the professor at the breakfast table-第30章

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gave　a　sprig　to　her　little　neighbor；　and　one　to　the　landlady；　and

sent　another　by　the　hand　of　Bridget　to　this　old　gentleman。



Sarvant；　Ma'am　I　Much　obleeged；he　said；　and　put　it　gallantly　in

his　button…hole。　After　breakfast　he　must　see　some　of　her　drawings。

Very　fine　performances；very　fine！　truly　elegant　productions；

truly　elegant！　Had　seen　Miss　Linwood's　needlework　in　London；　in

the　year　（eighteen　hundred　and　little　or　nothing；　I　think　he　said；）…

patronized　by　the　nobility　and　gentry；　and　Her　Majesty；elegant；

truly　elegant　productions；　very　fine　performances；　these　drawings

reminded　him　of　them；wonderful　resemblance　to　Nature；　an

extraordinary　art；　painting；　Mr。　Copley　made　some　very　fine　pictures

that　he　remembered　seeing　when　he　was　a　boy。　　Used　to　remember　some

lines　about　a　portrait　Written　by　Mr。　Cowper；　beginning；



　　　　　　　　　　Oh　that　those　lips　had　language！　Life　has　pass'd

　　　　　　　　　　With　me　but　roughly　since　I　heard　thee　last。〃



And　with　this　the　old　gentleman　fell　to　thinking　about　a　dead　mother

of　his　that　he　remembered　ever　so　much　younger　than　he　now　was；　and

looking；　not　as　his　mother；　but　as　his　daughter　should　look。　　The

dead　young　mother　was　looking　at　the　old　man；　her　child；　as　she　used

to　look　at　him　so　many；　many　years　ago。　　He　stood　still　as　if　in　a

waking　dream；　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　drawings　till　their　outlines

grew　indistinct　and　they　ran　into　each　other；　and　a　pale；　sweet　face

shaped　itself　out　of　the　glimmering　light　through　which　he　saw　them。

What　is　there　quite　so　profoundly　human　as　an　old　man's　memory　of

a　mother　who　died　in　his　earlier　years？　　Mother　she　remains　till

manhood；　and　by…and…by　she　grows　to　be　as　a　sister；　and　at　last；

when；　wrinkled　and　bowed　and　broken；　he　looks　back　upon　her　in　her

fair　youth；　he　sees　in　the　sweet　image　he　caresses；　not　his　parent；

but；　as　it　were；　his　child。



If　I　had　not　seen　all　this　in　the　old　gentleman's　face；　the　words

with　which　he　broke　his　silence　would　have　betrayed　his　train　of

thought。



If　they　had　only　taken　pictures　then　as　they　do　now！he　said。

All　gone！　all　gone！　nothing　but　her　face　as　she　leaned　on　the　arms

of　her　great　chair；　and　I　would　give　a　hundred　pound　for　the　poorest

little　picture　of　her；　such　as　you　can　buy　for　a　shilling　of　anybody

that　you　don't　want　to　see。　The　old　gentleman　put　his　hand　to　his

forehead　so　as　to　shade　his　eyes。　　I　saw　he　was　looking　at　the　dim

photograph　of　memory；　and　turned　from　him　to　Iris。



How　many　drawing…books　have　you　filled；I　said；since　you　began　to

take　lessons？　This　was　the　first；she　answered；since　she　was

here；　and　it　was　not　full；　but　there　were　many　separate　sheets　of

large　size　she　had　covered　with　drawings。



I　turned　over　the　leaves　of　the　book　before　us。　　Academic　studies；

principally　of　the　human　figure。　　Heads　of　sibyls；　prophets；　and　so

forth。　　Limbs　from　statues。　　Hands　and　feet　from　Nature。　　What　a

superb　drawing　of　an　arm！　　I　don't　remember　it　among　the　figures

from　Michel　Angelo；　which　seem　to　have　been　her　patterns　mainly。

》From　Nature；　I　think；　or　after　a　cast　from　Nature。　Oh！



Your　smaller　studies　are　in　this；　I　suppose；I　said；　taking　up

the　drawing…book　with　a　lock　on　it；Yes；she　said。　I　should　like

to　see　her　style　of　working　on　a　small　scale。　There　was　nothing　in

it　worth　showing；she　said；　and　presently　I　saw　her　try　the　lock；

which　proved　to　be　fast。　　We　are　all　caricatured　in　it；　I　haven't

the　least　doubt。　　I　think；　though；　I　could　tell　by　her　way　of

dealing　with　us　what　her　fancies　were　about　us　boarders。　　Some　of

them　act　as　if　they　were　bewitched　with　her；　but　she　does　not　seem

to　notice　it　much。　　Her　thoughts　seem　to　be　on　her　little　neighbor

more　than　on　anybody　else。　　The　young　fellow　John　appears　to　stand

second　in　her　good　graces。　　I　think　he　has　once　or　twice　sent　her

what　the　landlady's　daughter　calls　bo…kays　of　flowers；somebody

has；　at　any　rate。　I　saw　a　book　she　had；　which　must　have　come　from

the　divinity…student。　　It　had　a　dreary　title…page；　which　she　had

enlivened　with　a　fancy　portrait　of　the　author；a　face　from　memory；

apparently；one　of　those　faces　that　small　children　loathe　without

knowing　why；　and　which　give　them　that　inward　disgust　for　heaven　so

many　of　the　little　wretches　betray；　when　they　hear　that　these　are

〃good　men；〃　and　that　heaven　is　full　of　such。　The　gentleman　with

the　diamondthe　Koh…i…noor；　so　called　by　uswas　not　encouraged；　I

think；　by　the　reception　of　his　packet　of　perfumed　soap。　　He　pulls

his　purple　moustache　and　looks　appreciatingly　at　Iris；　who　never

sees　him；　as　it　should　seem。　　The　young　Marylander；　who　I　thought

would　have　been　in　love　with　her　before　this　time；　sometimes　looks

from　his　corner　across　the　long　diagonal　of　the　table；　as　much　as　to

say；　I　wish　you　were　up　here　by　me；　or　I　were　down　there　by　you；

which　would；　perhaps；　be　a　more　natural　arrangement　than　the　present

one。　　But　nothing　comes　of　all　this；and　nothing　has　come　of　my

sagacious　idea　of　finding　out　the　girl's　fancies　by　looking　into　her

locked　drawing…book。



Not　to　give　up　all　the　questions　I　was　determined　to　solve；　I　made

an　attempt　also　to　work　into　the　Little　Gentleman's　chamber。　　For

this　purpose；　I　kept　him　in　conversation；　one　morning；　until　he　was

just　ready　to　go　up…stairs；　and　then；　as　if　to　continue　the　talk；

followed　him　as　he　toiled　back　to　his　room。　　He　rested　on　the

landing　and　faced　round　toward　me。　　There　was　something　in　his　eye

which　said；　Stop　there！　　So　we　finished　our　conversation　on　the

landing。　　The　next　day；　I　mustered　assurance　enough　to　knock　at　his

door；　having　a　pretext　ready。　No　answer。　Knock　again。　　A　door；

as　if　of　a　cabinet；　was　shut　softly　and　locked；　and　presently　I

heard　the　peculiar　dead　beat　of　his　thick…soled；　misshapen　boots。

The　bolts　and　the　lock　of　the　inner　door　were　unfastened；with

unnecessary　noise；　I　thought；and　he　came　into　the　passage。　　He

pulled　the　inner　door　after　him　and　opened　the　outer　one　at　which　I

stood。　　He　had　on　a　flowered　silk　dressing…gown；　such　as

〃Mr。　Copley〃　used　to　paint　his　old…fashioned　merchant…princes　in；

and　a　quaint…looking　key　in　his　hand。　　Our　conversation　was　short；

but　long　enough　to　convince　me　that　the　Little　Gentleman　did　not

want　my　company　in　his　chamber；　and　did　not　mean　to　have　it。



I　have　been　making　a　great　fuss　about　what　is　no　mystery　at　all；a

schoolgirl's　secrets　and　a　whimsical　man's　habits。　　I　mean　to　give

up　such　nonsense　and　mind　my　own　business。　Hark！　　What　the　deuse

is　that　odd　noise　in　his　chamber？



I　think　I　am　a　little　superstitious。　　There　were　two　things；　when

I　was　a　boy；　that　diabolized　my　imagination；I　mean；　that　gave　me　a

distinct　apprehension　of　a　formidable　bodily　shape　which　prowled

round　the　neighborhood　where　I　was　born　and　bred。　　The　first　was　a

series　of　marks　called　the　〃Devil's　footsteps。〃　　These　were　patches

of　sand　in　the　pastures；　where　no　grass　grew；　where　the　low…bush

blackberry；　the　〃dewberry；〃　as　our　Southern　neighbors　call　it；　in

prettier　and　more　Shakspearian　language；　did　not　spread　its　clinging

creepers；where　even　the　pale；　dry；　sadly…sweet　〃everlasting〃　could

not　grow；　but　all　was　bare　and　blasted。　　The　second　was　a　mark　in

one　of　the　public　buildings　near　my　home；the　college　dormitory

named　after　a　Colonial　Governor。　　I　do　not　think　many　persons　are

aware　of　the　existence　of　this　mark；little　having　been　said　about

the　story　in　print；　as　it　was　considered　very　desirable；　for　the

sake　of　the　Institution；　to　hush　it　up。　　In　the　northwest　corner；

and　on　the　level　of　the　third　or　fourth　story；　there　are　signs　of　a

breach　in　the　walls；　mended　pretty　well；　but　not　to　be　mistaken。　　A

considerable　portion　of　that　corner　must　have　been　carried　away；

from　within　outward。　　It　was　an　unpleasant　affair；　and　I　do　not　care

to　repeat　the　particulars；　but　some　young　men　had　been　using　sacred

things　in　a　profane　and　unlawful　way；　when　the　occurrence；　which　was

variously　explained；　took　place。　　The　story　of　the　Appearance　in　the

chamber　was；　I　suppose；　invented　afterwards；　but　of　the　injury　to

the　building　there　could　be　no　question；　and　the　zig…zag　line；　where

the　mortar　is　a　little　thicker　than　before；　is　still　distinctly

visible。　　The　queer　burnt　spots；　called　the　〃Devil's　footsteps；〃　had

never　attracted　attention　before　this　time；　though　there　is　no

evidence　that　they　had　not　existed　previously；　except　that　of　the

late　Miss　M。；　a　〃Goody；〃　so　called；　or　sweeper；　who　was　positive　on

the　subject；　but　had　a　strange　horror　of　referring　to　an　affair　of

which　she　was　thought　to　know　something。　I　tell　you　it　was　not　so

pleasant　for　a　little　boy　of　impressible　nature　to　go　up　to　bed　in

an　old　gambrel…roofed　house；　with　untenanted；　locked　upper…chambers；

and　a　most　ghostly　garret；with　the　〃Devil's　footsteps〃　in　the

fields　behind　the　house　and　in　front　of　it　the　patched　dormitory

where　the　unexplained　occurrence　had　taken　place　which　startled

those　godless　youths　at　their　mock　devotions；　so　that　one　of　them

was　epileptic　from　that　day　forward；　and　another；　after　a　dreadful

season　of　mental　conflict；　took　holy　orders　and　became　renowned　for

his　ascetic　sanctity。



There　were　other　circumstances　that　kept　up　the　impression　produced

by　these　two　singular　facts　I　have　just　mentioned。　　There　was　a　dark

storeroom；　on　looking　through　the　key…hole　of　which；　I　could　dimly

see　a　heap　of　chairs　and　tables；　and　other　four…footed　things；　which

seemed　to　me　to　have　rushed　in　there；　frightened；　and　in　their

fright　to　have　huddled　together　and　climbed　up　on　each　other's

backs；as　the　people　did　in　that　awful　crush　where　so　many　were

killed；　at　the　execution　of　Holloway　and　Haggerty。　　Then　the　Lady's

portrait；　up…stairs；　with　the　sword…thrusts　through　it；marks　of

the　British　officers'　rapiers；and　the　tall　mirror　in　which　they

used　to　look　at　their　red　coats；confound　them　for　smashing　its

mate？and　the　deep；　cunningly　wrought　arm…chair　in　which　Lord　Percy

used　to　sit　while　his　hair　was　dressing；he　was　a　gentleman；　and

always　had　it　covered　with　a　large　peignoir；　to　save　the　silk

covering　my　grandmother　embroidered。　　Then　the　little　room

downstairs　from　which　went　the　orders　to　throw　up　a　bank　of　earth　on

the　hill　yonder；　where　you　may　now　observe　a　granite　obelisk；〃the

study〃　in　my　father's　time；　but　in　those　days　the　council…chamber　of

armed　men；sometimes　filled　with　soldiers；　come　with　me；　and　I　will

show　you　the　〃dents〃　left　by　the　butts　of　their　muskets　all　over　the

floor。　　With　all　these　suggestive　objects　round　me；　aided　by　the

wild　stories　those　awful　country…boys　that　came　to　live　in　our

service　brought　with　them；of　contracts　written　in　blood　and　left

out　over　night；　not　to　be　found　the　next　morning；　（removed　by　the

Evil　One；　who　takes　his　nightly　round　among　our　dwellings；　and　filed

away　for　future　use；）of　dreams　coming　true；of　death…signs；of

apparitions；　no　wonder　that　my　imagination　got　exc