the turn of the screw-第6章

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I　bounded　straight　out　of　the　door　again；　reached　that　of　the　house；

got；　in　an　instant；　upon　the　drive；　and；　passing　along　the　terrace

as　fast　as　I　could　rush；　turned　a　corner　and　came　full　in　sight。

But　it　was　in　sight　of　nothing　nowmy　visitor　had　vanished。

I　stopped；　I　almost　dropped；　with　the　real　relief　of　this；

but　I　took　in　the　whole　sceneI　gave　him　time　to　reappear。

I　call　it　time；　but　how　long　was　it？　　I　can't　speak

to　the　purpose　today　of　the　duration　of　these　things。

That　kind　of　measure　must　have　left　me：　　they　couldn't

have　lasted　as　they　actually　appeared　to　me　to　last。

The　terrace　and　the　whole　place；　the　lawn　and　the　garden　beyond　it；

all　I　could　see　of　the　park；　were　empty　with　a　great　emptiness。

There　were　shrubberies　and　big　trees；　but　I　remember

the　clear　assurance　I　felt　that　none　of　them　concealed　him。

He　was　there　or　was　not　there：　　not　there　if　I　didn't　see　him。

I　got　hold　of　this；　then；　instinctively；　instead　of　returning

as　I　had　come；　went　to　the　window。　　It　was　confusedly　present

to　me　that　I　ought　to　place　myself　where　he　had　stood。

I　did　so；　I　applied　my　face　to　the　pane　and　looked；

as　he　had　looked；　into　the　room。　　As　if；　at　this　moment；

to　show　me　exactly　what　his　range　had　been；　Mrs。　Grose；

as　I　had　done　for　himself　just　before；　came　in　from　the　hall。

With　this　I　had　the　full　image　of　a　repetition　of　what　had

already　occurred。　　She　saw　me　as　I　had　seen　my　own　visitant；

she　pulled　up　short　as　I　had　done；　I　gave　her　something

of　the　shock　that　I　had　received。　　She　turned　white；

and　this　made　me　ask　myself　if　I　had　blanched　as　much。

She　stared；　in　short；　and　retreated　on　just　MY　lines；

and　I　knew　she　had　then　passed　out　and　come　round　to　me

and　that　I　should　presently　meet　her。　　I　remained　where　I　was；

and　while　I　waited　I　thought　of　more　things　than　one。

But　there's　only　one　I　take　space　to　mention。　　I　wondered　why

SHE　should　be　scared。







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Oh；　she　let　me　know　as　soon　as；　round　the　corner　of　the　house；　she　loomed

again　into　view。　　〃What　in　the　name　of　goodness　is　the　matter？〃

She　was　now　flushed　and　out　of　breath。



I　said　nothing　till　she　came　quite　near。　　〃With　me？〃

I　must　have　made　a　wonderful　face。　　〃Do　I　show　it？〃



〃You're　as　white　as　a　sheet。　　You　look　awful。〃



I　considered；　I　could　meet　on　this；　without　scruple；　any　innocence。

My　need　to　respect　the　bloom　of　Mrs。　Grose's　had　dropped；

without　a　rustle；　from　my　shoulders；　and　if　I　wavered　for　the　instant

it　was　not　with　what　I　kept　back。　　I　put　out　my　hand　to　her　and　she

took　it；　I　held　her　hard　a　little；　liking　to　feel　her　close　to　me。

There　was　a　kind　of　support　in　the　shy　heave　of　her　surprise。

〃You　came　for　me　for　church；　of　course；　but　I　can't　go。〃



〃Has　anything　happened？〃



〃Yes。　　You　must　know　now。　　Did　I　look　very　queer？〃



〃Through　this　window？　　Dreadful！〃



〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃I've　been　frightened。〃　　Mrs。　Grose's　eyes　expressed

plainly　that　SHE　had　no　wish　to　be；　yet　also　that　she　knew　too　well

her　place　not　to　be　ready　to　share　with　me　any　marked　inconvenience。

Oh；　it　was　quite　settled　that　she　MUST　share！　　〃Just　what　you

saw　from　the　dining　room　a　minute　ago　was　the　effect　of　that。

What　_I_　sawjust　beforewas　much　worse。〃



Her　hand　tightened。　　〃What　was　it？〃



〃An　extraordinary　man。　　Looking　in。〃



〃What　extraordinary　man？〃



〃I　haven't　the　least　idea。〃



Mrs。　Grose　gazed　round　us　in　vain。　　〃Then　where　is　he　gone？〃



〃I　know　still　less。〃



〃Have　you　seen　him　before？〃



〃Yesonce。　　On　the　old　tower。〃



She　could　only　look　at　me　harder。　　〃Do　you　mean　he's　a　stranger？〃



〃Oh；　very　much！〃



〃Yet　you　didn't　tell　me？〃



〃Nofor　reasons。　　But　now　that　you've　guessed〃



Mrs。　Grose's　round　eyes　encountered　this　charge。　　〃Ah；　I　haven't　guessed！〃

she　said　very　simply。　　〃How　can　I　if　YOU　don't　imagine？〃



〃I　don't　in　the　very　least。〃



〃You've　seen　him　nowhere　but　on　the　tower？〃



〃And　on　this　spot　just　now。〃



Mrs。　Grose　looked　round　again。　　〃What　was　he　doing　on　the　tower？〃



〃Only　standing　there　and　looking　down　at　me。〃



She　thought　a　minute。　　〃Was　he　a　gentleman？〃



I　found　I　had　no　need　to　think。　　〃No。〃　She　gazed　in　deeper　wonder。　　〃No。〃



〃Then　nobody　about　the　place？　　Nobody　from　the　village？〃



〃Nobodynobody。　　I　didn't　tell　you；　but　I　made　sure。〃



She　breathed　a　vague　relief：　　this　was；　oddly；　so　much　to　the　good。

It　only　went　indeed　a　little　way。　　〃But　if　he　isn't　a　gentleman〃



〃What　IS　he？　　He's　a　horror。〃



〃A　horror？〃



〃He'sGod　help　me　if　I　know　WHAT　he　is！〃



Mrs。　Grose　looked　round　once　more；　she　fixed　her　eyes　on　the　duskier　distance；

then；　pulling　herself　together；　turned　to　me　with　abrupt　inconsequence。

〃It's　time　we　should　be　at　church。〃



〃Oh；　I'm　not　fit　for　church！〃



〃Won't　it　do　you　good？〃



〃It　won't　do　THEM！　I　nodded　at　the　house。



〃The　children？〃



〃I　can't　leave　them　now。〃



〃You're　afraid？〃



I　spoke　boldly。　　〃I'm　afraid　of　HIM。〃



Mrs。　Grose's　large　face　showed　me；　at　this；　for　the　first　time；

the　faraway　faint　glimmer　of　a　consciousness　more　acute：

I　somehow　made　out　in　it　the　delayed　dawn　of　an　idea　I　myself

had　not　given　her　and　that　was　as　yet　quite　obscure　to　me。

It　comes　back　to　me　that　I　thought　instantly　of　this

as　something　I　could　get　from　her；　and　I　felt　it　to　be

connected　with　the　desire　she　presently　showed　to　know　more。

〃When　was　iton　the　tower？〃



〃About　the　middle　of　the　month。　　At　this　same　hour。〃



〃Almost　at　dark；〃　said　Mrs。　Grose。



〃Oh；　no；　not　nearly。　　I　saw　him　as　I　see　you。〃



〃Then　how　did　he　get　in？〃



〃And　how　did　he　get　out？〃　　I　laughed。　　〃I　had　no　opportunity　to　ask　him！

This　evening；　you　see；〃　I　pursued；　〃he　has　not　been　able　to　get　in。〃



〃He　only　peeps？〃



〃I　hope　it　will　be　confined　to　that！〃　　She　had　now　let　go　my　hand；

she　turned　away　a　little。　　I　waited　an　instant；　then　I　brought　out：

〃Go　to　church。　　Goodbye。　　I　must　watch。〃



Slowly　she　faced　me　again。　　〃Do　you　fear　for　them？〃



We　met　in　another　long　look。　　〃Don't　YOU？〃　　Instead　of　answering　she　came

nearer　to　the　window　and；　for　a　minute；　applied　her　face　to　the　glass。

〃You　see　how　he　could　see；〃　I　meanwhile　went　on。



She　didn't　move。　　〃How　long　was　he　here？〃



〃Till　I　came　out。　　I　came　to　meet　him。〃



Mrs。　Grose　at　last　turned　round；　and　there　was　still　more　in　her　face。

〃_I_　couldn't　have　come　out。〃



〃Neither　could　I！〃　　I　laughed　again。　　〃But　I　did　come。

I　have　my　duty。〃



〃So　have　I　mine；〃　she　replied；　after　which　she　added：

〃What　is　he　like？〃



〃I've　been　dying　to　tell　you。　　But　he's　like　nobody。〃



〃Nobody？〃　she　echoed。



〃He　has　no　hat。〃　　Then　seeing　in　her　face　that　she　already；

in　this；　with　a　deeper　dismay；　found　a　touch　of　picture；

I　quickly　added　stroke　to　stroke。　　〃He　has　red　hair；　very　red；

close…curling；　and　a　pale　face；　long　in　shape；　with　straight；

good　features　and　little；　rather　queer　whiskers　that　are　as　red

as　his　hair。　　His　eyebrows　are；　somehow；　darker；　they　look

particularly　arched　and　as　if　they　might　move　a　good　deal。

His　eyes　are　sharp；　strangeawfully；　but　I　only　know　clearly

that　they're　rather　small　and　very　fixed。　　His　mouth's　wide；

and　his　lips　are　thin；　and　except　for　his　little　whiskers　he's

quite　clean…shaven。　He　gives　me　a　sort　of　sense　of　looking

like　an　actor。〃



〃An　actor！〃　　It　was　impossible　to　resemble　one　less；　at　least；

than　Mrs。　Grose　at　that　moment。



〃I've　never　seen　one；　but　so　I　suppose　them。　　He's　tall；　active；　erect；〃

I　continued；　〃but　neverno；　never！a　gentleman。〃



My　companion's　face　had　blanched　as　I　went　on；　her　round

eyes　started　and　her　mild　mouth　gaped。　　〃A　gentleman？〃

she　gasped；　confounded；　stupefied：　　〃a　gentleman　HE？〃



〃You　know　him　then？〃



She　visibly　tried　to　hold　herself。　　〃But　he　IS　handsome？〃



I　saw　the　way　to　help　her。　　〃Remarkably！〃



〃And　dressed？〃



〃In　somebody's　clothes。　　〃They're　smart；　but　they're　not　his　own。〃



She　broke　into　a　breathless　affirmative　groan：　　〃They're　the　master's！〃



I　caught　it　up。　　〃You　DO　know　him？〃



She　faltered　but　a　second。　　〃Quint！〃　she　cried。



〃Quint？〃



〃Peter　Quinthis　own　man；　his　valet；　when　he　was　here！〃



〃When　the　master　was？〃



Gaping　still；　but　meeting　me；　she　pieced　it　all　together。

〃He　never　wore　his　hat；　but　he　did　wearwell；　there　were

waistcoats　missed。　　They　were　both　herelast　year。

Then　the　master　went；　and　Quint　was　alone。〃



I　followed；　but　halting　a　little。　　〃Alone？〃



〃Alone　with　US。〃　　Then；　as　from　a　deeper　depth；　〃In　charge；〃　she　added。



〃And　what　became　of　him？〃



She　hung　fire　so　long　that　I　was　still　more　mystified。

〃He　went；　too；〃　she　brought　out　at　last。



〃Went　where？〃



Her　expression；　at　this；　became　extraordinary。　　〃God　knows　where！

He　died。〃



〃Died？〃　　I　almost　shrieked。



She　seemed　fairly　to　square　herself；　plant　herself　more　firmly　to　utter

the　wonder　of　it。　　〃Yes。　　Mr。　Quint　is　dead。〃







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It　took　of　course　more　than　that　particular　passage　to　place　us

together　in　presence　of　what　we　had　now　to　live　with　as　we　could

my　dreadful　liability　to　impressions　of　the　order　so　vividly

exemplified；　and　my　companion's　knowledge；　hencefortha　knowledge

half　consternation　and　half　compassionof　that　liability。

There　had　been；　this　evening；　after　the　revelation　left　me；

for　an　hour；　so　prostratethere　had　been；　for　either　of　us；

no　attendance　on　any　service　but　a　little　service　of　tears　and　vows；

of　prayers　and　promises；　a　climax　to　the　series　of　mutual　challenges

and　pledges　that　had　straightway　ensued　on　our　retreating　together　to

the　schoolroom　and　shutting　ourselves　up　there　to　have　everything　out。

The　result　of　our　having　everything　out　was　simply　to　reduce

our　situation　to　the　last　rigor　of　its　elements。　　She　herself　had

seen　nothing；　not　the　shadow　of　a　shadow；　and　nobody　in　the　house

but　the　governess　was　in　the　governess's　plight；　yet　she　accepted

without　directly　impugning　my　sanity　the　truth　as　I　gave　it　to　her；

and　ended　by　showing　me；　on　this　ground；　an　awestricken　tenderness；

an　expression　of　the　sense　of　my　more　than　questionable　privilege；

of　which　the　very　breath　has　remained　with　me　as　that　of　the　sweetest

of　human　charities。



What　was　settled　between　us；　accordingly；　that　night；　was　that　we

thought　we　might　bear　things　together；　and　I　was　not　even　sure　that；

in　spite　of　her　exemption；　it　was　she　who　had　the　best　of　the　burden。

I　knew　at　this　hour；　I　think；　as　well　as　I　knew　later；　what　I　was

capable　of　meeting　to　shelter　my　pupils；　but　it　took　me　some　time

to　be　wholly　sure　of　what　my　honest　ally　was　prepared　for　to　keep

terms　with　so　compromising　a　contract。　　I　was　queer　company　enough

quite　as　queer　as　the　company　I　received；　but　as　I　trace　over

what　we　w