the turn of the screw-第12章

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when　she　surveyed　them；　with　her　large　white　arms　folded

and　the　habit　of　serenity　in　all　her　look；　thank　the　Lord's

mercy　that　if　they　were　ruined　the　pieces　would　still　serve。

Flights　of　fancy　gave　place；　in　her　mind；　to　a　steady　fireside　glow；

and　I　had　already　begun　to　perceive　how；　with　the　development

of　the　conviction　thatas　time　went　on　without　a　public　accident

our　young　things　could；　after　all；　look　out　for　themselves；

she　addressed　her　greatest　solicitude　to　the　sad　case　presented

by　their　instructress。　　That；　for　myself；　was　a　sound　simplification：

I　could　engage　that；　to　the　world；　my　face　should　tell　no　tales；

but　it　would　have　been；　in　the　conditions；　an　immense　added

strain　to　find　myself　anxious　about　hers。



At　the　hour　I　now　speak　of　she　had　joined　me；　under　pressure；

on　the　terrace；　where；　with　the　lapse　of　the　season；　the　afternoon

sun　was　now　agreeable；　and　we　sat　there　together　while；　before　us；

at　a　distance；　but　within　call　if　we　wished；　the　children

strolled　to　and　fro　in　one　of　their　most　manageable　moods。

They　moved　slowly；　in　unison；　below　us；　over　the　lawn；　the　boy；

as　they　went；　reading　aloud　from　a　storybook　and　passing

his　arm　round　his　sister　to　keep　her　quite　in　touch。

Mrs。　Grose　watched　them　with　positive　placidity；　then　I　caught

the　suppressed　intellectual　creak　with　which　she　conscientiously

turned　to　take　from　me　a　view　of　the　back　of　the　tapestry。

I　had　made　her　a　receptacle　of　lurid　things；　but　there　was　an　odd

recognition　of　my　superioritymy　accomplishments　and　my　function

in　her　patience　under　my　pain。　　She　offered　her　mind　to　my

disclosures　as；　had　I　wished　to　mix　a　witch's　broth　and　proposed　it

with　assurance；　she　would　have　held　out　a　large　clean　saucepan。

This　had　become　thoroughly　her　attitude　by　the　time　that；

in　my　recital　of　the　events　of　the　night；　I　reached　the　point

of　what　Miles　had　said　to　me　when；　after　seeing　him；　at　such

a　monstrous　hour；　almost　on　the　very　spot　where　he　happened

now　to　be；　I　had　gone　down　to　bring　him　in；　choosing　then；

at　the　window；　with　a　concentrated　need　of　not　alarming　the　house；

rather　that　method　than　a　signal　more　resonant。　　I　had　left

her　meanwhile　in　little　doubt　of　my　small　hope　of　representing

with　success　even　to　her　actual　sympathy　my　sense　of　the　real

splendor　of　the　little　inspiration　with　which；　after　I　had　got

him　into　the　house；　the　boy　met　my　final　articulate　challenge。

As　soon　as　I　appeared　in　the　moonlight　on　the　terrace；

he　had　come　to　me　as　straight　as　possible；　on　which　I　had　taken

his　hand　without　a　word　and　led　him；　through　the　dark　spaces；

up　the　staircase　where　Quint　had　so　hungrily　hovered　for　him；

along　the　lobby　where　I　had　listened　and　trembled；　and　so　to

his　forsaken　room。



Not　a　sound；　on　the　way；　had　passed　between　us；　and　I　had　wondered

oh；　HOW　I　had　wondered！if　he　were　groping　about　in　his

little　mind　for　something　plausible　and　not　too　grotesque。

It　would　tax　his　invention；　certainly；　and　I　felt；　this　time；

over　his　real　embarrassment；　a　curious　thrill　of　triumph。

It　was　a　sharp　trap　for　the　inscrutable！　　He　couldn't　play　any

longer　at　innocence；　so　how　the　deuce　would　he　get　out　of　it？

There　beat　in　me　indeed；　with　the　passionate　throb　of　this

question　an　equal　dumb　appeal　as　to　how　the　deuce　_I_　should。

I　was　confronted　at　last；　as　never　yet；　with　all　the　risk

attached　even　now　to　sounding　my　own　horrid　note。

I　remember　in　fact　that　as　we　pushed　into　his　little　chamber；

where　the　bed　had　not　been　slept　in　at　all　and　the　window；

uncovered　to　the　moonlight；　made　the　place　so　clear　that　there

was　no　need　of　striking　a　matchI　remember　how　I　suddenly　dropped；

sank　upon　the　edge　of　the　bed　from　the　force　of　the　idea

that　he　must　know　how　he　really；　as　they　say；　〃had〃　me。

He　could　do　what　he　liked；　with　all　his　cleverness　to　help　him；

so　long　as　I　should　continue　to　defer　to　the　old　tradition

of　the　criminality　of　those　caretakers　of　the　young　who

minister　to　superstitions　and　fears。　　He　〃had〃　me　indeed；

and　in　a　cleft　stick；　for　who　would　ever　absolve　me；　who　would

consent　that　I　should　go　unhung；　if；　by　the　faintest　tremor

of　an　overture；　I　were　the　first　to　introduce　into　our　perfect

intercourse　an　element　so　dire？　　No；　no：　　it　was　useless

to　attempt　to　convey　to　Mrs。　Grose；　just　as　it　is　scarcely

less　so　to　attempt　to　suggest　here；　how；　in　our　short；

stiff　brush　in　the　dark；　he　fairly　shook　me　with　admiration。

I　was　of　course　thoroughly　kind　and　merciful；　never；　never　yet

had　I　placed　on　his　little　shoulders　hands　of　such　tenderness

as　those　with　which；　while　I　rested　against　the　bed；

I　held　him　there　well　under　fire。　　I　had　no　alternative　but；

in　form　at　least；　to　put　it　to　him。



〃You　must　tell　me　nowand　all　the　truth。　　What　did　you　go　out　for？

What　were　you　doing　there？〃



I　can　still　see　his　wonderful　smile；　the　whites　of　his　beautiful　eyes；

and　the　uncovering　of　his　little　teeth　shine　to　me　in　the　dusk。

〃If　I　tell　you　why；　will　you　understand？〃　　My　heart；

at　this；　leaped　into　my　mouth。　　WOULD　he　tell　me　why？

I　found　no　sound　on　my　lips　to　press　it；　and　I　was　aware

of　replying　only　with　a　vague；　repeated；　grimacing　nod。

He　was　gentleness　itself；　and　while　I　wagged　my　head　at

him　he　stood　there　more　than　ever　a　little　fairy　prince。

It　was　his　brightness　indeed　that　gave　me　a　respite。

Would　it　be　so　great　if　he　were　really　going　to　tell　me？

〃Well；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃just　exactly　in　order　that　you

should　do　this。〃



〃Do　what？〃



〃Think　mefor　a　changeBAD！〃　I　shall　never　forget　the　sweetness

and　gaiety　with　which　he　brought　out　the　word；　nor　how；　on　top　of　it；

he　bent　forward　and　kissed　me。　　It　was　practically　the　end　of　everything。

I　met　his　kiss　and　I　had　to　make；　while　I　folded　him　for　a　minute

in　my　arms；　the　most　stupendous　effort　not　to　cry。　　He　had　given　exactly

the　account　of　himself　that　permitted　least　of　my　going　behind　it；

and　it　was　only　with　the　effect　of　confirming　my　acceptance　of　it　that；

as　I　presently　glanced　about　the　room；　I　could　say



〃Then　you　didn't　undress　at　all？〃



He　fairly　glittered　in　the　gloom。　　〃Not　at　all。

I　sat　up　and　read。〃



〃And　when　did　you　go　down？〃



〃At　midnight。　　When　I'm　bad　I　AM　bad！〃



〃I　see；　I　seeit's　charming。　　But　how　could　you　be　sure　I　would　know　it？〃



〃Oh；　I　arranged　that　with　Flora。〃　　His　answers　rang　out　with　a　readiness！

〃She　was　to　get　up　and　look　out。〃



〃Which　is　what　she　did　do。〃　　It　was　I　who　fell　into　the　trap！



〃So　she　disturbed　you；　and；　to　see　what　she　was　looking　at；

you　also　lookedyou　saw。〃



〃While　you；〃　I　concurred；　〃caught　your　death　in　the　night　air！〃



He　literally　bloomed　so　from　this　exploit　that　he　could　afford　radiantly

to　assent。　　〃How　otherwise　should　I　have　been　bad　enough？〃　he　asked。

Then；　after　another　embrace；　the　incident　and　our　interview　closed

on　my　recognition　of　all　the　reserves　of　goodness　that；　for　his　joke；

he　had　been　able　to　draw　upon。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XII





The　particular　impression　I　had　received　proved　in　the　morning　light；

I　repeat；　not　quite　successfully　presentable　to　Mrs。　Grose；

though　I　reinforced　it　with　the　mention　of　still　another　remark

that　he　had　made　before　we　separated。　　〃It　all　lies　in　half　a

dozen　words；〃　I　said　to　her；　〃words　that　really　settle　the　matter。

'Think；　you　know；　what　I　MIGHT　do！'　　He　threw　that　off　to　show

me　how　good　he　is。　　He　knows　down　to　the　ground　what　he　‘might'　do。

That's　what　he　gave　them　a　taste　of　at　school。〃



〃Lord；　you　do　change！〃　cried　my　friend。



〃I　don't　changeI　simply　make　it　out。　　The　four；　depend　upon　it；

perpetually　meet。　　If　on　either　of　these　last　nights　you　had

been　with　either　child；　you　would　clearly　have　understood。

The　more　I've　watched　and　waited　the　more　I've　felt　that　if

there　were　nothing　else　to　make　it　sure　it　would　be　made

so　by　the　systematic　silence　of　each。　　NEVER；　by　a　slip

of　the　tongue；　have　they　so　much　as　alluded　to　either　of　their

old　friends；　any　more　than　Miles　has　alluded　to　his　expulsion。

Oh；　yes；　we　may　sit　here　and　look　at　them；　and　they　may　show

off　to　us　there　to　their　fill；　but　even　while　they　pretend

to　be　lost　in　their　fairytale　they're　steeped　in　their　vision

of　the　dead　restored。　　He's　not　reading　to　her；〃　I　declared；

〃they're　talking　of　THEMthey're　talking　horrors！

I　go　on；　I　know；　as　if　I　were　crazy；　and　it's　a　wonder　I'm　not。

What　I've　seen　would　have　made　YOU　so；　but　it　has　only　made

me　more　lucid；　made　me　get　hold　of　still　other　things。〃



My　lucidity　must　have　seemed　awful；　but　the　charming　creatures

who　were　victims　of　it；　passing　and　repassing　in　their

interlocked　sweetness；　gave　my　colleague　something　to　hold　on　by；

and　I　felt　how　tight　she　held　as；　without　stirring　in　the　breath

of　my　passion；　she　covered　them　still　with　her　eyes。

〃Of　what　other　things　have　you　got　hold？〃



〃Why；　of　the　very　things　that　have　delighted；　fascinated；　and　yet；

at　bottom；　as　I　now　so　strangely　see；　mystified　and　troubled　me。

Their　more　than　earthly　beauty；　their　absolutely　unnatural　goodness。

It's　a　game；〃　I　went　on；　〃it's　a　policy　and　a　fraud！〃



〃On　the　part　of　little　darlings？〃



〃As　yet　mere　lovely　babies？　　Yes；　mad　as　that　seems！〃

The　very　act　of　bringing　it　out　really　helped　me　to

trace　itfollow　it　all　up　and　piece　it　all　together。

〃They　haven't　been　goodthey've　only　been　absent。

It　has　been　easy　to　live　with　them；　because　they're　simply　leading

a　life　of　their　own。　　They're　not　minethey're　not　ours。

They're　his　and　they're　hers！〃



〃Quint's　and　that　woman's？〃



〃Quint's　and　that　woman's。　They　want　to　get　to　them。〃



Oh；　how；　at　this；　poor　Mrs。　Grose　appeared　to　study　them！

〃But　for　what？〃



〃For　the　love　of　all　the　evil　that；　in　those　dreadful　days；

the　pair　put　into　them。　　And　to　ply　them　with　that　evil　still；

to　keep　up　the　work　of　demons；　is　what　brings　the　others　back。〃



〃Laws！〃　said　my　friend　under　her　breath。　　The　exclamation　was　homely；　but　it

revealed　a　real　acceptance　of　my　further　proof　of　what；　in　the　bad　time

for　there　had　been　a　worse　even　than　this！must　have　occurred。　　There　could

have　been　no　such　justification　for　me　as　the　plain　assent　of　her　experience

to　whatever　depth　of　depravity　I　found　credible　in　our　brace　of　scoundrels。

It　was　in　obvious　submission　of　memory　that　she　brought　out　after　a　moment：

〃They　WERE　rascals！　　But　what　can　they　now　do？〃　she　pursued。



〃Do？〃　　I　echoed　so　loud　that　Miles　and　Flora；　as　they　passed　at

their　distance；　paused　an　instant　in　their　walk　and　looked　at　us。

〃Don't　they　do　enough？〃　　I　demanded　in　a　lower　tone；　while　the　children；

having　smiled　and　nodded　and　kissed　hands　to　us；　resumed　their　exhibition。

We　were　held　by　it　a　minute；　then　I　answered：　　〃They　can　destroy　them！〃

At　this　my　companion　did　turn；　but　the　inquiry　she　launched　was

a　silent　one；　the　effect　of　which　was　to　make　me　m