a mortal antipathy-第23章

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XI



THE　INTERVIEWER　ATTACKS　THE　SPHINX。



When　Miss　Euthymia　Tower　sent　her　oar　off　in　flashing　splinters；　as

she　pulled　her　last　stroke　in　the　boat…race；　she　did　not　know　what　a

strain　she　was　putting　upon　it。　　She　did　know　that　she　was　doing　her

best；　but　how　great　the　force　of　her　best　was　she　was　not　aware　until

she　saw　its　effects。　　Unconsciousness　belonged　to　her　robust　nature；

in　all　its　manifestations。　　She　did　not　pride　herself　on　her

knowledge；　nor　reproach　herself　for　her　ignorance。　　In　every　way　she

formed　a　striking　contrast　to　her　friend；　Miss　Vincent。　　Every　word

they　spoke　betrayed　the　difference　between　them：　the　sharp　tones　of

Lurida's　head…voice；　penetrative；　aggressive；　sometimes　irritating；

revealed　the　corresponding　traits　of　mental　and　moral　character；　the

quiet；　conversational　contralto　of　Euthymia　was　the　index　of　a　nature

restful　and　sympathetic。



The　friendships　of　young　girls　prefigure　the　closer　relations　which

will　one　day　come　in　and　dissolve　their　earlier　intimacies。　　The

dependence　of　two　young　friends　may　be　mutual；　but　one　will　always

lean　more　heavily　than　the　other；　the　masculine　and　feminine　elements

will　be　as　sure　to　assert　themselves　as　if　the　friends　were　of

different　sexes。



On　all　common　occasions　Euthymia　looked　up　to　her　friend　as　her

superior。　　She　fully　appreciated　all　her　varied　gifts　and　knowledge；

and　deferred　to　her　opinion　in　every…day　matters；　not　exactly　as　an

oracle；　but　as　wiser　than　herself　or　any　of　her　other　companions。　　It

was　a　different　thing；　however；　when　the　graver　questions　of　life

came　up。　　Lurida　was　full　of　suggestions；　plans；　projects；　which　were

too　liable　to　run　into　whims　before　she　knew　where　they　were　tending。

She　would　lay　out　her　ideas　before　Euthymia　so　fluently　and

eloquently　that　she　could　not　help　believing　them　herself；　and

feeling　as　if　her　friend　must　accept　them　with　an　enthusiasm　like　her

own。　　Then　Euthymia　would　take　them　up　with　her　sweet；　deliberate

accents；　and　bring　her　calmer　judgment　to　bear　on　them。



Lurida　was　in　an　excited　condition；　in　the　midst　of　all　her　new

interests　and　occupations。　　She　was　constantly　on　the　lookout　for

papers　to　be　read　at　the　meetings　of　her　Society；for　she　made　it

her　own　in　great　measure；　by　her　zeal　and　enthusiasm；and　in　the

mean　time　she　was　reading　in　various　books　which　Dr。　Butts　selected

for　her；　all　bearing　on　the　profession　to　which；　at　least　as　a

possibility；　she　was　looking　forward。　　Privately　and　in　a　very　still

way；　she　was　occupying　herself　with　the　problem　of　the　young

stranger；　the　subject　of　some　delusion；　or　disease；　or　obliquity　of

unknown　nature；　to　which　the　vague　name　of　antipathy　had　been

attached。　　Euthymia　kept　an　eye　upon　her；　partly　in　the　fear　that

over…excitement　would　produce　some　mental　injury；　and　partly　from

anxiety　lest　she　should　compromise　her　womanly　dignity　in　her　desire

to　get　at　the　truth　of　a　very　puzzling　question。



〃How　do　you　like　the　books　I　see　you　reading？〃　said　Euthymia　to

Lurida；　one　day；　as　they　met　at　the　Library。



〃Better　than　all　the　novels　I　ever　read；〃　she　answered。　　〃I　have　been

reading　about　the　nervous　system；　and　it　seems　to　me　I　have　come

nearer　the　springs　of　life　than　ever　before　in　all　my　studies。　　I

feel　just　as　if　I　were　a　telegraph　operator。　　I　was　sure　that　I　had　a

battery　in　my　head；　for　I　know　my　brain　works　like　one；　but　I　did　not

know　how　many　centres　of　energy　there　are；　and　how　they　are　played

upon　by　all　sorts　of　influences；　external　and　internal。　　Do　you　know；

I　believe　I　could　solve　the　riddle　of　the　'Arrowhead　Village　Sphinx；'

as　the　paper　called　him；　if　he　would　only　stay　here　long　enough？〃



〃What　paper　has　had　anything　about　it；　Lurida？　　I　have　not　seen　or

heard　of　its　being　mentioned　in　any　of　the　papers。〃



〃You　know　that　rather　queer…looking　young　man　who　has　been　about　here

for　some　time；the　same　one　who　gave　the　account　of　his　interview

with　a　celebrated　author？　　Well；　he　has　handed　me　a　copy　of　a　paper

in　which　he　writes；　'The　People's　Perennial　and　Household

Inquisitor。'　He　talks　about　this　village　in　a　very　free　and　easy　way。

He　says　there　is　a　Sphinx　here；　who　has　mystified　us　all。〃



〃And　you　have　been　chatting　with　that　fellow！　　Don't　you　know　that

he'll　have　you　and　all　of　us　in　his　paper？　　Don't　you　know　that

nothing　is　safe　where　one　of　those　fellows　gets　in　with　his　note…book

and　pencil？　　Oh；　Lurida；　Lurida；　do　be　careful！〃　　What　with　this

mysterious　young　man　and　this　very　questionable　newspaper…paragraph

writer；　you　will　be　talked　about；　if　you　don't　mind；　before　you　know

it。　　You　had　better　let　the　riddle　of　the　Sphinx　alone。　　If　you　must

deal　with　such　dangerous　people；　the　safest　way　is　to　set　one　of　them

to　find　out　the　other。　I　wonder　if　we　can't　get　this　new　man　to

interview　the　visitor　you　have　so　much　curiosity　about。　　That　might

be　managed　easily　enough　without　your　having　anything　to　do　with　it。

Let　me　alone；　and　I　will　arrange　it。　　But　mind；　now；　you　must　not

meddle；　if　you　do；　you　will　spoil　everything；　and　get　your　name　in

the　'Household　Inquisitor'　in　a　way　you　won't　like。〃



〃Don't　be　frightened　about　me；　Euthymia。　　I　don't　mean　to　give　him　a

chance　to　work　me　into　his　paper；　if　I　can　help　it。　　But　if　you　can

get　him　to　try　his　skill　upon　this　interesting　personage　and　his

antipathy；　so　much　the　better。　　I　am　very　curious　about　it；　and

therefore　about　him。　　I　want　to　know　what　has　produced　this　strange

state　of　feeling　in　a　young　man　who　ought　to　have　all　the　common

instincts　of　a　social　being。　　I　believe　there　are　unexplained　facts

in　the　region　of　sympathies　and　antipathies　which　will　repay　study

with　a　deeper　insight　into　the　mysteries　of　life　than　we　have　dreamed

of　hitherto。　　I　often　wonder　whether　there　are　not　heart…waves　and

soul…waves　as　well　as　'brain…waves；'　which　some　have　already

recognized。〃



Euthymia　wondered；　as　well　she　might；　to　hear　this　young　woman

talking　the　language　of　science　like　an　adept。　　The　truth　is；　Lurida

was　one　of　those　persons　who　never　are　young；　and　who；　by　way　of

compensation；　will　never　be　old。　　They　are　found　in　both　sexes。　　Two

well…known　graduates　of　one　of　our　great　universities　are　living

examples　of　this　precocious　but　enduring　intellectual　development。

If　the　readers　of　this　narrative　cannot　pick　them　out；　they　need　not

expect　the　writer　of　it　to　help　them。　　If　they　guess　rightly　who　they

are；　they　will　recognize　the　fact　that　just　such　exceptional

individuals　as　the　young　woman　we　are　dealing　with　are　met　with　from

time　to　time　in　families　where　intelligence　has　been　cumulative　for

two　or　three　generations。



Euthymia　was　very　willing　that　the　questioning　and　questionable

visitor　should　learn　all　that　was　known　in　the　village　about　the

nebulous　individual　whose　misty　environment　all　the　eyes　in　the

village　were　trying　to　penetrate；　but　that　he　should　learn　it　from

some　other　informant　than　Lurida。



The　next　morning；　as　the　Interviewer　took　his　seat　on　a　bench　outside

his　door；　to　smoke　his　after…breakfast　cigar；　a　bright…looking　and

handsome　youth；　whose　features　recalled　those　of　Euthymia　so

strikingly　that　one　might　feel　pretty　sure　he　was　her　brother；　took　a

seat　by　his　side。　　Presently　the　two　were　engaged　in　conversation。

The　Interviewer　asked　all　sorts　of　questions　about　everybody　in　the

village。　　When　he　came　to　inquire　about　Maurice；　the　youth　showed　a

remarkable　interest　regarding　him。　　The　greatest　curiosity；　he　said；

existed　with　reference　to　this　personage。　　Everybody　was　trying　to

find　out　what　his　story　was；for　a　story；　and　a　strange　one；　he　must

surely　have；and　nobody　had　succeeded。



The　Interviewer　began　to　be　unusually　attentive。　　The　young　man　told

him　the　various　antipathy　stories；　about　the　evil…eye　hypothesis；

about　his　horse…taming　exploits；　his　rescuing　the　student　whose　boat

was　overturned；　and　every　occurrence　he　could　recall　which　would　help

out　the　effect　of　his　narrative。



The　Interviewer　was　becoming　excited。　　〃Can't　find　out　anything　about

him；　you　said；　did　n…'t　you？　　How　do　you　know　there's　anything　to

find？　　Do　you　want　to　know　what　I　think　he　is？　　I'll　tell　you。　　I

think　he　is　an　actor；a　fellow　from　one　of　the　city　theatres。　　Those

fellows　go　off　in　their　summer　vacation；　and　like　to　puzzle　the

country　folks。　　They　are　the　very　same　chaps；　like　as　not；　the

visitors　have　seen　in　plays　at　the　city　theatres；　but　of　course　they

don't　know　'em　in　plain　clothes。　　Kings　and　Emperors　look　pretty

shabby　off　the　stage　sometimes；　I　can　tell　you。〃



The　young　man　followed　the　Interviewer's　lead。　　〃I　shouldn't　wonder

if　you　were　right；〃　he　said。　　〃I　remember　seeing　a　young　fellow　in

Romeo　that　looked　a　good　deal　like　this　one。　　But　I　never　met　the

Sphinx；　as　they　call　him；　face　to　face。　　He　is　as　shy　as　a　woodchuck。

I　believe　there　are　people　here　that　would　give　a　hundred　dollars　to

find　out　who　he　is；　and　where　he　came　from；　and　what　he　is　here　for；

and　why　he　does　n't　act　like　other　folks。　　I　wonder　why　some　of　those

newspaper　men　don't　come　up　here　and　get　hold　of　this　story。　　It

would　be　just　the　thing　for　a　sensational　writer。〃



To　all　this　the　Interviewer　listened　with　true　professional　interest。

Always　on　the　lookout　for　something　to　make　up　a　paragraph　or　a

column　about；　driven　oftentimes　to　the　stalest　of　repetitions；to

the　biggest　pumpkin　story；　the　tall　cornstalk；　the　fat　ox；　the　live

frog　from　the　human　stomach　story；　the　third　set　of　teeth　and　reading

without　spectacles　at　ninety　story；　and　the　rest　of　the　marvellous

commonplaces　which　are　kept　in　type　with　e　o　y　　or　　e　6　m　（every

other　year　or　every　six　months）　at　the　foot；　always　in　want　of　a

fresh　incident；　a　new　story；　an　undescribed　character；　an　unexplained

mystery；　it　is　no　wonder　that　the　Interviewer　fastened　eagerly　upon

this　most　tempting　subject　for　an　inventive　and　emotional

correspondent。



He　had　seen　Paolo　several　times；　and　knew　that　he　was　Maurice's

confidential　servant；　but　had　never　spoken　to　him。　　So　he　said　to

himself　that　he　must　make　Paolo's　acquaintance；　to　begin　with。　　In

the　summer　season　many　kinds　of　small　traffic　were　always　carried　on

in　Arrowhead　Village。　　Among　the　rest；　the　sellers　of　fruits

oranges；　bananas；　and　others；　according　to　the　seasonsdid　an　active

business。　　The　Interviewer　watched　one　of　these　fruit…sellers；　and

saw　that　his　hand…cart　stopped　opposite　the　house　where；　as　he　knew；

Maurice　Kirkwood　was　living。　　Presently　Paolo　came　out　of　the　door；

and　began　examining　the　contents　of　the　hand…cart。　　The　Interviewer

saw　his　opportunity。　　Here　was　an　introduction　to　the　man；　and　the

man　must　introduce　him　to　the　master。



He　knew　very　well　how　to　ingratiate　himself　with　the　man；there　was

no　difficulty　about　that。　　He　had　learned　his　name；　and　that　he　was

an　Italian　whom