the turn of the screw-第1章

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The　Turn　of　the　Screw



　　　　　　　　　by　Henry　James







The　story　had　held　us；　round　the　fire；　sufficiently　breathless；

but　except　the　obvious　remark　that　it　was　gruesome；　as；　on　Christmas

Eve　in　an　old　house；　a　strange　tale　should　essentially　be；

I　remember　no　comment　uttered　till　somebody　happened　to　say　that　it

was　the　only　case　he　had　met　in　which　such　a　visitation　had　fallen

on　a　child。　　The　case；　I　may　mention；　was　that　of　an　apparition

in　just　such　an　old　house　as　had　gathered　us　for　the　occasion

an　appearance；　of　a　dreadful　kind；　to　a　little　boy　sleeping

in　the　room　with　his　mother　and　waking　her　up　in　the　terror　of　it；

waking　her　not　to　dissipate　his　dread　and　soothe　him　to　sleep　again；

but　to　encounter　also；　herself；　before　she　had　succeeded　in　doing　so；

the　same　sight　that　had　shaken　him。　　It　was　this　observation

that　drew　from　Douglasnot　immediately；　but　later　in　the　evening

a　reply　that　had　the　interesting　consequence　to　which　I　call　attention。

Someone　else　told　a　story　not　particularly　effective；　which　I　saw

he　was　not　following。　　This　I　took　for　a　sign　that　he　had　himself

something　to　produce　and　that　we　should　only　have　to　wait。

We　waited　in　fact　till　two　nights　later；　but　that　same　evening；

before　we　scattered；　he　brought　out　what　was　in　his　mind。



〃I　quite　agreein　regard　to　Griffin's　ghost；　or　whatever　it　was

that　its　appearing　first　to　the　little　boy；　at　so　tender　an　age；

adds　a　particular　touch。　　But　it's　not　the　first　occurrence

of　its　charming　kind　that　I　know　to　have　involved　a　child。

If　the　child　gives　the　effect　another　turn　of　the　screw；

what　do　you　say　to　TWO　children？〃



〃We　say；　of　course；〃　somebody　exclaimed；　〃that　they　give　two　turns！

Also　that　we　want　to　hear　about　them。〃



I　can　see　Douglas　there　before　the　fire；　to　which　he　had　got　up

to　present　his　back；　looking　down　at　his　interlocutor　with　his

hands　in　his　pockets。　　〃Nobody　but　me；　till　now；　has　ever　heard。

It's　quite　too　horrible。〃　　This；　naturally；　was　declared　by　several

voices　to　give　the　thing　the　utmost　price；　and　our　friend；

with　quiet　art；　prepared　his　triumph　by　turning　his　eyes

over　the　rest　of　us　and　going　on：　　〃It's　beyond　everything。

Nothing　at　all　that　I　know　touches　it。〃



〃For　sheer　terror？〃　　I　remember　asking。



He　seemed　to　say　it　was　not　so　simple　as　that；　to　be　really　at　a　loss　how　to

qualify　it。　　He　passed　his　hand　over　his　eyes；　made　a　little　wincing　grimace。

〃For　dreadfuldreadfulness！〃



〃Oh；　how　delicious！〃　cried　one　of　the　women。



He　took　no　notice　of　her；　he　looked　at　me；　but　as　if；　instead　of　me；　he　saw

what　he　spoke　of。　　〃For　general　uncanny　ugliness　and　horror　and　pain。〃



〃Well　then；〃　I　said；　〃just　sit　right　down　and　begin。〃



He　turned　round　to　the　fire；　gave　a　kick　to　a　log；　watched　it

an　instant。　　Then　as　he　faced　us　again：　　〃I　can't　begin。

I　shall　have　to　send　to　town。〃　　There　was　a　unanimous　groan

at　this；　and　much　reproach；　after　which；　in　his　preoccupied　way；

he　explained。　　〃The　story's　written。　　It's　in　a　locked　drawer

it　has　not　been　out　for　years。　　I　could　write　to　my　man　and

enclose　the　key；　he　could　send　down　the　packet　as　he　finds　it。〃

It　was　to　me　in　particular　that　he　appeared　to　propound　this

appeared　almost　to　appeal　for　aid　not　to　hesitate。

He　had　broken　a　thickness　of　ice；　the　formation　of　many　a　winter；

had　had　his　reasons　for　a　long　silence。　　The　others　resented

postponement；　but　it　was　just　his　scruples　that　charmed　me。

I　adjured　him　to　write　by　the　first　post　and　to　agree　with　us

for　an　early　hearing；　then　I　asked　him　if　the　experience

in　question　had　been　his　own。　　To　this　his　answer　was　prompt。

〃Oh；　thank　God；　no！〃



〃And　is　the　record　yours？　　You　took　the　thing　down？〃



〃Nothing　but　the　impression。　　I　took　that　HERE〃he　tapped　his　heart。

〃I've　never　lost　it。〃



〃Then　your　manuscript？〃



〃Is　in　old；　faded　ink；　and　in　the　most　beautiful　hand。〃　　He　hung

fire　again。　　〃A　woman's。　She　has　been　dead　these　twenty　years。

She　sent　me　the　pages　in　question　before　she　died。〃

They　were　all　listening　now；　and　of　course　there　was　somebody

to　be　arch；　or　at　any　rate　to　draw　the　inference。　　But　if　he　put

the　inference　by　without　a　smile　it　was　also　without　irritation。

〃She　was　a　most　charming　person；　but　she　was　ten　years　older

than　I。　She　was　my　sister's　governess；〃　he　quietly　said。

〃She　was　the　most　agreeable　woman　I've　ever　known　in　her　position；

she　would　have　been　worthy　of　any　whatever。　　It　was　long　ago；

and　this　episode　was　long　before。　　I　was　at　Trinity；

and　I　found　her　at　home　on　my　coming　down　the　second　summer。

I　was　much　there　that　yearit　was　a　beautiful　one；　and　we　had；

in　her　off…hours；　some　strolls　and　talks　in　the　garden

talks　in　which　she　struck　me　as　awfully　clever　and　nice。

Oh　yes；　don't　grin：　　I　liked　her　extremely　and　am　glad　to　this　day

to　think　she　liked　me；　too。　　If　she　hadn't　she　wouldn't　have　told　me。

She　had　never　told　anyone。　　It　wasn't　simply　that　she　said　so；

but　that　I　knew　she　hadn't。　I　was　sure；　I　could　see。

You'll　easily　judge　why　when　you　hear。〃



〃Because　the　thing　had　been　such　a　scare？〃



He　continued　to　fix　me。　　〃You'll　easily　judge；〃　he　repeated：

〃YOU　will。〃



I　fixed　him；　too。　　〃I　see。　　She　was　in　love。〃



He　laughed　for　the　first　time。　　〃You　ARE　acute。

Yes；　she　was　in　love。　　That　is；　she　had　been。　　That　came　out

she　couldn't　tell　her　story　without　its　coming　out。

I　saw　it；　and　she　saw　I　saw　it；　but　neither　of　us　spoke　of　it。

I　remember　the　time　and　the　placethe　corner　of　the　lawn；

the　shade　of　the　great　beeches　and　the　long；　hot　summer　afternoon。

It　wasn't　a　scene　for　a　shudder；　but　oh！〃　He　quitted　the　fire

and　dropped　back　into　his　chair。



〃You'll　receive　the　packet　Thursday　morning？〃　　I　inquired。



〃Probably　not　till　the　second　post。〃



〃Well　then；　after　dinner〃



〃You'll　all　meet　me　here？〃　　He　looked　us　round　again。　　〃Isn't　anybody　going？〃

It　was　almost　the　tone　of　hope。



〃Everybody　will　stay！〃



〃_I_　will〃　and　〃_I_　will！〃　cried　the　ladies　whose　departure

had　been　fixed。　　Mrs。　Griffin；　however；　expressed　the　need

for　a　little　more　light。　　〃Who　was　it　she　was　in　love　with？〃



〃The　story　will　tell；〃　I　took　upon　myself　to　reply。



〃Oh；　I　can't　wait　for　the　story！〃



〃The　story　WON'T　tell；〃　said　Douglas；　〃not　in　any　literal；　vulgar　way。〃



〃More's　the　pity；　then。　　That's　the　only　way　I　ever　understand。〃



〃Won't　YOU　tell；　Douglas？〃　somebody　else　inquired。



He　sprang　to　his　feet　again。　　〃Yestomorrow。　　Now　I　must　go　to　bed。

Good　night。〃　　And　quickly　catching　up　a　candlestick；　he　left

us　slightly　bewildered。　　From　our　end　of　the　great　brown　hall

we　heard　his　step　on　the　stair；　whereupon　Mrs。　Griffin　spoke。

〃Well；　if　I　don't　know　who　she　was　in　love　with；　I　know

who　HE　was。〃



〃She　was　ten　years　older；〃　said　her　husband。



〃Raison　de　plusat　that　age！　　But　it's　rather　nice；

his　long　reticence。〃



〃Forty　years！〃　　Griffin　put　in。



〃With　this　outbreak　at　last。〃



〃The　outbreak；〃　I　returned；　〃will　make　a　tremendous　occasion

of　Thursday　night；〃　and　everyone　so　agreed　with　me　that；

in　the　light　of　it；　we　lost　all　attention　for　everything　else。

The　last　story；　however　incomplete　and　like　the　mere　opening

of　a　serial；　had　been　told；　we　handshook　and　〃candlestuck；〃

as　somebody　said；　and　went　to　bed。



I　knew　the　next　day　that　a　letter　containing　the　key　had；

by　the　first　post；　gone　off　to　his　London　apartments；

but　in　spite　ofor　perhaps　just　on　account　ofthe　eventual

diffusion　of　this　knowledge　we　quite　let　him　alone　till

after　dinner；　till　such　an　hour　of　the　evening；　in　fact；

as　might　best　accord　with　the　kind　of　emotion　on　which　our

hopes　were　fixed。　　Then　he　became　as　communicative　as　we　could

desire　and　indeed　gave　us　his　best　reason　for　being　so。

We　had　it　from　him　again　before　the　fire　in　the　hall；

as　we　had　had　our　mild　wonders　of　the　previous　night。

It　appeared　that　the　narrative　he　had　promised　to　read　us　really

required　for　a　proper　intelligence　a　few　words　of　prologue。

Let　me　say　here　distinctly；　to　have　done　with　it；

that　this　narrative；　from　an　exact　transcript　of　my　own　made

much　later；　is　what　I　shall　presently　give。　　Poor　Douglas；

before　his　deathwhen　it　was　in　sightcommitted　to　me

the　manuscript　that　reached　him　on　the　third　of　these　days

and　that；　on　the　same　spot；　with　immense　effect；　he　began

to　read　to　our　hushed　little　circle　on　the　night　of　the　fourth。

The　departing　ladies　who　had　said　they　would　stay　didn't；

of　course；　thank　heaven；　stay：　　they　departed；　in　consequence

of　arrangements　made；　in　a　rage　of　curiosity；　as　they　professed；

produced　by　the　touches　with　which　he　had　already　worked　us　up。

But　that　only　made　his　little　final　auditory　more　compact　and　select；

kept　it；　round　the　hearth；　subject　to　a　common　thrill。



The　first　of　these　touches　conveyed　that　the　written　statement

took　up　the　tale　at　a　point　after　it　had；　in　a　manner；　begun。

The　fact　to　be　in　possession　of　was　therefore　that　his　old　friend；

the　youngest　of　several　daughters　of　a　poor　country　parson；

had；　at　the　age　of　twenty；　on　taking　service　for　the　first　time

in　the　schoolroom；　come　up　to　London；　in　trepidation；　to　answer

in　person　an　advertisement　that　had　already　placed　her　in　brief

correspondence　with　the　advertiser。　　This　person　proved；　on　her

presenting　herself；　for　judgment；　at　a　house　in　Harley　Street；

that　impressed　her　as　vast　and　imposingthis　prospective

patron　proved　a　gentleman；　a　bachelor　in　the　prime　of　life；

such　a　figure　as　had　never　risen；　save　in　a　dream　or　an　old　novel；

before　a　fluttered；　anxious　girl　out　of　a　Hampshire　vicarage。

One　could　easily　fix　his　type；　it　never；　happily；　dies　out。

He　was　handsome　and　bold　and　pleasant；　offhand　and　gay　and　kind。

He　struck　her；　inevitably；　as　gallant　and　splendid；

but　what　took　her　most　of　all　and　gave　her　the　courage　she

afterward　showed　was　that　he　put　the　whole　thing　to　her　as

a　kind　of　favor；　an　obligation　he　should　gratefully　incur。

She　conceived　him　as　rich；　but　as　fearfully　extravagant

saw　him　all　in　a　glow　of　high　fashion；　of　good　looks；

of　expensive　habits；　of　charming　ways　with　women。

He　had　for　his　own　town　residence　a　big　house　filled

with　the　spoils　of　travel　and　the　trophies　of　the　chase；

but　it　was　to　his　country　home；　an　old　family　place　in　Essex；

that　he　wished　her　immediately　to　proceed。



He　had　been　left；　by　the　death　of　their　parents　in　India；

guardian　to　a　small　nephew　and　a　small　niece；　children　of　a　younger；

a　military　brother；　whom　he　had　lost　two　years　before。

These　children　were；　by　the　strangest　of　chances　for　a　man

in　his　positiona　lone　man　without　the　right　sort　of

experience　or　a　grain　of　patiencevery　heavily　on　his　hands。

It　had　all　been　a　great　worry　and；　on　his　own　part　doubtless；

a　series　of　blunders；　but　he　immensely　pitied　the　poor　chicks

and　had　done　all　he　could；