the professor at the breakfast table-第52部分

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While　he　speaks　in　this　way；　the　general　conversation　is

interrupted；　and　we　all　listen　to　him。　　Iris　looks　steadily　in　his

face；　and　then　he　will　turn　as　if　magnetized　and　meet　the　amber　eyes

with　his　own　melancholy　gaze。　　I　do　believe　that　they　have　some　kind

of　understanding　together；　that　they　meet　elsewhere　than　at　our

table；　and　that　there　is　a　mystery；　which　is　going　to　break　upon　us

all　of　a　sudden；　involving　the　relations　of　these　two　persons。　　From

the　very　first；　they　have　taken　to　each　other。　　The　one　thing　they

have　in　common　is　the　heroic　will。　　In　him；　it　shows　itself　in

thinking　his　way　straightforward；　in　doing　battle　for　〃free　trade

and　no　right　of　search〃　on　the　high　seas　of　religious　controversy；

and　especially　in　fighting　the　battles　of　his　crooked　old　city。　　In

her；　it　is　standing　up　for　her　little　friend　with　the　most　queenly

disregard　of　the　code　of　boarding…house　etiquette。　　People　may　say

or　look　what　they　like；she　will　have　her　way　about　this　sentiment

of　hers。



The　Poor　Relation　is　in　a　dreadful　fidget　whenever　the　Little

Gentleman　says　anything　that　interferes　with　her　own　infallibility。

She　seems　to　think　Faith　must　go　with　her　face　tied　up；　as　if　she

had　the　toothache；and　that　if　she　opens　her　mouth　to　the　quarter

the　wind　blows　from；　she　will　catch　her　〃death　o'　cold。〃



The　landlady　herself　came　to　him　one　day；　as　I　have　found　out；　and

tried　to　persuade　him　to　hold　his　tongue。　The　boarders　was　gettin'

uneasy；she　said；and　some　of　'em　would　go；　she　mistrusted；　if　he

talked　any　more　about　things　that　belonged　to　the　ministers　to

settle。　　She　was　a　poor　woman；　that　had　known　better　days；　but　all

her　livin'　depended　on　her　boarders；　and　she　was　sure　there　was　n't

any　of　'em　she　set　so　much　by　as　she　did　by　him；　but　there　was　them

that　never　liked　to　hear　about　sech　things；　except　on　Sundays。



The　Little　Gentleman　looked　very　smiling　at　the　landlady；　who　smiled

even　more　cordially　in　return；　and　adjusted　her　cap…ribbon　with　an

unconscious　movement；a　reminiscence　of　the　long…past　pairing…time；

when　she　had　smoothed　her　locks　and　softened　her　voice；　and　won　her

mate　by　these　and　other　bird…like　graces。　My　dear　Madam；he

said；I　will　remember　your　interests；　and　speak　only　of　matters　to

which　I　am　totally　indifferent。　I　don't　doubt　he　meant　this；　but　a

day　or　two　after；　something　stirred　him　up；　and　I　heard　his　voice

uttering　itself　aloud；　thus：



…It　must　be　done；　Sir！　he　was　saying；it　must　be　done！　　Our

religion　has　been　Judaized；　it　has　been　Romanized；　it　has　been

Orientalized；　it　has　been　Anglicized；　and　the　time　is　at　hand　when

it　must　be　AMERICANIZED！　　Now；　Sir；　you　see　what　Americanizing　is　in

politics；it　means　that　a　man　shall　have　a　vote　because　he　is　a

man；and　shall　vote　for　whom　he　pleases；　without　his　neighbor's

interference。　　If　he　chooses　to　vote　for　the　Devil；　that　is　his

lookout；perhaps　he　thinks　the　Devil　is　better　than　the　other

candidates；　and　I　don't　doubt　he's　often　right；　Sir。　　Just　so　a

man's　soul　has　a　vote　in　the　spiritual　community；　and　it　doesn't　do；

Sir；　or　it　won't　do　long；　to　call　him　〃schismatic〃　and　〃heretic〃　and

those　other　wicked　names　that　the　old　murderous　Inquisitors　have

left　us　to　help　along　〃peace　and　goodwill　to　men〃！



As　long　as　you　could　catch　a　man　and　drop　him　into　an　oubliette；　or

pull　him　out　a　few　inches　longer　by　machinery；　or　put　a　hot　iron

through　his　tongue；　or　make　him　climb　up　a　ladder　and　sit　on　a　board

at　the　top　of　a　stake　so　that　he　should　be　slowly　broiled　by　the

fire　kindled　round　it；　there　was　some　sense　in　these　words；　they　led

to　something。　　But　since　we　have　done　with　those　tools；　we　had

better　give　up　those　words。　　I　should　like　to　see　a　Yankee

advertisement　like　this！　（the　Little　Gentleman　laughed　fiercely　as

he　uttered　the　words；）



Patent　thumb…screws；will　crush　the　bone　in　three　turns。



The　cast…iron　boot；　with　wedge　and　mallet；　only　five　dollars！



The　celebrated　extension…rack；　warranted　to　stretch　a　man　six

inches　in　twenty　minutes；money　returned；　if　it　proves

unsatisfactory。



I　should　like　to　see　such　an　advertisement；　I　say；　Sir！　　Now；　what's

the　use　of　using　the　words　that　belonged　with　the　thumb…screws；　and

the　Blessed　Virgin　with　the　knives　under　her　petticoats　and　sleeves

and　bodice；　and　the　dry　pan　and　gradual　fire；　if　we　can't　have　the

things　themselves；　Sir？　　What's　the　use　of　painting　the　fire　round　a

poor　fellow；　when　you　think　it　won't　do　to　kindle　one　under　him；as

they　did　at　Valencia　or　Valladolid；　or　wherever　it　was？



What　story　is　that？I　said。



Why；he　answered；at　the　last　auto…da…fe；　in　1824　or　'5；　or

somewhere　there；it's　a　traveller's　story；　but　a　mighty　knowing

traveller　he　is；they　had　a　〃heretic〃　to　use　up　according　to　the

statutes　provided　for　the　crime　of　private　opinion。　　They　could　n't

quite　make　up　their　minds　to　burn　him；　so　they　only　hung　him　in　a

hogshead　painted　all　over　with　flames！



No；　Sir！　　when　a　man　calls　you　names　because　you　go　to　the　ballot…

box　and　vote　for　your　candidate；　or　because　you　say　this　or　that　is

your　opinion；　he　forgets　in　which　half　of　the　world　he　was　born；

Sir！　　It　won't　be　long；　Sir；　before　we　have　Americanized　religion　as

we　have　Americanized　government；　and　then；　Sir；　every　soul　God　sends

into　the　world　will　be　good　in　the　face　of　all　men　for　just　so　much

of　His　〃inspiration〃　as　〃giveth　him　understanding〃！　None　of　my

words；　Sir！　　none　of　my　words！



If　Iris　does　not　love　this　Little　Gentleman；　what　does　love　look

like　when　one　sees　it？　　She　follows　him　with　her　eyes；　she　leans

over　toward　him　when　he　speaks；　her　face　changes　with　the　changes　of

his　speech；　so　that　one　might　think　it　was　with　her　as　with

Christabel；



　　　　　　　　　　That　all　her　features　were　resigned

　　　　　　　　　　To　this　sole　image　in　her　mind。



But　she　never　looks　at　him　with　such　intensity　of　devotion　as　when

he　says　anything　about　the　soul　and　the　soul's　atmosphere；　religion。



Women　are　twice　as　religious　as　men；all　the　world　knows　that。

Whether　they　are　any　better；　in　the　eyes　of　Absolute　Justice；　might

be　questioned；　for　the　additional　religious　element　supplied　by　sex

hardly　seems　to　be　a　matter　of　praise　or　blame。　　But　in　all　common

aspects　they　are　so　much　above　us　that　we　get　most　of　our　religion

from　them；from　their　teachings；　from　their　example；above　all；

from　their　pure　affections。



Now　this　poor　little　Iris　had　been　talked　to　strangely　in　her

childhood。　　Especially　she　had　been　told　that　she　hated　all　good

things；which　every　sensible　parent　knows　well　enough　is　not　true

of　a　great　many　children；　to　say　the　least。　　I　have　sometimes

questioned　whether　many　libels　on　human　nature　had　not　been　a

natural　consequence　of　the　celibacy　of　the　clergy；　which　was

enforced　for　so　long　a　period。



The　child　had　met　this　and　some　other　equally　encouraging　statements

as　to　her　spiritual　conditions；　early　in　life；　and　fought　the　battle

of　spiritua