a mortal antipathy- 第26部分

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　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