the turn of the screw-第24章

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

There　was　no　trace　of　Flora　on　that　nearer　side　of　the　bank

where　my　observation　of　her　had　been　most　startling；

and　none　on　the　opposite　edge；　where；　save　for　a　margin

of　some　twenty　yards；　a　thick　copse　came　down　to　the　water。

The　pond；　oblong　in　shape；　had　a　width　so　scant　compared

to　its　length　that；　with　its　ends　out　of　view；　it　might　have

been　taken　for　a　scant　river。　　We　looked　at　the　empty　expanse；

and　then　I　felt　the　suggestion　of　my　friend's　eyes。

I　knew　what　she　meant　and　I　replied　with　a　negative　headshake。



〃No；　no；　wait！　　She　has　taken　the　boat。〃



My　companion　stared　at　the　vacant　mooring　place　and　then　again　across

the　lake。　　〃Then　where　is　it？〃



〃Our　not　seeing　it　is　the　strongest　of　proofs。　　She　has　used　it　to　go　over；

and　then　has　managed　to　hide　it。〃



〃All　alonethat　child？〃



〃She's　not　alone；　and　at　such　times　she's　not　a　child：　　she's　an　old；

old　woman。〃　　I　scanned　all　the　visible　shore　while　Mrs。　Grose　took　again；

into　the　queer　element　I　offered　her；　one　of　her　plunges　of　submission；

then　I　pointed　out　that　the　boat　might　perfectly　be　in　a　small　refuge

formed　by　one　of　the　recesses　of　the　pool；　an　indentation　masked；

for　the　hither　side；　by　a　projection　of　the　bank　and　by　a　clump　of　trees

growing　close　to　the　water。



〃But　if　the　boat's　there；　where　on　earth's　SHE？〃

my　colleague　anxiously　asked。



〃That's　exactly　what　we　must　learn。〃　　And　I　started　to　walk　further。



〃By　going　all　the　way　round？〃



〃Certainly；　far　as　it　is。　　It　will　take　us　but　ten　minutes；

but　it's　far　enough　to　have　made　the　child　prefer　not　to　walk。

She　went　straight　over。〃



〃Laws！〃　cried　my　friend　again；　the　chain　of　my　logic　was　ever

too　much　for　her。　　It　dragged　her　at　my　heels　even　now；

and　when　we　had　got　halfway　rounda　devious；　tiresome　process；

on　ground　much　broken　and　by　a　path　choked　with　overgrowth

I　paused　to　give　her　breath。　　I　sustained　her　with　a　grateful　arm；

assuring　her　that　she　might　hugely　help　me；　and　this　started

us　afresh；　so　that　in　the　course　of　but　few　minutes　more　we　reached

a　point　from　which　we　found　the　boat　to　be　where　I　had　supposed　it。

It　had　been　intentionally　left　as　much　as　possible　out　of　sight

and　was　tied　to　one　of　the　stakes　of　a　fence　that　came；　just　there；

down　to　the　brink　and　that　had　been　an　assistance　to　disembarking。

I　recognized；　as　I　looked　at　the　pair　of　short；　thick　oars；

quite　safely　drawn　up；　the　prodigious　character　of　the　feat

for　a　little　girl；　but　I　had　lived；　by　this　time；　too　long

among　wonders　and　had　panted　to　too　many　livelier　measures。

There　was　a　gate　in　the　fence；　through　which　we　passed；

and　that　brought　us；　after　a　trifling　interval；　more　into　the　open。

Then；　〃There　she　is！〃　we　both　exclaimed　at　once。



Flora；　a　short　way　off；　stood　before　us　on　the　grass　and　smiled

as　if　her　performance　was　now　complete。　　The　next　thing　she　did；

however；　was　to　stoop　straight　down　and　pluckquite　as　if　it

were　all　she　was　there　fora　big；　ugly　spray　of　withered　fern。

I　instantly　became　sure　she　had　just　come　out　of　the　copse。

She　waited　for　us；　not　herself　taking　a　step；　and　I　was

conscious　of　the　rare　solemnity　with　which　we　presently

approached　her。　　She　smiled　and　smiled；　and　we　met；　but　it

was　all　done　in　a　silence　by　this　time　flagrantly　ominous。

Mrs。　Grose　was　the　first　to　break　the　spell：　　she　threw

herself　on　her　knees　and；　drawing　the　child　to　her　breast；

clasped　in　a　long　embrace　the　little　tender；　yielding　body。

While　this　dumb　convulsion　lasted　I　could　only　watch　it

which　I　did　the　more　intently　when　I　saw　Flora's　face　peep

at　me　over　our　companion's　shoulder。　　It　was　serious　now

the　flicker　had　left　it；　but　it　strengthened　the　pang　with　which　I

at　that　moment　envied　Mrs。　Grose　the　simplicity　of　HER　relation。

Still；　all　this　while；　nothing　more　passed　between　us　save

that　Flora　had　let　her　foolish　fern　again　drop　to　the　ground。

What　she　and　I　had　virtually　said　to　each　other　was　that

pretexts　were　useless　now。　　When　Mrs。　Grose　finally　got　up　she

kept　the　child's　hand；　so　that　the　two　were　still　before　me；

and　the　singular　reticence　of　our　communion　was　even　more

marked　in　the　frank　look　she　launched　me。　　〃I'll　be　hanged；〃

it　said；　〃if　_I_'ll　speak！〃



It　was　Flora　who；　gazing　all　over　me　in　candid　wonder；

was　the　first。　　She　was　struck　with　our　bareheaded　aspect。

〃Why；　where　are　your　things？〃



〃Where　yours　are；　my　dear！〃　　I　promptly　returned。



She　had　already　got　back　her　gaiety；　and　appeared　to　take

this　as　an　answer　quite　sufficient。　　〃And　where's　Miles？〃

she　went　on。



There　was　something　in　the　small　valor　of　it　that　quite　finished　me：

these　three　words　from　her　were；　in　a　flash　like　the　glitter　of　a

drawn　blade；　the　jostle　of　the　cup　that　my　hand；　for　weeks　and　weeks；

had　held　high　and　full　to　the　brim　that　now；　even　before　speaking；

I　felt　overflow　in　a　deluge。　　〃I'll　tell　you　if　you'll　tell　ME〃

I　heard　myself　say；　then　heard　the　tremor　in　which　it　broke。



〃Well；　what？〃



Mrs。　Grose's　suspense　blazed　at　me；　but　it　was　too　late　now；

and　I　brought　the　thing　out　handsomely。　　〃Where；　my　pet；

is　Miss　Jessel？〃







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XX





Just　as　in　the　churchyard　with　Miles；　the　whole　thing　was　upon　us。

Much　as　I　had　made　of　the　fact　that　this　name　had　never　once；

between　us；　been　sounded；　the　quick；　smitten　glare　with

which　the　child's　face　now　received　it　fairly　likened

my　breach　of　the　silence　to　the　smash　of　a　pane　of　glass。

It　added　to　the　interposing　cry；　as　if　to　stay　the　blow；

that　Mrs。　Grose；　at　the　same　instant；　uttered　over　my　violence

the　shriek　of　a　creature　scared；　or　rather　wounded；　which；　in　turn；

within　a　few　seconds；　was　completed　by　a　gasp　of　my　own。

I　seized　my　colleague's　arm。　　〃She's　there；　she's　there！〃



Miss　Jessel　stood　before　us　on　the　opposite　bank　exactly　as　she

had　stood　the　other　time；　and　I　remember；　strangely；　as　the

first　feeling　now　produced　in　me；　my　thrill　of　joy　at　having

brought　on　a　proof。　　She　was　there；　and　I　was　justified；

she　was　there；　and　I　was　neither　cruel　nor　mad。

She　was　there　for　poor　scared　Mrs。　Grose；　but　she　was　there

most　for　Flora；　and　no　moment　of　my　monstrous　time　was　perhaps

so　extraordinary　as　that　in　which　I　consciously　threw　out　to　her

with　the　sense　that；　pale　and　ravenous　demon　as　she　was；　she　would

catch　and　understand　itan　inarticulate　message　of　gratitude。

She　rose　erect　on　the　spot　my　friend　and　I　had　lately　quitted；

and　there　was　not；　in　all　the　long　reach　of　her　desire；

an　inch　of　her　evil　that　fell　short。　　This　first　vividness

of　vision　and　emotion　were　things　of　a　few　seconds；

during　which　Mrs。　Grose's　dazed　blink　across　to　where　I　pointed

struck　me　as　a　sovereign　sign　that　she　too　at　last　saw；

just　as　it　carried　my　own　eyes　precipitately　to　the　child。

The　revelation　then　of　the　manner　in　which　Flora　was　affected

startled　me；　in　truth；　far　more　than　it　would　have　done　to　find

her　also　merely　agitated；　for　direct　dismay　was　of　course　not

what　I　had　expected。　　Prepared　and　on　her　guard　as　our　pursuit

had　actually　made　her；　she　would　repress　every　betrayal；

and　I　was　therefore　shaken；　on　the　spot；　by　my　first

glimpse　of　the　particular　one　for　which　I　had　not　allowed。

To　see　her；　without　a　convulsion　of　her　small　pink　face；　not　even

feign　to　glance　in　the　direction　of　the　prodigy　I　announced；

but　only；　instead　of　that；　turn　at　ME　an　expression　of　hard；

still　gravity；　an　expression　absolutely　new　and　unprecedented

and　that　appeared　to　read　and　accuse　and　judge　me

this　was　a　stroke　that　somehow　converted　the　little　girl

herself　into　the　very　presence　that　could　make　me　quail。

I　quailed　even　though　my　certitude　that　she　thoroughly　saw

was　never　greater　than　at　that　instant；　and　in　the　immediate

need　to　defend　myself　I　called　it　passionately　to　witness。

〃She's　there；　you　little　unhappy　thingthe