the turn of the screw-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



to　meet　his　appeal；　I　had　at　all　events　a　couple　of　very　bad　days

found　myself　doubtful　again；　felt　indeed　sure　I　had　made　a　mistake。

In　this　state　of　mind　I　spent　the　long　hours　of　bumping；

swinging　coach　that　carried　me　to　the　stopping　place　at　which　I

was　to　be　met　by　a　vehicle　from　the　house。　　This　convenience；

I　was　told；　had　been　ordered；　and　I　found；　toward　the　close

of　the　June　afternoon；　a　commodious　fly　in　waiting　for　me。

Driving　at　that　hour；　on　a　lovely　day；　through　a　country　to　which

the　summer　sweetness　seemed　to　offer　me　a　friendly　welcome；

my　fortitude　mounted　afresh　and；　as　we　turned　into　the　avenue；

encountered　a　reprieve　that　was　probably　but　a　proof　of　the　point

to　which　it　had　sunk。　　I　suppose　I　had　expected；　or　had　dreaded；

something　so　melancholy　that　what　greeted　me　was　a　good　surprise。

I　remember　as　a　most　pleasant　impression　the　broad；　clear　front；

its　open　windows　and　fresh　curtains　and　the　pair　of　maids

looking　out；　I　remember　the　lawn　and　the　bright　flowers　and

the　crunch　of　my　wheels　on　the　gravel　and　the　clustered　treetops

over　which　the　rooks　circled　and　cawed　in　the　golden　sky。

The　scene　had　a　greatness　that　made　it　a　different　affair　from

my　own　scant　home；　and　there　immediately　appeared　at　the　door；

with　a　little　girl　in　her　hand；　a　civil　person　who　dropped　me　as　decent

a　curtsy　as　if　I　had　been　the　mistress　or　a　distinguished　visitor。

I　had　received　in　Harley　Street　a　narrower　notion　of　the　place；

and　that；　as　I　recalled　it；　made　me　think　the　proprietor　still

more　of　a　gentleman；　suggested　that　what　I　was　to　enjoy　might　be

something　beyond　his　promise。



I　had　no　drop　again　till　the　next　day；　for　I　was　carried

triumphantly　through　the　following　hours　by　my　introduction

to　the　younger　of　my　pupils。　　The　little　girl　who　accompanied

Mrs。　Grose　appeared　to　me　on　the　spot　a　creature　so　charming

as　to　make　it　a　great　fortune　to　have　to　do　with　her。

She　was　the　most　beautiful　child　I　had　ever　seen；　and　I　afterward

wondered　that　my　employer　had　not　told　me　more　of　her。

I　slept　little　that　nightI　was　too　much　excited；

and　this　astonished　me；　too；　I　recollect；　remained　with　me；

adding　to　my　sense　of　the　liberality　with　which　I　was　treated。

The　large；　impressive　room；　one　of　the　best　in　the　house；　the　great

state　bed；　as　I　almost　felt　it；　the　full；　figured　draperies；

the　long　glasses　in　which；　for　the　first　time；　I　could　see

myself　from　head　to　foot；　all　struck　melike　the　extraordinary

charm　of　my　small　chargeas　so　many　things　thrown　in。

It　was　thrown　in　as　well；　from　the　first　moment；　that　I

should　get　on　with　Mrs。　Grose　in　a　relation　over　which；

on　my　way；　in　the　coach；　I　fear　I　had　rather　brooded。

The　only　thing　indeed　that　in　this　early　outlook　might　have

made　me　shrink　again　was　the　clear　circumstance　of　her　being

so　glad　to　see　me。　　I　perceived　within　half　an　hour　that　she

was　so　gladstout；　simple；　plain；　clean；　wholesome　woman

as　to　be　positively　on　her　guard　against　showing　it　too　much。

I　wondered　even　then　a　little　why　she　should　wish　not　to　show　it；

and　that；　with　reflection；　with　suspicion；　might　of　course

have　made　me　uneasy。



But　it　was　a　comfort　that　there　could　be　no　uneasiness　in　a

connection　with　anything　so　beatific　as　the　radiant　image　of　my

little　girl；　the　vision　of　whose　angelic　beauty　had　probably

more　than　anything　else　to　do　with　the　restlessness　that；

before　morning；　made　me　several　times　rise　and　wander

about　my　room　to　take　in　the　whole　picture　and　prospect；

to　watch；　from　my　open　window；　the　faint　summer　dawn；

to　look　at　such　portions　of　the　rest　of　the　house　as　I

could　catch；　and　to　listen；　while；　in　the　fading　dusk；

the　first　birds　began　to　twitter；　for　the　possible　recurrence

of　a　sound　or　two；　less　natural　and　not　without；　but　within；

that　I　had　fancied　I　heard。　　There　had　been　a　moment　when　I

believed　I　recognized；　faint　and　far；　the　cry　of　a　child；

there　had　been　another　when　I　found　myself　just　consciously

starting　as　at　the　passage；　before　my　door；　of　a　light　footstep。

But　these　fancies　were　not　marked　enough　not　to　be　thrown　off；

and　it　is　only　in　the　light；　or　the　gloom；　I　should　rather　say；

of　other　and　subsequent　matters　that　they　now　come　back　to　me。

To　watch；　teach；　〃form〃　little　Flora　would　too　evidently

be　the　making　of　a　happy　and　useful　life。　　It　had　been

agreed　between　us　downstairs　that　after　this　first　occasion

I　should　have　her　as　a　matter　of　course　at　night；　her　small

white　bed　being　already　arranged；　to　that　end；　in　my　room。

What　I　had　undertaken　was　the　whole　care　of　her；　and　she

had　remained；　just　this　last　time；　with　Mrs。　Grose　only　as

an　effect　of　our　consideration　for　my　inevitable　strangeness

and　her　natural　timidity。　　In　spite　of　this　timidity

which　the　child　herself；　in　the　oddest　way　in　the　world；

had　been　perfectly　frank　and　brave　about；　allowing　it；

without　a　sign　of　uncomfortable　consciousness；　with　the　deep；

sweet　serenity　indeed　of　one　of　Raphael's　holy　infants；

to　be　discussed；　to　be　imputed　to　her；　and　to　determine　us

I　feel　quite　sure　she　would　presently　like　me。　　It　was　part

of　what　I　already　liked　Mrs。　Grose　herself　for；　the　pleasure　I

could　see　her　feel　in　my　admiration　and　wonder　as　I　sat　at　supper

with　four　tall　candles　and　with　my　pupil；　in　a　high　chair　and

a　bib；　brightly　facing　me；　between　them；　over　bread　and　milk。

There　were　naturally　things　that　in　Flora's　presence　could

pass　between　us　only　as　prodigious　and　gratified　looks；

obscure　and　roundabout　allusions。



〃And　the　little　boydoes　he　look　like　her？　　Is　he　too　so　very　remarkable？〃



One　wouldn't　flatter　a　child。　　〃Oh；　miss；　MOST　remarkable。

If　you　think　well　of　this　one！〃and　she　stood　there　with　a　plate

in　her　hand；　beaming　at　our　companion；　who　looked　from　one　of　us

to　the　other　with　placid　heavenly　eyes　that　contained　nothing

to　check　us。



〃Yes；　if　I　do？〃



〃You　WILL　be　carried　away　by　the　little　gentleman！〃



〃Well；　that；　I　think；　is　what　I　came　forto　be　carried　away。

I'm　afraid；　however；〃　I　remember　feeling　the　impulse　to　add；

〃I'm　rather　easily　carried　away。　　I　was　carried　away　in　London！〃



I　can　still　see　Mrs。　Grose's　broad　face　as　she　took　this　in。

〃In　Harley　Street？〃



〃In　Harley　Street。〃



〃Well；　miss；　you're　not　the　firstand　you　won't　be　the　last。〃



〃Oh；　I've　no　pretension；〃　I　could　laugh；　〃to　being　the　only　one。

My　other　pupil；　at　any　rate；　as　I　understand；　comes　back　tomorrow？〃



〃Not　tomorrowFriday；　miss。　　He　arrives；　as　you　did；　by　the　coach；

under　care　of　the　guard；　and　is　to　be　met　by　the　same　carriage。〃



I　forthwith　expressed　that　the　proper　as　well　as　the　pleasant　and

friendly　thing　would　be　therefore　that　on　the　arrival　of　the　public

conveyance　I　should　be　in　waiting　for　him　with　his　little　sister；

an　idea　in　which　Mrs。　Grose　concurred　so　heartily　that　I　somehow

took　her　manner　as　a　kind　of　comforting　pledgenever　falsified；

thank　heaven！that　we　should　on　every　question　be　quite　at　one。

Oh；　she　was　glad　I　was　there！



What　I　felt　the　next　day　was；　I　suppose；　nothing　that　could

be　fairly　called　a　reaction　from　the　cheer　of　my　arrival；

it　was　probably　at　the　most　only　a　slight　oppression　produced

by　a　fuller　measure　of　the　scale；　as　I　walked　round　them；

gazed　up　at　them；　took　them　in；　of　my　new　circumstances。

They　had；　as　it　were；　an　extent　and　mass　for　which　I　had　not

been　prepared　and　in　the　presence　of　which　I　found　myself；

freshly；　a　little　scared　as　well　as　a　little　proud。

Lessons；　in　this　agitation；　certainly　suffered　some　delay；

I　reflected　that　my　first　duty　was；　by　the　gentlest　arts　I

could　contrive；　to　win　the　child　into　the　sense　of　knowing　me。

I　spent　the　day　with　her　out…of…doors；　I　arranged　with　her；

to　her　great　satisfaction；　that　it　should　be　she；　she　only；

who　might　show　me　the　place。　　She　showed　it　step　by　step

and　room　by　room　and　secret　by　secret；　with　droll；　delightful；

childish　talk　about　it　and　with　the　result；　in