the aspern papers-第12章

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usually　at　the　capo　d'anno；　and　of　old　her　aunt　used

to　make　them　some　little　presenther　aunt　and　she　together：

small　things　that　she；　Miss　Tita；　made　herself；　like　paper

lampshades　or　mats　for　the　decanters　of　wine　at　dinner　or　those

woolen　things　that　in　cold　weather　were　worn　on　the　wrists。

The　last　few　years　there　had　not　been　many　presents；

she　could　not　think　what　to　make；　and　her　aunt　had　lost　her

interest　and　never　suggested。　　But　the　people　came　all　the　same；

if　the　Venetians　liked　you　once　they　liked　you　forever。



There　was　something　affecting　in　the　good　faith　of　this

sketch　of　former　social　glories；　the　picnic　at　the　Lido　had

remained　vivid　through　the　ages；　and　poor　Miss　Tita　evidently

was　of　the　impression　that　she　had　had　a　brilliant　youth。

She　had　in　fact　had　a　glimpse　of　the　Venetian　world　in

its　gossiping；　home…keeping；　parsimonious；　professional　walks；

for　I　observed　for　the　first　time　that　she　had　acquired

by　contact　something　of　the　trick　of　the　familiar；

soft…sounding；　almost　infantile　speech　of　the　place。

I　judged　that　she　had　imbibed　this　invertebrate　dialect

from　the　natural　way　the　names　of　things　and　people

mostly　purely　localrose　to　her　lips。　　If　she　knew　little

of　what　they　represented　she　knew　still　less　of　anything　else。

Her　aunt　had　drawn　inher　failing　interest　in　the　table　mats

and　lampshades　was　a　sign　of　thatand　she　had　not　been　able

to　mingle　in　society　or　to　entertain　it　alone；　so　that　the　matter

of　her　reminiscences　struck　one　as　an　old　world　altogether。

If　she　had　not　been　so　decent　her　references　would　have　seemed

to　carry　one　back　to　the　queer　rococo　Venice　of　Casanova。

I　found　myself　falling　into　the　error　of　thinking　of　her　too

as　one　of　Jeffrey　Aspern's　contemporaries；　this　came　from　her

having　so　little　in　common　with　my　own。　　It　was　possible；

I　said　to　myself；　that　she　had　not　even　heard　of　him；

it　might　very　well　be　that　Juliana　had　not　cared　to　lift　even

for　her　the　veil　that　covered　the　temple　of　her　youth。　　In　this

case　she　perhaps　would　not　know　of　the　existence　of　the　papers；

and　I　welcomed　that　presumptionit　made　me　feel　more　safe　with　her

until　I　remembered　that　we　had　believed　the　letter　of　disavowal

received　by　Cumnor　to　be　in　the　handwriting　of　the　niece。

If　it　had　been　dictated　to　her　she　had　of　course　to　know　what　it

was　about；　yet　after　all　the　effect　of　it　was　to　repudiate

the　idea　of　any　connection　with　the　poet。　　I　held　it　probable

at　all　events　that　Miss　Tita　had　not　read　a　word　of　his　poetry。

Moreover　if；　with　her　companion；　she　had　always　escaped

the　interviewer　there　was　little　occasion　for　her　having

got　it　into　her　head　that　people　were　〃after〃　the　letters。

People　had　not　been　after　them；　inasmuch　as　they　had　not

heard　of　them；　and　Cumnor's　fruitless　feeler　would　have　been

a　solitary　accident。



When　midnight　sounded　Miss　Tita　got　up；　but　she　stopped　at　the　door

of　the　house　only　after　she　had　wandered　two　or　three　times

with　me　round　the　garden。　　〃When　shall　I　see　you　again？〃

I　asked　before　she　went　in；　to　which　she　replied　with

promptness　that　she　should　like　to　come　out　the　next　night。

She　added　however　that　she　should　not　comeshe　was　so　far

from　doing　everything　she　liked。



〃You　might　do　a　few　things　that　_I_　like；〃　I　said　with　a　sigh。



〃Oh；　youI　don't　believe　you！〃　she　murmured　at　this；　looking　at　me

with　her　simple　solemnity。



〃Why　don't　you　believe　me？〃



〃Because　I　don't　understand　you。〃



〃That　is　just　the　sort　of　occasion　to　have　faith。〃

I　could　not　say　more；　though　I　should　have　liked　to；　as　I　saw

that　I　only　mystified　her；　for　I　had　no　wish　to　have　it　on　my

conscience　that　I　might　pass　for　having　made　love　to　her。

Nothing　less　should　I　have　seemed　to　do　had　I　continued　to　beg　a　lady

to　〃believe　in　me〃　in　an　Italian　garden　on　a　midsummer　night。

There　was　some　merit　in　my　scruples；　for　Miss　Tita　lingered　and　lingered：

I　perceived　that　she　felt　that　she　should　not　really　soon　come

down　again　and　wished　therefore　to　protract　the　present。

She　insisted　too　on　making　the　talk　between　us　personal　to　ourselves；

and　altogether　her　behavior　was　such　as　would　have　been　possible

only　to　a　completely　innocent　woman。



〃I　shall　like　the　flowers　better　now　that　I　know　they　are　also　meant　for　me。〃



〃How　could　you　have　doubted　it？　　If　you　will　tell　me　the　kind　you

like　best　I　will　send　a　double　lot　of　them。〃



〃Oh；　I　like　them　all　best！〃　　Then　she　went　on；　familiarly：　　〃Shall　you　study

shall　you　read　and　writewhen　you　go　up　to　your　rooms？〃



〃I　don't　do　that　at　night；　at　this　season。　　The　lamplight　brings

in　the　animals。〃



〃You　might　have　known　that　when　you　came。〃



〃I　did　know　it！〃



〃And　in　winter　do　you　work　at　night？〃



〃I　read　a　good　deal；　but　I　don't　often　write。〃

She　listened　as　if　these　details　had　a　rare　interest；

and　suddenly　a　temptation　quite　at　variance　with　the　prudence

I　had　been　teaching　myself　associated　itself　with　her　plain；

mild　face。　　Ah　yes；　she　was　safe　and　I　could　make　her　safer！

It　seemed　to　me　from　one　moment　to　another　that　I　could

not　wait　longerthat　I　really　must　take　a　sounding。

So　I　went　on：　　〃In　general　before　I　go　to　sleepvery　often　in　bed

（it's　a　bad　habit；　but　I　confess　to　it）；　I　read　some　great　poet。

In　nine　cases　out　of　ten　it's　a　volume　of　Jeffrey　Aspern。〃



I　watched　her　well　as　I　pronounced　that　name　but　I　saw　nothing　wonderful。

Why　should　I　indeedwas　not　Jeffrey　Aspern　the　property　of　the　human　race？



〃Oh；　we　read　himwe　HAVE　read　him；〃　she　quietly　replied。



〃He　is　my　poet　of　poetsI　know　him　almost　by　heart。〃



For　an　instant　Miss　Tita　hesitated；　then　her　sociability　was

too　much　for　her。



〃Oh；　by　heartthat's　nothing！〃　she　murmured；　smiling。　　〃My　aunt　used

to　know　himto　know　him〃she　paused　an　instant　and　I　wondered　what　she

was　going　to　say〃to　know　him　as　a　visitor。〃



〃As　a　visitor？〃　　I　repeated；　staring。



〃He　used　to　call　on　her　and　take　her　out。〃



I　continued　to　stare。　　〃My　dear　lady；　he　died　a　hundred　years　ago！〃



〃Well；〃　she　said　mirthfully；　〃my　aunt　is　a　hundred　and　fifty。〃



〃Mercy　on　us！〃　　I　exclaimed；　〃why　didn't　you　tell　me　before？

I　should　like　so　to　ask　her　about　him。〃



〃She　wouldn't　care　for　thatshe　wouldn't　tell　you；〃

Miss　Tita　replied。



〃I　don't　care　what　she　cares　for！　　She　MUST　tell　me

it's　not　a　chance　to　be　lost。〃



〃Oh；　you　should　have　come　twenty　years　ago：　　then　she　still

talked　about　him。〃



〃And　what　did　she　say？〃　　I　asked　eagerly。



〃I　don't　knowthat　he　liked　her　immensely。〃



〃And　shedidn't　she　like　him？〃



〃She　said　he　was　a　god。〃　　Miss　Tita　gave　me　this　information　flatly；

without　expression；　her　tone　might　have　made　it　a　piece　of　trivial　gossip。

But　it　stirred　me　deeply　as　she　dropped　the　words　into　the　summer　night；

it　seemed　such　a　direct　testimony。



〃Fancy；　fancy！〃　　I　murmured。　　And　then；　〃Tell　me　this；　pleasehas　she

got　a　portrait　of　him？　　They　are　distressingly　rare。〃



〃A　portrait？　　I　don't　know；〃　said　Miss　Tita；　and　now　there

was　discomfiture　in　her　face。　　〃Well；　good　night！〃　she　added；

and　she　turned　into　the　house。



I　accompanied　her　into　the　wide；　dusky；　stone…paved　passage

which　on　the　ground　floor　corresponded　with　our　grand　sala。

It　opened　at　one　end　into　the　garden；　at　the　other　upon　the　canal；

and　was　lighted　now　only　by　the　small　lamp　that　was　always

left　for　me　to　take　up　as　I　went　to　bed。　　An　extinguished

candle　which　Miss　Tita　apparently　had　brought　down　with　her

stood　on　the　same　table　with　it。　　〃Good　night；　good　night！〃

I　replied；　keeping　beside　her　as　she　went　to　get　her　light。

〃Surely　you　would　know；　shouldn't　you；　if　she　had　one？〃



〃If　she　had　what？〃　the　poor　lady　asked；　looking　at　me　queerly

over　the　flame　of　her　candle。



〃A　portrait　of　the　god。　　I　don't　know　what　I　wouldn't　give　to　see　it。〃



〃I　don't　know　what　she　has　got。　　She　keeps　her　things　locked　up。〃

And　Miss　Tita　went　aw