottle　very　carefully。

〃Take　a　few　drops　of　this　cordial；〃　he　said；　as　he　held　it　to　his

patient's　lips。　　〃Hold　him　just　so；　Euthymia；　without　stirring。　　I

will　watch　him；　and　say　when　he　is　ready　to　be　moved。　　The　litter　is

near　by；　waiting。〃　　Dr。　Butts　watched　Maurice's　pulse　and　color。　　The

〃old　Medford　〃　knew　its　business。　　It　had　knocked　over　its　tens　of

thousands；　it　had　its　redeeming　virtue；　and　helped　to　set　up　a　poor

fellow　now　and　then。　　It　did　this　for　Maurice　very　effectively。　　When

he　seemed　somewhat　restored；　the　doctor　had　the　litter　brought　to　his

side；　and　Euthymia　softly　resigned　her　helpless　burden；　which　Paolo

and　the　attendant　Robert　lifted　with　the　aid　of　the　doctor；　who

walked　by　the　patient　as　he　was　borne　to　the　home　where　Mrs。　Butts

had　made　all　ready　for　his　reception。



As　for　poor　Lurida；　who　had　thought　herself　equal　to　the　sanguinary

duties　of　the　surgeon；　she　was　left　lying　on　the　grass　with　an　old

woman　over　her；　working　hard　with　fan　and　smelling…salts　to　bring　her

back　from　her　long　fainting　fit。









XXIV



THE　INEVITABLE。



Why　should　not　human　nature　be　the　same　in　Arrowhead　Village　as

elsewhere？　　It　could　not　seem　strange　to　the　good　people　of　that

place　and　their　visitors　that　these　two　young　persons；　brought

together　under　circumstances　that　stirred　up　the　deepest　emotions　of

which　the　human　soul　is　capable；　should　become　attached　to　each

other。　　But　the　bond　between　them　was　stronge