the turn of the screw-第9节

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the　dead　one　would　keep　awhile！and　of　the　months　he　had　continuously

passed　at　Bly；　which；　added　up；　made　a　formidable　stretch。

The　limit　of　this　evil　time　had　arrived　only　when；　on　the　dawn　of　a

winter's　morning；　Peter　Quint　was　found；　by　a　laborer　going　to　early　work；

stone　dead　on　the　road　from　the　village：　　a　catastrophe　explained

superficially　at　leastby　a　visible　wound　to　his　head；　such　a　wound

as　might　have　been　producedand　as；　on　the　final　evidence；　HAD　been

by　a　fatal　slip；　in　the　dark　and　after　leaving　the　public　house；

on　the　steepish　icy　slope；　a　wrong　path　altogether；　at　the　bottom　of

which　he　lay。　　The　icy　slope；　the　turn　mistaken　at　night　and　in　liquor；

accounted　for　muchpractically；　in　the　end　and　after　the　inquest　and

boundless　chatter；　for　everything；　but　there　had　been　matters　in　his　life

strange　passages　and　perils；　secret　disorders；　vices　more　than　suspected

that　would　have　accounted　for　a　good　deal　more。



I　scarce　know　how　to　put　my　story　into　words　that　shall　be

a　credible　picture　of　my　state　of　mind；　but　I　was　in　these　days

literally　able　to　find　a　joy　in　the　extraordinary　flight　of

heroism　the　occasion　demanded　of　me。　　I　now　saw　that　I　had　been

asked　for　a　service　admirable　and　difficult；　and　there　would

be　a　greatness　in　letting　it　be　seenoh；　in　the　right　quarter！

that　I　could　succeed　where　many　another　girl　might　have　failed。

It　was　an　immense　help　to　meI　confess　I　rather　applaud　myself

as　I　look　back！that　I　saw　my　service　so　strongly　and　so　simply。

I　was　there　to　protect　and　defend　the　little　creatures　in

the　world　the　most　bereaved　and　the　most　lovable；　the　appeal

of　whose　helplessness　had　suddenly　become　only　too　explicit；

a　deep；　constant　ache　of　one's　own　committed　heart。

We　were　cut　off；　really；　together；　we　were　united　in　our　danger。

They　had　nothing　but　me；　and　Iwell；　I　had　THEM。　　It

was　in　short　a　magnificent　chance。　　This　chance　presented

itself　to　me　in　an　image　richly　material。　　I　was　a　screen

I　was　to　stand　before　them。　　The　more　I　saw；　the　less　they　would。

I　began　to　watch　them　in　a　stifled　suspense；　a　disguised

excitement　that　might　well；　had　it　continued　too　long；

have　turned　to　something　like　madness。　　What　saved　me；

as　I　now　see；　was　that　it　turned　to　something　else　altogether。

It　didn't　last　as　suspenseit　was　superseded　by　horrible　proofs。

Proofs；　I　say；　yesfrom　the　moment　I　really　took　hold。



This　moment　dated　from　an　afternoon　hour　that　I　happened

to　spend　in　the　grounds　with　the　younger　of　my　pupils　alone。

We　had　left　Miles　indoors；　on　the　red　cushion　of　a　deep

window　seat；　he　had　wished　to　finish　a　book；　and　I　had　been

glad　to　encourage　a　purpose　so　laudable　in　a　young　man　whose

only　defect　was　an　occasional　excess　of　the　restless。

His　sister；　on　the　contrary；　had　been　alert　to　come　out；

and　I　strolled　with　her　half　an　hour；　seeking　the　shade；

for　the　sun　was　still　high　and　the　day　exceptionally　warm。

I　was　aware　afresh；　with　her；　as　we　went；　of　how；

like　her　brother；　she　contrivedit　was　the　charming　thing

in　both　childrento　let　me　alone　without　appearing　to　drop

me　and　to　accompany　me　without　appearing　to　surround。

They　were　never　importunate　and　yet　never　listless。

My　attention　to　them　all　really　went　to　seeing　them　amuse

themselves　immensely　without　me：　　this　was　a　spectacle　they　seemed

actively　to　prepare　and　that　engaged　me　as　an　active　admirer。

I　walked　in　a　world　of　their　inventionthey　had　no　occasion　whatever

to　draw　upon　mine；　so　that　my　time　was　taken　only　with　being；

for　them；　some　remarkable　person　or　thing　that　the　game　of

the　moment　required　and　that　was　merely；　thanks　to　my　superior；

my　exalted　stamp；　a　happy　and　highly　distinguished　sinecure。

I　forget　what　I　was　on　the　present　occasion；　I　only　remember

that　I　was　something　very　important　and　very　quiet　and　that　Flora

was　playing　very　hard。　　We　were　on　the　edge　of　the　lake；　and；　as　we

had　lately　begun　geography；　the　lake　was　the　Sea　of　Azof。



Suddenly；　in　these　circumstances；　I　became　aware　that；　on　the

other　side　of　the　Sea　of　Azof；　we　had　an　interested　spectator。

The　way　this　knowledge　gathered　in　me　was　the　strangest　thing

in　the　worldthe　strangest；　that　is；　except　the　very　much

stranger　in　which　it　quickly　merged　itself。　　I　had　sat　down　with

a　piece　of　workfor　I　was　something　or　other　that　could　sit

on　the　old　stone　bench　which　overlooked　the　pond；　and　in　this

position　I　began　to　take　in　with　certitude；　and　yet　without

direct　vision；　the　presence；　at　a　distance；　of　a　third　person。

The　old　trees；　the　thick　shrubbery；　made　a　great　and　pleasant　shade；

but　it　was　all　suffused　with　the　brightness　of　the　hot；　still　hour。

There　was　no　ambiguity　in　anything；　none　whatever；　at　least；

in　the　conviction　I　from　one　moment　to　another　found　myself

forming　as　to　what　I　should　see　straight　before　me　and　across

the　lake　as　a　consequence　of　raising　my　eyes。　　They　were　attached

at　this　juncture　to　the　stitching　in　which　I　was　engaged；

and　I　can　feel　once　more　the　spasm　of　my　effort　not　to　move　them

till　I　should　so　have　steadied　myself　as　to　be　able　to　make　up

my　mind　what　to　do。　　There　was　an　alien　object　in　viewa　figure

whose　right　of　presence　I　instantly；　passionately　questioned。

I　recollect　counting　over　perfectly　the　possibilities；

reminding　myself　that　nothing　was　more　natural；　for　instance；

then　the　appearance　of　one　of　the　men　about　the　place；　or　even

of　a　messenger；　a　postman；　or　a　tradesman's　boy；　from　the　village。

That　reminder　had　as　little　effect　on　my　practical

certitude　as　I　was　consciousstill　even　without　looking

of　its　having　upon　the　character　and　attitude　of　our　visitor。

Nothing　was　more　natural　than　that　these　things　should　be

the　other　things　that　they　absolutely　were　not。



Of　the　positive　identity　of　the　apparition　I　would　assure　myself

as　soon　as　the　small　clock　of　my　courage　should　have　ticked　out　the

right　second；　meanwhile；　with　an　effort　that　was　already　sharp　enough；

I　transferred　my　eyes　straight　to　little　Flora；　who；　at　the　moment；

was　about　ten　yards　away。　　My　heart　had　stood　still　for　an　instant

with　the　wonder　and　terror　of　the　question　whether　she　too　would　see；

and　I　held　my　breath　while　I　waited　for　what　a　cry　from　her；　what　some

sudden　innocent　sign　either　of　interest　or　of　alarm；　would　tell　me。

I　waited；　but　nothing　came；　then；　in　the　first　placeand　there　is

something　more　dire　in　this；　I　feel；　than　in　anything　I　have　to　relate

I　was　determined　by　a　sense　that；　within　a　minute；　all　sounds　from　her

had　previously　dropped；　and；　in　the　second；　by　the　circumstance　that；

also　within　the　minute；　she　had；　in　her　play；　turned　her　back　to　the　water。

This　was　her　attitude　when　I　at　last　looked　at　herlooked　with　the　confirmed

conviction　that　we　were　still；　together；　under　direct　personal　notice。

She　had　picked　up　a　small　flat　piece　of　wood；　which　happened　to　have　in　it

a　little　hole　that　had　evidently　suggested　to　her　the　idea　of　sticking

in　another　fragment　that　might　figure　as　a　mast　and　make　the　thing　a　boat。

This　second　morsel；　as　I　watched　her；　she　was　very　markedly　and　intently

attempting　to　tighten　in　its　place。　　My　apprehension　of　what　she　was　doing

sustained　me　so　that　after　some　seconds　I　felt　I　was　ready　for　more。

Then　I　again　shifted　my　eyesI　faced　what　I　had　to　face。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VII





I　got　hold　of　Mrs。　Grose　as　soon　after　this　as　I　could；　and　I　can

give　no　intelligible　account　of　how　I　fought　out　the　interval。

Yet　I　still　hear　myself　cry　as　I　fairly　threw　myself　into　her　arms：

〃They　KNOWit's　too　monstrous：　　they　know；　they　know！〃



〃And　what　on　earth？〃　I　felt　her　incredulity　as　she　held　me。



〃Why；　all　that　WE　knowand　heaven　knows　what　else　besides！〃

Then；　as　she　released　me；　I　made　it　out　to　her；　made　it　out　perhaps　only

now　with　full　coherency　even　to　myself。　　〃Two　hours　ago；　in　the　garden〃

I　could　scarce　articulate〃Flora　SAW！〃



Mrs。　Grose　took　it　as　she　might　have　taken　a　blow　in　the　stomach。

〃She　has　told　you？〃　she　panted。



〃Not　a　wordthat's　the　horror。　　She　kept　it　to　herself！

The　child　of　eight；　THAT　child！〃　　Unutterable　still；

for　me；　was　the　stupefaction　of　it。



Mrs。　Grose；　of　course；　could　only　gape　the　wider。

〃Then　how　do　you　know？〃



〃I　was　thereI　saw　with　my　eyes：　　saw　that　she　was　perfectly　aware。〃



〃Do　you　mean　aware　of　HIM？〃



〃Noof　HER。〃　　I　was　conscious　as　I　spoke　that　I　looked

prodigious　things；　for　I　got　the　slow　reflection　of　them

in　my　companion's　face。　　〃Another　personthis　time；

but　a　figure　of　quite　as　unmistakable　horror　and　evil：

a　woman　in　black；　pale　and　dreadfulwith　such　an　air　also；

and　such　a　face！on　the　other　side　of　the　lake。

I　was　there　with　the　childquiet　for　the　hour；　and　in　the　midst

of　it　she　came。〃



〃Came　howfrom　where？〃



〃From　where　they　come　from！　　She　just　appeared　and　stood　there

but　not　so　near。〃



〃And　without　coming　nearer？〃



〃Oh；　for　the　effect　and