the aspern papers- 第10部分

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　away；　toward　the　staircase；　with　the　sense

evidently　that　she　had　said　too　much。



I　let　her　goI　wished　not　to　frighten　herand　I　contented

myself　with　remarking　that　Miss　Bordereau　would　not　have　locked

up　such　a　glorious　possession　as　thata　thing　a　person　would

be　proud　of　and　hang　up　in　a　prominent　place　on　the　parlor　wall。

Therefore　of　course　she　had　not　any　portrait。

Miss　Tita　made　no　direct　answer　to　this　and；　candle　in　hand；

with　her　back　to　me；　ascended　two　or　three　stairs。

Then　she　stopped　short　and　turned　round；　looking　at　me　across

the　dusky　space。



〃Do　you　writedo　you　write？〃　　There　was　a　shake　in　her　voice

she　could　scarcely　bring　out　what　she　wanted　to　ask。



〃Do　I　write？　　Oh；　don't　speak　of　my　writing　on　the　same　day　with　Aspern's！〃



〃Do　you　write　about　HIMdo　you　pry　into　his　life？〃



〃Ah；　that's　your　aunt's　question；　it　can't　be　yours！〃

I　said；　in　a　tone　of　slightly　wounded　sensibility。



〃All　the　more　reason　then　that　you　should　answer　it。

Do　you；　please？〃



I　thought　I　had　allowed　for　the　falsehoods　I　should　have　to　tell；

but　I　found　that　in　fact　when　it　came　to　the　point　I　had　not。

Besides；　now　that　I　had　an　opening　there　was　a　kind　of　relief

in　being　frank。　　Lastly　（it　was　perhaps　fanciful；　even　fatuous）；

I　guessed　that　Miss　Tita　personally　would　not　in　the　last　resort

be　less　my　friend。　　So　after　a　moment's　hesitation　I　answered；

〃Yes；　I　have　written　about　him　and　I　am　looking　for　more　material。

In　heaven's　name　have　you　got　any？〃



〃Santo　Dio！〃　she　exclaimed；　without　heeding　my　question；

and　she　hurried　upstairs　and　out　of　sight。　　I　might　count

upon　her　in　the　last　resort；　but　for　the　present　she

was　visibly　alarmed。　　The　proof　of　it　was　that　she　began

to　hide　again；　so　that　for　a　fortnight　I　never　beheld　her。

I　found　my　patience　ebbing　and　after　four　or　five　days　of　this

I　told　the　gardener　to　stop　the　flowers。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VI





One　afternoon；　as　I　came　down　from　my　quarters　to　go　out；

I　found　Miss　Tita　in　the　sala：　it　was　our　first

encounter　on　that　ground　since　I　had　come　to　the　house。

She　put　on　no　air　of　being　there　by　accident；　there　was　an

ignorance　of　such　arts　in　her　angular；　diffident　directness。

That　I　might　be　quite　sure　she　was　waiting　for　me　she　informed　me

of　the　fact　and　told　me　that　Miss　Bordereau　wished　to　see　me：

she　would　take　me　into　the　room　at　that　moment　if　I　had　time。

If　I　had　been　late　for　a　love　tryst　I　would　have　stayed　for　this；

and　I　quickly　signified　that　I　should　be　delighted　to　wait

upon　the　old　lady。　　〃She　wants　to　talk　with　youto　know　you；〃

Miss　Tita　said；　smiling　as　if　she　herself　appreciated　that　idea；

and　she　led　me　to　the　door　of　her　aunt's　apartment。

I　stopped　her　a　moment　before　she　had　opened　it；　looking　at

her　with　some　curiosity。　　I　told　her　that　this　was　a　great

satisfaction　to　me　and　a　great　honor；　but　all　the　same　I　should

like　to　ask　what　had　made　Miss　Bordereau　change　so　suddenly。

It　was　only　the　other　day　that　she　wouldn't　suffer　me　near　her。

Miss　Tita　was　not　embarrassed　by　my　question；　she　had　as　many

little　unexpected　serenities　as　if　she　told　fibs；　but　the　odd

part　of　them　was　that　they　had　on　the　contrary　their　source

in　her　truthfulness。　　〃Oh；　my　aunt　changes；〃　she　answered；

〃it's　so　terribly　dullI　suppose　she's　tired。〃



〃But　you　told　me　that　she　wanted　more　and　more　to　be　alone。〃



Poor　Miss　Tita　colored；　as　if　she　found　me　over…insistent。　〃Well；

if　you　don't　believe　she　wants　to　see　youI　haven't　invented　it！

I　think　people　often　are　capricious　when　they　are　very　old。〃



〃That's　perfectly　true。　　I　only　wanted　to　be　clear　as　to　whether

you　have　repeated　to　her　what　I　told　you　the　other　night。〃



〃What　you　told　me？〃



〃About　Jeffrey　Aspernthat　I　am　looking　for　materials。〃



〃If　I　had　told　her　do　you　think　she　would　have　sent　for　you？〃



〃That's　exactly　what　I　want　to　know。　　If