a mortal antipathy-第48部分

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explains　the　situation　altogether　too　emphatically。　　Such　scenes　did

not　frequently　occur　between　the　two　friends；　and　this　little　flurry

was　soon　over；　but　it　served　to　warn　Lurida　that　Miss　Euthymia　Tower

was　not　of　that　class　of　self…conscious　beauties　who　would　be　ready

to　dispute　the　empire　of　the　Venus　of　Milo　on　her　own　ground；　in

defences　as　scanty　and　insufficient　as　those　of　the　marble　divinity。



Euthymia　had　had　admirers　enough；　at　a　distance；　while　at　school；　and

in　the　long　vacations；　near　enough　to　find　out　that　she　was　anything

but　easy　to　make　love　to。　　She　fairly　frightened　more　than　one　rash

youth　who　was　disposed　to　be　too　sentimental　in　her　company。　　They

overdid　flattery；　which　she　was　used　to　and　tolerated；　but　which

cheapened　the　admirer　in　her　estimation；　and　now　and　then　betrayed

her　into　an　expression　which　made　him　aware　of　the　fact；　and　was　a

discouragement　to　aggressive　amiability。　　The　real　difficulty　was

that　not　one　of　her　adorers　had　ever　greatly　interested　her。　　It

could　not　be　that　nature　had　made　her　insensible。　　It　must　have　been

because　the　man　who　was　made　for　her　had　never　yet　shown　himself。

She　was　not　easy　to　please；　that　was　certain；　and　she　was　one　of

those　young　women　who　will　not　accept　as　a　lover　one　who　but　half

pleases　them。　　She　could　not　pick　up　the　first　stick　that　fell　in　her

way　and　take　it　to　shape　her　ideal　out　of。　　Many　of　the　good　people

of　the　village　doubted　whether　Euthymia　would　ever　be　married。



〃There　's　nothing　good　enough　for　her　in　this　village；〃　said　the　old

landlord　of　what　had　been　the　Anchor　Tavern。



〃She　must　wait　till　a　prince　comes　along；〃　the　old　landlady　said　in

reply。　　〃She'd　make　as　pretty　a　queen　as　any　of　them　that's　born　to

it。　　Wouldn't　she　be　splendid　with　a　gold　crown　on　her　head；　and

di'monds　a　glitterin'　all　over　her！　　D'　you　remember　how　handsome　she

looked　in　the　tableau；　when　the　fair　was　held　for　the　Dorcas　Society？

She　had　on　an　old　dress　of　her　grandma's；they　don't　make　anything。

half　so　handsome　nowadays；and　she　was　just　as　pretty　as　a　pictur'。

But　what's　the　use　of　good　looks　if　they　scare　away　folks？　　The　young

fellows　think　that　such　a　handsome　girl　as　that　would　cost　ten　times

as　much　to　keep　as　a　plain　one。　　She　must　be　dressed　up　like　an

empress；so　they　seem　to　think。　　It　ain't　so　with　Euthymy：　she'd

look　like　a　great　lady　dressed　anyhow；　and　she　has　n't　got　any　more

notions　than　the　homeliest　girl　that　ever　stood　before　a　glass　to

look　at　herself。〃



In　the　humbler　walks　of　Arrowhead　Village　society；　similar　opinions

were　entertained　of　Miss　Euthymia。　　The　fresh…water　fisherman

represented　pretty　well　the　average　estimate　of　the　class　to　which　he

belonged。　　'I　tell　ye；〃　said　he　to　another　gentleman　of　leisure；

whose　chief　occupation　was　to　watch　the　coming　and　going　of　the

visitors　to　Arrowhead　Village；〃I　tell　ye　that　girl　ain't　a　gon　to

put　up　with　any　o'　them　slab…sided　fellahs　that　you　see　hangin'

raound　to　look　at　her　every　Sunday　when　she　comes　aout　o'　meetin'。

It's　one　o'　them　big　gents　from　Boston　or　New　York　that'll　step　up

an'　kerry　her　off。〃



In　the　mean　time　nothing　could　be　further　from　the　thoughts　of

Euthymia　than　the　prospect　of　an　ambitious　worldly　alliance。　　The

ideals　of　young　women　cost　them　many　and　great　disappointments；　but

they　save　them　very　often　from　those　lifelong　companionships　which

accident　is　constantly　trying　to　force　upon　them；　in　spite　of　their

obvious　unfitness。　　The　higher　the　ideal；　the　less　likely　is　the

commonplace　neighbor　who　has　the　great　advantage　of　easy　access；　or

the　boarding…house　acquaintance　who　can　profit　by　those　vacant　hours

when　the　least　interesting　of　visitors　is　better　than　absolute

loneliness；the　less　likely　are　these　undesirable　personages　to　be

endured；　pitied；　and；　if　not　embraced；　accepted；　for　want　of

something　better。　　Euthymia　found　so　much　pleasure　in　the

intellectual　companionship　of　Lurida；　and　felt　her　own　prudence　and

reserve　so　necessary　to　that　independent　young　lady；　that　she　had

been　contented；　so　far；　with　friendship；　and　thought　of　love　only　in

an　abstract　sort　of　way。　　Beneath　her　abstractions　there　was　a

capacity　of　loving　which　might　have　been　inferred　from　the　expression

of　her　features；　the　light　that　shone　in　her　eyes；　the　tones　of　her

voice；　all　of　which　were　full　of　the　language　which　belongs　to

susceptible　natures。　　How　many　women　never　say　to　themselves　that

they　were　born　to　love；　until　all　at　once　the　discovery　opens　upon

them；　as　the　sense　that　he　was　born　a　painter　is　said　to　have　dawned

suddenly　upon　Correggio！



Like　all　the　rest　of　the　village　and　its　visitors；　she　could　not　help

thinking　a　good　deal　about　the　young　man　lying　ill　amongst　strangers。

She　was　not　one　of　those　who　had　sent　him　the　three…cornered　notes　or

even　a　bunch　of　flowers。　　She　knew　that　he　was　receiving　abounding

tokens　of　kindness　and　sympathy　from　different　quarters；　and　a

certain　inward　feeling　restrained　her　from　joining　in　these

demonstrations。　　If　he　had　been　suffering　from　some　deadly　and

contagious　malady　she　would　have　risked　her　life　to　help　him；　without

a　thought　that　there　was　any　wonderful　heroism　in　such　self…devotion。

Her　friend　Lurida　might　have　been　capable　of　the　same　sacrifice；　but

it　would　be　after　reasoning　with　herself　as　to　the　obligations　which

her　sense　of　human　rights　and　duties　laid　upon　her；　and　fortifying

her　courage　with　the　memory　of　noble　deeds　recorded　of　women　in

ancient　and　modern　history。　　With　Euthymia　the　primary　human

instincts　took　precedence　of　all　reasoning　or　reflection　about　them。

All　her　sympathies　were　excited　by　the　thought　of　this　forlorn

stranger　in　his　solitude；　but　she　felt　the　impossibility　of　giving

any　complete　expression　to　them。　　She　thought　of　Mungo　Park　in　the

African　desert；　and　she　envied　the　poor　negress　who　not　only　pitied

him；　but　had　the　blessed　opportunity　of　helping　and　consoling　him。

How　near　were　these　two　human　creatures；　each　needing　the　other！　　How

near　in　bodily　presence；　how　far　apart　in　their　lives；　with　a　barrier

seemingly　impassable　between　them　！









XXIII



THE　MEETING　OF　MAURICE　AND　EUTHYMIA。



These　autumnal　fevers；　which　carry　off　a　large　number　of　our　young

people　every　year；　are　treacherous　and　deceptive　diseases。　　Not　only

are　they　liable；　as　has　been　mentioned；　to　various　accidental

complications　which　may　prove　suddenly　fatal；　but　too　often；　after

convalescence　seems　to　be　established；　relapses　occur　which　are　more

serious　than　the　disease　had　appeared　to　be　in　its　previous　course。

One　morning　Dr。　Butts　found　Maurice　worse　instead　of　better；　as　he

had　hoped　and　expected　to　find　him。　　Weak　as　he　was；　there　was　every

reason　to　fear　the　issue　of　this　return　of　his　threatening　symptoms。

There　was　not　much　to　do　besides　keeping　up　the　little　strength　which

still　remained。　　It　was　all　needed。



Does　the　reader　of　these　pages　ever　think　of　the　work　a　sick　man　as

much　as　a　well　one　has　to　perform　while　he　is　lying　on　his　back　and

taking　what　we　call　his　〃rest〃？　　More　than　a　thousand　times　an　hour；

between　a　hundred　and　fifty　and　two　hundred　thousand　times　a　week；　he

has　to　lift　the　bars　of　the　cage　in　which　his　breathing　organs　are

confined；　to　save　himself　from　asphyxia。　　Rest！　　There　is　no　rest

until　the　last　long　sigh　tells　those　who　look　upon　the　dying　that　the

ceaseless　daily　task；　to　rest　from　which　is　death；　is　at　last

finished。　　We　are　all　galley…slaves；　pulling　at　the　levers　of

respiration；which；　rising　and　falling　like　so　many　oars；　drive　us

across　an　unfathomable　ocean　from　one　unknown　shore　to　another。　　No！

Never　was　a　galley…slave　so　chained　as　we　are　to　these　four　and

twenty　oars；　at　which　we　must　tug　day　and　night　all　our　life　long



The　doctor　could　not　find　any　accidental　cause　to　account　for　this

relapse。　　It　presently　occurred　to　him　that　there　might　be　some　local

source　of　infection　which　had　brought　on　the　complaint；　and　was　still

keeping　up　the　symptoms　which　were　the　ground　of　alarm。　　He

determined　to　remove　Maurice　to　his　own　house；　where　he　could　be　sure

of　pure　air；　and　where　he　himself　could　give　more　constant　attention

to　his　patient　during　this　critical　period　of　his　disease。　　It　was　a

risk　to　take；　but　he　could　be　carried　on　a　litter　by　careful　men；　and

remain　wholly　passive　during　the　removal。　　Maurice　signified　his

assent；　as　he　could　hardly　help　doing；for　the　doctor's　suggestion

took　pretty　nearly　the　form　of　a　command。　　He　thought　it　a　matter　of

life　and　death；　and　was　gently　urgent　for　his　patient's　immediate

change　of　residence。　　The　doctor　insisted　on　having　Maurice's　books

and　other　movable　articles　carried　to　his　own　house；　so　that　he

should　be　surrounded　by　familiar　sights；　and　not　worry　himself　about

what　might　happen　to　objects　which　he　valued；　if　they　were　left

behind　him。



All　these　dispositions　were　quickly　and　quiet