第3章

Evenwiththesmallamountofinformationobtainedbythesearchamonghispapersandeffects，thegossipsofthevillagehadconstructedseveraldistincthistoriesforthemysteriousstranger。

Hewasanagentofagreatpublishinghouse；aleadingcontributortoseveralimportantperiodicals；theauthorofthatanonymouslypublishednovelwhichhadmadesomuchtalk；thepoetofalargeclothingestablishment；aspyoftheItalian，somesaidtheRussian，somesaidtheBritish，Government；aproscribedrefugeefromsomecountrywherehehadbeenplotting；aschool-masterwithoutaschool，aministerwithoutapulpit，anactorwithoutanengagement；inshort，therewasnoendtotheperfectlysenselessstoriesthatweretoldabouthim，fromthatwhichmadehimoutanescapedconvicttothewhisperedsuggestionthathewastheeccentricheirtoagreatEnglishtitleandestate。

Theoneunquestionablefactwasthatofhisextraordinaryseclusion。

Nobodyinthevillage，nostudentintheUniversity，knewhishistory。NoyoungladyintheCorinnaInstitutehadeverhadawordfromhim。Sometimes，astheboatsoftheUniversityortheInstitutewerereturningatdusk，theirrowerswouldseethecanoestealingintotheshadowsastheydrewnearit。Sometimesonamoonlightnight，whenapartyoftheyoungladieswereoutuponthelake，theywouldseethewhitecanoeglidingghost-likeinthedistance。Andithadhappenedmorethanoncethatwhenaboat"screwhadbeenoutwithsingersamongthem，whiletheywereinthemidstofasong，thewhitecanoewouldsuddenlyappearandrestuponthewater，——notverynearthem，butwithinhearingdistance，——andsoremainuntilthesingingwasover，whenitwouldstealawayandbelostsightofinsomeinletorbehindsomejuttingrock。

Naturallyenough，therewasintensecuriosityaboutthisyoungman。

Thelandladyhadtoldherstory，whichexplainednothing。Therewasnobodytobequestionedabouthimexcepthisservant，anItalian，whosenamewasPaolo，butwhotothevillagewasknownasMr。Paul。

Mr。Paulwouldhaveseemedtheeasiestpersonintheworldtowormasecretoutof。Hewasgood-natured，child-likeasaHeathenChinee，talkedfreelywitheverybodyinsuchEnglishashehadatcommand，knewallthelittlepeopleofthevillage，andwasfollowedroundbythempartlyfromhispersonalattractionforthem，andpartlybecausehewasapttohaveastickofcandyorahandfulofpeanutsorotherdesirableluxuryinhispocketforanyofhislittlefriendshemetwith。Hehadthatwholesome，happylook，souncommoninouraridcountrymen，——alookhardlytobefoundexceptwherefigsandorangesripenintheopenair。Akindlyclimatetogrowupin，areligionwhichtakesyourmoneyandgivesyouastampedticketgoodatSaintPeter"sboxoffice，aroomychestandagoodpairoflungsinit，anhonestdigestiveapparatus，alivelytemperament，acheerfulacceptanceoftheplaceinlifeassignedtoonebynatureandcircumstance，——theseareconditionsunderwhichlifemaybequitecomfortabletoendure，andcertainlyisverypleasanttocontemplate。

AlltheseconditionswereunitedinPaolo。Hewastheeasiest；

pleasantestcreaturetotalkwiththatonecouldaskforacompanion。

Hissouthernvivacity，hisamusingEnglish，hissimplicityandopenness，madehimfriendseverywhere。

Itseemedasifitwouldbeaverysimplemattertogetthehistoryofhismasteroutofthisguilelessandunsophisticatedbeing。Hehadbeentriedbyallthevillageexperts。Therectorhadputanumberofwell-studiedcarelessquestions，whichfailedoftheirpurpose。Theoldlibrarianofthetownlibraryhadtakennoteofallthebookshecarriedtohismaster，andaskedabouthisstudiesandpursuits。PaolofoundithardtounderstandhisEnglish，apparently，andansweredinthemostirrelevantway。Theleadinggossipofthevillagetriedherskillinpumpinghimforinformation。Itwasallinvain。

Hismaster"swayoflifewaspeculiar，——infact，eccentric。Hehadhiredroomsinanold-fashionedthree-storyhouse。Hehadtworoomsinthesecondandthirdstoriesofthisoldwoodenbuilding:hisstudyinthesecond，hissleeping-roomintheoneaboveit。Paololivedinthebasement，wherehehadalltheconveniencesforcooking，andplayedthepartofchefforhismasterandhimself。Thiswasonlyapartofhisduty，forhewasaman-of-all-work，purveyor，steward，chambermaid，——asuniversalinhisservicesforonemanasPusheeattheAnchorTavernusedtobeforeverybody。

ItsohappenedthatPaolotookaseverecoldonewinter"sday，andhadsuchthreateningsymptomsthatheaskedthebaker，whenhecalled，tosendthevillagephysiciantoseehim。InthecourseofhisvisitthedoctornaturallyinquiredaboutthehealthofPaolo"smaster。

"SignorKirkwoodwell，——moltobene，"saidPaolo。"Whydoeshekeepoutofsightashedoes？"askedthedoctor。

"Healwaysso，"repliedPaolo。"Unaantipatia。”

WhetherPaolowasoffhisguardwiththedoctor，whetherherevealedittohimastoafatherconfessor，orwhetherhethoughtittimethatthereasonofhismaster"sseclusionshouldbeknown，thedoctordidnotfeelsure。Atanyrate，Paolowasnotdisposedtomakeanyfurtherrevelations。Unaantipatia，——anantipathy，——thatwasallthedoctorlearned。Hethoughtthematterover，andthemorehereflectedthemorehewaspuzzled。Whatcouldanantipathybethatmadeayoungmanarecluse!Wasitadreadofblueskyandopenair，ofthesmellofflowers，orsomeelectricalimpressiontowhichbewasunnaturallysensitive？

Dr。Buttscarriedthesequestionshomewithhim。Hiswifewasasensible，discreetwoman，whomhecouldtrustwithmanyprofessionalsecrets。HetoldherofPaolo"srevelation，andtalkeditoverwithherinthelightofhisexperienceandherown；forshehadknownsomecuriouscasesofconstitutionallikesandaversions。

Mrs。Buttsburiedtheinformationinthegraveofhermemory，whereitlayfornearlyaweek。Attheendofthattimeitemergedinaconfidentialwhispertoherfavoritesister-in-law，aperfectlysafeperson。Twenty-fourhourslaterthestorywasalloverthevillagethatMauriceKirkwoodwasthesubjectofastrange，mysterious，unheard-ofantipathytosomething，nobodyknewwhat；andthewholeneighborhoodnaturallyresolveditselfintoanunorganizedcommitteeofinvestigation。

IV

Whatisacountryvillagewithoutitsmysteriouspersonage？Fewarenowlivingwhocanremembertheadventofthehandsomeyoungmanwhowasthemysteryofourgreatuniversitytown"sixtyyearssince，"——

longenoughagoforaromancetogrowoutofanarrative，asWaverleymayremindus。Thewriterofthisnarrativeremembershimwell，andisnotsurethathehasnottoldthestrangestoryinsomeformorothertothelastgeneration，ortotheonebeforethelast。Nomatter:ifhehastoldittheyhaveforgottenit，——thatis，iftheyhaveeverreadit；andwhethertheyhaveorhavenot，thestoryissingularenoughtojustifyrunningtheriskofrepetition。

Thisyoungman，withacuriousnameofScandinavianorigin，appearedunheraldedinthetown，asitwasthen，ofCantabridge。Hewantedemployment，andsoonfounditintheshapeofmanuallabor，whichheundertookandperformedcheerfully。Buthiswholeappearanceshowedplainlyenoughthathewasbredtooccupationsofaverydifferentnature，if，indeed，hehadbeenaccustomedtoanykindoftoilforhisliving。Hisaspectwasthatofoneofgentlebirth。Hishandswerenotthoseofalaborer，andhisfeaturesweredelicateandrefined，aswellasofremarkablebeauty。Whohewas，wherehecamefrom，whyhehadcometoCantabridge，wasneverclearlyexplained。

Hewasalone，withoutfriends，exceptamongtheacquaintanceshehadmadeinhisnewresidence。Ifhehadanycorrespondents，theywerenotknowntotheneighborhoodwherehewasliving。Butifhehadneitherfriendsnorcorrespondents，therewassomereasonforbelievingthathehadenemies。Strangecircumstancesoccurredwhichconnectedthemselveswithhiminanominousandunaccountableway。A

threateningletterwasslippedunderthedoorofahousewherehewasvisiting。Hehadasuddenattackofillness，whichwasthoughttolookverymuchliketheeffectofpoison。Atonetimehedisappeared，andwasfoundwandering，bewildered，inatownmanymilesfromthatwherehewasresiding。Whenquestionedhowhecamethere；hetoldacoherentstorythathehadbeengot，undersomepretext，orinsomenotincredibleway，intoaboat，fromwhich，atacertainlanding-place，hehadescapedandfledforhislife，whichhebelievedwasindangerfromhiskidnappers。

Whoeverhisenemiesmayhavebeen，——iftheyreallyexisted，——hedidnotfallavictimtotheirplots，sofarasknowntoorrememberedbythiswitness。

Variousinterpretationswereputuponhisstory。ConjectureswereasabundantastheywereinthecaseofKasparHauser。Thathewasofgoodfamilyseemedprobable；thathewasofdistinguishedbirth，notimpossible；thathewasthedangerousrivalofacandidateforagreatlycovetedpositioninoneofthenorthernstatesofEuropewasafavoritespeculationofsomeofthemoreromanticyoungpersons。

Therewasnodramaticendingtothisstory，——atleastnoneisrememberedbythepresentwriter。

"Heleftaname，"liketheroyalSwede，ofwhoselineagehemayhavebeenforaughtthatthevillagepeopleknew，butnotanameatwhichanybody"grewpale；"forhehadswindlednoone，andbrokennowoman"sheartwithfalsevows。PossiblysomewitheredcheeksmayflushfaintlyastheyrecallthehandsomeyoungmanwhocamebeforetheCantabridgemaidensfullyequippedforaheroofromancewhenthecenturywasinitsfirstquarter。

ThewriterhasbeenremindedofthehandsomeSwedebytheincidentsattendingtheadventoftheunknownandinterestingstrangerwhohadmadehisappearanceatArrowheadVillage。

Itwasaveryinsufficientandunsatisfactoryreasontoassignfortheyoungman"ssolitaryhabitsthathewasthesubjectofanantipathy。Forwhatdoweunderstandbythatword？Whenayoungladyscreamsatthesightofaspider，weacceptherexplanationthatshehasanaturalantipathytothecreature。Whenapersonexpressesarepugnancetosomewholesomearticleoffood，agreeabletomostpeople，wearesatisfiedifhegivesthesamereason。Andsoofvariousodors，whicharepleasingtosomepersonsandrepulsivetoothers。Wedonotpretendtogobehindthefact。Itisanindividual，anditmaybeafamily，peculiarity。Evenbetweendifferentpersonalitiesthereisaninstinctiveelectivedislikeaswellasanelectiveaffinity。WearenotboundtogiveareasonwhyDr。Fellisodioustousanymorethantheprisonerwhoperemptorilychallengesajurymanisboundtosaywhyhedoesit；itisenoughthathe"doesnotlikehislooks。”

Therewasnothingstrange，then，thatMauriceKirkwoodshouldhavehisspecialantipathy；agreatmanyotherpeoplehaveoddlikesanddislikes。Butitwasaverycuriousthingthatthisantipathyshouldbeallegedasthereasonforhissingularmodeoflife。Allsortsofexplanationsweresuggested，notoneofthemintheleastsatisfactory，butservingtokeepthecuriosityofinquirersactiveuntiltheyweresupersededbyanewtheory。OnestorywasthatMauricehadagreatfearofdogs。Itgrewatlasttoaconnectednarrative，inwhichafrightinchildhoodfromarabidmongrelwassaidtohavegivenhimsuchasensitivenesstothenearpresenceofdogsthathewasliabletoconvulsionsifonecameclosetohim。

Thishypothesishadsomeplausibility。Noothercreaturewouldbesolikelytotroubleapersonwhohadanantipathytoit。Dogsareveryapttomaketheacquaintanceofstrangers，inafreeandeasyway。

Theyaremetwitheverywhere，——inone"sdailywalk，atthethresholdsofthedoorsoneenters，inthegentleman"slibrary，ontherugofmylady"ssitting-roomandonthecushionofhercarriage。Itistruethattherearefewpersonswhohaveaninstinctiverepugnancetothis"friendofman。”Butwhatifthisso-calledantipathywereonlyafear，aterror，whichborrowedthelessunmanlyname？Itwasafairquestion，if，indeed，thecuriosityofthepublichadarighttoaskanyquestionsatallaboutaharmlessindividualwhogavenooffence，andseemedentitledtotherightofchoosinghiswayoflivingtosuithimself，withoutbeingsubmittedtoespionage。

Therewasnopositiveevidencebearingonthepointasyet。ButoneofthevillagepeoplehadalargeNewfoundlanddog，ofaverysociabledisposition，withwhichhedeterminedtotestthequestion。

HewatchedforthetimewhenMauriceshouldleavehishouseforthewoodsorthelake，andstartedwithhisdogtomeethim。Theanimalwalkeduptothestrangerinaverysociablefashion，andbeganmakinghisacquaintance，aftertheusualmannerofwell-breddogs；

thatis，withthecourtesiesandblandishmentsbywhichthecanineChesterfieldisdistinguishedfromtheill-conditionedcur。Mauricepattedhiminafriendlyway，andspoketohimasonewhowasusedtothefellowshipofsuchcompanions。Thatidlequestionandfoolishstoryweredisposedof，therefore，andsomeothersolutionmustbefound，ifpossible。

Amuchmorecommonantipathyisthatwhichisentertainedwithregardtocats。Thishasneverbeenexplained。Itisnotmereaversiontothelookofthecreature，ortoanysensiblequalityknowntothecommonobserver。Thecatispleasinginaspect，gracefulinmovement，niceinpersonalhabits，andofamiabledisposition。Nocauseofoffenceisobvious，andyettherearemanypersonswhocannotabidethepresenceofthemostinnocentlittlekitten。Theycantell，insomemysteriousway，thatthereisacatintheroomwhentheycanneitherseenorhearthecreature。Whetheritisanelectricalorquasi-magneticphenomenon，orwhateveritmaybe，ofthefactofthisstrangeinfluencetherearetoomanywell-

authenticatedinstancestoallowitsbeingquestioned。ButsupposeMauriceKirkwoodtobethesubjectofthisantipathyinitsextremestdegree，itwouldinnomanneraccountfortheisolationtowhichhehadcondemnedhimself。Hemightshunthefiresidesoftheoldwomenwhosetabbieswerepurringbytheirfootstools，buttheseworthydamesdonotmakeupthewholepopulation。

Thesetwoantipathieshavingbeendisposedof，anewsuggestionwasstarted，andwastalkedoverwithacurioussortofhalfbelief，verymuchasghoststoriesaretoldinacircleofmoderatelyinstructedandinquiringpersons。ThiswasthatMauricewasendowedwiththeunenviablegiftoftheevileye。HewasinfrequentcommunicationwithItaly，ashislettersshowed，andhadrecentlybeenresidinginthatcountry，aswaslearnedfromPaolo。NoweverybodyknowsthattheevileyeisnotrarelymetwithinItaly。EverybodywhohaseverreadMr。Story"s"RobadiRoma"knowswhataterriblepoweritiswhichtheowneroftheevileyeexercises。Itcanblightanddestroywhateveritfallsupon。Noperson"slifeorlimbissafeifthejettatura，thewitheringglanceofthedeadlyorgan，fallsuponhim。

Itmustbeobservedthatthismaligneffectmayfollowalookfromtheholiestpersonages，thatis，ifwemayassumethatamonkissuchasamatterofcourse。CertainlywehavearighttotakeitforgrantedthatthelatePope，PiusNinth，wasaneminentlyholyman，andyethehadthenameofdispensingthemysticanddreadedjettaturaaswellashisblessing。IfMauriceKirkwoodcarriedthatdestructiveinfluence，sothathisclearblueeyesweremoretobefearedthanthefascinationsofthedeadliestserpent，itcouldeasilybeunderstoodwhyhekepthislookawayfromallaroundhimwhomhefearedhemightharm。

NosensiblepersoninArrowheadVillagereallybelievedintheevileye，butitservedthepurposeofatemporaryhypothesis，asdomanysuppositionswhichwetakeasanucleusforourobservationswithoutputtinganyrealconfidenceinthem。Itwasjustsuitedtotheromanticnotionsofthemoreflightypersonsinthevillage，whohadmeddledmoreorlesswithSpiritualism，andwerereadyforanynewfancy，ifitwereonlywildenough。

Theriddleoftheyoungstranger"speculiaritydidnotseemlikelytofindanyveryspeedysolution。Everynewsuggestionfurnishedtalkforthegossipsofthevillageandthebabbleofthemanytonguesinthetwoeducationalinstitutions。Naturally，thediscussionwasliveliestamongtheyoungladies。Hereisanextractfromaletterofoneoftheseyoungladies，who，havingreceivedatherbirththeever-pleasingnameofMary，sawfittohaveherselfcalledMollieinthecatalogueandinherletters。Theoldpostmasterofthetowntowhichherletterwasdirectedtookituptostamp，andreadontheenvelopethedirectionto"MissLuluPinrow。”Hebroughtthestampdownwithaviciousemphasis，comingverynearblottingoutthenurseryname，insteadofcancellingthepostage-stamp。"Lulu!"heexclaimed。"Ishouldliketoknowifthatgreatstrappinggirlisn"toutofhercradleyet!IsupposeMissLouisawillthinkthatbelongstoher，butIsawherchristenedandIheardthenametheministergaveher，anditwasn"t"Lulu，"oranysuchbabynonsense。”Andsosaying，hegaveitaflingtotheboxmarkedP，asifitburnedhisfingers。Whyagrown-upyoungwomanallowedherselftobecheapenedinthewaysomanyofthemdobytheuseofnameswhichbecomethemaswellasthefrockofaten-year-oldschoolgirlwouldbecomeagraduateoftheCorinnaInstitute，theoldpostmastercouldnotguess。Hewasaqueeroldman。

Theletterthusscornfullytreatedrunsoverwithayounggirl"swrittenloquacity:

"Oh，Lulu，thereissuchasensationasyouneversaworheardof"inallyourborndays，"asmammausedtosay。Hehasbeenatthevillageforsometime，butlatelywehavehad——oh，theweirdeststoriesabouthim!"TheMysteriousStrangeristhenamesomegivehim，butwegirlscallhimtheSachem，becausehepaddlesaboutinanIndiancanoe。IfIshouldtellyouallthethingsthataresaidabouthimIshoulduseupallmypapertentimesover。HehasnevermadeavisittotheInstitute，andnoneofthegirlshaveeverspokentohim，butthepeopleatthevillagesayheisvery，veryhandsome。

Wearedyingtogetalookathim，ofcourse——thoughthereisahorridstoryabouthim——thathehastheevileyedidyoueverhearabouttheevileye？Ifapersonwhoisbornwithitlooksatyou，youdie，orsomethinghappens——awful——isn"tit？

"Therectorsayshenevergoestochurch，butthenyouknowagoodmanyofthepeoplethatpassthesummeratthevillageneverdo——theythinktheirreligionmusthavevacations——that"swhatI"veheardtheysay——vacations，justlikeotherhardwork——itoughtnottobehardwork，I"msure，butIsupposetheyfeelsoaboutit。Shouldyoufeelafraidtohavehimlookatyou？Someofthegirlssaytheywouldn"thavehimforthewholeworld，butIshouldn"tmindit——especiallyifIhadonmyeyeglasses。Doyousupposeifthereisanythingintheevileyeitwouldgothroughglass？Idon"tbelieveit。Doyouthinkblueeye-glasseswouldbebetterthancommonones？Don"tlaughatme——theytellsuchweirdstories!TheTerror——LuridaVincent，youknow-makesfunofalltheysayaboutit，butthenshe"knowseverythinganddoesn"tbelieveanything，"thegirlssay——Well，I

shouldbeawfullyscared，Iknow，ifanybodythathadtheevileyeshouldlookatme——but——oh，Idon"tknow——butifitwasayoungman——

andifhewasvery——verygood-looking——Ithink——perhapsIwouldruntherisk——butdon"ttellanybodyIsaidanysuchhorridthing——andburnthisletterrightup——there"sadeargoodgirl。”

Itistobehopedthatnoreaderwilldoubtthegenuinenessofthisletter。Therearenotquitesomany"awfuls"and"awfullys"asoneexpectstofindinyoungladies"letters，buttherearetwo"weirds，"

whichmaybeconsideredafairallowance。Howithappenedthat"jolly"didnotshowitselfcanhardlybeaccountedfor；nodoubtitturnsuptwoorthreetimesatleastinthepostscript。

Hereisanextractfromanotherletter。ThiswasfromoneofthestudentsofStoughtonUniversitytoafriendwhosenameasitwaswrittenontheenvelopewasMr。FrankMayfield。TheoldpostmasterwhofoundfaultwithMiss"Lulu"s"designationwouldprobablyhavequarrelledwiththisaddress，ifithadcomeunderhiseye。"Frank"

isaverypretty，pleasant-soundingname，anditisnotstrangethatmanypersonsuseitincommonconversationalltheirdayswhenspeakingofafriend。Weretheyreallychristenedbythatname，anyofthesenumerousFranks？Perhapstheywere，andifsothereisnothingtobesaid。Butifnot，wasthebaptismalnameFrancisorFranklin？Themindisapttofasteninaveryperverseandunpleasantwayuponthisquestion，whichtoooftenthereisnopossiblewayofsettling。Onemighthope，ifheoutlivedthebeareroftheappellation，togetatthefact；butsinceevengravestoneshavelearnedtousethenamesbelongingtochildhoodandinfancyintheirsolemnrecord，thegenerationwhichdocksitsChristiannamesinsuchanun-Christianwaywillbequeathwholechurchyardsfullofriddlestoposterity。HowitwillpuzzleanddistressthehistoriansandantiquariansofacominggenerationtosettlewhatwastherealnameofDanandBertandBilly，whichlastislegibleonawhitemarbleslab，raisedinmemoryofagrownperson，inacertainburial-

groundinatowninEssexCounty，Massachusetts!

ButinthemeantimeweareforgettingtheletterdirectedtoMr。

FrankMayfield。

"DEARFRANK，——Hooray!Hurrah!Rah!

"Ihavemadetheacquaintanceof"TheMysteriousStranger"!Ithappenedbyaqueersortofaccident，whichcameprettynearrelievingyouofthedutyofreplyingtothisletter。Iwasoutinmylittleboat，whichcarriesasailtoobigforher，asIknowandoughttohaveremembered。Oneofthosefitfulflawsofwindtowhichthelakeissoliablestruckthesailsuddenly，andoverwentmyboat。Myfeetgottangledinthesheetsomehow，andIcouldnotgetfree。Ihadhardworktokeepmyheadabovewater，andIstruggleddesperatelytoescapefrommytoils；foriftheboatweretogodownIshouldbedraggeddownwithher。Ithoughtofagoodmanythingsinthecourseofsomefourorfiveminutes，Icantellyou，andIgotalessonabouttimebetterthananythingKantandalltherestofthemhavetosayofit。AfterIhadbeenthereaboutanordinarylifetime，Isawawhitecanoemakingtowardme，andIknewthatourshyyounggentlemanwascomingtohelpme，andthatweshouldbecomeacquaintedwithoutanintroduction。Soitwas，sureenough。Hesawwhatthetroublewas，managedtodisentanglemyfeetwithoutdrowningmeintheprocessorupsettinghislittleflimsycraft，and，asIwassomewhattiredwithmystruggle，tookmeintowandcarriedmetothelandingwherehekepthiscanoe。Ican"tsaythatthereisanythingoddabouthismannersorhiswayoftalk。IjudgehimtobeanativeofoneofourNorthernStates，——perhapsaNewEnglander。Hehaslivedabroadduringsomepartsofhislife。Heisnotanartist，asitwasatonetimethoughthemightbe。Heisagood-lookingfellow，welldeveloped，manlyinappearance，withnothingtoexcitespecialremarkunlessitbeacertainlookofanxietyorapprehensionwhichcomesoverhimfromtimetotime。YourememberouroldfriendSquireB。，whosecompanionwaskilledbylightningwhenhewasstandingclosetohim。Youknowthelookhehadwheneveranythinglikeathundercloudcameupinthesky。Well，IshouldsaytherewasalooklikethatcameoverthisMauriceKirkwood"sfaceeverynowandthen。

Inoticedthathelookedroundonceortwiceasiftoseewhethersomeobjectorotherwasinsight。Therewasalittlerustlinginthegrassasifoffootsteps，andthislookcameoverhisfeatures。

Arabbitranbyus，andIwatchedtoseeifheshowedanysignofthatantipathywehaveheardsomuchof，butheseemedtobepleasedwatchingthecreature。

"IfyouaskmewhatmyopinionisaboutthisMauriceKirkwood，I

thinkheiseccentricinhishabitoflife，butnotwhattheycalla"crank"exactly。Hetalkedwellenoughaboutsuchmattersaswespokeof，——thelake，thesceneryingeneral，theclimate。Iaskedhimtocomeoverandtakealookatthecollege。Hedidn"tpromise，butIshouldnotbesurprisedifIshouldgethimovertheresomeday。Iaskedhimwhyhedidn"tgotothePansophianmeetings。Hedidn"tgiveanyreason，butheshookhisheadinaverypeculiarway，asmuchastosaythatitwasimpossible。

"Onthewhole，Ithinkitisnothingmorethanthesamefeelingofdreadofhumansociety，ordislikeforit，whichunderthenameofreligionusedtodrivemenintocavesanddeserts。WhatapitythatProtestantismdoesnotmakespecialprovisionforallthefreaksofindividualcharacter!Ifwehadalittlemorefaithandafewmorecaverns，orconvenientplacesformakingthem，weshouldhavehermitsintheseholesasthickaswoodchucksorprairiedogs。Ishouldliketoknowifyouneverhadthefeeling，"Oh，thatthedesertweremydwelling-place!"

Iknowwhatyouranswerwillbe，ofcourse。Youwillsay，"Certainly，"Withonefairspiritformyminister；""

butImeanalone，——allalone。Don"tyoueverfeelasifyoushouldliketohavebeenapillar-saintinthedayswhenfaithwasasstrongaslye(speltwithay)，insteadofbeingasweakasdish-water？

(Jerryislookingovermyshoulder，andsaysthispunistoobadtosend，andadisgracetotheUniversity——butnevermind。)IoftenfeelasifIshouldliketoroostonapillarahundredfeethigh，——yes，andhaveitsoapedfromtoptobottom。Wouldn"titbefuntolookdownattheboresandtheduns？Letusgetupapillar-roosters"

association。(Jerry——stilllookingoversaysthereisanabsurdcontradictionintheidea。)

"Whatamatter-of-factidiotJerryis!

"Howdoyoulikelookingover，Mr。Inspectorgeneral？"

Thereaderwillnotgetmuchinformationoutofthislivelyyoungfellow"sletter，buthemaygetalittle。ItissomethingtoknowthatthemysteriousresidentofArrowheadVillagedidnotlooknortalklikeacrazyperson；thathewasofagreeableaspectandaddress，helpfulwhenoccasionoffered，andhadnothingabouthim，sofarasyetappeared，topreventhisbeinganacceptablememberofsociety。

Ofcoursethepeopleinthevillagecouldneverbecontentedwithoutlearningeverythingtherewastobelearnedabouttheirvisitor。Allthecitypaperswereexaminedforadvertisements。Ifacashierhadabsconded，ifabrokerhaddisappeared，ifarailroadpresidentwasmissing，someoftheoldstorieswouldwakeupandgetafreshcurrency，untilsomenewcircumstancegaverisetoanewhypothesis。

Unconsciousofalltheseinquiriesandfictions，MauriceKirkwoodlivedoninhisinoffensiveandunexplainedsolitude，andseemedlikelytoremainanunsolvedenigma。The"Sachem"oftheboatinggirlsbecamethe"Sphinx"ofthevillageramblers，anditwasagreedonallhandsthatEgyptdidnotholdanyhieroglyphicshardertomakeoutthanthemeaningofthisyoungman"soddwayofliving。

V

THEENIGMASTUDIED。

Itwasacurious，ifitwasnotasuspicious，circumstancethatayoungman，seeminglyingoodhealth，ofcomelyaspect，lookingasifmadeforcompanionship，shouldkeephimselfapartfromalltheworldaroundhiminaplacewheretherewasageneralfeelingofgoodneighborhoodandapleasantsocialatmosphere。ThePublicLibrarywasacentralpointwhichbroughtpeopletogether。ThePansophianSocietydidagreatdealtomakethemacquaintedwitheachotherformanyofthemeetingswereopentooutsidevisitors，andthesubjectsdiscussedinthemeetingsfurnishedthematerialforconversationintheirintervals。AcardofinvitationhadbeensentbytheSecretarytoMaurice，inanswertowhichPaolocarriedbackapolitenoteofregret。Thepaperhadanarrowrimofblack，implyingapparentlysomelossofrelativeorfriend，butnotanyveryrecentandcrushingbereavement。Thisrefusaltocometothemeetingsofthesocietywasonlywhatwasexpected。Itwaspropertoaskhim，buthisdecliningtheinvitationshowedthathedidnotwishforattentionsorcourtesies。Therewasnothingfurthertobedonetobringhimoutofhisshell，andseeminglynothingmoretobelearnedabouthimatpresent。

Inthisstateofthingsitwasnaturalthatallwhichhadbeenpreviouslygatheredbythefewwhohadseenorknownanythingofhimshouldbeworkedoveragain。Whenthereisnoneworetobedug，theoldrefuseheapsarelookedoverforwhatmaystillbefoundinthem。

ThelandlordoftheAnchorTavern，nowtheheadoftheboarding-

house，talkedaboutMaurice，aseverybodyinthevillagedidatonetimeoranother。Hehadnotmuchtosay，butheaddedafactortwo。

Theyounggentlemanwasgoodpay，——sotheyallsaid。Sometimeshepaidingold；sometimesinfreshbills，justoutofthebank。Hetrustedhisman，Mr。Paul，withthemoneytopayhisbills。Heknewsomethingabouthorses；heshowedthatbythewayhehandledthatcolt，——theonethatthrewthehostlerandbrokehiscollar-bone。

"Mr。Paulcomedowntothestable。"Letmeseethatcultyouall"fraidof，"sayshe。"Mymaster，herideanyhoss，"saysPaul。"Yousaddlehim，"saysbe；andsotheydid，andPaul，heledthatcolt——

thekickinestandugliestyoungbeastyoueverseeinyourlife——uptotheplacewherehismaster，ashecallshim，andhelives。WhatdoesthatKirkwooddobutclaponacoupleoflongspursandjumpontothatcolt"sback，andoffthebeastgoes，tailup，heelsflying，standinguponend，tryingallsortsofcapers，andatlastgoingitfullrunforacoupleofmiles，tillhe"dgotaboutenoughofit。

Thatcoltwentoffasferceasawild-cat，andcomebackasquietasacossetlamb。Amanthatpayshisbillsreg"lar，ingoodmoney，andknowshowtohandleahossisthreequartersofagentleman，ifheisn"tawholeone，——andmostlikelyheisawholeone。”

SospakethepatriarchoftheAnchorTavern。Hiswifehadalreadygivenherfavorableopinionofherformerguest。Shenowaddedsomethingtoherdescriptionasasequeltoherhusband"sremarks。

"Icallhim，"shesaid，"aboutaslikelyayounggentlemanaseverI

clappedmyeyeson。HeisratherslighterthanIliketoseeayoungmanofhisage；ifhewasmysun，Ishouldliketoseehimalittlemorefleshy。Idon"tbelieveheweighsmorethanahundredandthirtyorfortypounds。Didy"everlookatthoseeyesofhis，M"randy？Justasblueassuccoryflowers。Idolikethoselight-

complectedyoungfellows，withtheirfreshcheeksandtheircurlyhair；somehow，curlyhairdoossetoffanybody"sface。Heisn"tanyforeigner，forallthathetalksItalianwiththatMr。Paulthat"shishelp。Helooksjustlikeourkindoffolks，thecollegekind，that"sbroughtupamongbooks，andishandling"em，andreadingof"em，andmakingof"em，aslikeasnot，alltheirlives。AllthatyousayabouthisridingthemadcoltisjustwhatIshouldthinkhewasupto，forhe"sasspryasasquirrel；yououghttoseehimgooverthatfence，asIdidonce。Idon"tbelievethere"sanyharminthatyounggentleman，——Idon"tcarewhatpeoplesay。Isupposehelikesthisplacejustasotherpeoplelikeit，andcaresmoreforwalkinginthewoodsandpaddlingaboutinthewaterthanhedoosforcompany；andifhedoos，whosebusinessisit，Ishouldliketoknow？"

ThethirdofthespeakerswasMiranda，whohadherownwayofjudgingpeople。

"Ineverseehimbuttwoorthreetimes，"Mirandasaid。"Ishouldliketohavewaitedonhim，andgotachancetolookstiddyathimwhenhewaseatin"hisvittles。That"sthetimetowatchfolks，whentheirjawsgeta-goin"andtheireyesareonwhat"safore"em。

Doyourememberthatchapthesheriffcomeandtookawaywhenwekep"

tahvern？Elevenyearagoitwas，comenex"Thanksgivin"time。A

mightygrandgentlemanfromtheCityhesetupfor。Iwatchedhim，andIwatchedhim。SaysI，Idon"tbelieveyou"renogentleman，saysI。Heeatwithhisknife，andthatain"tthewaycityfolkseats。EverytimeIhandedhimanythingIlookedcloseterandcloseter。Themwhiskersnevergroovedonthemcheeks，saysItomyself。Them"spapercollars，saysI。Thatdimuninyourshirt-

fronthain"tgotnolifetoit，saysI。Idon"tbelieveit"snothiri"more"nabito"winderglass。SosaysItoPushee，"Youjes"stepoutandgetthesherifftocomeinandtakealookatthatchap。"Iknowedhewasafterafellah。Hecomerightin，an"hegoesuptothechap。"Why，Bill，"sayshe，"I"mmightygladtoseeyer。

We"vehadtheholeinthewallyougotoutofmended，andIwantyourcompanytocomeandlookattheoldplace，"sayshe，andhepullsoutacoupleofhandcuffsandhas"emonhiswristsinlessthannotime，an"offtheygoestogether!Iknowonethingaboutthatyounggentleman，anyhow，——thereain"tnobetterjudgeofwhat"sgoodeatin"

thanheis。Icookedhimsomemaccaronimyselfoneday，andhesendswordtomebythatMr。Paul，"TellMissMiranda，"sayshe，IthatthePopeo"Romedon"thavenobettercookedmaccaronithanwhatshesentuptomeyesterday，"sayshe。Idon"knowmuchaboutthePopeo"

Romeexceptthathe"saRomanCatholic，andIdon"knowwhocooksforhim，whetherit"samanorawoman；butwhenitcomestoadisho"

maccaroni，Iain"tafeardoftheirshefs，astheycall"em，——themhe-

cooksthatcan"tserveupacoldpotaterwithoutcallin"itbysomenamenobodycansayafter"em。Butthisgentlemanknowsgoodcookin"，andthat"sasgoodasignofagentlemanasIwanttotell"emby。”

VI

STILLATFAULT。

ThehouseinwhichMauriceKirkwoodhadtakenuphisabodewasnotaveryinvitingone。Itwasold，andhadbeenleftinasomewhatdilapidatedanddisorderlyconditionbythetenantswhohadlivedinthepartwhichMauricenowoccupied。Theyhadpiledtheirpacking-

boxesinthecellar，withbrokenchairs，brokenchina，andotherhouseholdwrecks。Acrackedmirrorlayonanoldstrawmattress，thecontentsofwhichwereairingthemselvesthroughwideripsandrents。

Alameclothes-horsewassaddledwithanoldrugfringedwitharaggedborder，outofwhichallthecolorshadbeencompletelytrodden。Nowomanwouldhavegoneintoahouseinsuchacondition。

Buttheyoungmandidnottroublehimselfmuchaboutsuchmatters，andwassatisfiedwhentheroomswhichweretobeoccupiedbyhimselfandhisservantweremadedecentandtolerablycomfortable。Duringthefineseasonallthiswasnotofmuchconsequence，andifMauricemadeuphismindtostaythroughthewinterhewouldhavehischoiceamongmanymoreeligibleplaces。

ThesummervacationoftheCorinnaInstitutehadnowarrived，andtheyoungladieshadscatteredtotheirhomes。AmongthegraduatesoftheyearwereMissEuthymiaTowerandMissLuridaVincent，whohadnowreturnedtotheirhomesinArrowheadVillage。Theywerebothgladtorestafterthelongfinalexaminationsandtheexercisesoftheclosingday，inwhicheachofthemhadborneaconspicuouspart。

Itwasapleasantlifetheyledinthevillage，whichwaslivelyenoughatthisseason。Walking，riding，driving，boating，visitstotheLibrary，meetingsofthePansophianSociety，hops，andpicnicsmadethetimepassverycheerfully，andsoonshowedtheirrestoringinfluences。TheTerror"slargeeyesdidnotwearthedull，glazedlookbywhichtheyhadtoooftenbetrayedtheaftereffectsofover-

excitementofthestrongandactivebrainbehindthem。TheWondergainedafresherbloom，andlookedfullenoughoflifetoradiatevitalityintoastatueofice。Theyhadaboatoftheirown，inwhichtheypassedmanydelightfulhoursonthelake，rowing，drifting，reading，tellingofwhathadbeen，dreamingofwhatmightbe。

TheLibrarywasoneofthechiefcentresofthefixedpopulation，andvisitedoftenbystrangers。TheoldLibrarianwasapeculiarcharacter，astheseofficialsareapttobe。Theyhaveacuriouskindofknowledge，sometimesimmenseinitsway。Theyknowthebacksofbooks，theirtitle-pages，theirpopularityorwantofit，theclassofreaderswhocallforparticularworks，thevalueofdifferenteditions，andagooddealbesides。Theirmindscatchuphintsfromallmannerofworksonallkindsofsubjects。Theywillgiveavisitorafactandareferencewhichtheyaresurprisedtofindtheyrememberandwhichthevisitormighthavehuntedforayear。Everygoodlibrarian，everyprivatebook-owner，whohasgrownintohislibrary，findshehasabunchofnervesgoingtoeverybookcase，abranchtoeveryshelf，andatwigtoeverybook。Thesenervesgetverysensitiveinoldlibrarians，sometimes，andtheydonotliketohaveavolumemeddledwithanymorethantheywouldliketohavetheirnakedeyeshandled。Theycometofeelatlastthatthebooksofagreatcollectionareapart，notmerelyoftheirownproperty，thoughtheyareonlytheagentsfortheirdistribution，butthattheyare，asitwere，outlyingportionsoftheirownorganization。TheoldLibrarianwasgettingamiserlyfeelingabouthisbooks，ashecalledthem。Fortunately，hehadayoungladyforhisassistant，whowasneversohappyaswhenshecouldfindtheworkanyvisitorwantedandputitinhishands，——orherhands，forthereweremorereadersamongthewivesand——daughters，andespeciallyamongtheaunts，thantherewereamongtheirmalerelatives。TheoldLibrarianknewthebooks，butthebooksseemedtoknowtheyoungassistant；soitlooked，atleast，totheimpatientyoungpeoplewhowantedtheirservices。

Mauricehadagoodmanyvolumesofhisown，——agreatmany，accordingtoPaolo"saccount；butPaolo"sideaswerelimited，andafewwell-

filledshelvesseemedaverylargecollectiontohim。HismasterfrequentlysenthimtothePublicLibraryforbooks，whichsomewhatenlargedhisnotions；still，theSignorwasaverylearnedman，hewascertain，andsomeofhiswhitebooks(boundinvellumandrichlygilt)weremoresplendid，accordingtoPaolo，thananythingintheLibrary。

TherewasnolittlecuriositytoknowwhatwerethebooksthatMauricewasinthehabitoftakingout，andtheLibrarian"srecordwascarefullysearchedbysomeofthemoreinquisitiveinvestigators。

Thelistprovedtobealongandvariedone。Itwouldimplyaconsiderableknowledgeofmodernlanguagesandoftheclassics；alikingformathematicsandphysics，especiallyallthatrelatedtoelectricityandmagnetism；afancyfortheoccultsciences，ifthereisanyproprietyincouplingthesewords；andawhimforoddandobsoleteliterature，liketheParthenologiaofFortuniusLicetus，thequainttreatise"DeSternutatione，"booksaboutalchemy，andwitchcraft，apparitions，andmodernworksrelatingtoSpiritualism。

Withthesewerethetitlesofnovelsandnowandthenofbooksofpoems；butitmaybetakenforgrantedthathisownshelvesheldtheworkshewasmostfrequentlyinthehabitofreadingorconsulting。

Notmuchwastobemadeoutofthisbeyondthefactofwidescholarship，——moreorlessdeepitmightbe，butatanyrateimplyingnosmallmentalactivity；forheappearedtoreadveryrapidly，atanyrateexchangedthebookshehadtakenoutfornewonesveryfrequently。Tojudgebyhisreading，hewasamanofletters。Butsowide-readingamanoflettersmusthaveanobject，aliterarypurposeinallprobability。Whyshouldnothebewritinganovel？

Notanovelofsociety，assuredly，forahermitisnotthepersontoreportthetalkandmannersofaworldwhichhehasnothingtodowith。Novelistsandlawyersunderstandtheartof"cramming"betterthananyotherpersonsintheworld。Whyshouldnotthisyoungmanbeworkingupthepicturesqueinthisromanticregiontoserveasabackgroundforsomestorywithmagic，perhaps，andmysticism，andhintsborrowedfromscience，andallsortsofout-of-the-wayknowledgewhichhisoddandmiscellaneousselectionofbooksfurnishedhim？Thatmightbe，orpossiblyhewasonlyreadingforamusement。Whocouldsay？

ThefundsofthePublicLibraryofArrowheadVillageallowedthemanagerstopurchasemanybooksoutofthecommonrangeofreading。

Thetwolearnedpeopleofthevillageweretherectorandthedoctor。

Thesetwoworthieskeptuptheoldcontroversybetweentheprofessions，whichgrowsoutofthefactthatonestudiesnaturefrombelowupwards，andtheotherfromabovedownwards。Therectormaintainedthatphysicianscontractedasquintwhichturnstheireyesinwardly，whilethemuscleswhichrolltheireyesupwardbecomepalsied。Thedoctorretortedthattheologicalstudentsdevelopedathirdeyelid，——thenictitatingmembrane，whichissowellknowninbirds，andwhichservestoshutout，notalllight，butallthelighttheydonotwant。Theirlittleskirmishesdidnotpreventtheirbeingverygoodfriends，whohadacommoninterestinmanythingsandmanypersons。BothwereonthecommitteewhichhadthecareoftheLibraryandattendedtothepurchaseofbooks。Eachwasscholarenoughtoknowthewantsofscholars，anddisposedtotrustthejudgmentoftheotherastowhatbooksshouldbepurchased，。

Consequently，theclergymansecuredtheadditiontotheLibraryofagoodmanyoldtheologicalworkswhichthephysicianwouldhavecalledbrimstonedivinity，andheldtobejustthethingtokindlefireswith，——goodbooksstillforthosewhoknowhowtousethem，oftentimesasawfulexamplesoftheextremeofdisorganizationthewholemoralsystemmayundergowhenabarbarousbeliefhasstrangledthenaturalhumaninstincts。Thephysician，inthemeantime，acquiredforthecollectionsomeofthosemedicalworkswhereonemayfindrecordedvariousrareandalmostincrediblecases，whichmaynothavetheirlikeforawholecentury，andthenrepeatthemselves，soastogiveanewleaseofcredibilitytostorieswhichhadcometobelookeduponasfables。

Boththeclergymanandthephysiciantookaverynaturalinterestintheyoungmanwhohadcometoresideintheirneighborhoodforthepresent，perhapsforalongperiod。Therectorwouldhavebeengladtoseehimatchurch。HewouldhavelikedmoreespeciallytohavehadhimhearhissermonontheDutiesofYoungMentoSociety。Thedoctor，meanwhile，wasmeditatingonthedutiesofsocietytoyoungmen，andwishingthathecouldgaintheyoungman"sconfidence，soastohelphimoutofanyfalsehabitofmindoranydelusiontowhichhemightbesubject，ifhehadthepowerofbeingusefultohim。

Dr。Buttswastheleadingmedicalpractitioner，notonlyofArrowheadVillage，butofallthesurroundingregion。Hewasanexcellentspecimenofthecountrydoctor，self-reliant，self-sacrificing，workingagreatdealharderforhislivingthanmostofthosewhocallthemselvesthelaboringclasses，——asifnonebutthosewhosehandswerehardenedbytheuseoffarmingormechanicalimplementshadanyworktodo。Hehadthatsagacitywithoutwhichlearningisamereincumbrance，andhehadalsoafairshareofthatlearningwithoutwhichsagacityislikeatravellerwithagoodhorse，butwhocannotreadthedirectionsontheguideboards。Hewasnotamantobetakeninbynames。Hewellknewthatoftentimesveryinnocent-

soundingwordsmeanverygravedisorders；thatall，degreesofdiseaseanddisorderarefrequentlyconfoundedunderthesameterm；

that"rundown"maystandforafatigueofmindorbodyfromwhichaweekoramonthofrestwillcompletelyrestoretheover-workedpatient，oranadvancedstageofamortalillness；that"seedy"maysignifythemorning"sstateoffeeling，afteranevening"sover-

indulgence，whichcallsforaglassofsoda-waterandacupofcoffee，oradangerousmaladywhichwillpackoffthesubjectofit，attheshortestnotice，tothesouthofFrance。Heknewtoowellthatwhatisspokenlightlyofasa"nervousdisturbance"mayimplythatthewholemachineryoflifeisinaderangedcondition，andthateveryindividualorganwouldgroanaloudifithadanyotherlanguagethantheterribleinarticulateoneofpainbywhichtocommunicatewiththeconsciousness。

When，therefore，Dr。Buttsheardthewordantipatiahedidnotsmile，andsaytohimselfthatthiswasanidlewhim，afoolishfancy，whichtheyoungmanhadgotintohishead。Neitherwashesatisfiedtosetdowneverythingtotheaccountofinsanity，plausibleasthatsuppositionmightseem。Hewaspreparedtobelieveinsomeexceptional，perhapsanomalous，formofexaggeratedsensibility，relatingtowhatclassofobjectshecouldnotatpresentconjecture，butwhichwasasvitaltothesubjectofitastheinsulatingarrangementtoapieceofelectricalmachinery。Withthisfeelinghebegantolookintothohistoryofantipathiesasrecordedinallthebooksandjournalsonwhichhecouldlayhishands——

TheholderofthePortfolioasksleavetocloseitforabriefinterval。Hewishestosayafewwordstohisreaders，beforeofferingthemsomeverseswhichhavenoconnectionwiththenarrativenowinprogress。

Ifonecouldhavebeforehimasetofphotographstakenannually，representingthesamepersonasheorsheappearedforthirtyorfortyorfiftyyears，itwouldbeinterestingtowatchthegradualchangesofaspectfromtheageoftwenty，orevenofthirtyorforty，tothatofthreescoreandten。Thefacemightbeanuninterestingone；still，assharingtheinevitablechangeswroughtbytime，itwouldbeworthlookingatasitpassedthroughthecurveoflife，——

thevitalparabola，whichbetraysitselfinthesymbolicchangesofthefeatures。Aninscriptionisthesamething，whetherwereaditonslate-stone，orgranite，ormarble。Towatchthelightsandshades，thereliefsandhollows，ofacountenancethroughalifetime，oralargepartofit，bytheaidofacontinuousseriesofphotographswouldnotonlybecurious；itwouldteachusmuchmoreaboutthelawsofphysiognomythanwecouldgetfromcasualandunconnectedobservations。

Thesamekindofinterest，withoutanyassumptionofmerittobefoundinthem，Iwouldclaimforaseriesofannualpoems，beginninginmiddlelifeandcontinuedtowhatmanyofmycorrespondentsarepleasedtoremindme——asifIrequiredtohavethefactbroughttomyknowledge——isnolongeryouth。Hereisthelatestofaseriesofannualpoemsreadduringthelastthirty-fouryears。Thereseemstohavebeenoneinterruption，buttheremayhavebeenotherpoemsnotrecordedorremembered。This，thelatestpoemoftheseries，waslistenedtobythescantyremnantofwhatwasalargeandbrilliantcircleofclassmatesandfriendswhenthefirstofthelongserieswasreadbeforethem，thenintheflushofardentmanhood:——

THEOLDSONG。

TheminstreloftheclassiclayOfloveandwinewhosingsStillfoundthefingersrunastrayThattouchedtherebelstrings。

OfCadmushewouldfairhavesung，OfAtreusandhisline；

ButallthejocundechoesrungWithsongsofloveandwine。

Ah，brothers!IwouldfairhavecaughtSomefresherfancy"sgleam；

Mytruantaccentsfind，unsought，Theoldfamiliartheme。

Love，Love!butnotthesportivechildWithshaftandtwangingbow，WhoserandomarrowsdroveuswildSomethreescoreyearsago；

NotEros，withhisjoyouslaugh，Theurchinblindandbare，ButLove，withspectaclesandstaff，Andscanty，silveredhair。

Ourheadswithfrostedlocksarewhite，Ourroofsarethatchedwithsnow，Butred，inchillingwinter"sspite，Ourheartsandhearthstonesglow。

Ouroldacquaintance，Time，dropsin，AndwhiletherunningsandsTheirgoldenthreadunheededspin，Hewarmshisfrozenhands。

Stay，wingedhours，tooswift，toosweet，Andwaftthismessageo"erToallwemiss，fromallwemeetOnlife"sfast-crumblingshore:

SaythattooldaffectiontrueWehugthenarrowingchainThatbindsourhearts，——alas，howfewThelinksthatyetremain!

ThefataltouchawaitsthemallThatturnstherockstodust；

>Fromyeartoyeartheybreakandfall，Theybreak，butneverrust。

SayifonenoteofhappierstrainThisworn-outharpafford，——

Onethrobthattrembles，notinvain，Theirmemorylentitschord。

SaythatwhenFancyclosedherwingsAndPassionquenchedhisfire，Love，Love，stillechoedfromthestringsAsfromAnacreon"slyre!

January8，1885。

VII

ARECORDOFANTIPATHIES

Inthinkingthewholematterover，Dr。Buttsfeltconvincedthat，withcareandpatienceandwatchinghisopportunity，heshouldgetatthesecret，whichsofarbadyieldednothingbutasingleword。Itmightbeaskedwhyhewassoanxioustolearnwhat，fromallappearances，theyoungstrangerwasunwillingtoexplain。Hemayhavebeentosomeextentinfectedbythegeneralcuriosityofthepersonsaroundhim，inwhichgoodMrs。Buttsshared，andwhichshehadhelpedtointensifybyrevealingtheworddroppedbyPaolo。Butthiswasnotreallyhischiefmotive。Hecouldnotlookuponthisyoungman，livingalifeofunwholesomesolitude，withoutanaturaldesiretodoallthathisscienceandhisknowledgeofhumannaturecouldhelphimtodotowardsbringinghimintohealthyrelationswiththeworldabouthim。Still，hewouldnotintrudeuponhiminanyway。Hewouldonlymakecertaingeneralinvestigations，whichmightproveserviceableincasecircumstancesshouldgivehimtherighttocounseltheyoungmanastohiscourseoflife。Thefirstthingtobedonewastostudysystematicallythewholesubjectofantipathies。

Then，ifanyfurtheroccasionoffereditself，hewouldbereadytotakeadvantageofit。TheresourcesofthePublicLibraryoftheplaceandhisownprivatecollectionwereputinrequisitiontofurnishhimthesingularandwidelyscatteredfactsofwhichhewasinsearch。

ItisnoteveryreaderwhowillcaretofollowDr。Buttsinhisstudyofthenaturalhistoryofantipathies。Thestoriestoldaboutthemare，however，verycurious；andifsomeofthemmaybequestioned，thereisnodoubtthatmanyofthestrangestaretrue，andconsequentlytakeawayfromtheimprobabilityofotherswhichwearedisposedtodoubt。

Butinthefirstplace，whatdowemeanbyanantipathy？Itisanaversiontosomeobject，whichmayvaryindegreefrommeredisliketomortalhorror。Whatthecauseofthisaversioniswecannotsay。

Itactssometimesthroughthesenses，sometimesthroughtheimagination，sometimesthroughanunknownchannel。Therelationswhichexistbetweenthehumanbeingandallthatsurroundshimvaryinconsequenceofsomeadjustmentpeculiartoeachindividual。Thebrutefactisexpressedinthephrase"Oneman"smeatisanotherman"spoison。”

Instudyingthehistoryofantipathiesthedoctorbeganwiththosereferabletothesenseoftaste，whichareamongthemostcommon。Inanycollectionofahundredpersonstherewillbefoundthosewhocannotmakeuseofcertainarticlesoffoodgenerallyacceptable。

Thismaybefromthedisgusttheyoccasionortheeffectstheyhavebeenfoundtoproduce。Everyoneknowsindividualswhocannotventureonhoney，orcheese，orveal，withimpunity。Carlyle，forexample，complainsofhavingvealsetbeforehim，——ameathecouldnotendure。ThereisawholefamilyconnectioninNewEngland，andthataveryfamousone，tomanyofwhosemembers，indifferentgenerations，alltheproductsofthedairyarethesubjectsofacongenitalantipathy。Montaignesaystherearepersonswhodreadthesmellofapplesmorethantheywoulddreadbeingexposedtoafireofmusketry。Thereadersofthecharmingstory"AWeekinaFrenchCountry-House"willrememberpoorMonsieurJacque"spiteouscryinthenight:"Ursula，artthouasleep？Oh，Ursula，thousleepest，butIcannotclosemyeyes。DearestUrsula，thereissuchadreadfulsmell!Oh，Ursula，itissuchasmell!Idosowishthoucouldstsmellit!Good-night，myangel!——Dearest!Ihavefoundthem!