the turn of the screw-第4章

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

childish　talk　about　it　and　with　the　result；　in　half　an　hour；

of　our　becoming　immense　friends。　　Young　as　she　was；　I　was　struck；

throughout　our　little　tour；　with　her　confidence　and　courage

with　the　way；　in　empty　chambers　and　dull　corridors；　on　crooked

staircases　that　made　me　pause　and　even　on　the　summit　of　an　old

machicolated　square　tower　that　made　me　dizzy；　her　morning　music；

her　disposition　to　tell　me　so　many　more　things　than　she　asked；

rang　out　and　led　me　on。　　I　have　not　seen　Bly　since　the　day

I　left　it；　and　I　daresay　that　to　my　older　and　more　informed

eyes　it　would　now　appear　sufficiently　contracted。　　But　as　my

little　conductress；　with　her　hair　of　gold　and　her　frock　of　blue；

danced　before　me　round　corners　and　pattered　down　passages；

I　had　the　view　of　a　castle　of　romance　inhabited　by　a　rosy　sprite；

such　a　place　as　would　somehow；　for　diversion　of　the　young　idea；

take　all　color　out　of　storybooks　and　fairytales。

Wasn't　it　just　a　storybook　over　which　I　had　fallen　adoze

and　adream？　　No；　it　was　a　big；　ugly；　antique；　but　convenient　house；

embodying　a　few　features　of　a　building　still　older；　half…replaced　and

half…utilized；　in　which　I　had　the　fancy　of　our　being　almost

as　lost　as　a　handful　of　passengers　in　a　great　drifting　ship。

Well；　I　was；　strangely；　at　the　helm！







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II





This　came　home　to　me　when；　two　days　later；　I　drove　over

with　Flora　to　meet；　as　Mrs。　Grose　said；　the　little　gentleman；

and　all　the　more　for　an　incident　that；　presenting　itself

the　second　evening；　had　deeply　disconcerted　me。

The　first　day　had　been；　on　the　whole；　as　I　have　expressed；

reassuring；　but　I　was　to　see　it　wind　up　in　keen　apprehension。

The　postbag；　that　eveningit　came　latecontained　a　letter

for　me；　which；　however；　in　the　hand　of　my　employer；

I　found　to　be　composed　but　of　a　few　words　enclosing　another；

addressed　to　himself；　with　a　seal　still　unbroken。　　〃This；　I　recognize；

is　from　the　headmaster；　and　the　headmaster's　an　awful　bore。

Read　him；　please；　deal　with　him；　but　mind　you　don't　report。

Not　a　word。　　I'm　off！〃　　I　broke　the　seal　with　a　great　effort

so　great　a　one　that　I　was　a　long　time　coming　to　it；

took　the　unopened　missive　at　last　up　to　my　room　and　only

attacked　it　just　before　going　to　bed。　　I　had　better　have　let　it

wait　till　morning；　for　it　gave　me　a　second　sleepless　night。

With　no　counsel　to　take；　the　next　day；　I　was　full　of　distress；

and　it　finally　got　so　the　better　of　me　that　I　determined

to　open　myself　at　least　to　Mrs。　Grose。



〃What　does　it　mean？　　The　child's　dismissed　his　school。〃



She　gave　me　a　look　that　I　remarked　at　the　moment；　then；　visibly；

with　a　quick　blankness；　seemed　to　try　to　take　it　back。

〃But　aren't　they　all？〃



〃Sent　homeyes。　　But　only　for　the　holidays。　　Miles　may　never　go

back　at　all。〃



Consciously；　under　my　attention；　she　reddened。　　〃They　won't　take　him？〃



〃They　absolutely　decline。〃



At　this　she　raised　her　eyes；　which　she　had　turned　from　me；

I　saw　them　fill　with　good　tears。　　〃What　has　he　done？〃



I　hesitated；　then　I　judged　best　simply　to　hand　her　my　letter

which；　however；　had　the　effect　of　making　her；　without　taking　it；

simply　put　her　hands　behind　her。　　She　shook　her　head　sadly。

〃Such　things　are　not　for　me；　miss。〃



My　counselor　couldn't　read！　　I　winced　at　my　mistake；　which　I

attenuated　as　I　could；　and　opened　my　letter　again　to　repeat　it

to　her；　then；　faltering　in　the　act　and　folding　it　up　once　more；

I　put　it　back　in　my　pocket。　　〃Is　he　really　BAD？〃



The　tears　were　still　in　her　eyes。　　〃Do　the　gentlemen　say　so？〃



〃They　go　into　no　particulars。　　They　simply　express　their　regret　that　it

should　be　impossible　to　keep　him。　　That　can　have　only　one　meaning。〃

Mrs。　Grose　listened　with　dumb　emotion；　she　forbore　to　ask　me　what　this

meaning　might　be；　so　that；　presently；　to　put　the　thing　with　some　coherence

and　with　the　mere　aid　of　her　presence　to　my　own　mind；　I　went　on：

〃That　he's　an　injury　to　the　others。〃



At　this；　with　one　of　the　quick　turns　of　simple　folk；　she　suddenly　flamed　up。

〃Master　Miles！　HIM　an　injury？〃



There　was　such　a　flood　of　good　faith　in　it　that；　though　I　had　not　yet

seen　the　child；　my　very　fears　made　me　jump　to　the　absurdity　of　the　idea。

I　found　myself；　to　meet　my　friend　the　better；　offering　it；

on　the　spot；　sarcastically。　　〃To　his　poor　little　innocent　mates！〃



〃It's　too　dreadful；〃　cried　Mrs。　Grose；　〃to　say　such　cruel　things！

Why；　he's　scarce　ten　years　old。〃



〃Yes；　yes；　it　would　be　incredible。〃



She　was　evidently　grateful　for　such　a　profession。　　〃See　him；　miss；　first。

THEN　believe　it！〃　　I　felt　forthwith　a　new　impatience　to　see　him；

it　was　the　beginning　of　a　curiosity　that；　for　all　the　next　hours；

was　to　deepen　almost　to　pain。　　Mrs。　Grose　was　aware；　I　could　judge；

of　what　she　had　produced　in　me；　and　she　followed　it　up　with　assurance。

〃You　might　as　well　believe　it　of　the　little　lady。　　Bless　her；〃

she　added　the　next　moment〃LOOK　at　her！〃



I　turned　and　saw　that　Flora；　whom；　ten　minutes　before；　I　had　established

in　the　schoolroom　with　a　sheet　of　white　paper；　a　pencil；　and　a　copy

of　nice　〃round　o's；〃　now　presented　herself　to　view　at　the　open　door。

She　expressed　in　her　little　way　an　extraordinary　detachment　from

disagreeable　duties；　looking　to　me；　however；　with　a　great　childish　light

that　seemed　to　offer　it　as　a　mere　result　of　the　affection　she　had　conceived

for　my　person；　which　had　rendered　necessary　that　she　should　follow　me。

I　needed　nothing　more　than　this　to　feel　the　full　force　of　Mrs。　Grose's

comparison；　and；　catching　my　pupil　in　my　arms；　covered　her　with　kisses

in　which　there　was　a　sob　of　atonement。



Nonetheless；　the　rest　of　the　day　I　watched　for　further　occasion

to　approach　my　colleague；　especially　as；　toward　evening；

I　began　to　fancy　she　rather　sought　to　avoid　me。　　I　overtook　her；

I　remember；　on　the　staircase；　we　went　down　together；　and　at　the

bottom　I　detained　her；　holding　her　there　with　a　hand　on　her　arm。

〃I　take　what　you　said　to　me　at　noon　as　a　declaration　that

YOU'VE　never　known　him　to　be　bad。〃



She　threw　back　her　head；　she　had　clearly；　by　this　time；

and　very　honestly；　adopted　an　attitude。　　〃Oh；　never　known　him

I　don't　pretend　THAT！〃



I　was　upset　again。　　〃Then　you　HAVE　known　him？〃



〃Yes　indeed；　miss；　thank　God！〃



On　reflection　I　accepted　this。　　〃You　mean　that　a　boy　who　never　is？〃



〃Is　no　boy　for　ME！〃



I　held　her　tighter。　　〃You　like　them　with　the　spirit　to　be　naughty？〃

Then；　keeping　pace　with　her　answer；　〃So　do　I！〃　　I　eagerly　brought　out。

〃But　not　to　the　degree　to　contaminate〃



〃To　contaminate？〃my　big　word　left　her　at　a　loss。

I　explained　it。　　〃To　corrupt。〃



She　stared；　taking　my　meaning　in；　but　it　produced　in　her　an　odd　laugh。

〃Are　you　afraid　he'll　corrupt　YOU？〃　She　put　the　question　with　such　a　fine

bold　humor　that；　with　a　laugh；　a　little　silly　doubtless；　to　match　her　own；

I　gave　way　for　the　time　to　the　apprehension　of　ridicule。



But　the　next　day；　as　the　hour　for　my　drive　approached；　I　cropped

up　in　another　place。　　〃What　was　the　lady　who　was　here　before？〃



〃The　last　governess？　　She　was　also　young　and　pretty

almost　as　young　and　almost　as　pretty；　miss；　even　as　you。〃



〃Ah；　then；　I　hope　her　youth　and　her　beauty　helped　her！〃

I　recollect　throwing　off。　　〃He　seems　to　like　us　young　and　pretty！〃



〃Oh；　he　DID；〃　Mrs。　Grose　assented：　　〃it　was　the　way　he　liked　everyone！〃

She　had　no　sooner　spoken　indeed　than　she　caught　herself　up。

〃I　mean　that's　HIS　waythe　master's。〃



I　was　struck。　　〃But　of　whom　did　you　speak　first？〃



She　looked　blank；　but　she　colored。　　〃Why；　of　HIM。〃



〃Of　the　master？〃



〃Of　who　else？〃



There　was　so　obviously　no　one　else　that　the　next　moment　I

had　lost　my　impression　of　her　having　accidentally　said　more

than　she　meant；　and　I　merely　asked　what　I　wanted　to　know。

〃Did　SHE　see　anything　in　the　boy？〃



〃That　wasn't　right？　　She　never　told　me。〃