the turn of the screw- 第27部分

〃Oh；　yes；〃　he　nevertheless　replied〃they　must　have　repeated　them。

To　those　THEY　liked；〃　he　added。



There　was；　somehow；　less　of　it　than　I　had　expected；　but　I　turned　it　over。

〃And　these　things　came　round？〃



〃To　the　masters？　　Oh；　yes！〃　he　answered　very　simply。

〃But　I　didn't　know　they'd　tell。〃



〃The　masters？　　They　didn'tthey've　never　told。

That's　why　I　ask　you。〃



He　turned　to　me　again　his　little　beautiful　fevered　face。

〃Yes；　it　was　too　bad。〃



〃Too　bad？〃



〃What　I　suppose　I　sometimes　said。　　To　write　home。〃



I　can't　name　the　exquisite　pathos　of　the　contradiction　given　to　such

a　speech　by　such　a　speaker；　I　only　know　that　the　next　instant　I

heard　myself　throw　off　with　homely　force：　　〃Stuff　and　nonsense！〃

But　the　next　after　that　I　must　have　sounded　stern　enough。

〃What　WERE　these　things？〃



My　sternness　was　all　for　his　judge；　his　executioner；　yet　it　made　him

avert　himself　again；　and　that　movement　made　ME；　with　a　single　bound

and　an　irrepressible　cry；　spring　straight　upon　him。　　For　there　again；

against　the　glass；　as　if　to　blight　his　confession　and　stay　his　answer；

was　the　hideous　author　of　our　woethe　white　face　of　damnation。

I　felt　a　sick　swim　at　the　drop　of　my　victory　and　all　the　return　of　my　battle；

so　that　the　wildness　of　my　veritable　leap　only　served　as　a　great　betrayal。

I　saw　him；　from　the　midst　of　my　act；　meet　it　with　a　divination；

and　on　the　perception　that　even　now　he　only　guessed；　and　that　the　window

was　still　to　his　own　eyes　free；　I　let　the　impulse　flame　up　to　convert

the　climax　of　his　dismay　into　the　very　proof　of　his　liberation。

〃No　more；　no　more；　no　more！〃　　I　shrieked；　as　I　tried　to　press　him　against　me；

to　my　visitant。



〃Is　she　HERE？〃　Miles　panted　as　he　caught　with　his　sealed　eyes

the　direction　of　my　words。　　Then　as　his　strange　〃she〃　staggered

me　and；　with　a　gasp；　I　echoed　it；　〃Miss　Jessel；　Miss　Jessel！〃

he　with　a　sudden　fury　gave　me　back。



I　seized；　stupefied；　his　suppositionsome　sequel　to　what　we

had　done　to　Flora；　but　this　made　me　only　want　to　show　him

that　it　was　better　still　than　that。　　〃It's　not　Miss　Jessel！

But　it's　at　the　windowstraight　before　us。　　It's　THERE

the　coward　horror；　there　for　the　last　time！〃



At　this；　after　a　second　in　which　his　head　made　the　movement　of　a

baffled　dog's　on　a　scent　and　then　gave　a　frantic　little　shake　for　air

and　light；　he　was　at　me　in　a　white　rage；　bewildered；　glaring　vainly

over　the　place　and　missing　wholly；　though　it　now；　to　my　sense；

filled　the　room　like　the　taste　of　poison；　the　wide；　overwhelming　presence。

〃It's　HE？〃



I　was　so　determined　to　have　all　my　proof　that　I　flashed　into　ice

to　challenge　him。　　〃Whom　do　you　mean　by　‘he'？〃



〃Peter　Quintyou　devil！〃　　His　face　gave　again；　round　the　room；

its　convulsed　supplication。　　〃WHERE？〃



They　are　in　my　ears　still；　his　supreme　surrender　of　the　name

and　his　tribute　to　my　devotion。　　〃What　does　he　matter　now；

my　own？what　will　he　EVER　matter？　　_I_　have　you；〃

I　launched　at　the　beast；　〃but　he　has　lost　you　forever！〃

Then；　for　the　demonstration　of　my　work；　〃There；　THERE！〃

I　said　to　Miles。



But　he　had　already　jerked　straight　round；　stared；　glared　again；

and　seen　but　the　quiet　day。　　With　the　stroke　of　the　loss　I　was

so　proud　of　he　uttered　the　cry　of　a　creature　hurled　over　an　abyss；

and　the　grasp　with　which　I　recovered　him　might　have　been　that

of　catching　him　in　his　fall。　　I　caught　him；　yes；　I　held　him

it　may　be　imagined　with　what　a　passion；　but　at　the　end

of　a　minute　I　began　to　feel　what　it　truly　was　that　I　held。

We　were　alone　with　the　quiet　day；　and　his　little　heart；

dispossessed；　had　stopped。









End