a mortal antipathy-第63章

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least　open　to　the　charge　of　affectation；in　fact；　is　the　natural　and

manly　way　of　carrying　it。



The　Society　has　justified　its　name　of　Pansophian　of　late　as　never

before。　　Lurida　has　stirred　up　our　little　community　and　its

neighbors；　so　that　we　get　essays　on　all　sorts　of　subjects；　poems　and

stories　in　large　numbers。　　I　know　all　about　it；　for　she　often

consults　me　as　to　the　merits　of　a　particular　contribution。



What　is　to　be　the　fate　of　Lurida？　　I　often　think；　with　no　little

interest　and　some　degree　of　anxiety；　about　her　future。　　Her　body　is

so　frail　and　her　mind　so　excessively　and　constantly　active　that　I　am

afraid　one　or　the　other　will　give　way。　　I　do　not　suppose　she　thinks

seriously　of　ever　being　married。　　She　grows　more　and　more　zealous　in

behalf　of　her　own　sex；　and　sterner　in　her　judgment　of　the　other。　　She

declares　that　she　never　would　marry　any　man　who　was　not　an　advocate

of　female　suffrage；　and　as　these　gentlemen　are　not　very　common

hereabouts　the　chance　is　against　her　capturing　any　one　of　the　hostile

sex。



What　do　you　think？　　I　happened；　just　as　I　was　writing　the　last

sentence；　to　look　out　of　my　window；　and　whom　should　I　see　but　Lurida；

with　a　young　man　in　tow；　listening　very　eagerly　to　her　conversation；

according　to　all　appearance！　　I　think　he　must　be　a　friend　of　the

rector；　as　I　have　seen　a　young　man　like　this　one　in　his　company。　　Who

knows？



Affectionately　yours；　etc。









DR。　BUTTS　TO　MRS。　BUTTS。



MY　BELOVED　WIFE；This　letter　will　tell　you　more　news　than　you　would

have　thought　could　have　been　got　together　in　this　little　village

during　the　short　time　you　have　been　staying　away　from　it。



Lurida　Vincent　is　engaged！　　He　is　a　clergyman　with　a　mathematical

turn。　　The　story　is　that　he　put　a　difficult　problem　into　one　of　the

mathematical　journals；　and　that　Lurida　presented　such　a　neat　solution

that　the　young　man　fell　in　love　with　her　on　the　strength　of　it。　　I

don't　think　the　story　is　literally　true；　nor　do　I　believe　that　other

report　that　he　offered　himself　to　her　in　the　form　of　an　equation

chalked　on　the　blackboard；　but　that　it　was　an　intellectual　rather

than　a　sentimental　courtship　I　do　not　doubt。　　Lurida　has　given　up　the

idea　of　becoming　a　professional　lecturer；so　she　tells　me；thinking

that　her　future　husband's　parish　will　find　her　work　enough　to　do。　　A

certain　amount　of　daily　domestic　drudgery　and　unexciting　intercourse

with　simple…minded　people　will　be　the　best　thing　in　the　world　for

that　brain　of　hers；　always　simmering　with　some　new　project　in　its

least　fervid　condition。



All　our　summer　visitors　have　arrived。　　Euthymia　Mrs。　Maurice

Kirkwood　and　her　husband　and　little　Maurice　are　here　in　their

beautiful　house　looking　out　on　the　lake。　　They　gave　a　grand　party　the

other　evening。　　You　ought　to　have　been　there；　but　I　suppose　you　could

not　very　well　have　left　your　sister　in　the　middle　of　your　visit：　All

the　grand　folks　were　there；　of　course。　　Lurida　and　her　young　man

Gabriel　is　what　she　calls　himwere　naturally　the　objects　of　special

attention。　　Paolo　acted　as　major…domo；　and　looked　as　if　he　ought　to

be　a　major…general。　　Nothing　could　be　pleasanter　than　the　way　in

which　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Kirkwood　received　their　plain　country　neighbors；

that　is；　just　as　they　did　the　others　of　more　pretensions；　as　if　they

were　really　glad　to　see　them；　as　I　am　sure　they　were。　　The　old

landlord　and　his　wife　had　two　arm…chairs　to　themselves；　and　I　saw

Miranda　with　the　servants　of　the　household　looking　in　at　the　dancers

and　out　at　the　little　groups　in　the　garden；　and　evidently　enjoying　it

as　much　as　her　old　employers。　　It　was　a　most　charming　and　successful

party。　　We　had　two　sensations　in　the　course　of　the　evening。　　One　was

pleasant　and　somewhat　exciting；　the　other　was　thrilling　and　of

strange　and　startling　interest。



You　remember　how　emaciated　poor　Maurice　Kirkwood　was　left　after　his

fever；　in　that　first　season　when　he　was　among　us。　　He　was　out　in　a

boat　one　day；　when　a　ring　slipped　off　his　thin　finger　and　sunk　in　a

place　where　the　water　was　rather　shallow。　　〃Jake〃you　know　Jake；

everybody　knows　Jakewas　rowing　him。　　He　promised　to　come　to　the

spot　and　fish　up　the　ring　if　he　could　possibly　find　it。　　He　was　seen

poking　about　with　fish…hooks　at　the　end　of　a　pole；　but　nothing　was

ever　heard　from　him　about　the　ring。　　It　was　an　antique　intaglio　stone

in　an　Etruscan　setting；a　wild　goose　flying　over　the　Campagna。　　Mr。

Kirkwood　valued　it　highly；　and　regretted　its　loss　very　much。



While　we　were　in　the　garden；　who　should　appear　at　the　gate　but　Jake；

with　a　great　basket；　inquiring　for　Mr。　Kirkwood。　　〃Come；〃　said

Maurice　to　me；　〃let　us　see　what　our　old　friend　the　fisherman　has

brought　us。　　What　have　you　got　there；　Jake？〃



〃What　I　've　got？　　Wall；　I　'll　tell　y'　what　I've　got：　I　've　got　the

biggest　pickerel　that's　been　ketched　in　this　pond　for　these　ten　year。

An'　I　've　got　somethin'　else　besides　the　pickerel。　　When　I　come　to

cut　him　open；　what　do　you　think　I　faound　in　his　insides　but　this　here

ring　o'　yourn；〃and　he　showed　the　one　Maurice　had　lost　so　long

before。　　There　it　was；　as　good　as　new；　after　having　tried　Jonah's

style　of　housekeeping　for　all　that　time。　　There　are　those　who

discredit　Jake's　story　about　finding　the　ring　in　the　fish；　anyhow；

there　was　the　ring　and　there　was　the　pickerel。　　I　need　not　say　that

Jake　went　off　well　paid　for　his　pickerel　and　the　precious　contents　of

its　stomach。　　Now　comes　the　chief　event　of　the　evening。　　I　went　early

by　special　invitation。　　Maurice　took　me　into　his　library；　and　we　sat

down　together。



〃I　have　something　of　great　importance；〃　he　said；　〃　to　say　to　you。　　I

learned　within　a　few　days　that　my　cousin　Laura　is　staying　with　a

friend　in　the　next　town　to　this。　　You　know；　doctor；　that　we　have

never　met　since　the　last；　almost　fatal；　experience　of　my　early　years。

I　have　determined　to　defy　the　strength　of　that　deadly　chain　of

associations　connected　with　her　presence；　and　I　have　begged　her　to

come　this　evening　with　the　friends　with　whom　she　is　staying。　　Several

letters　passed　between　us；　for　it　was　hard　to　persuade　her　that　there

was　no　longer　any　risk　in　my　meeting　her。　　Her　imagination　was　almost

as　deeply　impressed　as　mine　had　been　at　those　alarming　interviews；

and　I　had　to　explain　to　her　fully　that　I　had　become　quite　indifferent

to　the　disturbing　impressions　of　former　years。　　So；　as　the　result　of

our　correspondence；　Laura　is　coming　this　evening；　and　I　wish　you　to

be　present　at　our　meeting。　　There　is　another　reason　why　I　wish　you　to

be　here。　　My　little　boy　is　not　far　from　theage　at　which　I　received

my　terrifying；　almost　disorganizing　shock。　　I　mean　to　have　little

Maurice　brought　into　the　presence　of　Laura；　who　is　said　to　be　still　a

very　handsome　woman；　and　see　if　he　betrays　any　hint　of　that　peculiar

sensitiveness　which　showed　itself　in　my　threatening　seizure。　　It

seemed　to　me　not　impossible　that　he　might　inherit　some　tendency　of

that　nature；　and　I　wanted　you　to　be　at　hand　if　any　sign　of　danger

should　declare　itself。　　For　myself　I　have　no　fear。　　Some　radical

change　has　taken　place　in　my　nervous　system。　　I　have　been　born　again；

as　it　were；　in　my　susceptibilities；　and　am　in　certain　respects　a　new

man。　　But　I　must　know　how　it　is　with　my　little　Maurice。〃



Imagine　with　what　interest　I　looked　forward　to　this　experiment；　for

experiment　it　was；　and　not　without　its　sources　of　anxiety；　as　it

seemed　to　me。　　The　evening　wore　along；　friends　and　neighbors　came　in；

but　no　Laura　as　yet。　　At　last　I　heard　the　sound　of　wheels；　and　a

carriage　stopped　at　the　door。　　Two　ladies　and　a　gentleman　got　out；

and　soon　entered　the　drawing　room。



〃My　cousin　Laura！〃　whispered　Maurice　to　me；　and　went　forward　to　meet

her。　　A　very　handsome　woman；　who　might　well　have　been　in　the

thirties；one　of　those　women　so　thoroughly　constituted　that　they

cannot　help　being　handsome　at　every　period　of　life。　　I　watched　them

both　as　they　approached　each　other。　　Both　looked　pale　at　fir