the aspern papers-第4节

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are　quiet；　at　any　rate）　in　fifty　rooms！〃　　Then　with　a　burst

of　hope　and　cheer　I　demanded：　　〃Couldn't　you　let　me　two　or　three？

That　would　set　me　up！〃



I　had　not　struck　the　note　that　translated　my　purpose；　and　I　need

not　reproduce　the　whole　of　the　tune　I　played。　　I　ended　by　making　my

interlocutress　believe　that　I　was　an　honorable　person；　though　of　course

I　did　not　even　attempt　to　persuade　her　that　I　was　not　an　eccentric　one。

I　repeated　that　I　had　studies　to　pursue；　that　I　wanted　quiet；

that　I　delighted　in　a　garden　and　had　vainly　sought　one　up　and

down　the　city；　that　I　would　undertake　that　before　another　month

was　over　the　dear　old　house　should　be　smothered　in　flowers。

I　think　it　was　the　flowers　that　won　my　suit；　for　I　afterward　found

that　Miss　Tita　（for　such　the　name　of　this　high　tremulous　spinster　proved

somewhat　incongruously　to　be）　had　an　insatiable　appetite　for　them。

When　I　speak　of　my　suit　as　won　I　mean　that　before　I　left　her　she

had　promised　that　she　would　refer　the　question　to　her　aunt。

I　inquired　who　her　aunt　might　be　and　she　answered；　〃Why；　Miss　Bordereau！〃

with　an　air　of　surprise；　as　if　I　might　have　been　expected　to　know。

There　were　contradictions　like　this　in　Tita　Bordereau　which；　as　I

observed　later；　contributed　to　make　her　an　odd　and　affecting　person。

It　was　the　study　of　the　two　ladies　to　live　so　that　the　world

should　not　touch　them；　and　yet　they　had　never　altogether　accepted

the　idea　that　it　never　heard　of　them。　　In　Tita　at　any　rate

a　grateful　susceptibility　to　human　contact　had　not　died　out；

and　contact　of　a　limited　order　there　would　be　if　I　should　come

to　live　in　the　house。



〃We　have　never　done　anything　of　the　sort；　we　have　never　had　a　lodger

or　any　kind　of　inmate。〃　　So　much　as　this　she　made　a　point　of　saying　to　me。

〃We　are　very　poor；　we　live　very　badly。　　The　rooms　are　very　bare

that　you　might　take；　they　have　nothing　in　them。　　I　don't　know　how　you

would　sleep；　how　you　would　eat。〃



〃With　your　permission；　I　could　easily　put　in　a　bed　and　a　few

tables　and　chairs。　　C'est　la　moindre　des　choses　and

the　affair　of　an　hour　or　two。　　I　know　a　little　man　from　whom

I　can　hire　what　I　should　want　for　a　few　months；　for　a　trifle；

and　my　gondolier　can　bring　the　things　round　in　his　boat。

Of　course　in　this　great　house　you　must　have　a　second　kitchen；

and　my　servant；　who　is　a　wonderfully　handy　fellow〃　（this　personage

was　an　evocation　of　the　moment）；　〃can　easily　cook　me　a　chop　there。

My　tastes　and　habits　are　of　the　simplest；　I　live　on　flowers！〃

And　then　I　ventured　to　add　that　if　they　were　very　poor

it　was　all　the　more　reason　they　should　let　their　rooms。

They　were　bad　economistsI　had　never　heard　of　such　a

waste　of　material。



I　saw　in　a　moment　that　the　good　lady　had　never　before　been　spoken

to　in　that　way；　with　a　kind　of　humorous　firmness　which　did

not　exclude　sympathy　but　was　on　the　contrary　founded　on　it。

She　might　easily　have　told　me　that　my　sympathy　was　impertinent；

but　this　by　good　fortune　did　not　occur　to　her。

I　left　her　with　the　understanding　that　she　would　consider

the　matter　with　her　aunt　and　that　I　might　come　back　the　next　day

for　their　decision。



〃The　aunt　will　refuse；　she　will　think　the　whole　proceeding　very　louche！〃

Mrs。　Prest　declared　shortly　after　this；　when　I　had　resumed　my　place

in　her　gondola。　　She　had　put　the　idea　into　my　head　and　now　（so　little

are　women　to　be　counted　on）　she　appeared　to　take　a　despondent　view　of　it。

Her　pessimism　provoked　me　and　I　pretended　to　have　the　best　hopes；　I　went

so　far　as　to　say　that　I　had　a　distinct　presentiment　that　I　should　succeed。

Upon　this　Mrs。　Prest　broke　out；　〃Oh；　I　see　what's　in　your　head！

You　fancy　you　have　made　such　an　impression　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour　that　she

is　dying　for　you　to　come　and　can　be　depended　upon　to　bring　the　old　one　round。

If　you　do　get　in　you'll　count　it　as　a　triumph。〃



I　did　count　it　as　a　triumph；　but　only　for　the　editor

（in　the　last　analysis）；　not　for　the　man；　who　had　not　the　tradition

of　personal　conquest。　　When　I　went　back　on　the　morrow　the　little

maidservant　conducted　me　straight　through　the　long　sala

（it　opened　there　as　before　in　perfect　perspective　and　was　lighter　now；

which　I　thought　a　good　omen）　into　the　apartment　from　which

the　recipient　of　my　former　visit　had　emerged　on　that　occasion。

It　was　a　large　shabby　parlor；　with　a　fine　old　painted　ceiling

and　a　strange　figure　sitting　alone　at　one　of　the　windows。

They　come　back　to　me　now　almost　with　the　palpitation

they　caused；　the　successive　feelings　that　accompanied　my

consciousness　that　as　the　door　of　the　room　closed　behind

me　I　was　really　face　to　face　with　the　Juliana　of　some

of　Aspern's　most　exquisite　and　most　renowned　lyrics。

I　grew　used　to　her　afterward；　though　never　completely；

but　as　she　sat　there　before　me　my　heart　beat　as　fast　as　if

the　miracle　of　resurrection　had　taken　place　for　my　benefit。

Her　presence　seemed　somehow　to　contain　his；　and　I　felt

nearer　to　him　at　that　first　moment　of　seeing　her　than　I　ever

had　been　before　or　ever　have　been　since。　　Yes；　I　remember

my　emotions　in　their　order；　even　including　a　curious　little

tremor　that　took　me　when　I　saw　that　the　niece　was　not　there。

With　her；　the　day　before；　I　had　become　sufficiently　familiar；

but　it　almost　exceeded　my　courage　（much　s　I　had　longed　for　the　event）

to　be　left　alone　with　such　a　terrible　relic　as　the　aunt。

She　was　too　strange；　too　literally　resurgent。　　Then　came　a　check；

with　the　perception　that　we　were　not　really　face　to　face；

inasmuch　as　she　had　over　her　eyes　a　horrible　green　shade　which；

for　her；　served　almost　as　a　mask。　　I　believed　for　the　instant

that　she　had　put　it　on　expressly；　so　that　from　underneath　it

she　might　scrutinize　me　without　being　scrutinized　herself。

At　the　same　time　it　increased　the　presumption　that　there　was

a　ghastly　death's…head　lurking　behind　it。　　The　divine　Juliana

as　a　grinning　skullthe　vision　hung　there　until　it　passed。

Then　it　came　to　me　that　she　WAS　tremendously　old

so　old　that　death　might　take　her　at　any　moment；　before　I　had　time

to　get　what　I　wanted　from　her。　　The　next　thought　was　a　correction

to　that；　it　lighted　up　the　situation。　　She　would　die　next　week；

she　would　die　tomorrowthen　I　could　seize　her　papers。

Meanwhile　she　sat　there　neither　moving　nor　speaking。　　She　was

very　small　and　shrunken；　bent　forward；　with　her　hands　in　her　lap。

She　was　dressed　in　black；　and　her　head　was　wrapped　in　a　piece

of　old　black　lace　which　showed　no　hair。



My　emotion　keeping　me　silent　she　spoke　first；　and　the　remark

she　made　was　exactly　the　most　unexpected。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III





〃Our　house　is　very　far　from　the　center；　but　the　little　canal

is　very　comme　il　faut。〃



〃It's　the　sweetest　corner　of　Venice　and　I　can　imagine　nothing　more　charming；〃

I　hastened　to　reply。　　The　old　lady's　voice　was　very　thin　and　weak；　but　it

had　an　agreeable；　cultivated　murmur；　and　there　was　wonder　in　the　thought

that　that　individual　note　had　been　in　Jeffrey　Aspern's　ear。



〃Please　to　sit　down　there。　　I　hear　very　well；〃

she　said　quietly；　as　if　perhaps　I　had　been　shouting　at　her；

and　the　chair　she　pointed　to　was　at　a　certain　distance。

I　took　possession　of　it；　telling　her　that　I　was　perfectly

aware　that　I　had　intruded；　that　I　had　not　been　properly

introduced　and　could　only　throw　myself　upon　her　indulgence。

Perhaps　the　other　lady；　the　one　I　had　had　the　honor　of　seeing

the　day　before；　would　have　explained　to　her　about　the　garden。

That　was　literally　what　had　given　me　courage　to　take　a　step

so　unconventional。　　I　had　fallen　in　love　at　sight　with　the　whole　place

（she　herself　probably　was　so　used　to　it　that　she　did　not　know

the　impression　it　was　capable　of　making　on　a　stranger）；　and　I

had　felt　it　was　really　a　case　to　risk　something。　　Was　her　own

kindness　in　receiving　me　a　sign　that　I　was　not　wholly　out　in

my　calculation？　　It　would　render　me　extremely　happy　to　think　so。

I　could　give　her　my　word　of　honor　that　I　was　a　most　respectable；

inoffensive　person　and　that　as　an　inmate　they　would　be　barely

conscious　of　my　existence。　　I　would　conform　to　any　regulations；

any　restrictions　if　they　would　only　let　me　enjoy　the　garden。

Moreover　I　should　be　delighted　to　give　her　references；　guarantees；

they　would　be　of　the　very　best；　both　in　Venice　and　in　England

as　well　as　in　America。



She　listened　to　me　in　perfect　stillness　and　I　felt　that　she　was　looking

at　me　with　great　attention；　though　I　could　see　only　the　lower　part

of　her　bleached　and　shriveled　face。　　Independently　of　the　refining

process　of　old　age　it　had　a　delicacy　which　once　must　have　been　great。

She　had　been　very　fair；　she　had　had　a　wonderful　complexion。

She　was　silent　a　little　after　I　had　ceased　speaking；　then　she　inquired；

〃If　you　are　so　fond　of　a　garden　why　don't　you　go　to　terra　firma；

where　there　are　so　many　far　better　than　this？〃



〃Oh；　it's　the　combination！〃　　I　answered；　smiling；　and　then；

with　rather　a　flight　of　fancy；　〃It's　the　idea　of　a　garden

i