the turn of the screw-第23章

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never　was　a　small　natural　creature；　to　the　uninitiated　eye　all　frankness

and　freedom；　a　more　ingenious；　a　more　extraordinary　little　gentleman。

I　had　perpetually　to　guard　against　the　wonder　of　contemplation　into　which　my

initiated　view　betrayed　me；　to　check　the　irrelevant　gaze　and　discouraged

sigh　in　which　I　constantly　both　attacked　and　renounced　the　enigma　of

what　such　a　little　gentleman　could　have　done　that　deserved　a　penalty。

Say　that；　by　the　dark　prodigy　I　knew；　the　imagination　of　all　evil　HAD

been　opened　up　to　him：　　all　the　justice　within　me　ached　for　the　proof

that　it　could　ever　have　flowered　into　an　act。



He　had　never；　at　any　rate；　been　such　a　little　gentleman

as　when；　after　our　early　dinner　on　this　dreadful　day；

he　came　round　to　me　and　asked　if　I　shouldn't　like　him；

for　half　an　hour；　to　play　to　me。　　David　playing　to　Saul

could　never　have　shown　a　finer　sense　of　the　occasion。

It　was　literally　a　charming　exhibition　of　tact；　of　magnanimity；

and　quite　tantamount　to　his　saying　outright：　　〃The　true　knights

we　love　to　read　about　never　push　an　advantage　too　far。

I　know　what　you　mean　now：　　you　mean　thatto　be　let　alone　yourself

and　not　followed　upyou'll　cease　to　worry　and　spy　upon　me；

won't　keep　me　so　close　to　you；　will　let　me　go　and　come。

Well；　I　‘come；'　you　seebut　I　don't　go！　　There'll　be　plenty

of　time　for　that。　　I　do　really　delight　in　your　society；

and　I　only　want　to　show　you　that　I　contended　for　a　principle。〃

It　may　be　imagined　whether　I　resisted　this　appeal　or　failed

to　accompany　him　again；　hand　in　hand；　to　the　schoolroom。

He　sat　down　at　the　old　piano　and　played　as　he　had　never　played；

and　if　there　are　those　who　think　he　had　better　have　been　kicking

a　football　I　can　only　say　that　I　wholly　agree　with　them。

For　at　the　end　of　a　time　that　under　his　influence　I　had

quite　ceased　to　measure；　I　started　up　with　a　strange　sense

of　having　literally　slept　at　my　post。　　It　was　after　luncheon；

and　by　the　schoolroom　fire；　and　yet　I　hadn't　really；

in　the　least；　slept：　　I　had　only　done　something　much　worse

I　had　forgotten。　　Where；　all　this　time；　was　Flora？

When　I　put　the　question　to　Miles；　he　played　on　a　minute

before　answering　and　then　could　only　say：　　〃Why；　my　dear；

how　do　_I_　know？〃breaking　moreover　into　a　happy　laugh　which；

immediately　after；　as　if　it　were　a　vocal　accompaniment；

he　prolonged　into　incoherent；　extravagant　song。



I　went　straight　to　my　room；　but　his　sister　was　not　there；

then；　before　going　downstairs；　I　looked　into　several　others。

As　she　was　nowhere　about　she　would　surely　be　with　Mrs。　Grose；　whom；

in　the　comfort　of　that　theory；　I　accordingly　proceeded　in　quest　of。

I　found　her　where　I　had　found　her　the　evening　before；

but　she　met　my　quick　challenge　with　blank；　scared　ignorance。

She　had　only　supposed　that；　after　the　repast；　I　had　carried

off　both　the　children；　as　to　which　she　was　quite　in　her　right；

for　it　was　the　very　first　time　I　had　allowed　the　little

girl　out　of　my　sight　without　some　special　provision。

Of　course　now　indeed　she　might　be　with　the　maids；　so　that　the

immediate　thing　was　to　look　for　her　without　an　air　of　alarm。

This　we　promptly　arranged　between　us；　but　when；　ten　minutes

later　and　in　pursuance　of　our　arrangement；　we　met　in　the　hall；

it　was　only　to　report　on　either　side　that　after　guarded　inquiries

we　had　altogether　failed　to　trace　her。　　For　a　minute　there；

apart　from　observation；　we　exchanged　mute　alarms；　and　I　could

feel　with　what　high　interest　my　friend　returned　me　all　those　I

had　from　the　first　given　her。



〃She'll　be　above；〃　she　presently　said〃in　one　of　the　rooms

you　haven't　searched。〃



〃No；　she's　at　a　distance。〃　　I　had　made　up　my　mind。

〃She　has　gone　out。〃



Mrs。　Grose　stared。　　〃Without　a　hat？〃



I　naturally　also　looked　volumes。　　〃Isn't　that　woman　always　without　one？〃



〃She's　with　HER？〃



〃She's　with　HER！〃　I　declared。　　〃We　must　find　them。〃



My　hand　was　on　my　friend's　arm；　but　she　failed　for　the　moment；

confronted　with　such　an　account　of　the　matter；　to　respond　to　my　pressure。

She　communed；　on　the　contrary；　on　the　spot；　with　her　uneasiness。

〃And　where's　Master　Miles？〃



〃Oh；　HE'S　with　Quint。　　They're　in　the　schoolroom。〃



〃Lord；　miss！〃　　My　view；　I　was　myself　awareand　therefore　I　suppose　my　tone

had　never　yet　reached　so　calm　an　assurance。



〃The　trick's　played；〃　I　went　on；　〃they've　successfully　worked　their　plan。

He　found　the　most　divine　little　way　to　keep　me　quiet　while　she　went　off。〃



〃'Divine'？〃　Mrs。　Grose　bewilderedly　echoed。



〃Infernal；　then！〃　　I　almost　cheerfully　rejoined。

〃He　has　provided　for　himself　as　well。　　But　come！〃



She　had　helplessly　gloomed　at　the　upper　regions。

〃You　leave　him？〃



〃So　long　with　Quint？　　YesI　don't　mind　that　now。〃



She　always　ended；　at　these　moments；　by　getting　possession　of

my　hand；　and　in　this　manner　she　could　at　present　still　stay　me。

But　after　gasping　an　instant　at　my　sudden　resignation；

〃Because　of　your　letter？〃　she　eagerly　brought　out。



I　quickly；　by　way　of　answer；　felt　for　my　letter；　drew　it　forth；　held　it　up；

and　then；　freeing　myself；　went　and　laid　it　on　the　great　hall　table。

〃Luke　will　take　it；〃　I　said　as　I　came　back。　　I　reached　the　house　door

and　opened　it；　I　was　already　on　the　steps。



My　companion　still　demurred：　　the　storm　of　the　night　and　the　early

morning　had　dropped；　but　the　afternoon　was　damp　and　gray。

I　came　down　to　the　drive　while　she　stood　in　the　doorway。

〃You　go　with　nothing　on？〃



〃What　do　I　care　when　the　child　has　nothing？　　I　can't　wait

to　dress；〃　I　cried；　〃and　if　you　must　do　so；　I　leave　you。

Try　meanwhile；　yourself；　upstairs。〃



〃With　THEM？〃　Oh；　on　this；　the　poor　woman　promptly　joined　me！







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XIX





We　went　straight　to　the　lake；　as　it　was　called　at　Bly；　and　I　daresay

rightly　called；　though　I　reflect　that　it　may　in　fact　have　been　a　sheet

of　water　less　remarkable　than　it　appeared　to　my　untraveled　eyes。

My　acquaintance　with　sheets　of　water　was　small；　and　the　pool

of　Bly；　at　all　events　on　the　few　occasions　of　my　consenting；

under　the　protection　of　my　pupils；　to　affront　its　surface

in　the　old　flat…bottomed　boat　moored　there　for　our　use；

had　impressed　me　both　with　its　extent　and　its　agitation。

The　usual　place　of　embarkation　was　half　a　mile　from　the　house；

but　I　had　an　intimate　conviction　that；　wherever　Flora　might　be；

she　was　not　near　home。　　She　had　not　given　me　the　slip　for　any

small　adventure；　and；　since　the　day　of　the　very　great　one

that　I　had　shared　with　her　by　the　pond；　I　had　been　aware；

in　our　walks；　of　the　quarter　to　which　she　most　inclined。

This　was　why　I　had　now　given　to　Mrs。　Grose's　steps　so　marked

a　directiona　direction　that　made　her；　when　she　perceived　it；

oppose　a　resistance　that　showed　me　she　was　freshly　mystified。

〃You're　going　to　the　water；　Miss？you　think　she's　IN？〃



〃She　may　be；　though　the　depth　is；　I　believe；　nowhere　very　great。

But　what　I　judge　most　likely　is　that　she's　on　the　spot　from　which；

the　other　day；　we　saw　together　what　I　told　you。〃



〃When　she　pretended　not　to　see？〃



〃With　that　astounding　self…possession？　I've　always　been　sure　she　wanted

to　go　back　alone。　　And　now　her　brother　has　managed　it　for　her。〃



Mrs。　Grose　still　stood　where　she　had　stopped。　　〃You　suppose　they

really　TALK　of　them？〃



〃I　could　meet　this　with　a　confidence！　　〃They　say　things　that；

if　we　heard　them；　would　simply　appall　us。〃



〃And　if　she　IS　there〃



〃Yes？〃



〃Then　Miss　Jessel　is？〃



〃Beyond　a　doubt。　　You　shall　see。〃



〃Oh；　thank　you！〃　my　friend　cried；　planted　so　firm　that；

taking　it　in；　I　went　straight　on　without　her。　　By　the　time

I　reached　the　pool；　however；　she　was　close　behind　me；　and　I

knew　that；　whatever；　to　her　apprehension；　might　befall　me；

the　exposure　of　my　society　struck　her　as　her　least　danger。

She　exhaled　a　moan　of　relief　as　we　at　last　came　in　sight

of　the　greater　part　of　the　water　without　a　sight　of　the　child。

There　was　no　trace　of　Flora　on　that