the aspern papers-第6部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



I　asked　Miss　Tita　if　the　old　lady　were　seriously　ill；　and　she

replied　that　she　was　only　very　tiredshe　had　lived　so　very；

very　long。　　That　was　what　she　said　herselfshe　wanted　to　die

for　a　change。　　Besides；　all　her　friends　were　dead　long　ago；

either　they　ought　to　have　remained　or　she　ought　to　have　gone。

That　was　another　thing　her　aunt　often　saidshe　was　not

at　all　content。



〃But　people　don't　die　when　they　like；　do　they？〃　　Miss　Tita　inquired。

I　took　the　liberty　of　asking　why；　if　there　was　actually　enough　money

to　maintain　both　of　them；　there　would　not　be　more　than　enough　in　case

of　her　being　left　alone。　　She　considered　this　difficult　problem

a　moment　and　then　she　said；　〃Oh；　well；　you　know；　she　takes　care　of　me。

She　thinks　that　when　I'm　alone　I　shall　be　a　great　fool；　I　shall　not　know

how　to　manage。〃



〃I　should　have　supposed　that　you　took　care　of　her。

I'm　afraid　she　is　very　proud。〃



〃Why；　have　you　discovered　that　already？〃　　Miss　Tita　cried　with　the　glimmer

of　an　illumination　in　her　face。



〃I　was　shut　up　with　her　there　for　a　considerable　time；　and　she　struck　me；

she　interested　me　extremely。　　It　didn't　take　me　long　to　make　my　discovery。

She　won't　have　much　to　say　to　me　while　I'm　here。〃



〃No；　I　don't　think　she　will；〃　my　companion　averred。



〃Do　you　suppose　she　has　some　suspicion　of　me？〃



Miss　Tita's　honest　eyes　gave　me　no　sign　that　I　had　touched　a　mark。

〃I　shouldn't　think　soletting　you　in　after　all　so　easily。〃



〃Oh；　so　easily！　she　has　covered　her　risk。　　But　where　is　it

that　one　could　take　an　advantage　of　her？〃



〃I　oughtn't　to　tell　you　if　I　knew；　ought　I？〃　　And　Miss　Tita　added；

before　I　had　time　to　reply　to　this；　smiling　dolefully；　〃Do　you

think　we　have　any　weak　points？〃



〃That's　exactly　what　I'm　asking。　　You　would　only　have　to　mention

them　for　me　to　respect　them　religiously。〃



She　looked　at　me；　at　this；　with　that　air　of　timid　but　candid

and　even　gratified　curiosity　with　which　she　had　confronted　me

from　the　first；　and　then　she　said；　〃There　is　nothing　to　tell。

We　are　terribly　quiet。　　I　don't　know　how　the　days　pass。

We　have　no　life。〃



〃I　wish　I　might　think　that　I　should　bring　you　a　little。〃



〃Oh；　we　know　what　we　want；〃　she　went　on。　　〃It's　all　right。〃



There　were　various　things　I　desired　to　ask　her：　　how　in　the　world

they　did　live；　whether　they　had　any　friends　or　visitors；

any　relations　in　America　or　in　other　countries。　　But　I　judged　such

an　inquiry　would　be　premature；　I　must　leave　it　to　a　later　chance。

〃Well；　don't　YOU　be　proud；〃　I　contented　myself　with　saying。

〃Don't　hide　from　me　altogether。〃



〃Oh；　I　must　stay　with　my　aunt；〃　she　returned；　without　looking　at　me。

And　at　the　same　moment；　abruptly；　without　any　ceremony　of　parting；

she　quitted　me　and　disappeared；　leaving　me　to　make　my　own　way　downstairs。

I　remained　a　while　longer；　wandering　about　the　bright　desert　（the　sun　was

pouring　in）　of　the　old　house；　thinking　the　situation　over　on　the　spot。

Not　even　the　pattering　little　serva　came　to　look　after　me；　and　I

reflected　that　after　all　this　treatment　showed　confidence。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IV





Perhaps　it　did；　but　all　the　same；　six　weeks　later；

toward　the　middle　of　June；　the　moment　when　Mrs。　Prest　undertook

her　annual　migration；　I　had　made　no　measurable　advance。

I　was　obliged　to　confess　to　her　that　I　had　no　results　to　speak　of。

My　first　step　had　been　unexpectedly　rapid；　but　there

was　no　appearance　that　it　would　be　followed　by　a　second。

I　was　a　thousand　miles　from　taking　tea　with　my　hostesses

that　privilege　of　which；　as　I　reminded　Mrs。　Prest；　we　both

had　had　a　vision。　　She　reproached　me　with　wanting　boldness；

and　I　answered　that　even　to　be　bold　you　must　have　an　opportunity：

you　may　push　on　through　a　breach　but　you　can't　batter　down

a　dead　wall。　　She　answered　that　the　breach　I　had　already　made

was　big　enough　to　admit　an　army　and　accused　me　of　wasting　precious

hours　in　whimpering　in　her　salon　when　I　ought　to　have　been

carrying　on　the　struggle　in　the　field。　　It　is　true　that　I　went

to　see　her　very　often；　on　the　theory　that　it　would　console　me

（I　freely　expressed　my　discouragement）　for　my　want　of　success

on　my　own　premises。　　But　I　began　to　perceive　that　it　did

not　console　me　to　be　perpetually　chaffed　for　my　scruples；

especially　when　I　was　really　so　vigilant；　and　I　was　rather

glad　when　my　derisive　friend　closed　her　house　for　the　summer。

She　had　expected　to　gather　amusement　from　the　drama　of　my

intercourse　with　the　Misses　Bordereau；　and　she　was　disappointed

that　the　intercourse；　and　consequently　the　drama；　had　not　come　off。

〃They'll　lead　you　on　to　your　ruin；〃　she　said　before　she　left　Venice。

〃They'll　get　all　your　money　without　showing　you　a　scrap。〃

I　think　I　settled　down　to　my　business　with　more　concentration

after　she　had　gone　away。



It　was　a　fact　that　up　to　that　time　I　had　not；　save　on　a　single

brief　occasion；　had　even　a　moment's　contact　with　my　queer　hostesses。

The　exception　had　occurred　when　I　carried　them　according

to　my　promise　the　terrible　three　thousand　francs。

Then　I　found　Miss　Tita　waiting　for　me　in　the　hall；　and　she

took　the　money　from　my　hand　so　that　I　did　not　see　her　aunt。

The　old　lady　had　promised　to　receive　me；　but　she　apparently

thought　nothing　of　breaking　that　vow。　　The　money　was　contained

in　a　bag　of　chamois　leather；　of　respectable　dimensions；

which　my　banker　had　given　me；　and　Miss　Tita　had　to　make　a　big

fist　to　receive　it。　　This　she　did　with　extreme　solemnity；

though　I　tried　to　treat　the　affair　a　little　as　a　joke。

It　was　in　no　jocular　strain；　yet　it　was　with　simplicity；

that　she　inquired；　weighing　the　money　in　her　two　palms：

〃Don't　you　think　it's　too　much？〃　　To　which　I　replied　that　that

would　depend　upon　the　amount　of　pleasure　I　should　get　for　it。

Hereupon　she　turned　away　from　me　quickly；　as　she　had　done

the　day　before；　murmuring　in　a　tone　different　from　any　she　had

used　hitherto：　　〃Oh；　pleasure；　pleasurethere's　no　pleasure

in　this　house！〃



After　this；　for　a　long　time；　I　never　saw　her；　and　I　wondered　that

the　common　chances　of　the　day　should　not　have　helped　us　to　meet。

It　could　only　be　evident　that　she　was　immensely　on　her　guard

against　them；　and　in　addition　to　this　the　house　was　so　big　that

for　each　other　we　were　lost　in　it。　　I　used　to　look　out　for　her

hopefully　as　I　crossed　the　sala　in　my　comings　and　goings；

but　I　was　not　rewarded　with　a　glimpse　of　the　tail　of　her　dress。

It　was　as　if　she　never　peeped　out　of　her　aunt's　apartment。

I　used　to　wonder　what　she　did　there　week　after　week　and　year

after　year。　　I　had　never　encountered　such　a　violent　parti　pris

of　seclusion；　it　was　more　than　keeping　quietit　was　like　hunted

creatures　feigning　death。　　The　two　ladies　appeared　to　have

no　visitors　whatever　and　no　sort　of　contact　with　the　world。

I　judged　at　least　that　people　could　not　have　come　to　the　house

and　that　Miss　Tita　could　not　have　gone　out　without　my　having

some　observation　of　it。　　I　did　what　I　disliked　myself　for　doing

（reflecting　that　it　was　only　once　in　a　way）：　I　questioned

my　servant　about　their　habits　and　let　him　divine　that　I

should　be　interested　in　any　information　he　could　pick　up。

But　he　picked　up　amazingly　little　for　a　knowing　Venetian：

it　must　be　added　that　where　there　is　a　perpetual　fast　there

are　very　few　crumbs　on　the　floor。　　His　cleverness　in　other　ways

was　sufficient；　if　it　was　not　quite　all　that　I　had　attributed

to　him　on　the　occasion　of　my　first　interview　with　Miss　Tita。

He　had　helped　my　gondolier　to　bring　me　round　a　boatload　of　furniture；

and　when　these　articles　had　been　carried　to　the　top　of　the　palace

and　distributed　according　to　our　associated　wisdom　he　organized

my　household　with　such　promptitude　as　was　consistent　with　the　fact

that　it　was　composed　exclusively　of　himself。　　He　made　me　in　short

as　comfortable　as　I　could　be　with　my　indifferent　prospects。

I　should　have　been　glad　if　he　had　fallen　in　love　with　Miss

Bordereau's　maid　or；　failing　this；　had　taken　her　in　aversion；

either　event　might　have　brought　about　some　kind　of　catastrophe；

and　a　catastrophe　might　have　led　to　some　parley。

It　was　my　idea　that　she　would　have　been　sociable；　and　I

myself　on　various　occasions　saw　her　flit　to　and　fro　on

domestic　errands；　so　that　I　was　sure　she　was　accessible。

But　I　tasted　of　no　gossip　from　that　fountain；　and　I

afterward　learned　that　Pasquale's　affections　were　fixed

upon　an　object　that　made　him　heedless　of　other　women。

This　was　a　young　lady　with　a　powdered　face；　a　yellow　cotton　gown；

and　much　leisure；　who　used　often　to　come　to　see　him。

She　practiced；　at　her　convenience；　the　art　of　a　stringer　of　beads

（these　ornaments　are　made　in　Venice；　in　profusion；　she　had

her　pocket　full　of　them；　and　I　used　to　find　them　on　the　floor

of　my　apartment）；　and　kept　an　eye　on　the　maiden　in　the　house。

It　was　not　for　me　of　course　to　make　the　domestics　tattle；

and　I　never　said　a　word　to　Miss　Bordereau's　cook。



It　seemed　to　me　a　proof　of　the　old　lady's　determination

to　have　nothing　to　do　with　me　that　she　should　never　have

sent　me　a　receipt　for　my　three　months'　rent。　　For　some　days

I　looked　out　for　it　and　then；　when　I　had　given　it　up；

I　wasted　a　good　deal　of　time　in　wondering　what　her　reason

had　been　for　neglecting　so　indispensable　and　familiar　a　form。

At　first　I　was　tempted　to　send　her　a　reminder；　after　which　I

relinquished　the　idea　（against　my　judgment　as　to　what　was　right

in　the　particular　case）；　on　the　general　ground　of　wishing

to　keep　quiet。　　If　Miss　Bordereau　suspected　me　of　ulterior

aims　she　would　suspect　me　less　if　I　should　be　businesslike；

and　yet　I　consented　not　to　be　so。　　It　was　possible　she　intended

her　omission　as　an　impertinence；　a　visible　irony；　to　show

how　she　could　overreach　people　who　attempted　to　overreach　her。

On　that　hypothesis　it　was　well　to　let　her　see　that　one　did

not　notice　her　little　tricks。　　The　real　reading　of　the　matter；

I　afterward　perceived；　was　simply　the　poor　old　woman's　desir