the turn of the screw-第15节

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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　more　explicit。

〃They　don't　know；　as　yet；　quite　howbut　they're　trying　hard。

They're　seen　only　across；　as　it　were；　and　beyondin　strange　places

and　on　high　places；　the　top　of　towers；　the　roof　of　houses；　the　outside

of　windows；　the　further　edge　of　pools；　but　there's　a　deep　design；

on　either　side；　to　shorten　the　distance　and　overcome　the　obstacle；

and　the　success　of　the　tempters　is　only　a　question　of　time。

They've　only　to　keep　to　their　suggestions　of　danger。〃



〃For　the　children　to　come？〃



〃And　perish　in　the　attempt！〃　　Mrs。　Grose　slowly　got　up；

and　I　scrupulously　added：　　〃Unless；　of　course；　we　can　prevent！〃



Standing　there　before　me　while　I　kept　my　seat；　she　visibly

turned　things　over。　　〃Their　uncle　must　do　the　preventing。

He　must　take　them　away。〃



〃And　who's　to　make　him？〃



She　had　been　scanning　the　distance；　but　she　now　dropped　on　me

a　foolish　face。　　〃You；　miss。〃



〃By　writing　to　him　that　his　house　is　poisoned　and　his　little

nephew　and　niece　mad？〃



〃But　if　they　ARE；　miss？〃



〃And　if　I　am　myself；　you　mean？　　That's　charming　news　to　be　sent　him

by　a　governess　whose　prime　undertaking　was　to　give　him　no　worry。〃



Mrs。　Grose　considered；　following　the　children　again。　　〃Yes；　he　do　hate　worry。

That　was　the　great　reason〃



〃Why　those　fiends　took　him　in　so　long？　　No　doubt；　though　his

indifference　must　have　been　awful。　　As　I'm　not　a　fiend；

at　any　rate；　I　shouldn't　take　him　in。〃



My　companion；　after　an　instant　and　for　all　answer；　sat　down　again

and　grasped　my　arm。　　〃Make　him　at　any　rate　come　to　you。〃



I　stared。　　〃To　ME？〃　I　had　a　sudden　fear　of　what　she　might　do。　　〃'Him'？〃



〃He　ought　to　BE　herehe　ought　to　help。〃



I　quickly　rose；　and　I　think　I　must　have　shown　her　a　queerer　face

than　ever　yet。　　〃You　see　me　asking　him　for　a　visit？〃　　No；　with　her

eyes　on　my　face　she　evidently　couldn't。　Instead　of　it　even

as　a　woman　reads　anothershe　could　see　what　I　myself　saw：

his　derision；　his　amusement；　his　contempt　for　the　breakdown

of　my　resignation　at　being　left　alone　and　for　the　fine　machinery　I

had　set　in　motion　to　attract　his　attention　to　my　slighted　charms。

She　didn't　knowno　one　knewhow　proud　I　had　been　to　serve

him　and　to　stick　to　our　terms；　yet　she　nonetheless　took

the　measure；　I　think；　of　the　warning　I　now　gave　her。

〃If　you　should　so　lose　your　head　as　to　appeal　to　him　for　me〃



She　was　really　frightened。　　〃Yes；　miss？〃



〃I　would　leave；　on　the　spot；　both　him　and　you。〃









　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XIII





It　was　all　very　well　to　join　them；　but　speaking　to　them　proved

quite　as　much　as　ever　an　effort　beyond　my　strengthoffered；

in　close　quarters；　difficulties　as　insurmountable　as　before。

This　situation　continued　a　month；　and　with　new　aggravations

and　particular　notes；　the　note　above　all；　sharper　and　sharper；

of　the　small　ironic　consciousness　on　the　part　of　my　pupils。

It　was　not；　I　am　as　sure　today　as　I　was　sure　then；　my　mer