the turn of the screw-第20章

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〃You　really　compare　me　to　a　baby　girl？〃



This　found　me　singularly　weak。　　〃Don't　you；　then；　LOVE

our　sweet　Flora？〃



〃If　I　didn'tand　you；　too；　if　I　didn't！〃　he　repeated　as　if

retreating　for　a　jump；　yet　leaving　his　thought　so　unfinished　that；

after　we　had　come　into　the　gate；　another　stop；　which　he　imposed

on　me　by　the　pressure　of　his　arm；　had　become　inevitable。

Mrs。　Grose　and　Flora　had　passed　into　the　church；　the　other

worshippers　had　followed；　and　we　were；　for　the　minute；

alone　among　the　old；　thick　graves。　　We　had　paused；　on　the　path

from　the　gate；　by　a　low；　oblong；　tablelike　tomb。



〃Yes；　if　you　didn't？〃



He　looked；　while　I　waited；　at　the　graves。　　〃Well；　you　know　what！〃

But　he　didn't　move；　and　he　presently　produced　something　that　made

me　drop　straight　down　on　the　stone　slab；　as　if　suddenly　to　rest。

〃Does　my　uncle　think　what　YOU　think？〃



I　markedly　rested。　　〃How　do　you　know　what　I　think？〃



〃Ah；　well；　of　course　I　don't；　for　it　strikes　me　you　never　tell　me。

But　I　mean　does　HE　know？〃



〃Know　what；　Miles？〃



〃Why；　the　way　I'm　going　on。〃



I　perceived　quickly　enough　that　I　could　make；　to　this　inquiry；

no　answer　that　would　not　involve　something　of　a　sacrifice

of　my　employer。　　Yet　it　appeared　to　me　that　we　were　all；

at　Bly；　sufficiently　sacrificed　to　make　that　venial。

〃I　don't　think　your　uncle　much　cares。〃



Miles；　on　this；　stood　looking　at　me。　　〃Then　don't　you　think　he　can

be　made　to？〃



〃In　what　way？〃



〃Why；　by　his　coming　down。〃



〃But　who'll　get　him　to　come　down？〃



〃_I_　will！〃　the　boy　said　with　extraordinary　brightness　and　emphasis。

He　gave　me　another　look　charged　with　that　expression　and　then　marched

off　alone　into　church。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XV





The　business　was　practically　settled　from　the　moment　I

never　followed　him。　　It　was　a　pitiful　surrender　to　agitation；

but　my　being　aware　of　this　had　somehow　no　power　to　restore　me。

I　only　sat　there　on　my　tomb　and　read　into　what　my　little

friend　had　said　to　me　the　fullness　of　its　meaning；

by　the　time　I　had　grasped　the　whole　of　which　I　had　also　embraced；

for　absence；　the　pretext　that　I　was　ashamed　to　offer　my　pupils

and　the　rest　of　the　congregation　such　an　example　of　delay。

What　I　said　to　myself　above　all　was　that　Miles　had　got　something

out　of　me　and　that　the　proof　of　it；　for　him；　would　be　just　this

awkward　collapse。　　He　had　got　out　of　me　that　there　was　something

I　was　much　afraid　of　and　that　he　should　probably　be　able　to　make

use　of　my　fear　to　gain；　for　his　own　purpose；　more　freedom。

My　fear　was　of　having　to　deal　with　the　intolerable　question

of　the　grounds　of　his　dismissal　from　school；　for　that　was

really　but　the　question　of　the　horrors　gathered　behind。

That　his　uncle　should　arrive　to　treat　with　me　of　these　things

was　a　solution　that；　strictly　speaking；　I　ought　now　to　have

desired　to　bring　on；　but　I　could　so　little　face　the　ugliness

and　the　pain　of　it　that　I　simply　procrastinated　and　lived

from　hand　to　mouth。　　The　boy；　to　my　deep　discomposure；

was　immensely　in　the　right；　was　in　a　position　to　say　to　me：

〃Either　you　clear　up　with　my　guardian　the　mystery　of　this

interruption　of　my　studies；　or　you　cease　to　expect　me

to　lead　with　you　a　life　that's　so　unnatural　for　a　boy。〃

What　was　so　unnatural　for　the　particular　boy　I　was　concerned

with　was　this　sudden　revelation　of　a　consciousness　and　a　plan。



That　was　what　really　overcame　me；　what　prevented　my　going　in。

I　walked　round　the　church；　hesitating；　hovering；　I　reflected

that　I　had　already；　with　him；　hurt　myself　beyond　repair。

Therefore　I　could　patch　up　nothing；　and　it　was　too

extreme　an　effort　to　squeeze　beside　him　into　the　pew：

he　would　be　so　much　more　sure　than　ever　to　pass　his　arm

into　mine　and　make　me　sit　there　for　an　hour　in　close；

silent　contact　with　his　commentary　on　our　talk。　　For　the　first

minute　since　his　arrival　I　wanted　to　get　away　from　him。

As　I　paused　beneath　the　high　east　window　and　listened　to　the　sounds

of　worship；　I　was　taken　with　an　impulse　that　might　master　me；

I　felt；　completely　should　I　give　it　the　least　encouragement。

I　might　easily　put　an　end　to　my　predicament　by　getting

away　altogether。　　Here　was　my　chance；　there　was　no　one　to　stop　me；

I　could　give　the　whole　thing　upturn　my　back　and　retreat。

It　was　only　a　question　of　hurrying　again；　for　a　few　preparations；

to　the　house　which　the　attendance　at　church　of　so　many　of

the　servants　would　practically　have　left　unoccupied。　　No　one；

in　short；　could　blame　me　if　I　should　just　drive　desperately　off。

What　was　it　to　get　away　if　I　got　away　only　till　dinner？

That　would　be　in　a　couple　of　hours；　at　the　end　of　which

I　had　the　acute　previsionmy　little　pupils　would　play　at

innocent　wonder　about　my　nonappearance　in　their　train。



〃What　DID　you　do；　you　naughty；　bad　thing？　　Why　in　the　world；

to　worry　us　soand　take　our　thoughts　off；　too；　don't　you　know？

did　you　desert　us　at　the　very　door？〃　　I　couldn't　meet　such

questions　nor；　as　they　asked　them；　their　false　little　lovely　eyes；

yet　it　was　all　so　exactly　what　I　should　have　to　meet　that；

as　the　prospect　grew　sharp　to　me；　I　at　last　let　myself　go。



I　got；　so　far　as　the　immediate　moment　was　concerned；　away；　I　came　straight

out　of　the　churchyard　and；　thinking　hard；　retraced　my　steps　through　the　park。

It　seemed　to　me　that　by　the　time　I　reached　the　house　I　had　made　up　my　mind　I

would　fly。　　The　Sunday　stillness　both　of　the　approaches　and　of　the　interior；

in　which　I　met　no　one；　fairly　excited　me　with　a　sense　of　opportunity。

Were　I　to　get　off　quickly；　this　way；　I　should　get　off　without　a　scene；

without　a　word。　　My　quickness　would　have　to　be　remarkable；　however；

and　the　question　of　a　conveyance　was　the　great　one　to　settle。

Tormented；　in　the　hall；　with　difficulties　and　obstacles；　I　remember

sinking　down　at　the　foot　of　the　staircasesuddenly　collapsing　there

on　the　lowest　step　and　then；　with　a　revulsion；　recalling　that　it

was　exactly　where　more　than　a　month　before；　in　the　darkness　of　night

and　just　so　bowed　with　evil　things；　I　had　seen　the　specter　of　the　most

horrible　of　women。　　At　this　I　was　able　to　straighten　myself；　I　went

the　rest　of　the　way　up；　I　made；　in　my　bewilderment；　for　the　schoolroom；

where　there　were　objects　belonging　to　me　that　I　should　have　to　take。

But　I　opened　the　door　to　find　again；　in　a　flash；　my　eyes　unsealed。

In　the　presence　of　what　I　saw　I　reeled　straight　back　upon　my　resistance。



Seated　at　my　own　table　in　clear　noonday　light　I　saw　a　person　whom；

without　my　previous　experience；　I　should　have　taken　at

the　first　blush　for　some　housemaid　who　might　have　stayed

at　home　to　look　after　the　place　and　who；　availing　herself

of　rare　relief　from　observation　and　of　the　schoolroom

table　and　my　pens；　ink；　and　paper；　had　applied　herself

to　the　considerable　effort　of　a　letter　to　her　sweetheart。

There　was　an　effort　in　the　way　that；　while　her　arms　rested　on

the　table；　her　hands　with　evident　weariness　supported　her　head；

but　at　the　moment　I　took　this　in　I　had　already　become　aware　that；

in　spite　of　my　entrance；　her　attitude　strangely　persisted。

Then　it　waswith　the　very　act　of　its　announcing　itself

that　her　identity　flared　up　in　a　change　of　posture。

She　rose；　not　as　if　she　had　heard　me；　but　with　an　indescribable

grand　melancholy　of　indifference　and　detachment；　and；　within　a

dozen　feet　of　me；　stood　there　as　my　vile　predecessor。

Dishonored　and　tragic；　she　was　all　before　me；　but　even　as　I

fixed　and；　for　memory；　secured　it；　the　awful　image　passed　away。

Dark　as　midnight　in　her　black　dress；　her　haggard　beauty　and　her

unutterable　woe；　she　had　looked　at　me　long　enough　to　appear　to　say

that　her　right　to　sit　at　my　table　was　as　good　as　mine　to　sit　at　hers。

While　these　instants　lasted；　indeed；　I　had　the　extraordinary

chill　of　feeling　that　it　was　I　who　was　the　intruder。

It　was　as　a　wild　protest　against　it　that；　actually　addressing

her〃You　terrible；　miserable　woman！〃I　heard　myself　break

into　a　sound　that；　by　the　open