the aspern papers-第14节

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her　return　to　society。　　I　saw　that　she　enjoyed　it　even　more　than

she　told；　she　was　agitated　with　the　multitude　of　her　impressions。

She　had　forgotten　what　an　attractive　thing　the　world　is；

and　it　was　coming　over　her　that　somehow　she　had　for　the　best　years

of　her　life　been　cheated　of　it。　　This　did　not　make　her　angry；

but　as　she　looked　all　over　the　charming　scene　her　face　had；　in　spite

of　its　smile　of　appreciation；　the　flush　of　a　sort　of　wounded　surprise。

She　became　silent；　as　if　she　were　thinking　with　a　secret　sadness

of　opportunities；　forever　lost；　which　ought　to　have　been　easy；

and　this　gave　me　a　chance　to　say　to　her；　〃Did　you　mean　a　while　ago

that　your　aunt　has　a　plan　of　keeping　me　on　by　admitting　me　occasionally

to　her　presence？〃



〃She　thinks　it　will　make　a　difference　with　you　if　you　sometimes　see　her。

She　wants　you　so　much　to　stay　that　she　is　willing　to　make　that　concession。〃



〃And　what　good　does　she　consider　that　I　think　it　will　do　me　to　see　her？〃



〃I　don't　know；　she　thinks　it's　interesting；〃　said　Miss　Tita　simply。

〃You　told　her　you　found　it　so。〃



〃So　I　did；　but　everyone　doesn't　think　so。〃



〃No；　of　course　not；　or　more　people　would　try。〃



〃Well；　if　she　is　capable　of　making　that　reflection　she

is　capable　of　making　this　further　one；〃　I　went　on：

〃that　I　must　have　a　particular　reason　for　not　doing　as　others　do；

in　spite　of　the　interest　she　offersfor　not　leaving　her　alone。〃

Miss　Tita　looked　as　if　she　failed　to　grasp　this　rather

complicated　proposition；　so　I　continued；　〃If　you　have　not　told

her　what　I　said　to　you　the　other　night　may　she　not　at　least

have　guessed　it？〃



〃I　don't　know；　she　is　very　suspicious。〃



〃But　she　has　not　been　made　so　by　indiscreet　curiosity；　by　persecution？〃



〃No；　no；　it　isn't　that；〃　said　Miss　Tita；　turning　on　me

a　somewhat　troubled　face。　　〃I　don't　know　how　to　say　it：

it's　on　account　of　somethingages　ago；　before　I　was　born

in　her　life。〃



〃Something？　　What　sort　of　thing？〃　　I　asked　as　if　I　myself　could

have　no　idea。



〃Oh；　she　has　never　told　me；〃　Miss　Tita　answered；　and　I　was　sure

she　was　speaking　the　truth。



Her　extreme　limpidity　was　almost　provoking；　and　I　felt　for　the　moment

that　she　would　have　been　more　satisfactory　if　she　had　been　less　ingenuous。

〃Do　you　suppose　it's　something　to　which　Jeffrey　Aspern's　letters　and　papers

I　mean　the　things　in　her　possessionhave　reference？〃



〃I　daresay　it　is！〃　my　companion　exclaimed　as　if　this　were　a　very

happy　suggestion。　　〃I　have　never　looked　at　any　of　those　things。〃



〃None　of　them？　　Then　how　do　you　know　what　they　are？〃



〃I　don't；〃　said　Miss　Tita　placidly。　　〃I　have　never　had　them　in　my　hands。

But　I　have　seen　them　when　she　has　had　them　out。〃



〃Does　she　have　them　out　often？〃



〃Not　now；　but　she　used　to。　　She　is　very　fond　of　them。〃



〃In　spite　of　their　being　compromising？〃



〃Compromising？〃　　Miss　Tita　repeated　as　if　she　was　ignorant　of　the　meaning

of　the　word。　　I　felt　almost　as　one　who　corrupts　the　innocence　of　youth。



〃I　mean　their　containing　painful　memories。〃



〃Oh；　I　don't　think　they　are　painful。〃



〃You　mean　you　don't　think　they　affect　her　reputation？〃



At　this　a　singular　look　came　into　the　face　of　Miss

Bordereau's　niecea　kind　of　confession　of　helplessness；

an　appeal　to　me　to　deal　fairly；　generously　with　her。

I　had　brought　her　to　the　Piazza；　placed　her　among　charming

influences；　paid　her　an　attention　she　appreciated；　and　now　I

seemed　to　let　her　perceive　that　all　this　had　been　a　bribe

a　bribe　to　make　her　turn　in　some　way　against　her　aunt。

She　was　of　a　yielding　nature　and　capable　of　doing　almost　anything

to　please　a　person　who　was　kind　to　her；　but　the　greatest

kindness　of　all　would　be　not　to　presume　too　much　on　this。

It　was　strange　enough；　as　I　afterward　thought；　that　she

had　not　the　least　air　of　resenting　my　want　of　consideration

for　her　aunt's　character；　which　would　have　been　in　the　worst

possible　taste　if　anything　less　vital　（from　my　point　of　view）

had　been　at　stake。　　I　don't　think　she　really　measured　it。

〃Do　you　mean　that　she　did　something　bad？〃　she　asked　in　a　moment。



〃Heaven　forbid　I　should　say　so；　and　it's　none　of　my　business。

Besides；　if　she　did；〃　I　added；　laughing；　〃it　was　in　other　ages；

in　another　world。　　But　why　should　she　not　destroy　her　papers？〃



〃Oh；　she　loves　them　too　much。〃



〃Even　now；　when　she　may　be　near　her　end？〃



〃Perhaps　when　she's　sure　of　that　she　will。〃



〃Well；　Miss　Tita；〃　I　said；　〃it's　just　what　I　should　like　you　to　prevent。〃



〃How　can　I　prevent　it？〃



〃Couldn't　you　get　them　away　from　her？〃



〃And　give　them　to　you？〃



This　put　the　case　very　crudely；　though　I　am　sure　there　was　no　irony

in　her　intention。　　〃Oh；　I　mean　that　you　might　let　me　see　them　and　look

them　over。　　It　isn't　for　myself；　there　is　no　personal　avidity　in　my　desire。

It　is　simply　that　they　would　be　of　such　immense　interest　to　the　public；

such　immeasurable　importance　as　a　contribution　to　Jeffrey　Aspern's　history。〃



She　listened　to　me　in　her　usual　manner；　as　if　my　speech　were　full　of

reference　to　things　she　had　never　heard　of；　and　I　felt　particularly　like

the　reporter　of　a　newspaper　who　forces　his　way　into　a　house　of　mourning。

This　was　especially　the　case　when　after　a　moment　she　said。　　〃There　was

a　gentleman　who　some　time　ago　wrote　to　her　in　very　much　those　words。

He　also　wanted　her　papers。〃



〃And　did　she　answer　him？〃　　I　asked；　rather　ashamed　of　myself

for　not　having　her　rectitude。



〃Only　when　he　had　written　two　or　three　times。　　He　made　her　very　angry。〃



〃And　what　did　she　say？〃



〃She　said　he　was　a　devil；〃　Miss　Tita　replied　simply。



〃She　used　that　expression　in　her　letter？〃



〃Oh；　no；　she　said　it　to　me。　　She　made　me　write　to　him。〃



〃And　what　did　you　say？〃



〃I　told　him　there　were　no　papers　at　all。〃



〃Ah；　poor　gentleman！〃　　I　exclaimed。



〃I　knew　there　were；　but　I　wrote　what　she　bade　me。〃



〃Of　course　you　had　to　do　that。　　But　I　hope　I　shall　not　pass　for　a　devil。〃



〃It　will　depend　upon　what　you　ask　me　to　do　for　you；〃

said　Miss　Tita；　smiling。



〃Oh；　if　there　is　a　chance　of　YOUR　thinking　so　my　affair　is　in　a　bad　way！

I　shan't　ask　you　to　steal　for　me；　nor　even　to　fibfor　you　can't　fib；

unless　on　paper。　　But　the　principal　thing　is　thisto　prevent　her　from

destroying　the　papers。〃



〃Why；　I　have　no　control　of　her；〃　said　Miss　Tita。

〃It's　she　who　controls　me。〃



〃But　she　doesn't　control　her　own　arms　and　legs；　does　she？

The　way　she　would　naturally　destroy　her　letters　would　be　to　burn　them。

Now　she　can't　burn　them　without　fire；　and　she　can't　get　fire　unless

you　give　it　to　her。〃



〃I　have　always　done　everything　she　has　asked；〃　my　companion　rejoined。

〃Besides；　there's　Olimpia。〃



I　was　on　the　point　of　saying　that　Olimpia　was　probably　corruptible；

but　I　thought　it　best　not　to　sound　that　note。　　So　I　simply　inquired

if　that　faithful　domestic　could　not　be　managed。



〃Everyone　can　be　managed　by　my　aunt；〃　said　Miss　Tita。

And　then　she　observed　that　her　holiday　was　over；　she　must　go　home。



I　laid　my　hand　on　her　arm；　across　the　table；　to　stay　her　a　moment。

〃What　I　want　of　you　is　a　general　promise　to　help　me。〃



〃Oh；　how　can　Ihow　can　I？〃　she　asked；　wondering　and　troubled。

She　was　half…surprised；　half…frightened　at　my　wishing　to　make

her　play　an　active　part。



〃This　is　the　main　thing：　　to　watch　her　carefully　and　warn　me　in　time；

before　she　commits　that　horrible　sacrilege。〃



〃I　can't　watch　her　when　she　makes　me　go　out。〃



〃That's　very　true。〃



〃And　when　you　do；　too。〃



〃Mercy　on　us；　do　you　think　she　will　have　done　anything　tonight？〃



〃I　don't　know；　she　is　very　cunning。〃



〃Are　you　trying　to　frighten　me？〃　　I　asked。



I　felt　this　inquiry　sufficiently　answered　when　my　companion

murmured　in　a　musing；　almost　envious　way；　〃Oh；　but　she　loves　them

she　loves　them！〃



This　reflection；　repeated　with　such　emphasis；　gave　me　great　comfort；

but　to　obtain　more　of　that　balm　I　said；　〃If　she　shouldn't　intend

to　destroy　the　objects　we　speak　of　before　her　death　she　will　probably

have　made　some　disposition　by　will。〃



〃By　will？〃



〃Hasn't　she　made　a　will　for　your　benefit？〃



〃Why；　she　has　so　little　to　leave。　　That's　why　she　likes　money；〃

said　Miss　Tita。



〃Might　I　ask；　since　we　are　really　talking　things　over；

what　you　and　she　live　on？〃



〃On　some　money　that　comes　from　America；　from　a　lawyer。

He　sends　it　every　quarter。　　It　isn't　much！〃



〃And　won't　she　have　disposed　of　that？〃



My　companion　hesitatedI　saw　she　was　blushing。

〃I　believe　it's　mine；〃　she　said；　and　the　look　and　tone　which

accompanied　these　words　betrayed　so　the　absence　of　the　habit

of　thinking　of　herself　that　I　almost　thought　her　charming。

The　next　instant　she　added；　〃But　she　had　a　lawyer　once；

ever　so　long　ago。　　And　some　people　came　and　signed　something。〃



〃They　were　probably　witnesses。　　And　you　were　not　asked　to　sign？

Well　then；〃　I　argued　rapidly　and