a mortal antipathy-第29部分

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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　Maurice　had　brought　to　this　country　with　him。



〃Good　morning；　Mr。　Paul；〃　he　said。　　〃How　do　you　like　the　look　of

these　oranges？〃



〃They　pretty　fair；〃　said　Paolo：　〃no　so　good　as　them　las'　week；　no

sweet　as　them　was。〃



〃Why；　how　do　you　know　without　tasting　them？〃　said　the　Interviewer。



〃I　know　by　his　look；I　know　by　his　smell；he　no　good　yaller；he　no

smell　ripe；I　know　orange　ever　since　my　head　no　bigger　than　he　is；〃

and　Paolo　laughed　at　his　own　comparison。



The　Interviewer　laughed　louder　than　Paolo。



〃Good！〃　said　he；〃first…rate！　　Of　course　you　know　all　about　'em。

Why　can't　you　pick　me　out　a　couple　of　what　you　think　are　the　best　of

'em？　　I　shall　be　greatly　obliged　to　you。　　I　have　a　sick　friend；　and　I

want　to　get　two　nice　sweet　ones　for　him。〃



Paolo　was　pleased。　　His　skill　and　judgment　were　recognized。　　He　felt

grateful　to　the　stranger；　who　had　given　him；　an　opportunity　of

conferring　a　favor。　　He　selected　two；　after　careful　examination　and

grave　deliberation。　　The　Interviewer　had　sense　and　tact　enough　not　to

offer　him　an　orange；　and　so　shift　the　balance　of　obligation。



〃How　is　Mr。　Kirkwood；　to…day？〃　he　asked。



〃Signor？　　He　very　well。　　He　always　well。　　Why　you　ask？　　Anybody　tell

you　he　sick？〃



〃No；　nobody　said　he　was　sick。　　I　have　n't　seen　him　going　about　for　a

day　or　two；　and　I　thought　be　might　have　something　the　matter　with

him。　　Is　he　in　the　house　now？〃



〃No：　he　off　riding。　　He　take　long；　long　rides；　sometime　gone　all　day。

Sometime　he　go　on　lake；　paddle；　paddle　in　the　morning；　very；　very

early；in　night　when　the　moon　shine；　sometime　stay　in　house；　and

read；　and　study；　and　write；he　great　scholar；　Misser　Kirkwood。〃



〃A　good　many　books；　has　n't　he？〃



〃He　got　whole　shelfs　full　of　books。　　Great　books；　little　books；　old

books；　new　books；　all　sorts　of　books。　　He　great　scholar；　I　tell　you。〃



〃Has　n't　he　some　curiosities；old　figures；　old　jewelry；　old　coins；

or　things　of　that　sort？〃



Paolo　looked　at　the　young　man　cautiously；　almost　suspiciously。

〃He　don't　keep　no　jewels　nor　no　money　in　his　chamber。　　He　got　some

old　things；old　jugs；　old　brass　figgers；　old　money；　such　as　they

used　to　have　in　old　times：　she　don't　pass　now。〃　　Paolo's　genders　were

apt　to　be　somewhat　indiscriminately　distributed。



A　lucky　thought　struck　the　Interviewer。　　〃I　wonder　if　he　would

examine　some　old　coins　of　mine？〃　said　he；　in　a　modestly　tentative

manner。



〃I　think　he　like　to　see　anything　curious。　　When　he　come　home　I　ask

him。　　Who　will　I　tell　him　wants　to　ask　him　about　old　coin？〃



〃Tell　him　a　gentleman　visiting　Arrowhead　Village　would　like　to　call

and　show　him　some　old　pieces　of　money；　said　to　be　Roman　ones。〃



The　Interviewer　had　just　remembered　that　he　had　two　or　three　old

battered　bits　of　copper　which　he　had　picked　up　at　a　tollman's；　where

they　had　been　passed　off　for　cents。　　He　had　bought　them　as

curiosities。　　One　had　the　name　of　Gallienus　upon　it；　tolerably

distinct；a　common　little　Roman　penny；　but　it　would　serve　his

purpose　of　asking　a　question；　as　would　two　or　three　others　with　less

legible　legends。　　Paolo　told　him　that　if　he　came　the　next　morning　he

would　stand　a　fair　chance　of　seeing　Mr。　Kirkwood。　　At　any　rate；　he

would　speak　to　his　master。



The　Interviewer　presented　himself　the　next　morning；　after　finishing

his　breakfast　and　his　cigar；　feeling　reasonably　sure　of　finding　Mr。

Kirkwood　at　home；　as　he　proved　to　be。　　He　had　told　Paolo　to　show　the

stranger　up　to　his　library；or　study；　as　he　modestly　called　it。



It　was　a　pleasant　room　enough；　with　a　lookout　on　the　lake　in　one

direction；　and　the　wooded　hill　in　another。　　The　tenant　had　fitted　it

up　in　scholarly　fashion。　　The　books　Paolo　spoke　of　were　conspicuous；

many　of　them；　by　their　white　vellum　binding　and　tasteful　gilding；

showing　that　probably　they　had　been　bound　in　Rome；　or　some　other

Italian　city。　　With　these　were　older　volumes　in　their　dark　original

leather；　and　recent　ones　in　cloth　or　paper。　　As　the　Interviewer　ran

his　eye　over　them；　he　found　that　he　could　make　very　little　out　of

what　their　backs　taught　him。　　Some　of　the　paper…covered　books；　some

of　the　cloth…covered　ones；　had　names　which　he　knew；　but　those　on　the

backs　of　many　of　the　others　were　strange　to　his　eyes。　　The　classics

of　Greek　and　Latin　and　Italian　literature　were　there；　and　he　saw

enough　to　feel　convinced　that　he　had　better　not　attempt　to　display

his　erudition　in　the　company　of　this　young　scholar。



The　first　thing　the　Interviewer　had　to　do　was　to　account　for　his

visiting　a　person　who　had　not　asked　to　make　his　acquaintance；　and　who

was　living　as　a　recluse。　　He　took　out　his　battered　coppers；　and

showed　them　to　Maurice。



〃I　understood　that　you　were　very　skilful　in　antiquities；　and　had　a

good　many　yourself。　　So　I　took　the　liberty　of　calling　upon　you；

hoping　that　you　could　tell　me　something　about　some　ancient　coins　I

have　had　for　a　good　while。〃　　So　saying；　he　pointed　to　the　copper　with

the　name　of　Gallienus。



〃Is　this　very　rare　and　valuable？　　I　have　heard　that　great　prices　have

been　paid　for　some　of　these　ancient　coins；ever　so　many　guineas；

sometimes。　　I　suppose　this　is　as　much　as　a　thousand　years　old。〃



〃More　than　a　thousand　years　old；〃　said　Maurice。



〃And　worth　a　great　deal　of　money？〃　asked　the　Interviewer。



〃No；　not　a　great　deal　of　money；〃　answered　Maurice。



〃How　much；　should　you　say？〃　said　the　Interviewer。



Maurice　smiled。　　〃A　little　more　than　the　value　of　its　weight　in

copper；I　am　afraid　not　much　more。　　There　are　a　good　many　of　these

coins　of　Gallienus　knocking　about。　　The　peddlers　and　the　shopkeepers

take　such　pieces　occasionally；　and　sell　them；　sometimes　for　five　or

ten　cents；　to　young　collectors。　　No；　it　is　not　very　precious　in　money

value；　but　as　a　relic　any　piece　of　money　that　was　passed　from　hand　to

hand　a　thousand　or　fifteen　hundred　years　ago　is　interesting。　　The

value　of　such　relics　is　a　good　deal　a　matter　of　imagination。〃



〃And　what　do　you　say　to　these　others？〃　asked　the　Interviewer。　　Poor

old　worn…out　things　they　were；　with　a　letter　or　two　only；　and　some

faint　trace　of　a　figure　on　one　or　two　of　them。



〃Very　interesting；　always；　if　they　carry　your　imagination　back　to　the

times　when　you　may　suppose　they　were　current。　　Perhaps　Horace　tossed

one　of　them　to　a　beggar。　　Perhaps　one　of　these　was　the　coin　that　was

brought　when　One　said　to　those　about　Him；　'Bring　me　a　penny；　that　I

may　see　it。'　　But　the　market　price　is　a　different　matter。　　That

depends　on　the　beauty　and　preservation；　and　above　all　the　rarity；　of

the　specimen。　　Here　is　a　coin；　now；〃he　opened　a　small　cabinet；　and

took　one　from　it。　　〃Here　is　a　Syracusan　decadrachm　with　the　head　of

Persephone；　which　is　at　once　rare；　well　preserved；　and　beautiful。　　I

am　afraid　to　tell　what　I　paid　for　it。〃



The　Interviewer　was　not　an　expert　in　numismatics。　　He　cared　very

little　more　for　an　old　coin　than　he　did　for　an　old　button；　but　he　had

thought　his　purchase　at　the　tollman's　might　prove　a　good　speculation。

No　matter　about　the　battered　old　pieces：　he　had　found　out；　at　any

rate；　that　Maurice　must　have　money　and　could　be　extravagant；　or　what

he　himself　considered　so；　also　that　he　was　familiar　with　ancient

coins。　　That　would　do　for　a　beginning。



〃May　I　ask　where　you　picked　up　the　coin　you　are　showing　me？〃　he　said



〃That　is　a　question　which　provokes　a　negative　answer。　　One　does　not

'pick　up'　first…class　coins　or　paintings；　very　often；　in　these　times。

I　bought　this　of　a　great　dealer　in　Rome。〃



〃Lived　in　Rome　once？〃　said　the　Interviewer。



〃For　some　years。　　Perhaps　you　have　been　there　yourself？〃



The　Interviewer　said　he　had　never　been　there　yet；　but　he　hoped　he

should　go　there；　one　of　these　years。　　〃suppose　you　studied　art　and

antiquities　while　you　were　there？〃　he　continued。



〃Everybody　who　goes　to　Rome　must　learn　something　of　art　and