the aspern papers-第2章

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in　his　place　（if　I　could　imagine　myself　in　such　a　place！）

I　should　have　been。



It　was　certainly　strange　beyond　all　strangeness；　and　I　shall　not

take　up　space　with　attempting　to　explain　it；　that　whereas　in　all

these　other　lines　of　research　we　had　to　deal　with　phantoms　and　dust；

the　mere　echoes　of　echoes；　the　one　living　source　of　information

that　had　lingered　on　into　our　time　had　been　unheeded　by　us。

Every　one　of　Aspern's　contemporaries　had；　according　to

our　belief；　passed　away；　we　had　not　been　able　to　look　into

a　single　pair　of　eyes　into　which　his　had　looked　or　to　feel

a　transmitted　contact　in　any　aged　hand　that　his　had　touched。

Most　dead　of　all　did　poor　Miss　Bordereau　appear；　and　yet　she

alone　had　survived。　　We　exhausted　in　the　course　of　months

our　wonder　that　we　had　not　found　her　out　sooner；　and　the

substance　of　our　explanation　was　that　she　had　kept　so　quiet。

The　poor　lady　on　the　whole　had　had　reason　for　doing　so。

But　it　was　a　revelation　to　us　that　it　was　possible　to　keep

so　quiet　as　that　in　the　latter　half　of　the　nineteenth　century

the　age　of　newspapers　and　telegrams　and　photographs　and　interviewers。

And　she　had　taken　no　great　trouble　about　it　either：

she　had　not　hidden　herself　away　in　an　undiscoverable　hole；

she　had　boldly　settled　down　in　a　city　of　exhibition。

The　only　secret　of　her　safety　that　we　could　perceive　was　that

Venice　contained　so　many　curiosities　that　were　greater　than　she。

And　then　accident　had　somehow　favored　her；　as　was　shown

for　example　in　the　fact　that　Mrs。　Prest　had　never　happened

to　mention　her　to　me；　though　I　had　spent　three　weeks

in　Veniceunder　her　nose；　as　it　werefive　years　before。

Mrs。　Prest　had　not　mentioned　this　much　to　anyone；

she　appeared　almost　to　have　forgotten　she　was　there。

Of　course　she　had　not　the　responsibilities　of　an　editor。

It　was　no　explanation　of　the　old　woman's　having　eluded　us　to　say

that　she　lived　abroad；　for　our　researches　had　again　and　again

taken　us　（not　only　by　correspondence　but　by　personal　inquiry）

to　France；　to　Germany；　to　Italy；　in　which　countries；　not　counting

his　important　stay　in　England；　so　many　of　the　too　few　years

of　Aspern's　career　were　spent。　　We　were　glad　to　think　at　least

that　in　all　our　publishings　（some　people　consider　I　believe

that　we　have　overdone　them）；　we　had　only　touched　in　passing

and　in　the　most　discreet　manner　on　Miss　Bordereau's　connection。

Oddly　enough；　even　if　we　had　had　the　material　（and　we　often

wondered　what　had　become　of　it）；　it　would　have　been　the　most

difficult　episode　to　handle。



The　gondola　stopped；　the　old　palace　was　there；　it　was　a　house　of　the　class

which　in　Venice　carries　even　in　extreme　dilapidation　the　dignified　name。

〃How　charming！　　It's　gray　and　pink！〃　my　companion　exclaimed；

and　that　is　the　most　comprehensive　description　of　it。

It　was　not　particularly　old；　only　two　or　three　centuries；

and　it　had　an　air　not　so　much　of　decay　as　of　quiet　discouragement；

as　if　it　had　rather　missed　its　career。　　But　its　wide　front；

with　a　stone　balcony　from　end　to　end　of　the　piano　nobile　or　most

important　floor；　was　architectural　enough；　with　the　aid　of　various

pilasters　and　arches；　and　the　stucco　with　which　in　the　intervals

it　had　long　ago　been　endued　was　rosy　in　the　April　afternoon。

It　overlooked　a　clean；　melancholy；　unfrequented　canal；

which　had　a　narrow　riva　or　convenient　footway　on　either　side。

〃I　don't　know　whythere　are　no　brick　gables；〃　said　Mrs。　Prest；

〃but　this　corner　has　seemed　to　me　before　more　Dutch　than　Italian；

more　like　Amsterdam　than　like　Venice。　　It's　perversely　clean；

for　reasons　of　its　own；　and　though　you　can　pass　on　foot　scarcely　anyone

ever　thinks　of　doing　so。　　It　has　the　air　of　a　Protestant　Sunday。

Perhaps　the　people　are　afraid　of　the　Misses　Bordereau。

I　daresay　they　have　the　reputation　of　witches。〃



I　forget　what　answer　I　made　to　thisI　was　given　up　to　two

other　reflections。　　The　first　of　these　was　that　if　the　old　lady

lived　in　such　a　big；　imposing　house　she　could　not　be　in　any

sort　of　misery　and　therefore　would　not　be　tempted　by　a　chance

to　let　a　couple　of　rooms。　　I　expressed　this　idea　to　Mrs。　Prest；

who　gave　me　a　very　logical　reply。　　〃If　she　didn't　live　in　a　big

house　how　could　it　be　a　question　of　her　having　rooms　to　spare？

If　she　were　not　amply　lodged　herself　you　would　lack　ground

to　approach　her。　　Besides；　a　big　house　here；　and　especially

in　this　quartier　perdu；　proves　nothing　at　all：

it　is　perfectly　compatible　with　a　state　of　penury。

Dilapidated　old　palazzi；　if　you　will　go　out　of　the　way　for　them；

are　to　be　had　for　five　shillings　a　year。　　And　as　for　the　people

who　live　in　themno；　until　you　have　explored　Venice　socially　as　much

as　I　have　you　can　form　no　idea　of　their　domestic　desolation。

They　live　on　nothing；　for　they　have　nothing　to　live　on。〃

The　other　idea　that　had　come　into　my　head　was　connected

with　a　high　blank　wall　which　appeared　to　confine　an　expanse

of　ground　on　one　side　of　the　house。　　Blank　I　call　it；

but　it　was　figured　over　with　the　patches　that　please　a　painter；

repaired　breaches；　crumblings　of　plaster；　extrusions　of　brick

that　had　turned　pink　with　time；　and　a　few　thin　trees；　with　the　poles

of　certain　rickety　trellises；　were　visible　over　the　top。

The　place　was　a　garden；　and　apparently　it　belonged　to　the　house。

It　suddenly　occurred　to　me　that　if　it　did　belong　to　the　house

I　had　my　pretext。



I　sat　looking　out　on　all　this　with　Mrs。　Prest　（it　was　covered　with　the　golden

glow　of　Venice）　from　the　shade　of　our　felze；　and　she　asked　me　if　I

would　go　in　then；　while　she　waited　for　me；　or　come　back　another　time。

At　first　I　could　not　decideit　was　doubtless　very　weak　of　me。

I　wanted　still　to　think　I　MIGHT　get　a　footing；　and　I　was　afraid

to　meet　failure；　for　it　would　leave　me；　as　I　remarked　to　my　companion；

without　another　arrow　for　my　bow。　　〃Why　not　another？〃　she　inquired

as　I　sat　there　hesitating　and　thinking　it　over；　and　she　wished　to　know

why　even　now　and　before　taking　the　trouble　of　becoming　an　inmate

（which　might　be　wretchedly　uncomfortable　after　all；　even　if　it　succeeded）；

I　had　not　the　resource　of　simply　offering　them　a　sum　of　money　down。

In　that　way　I　might　obtain　the　documents　without　bad　nights。



〃Dearest　lady；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃excuse　the　impatience　of　my　tone　when　I

suggest　that　you　must　have　forgotten　the　very　fact　（surely　I　communicated

it　to　you）　which　pushed　me　to　throw　myself　upon　your　ingenuity。

The　old　woman　won't　have　the　documents　spoken　of；　they　are　personal；

delicate；　intimate；　and　she　hasn't　modern　notions；　God　bless　her！

If　I　should　sound　that　note　first　I　should　certainly　spoil　the　game。

I　can　arrive　at　the　papers　only　by　putting　her　off　her　guard；

and　I　can　put　her　off　her　guard　only　by　ingratiating

diplomatic　practices。　　Hypocrisy；　duplicity　are　my　only　chance。

I　am　sorry　for　it；　but　for　Jeffrey　Aspern's　sake　I　would　do　worse　still。

First　I　must　take　tea　with　her；　then　tackle　the　main　job。〃

And　I　told　over　what　had　happened　to　John　Cumnor　when　he　wrote　to　her。

No　notice　whatever　had　been　taken　of　his　first　letter；　and　the　second

had　been　answered　very　sharply；　in　six　lines；　by　the　niece。

〃Miss　Bordereau　requested　her　to　say　that　she　could　not　imagine　what

he　meant　by　troubling　them。　　They　had　none　of　Mr。　Aspern's　papers；

and　if　they　had　should　never　think　of　showing　them　to　anyone

on　any　account　whatever。　　She　didn't　know　what　he　was　talking

about　and　begged　he　would　let　her　alone。〃　　I　certainly　did　not　want

to　be　met　that　way。



〃Well；〃　said　Mrs。　Prest　after　a　moment；　provokingly；　〃perhaps　after　all　they

haven't　any　of　his　things。　　If　they　deny　it　flat　how　are　you　sure？〃



〃John　Cumnor　is　sure；　and　it　would　take　me　long　to　tell

you　how　his　conviction；　or　his　very　strong　presumption

strong　enough　to　stand　against　the　old　lady's　not　unnatural　fib

has　built　itself　up。　　Besides；　he　makes　much　of　the　internal

evidence　of　the　niece's　letter。〃



〃The　internal　evidence？〃



〃Her　calling　him　'Mr。　Aspern。'〃



〃I　don't　s