the aspern papers-第3章

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evidence　of　the　niece's　letter。〃



〃The　internal　evidence？〃



〃Her　calling　him　'Mr。　Aspern。'〃



〃I　don't　see　what　that　proves。〃



〃It　proves　familiarity；　and　familiarity　implies　the　possession

of　mementoes；　or　relics。　　I　can't　tell　you　how　that　'Mr。'　touches　me

how　it　bridges　over　the　gulf　of　time　and　brings　our　hero　near

to　menor　what　an　edge　it　gives　to　my　desire　to　see　Juliana。

You　don't　say；　'Mr。'　Shakespeare。〃



〃Would　I；　any　more；　if　I　had　a　box　full　of　his　letters？〃



〃Yes；　if　he　had　been　your　lover　and　someone　wanted　them！〃

And　I　added　that　John　Cumnor　was　so　convinced；　and　so　all　the　more

convinced　by　Miss　Bordereau's　tone；　that　he　would　have　come

himself　to　Venice　on　the　business　were　it　not　that　for　him　there

was　the　obstacle　that　it　would　be　difficult　to　disprove　his

identity　with　the　person　who　had　written　to　them；　which　the　old

ladies　would　be　sure　to　suspect　in　spite　of　dissimulation

and　a　change　of　name。　　If　they　were　to　ask　him　point…blank

if　he　were　not　their　correspondent　it　would　be　too　awkward

for　him　to　lie；　whereas　I　was　fortunately　not　tied　in　that　way。

I　was　a　fresh　hand　and　could　say　no　without　lying。



〃But　you　will　have　to　change　your　name；〃　said　Mrs。　Prest。

〃Juliana　lives　out　of　the　world　as　much　as　it　is　possible　to　live；

but　none　the　less　she　has　probably　heard　of　Mr。　Aspern's　editors；

she　perhaps　possesses　what　you　have　published。〃



〃I　have　thought　of　that；〃　I　returned；　and　I　drew　out　of　my　pocketbook

a　visiting　card；　neatly　engraved　with　a　name　that　was　not　my　own。



〃You　are　very　extravagant；　you　might　have　written　it；〃

said　my　companion。



〃This　looks　more　genuine。〃



〃Certainly；　you　are　prepared　to　go　far！　　But　it　will　be　awkward

about　your　letters；　they　won't　come　to　you　in　that　mask。〃



〃My　banker　will　take　them　in；　and　I　will　go　every　day　to　fetch　them。

It　will　give　me　a　little　walk。〃



〃Shall　you　only　depend　upon　that？〃　asked　Mrs。　Prest。

〃Aren't　you　coming　to　see　me？〃



〃Oh；　you　will　have　left　Venice；　for　the　hot　months；　long　before

there　are　any　results。　　I　am　prepared　to　roast　all　summer

as　well　as　hereafter；　perhaps　you'll　say！　　Meanwhile；　John　Cumnor

will　bombard　me　with　letters　addressed；　in　my　feigned　name；

to　the　care　of　the　padrona。〃



〃She　will　recognize　his　hand；〃　my　companion　suggested。



〃On　the　envelope　he　can　disguise　it。〃



〃Well；　you're　a　precious　pair！　　Doesn't　it　occur　to　you　that　even　if　you

are　able　to　say　you　are　not　Mr。　Cumnor　in　person　they　may　still　suspect

you　of　being　his　emissary？〃



〃Certainly；　and　I　see　only　one　way　to　parry　that。〃



〃And　what　may　that　be？〃



I　hesitated　a　moment。　　〃To　make　love　to　the　niece。〃



〃Ah；〃　cried　Mrs。　Prest；　〃wait　till　you　see　her！〃







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II





〃I　must　work　the　gardenI　must　work　the　garden；〃　I　said　to　myself；

five　minutes　later；　as　I　waited；　upstairs；　in　the　long；

dusky　sala；　where　the　bare　scagliola　floor　gleamed　vaguely

in　a　chink　of　the　closed　shutters。　　The　place　was　impressive

but　it　looked　cold　and　cautious。　　Mrs。　Prest　had　floated　away；

giving　me　a　rendezvous　at　the　end　of　half　an　hour　by　some

neighboring　water　steps；　and　I　had　been　let　into　the　house；

after　pulling　the　rusty　bell　wire；　by　a　little　red…headed；

white…faced　maidservant；　who　was　very　young　and　not　ugly　and

wore　clicking　pattens　and　a　shawl　in　the　fashion　of　a　hood。

She　had　not　contented　herself　with　opening　the　door　from　above

by　the　usual　arrangement　of　a　creaking　pulley；　though　she

had　looked　down　at　me　first　from　an　upper　window；　dropping　the

inevitable　challenge　which　in　Italy　precedes　the　hospitable　act。

As　a　general　thing　I　was　irritated　by　this　survival　of

medieval　manners；　though　as　I　liked　the　old　I　suppose　I　ought

to　have　liked　it；　but　I　was　so　determined　to　be　genial　that　I

took　my　false　card　out　of　my　pocket　and　held　it　up　to　her；

smiling　as　if　it　were　a　magic　token。　　It　had　the　effect　of

one　indeed；　for　it　brought　her；　as　I　say；　all　the　way　down。

I　begged　her　to　hand　it　to　her　mistress；　having　first　written　on

it　in　Italian　the　words；　〃Could　you　very　kindly　see　a　gentleman；

an　American；　for　a　moment？〃　　The　little　maid　was　not　hostile；

and　I　reflected　that　even　that　was　perhaps　something　gained。

She　colored；　she　smiled　and　looked　both　frightened　and　pleased。

I　could　see　that　my　arrival　was　a　great　affair；　that　visits

were　rare　in　that　house；　and　that　she　was　a　person　who　would

have　liked　a　sociable　place。　　When　she　pushed　forward　the　heavy

door　behind　me　I　felt　that　I　had　a　foot　in　the　citadel。

She　pattered　across　the　damp；　stony　lower　hall　and　I　followed

her　up　the　high　staircasestonier　still；　as　it　seemed

without　an　invitation。　　I　think　she　had　meant　I　should　wait

for　her　below；　but　such　was　not　my　idea；　and　I　took　up　my

station　in　the　sala。　　She　flitted；　at　the　far　end　of　it；

into　impenetrable　regions；　and　I　looked　at　the　place　with　my

heart　beating　as　I　had　known　it　to　do　in　the　dentist's　parlor。

It　was　gloomy　and　stately；　but　it　owed　its　character　almost

entirely　to　its　noble　shape　and　to　the　fine　architectural　doors

as　high　as　the　doors　of　houseswhich；　leading　into　the

various　rooms；　repeated　themselves　on　either　side　at　intervals。

They　were　surmounted　with　old　faded　painted　escutcheons；

and　here　and　there；　in　the　spaces　between　them；　brown　pictures；

which　I　perceived　to　be　bad；　in　battered　frames；　were　suspended。

With　the　exception　of　several　straw…bottomed　chairs　with

their　backs　to　the　wall；　the　grand　obscure　vista　contained

nothing　else　to　minister　to　effect。　　It　was　evidently

never　used　save　as　a　passage；　and　little　even　as　that。

I　may　add　that　by　the　time　the　door　opened　again　through

which　the　maidservant　had　escaped；　my　eyes　had　grown　used

to　the　want　of　light。



I　had　not　meant　by　my　private　ejaculation　that　I　must　myself　cultivate

the　soil　of　the　tangled　enclosure　which　lay　beneath　the　windows；

but　the　lady　who　came　toward　me　from　the　distance　over　the　hard；

shining　floor　might　have　supposed　as　much　from　the　way　in　which；　as　I

went　rapidly　to　meet　her；　I　exclaimed；　taking　care　to　speak　Italian：

〃The　garden；　the　gardendo　me　the　pleasure　to　tell　me　if　it's　yours！〃



She　stopped　short；　looking　at　me　with　wonder；　and　then；　〃Nothing　here

is　mine；〃　she　answered　in　English；　coldly　and　sadly。



〃Oh；　you　are　English；　how　delightful！〃　　I　remarked；　ingenuously。

〃But　surely　the　garden　belongs　to　the　house？〃



〃Yes；　but　the　house　doesn't　belong　to　me。〃　　She　was　a　long；

lean；　pale　person；　habited　apparently　in　a　dull…colored

dressing　gown；　and　she　spoke　with　a　kind　of　mild　literalness。

She　did　not　ask　me　to　sit　down；　any　more　than　years　before

（if　she　were　the　niece）　she　had　asked　Mrs。　Prest；　and　we　stood

face　to　face　in　the　empty　pompous　hall。



〃Well　then；　would　you　kindly　tell　me　to　whom　I　must　address　myself？

I'm　afraid　you'll　think　me　odiously　intrusive；　but　you　know　I　MUST

have　a　gardenupon　my　honor　I　must！〃



Her　face　was　not　young；　but　it　was　simple；　it　was　not　fresh；　but　it　was　mild。

She　had　large　eyes　which　were　not　bright；　and　a　great　deal　of　hair　which

was　not　〃dressed；〃　and　long　fine　hands　which　werepossiblynot　clean。

She　clasped　these　members　almost　convulsively　as；　with　a　confused；

alarmed　look；　she　broke　out；　〃Oh；　don't　take　it　away　from　us；

we　like　it　ourselves！〃



〃You　have　the　use　of　it　then？〃



〃Oh；　yes。　　If　it　wasn't　for　that！〃　　And　she　gave　a　shy；　melancholy　smile。



〃Isn't　it　a　luxury；　precisely？　　That's　why；　intending　to　be

in　Venice　some　weeks；　possibly　all　summer；　and　having　some

literary　work；　some　reading　and　writing　to　do；　so　that　I　must

be　quiet；　and　yet　if　possible　a　great　deal　in　the　open　air

that's　why　I　have　felt　that　a　garden　is　really　indispensable。

I　appeal　to　your　own　experience；〃　I　went　on；　smiling。

〃Now　can't　I　look　at　yours？〃



〃I　don't　know；　I　don't　understand；〃　the　poor　woman　murmured；

planted　there　and　letting