the aspern papers-第17节

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〃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　cynical　little　sigh。



〃I　don't　suppose　you　came　out　here　yourself。　　Miss　Tita　must　have　had　to　lend

you　a　hand；〃　I　interposed　with　a　pacifying　intention。



〃Oh；　she　insisted　that　we　should　push　her；　and　when　she　insists！〃

said　Miss　Tita　in　the　same　tone　of　apprehension；　as　if　there　were　no

knowing　what　service　that　she　disapproved　of　her　aunt　might　force

her　next　to　render。



〃I　have　always　got　most　things　done　I　wanted；　thank　God！

The　people　I　have　lived　with　have　humored　me；〃　the　old

woman　continued；　speaking　out　of　the　gray　ashes　of　her　vanity。



〃I　suppose　you　mean　that　they　have　obeyed　you。〃



〃Well；　whatever　it　is；　when　they　like　you。〃



〃It's　just　because　I　like　you　that　I　want　to　resist；〃

said　Miss　Tita　with　a　nervous　laugh。



〃Oh；　I　suspect　you'll　bring　Miss　Bordereau　upstairs　next　to　pay　me　a　visit；〃

I　went　on；　to　which　the　old　lady　replied：



〃Oh；　no；　I　can　keep　an　eye　on　you　from　here！〃



〃You　are　very　tired；　you　will　certainly　be　ill　tonight！〃

cried　Miss　Tita。



〃Nonsense；　my　dear；　I　feel　better　at　this　moment　than　I

have　done　for　a　month。　　Tomorrow　I　shall　come　out　again。

I　want　to　be　where　I　can　see　this　clever　gentleman。〃



〃Shouldn't　you　perhaps　see　me　better　in　your　sitting　room？〃

I　inquired。



〃Don't　you　mean　shouldn't　you　have　a　better　chance　at　me？〃

she　returned；　fixing　me　a　moment　with　her　green　shade。



〃Ah；　I　haven't　that　anywhere！　　I　look　at　you　but　I　don't　see　you。〃



〃You　excite　her　dreadfullyand　that　is　not　good；〃　said　Miss　Tita；

giving　me　a　reproachful；　appealing　look。



〃I　want　to　watch　youI　want　to　watch　you！〃　the　old　lady　went　on。



〃Well　then；　let　us　spend　as　much　of　our　time　together　as　possible

I　don't　care　whereand　that　will　give　you　every　facility。〃



〃Oh；　I've　seen　you　enough　for　today。　　I'm　satisfied。　　Now　I'll　go　home。〃

Miss　Tita　laid　her　hands　on　the　back　of　her　aunt's　chair　and　began　to　push；

but　I　begged　her　to　let　me　take　her　place。　　〃Oh；　yes；　you　may　move　me

this　wayyou　shan't　in　any　other！〃　　Miss　Bordereau　exclaimed　as　she

felt　herself　propelled　firmly　and　easily　over　the　smooth；　hard　floor。

Before　we　reached　the　door　of　her　own　apartment　she　commanded　me　to　stop；

and　she　took　a　long；　last　look　up　and　down　the　noble　sala。　　〃Oh；　it's

a　magnificent　house！〃　she　murmured；　after　which　I　pushed　her　forward。

When　we　had　entered　the　parlor　Miss　Tita　told　me　that　she　should　now

be　able　to　manage；　and　at　the　same　moment　the　little　red…haired

donna　came　to　meet　her　mistress。　　Miss　Tita's　idea　was　evidently

to　get　her　aunt　immediately　back　to　bed。　　I　confess　that　in　spite

of　this　urgency　I　was　guilty　of　the　indiscretion　of　lingering；

it　held　me　there　to　think　that　I　was　nearer　the　documents　I　coveted

that　they　were　probably　put　away　somewhere　in　the　faded；　unsociable　room。

The　place　had　indeed　a　bareness　which　did　not　suggest　hidden　treasures；

there　were　no　dusky　nooks　nor　curtained　corners；　no　massive　cabinets

nor　chests　with　iron　bands。　　Moreover　it　was　possible；　it　was　perhaps

even　probable　that　the　old　lady　had　consigned　her　relics　to　her　bedroom；

to　some　battered　box　that　was　shoved　under　the　bed；　to　the　drawer　of　some

lame　dressing　table；　where　they　would　be　in　the　range　of　vision　by　the　dim

night　lamp。　　Nonetheless　I　scrutinized　every　article　of　furniture；

every　conceivable　cover　for　a　hoard；　and　noticed　that　there　were　half

a　dozen　things　with　drawers；　and　in　particular　a　tall　old　secretary；

with　brass　ornaments　of　the　style　of　the　Empirea　receptacle

somewhat　rickety　but　still　capable　of　keeping　a　great　many　secrets。

I　don't　know　why　this　article　fascinated　me　so；　inasmuch　as　I　certainly

had　no　definite　purpose　of　breaking　into　it；　but　I　stared　at　it　so　hard

that　Miss　Tita　noticed　me　and　changed　color。　　Her　doing　this　made　me　think

I　was　right　and　that　wherever　they　might　have　been　before　the　Aspern　papers

at　that　moment　languished　behind　the　peevish　little　lock　of　the　secretary。

it　was　hard　to　remove　my　eyes　from　the　dull　mahogany　front　when　I

reflected　that　a　simple　panel　divided　me　from　the　goal　of　my　hopes；

but　I　remembered　my　prudence　and　with　an　effort　took　leave　of　Miss　Bordereau。

To　make　the　effort　graceful　I　said　to　her　that　I　should　certainly　bring

her　an　opinion　about　the　little　picture。



〃The　little　picture？〃　　Miss　Tita　asked；　surprised。



〃What　do　YOU　know　about　it；　my　dear？〃　the　old　woman　demanded。

〃You　needn't　mind。　　I　have　fixed　my　price。〃



〃And　what　may　that　be？〃



〃A　thousand　pounds。〃



〃Oh　Lord！〃　cried　poor　Miss　Tita　irrepressibly。



〃Is　that　what　she　talks　to　you　about？〃　said　Miss　Bordereau。



〃Imagine　your　aunt's　wanting　to　know！〃　　I　had　to　separate　from　Miss　Tita

with　only　those　words；　though　I　should　have　liked　immensely　to　add；

〃For　heaven's　sake　meet　me　tonight　in　the　garden！〃







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VIII





As　it　turned　out　the　precaution　had　not　been　needed；

for　three　hours　later；　just　as　I　had　finished　my　dinner；

Miss　Bordereau's　niece　appeared；　unannounced；　in　the　open

doorway　of　the　room　in　which　my　simple　repasts　were　served。

I　remember　well　that　I　felt　no　surprise　at　seeing　her；

which　is　not　a　proof　that　I　did　not　believe　in　her　timidity。

It　was　immense；　but　in　a　case　in　which　there　was　a　particular

reason　for　boldness　it　never　would　have　prevented　her　from

running　up　to　my　rooms。　　I　saw　that　she　was　now　quite　full

of　a　particular　reason；　it　threw　her　forwardmade　her　seize　me；

as　I　rose　to　meet　her；　by　the　arm。



〃My　aunt　is　very　ill；　I　think　she　is　dying！〃



〃Never　in　the　world；〃　I　answered　bitterly。　　〃Don't　you　be　afraid！〃



〃Do　go　for　a　doctordo；　do！　　Olimpia　is　gone　for　the　one　we　always　have；

but　she　doesn't　come　back；　I　don't　know　what　has　happened　to　her。

I　told　her　that　if　he　was　not　at　home　she　was　to　follow　him　where

he　had　gone；　but　apparently　she　is　following　him　all　over　Venice。

I　don't　know　what　to　doshe　looks　so　as　if　she　were　sinking。〃



〃May　I　see　her；　may　I　judge？〃　　I　asked。　　〃Of　course　I　shall　be

delighted　to　bring　someone；　but　hadn't　we　better　send　my　man　instead；

so　that　I　may　stay　with　you？〃



Miss　Tita　assented　to　this　and　I　dispatched　my　servant　for　the　best

doctor　in　the　neighborhood。　　I　hurried　downstairs　with　her；

and　on　the　way　she　told　me　that　an　hour　after　I　quitted　them

in　the　afternoon　Miss　Bordereau　had　had　an　attack　of　〃oppression；〃

a　terrible　difficulty　in　breathing。　　This　had　subsided　but　had　left

her　so　exhausted　that　she　did　not　come　up：　　she　seemed　all　gone。

I　repeated　that　she　was　not　gone；　that　she　would　not　go　yet；

whereupon　Miss　Tita　gave　me　a　sharper　sidelong　glance　than　she

had　ever　directed　at　me　and　said；　〃Really；　what　do　you　mean？

I　suppose　you　don't　accuse　her　of　making　believe！〃

I　forget　what　reply　I　made　to　this；　but　I　grant　that　in　my

heart　I　thought　the　old　woman　capable　of　any　weird　maneuver。

Miss　Tita　wanted　to　know　what　I　had　done　to　her；　her　aunt　had　told

her　that　I　had　made　her　so　angry。　　I　declared　I　had　done　nothing

I　had　been　exceedingly　careful；　to　which　my　companion　rejoined

that　Miss　Bordereau　had　assured　her　she　had　had　a　scene　with　me

a　scene　that　had　upset　her。　　I　answered　with　some　resentment

that　it　was　a　scene　of　her　own　makingthat　I　couldn't　think

what　she　was　angry　with　me　for　unless　for　not　seeing　my　way

to　give　a　thousand　pounds　for　the　portrait　of　Jeffrey　Aspern。

〃And　did　she　show　you　that？　　Oh；　graciousoh；　deary　me！〃

groaned　Miss　Tita；　who　appeared　to　feel　that　the　situation

was　passing　out　of　her　control　and　that　the　elements　of　her

fate　were　thickening　around　her。　　I　said　that　I　would　give

anything　to　possess　it；　yet　that　I　had　not　a　thousand　pounds；

but　I　stopped　when　we　came　to　the　door　of　Miss　Bordereau's　room。

I　had　an　immense　curiosity　to　pass　it；　but　I　thought　it　my　duty

to　represent　to　Miss　Tita　that　if　I　made　the　invalid　angry　she

ought　perhaps　to　be　spared　the　sight　of　me。　　〃The　sight　of　you？

Do　you　think　she　can　SEE？〃　my　companion　demanded　almost

with　indignation。　　I　did　think　so　but　forebore　to　say　it；

and　I　softly　followed　my　conductress。



I　remember　that　what　I　said　to　her　as　I　stood　for　a　moment　beside

the　old　woman's　bed　was；　〃Does　she　never　show　you　her　eyes　then？

Have　you　never　seen　them？〃　　Miss　Bordereau　had　been　divested

of　her　green　shade；　but　（it　was　not　my　fortune　to　behold　Juliana

in　her　nightcap）　the　upper　half　of　her　face　was　covered　by　the　fall

of　a　piece　of　dingy　lacelike　muslin；　a　sort　of　extemporized

hood　which；　wound　round　her　head；　descended　to　the　end　of　her　nose；

leaving　nothing　visible　but　her　white　withered　cheeks　and

puckered　mouth；　closed　tightly　and；　as　it　were　consciously。

Miss　Tita　gave　me　a　glance　of　surprise；　evidently　not　seeing　a　reason

for　my　impatience。　　〃You　mean　that　she　always　wears　something？

She　does　it　to　preser