the aspern papers-第16节

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At　this　the　old　woman　went　on：　　〃Well；　you　brought　it　on　yourself！〃

And　then　in　a　different　tone；　〃She　is　a　very　nice　girl。〃

I　assented　cordially　to　this　proposition；　and　she　expressed　the　hope

that　I　did　so　not　merely　to　be　obliging；　but　that　I　really　liked　her。

Meanwhile　I　wondered　still　more　what　Miss　Bordereau　was　coming　to。

〃Except　for　me；　today；〃　she　said；　〃she　has　not　a　relation　in　the　world。〃

Did　she　by　describing　her　niece　as　amiable　and　unencumbered　wish

to　represent　her　as　a　parti？



It　was　perfectly　true　that　I　could　not　afford　to　go　on　with　my

rooms　at　a　fancy　price　and　that　I　had　already　devoted　to　my

undertaking　almost　all　the　hard　cash　I　had　set　apart　for　it。

My　patience　and　my　time　were　by　no　means　exhausted；　but　I　should

be　able　to　draw　upon　them　only　on　a　more　usual　Venetian　basis。

I　was　willing　to　pay　the　venerable　woman　with　whom　my　pecuniary　dealings

were　such　a　discord　twice　as　much　as　any　other　padrona　di　casa　would

have　asked；　but　I　was　not　willing　to　pay　her　twenty　times　as　much。

I　told　her　so　plainly；　and　my　plainness　appeared　to　have　some　success；

for　she　exclaimed；　〃Very　good；　you　have　done　what　I　asked

you　have　made　an　offer！〃



〃Yes；　but　not　for　half　a　year。　　Only　by　the　month。〃



〃Oh；　I　must　think　of　that　then。〃　　She　seemed　disappointed

that　I　would　not　tie　myself　to　a　period；　and　I　guessed　that　she

wished　both　to　secure　me　and　to　discourage　me；　to　say　severely；

〃Do　you　dream　that　you　can　get　off　with　less　than　six　months？

Do　you　dream　that　even　by　the　end　of　that　time　you　will　be

appreciably　nearer　your　victory？〃　　What　was　more　in　my　mind

was　that　she　had　a　fancy　to　play　me　the　trick　of　making　me

engage　myself　when　in　fact　she　had　annihilated　the　papers。

There　was　a　moment　when　my　suspense　on　this　point　was　so　acute

that　I　all　but　broke　out　with　the　question；　and　what　kept　it　back

was　but　a　kind　of　instinctive　recoil　（lest　it　should　be　a　mistake）；

from　the　last　violence　of　self…exposure。　She　was　such　a　subtle

old　witch　that　one　could　never　tell　where　one　stood　with　her。

You　may　imagine　whether　it　cleared　up　the　puzzle　when；

just　after　she　had　said　she　would　think　of　my　proposal　and　without

any　formal　transition；　she　drew　out　of　her　pocket　with　an

embarrassed　hand　a　small　object　wrapped　in　crumpled　white　paper。

She　held　it　there　a　moment　and　then　she　asked；　〃Do　you　know

much　about　curiosities？〃



〃About　curiosities？〃



〃About　antiquities；　the　old　gimcracks　that　people　pay　so　much　for　today。

Do　you　know　the　kind　of　price　they　bring？〃



I　thought　I　saw　what　was　coming；　but　I　said　ingenuously；

〃Do　you　want　to　buy　something？〃



〃No；　I　want　to　sell。　　What　would　an　amateur　give　me　for　that？〃

She　unfolded　the　white　paper　and　made　a　motion　for　me　to　take　from

her　a　small　oval　portrait。　　I　possessed　myself　of　it　with　a　hand

of　which　I　could　only　hope　that　she　did　not　perceive　the　tremor；

and　she　added；　〃I　would　part　with　it　only　for　a　good　price。〃



At　the　first　glance　I　recognized　Jeffrey　Aspern；　and　I　was　well

aware　that　I　flushed　with　the　act。　　As　she　was　watching　me

however　I　had　the　consistency　to　exclaim；　〃What　a　striking　face！

Do　tell　me　who　it　is。〃



〃It's　an　old　friend　of　mine；　a　very　distinguished　man　in　his　day。

He　gave　it　to　me　himself；　but　I'm　afraid　to　mention　his　name；　lest　you

never　should　have　heard　of　him；　critic　and　historian　as　you　are。

I　know　the　world　goes　fast　and　one　generation　forgets　another。

He　was　all　the　fashion　when　I　was　young。〃



She　was　perhaps　amazed　at　my　assurance；　but　I　was　surprised　at　hers；　at　her

having　the　energy；　in　her　state　of　health　and　at　her　time　of　life；　to　wish

to　sport　with　me　that　way　simply　for　her　private　entertainmentthe　humor

to　test　me　and　practice　on　me。　　This；　at　least；　was　the　interpretation　that　I

put　upon　her　production　of　the　portrait；　for　I　could　not　believe　that　she

really　desired　to　sell　it　or　cared　for　any　information　I　might　give　her。

What　she　wished　was　to　dangle　it　before　my　eyes　and　put　a　prohibitive

price　on　it。　　〃The　face　comes　back　to　me；　it　torments　me；〃　I　said；

turning　the　object　this　way　and　that　and　looking　at　it　very　critically。

It　was　a　careful　but　not　a　supreme　work　of　art；　larger　than　the

ordinary　miniature　and　representing　a　young　man　with　a　remarkably

handsome　face；　in　a　high…collared　green　coat　and　a　buff　waistcoat。

I　judged　the　picture　to　have　a　valuable　quality　of　resemblance　and　to　have

been　painted　when　the　model　was　about　twenty…five　years　old。　　There　are；

as　all　the　world　knows；　three　other　portraits　of　the　poet　in　existence；

but　none　of　them　is　of　so　early　a　date　as　this　elegant　production。

〃I　have　never　seen　the　original　but　I　have　seen　other　likenesses；〃　I　went　on。

〃You　expressed　doubt　of　this　generation　having　heard　of　the　gentleman；

but　he　strikes　me　for　all　the　world　as　a　celebrity。　　Now　who　is　he？

I　can't　put　my　finger　on　himI　can't　give　him　a　label。　　Wasn't　he　a　writer？

Surely　he's　a　poet。〃　　I　was　determined　that　it　should　be　she；　not　I；

who　should　first　pronounce　Jeffrey　Aspern's　name。



My　resolution　was　taken　in　ignorance　of　Miss　Bordereau's

extremely　resolute　character；　and　her　lips　never　formed

in　my　hearing　the　syllables　that　meant　so　much　for　her。

She　neglected　to　answer　my　question　but　raised　her　hand　to　take

back　the　picture；　with　a　gesture　which　though　ineffectual

was　in　a　high　degree　peremptory。　　〃It's　only　a　person

who　should　know　for　himself　that　would　give　me　my　price；〃

she　said　with　a　certain　dryness。



〃Oh；　then；　you　have　a　price？〃　　I　did　not　restore　the　precious　thing；

not　from　any　vindictive　purpose　but　because　I　instinctively　clung　to　it。

We　looked　at　each　other　hard　while　I　retained　it。



〃I　know　the　least　I　would　take。　　What　it　occurred　to　me　to　ask　you

about　is　the　most　I　shall　be　able　to　get。〃



She　made　a　movement；　drawing　herself　together　as　if；

in　a　spasm　of　dread　at　having　lost　her　treasure；　she　were　going

to　attempt　the　immense　effort　of　rising　to　snatch　it　from　me。

I　instantly　placed　it　in　her　hand　again；　saying　as　I　did　so；

〃I　should　like　to　have　it　myself；　but　with　your　ideas　I　could

never　afford　it。〃



She　turned　the　small　oval　plate　over　in　her　lap；　with　its　face　down；

and　I　thought　I　saw　her　catch　her　breath　a　little；　as　if　she　had

had　a　strain　or　an　escape。　　This　however　did　not　prevent　her　saying

in　a　moment；　〃You　would　buy　a　likeness　of　a　person　you　don't　know；

by　an　artist　who　has　no　reputation？〃



〃The　artist　may　have　no　reputation；　but　that　thing　is　wonderfully

well　painted；〃　I　replied；　to　give　myself　a　reason。



〃It's　lucky　you　thought　of　saying　that；　because　the　painter

was　my　father。〃



〃That　makes　the　picture　indeed　precious！〃　　I　exclaimed；　laughing；　and　I

may　add　that　a　part　of　my　laughter　came　from　my　satisfaction　in　finding

that　I　had　been　right　in　my　theory　of　Miss　Bordereau's　origin。　　Aspern　had

of　course　met　the　young　lady　when　he　went　to　her　father's　studio　as　a　sitter。

I　observed　to　Miss　Bordereau　that　if　she　would　entrust　me　with　her

property　for　twenty…four　hours　I　should　be　happy　to　take　advice　upon　it；

but　she　made　no　answer　to　this　save　to　slip　it　in　silence　into　her　pocket。


This　convinced　me　still　more　that　she　had　no　sincere　intention　of　selling

it　during　her　lifetime；　though　she　may　have　desired　to　satisfy　herself

as　to　the　sum　her　niece；　should　she　leave　it　to　her；　might　expect

eventually　to　obtain　for　it。　　〃Well；　at　any　rate　I　hope　you　will　not　offer

it　without　giving　me　notice；〃　I　said　as　she　remained　irresponsive。

〃Remember　that　I　am　a　possible　purchaser。〃



〃I　should　want　your　money　first！〃　she　returned　with　unexpected　rudeness；

and　then；　as　if　she　bethought　herself　that　I　had　just　cause　to　complain

of　such　an　insinuation　and　wished　to　turn　the　matter　off；　asked　abruptly

what　I　talked　about　with　her　niece　when　I　went　out　with　her　that　way

in　the　evening。



〃You　speak　as　if　we　had　set　up　the　habit；〃　I　replied。

〃Certainly　I　should　be　very　glad　if　it　were　to　become　a　habit。

But　in　that　case　I　should　feel　a　still　greater　scruple　at

betraying　a　lady's　confidence。〃



〃Her　confidence？　　Has　she　got　confidence？〃



〃Here　she　isshe　can　tell　you　herself；〃　I　said；　for　Miss　Tita

now　appeared　on　the　threshold　of　the　old　woman's　parlor。

〃Have　you　got　confidence；　Miss　Tita？　　Your　aunt　wants　very

much　to　know。〃



〃Not　in　her；　not　in　her！〃　the　younger　lady　declared；　shaking　her

head　with　a　dolefulness　that　was　neither　jocular　not　affected。

〃I　don't　know　what　to　do　with　her；　she　has　fits　of　horrid　imprudence。

She　is　so　easily　tiredand　yet　she　has　begun　to　roam

to　drag　herself　about　the　house。〃　　And　she　stood　looking　down

at　her　immemorial　companion　with　a　sort　of　helpless　wonder；

as　if　all　their　years　of　familiarity　had　not　made　her　perversities；

on　occasion；　any　more　easy　to　follow。



〃I　know　what　I'm　about。　　I'm　not　losing　my　mind。

I　daresay　you　would　like　to　think　so；〃　said　Miss　Bordereau

with　a