第9章

AsforSeverne，heonlyglancedatherashecamein，andthenshunnedhereye。Hepresentedtoherthegrave，resolvedcountenanceofamanwhohasbeenforcedtoadecision，butmeanstoabidebyit。 Inrealityhewasdelightedattheturnthingshadtaken。Themoneywasnotnecessarilylost，sinceheknewwhereitwas；andZoehadcompromisedherselfbeyondretreating。Heintendedtowearthisanxiousfacealongwhile。Buthisartificialsnowhadtomelt，sorealasunshonefullonit。ThemomenthelookedfullatZoe，sherepaidhimwithsuchapoint-blankbeamofglorioustendernessandgratitudeasmadehimthrillwithpassionaswellastriumph。Hefeltherwholeheartwashis，andfromthathourhispovertywouldneverbeallowedtoweighwithher。Heclearedup，andleftoffacting，becauseitwassuperfluous；hehadnowonlytobaskinsunshine。Zoe，alwaystender，butcoytillthismoment，madelovetohimlikeayounggoddess。EvenFannyyieldedtothesolidproofofsincerityhehadgiven，andwasdownrightaffectionate。 Hewasking。Andfromonegradationtoanother，theyenteredColognewithSeverneseatedbetweenthetwogirls，eachwithahandinhis，andagreatdispositiontopethimandspoilhim；morethanonce，indeed，adelicateheadjustgrazedeachofhissquareshoulders；butcandorcompelsmetoownthattheirfatigueandtheyawingofthecarriageatthetimeweremoretoblamethanthetiredgirls；forattheenormitytherewasapromptretirementtoadistance。MissMaitlandhadbeenalongtimeinthelandofNod；andVizard，fromthefirst，hadpreferredmalecompanionsandtobacco。 AtColognetheyvisitedtheprideofGermany，thatmightycathedralwhichtheMiddleAgesprojected，commenced，andlefttodecayofoldagebeforecompletion，andourenterprisingagewillfinish；buttheydepartedonthesameday。 BeforetheyreachedEngland，thelove-makingbetweenSeverneandZoe，thoughitneverpassedtheboundsofgoodtaste，wassoapparenttoanyfemaleeyethatMissMaitlandremonstratedseverelywithFanny。 Butthetrimmerwasnowwontotheotherside。ShewouldnotoffendAuntMaitlandbyowningherconversion。Shesaid，hypocritically，\"Iamafraiditisnouseobjectingatpresent，aunt。Theattachmentistoostrongonbothsides。And，whetherheispoorornot，hehassacrificedhismoneytoherfeelings，andso，now，shefeelsboundinhonor。Iknowher；shewon\'tlistentoawordnow，aunt:whyirritateher?Shewouldquarrelwithbothofusinamoment。\" \"Poorgirl!\"saidMissMaitland；andtookthehint。Shehadstillanarrowinherquiver——Vizard。 Inmid-channel，tenmilessouthofDover，shecaughthiminalucidintervalofnon-smoke。Shereminded，himhehadpromisedhertogiveMr。 SeverneahintaboutZoe。 \"SoIdid，\"saidhe。 \"Andhaveyou?\" \"Well，no；totellthetruth，Iforgot。\" \"Thenpleasedoitnow；fortheyaregoingonworsethanever。\" \"I\'llwarnthefool，\"saidhe。 Hedidwarnhim，andinthefollowingterms: \"Lookhere，oldfellow。IhearyouaregettingawfullysweetonmysisterZoe。\" Noanswer。Severneonhisguard。 \"Now，youhadbettermindyoureye。Sheisaveryprettygirl，andyoumayfindyourselfentangledbeforeyouknowwhereyouare。\" Severnehunghishead。\"Ofcourse，Iknowitisgreatpresumptioninme。\" \"Presumption?fiddlestick!Suchamanasyouareoughtnottobetiedtoanywoman，or，ifyoumustbe，yououghtnottogocheap。Mind，Zoeisapoorgirl；onlytenthousandintheworld。Flirtwithwhomyoulike——thereisnoharminthat；butdon\'tgetseriouslyentangledwithanyofthem。Goodsisters，andgooddaughters，andgoodflirtsmakebadwives。\" \"Oh，then，\"saidSeverne，\"itisonlyonmyaccountyouobject。\" \"Well，principally。AndIdon\'texactlyobject。Iwarn。Inthefirstplace，assoonaseverwegetintoBarfordshire，shewillmostlikelyjiltyou。YoumaybeonlyherContinentallover。HowcanItell，_oryoueither?_Andifnot，andyouweretobeweakenoughtomarryher，shewoulddevelopunexpectedvicesdirectly——theyalldo。Andyouarenotrichenoughtoliveinahouseofyourown；youwouldhavetoliveinmine——afinefateforarisingbladelikeyou。\" \"Whataterribleprospect——tobetiedtothebestfriendinEnglandaswellastheloveliestwoman!\" \"Oh，ifthatistheviewyoutake，\"saidVizard，beamingwithdelight，\"itisnousetalkingreasonto_you。\"_ WhentheyreachedLondon，VizardgaveMissMaitlandanoutlineofthisconversation；and，sofarfromseeingthehumorofit，which，nevertheless，wasprettystrongandcharacteristicofthemanandhisonefoible，shetookthehuff，andwouldnotevenstaytodinneratthehotel。Shewouldgointoherowncountybythenexttrain，bagandbaggage。 Mr。SevernewastheonlyonewhoofferedtoaccompanyhertotheGreatWesternRailway。Shedeclined。Heinsisted；wentwithher；gotherticket，numberedandarrangedherpackages，andsawhersafelyoff，withanairofprofoundrespectandadmirablyfeignedregret。 Thatshewasthedupeofhisart，maybedoubted:thathelostnothingbyit，iscertain。Menarenotruinedbycivility。Assoonasshewasseated，shesaid，\"Ibeg，sir，youwillwastenomoretimewithme。Mr。 Severne，youhavebehavedtomelikeagentleman，andthatisveryunusualinamanofyouragenowadays。Icannotaltermyopinionaboutmynieceandyou:butI_am_sorryyouareapoorgentleman——muchtoopoortomarryher，andIwishIcouldmakeyouarichone；butIcannot。Thereismyhand。\" YoushouldhaveseentheairoftendervenerationwithwhichtheyoungMachiavelbowedoverherhand，andevenimprintedalighttouchonitwithhisvelvetlips。 Thenheretired，disconsolate，and，onceoutofsight，whippedintoagin-palaceandswallowedaquarternofneatbrandy，totakethetasteoutofhismouth。\"Goit，Ned，\"saidhe，tohimself；\"youcan\'taffordtomakeenemies。 Theoldladywentoffbitteragainstthewholeparty_exceptMr。 Severne；_andheretiredtohisfriends，disembarrassedoftheonefoehehadnotturnedintoadownrightfriend，butonlydisarmed。WelldoesthegreatVoltairerecommendwhathewellcalls\"legrandartdeplaire。\" VizardsentHarrisintoBarfordshire，toprepareforthecomfortoftheparty；andtolightfiresinallthebedrooms，thoughitwassummer；andtoseethebeds，blanketsandsheetsairedattheveryfiresoftheveryroomstheyweretobeusedin。Thissacredofficehenevertrustedtoahousekeeper；heusedeventodeclare，astheresultofexperience，thatitwasbeyondtheintellectofanywomanreallytoairmattresses，blankets，andsheets——allthree。Hehadalsoaprintedlistheusedtoshowabout，offiveacquaintances，stoutfellowsall，whom\"littlebitsofwomen\"(suchwashisphraseology)hadlaidlowwithdampbeds，havingcrippledtwoforlifewithrheumatismandlumbago，andsentthreetotheirlonghome。 MeantimeSevernetooktheladiestoeverypublicattractionbydayandnight，andVizardthankedhim，beforethefair，forhisconsiderationintakingthemoffhishands；andSeverneretortedbythankinghimforleavingthemonhis。 Itmayseem，atfirst，avileselection；butIamgoingtoasktheladieswhohonormewiththeirattentiontofollow，notthatgay，amorouspartyofthree，butthissolitarycyniconhisround。 TakingaturnroundthegardeninLeicesterSquare，whichwasnewtohim，HarringtonVizard\'sobservanteyesawayoungladyriseupfromaseattogo，butturnpaledirectly，andsitdownagainuponthearmoftheseat，asifforsupport。 \"Halloo!\"saidVizard，inhisbluntway，_\"you_arenotwell。WhatcanI doforyou?\" \"Iamallright，\"saidshe。\"Pleasegoon；\"thelatterwordsinatonethatimpliedshewasnotanovice，andtheattentionsofgentlementostrangeladiesweresuspected。 \"Ibegyourpardon，\"saidVizard，coolly。\"Youarenotallright。Youlookasifyouweregoingtofaint。\" \"What，aremylipsblue?\" \"No；buttheyarepale。\" \"Well，thenitisnotacaseoffainting。It_may_beexhaustion。\" \"Youknowbest。Whatshallwedo?\" \"Why，nothing。Yes；mindourownbusiness。\" \"Withallmyheart；mybusinessjustnowistoofferyousomerestorative——aglassofwine。\" \"Oh，yes!IthinkIseemyselfgoingintoapublic-housewithyou。 Besides，Idon\'tbelieveinstimulants。Strengthcanonlyenterthehumanbodyoneway。Iknowwhatisthematterwithme。\" \"Whatisit?\" \"Iamnotobligedtotell_you。\"_ \"Ofcourseyouarenotobliged；butyoumightaswell。\" \"Well，then，itisHunger。\" \"Hunger!\" \"Hunger——famine——starvation。Don\'tyouknowEnglish?\" \"Ihopeyouarenotserious，madam，\"saidVizard，verygravely。\"However，ifladieswillsaysuchthingsasthat，menwithstomachsintheirbosomsmustactaccordingly。Obligemebytakingmyarm，asyouareweak，andwewilladjourntothateating-houseovertheway。\" \"Muchobliged，\"saidthelady，satirically，\"ouracquaintanceisnot_quite_longenoughforthat。\" Helookedather；atall，slim，younglady，blackmerino，bynomeansnew，cleancuffsandcollarleaningagainstthechairforsupport，andyetsacrificingherselftoconventionalpropriety，andevenwithstandinghimwithaprettylittleairofdefiancethatwaspitiable，herpallorandtheweaknessofherbodyconsidered。 ThepoorWoman-hater\'sbowelsbegantoyearn。\"Lookhere，youlittlespitfire，\"saidhe，\"ifyoudon\'tinstantlytakemyarm，I\'llcatchyouupandcarryyouover，withnomoretroublethanyouwouldcarryathread-paper。\" Shelookedhimupanddownverykeenly，andatlastwithaslightexpressionoffeminineapproval，thefirstshehadvouchsafedhim。Thenshefoldedherarms，andcockedherlittlenoseathim，\"Youdaren\'t。 I\'llcallthepolice。\" \"Ifyoudo，I\'lltellthemyouaremylittlecousin，madasaMarchhare: starving，andwon\'teat。Come，howisittobe?\"Headvanceduponher。 \"Youcan\'tbeinearnest，sir，\"saidshe，withsuddendignity。 \"AmInot，though?Youdon\'tknow_me。_Iamusedtobeobeyed。Ifyoudon\'tgowithmelikeasensiblegirl，I\'llcarryyou——toyourdinner——likearuffian。\" \"ThenI\'llgo——likealady，\"saidshe，withsuddenhumility。 Heofferedherhisarm。Shepassedherswithin；butleanedaslightlyaspossibleonit，andherpoorpalefacewasalittlepinkastheywent。 Heenteredtheeating-house，andaskedfortwoportionsofcoldroastbeef，nottokeepherwaiting。Theywerebrought。 \"Sir，\"saidshe，withasubjugatedair，\"willyoubesogoodascutupthemeatsmall，andpassittomeabitortwoatatime。\" Hewassurprised，butobeyedherorders。 \"Andifyoucouldmakemetalkalittle?Because，atsightofthemeatsonearme，Ifeellikeatigress——poorhumannature!Sir，Ihavenoteatenmeatforaweek，norfoodofanykindthistwodays。\" \"GoodGod!\" \"SoImustbeprudent。Peoplehavegorgedthemselveswithfuriouseatingunderthosecircumstances；thatiswhyIaskedyoutosupplymeslowly。 Thankyou。Youneednotlookatmelikethat。BetterfolkthanIhave_died_ofhunger。SomethingtellsmeIhavereachedthelowestspoke，whenIhavebeenindebtedtoastrangerforameal。\" Vizardfeltthewatercomeintohiseyes；butheresistedthatpitiableweakness。\"Botherthatnonsense!\"saidhe。\"I\'llintroducemyself，andthenyoucan\'tthrow_stranger_inmyteeth。IamHarringtonVizard，aBarfordshiresquire。\" \"IthoughtyouwerenotaCockney。\" \"Lordforbid!Doesthatinformationentitlemetoanyinreturn?\" \"Idon\'tknow；but，whetherorno，mynameisRhodaGale。\" \"Haveanotherplate，MissGale?\" \"Thanks。\" Heorderedanother。 \"Iamproudofyourconfidingyournametome，MissGale；but，totellthetruth，whatIwantedtoknowishowayoungladyofyourtalentandeducationcouldbesobadlyoffasyoumustbe。Itisnotimpertinentcuriosity。\" Theyoungladyreflectedamoment。\"Sir，\"saidshe，\"Idon\'tthinkitis； andIwouldnotmuchmindtellingyou。OfcourseIstudiedyoubeforeI camehere。Evenhungerwouldnotmakemesitinatavernbesideafool，orasnob，or(withafaintblush)alibertine。Buttotellone\'sownstory，thatissoegotistical，foronething。 \"Oh，itisneveregotisticaltooblige。\" \"Now，thatissophistical。Then，again，IamafraidIcouldnottellittoyouwithoutcrying，becauseyouseemratheramanlyman，andsomeofitmightrevoltyou，andyoumightsympathizerightout，andthenI shouldbreakdown。\" \"Nomatter。Dousbothgood。\" \"Yes，butbeforethewaitersandpeople!Seehowtheyarestaringatusalready。\" \"Wewillhaveanothergoinatthebeef，andthenadjourntothegardenforyournarrative。\" \"No:asmuchgardenasyoulike，butnomorebeef。Ihaveeatenonesirloin，Ireckon。Willyougivemeonecupofblackteawithoutsugarormilk?\" Vizardgavetheorder。 Sheseemedtothinksomeexplanationnecessary，thoughhedidnot。 \"Onecupofteaagreeswithmybrainandnerves，\"saidshe。\"Itsteadiesthem。Thatisamatterofindividualexperience。Ishouldnotprescribeittoothersanythemoreforthat。\" Vizardsatwonderingatthegirl。Hesaidtohimself，\"Whatisshe?A _lususnaturoe?\"_ Whentheteacame，andshehadsippedalittle，sheperkedupwonderfully。Saidshe，\"Oh，themagiceffectoffoodeatenjudiciously! NowIamalioness，anddonotfearthefuture。Yes；Iwilltellyoumystory——and，ifyouthinkyouaregoingtohearalove-story，youwillbenicelycaught——ha-ha!No，_sir；\"_saidshe，withrisingfervorandheightenedcolor，\"youwillhearastorythepublicisdeeplyinterestedinanddoesnotknowit；ay，astorythatwillcertainlybereferredtowithwonderandshame，whenevercivilizationshallbecomeareality，andlawceasetobeatoolofinjusticeandmonopoly。\"Shepausedamoment； thensaidalittledoggedly，asoneusedtoencounterprejudice，\"Iamamedicalstudent；awould-bedoctor。\" \"Ah!\" \"Andsowellqualifiedbygenuinegifts，bystudyfrommyinfancy，byzeal，quicksenses，andcultivatedjudgment，that，werealltheleadingLondonphysiciansexaminedto-morrowbyqualifiedpersonsatthesameboardasmyself，mostofthosewealthypractitioners——notall，mindyou—— wouldcutanindifferentfigureinmodernsciencecomparedwithme，whomyouhavehadtorescuefromstarvation——becauseIamawoman。\" Hereyeflashed。Butshemoderatedherself，andsaid，\"Thatistheoutline；anditisagrievance。Now，grievancesarebores。Youcanescapethisonebeforeitistoolate。\" \"Ifitlieswithme，Idemandtheminutestdetails，\"saidVizard，warmly。 \"Youshallhavethem；andtruetotheletter。\" Vizardsettledthesmallaccount，andadjourned，withhiscompanion，tothegarden。Shewalkedbyhisside，withherfacesometimesthoughtfullybentontheground，andsometimesconfrontinghimwithardor，andtoldhimatruestory，thesimplicityofwhichIshalltrynottospoilwithanyvulgarartsoffiction。 ALITTLENARRATIVEOFDRYFACTSTOLDTOAWOMAN-HATERBYAWOMAN。 CHAPTERXII。 \"MyfatherwasanAmerican，mymotherEnglish。IwasbornnearEpsomandlivedtheretenyears。ThenmyfatherhadpropertylefthiminMassachusetts，andwewenttoBoston。Bothmyparentseducatedme，andbeganveryearly。Iobservethatmostparentsarebabiesatteaching，comparedwithmine。Myfatherwasalinguist，andtaughtmetolispGerman，French，andEnglish；mymotherwasanideaedwoman:shetaughtmethreerarities——attention，observation，andaccuracy。IfIwentawalkinthecountry，Ihadtobringherhomeabudget:themenandwomenontheroad，theirdresses，appearance，countenances，andwords；everykindofbirdintheair，andinsectandchrysalisinthehedges；thecropsinthefields，theflowersandherbsonthebanks。IfIwalkedinthetown，I mustnotbeeyesandnoeyes；woebetidemeifIcouldonlyreportthedresses!Really，Ihaveknownme，whenIwasbuteight，comehometomymotherladenwithdetails，whenperhapsanuntrainedgirlofeighteencouldonlyhavespecifiedthatshehadgoneupanddownathoroughfare。 Anothertimemotherwouldtakemeonavisit:nextday，orperhapsnextweek，shewouldexpectmetodescribeeveryarticleoffurnitureinherfriend\'sroom，andthebooksonthetable，andrepeattheconversation，thetopicsatallevents。Shetaughtmetomasterhistory_accurately。_ Todothisshewasartfulenoughtoturnsportintoscience。Sheutilizedagame:youngpeopleinBostonplayit。Awritesananecdoteonpaper，orperhapsproducesitinprint。ShereadsitofftoB。Bgoesaway，andwritesitdownbymemory；thenreadsherwritingouttoC。Chastolisten，andconveyherimpressiontopaper。ThisshereadstoD，andD goesandwritesit。ThentheoriginalstoryandD\'sversionarecompared； and，generallyspeaking，thedifferenceofthetwoisacaution——againstoraltradition。Whenthestepsofdeviationareobserved，itisquiteastudy。 \"Mymother，withhergoodwit，sawtherewassomethingbetterthanfuntobegotoutofthis。Shetrainedmymemoryofgreatthingswithit。Shebeganwithstrikingpassagesofhistory，andplayedthegamewithfatherandme。Butasmypowerofretaining，andrepeatingcorrectly，grewbypractice，sheenlargedthebusiness，andkeptenrichingmymemory，sothatIbegantohavetractsofhistoryatmyfingers\'ends。AsIgrewolder，sheextendedthesporttolawsandthegreatpubliccontroversiesinreligion，politics，andphilosophythathaveagitatedtheworld。Buthereshehadtogetassistancefromherlearnedfriends。Shewasawomanvaluedbymenofintellect，andshehadnomercy——milkedjurists，physicians，andtheologiansandhistoriansallintomylittlepail。Tobesure，theywereaskindaboutitasshewasunscrupulous。TheysawIwasakeenstudent，andgavemymothermanyalittlegeminwriting。Shereadthemouttome:Ilistenedhard，andthusIfixedmanygreatandgoodthingsinmytrainedmemory；andrepeatedthemagainstthetext:Iwasneverallowedtosee_that。_ \"Withthissharptraining，schoolsubjectswerechild\'splaytome，andI wonagoodmanyprizesveryeasily。Mymotherwouldnotletmewasteasingleminuteovermusic。Sheusedtosay\'Musicextractswhatlittlebrainsagirlhas。Openthepiano，youshuttheunderstanding。\'IamafraidIboreyouwithmymother。\" \"Notatall，notatall。Iadmireher。\" \"Oh，thankyou!thankyou，sir!Sheneverusesbigwords；soitisonlyoflateIhavehadthe_nous_toseehowwisesheis。Shecorrectedthespecialblotsofthefemalecharacterinme，anditissweettometotalkofthatdearfriend。WhatwouldIgivetoseeherhere! \"Well，then，sir，shemademe，asfarasshecould，a——whatshallIsay? akindoflittleintellectualgymnast，fittobeginanystudy；butsheleftmetochoosemyownline。Well，Iwasfornaturalhistoryfirst； beganlikeagirl；gatheredwildflowersandsimplesatEpsom，alongwithanoldwoman；shediscoursedontheirtraditionalvirtues，andknewlittleoftheirrealproperties:_that_Ihavediscoveredsince。 \"Fromherbstolivingthings；neversparedachrysalis，butalwaystookithomeandwatcheditbreakintowings。HungoverthepondsinJune，watchingtheeggsofthefrogturntotadpoles，andthetadpolestoJohnnyCrapaud。IobeyedScriptureinonething，forIstudiedtheantsandtheirways。 \"Icollectedbirds\'eggs。Atnine，notaboyintheparishcouldfindmorenestsinadaythanIcould。Withbirdnesting，buying，andnowandthenbegging，Imadeacollectionthatfiguresinamuseumoverthewater，andisentitled\'EggsofBritishBirds。\'Thecolorsattract，andpeoplealwaysstopatit。Butitdoesnojusticewhatevertothegreatvarietyofsea-birds\'eggsonthecoastofBritain。 \"WhenIhadlearnedwhatlittletheyteachinschools，especiallydrawing，andthatisusefulinscientificpursuits，Iwasallowedtochoosemyownbooks，andattendlectures。OneblesseddayIsatandlistenedtoAgassiz——ah!Notragedywellplayed，noroperasung，evermovedaheartsodeeplyashemovedmine，thatgreatandearnestman，whoseenthusiasmfornaturewasasfreshasmyown，andhisknowledgeathousandtimeslarger。TalkofheavenopeningtotheChristianpilgrimashepassesJordan!Why，Godmadeearthaswellasheaven，anditisworthyoftheArchitect；anditisajoydivinewhenearthopenstothetrueadmirerofGod\'sworks。Sir，earthopenedtome，asAgassizdiscoursed。 \"Ifollowedhimaboutlikealittlebloodhound，anddivedintothelibrariesaftereachsubjecthetreatedortouched。 \"ItwasanotherlittleepochinmylifewhenIread\'White\'sLetterstoPennant\'aboutnaturalhistoryinSelborne。SelborneisanEnglishvillage，nothalfsoprettyasmost；and，untilGilbertWhitecame，nobodysawanythingthereworthprinting。Hisbookshowedmethatthehumblestspotinnaturebecomesextraordinarythemomentextraordinaryobservationisappliedtoit。ImustmimicGilbertWhitedirectly。I pesteredmypoorparentstospendamonthortwointhedepthsofthecountry，onthevergeofaforest。Theyyielded，withgroans；Ikissedthem，andwerusticated。Ipriedintoeverylivingthing，notforgettingmyoldfriends，theinsecttribe。HereIfoundantswithgranderideasthantheyhavetohome，andsatisfiedmyselftheyhavemorebrainsthanapes。Theyco-operatemore，andincomplicatedthings。Sir，thereareantsthatmakegreatermarches，fortheirsize，thanNapoleon\'sinvasionofRussia。Eventhelessnomadtribeswillmarchthroughfieldsofgrass，whereeachbladeisahighgum-treetothem，andneverlosethetrack。I sawanarmyofredants，withgenerals，captains，andensigns，startatdaybreak，marchacrossaroad，throughahedge，andthenthroughhighgrasstillnoon，andsurpriseafortificationofblackants，andtakeitafterasanguinaryresistance。Allthatmusthavebeenplannedbeforehand，youknow，andcarriedouttotheletter。OnceIfoundacolonybusyonsomehardground，preparinganabode。Ihappenedtohavebeenmicroscopingawasp，soIthrewhimdownamongtheants。Theyweredisgusted。Theyranaboutcollectingopinions。Presentlyhalfofthemburrowedintotheearthbelowandunderminedhim，tillhelayonacrustofearthasthinasawafer，andadeepgravebelow。Thentheyallgotonhimexceptone，andbestoodpompousonapebble，andgaveorders。Theearthbroke——thewaspwentdownintohisgrave——andtheantssooncoveredhimwithlooseearth，andresumedtheirdomesticarchitecture。I concludedthatthoughthemonkeyresemblesmanmostinbody，theantcomesnearerhiminmind。Asfordogs，Idon\'tknowwheretorankthemin_nature，_becausetheyhavebeenpupilsofmanforcenturies。Iboreyou?\" \"No。\" \"Oh，yes，Ido:anenthusiastisalwaysabore。\'Lesfacheux，\'ofMolierearejustenthusiasts。Well，sir，inoneword，Iwasanaturalphilosopher——verysmall，butearnest；and，induecourse，mystudiesbroughtmetothewondersofthehumanbody。Istudiedtheoutlinesofanatomyinbooks，andplates，andpreparedfigures；andfromthat，bydegrees，Iwasledontosurgeryandmedicine——inbooks，youunderstand； andtheyareonlyhalfthebattle。Medicineisathingonecando。Itisanoblescience，apracticalscience，andasubtlescience，whereI thoughtmypowersofstudyandobservationmighthelpmetobekeenatreadingsymptoms，anddogoodtoman，andbeafamouswoman；soI concludedtobenefitmankindandmyself。Stop!thatsoundslikeself-deception。ItmusthavebeenmyselfandmankindIconcludedtobenefit。Anyway，Ipesteredthatsmallsectionofmankindwhichconsistedofmyparents，untiltheyconsentedtoletmestudymedicineinEurope。\" \"What，allbyyourself?\" \"Yes。Oh，girlsareveryindependentintheStates，andgoverntheoldpeople。Minesaid\'No\'afewdozentimes；buttheywereboundtoendin\'Yes，\'andIwenttoZurich。Istudiedhardthere，andearnedtheapprobationoftheprofessors。Buttheschooldeteriorated；toomanyladiespouredinfromRussia:somewerenotinearnest，andpreferredflirtingtostudy，anddidthemselvesnogood，andmadethemalestudentsidle，andwickederthanever——ifpossible。\" \"Whatelsecouldyouexpect?\"saidVizard。 \"Nothingelsefrom_unpicked_women。ButwhenalltheschoolsinEuropeshallbeopen——astheyoughttobe，andmust，andshall——therewillbenodangerofshallowgirlscrowdingtoanyparticularschool。Besides，therewillbeamorestrictandrapidroutineofexaminationthentosiftoutthefemaleflirtsandthemaleduncesalongwiththem，Ihope。 \"Well，sir，wefew，thatreallymeantmedicine，madeinquiries，andheardofafamousoldschoolinthesouthofFrance，wherewomenhadgraduatedofold；andtwoofuswenttheretotry——anItalianladyandmyself。WecarriedgoodtestimonialsfromZurich，and，nottofrightentheFrenchmenatstarting，Iattackedthemalone。Corneliawasmyelder，andmysuperiorinattainments。Shewasatruedescendantofthoselearnedladieswhohaveadornedthechairsofphilosophy，jurisprudence，anatomy，andmedicineinhernativecountry；butshehasthewisdomoftheserpent，aswellasofthesage；andsheputmeforwardbecauseofmyredhair。ShesaidthatwouldbeapassporttothedarkphilosophersofFrance。\" \"Wasnotthatratherfoxy，MissGale?\" \"Foxyasmyhairitself，Mr。Vizard。 \"Well，Iappliedtoaprofessor。Hereceivedmewithprofoundcourtesyandfeignedrespect，butwasstaggeredatmyrequesttomatriculate。Hegesticulatedandbowed_\'alaFrancaise，_andbeggedthepermissionofhisfoxy-hairedinvaderfromNorthernclimestoconsulthiscolleagues。 WouldIdohimthegreathonortocallagainnextdayattwelve?Ididandmetthreeotherpolishedauthorities。Onespokeforall，andsaid，IfIhadnotbroughtwithmeproofsofseriousstudy，theyshouldhavedissuadedmeveryearnestlyfromascienceIcouldnotgraduateinwithoutgoingthroughpracticalcoursesofanatomyandclinicalsurgery。 That，however(witharegularFrenchshrug)，wasmybusiness，nottheirs。 Itwasnotforthemtoteachmedelicacy，butrathertolearnitfromme。 ThatwasaFrenchsneer。TheFrenchare_ungensmoqueur，_youknow。I receivedbothshrugandsneerlikemarble。Heendeditallbysayingtheschoolhadnowrittenlawexcludingdoctresses；andtheoldrecordsprovedwomenhadgraduated，andevenlectured，there。Ihadonlytopaymyfees，andenteruponmyroutineofstudies。SoIwasadmittedonsufferance；butIsoonearnedthegoodopinionoftheprofessors，andofthisoneinparticular；andthenCorneliaappliedforadmission，andwasletintoo。Welivedtogether，andhadnosecrets；andIthink，sir，I mayventuretosaythatweshowedsomelittlewisdom，ifyouconsiderourage，andallthatwasdonetospoilus。Astoparryingtheirlittleslyattemptsatflirtation，thatisnothing；wecameprepared。But，whenourfellow-studentsfoundwewereinearnest，andhadhighviews，thechivalrousspiritofagallantnationtookfire，andtheytreateduswithadelicatereverencethatmighthaveturnedanywoman\'shead。Butwehadthecreditofasneered-atsextokeepup，andfeltourdanger，andwarnedeachother；andIrememberItoldCorneliahowmanyyoungladiesintheStatesIhadseenpuffedupbythemen\'sextravaganthomage，andbecomespoiledchildren，andoffensivelyarrogantanddiscourteous；soI entreatedhertocheckthosevicesinmethemomentshesawthemcoming。 \"Whenwehadbeenhereayear，attendingallthelectures——clinicalmedicineandsurgeryincluded——newscamethatoneBritishschool，Edinburgh，hadshownsymptomsofyieldingtoContinentalcivilizationandrelaxingmonopoly。ThatturnedmeNorthdirectly。MymotherisEnglish:I wantedtobeaBritishdoctress，notaFrench。Corneliahadmisgivings，andevencondescendedtocryoverme。ButIamamule，andalwayswas。 Thenthatdearfriendmadetermswithme:ImustnotbreakoffmyconnectionwiththeFrenchschool，shesaid。No；shehadthoughtitwellover；ImustaskleaveoftheFrenchprofessorstostudyintheNorth，andbringbacknotesaboutthosedistantThulians。Saysshe，\'Yourstudiesinthatsavageislandwillbeallowedtogoforsomethinghere，ifyouimproveyourtime——andyouwillbesureto，sweetheart——thatI maybealwaysproudofyou。\'DearCornelia!\" \"AmItobelieveallthis?\"saidVizard。\"Canwomenbesuchtruefriends?\" \"Whatcannotwomenbe?What!areyouoneofthosewhotakeusfora_clique?_Don\'tyouknowmorethanhalfmankindarewomen?\" \"Alas!\" \"Alasforthem!\"saidRhoda，sharply。 \"Well，well，\"saidVizard，puttingonsuddenhumility，\"don\'tletusquarrel。Ihatequarreling——whereI\'msuretogettheworst。Ay，friendshipisafinething，inmenorwomen；afarnoblersentimentthanlove。Youwillnotadmitthat，ofcourse，beingawoman。\" \"Oh，yes，Iwill，\"saidshe。\"Why，Ihaveobservedloveattentively；andIpronounceitafeverofthemind。Itdisturbsthejudgmentandpervertstheconscience。Yousidewiththebeloved，rightorwrong。Whatpersonaldegradation!Iobserve，too，thatagrandpassionisagrandmisfortune: theyarealwaysinastormofhope，fears，doubt，jealousy，rapture，rage，andtheenddeceit，orelsesatiety。Friendshipissteadyandpeaceful；notmuchjealousy，noheart-burnings。Itstrengthenswithtime，andsurvivesthesmall-poxandawoodenleg。Itdoublesourjoys，anddividesourgrief，andlightsandwarmsourliveswithasteadyflame。 _Solememundotollunt，quitolluntamicitiam。\"_ \"Halloo!\"criedVizard。\"What!youknowLatintoo?\" \"Why，ofcourse——asmattering；orhowcouldIreadPliny，andCelsus，andeversomuchmorerubbishthatcustomchucksdownbeforethegatesofknowledge，andsays，\'There——beforeyougotherightroad，yououghttogothewrong；_itisusual。_Studynow，withthereverencetheydon\'tdeserve，thenon-observersofantiquity。\'\" \"Sparemetheancients，MissGale，\"saidVizard，\"andrevealmethegirloftheperiod。WhenIwassoill-bredastointerruptyou，youhadleftFrance，crownedwithlaurels，andwerejustinvadingBritain。 Somethinginhiswordsorhistonediscouragedthesubtleobserver，andshesaid，coldly，\"Excuseme:Ihavehardlythecourage。MyBritishhistoryisataleofinjustice，suffering，insult，and，worstofall，defeat。Icannotpromisetorelateitwiththatcomposurewhoeverpretendstoscienceought:thewoundstillbleeds。\" ThenVizardwasvexedwithhimself，andlookedgraveandconcerned。Hesaid，gently，\"MissGale，Iamsorrytogiveyoupain；butwhatyouhavetoldmeissonewandinteresting，Ishallbedisappointedifyouwithholdtherest:besides，youknowitgivesnolastingpaintorelateourgriefs。Come，come——bebrave，andtellme。\" \"Well，Iwill，\"saidshe。\"Indeed，someinstinctmovesme。Goodmaycomeofmytellingityou。Ithink——somehow——youare——a——just——man。\" Intheactofsayingthis，shefixedhergrayeyessteadilyandsearchinglyuponVizard\'sface，sothathecouldscarcelymeetthem，theyweresopowerful；then，suddenly，theobservationseemedtodieoutofthem，andreflectiontotakeitsplace:thosedartingeyeswereturnedinward。Itwasamarkedvarietyofpower。Therewassomethingwizard-likeinthevividnesswithwhichtwodistinctmentalprocesseswerepresentedbythevariedactionofasingleorgan；andVizardthenbegantosuspectthatacreaturestoodbeforehimwithapowerofdiscerninganddigestingtruth，suchashehadnotyetencounteredeitherinmanorwoman。SheenteredonherBritishadventuresinherclearsilveryvoice。Itwasnot，likeInaKlosking\'s，rich，anddeep，andtender；yetithadacertaingentlebeautytothosewholovetruth，becauseitwasdispassionate，yetexpressive，andcool，yetnotcold。Onemightcallittruth\'ssilvertrumpet。 Onthebrinkofanextraordinarypassage，Ipausetomakenofewerthanthreeremarksinmyownperson:1st。LetnoreaderofmineallowhimselftofancyRhodaGaleandherantecedentsareamereexcrescenceofmystory。Shewasrootedtoitevenbeforethefirstsceneofit——themeetingofAshmeadandtheKlosking——andthiswillsoonappear。2d。Sheisnowgoingintoacontrovertedmatter；and，thoughsheissincereandtruthful，sheisofnecessitya_partisan。_Donottakeherforajudge。 Youbethejudge。3d。But，asajudgenevershutshismindtoeitherside，donotrefuseherafairhearing。Aboveall，donotunderratethequestion。Letnotthebalanceofyourunderstandingbesoupsetbyephemeralchildishnessastofancythatitmattersmuchwhetheryoubreakaneggtoporbottom，becauseGulliver\'stwonationswenttowaraboutit；orthatitmattersmuchwhetheryourqueeniscalledqueenofIndiaorempress，becausetwopartiesmadeanoiseaboutit，andthecountryhaswastedtenthousandsquaremilesofgoodpaperonthesubject，trivialasthedustonabutterfly\'swing。Fightagainsttheseillusionsofpettyandephemeralminds。Itdoesnotmatterthemillionthofastrawto_mankind_whetheranyonewomaniscalledqueen，orempress，ofIndia； anditmattersgreatlytomankindwhetherthewholeraceofwomenaretobeallowedtostudymedicineandpracticeit，iftheycanrivalthemale，oraretobedebarredfromtestingtheirscientificability，andsooutlawed，_thoughtaxed_indefianceofBritishliberty，andalljustice，humananddivine，byelevenhundredlawgivers——mostof\'emfools。 CHAPTERXIII。 \"WHENIreachedGreatBritain，therightofwomentomedicinewasinthiscondition——alearnedlawyerexplaineditcarefullytome。Iwillgiveyouhiswords:Theunwrittenlawofeverynationadmitsallmankind，andnotthemalehalfonly，tothestudyandpracticeofmedicineandthesaleofdrugs。InGreatBritainthislawiscalledthecommonlawandisdeeplyrespected。Whateverlibertyitallowstomenorwomenisheldsacredinourcourtsuntil_directly_and_explicitly_withdrawnbysomeactoftheLegislature。Underthisancientliberty，womenhaveoccasionallypracticedgeneralmedicineandsurgeryuptotheyear1858。Butforcenturiesthey_monopolized，_bycustom，onebranchofpractice，theobstetric；andthat，togetherwiththeoccasionaltreatmentofchildren，andthenursingofbothsexes，whichissemi-medical，andistheir_monopoly，_seems，onthewhole，tohavecontentedthem，tilllateyears，whentheirviewswereenlargedbywidereducationandothercauses。Buttheirabstinencefromgeneralpractice，liketheirmonopolyofobstetrics，laywithwomenthemselves，andnotwiththelawofEngland。 ThatlawisthesameinthisrespectasthecommonlawofItalyandFrance；andtheconstitutionofBologna，wheresomanydoctresseshavefilledthechairsofmedicineandothersciences，makesnomoredirectprovisionforfemalestudentsthandoestheconstitutionofanyScotchorEnglishuniversity——Thewholethinglaywiththewomenthemselves，andwithlocalcivilization。Yearsago，ItalywasfarmorecivilizedthanEngland；soItalianwomentookalargesphere。OflatetheAnglo-Saxonhasgoneinforcivilizationwithhisusualenergy，andiseclipsingItaly；thereforehiswomenaspiretolargerspheresofintellectandaction，beginningintheStates，becauseAmericanwomenarebettereducatedthanEnglish。Theadvanceof_women_inusefulattainmentsisthemostinfalliblesigninanycountryofadvancingcivilization。Allthisaboutcivilizationismyobservation，sir，andnotthelawyer\'s。Nowforthelawyeragain:SuchbeingthelawofEngland，theBritishLegislaturepassedanactin1858，therealobjectofwhichwastoprotectthepublicagainstincapabledoctors，notagainstcapabledoctressesordoctors。Theactexcludesfrommedicalpracticeallpersonswhatever，maleorfemale，unlessregisteredinacertainregister；andtogetuponthatregistertheperson，maleorfemale，mustproducealicenseordiploma，grantedbyoneoftheBritishexaminingboardsspecifiedinascheduleattachedtotheact。 \"Now，theseexaminingboardswereallmembersoftheleadingmedicalschools。IftheLegislaturehadtakentheusualprecaution，andhadaddedaclause_compelling_thoseboardstoexamineworthyapplicants，theactwouldhavebeenasoundpublicmeasure；butforwantofthatforesight——andwithoutforesightalawgiverisanimpostorandapublicpest——theStaterobbedwomenoftheiroldcommon-lawrightswithonehand，andwiththeotherenabledarespectabletrades-uniontothrustthemoutoftheirnewstatutoryrights。Unfortunately，therespectableunion，towhomtheLegislaturedelegatedanunconstitutionalpowertheydidnotclaimthemselves，ofexcludingqualifiedpersonsfromexamination，andsorobbingthemoftheirlicenseandtheirbread，hadanoverpoweringinteresttoexcludequalifiedwomenfrommedicine。Theyhadthesameinterestasthewatchmakers\'union，theprinters\'，thepainters\' onchina，thecalico-engravers\'，andothershavetoexcludequalifiedwomenfromthosebranches，thoughpeculiarlyfittedforthem；butnotmoresothantheyareforthepracticeofmedicine，Godhavingmade_them，_andnot_men，_themedical，andunmusical，sex。 \"Whereverthere\'satrades-union，theweakestgotothewall。ThosevulgarunionsIhavementionedexcludewomenfromskilledlabortheyexcelin，byviolenceandconspiracy，thoughthelawthreatensthemwithimprisonmentforit。Wasitinnature，then，thatthemedicalunionwouldbeinfinitelyforbearing，whentheLegislaturewentandpatteditontheback，andsaid，youcanconspirewithsafetyagainstyourfemalerivals。 OfcoursethecliqueweretemptedmorethananycliquecouldbearbytheunwarinessoftheLegislature，andclosedthedoorsofthemedicalschoolstofemaleapplicants。Againstunqualifiedfemalepractitionerstheyneveractedwithsuchzealandconsent；andwhy?Thefemalequackisapublicpest，andagoodfoiltotheunion；thequalifieddoctressisapublicgood，andablowtotheunion。 \"TheBritishmedicalunionwasnowinafineattitudebyactofParliament。Itcouldtalkitscontemptofmedicalwomen，andactitsterrorofthem，andkeepbothitsfeignedcontemptanditsrealalarmsafefromthetestofapublicexamination——thatcrucibleinwhichcant，surmise，andmendacityaresoonevaporatedorprecipitated，andonlythetruthstandsfirm。 \"Forallthat，twofemalepractitionersgotupontheregister，andstandout，livinglandmarksofexperienceandthetruth，inthedeadwildernessofsurmiseandprejudice。 \"Iwilltellyouhowtheygotin。TheactofParliamentmakestwoexceptions:first，itletsin，_withoutexamination_——andthatisveryunwise——anyforeigndoctorwhoshallbepracticinginEnglandatthedateoftheact，although，withequalincapacity，itomitstoprovidethatanyfutureforeigndoctorshallbeableto_demandexamination_(inwiththeoldforeignfogies，blindfold，rightorwrong；outwiththerisingforeignluminariesofanever-advancingscience，rightorwrong)；and，secondly，itletsin，withoutexamination，toexperimentonthevilebodyofthepublic，anyperson，qualifiedorunqualified，whomayhavebeenmadeadoctorbyaveryvenerableandequallyirrelevantfunctionary。 Guess，now，whoitisthataBritishParliamentsetsabovethelaw，asadoctor-makerforthatpublicitprofessestoloveandprotect!\" \"TheRegiusProfessorofMedicine?\" \"No。\" \"Tyndall?\" \"No。\" \"Huxley?\" \"No。\" \"ThenIgiveitup。\" \"TheArchbishopofCanterbury。\" \"Oh，come!ajokeisajoke。\" \"Thisisnojoke。BrightmonumentofBritishfunkyismandimbecility，therestandstheclausesettingthatreverendandirrelevantdoctor-makerabovethelaw，whichsetshisgrace\'sfemalerelationsbelowthelaw，and，inpractice，outlawsthewholefemalepopulation，starvingthosewhodesiretopracticemedicinelearnedly，andoppressingthosewho，outofmodesty，notyetquitesmotheredbycustomandmonopoly，desiretoconsultalearnedfemalephysician，insteadofbeingdriven，likesheep，byirontyranny——inacountrythatbabblesLiberty——toamalephysicianorafemalequack。 \"Well，sir，in1849MissElizabethBlackwellfoughtthegoodfightintheUnitedStates，andhadhertroubles；becausetheStateswerenotsocivilizedthenasnow。ShegraduateddoctoratGeneva，intheStateofNewYork。 \"ShewaspracticinginEnglandin1858，anddemandedherplaceontheregister。SheisanEnglishwomanbybirth；butsheisanEnglishM。D。 onlythroughAmericahavingmorebrainsthanBritain。Thisoneislandersings，\'Hail，Columbia!\'asoftenas\'GodsavetheQueen!\'Ireckon。 \"MissGarrett，anenthusiasticstudent，travelednorth，south，east，andwest，andknockedinvainatthedoorsofeverygreatschoolanduniversityinBritain，butatlastfoundachinkintheironshuttersoftheLondonApothecaries\'。ItseemsParliamentwaswiserin1815thanin1858，foritinsertedaclauseintheApothecariesActof1815 _compelling_themtoexamineallpersonswhoshouldapplytothemforexaminationafterpropercoursesofstudy。Theirchartercontainednoloop-holetoevadetheact，andsubstitute\'him\'for\'person；\'sotheyletMissGarrettinasastudent。Likeallthestudents，shehadtoattendlecturesonchemistrybotany，materiamedica，zoology，naturalphilosophy，andclinicalsurgery。Inthecollateralsubjectstheylethersitwiththemalestudents；butinanatomyandsurgeryshehadtoattendthesamelecturesprivately，andpayforlecturesalltoherself。Thiscostherenormousfees。However，itisonlyfairtosaythat，ifshehadbeenoneofadozenfemalestudents，thefeeswouldhavebeendiffused； asitwas，shehadtogildthepilloutofherprivatepurse。 \"Inthehospitalteachingshemetdifficultiesanddiscouragement，thoughsheaskedfornomoreopportunitiesthanaregrantedreadilytoprofessionalnursesandfemaleamateurs。Butthewholethingisameremoneyquestion；thatisthekeytoeverylockinit。 \"Shewasfreelyadmittedatlasttoonegreathospital，andallwentsmoothlytillsomesurgeonexaminedthestudents_vivavoce；_thenMissGarrettwasoffherguard，anddisplayedtoomarkedasuperiority； thereuponthemalestudentsplayedthewoman，andbeggedshemightbeexcluded；and，Iamsorrytosay，forthecreditofyoursex，thisunmanlyrequestwascompliedwithbythewomanishmalesinpower。 \"However，athernexthospital，MissGarrettwasmorediscreet，andtookpainstoconcealhergallingsuperiority。 \"Allhertroubleended——wherehercompetitors\'began——atthepublicexamination。Shepassedbrilliantly，andisanEnglishapothecary。IncivilizedFrancesheisalearnedphysician。 \"Shehadnotbeenanapothecaryaweek，beforetheApothecaries\'Societyreceivedsixhundredlettersfromthemedicalsmall-fryintownandcountry；theythreatenedtosendnomoreboystotheApothecaries\'，buttotheCollegeofSurgeons，ifeveranotherwomanreceivedanapothecary\'slicense。Now，youknow，allmentrembleinEnglandatthethreatsofatrades-union；sotheapothecariesinstantlycudgeledtheirbrainstofindawaytodisobeythelaw，andobeytheunion。Themedicalpressgavethemahint，andtheypassedaby-law，forbiddingtheirstudentstoreceiveanypartoftheireducation_privately，_andmadeitknown，atthesametime，thattheirfemalestudentswouldnotbeallowedtostudytheleadingsubjects_publicly。_AndsotheybaffledtheLegislature，andoutlawedhalfthenation，byajugglewhichthepressandthepublicwouldhaverisenagainst，ifasinglegrown-upmanhadbeenitsvictim，insteadoffourmillionadultwomen。Now，youareastraightforwardman；whatdoyouthinkofthat?\" \"Humph!\"saidVizard。\"Idonotaltogetherapproveit。Thestrongshouldnotusetheartsoftheweakinfightingtheweak。But，inspiteofyoureloquence，Imeantoforgivethemanything。Shakespearehasprovidedtherewithanexcusethatfitsalltime: \"\'Ourpoverty，butnotourwill，consents。\'\" \"Poverty!thepovertyofacompanyinthecityofLondon!_Allonsdonc。_ Well，sir，foryearsafterthisallEurope，evenRussia，advancedincivilization，andopenedtheirmedicalschoolstowomen；sodidtheUnitedStates:onlythepig-headedBritonstoodstock-still，andgloriedinhisminorityofone；asifonesmallislandislikelytoberightinitsmonomania，andallcivilizednationswrong。 \"ButwhileIwasstudyinginFrance，onelion-heartedEnglishwomanwasmovingournativeisle。FirstshetriedtheUniversityofLondon；andthatsetsupforaliberalfoundation。Answer——\'Ourcharterisexpresslyframedtoexcludewomenfrommedicalinstruction。\' \"ThenshesatdowntobesiegeEdinburgh。Now，Edinburghisaveryremarkableplace。Ithasonlyhalfthehouses，buttentimestheintellect，ofLiverpoolorManchester。Andtheuniversityhastwoadvantagesasahomeof_science_overtheEnglishuniversities:itisfarbehindtheminGreek，whichisthelanguageoferrorandnescience，andbeforetheminEnglish，andthatisatongueagooddealofknowledgeisprintedin。EdinburghistheonlycenterofBritishliterature，exceptLondon。 \"Onemedicalprofessorreceivedthepioneerwithaconciseseverity，anddeclinedtohearherpleadhercause，andonereceivedheralmostbrutally。Hesaid，\'Norespectablewomanwouldapplytohimtostudymedicine。\'Now，respectablewomenwerestudyingitalloverEurope。\" \"Well，butperhapshissoullivedinanisland。\" \"Thatisso。However，personalapplicantsmustexpectarubortwo；andmostoftheprofessors，inandoutofmedicine，treatedherwithkindnessandcourtesy。 \"Still，shefoundeventhefriendlyprofessorsalarmedattheideaofawomanmatriculating，andbecoming_CivisEdinensis；_soshemadeamoderateapplicationtotheSenate，viz。，forleavetoattendmedicallectures。Thisrequestwasindorsedbyamajorityofthemedicalprofessors，andgranted。Butontheappealofafewmedicalprofessorsagainstit，theSenatesuspendeditsresolution，onthegroundthattherewasonlyoneapplicant。 \"Thisgotwind，andotherladiescameintothefielddirectly，yourhumbleservantamongthem。ThentheSenatefeltboundtorecommendtheUniversityCourttoadmitsuchfemalestudentstomatriculateascouldpassthepreliminaryexamination；thisisinhistory，logic，languages，andotherbranches；andwepreparedforitingoodfaith。Itwasahappytime:afteragoodday\'swork，IusedtogouptheCaltonHill，orArthur\'sSeat，andviewthesea，andthePiraens，andtheviolethills，andtheromanticundulationsofthecityitself，andmyheartglowedwithloveofknowledge，andwithhonorableambition。Iranoverthenamesofworthywomenwhohadadornedmedicineatsundrytimesandindiversplaces，andresolvedtodeserveasgreatanameasanyinhistory。 Refreshedbymywalk——Igenerallywalkedeightmiles，andpracticedgymnasticstokeepmymuscleshard——Iusedtoreturntomylittlelodgings；andtheytooweresweettome，forIwaslearninganewscience——logic。\" \"Thatwasanuttocrack。\" \"Ihavemetfeweasierorsweeter。Onenon-observerhadtoldmeitwasashamscience，andmerepedantry；another，thatitpretendedtoshowmenawaytotruthwithoutobserving。Ifound，onthecontrary，thatitwasaveryprettylittlescience，whichdoesnotaffecttodiscoverphenomena，butsimplytoguardmenagainstrashgeneralization，andfalsedeductionsfromtruedata；ittaughtmetheuntrainedworldisbrimfuloffallaciesandverbalequivoquesthatoughtnottopuzzleachild，but，whenevertheycreepintoanargument，doactuallyconfoundthelearnedandthesimplealike，andallforwantofamonth\'slogic。 \"Yes，Iwashappyonthehill，andhappybythehearth；andsothingswentontillthepreliminaryexaminationcame。Itwasnotsevere；weladiesallpassedwithcredit，thoughmanyofthemaleaspirantsfailed。\" \"Howdoyouaccountforthat?\"askedVizard。 \"Withmyeyes。I_observe_thattheaveragemaleisverysuperiorinintellecttotheaveragefemale；andI_observe_thatthepickedfemaleisimmeasurablymoresuperiortotheaveragemale，thantheaveragemaleistotheaveragefemale。\" \"Isitsosimpleasthat?\" \"Ay；whynot?What!areyouoneofthosewhobelievethatTruthisobscure——hidesherself——andliesinawell?Itellyou，_sir，_Truthliesinnowell。TheplaceTruthliesinis——_themiddleoftheturnpikeroad。_Butoneoldfogyputsonhisgreenspectaclestolookforher，andanotherhisred，andanotherhisblue；andsotheyallmissher，becausesheisacolorlessdiamond。Thosespectaclesarepreconceivednotions，_\'apriori_reasoning，cant，prejudice，thedepthofMr。Shallow\'sinnerconsciousness，etc。，etc。Thencomestheobserver，openstheeyesthatGodhasgivenhim，tramplesonallcoloredspectacles，andfindsTruthassurelyasthespectacledtheoristsmissher。Saythattheintellectoftheaveragemaleistotheaveragefemaleastentosix，itistotheintellectofthepickedfemaleastentoahundredandfifty，orevenless。Now，theintellectofthemaleEdinburghstudentwasmuchabovethatoftheaveragemale，butstillitfellfarbelowthatofthepickedfemale。AlltheexaminationsatEdinburghshowedthistoallGod\'sunspectacledcreaturesthatusedtheireyes。\" TheseremarkshitVizardhard。Theyaccordedwithhisowngoodsenseandmethodofarguing；butperhapsmymorecarefulreadersmayhavealreadyobservedthis。Henoddedheartyapprovalforonce，andshewenton: \"Wehadnowarighttomatriculateandenteronourmedicalcourse。But，toourdismay，therightwassuspended。Theproofsofourgeneralproficiency，whichwehopedwouldreconciletheprofessorstousasstudentsofmedicine，alarmedpeople，andraisedusunscrupulousenemiesinsomewhowerejustlyrespected，andotherswhohadinfluence，thoughtheyhardlydeservedit。 \"AgeneralcounciloftheuniversitywascalledtoreconsiderthepledgetheSenatehadgivenus，andoverawetheuniversitycourtbytheweightofacademicopinion。Thecourtitselfwasfluctuating，andreadytoturneitherway。Alargenumberofmalestudentsco-operatedagainstuswithapetition。They，too，werealittlevexedatourrespectablefigureinthepreliminaryexamination。 \"Theassemblymetandtheunionoratorgotup；hewasapreacheroftheGospel，andcarriedtheweightofthatoffice。Christianity，aswellasscience，seemedtoriseagainstusinhisperson。Hemadealongandeloquentspeech，basedontheintelligentsurmisesandpopularprejudicesthatwerediffusedinahundredleadingarticles，andinletterstotheeditorbymenandwomen，towhomhistorywasadeadletterinmoderncontroversies；forthePressbattledthismatterfortwoyears，andfurnishedeachpartywithanartilleryofreasons，_pro_and_con。_ \"Hesaid，\'Woman\'ssphereisthehearthandthehome:toimpairherdelicacyistotakethebloomfromthepeach:shecouldnotqualifyformedicinewithoutmasteringanatomyandsurgery——branchesthatmustunsexher。Providence，intendinghertobeman\'shelpmate，nothisrival，hadgivenherabodyunfitforwarorhardlabor，andabrainfourounceslighterthanaman\'s，andunabletocopewithlongstudyandpracticalscience。Inshort，shewastoogood，andtoostupid，formedicine。\' \"Itwaseloquent，butitwas_\'apriori_reasoning，andconjecture_versus_evidence:yettheapplauseitmetwithshowedonehowhappyistheorator\'quihurleaveclesloups。\'Takingthescientificpreacher\'swholetheoryintheologyandscience，womanwashighenoughincreationtobethemotherofGod，butnothighenoughtobeasawbones。 \"Well，aprofessorof_belles-lettres_roseonourside，notwitharivaltheory，butwithfacts。HewasapupilofLordBacon，andamanofthenineteenthcentury；soheobjectedto_\'apriori_reasoningonamatterofexperience。Tosettlethequestionofcapacityhegavealonglistofwomenwhohadbeenfamousinscience。SuchasBettesiaGozzadini，NovellaAndrea，NovellaCalderini，MaddelenaBuonsignori，andmanymore，whoweredoctorsoflawanduniversityprofessors:DoroteaBocohi，whowasprofessorbothofphilosophyandmedicine；LauraBassi，whowaselectedprofessorofphilosophyin1732byacclamation，andafterwardprofessorofexperimentalphysics；AnnaManzolini，professorofanatomyin1760； GaetauaAgnesi，professorofmathematics；ChristinaRoccati，doctorofphilosophyin1750；ClotildeTambroni，professorofGreekin1793；MariaDalleDonne，doctorofmedicinein1799；ZaffiraFerretti，doctorofmedicinein1800；MariaSega，doctorofmedicinein1799；MadalenaNoe，graduateofcivillawin1807。Ladiesinnumerable，whograduatedinlawandmedicineatPavia，Ferrara，andPadua，includingElenaLucreziaCornaroofPadua，averyfamouswoman。AlsoinSalamanca，Alcala\'，Cordova，henamedmorethanonefamousdoctress。AlsoinHeidelberg，Gottingen，Giessen，Wurzburg，etc。，andevenatUtrect，withnumberlessgraduatesintheartsandfacultiesatMontpellierandParisinallages。 Alsooutsidereputations，asofDoctorBouvinandhermother，acknowledgedcelebritiesintheirbranchofmedicine。Thischain，hesaid，hasneverbeenreallybroken。Therewasscarcelyagreatforeignuniversitywithoutsomefemalestudentofhighreputation。ThereweresuchwomenatViennaandPetersburg；manysuchatZurich。AtMontpellierMademoiselleDoumerguewascarryingallbeforeher，andMissGarrettandMissMaryPutnamatParis，thoughtheywereweightedintheracebyaforeignlanguage。LetthemaleEnglishphysicianpassastiffexaminationinscientificFrenchbeforehebrayedsoloud。Hehadneverdoneityet。 This，hesaid，isnotanageofchimeras；itisawiseandwaryage，whichhasestablishedinallbranchesoflearningasuretestofabilityinmanorwoman——publicexaminationfollowedbyapublicreport。Thesepublicexaminationsareallconductedbymales，andwomenarepassingthemtriumphantlyalloverEuropeandAmerica，andgraduateasdoctorsineverycivilizedcountry，andeveninhalf-civilizedRussia。 \"Hethenwentintoourownlittlepreliminaryexamination，andgavethestatistics:InLatinwereexamined55menand3women:10menwererejected，butnowomen；7menwererespectable，7_optimi，_orfirst-rate，1woman_bona，_and1_optima。_Inmathematicswereexamined67menand4women，ofwhom1womanwas_optima，_and1_bona:_10menwere_optimi，_and25_boni；_therestfailed。InGerman2menwereexamined，and1woman:1manwasgood，and1woman。Inlogic28menwereexamined，and1woman:thewomancameoutfifthinrank，andshehadonlybeenatitamonth。Inmoralphilosophy16menwereexamined；and1 woman:thewomancameoutthird。Inarithmetic，51menand3women:2menwere_optimi，_and1woman_optima；_severalmenfailed，andnotonewoman。Inmechanics，81menand1woman:thewomanpassedwithfaircredit，asdid13men；therestfailing。InFrenchwereexamined58menand4women:3menand1womanwererespectable；8menand1womanpassed；twowomenattainedthehighestexcellence，_optimoe，_andnotoneman。InEnglish，63menand3women:3menweregood，and1woman；but2 womenwere_optimoe，_andonly1man。\" \"Fancyyourememberingfigureslikethat，\"saidVizard。 \"Itisalltrainingandhabit，\"saidshe，simply。