a mortal antipathy-第13部分

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dislikes。　　But　it　was　a　very　curious　thing　that　this　antipathy　should

be　alleged　as　the　reason　for　his　singular　mode　of　life。　　All　sorts　of

explanations　were　suggested；　not　one　of　them　in　the　least

satisfactory；　but　serving　to　keep　the　curiosity　of　inquirers　active

until　they　were　superseded　by　a　new　theory。　　One　story　was　that

Maurice　had　a　great　fear　of　dogs。　　It　grew　at　last　to　a　connected

narrative；　in　which　a　fright　in　childhood　from　a　rabid　mongrel　was

said　to　have　given　him　such　a　sensitiveness　to　the　near　presence　of

dogs　that　he　was　liable　to　convulsions　if　one　came　close　to　him。



This　hypothesis　had　some　plausibility。　　No　other　creature　would　be　so

likely　to　trouble　a　person　who　had　an　antipathy　to　it。　　Dogs　are　very

apt　to　make　the　acquaintance　of　strangers；　in　a　free　and　easy　way。

They　are　met　with　everywhere；in　one's　daily　walk；　at　the　thresholds

of　the　doors　one　enters；　in　the　gentleman's　library；　on　the　rug　of　my

lady's　sitting…room　and　on　the　cushion　of　her　carriage。　　It　is　true

that　there　are　few　persons　who　have　an　instinctive　repugnance　to　this

〃friend　of　man。〃　　But　what　if　this　so…called　antipathy　were　only　a

fear；　a　terror；　which　borrowed　the　less　unmanly　name？　　It　was　a　fair

question；　if；　indeed；　the　curiosity　of　the　public　had　a　right　to　ask

any　questions　at　all　about　a　harmless　individual　who　gave　no　offence；

and　seemed　entitled　to　the　right　of　choosing　his　way　of　living　to

suit　himself；　without　being　submitted　to　espionage。



There　was　no　positive　evidence　bearing　on　the　point　as　yet。　　But　one

of　the　village　people　had　a　large　Newfoundland　dog；　of　a　very

sociable　disposition；　with　which　he　determined　to　test　the　question。

He　watched　for　the　time　when　Maurice　should　leave　his　house　for　the

woods　or　the　lake；　and　started　with　his　dog　to　meet　him。　　The　animal

walked　up　to　the　stranger　in　a　very　sociable　fashion；　and　began

making　his　acquaintance；　after　the　usual　manner　of　well…bred　dogs；

that　is；　with　the　courtesies　and　blandishments　by　which　the　canine

Chesterfield　is　distinguished　from　the　ill…conditioned　cur。　　Maurice

patted　him　in　a　friendly　way；　and　spoke　to　him　as　one　who　was　used　to

the　fellowship　of　such　companions。　　That　idle　question　and　foolish

story　were　disposed　of；　therefore；　and　some　other　solution　must　be

found；　if　possible。



A　much　more　common　antipathy　is　that　which　is　entertained　with　regard

to　cats。　　This　has　never　been　explained。　　It　is　not　mere　aversion　to

the　look　of　the　creature；　or　to　any　sensible　quality　known　to　the

common　observer。　　The　cat　is　pleasing　in　aspect；　graceful　in

movement；　nice　in　personal　habits；　and　of　amiable　disposition。　　No

cause　of　offence　is　obvious；　and　yet　there　are　many　persons　who

cannot　abide　the　presence　of　the　most　innocent　little　kitten。　　They

can　tell；　in　some　mysterious　way；　that　there　is　a　cat　in　the　room

when　they　can　neither　see　nor　hear　the　creature。　　Whether　it　is　an

electrical　or　quasi…magnetic　phenomenon；　or　whatever　it　may　be；　of

the　fact　of　this　strange　influence　there　are　too　many　well…

authenticated　instances　to　allow　its　being　questioned。　　But　suppose

Maurice　Kirkwood　to　be　the　subject　of　this　antipathy　in　its　extremest

degree；　it　would　in　no　manner　account　for　the　isolation　to　which　he

had　condemned　himself。　　He　might　shun　the　firesides　of　the　old　women

whose　tabbies　were　purring　by　their　footstools；　but　these　worthy

dames　do　not　make　up　the　whole　population。



These　two　antipathies　having　been　disposed　of；　a　new　suggestion　was

started；　and　was　talked　over　with　a　curious　sort　of　half　belief；　very

much　as　ghost　stories　are　told　in　a　circle　of　moderately　instructed

and　inquiring　persons。　　This　was　that　Maurice　was　endowed　with　the

unenviable　gift　of　the　evil　eye。　　He　was　in　frequent　communication

with　Italy；　as　his　letters　showed；　and　had　recently　been　residing　in

that　country；　as　was　learned　from　Paolo。　　Now　everybody　knows　that

the　evil　eye　is　not　rarely　met　with　in　Italy。　　Everybody　who　has　ever

read　Mr。　Story's　〃Roba　di　Roma〃　knows　what　a　terrible　power　it　is

which　the　owner　of　the　evil　eye　exercises。　　It　can　blight　and　destroy

whatever　it　falls　upon。　　No　person's　life　or　limb　is　safe　if　the

jettatura；　the　withering　glance　of　the　deadly　organ；　falls　upon　him。

It　must　be　observed　that　this　malign　effect　may　follow　a　look　from

the　holiest　personages；　that　is；　if　we　may　assume　that　a　monk　is　such

as　a　matter　of　course。　　Certainly　we　have　a　right　to　take　it　for

granted　that　the　late　Pope；　Pius　Ninth；　was　an　eminently　holy　man；

and　yet　he　had　the　name　of　dispensing　the　mystic　and　dreaded

jettatura　as　well　as　his　blessing。　　If　Maurice　Kirkwood　carried　that

destructive　influence；　so　that　his　clear　blue　eyes　were　more　to　be

feared　than　the　fascinations　of　the　deadliest　serpent；　it　could

easily　be　understood　why　he　kept　his　look　away　from　all　around　him

whom　he　feared　he　might　harm。



No　sensible　person　in　Arrowhead　Village　really　believed　in　the　evil

eye；　but　it　served　the　purpose　of　a　temporary　hypothesis；　as　do　many

suppositions　which　we　take　as　a　nucleus　for　our　observations　without

putting　any　real　confidence　in　them。　　It　was　just　suited　to　the

romantic　notions　of　the　more　flighty　persons　in　the　village；　who　had

meddled　more　or　less　with　Spiritualism；　and　were　ready　for　any　new

fancy；　if　it　were　only　wild　enough。



The　riddle　of　the　young　stranger's　peculiarity　did　not　seem　likely　to

find　any　very　speedy　solution。　　Every　new　suggestion　furnished　talk

for　the　gossips　of　the　village　and　the　babble　of　the　many　tongues　in

the　two　educational　institutions。　　Naturally；　the　discussion　was

liveliest　among　the　young　ladies。　　Here　is　an　extract　from　a　letter

of　one　of　these　young　ladies；　who；　having　received　at　her　birth　the

ever…pleasing　name　of　Mary；　saw　fit　to　have　herself　called　Mollie　in

the　catalogue　and　in　her　letters。　　The　old　postmaster　of　the　town　to

which　her　letter　was　directed　took　it　up　to　stamp；　and　read　on　the

envelope　the　direction　to　〃Miss　Lulu　Pinrow。〃　　He　brought　the　stamp

down　with　a　vicious　emphasis；　coming　very　near　blotting　out　the

nursery　name；　instead　of　cancelling　the　postage…stamp。　　〃Lulu！〃　he

exclaimed。　　〃I　should　like　to　know　if　that　great　strapping　girl　isn't

out　of　her　cradle　yet！　　I　suppose　Miss　Louisa　will　think　that　belongs

to　her；　but　I　saw　her　christened　and　I　heard　the　name　the　minister

gave　her；　and　it　was　n't　'Lulu；'　or　any　such　baby　nonsense。〃　　And　so

saying；　he　gave　it　a　fling　to　the　box　marked　P；　as　if　it　burned　his

fingers。　　Why　a　grown…up　young　woman　allowed　herself　to　be　cheapened

in　the　way　so　many　of　them　do　by　the　use　of　names　which　become　them

as　well　as　the　frock　of　a　ten…year…old　schoolgirl　would　become　a

graduate　of　the　Corinna　Institute；　the　old　postmaster　could　not

guess。　　He　was　a　queer　old　man。



The　letter　thus　scornfully　treated　runs　over　with　a　young　girl's

written　loquacity：



〃Oh；　Lulu；　there　is　such　a　sensation　as　you　never　saw　or　heard　of

'in　all　your　born　days；'　as　mamma　used　to　say。　　He　has　been　at　the

village　for　some　time；　but　lately　we　have　hadoh；　the　weirdest

stories　about　him！　　'The　Mysterious　Stranger　is　the　name　some　give

him；　but　we　girls　call　him　the　Sachem；　because　he　paddles　about　in　an

Indian　canoe。　　If　I　should　tell　you　all　the　things　that　are　said

about　him　I　should　use　up　all　my　paper　ten　times　over。　　He　has　never

made　a　visit　to　the　Institute；　and　none　of　the　girls　have　ever　spoken

to　him；　but　the　people　at　the　village　say　he　is　very；　very　handsome。

We　are　dying　to　get　a　look　at　him；　of　coursethough　there　is　a

horrid　story　about　himthat　he　has　the　evil　eye　did　you　ever　hear

about　the　evil　eye？　　If　a　person　who　is　born　with　it　looks　at　you；

you　die；　or　something　happensawfulis　n't　it？



〃The　rector　says　he　never　goes　to　church；　but　then　you　know　a　good

many　of　the　people　that　pass　the　summer　at　the　village　never　dothey

think　their　religion　must　have　vacationsthat's　what　I've　heard　they

sayvacations；　just　like　other　hard　workit　ought　not　to　be　hard

work；　I'm　sure；　but　I　suppose　they　feel　so　about　it。　　Should　you　feel

afraid　to　have　him　look　at　you？　　Some　of　the　girls　say　they　would　n't

have　him　for　the　whole　world；　but　I　shouldn't　mind　itespecially　if

I　had　on　my　eyeglasses。　　Do　you　suppose　if　there　is　anything　in　the

evil　eye　it　would　go　through　glass？　　I　don't　believe　it。　　Do　you

think　blue　eye…glasses　would　be　better　than　common　ones？　　Don't　laugh

at　methey　tell　such　weird　stories！　　The　TerrorLurida　Vincent；　you

know…makes　fun　of　all　they　say　about　it；　but　then　she　'knows

everything　and　doesn't　believe　anything；'　the　girls　sayWell；　I

should　be　awfully　scared；　I　know；　if　anybody　that　had　the　evil　eye

should　look　at　mebutoh；　I　don't　knowbut　if　it　was　a　young　man

and　if　he　was　veryvery　good…lookingI　thinkperhaps　I　would　run

the　riskbut　don't　tell　anybody　I　said　any　such　horrid　thingand

burn　this　letter　right　upthere　's　a　dear　good　girl。〃



It　is　to　be　hoped