the turn of the screw-第5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!
〃Did SHE see anything in the boy?〃
〃That wasn't right? She never told me。〃
I had a scruple; but I overcame it。 〃Was she carefulparticular?〃
Mrs。 Grose appeared to try to be conscientious。
〃About some thingsyes。〃
〃But not about all?〃
Again she considered。 〃Well; missshe's gone。
I won't tell tales。〃
〃I quite understand your feeling;〃 I hastened to reply; but I thought it;
after an instant; not opposed to this concession to pursue:
〃Did she die here?〃
〃Noshe went off。〃
I don't know what there was in this brevity of Mrs。 Grose's that struck
me as ambiguous。 〃Went off to die?〃 Mrs。 Grose looked straight
out of the window; but I felt that; hypothetically; I had a right
to know what young persons engaged for Bly were expected to do。
〃She was taken ill; you mean; and went home?〃
〃She was not taken ill; so far as appeared; in this house。
She left it; at the end of the year; to go home; as she said;
for a short holiday; to which the time she had put in had
certainly given her a right。 We had then a young woman
a nursemaid who had stayed on and who was a good girl and clever;
and SHE took the children altogether for the interval。
But our young lady never came back; and at the very moment I
was expecting her I heard from the master that she was dead。〃
I turned this over。 〃But of what?〃
〃He never told me! But please; miss;〃 said Mrs。 Grose;
〃I must get to my work。〃
III
Her thus turning her back on me was fortunately not; for my just
preoccupations; a snub that could check the growth of our mutual esteem。
We met; after I had brought home little Miles; more intimately
than ever on the ground of my stupefaction; my general emotion:
so monstrous was I then ready to pronounce it that such a child
as had now been revealed to me should be under an interdict。
I was a little late on the scene; and I felt; as he stood wistfully
looking out for me before the door of the inn at which the coach had
put him down; that I had seen him; on the instant; without and within;
in the great glow of freshness; the same positive fragrance of purity;
in which I had; from the first moment; seen his little sister。
He was incredibly beautiful; and Mrs。 Grose had put her finger on it:
everything but a sort of passion of tenderness for him was swept away
by his presence。 What I then and there took him to my heart for was
something divine that I have never found to the same degree in any child
his indescribable little air of knowing nothing in the world but love。
It would have been impossible to carry a bad name with a greater
sweetness of innocence; and by the time I had got back to Bly with him
I remained merely bewilderedso far; that is; as I was not outraged
by the sense of the horrible letter locked up in my room; in a drawer。
As soon as I could compass a private word with Mrs。 Grose I declared
to her that it was grotesque。
She promptly understood me。 〃You mean the cruel charge?〃
〃It doesn't live an instant。 My dear woman; LOOK at him!〃
She smiled at my pretention to have discovered his charm。
〃I assure you; miss; I do nothing else! What will you say; then?〃
she immediately added。
〃In answer to the letter?〃 I had made up my mind。 〃Nothing。〃
〃And to his uncle?〃
I was incisive。 〃Nothing。〃
〃And to the boy himself?〃
I was wonderful。 〃Nothing。〃
She gave with her apron a great wipe to her mouth。 〃Then I'll stand by you。
We'll see it out。〃
〃We'll see it out!〃 I ardently echoed; giving her my hand to make
it a vow。
She held me there a moment; then whisked up her apron again with her
detached hand。 〃Would you mind; miss; if I used the freedom〃
〃To kiss me? No!〃 I took the good creature in my arms and; after we
had embraced like sisters; felt still more fortified and indignant。
This; at all events; was for the time: a time so full that;
as I recall the way it went; it reminds me of all the art
I now need to make it a little distinct。 What I look
back at with amazement is the situation I accepted。
I had undertaken; with my companion; to see it out; and I was
under a charm; apparently; that could smooth away the extent
and the far and difficult connections of such an effort。
I was lifted aloft on a great wave of infatuation and pity。
I found it simple; in my ignorance; my confusion; and perhaps
my conceit; to assume that I could deal with a boy whose
education for the world was all on the point of beginning。
I am unable even to remember at this day what proposal I framed
for the end of his holidays and the resumption of his studies。
Lessons with me; indeed; that charming summer; we all had
a theory that he was to have; but I now feel that; for weeks;
the lessons must have been rather my own。 I learned something
at first; certainlythat had not been one of the teachings of
my small; smothered life; learned to be amused; and even amusing;
and not to think for the morrow。 It was the first time;
in a manner; that I had known space and air and freedom;
all the music of summer and all the mystery of nature。
And then there was considerationand consideration was sweet。
Oh; it was a trapnot designed; but deepto my imagination;
to my delicacy; perhaps to my vanity; to whatever; in me;
was most excitable。 The best way to picture it all is to say
that I was off my guard。 They gave me so little trouble
they were of a gentleness so extraordinary。 I used to speculate
but even this with a dim disconnectednessas to how the rough future
(for all futures are rough!) would handle them and might bruise them。
They had the bloom of health and happiness; and yet;
as if I had been in charge of a pair of little grandees;
of princes of the blood; for whom everything; to be right;
would have to be enclosed and protected; the only form that;
in my fancy; the afteryears could take for them was that of
a romantic; a really royal extension of the garden and the park。
It may be; of course; above all; that what suddenly broke
into this gives the previous time a charm of stillness
that hush in which something gathers or crouches。
The change was actually like the spring of a beast。
In the first weeks the days were long; they often; at their finest;
gave me what I used to call my own hour; the hour when; for my pupils;
teatime and bedtime having come and gone; I had; before my final retirement;
a small interval alone。 Much as I liked my companions; this hour was
the thing in the day I liked most; and I liked it best of all when;
as the light fadedor rather; I should say; the day lingered and the last
calls of the last birds sounded; in a flushed sky; from the old trees
I could take a turn into the grounds and enjoy; almost with a sense
of property that amused and flattered me; the beauty and dignity of
the place。 It was a pleasure at these moments to feel myself tranquil
and justified; doubtless; perhaps; also to reflect that by my discretion;
my quiet good sense and general high propriety; I was giving pleasure
if he ever thought of it!to the person to whose pressure I had responded。
What I was doing was what he had earnestly hoped and directly asked of me;
and that I COULD; after all; do it proved even a greater joy than I
had expected。 I daresay I fancied myself; in short; a remarkable young
woman and took comfort in the faith that this would more publicly appear。
Well; I needed to be remarkable to offer a front to the remarkable things
that presently gave their first sign。
It was plump; one afternoon; in the middle of my very hour:
the children were tucked away; and I had come out for my stroll。
One of the thoughts that; as I don't in the least shrink now
from noting; used to be with me in these wanderings was that it
would be as charming as a charming story suddenly to meet someone。
Someone would appear there at the turn of a path and would stand