the turn of the screw- 第4部分

At　this　she　raised　her　eyes；　which　she　had　turned　from　me；

I　saw　them　fill　with　good　tears。　　〃What　has　he　done？〃



I　hesitated；　then　I　judged　best　simply　to　hand　her　my　letter

which；　however；　had　the　effect　of　making　her；　without　taking　it；

simply　put　her　hands　behind　her。　　She　shook　her　head　sadly。

〃Such　things　are　not　for　me；　miss。〃



My　counselor　couldn't　read！　　I　winced　at　my　mistake；　which　I

attenuated　as　I　could；　and　opened　my　letter　again　to　repeat　it

to　her；　then；　faltering　in　the　act　and　folding　it　up　once　more；

I　put　it　back　in　my　pocket。　　〃Is　he　really　BAD？〃



The　tears　were　still　in　her　eyes。　　〃Do　the　gentlemen　say　so？〃



〃They　go　into　no　particulars。　　They　simply　express　their　regret　that　it

should　be　impossible　to　keep　him。　　That　can　have　only　one　meaning。〃

Mrs。　Grose　listened　with　dumb　emotion；　she　forbore　to　ask　me　what　this

meaning　might　be；　so　that；　presently；　to　put　the　thing　with　some　coherence

and　with　the　mere　aid　of　her　presence　to　my　own　mind；　I　went　on：

〃That　he's　an　injury　to　the　others。〃



At　this；　with　one　of　the　quick　turns　of　simple　folk；　she　suddenly　flamed　up。

〃Master　Miles！　HIM　an　injury？〃



There　was　such　a　flood　of　good　faith　in　it　that；　though　I　had　not　yet

seen　the　child；　my　very　fears　made　me　jump　to　the　absurdity　of　the　idea。

I　found　myself；　to　meet　my　friend　the　better；　offering　it；

on　the　spot；　sarcastically。　　〃To　his　poor　little　innocent　mates！〃



〃It's　too　dreadful；〃　cried　Mrs。　Grose；　〃to　say　such　cruel　things！

Why；　he's　scarce　ten　years　old。〃



〃Yes；　yes；　it　would　be　incredible。〃



She　was　evidently　grateful　for　such　a　profession。　　〃See　him；　miss；　first。

THEN　believe　it！〃　　I　felt　forthwith　a　new　impatience　to　see　him；

it　was　the　beginning　of　a　curiosity　that；　for　all　the　next　hours；

was　to　deepen　almost　to　pain。　　Mrs。　Grose　was　aware；　I　could　judge；

of　what　she　had　produced　in　me；　and　she　followed　it　up　with　assurance。

〃You　might　as　well　believe　it　of　the　little　lady。　　Bless　her；〃

she　added　the　next　moment〃LOOK　at　her！〃



I　turned　and　saw　that　Flora；　whom；　ten　minutes　before；　I　had　established

in　the　schoolroom　with　a　sheet　of　white　paper；　a　pencil；　and　a　copy

of　nice　〃round　o's；〃　now　presented　herself　to　view　at　the　open　door。

She　expressed　in　her　little　way　an　extraordinary　detachment　from

disagreeable　duties；　looking　to　me；　however；　with　a　great　childish　light

that　seemed　to　offer　it　as　a　mere　result　of　the　affection　she　had　conceived

for　my　person；　which　had　rendered　necessary　that　she　should　follow　me。

I　needed　nothing　more　than　this　to　feel　the　full　force　of　Mrs。　Grose's

comparison；　and；　catching　my　pupil　in　my　arms；　covered　her　with　kisses

in　which　there　was　a　sob　of　atonement。



Nonetheless；　the　rest　of　the　day　I　watched　for　further　occasion

to　approach　my　colleague；　especially　as；　toward　evening；

I　began　to　fancy　she　rather　sought　to　avoid　me。　　I　overtook　her；

I　remember；　on　the　staircase；　we　went　down　together；　and　at　the

bottom　I　detained　her；　holding　her　there　with　a　hand　on　her　arm。

〃I　take　what　you　said　to　me　at　noon　as　a　declaration　that

YOU'VE　never　known　him　to　be　bad。〃



She　threw　back　her　head；　she　had　clearly；　by　this　time；

and　very　honestly；　adopted　an　attitude。　　〃Oh；　never　known　him

I　don't　pretend　THAT！〃



I　was　upset　again。　　〃Then　you　HAVE　known　him？〃



〃Yes　indeed；　miss；　thank　God！〃



On　reflection　I　accepted　this。　　〃You　mean　that　a　boy　who　never　is？〃



〃Is　no　boy　for　ME！〃



I　held　her　tighter。　　〃You　like　them　with　the　spirit　to　be　naughty？〃

Then；　keeping　pace　with　her　answer；　〃So　do　I！〃　　I　eagerly　brought　out。

〃But　not　to　the　degree　to　contaminate〃



〃To　contaminate？〃my　big　word　left　her　at　a　loss。

I　explained　it。　　〃To　corrupt。〃



She　stared；　taking　my　meaning　in；　but　it　produced　in　her　an　odd　laugh。

〃Are　you　afraid　he'll　corrupt　YOU？〃　She　put　the　question　with　such　a　fine

bold　humor　that；　with　a　laugh；　a　little　silly　doubtless；　to　match　her　own；

I　gave　way　for　the　time　to　the　apprehension　of　ridicule。



But　the　next　day；　as　the　hour　for　my　drive　approached；　I　cropped

up　in　another　place。　　〃What　was　the　lady　who　was　here　before？〃



〃The　last　governess？　　She　was　also　young　and　pretty

almost　as　young　and　almost　as　pretty；　miss；　even　as　you。〃



〃Ah；　then；　I　hope　her　youth　and　her　beauty　helped　her！〃

I　recollect　throwing　off。　　〃He　seems　to　like　us　young　and　pretty！〃



〃Oh；　he　DID；〃　Mrs。　Grose　assented：　　〃it　was　the　way　he　liked　everyone！〃

She　had　no　sooner　spoken　indeed　than　she　caught　herself　up。

〃I　mean　that's　HIS　waythe　master's。〃



I　was　struck。　　〃But　of　whom　did　you　speak　first？〃



She　looked　blank；　but　she　colored。　　〃Why；　of　HIM。〃



〃Of　the　master？〃



〃Of　who　else？〃



There　was　so　obviously　no　one　else　that　the　next　moment　I

had　lost　my　impression　of　her　having　accidentally　said　more

than　she　meant；　and　I　merely　asked　what　I　wanted　to　know。

〃Did　SHE　see　anything　in　the　boy？〃



〃That　wasn't　right？　　She　never　told　me。〃



I　had　a　scruple；　but　I　overcame　it。　　〃Was　she　carefulparticular？〃



Mrs。　Grose　appeared　to　try　to　be　conscientious。

〃About　some　thingsyes。〃



〃But　not　about　all？〃



Again　she　considered。　　〃Well；　missshe's　gone。

I　won't　tell　tales。〃



〃I　quite　understand　your　feeling；〃　I　hastened　to　reply；　but　I　thought　it；

after　an　instant；　not　opposed　to　this　concession　to　pursue：

〃Did　she　die　here？〃



〃Noshe　went　off。〃



I　don't　know　what　there　was　in　this　brevity　of　Mrs。　Grose's　that　struck

me　as　ambiguous。　　〃Went　off　to　die？〃　　Mrs。　Grose　looked　straight

out　of　the　window；　but　I　felt　that；　hypothetically；　I　had　a　right

to　know　what　young　persons　engaged　for　Bly　were　expected　to　do。

〃She　was　taken　ill；　you　mean；　and　went　home？〃



〃She　was　not　taken　ill；　so　far　as　appeared；　in　this　house。

She　left　it；　at　the　end　of　the　year；　to　go　home；　as　she　said；

for　a　short　holiday；　to　which　the　time　she　had　put　in　had

certainly　given　her　a　right。　　We　had　then　a　young　woman

a　nursemaid　who　had　stayed　on　and　who　was　a　good　girl　and　clever；

and　SHE　took　the　children　altogether　for　the　interval。

But　our　young　lady　never　came　back；　and　at　the　very　moment　I

was　expecting　her　I　heard　from　the　master　that　she　was　dead。〃



I　turned　this　over。　　〃But　of　what？〃



〃He　never　told　me！　　But　please；　miss；〃　said　Mrs。　Grose；

〃I　must　get　to　my　work。〃







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III





Her　thus　turning　her　back　on　me　was　fortunately　not；　for　my　just

preoccupations；　a　snub　that　could　check　the　growth　of　our　mutual　esteem。

We　met；　after　I　had　brought　home　little　Miles；　more　intimately

than　ever　on　the　ground　of　my　stupefaction；　my　general　emotion：

so　monstrous　was　I　then　ready　to　pronounce　it　that　such　a　child

as　had　now　been　revealed　to　me　should　be　under　an　interdict。

I　was　a　little　late　on　the　scene；　and　I　felt；　as　he　stood　wistfully

looking　out　for　me　before　the　door　of　the　inn　at　which　the　coach　had

put　him　down；　that　I　had　seen　him；　on　the　instant；　without　and　within；

in　the　great　glow　of　freshness；　the　same　positive　fragrance　of　purity；

in　which　I　had；　from　the　first　moment；　seen　his　little　sister。

He　was　incredibly　beautiful；　and　Mrs。　Grose　had　put　her　finger　on　it：

everything　but　a　sort　of　passion　of　tenderness　for　him　was　swept　away

by　his　presence。　　What　I　then　and　there　took　him　to　my　heart　for　was

something　divine　that　I　have　never　found　to　the　same　degree　in　any　child

his　indescribable　little　air　of　knowing　nothing　in　the　world　but　love。

It　would　have　been　impossible　to　carry　a　bad　name　with　a　greater

sweetness　of　innocence；　and　by　the　time　I　had　got　back　to　Bly　with　him

I　remained　merely　bewilderedso　far；　that　is；　as　I　was　not　outraged

by　the　sense　of　the　horrible　letter　locked　up　in　my　room；　in　a　drawer。

As　soon　as　I　could　compass　a　private　word　with　Mrs。　Grose　I　declared

to　her　that　it　was　grotesque。



She　promptly　understood　me。　　〃You　mean　the　cruel　charge？〃



〃It　doesn't　live　an　instant。　　My　dear　woman；　LOOK　at　him！〃



She　smiled　at　my　pretention　to　have　discovered　his　charm。

〃I　assure　you；　miss；　I　do　nothing　else！　　What　will　you　say；　then？〃

she　immediately　added。



〃In　answer　to　the　letter？〃　　I　had　made　up　my　mind。　　〃Nothing。〃



〃And　to　his　uncle？〃



I　was　incisive。　　〃Nothing。〃



〃And　to　the　boy　himself？〃



I　was　wonderful。　　〃Nothing。〃



She　gave　with　her　apron　a　great　wipe　to　her　mouth。　　〃Then　I'll　stand　by　you。

We'll　see　it　out。〃



〃We'll　see　it　out！〃　　I　ardently　echoed；　giving　her　my　hand　to　make

it　a　vow。



She　held　me　there　a　moment；　then　whisked　up　her　apron　again　with　her

detached　hand。　　〃Would　you　mind；　miss；　if　I　used　the　freedom〃



〃To　kiss　me？　　No！〃　　I　took　the　good　creature　in　my　arms　and；　after　we

had　embraced　like　sisters；　felt　still　more　fortified　and　indignant。



This；　at　all　events；　was　for　the　time：　　a　time　so　full　that；

as　I　recall　the　way　it　went；　it　reminds　me　of　all　the　art

I　now　need　to