the aspern papers-第7节

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carrying　on　the　struggle　in　the　field。　　It　is　true　that　I　went

to　see　her　very　often；　on　the　theory　that　it　would　console　me

（I　freely　expressed　my　discouragement）　for　my　want　of　success

on　my　own　premises。　　But　I　began　to　perceive　that　it　did

not　console　me　to　be　perpetually　chaffed　for　my　scruples；

especially　when　I　was　really　so　vigilant；　and　I　was　rather

glad　when　my　derisive　friend　closed　her　house　for　the　summer。

She　had　expected　to　gather　amusement　from　the　drama　of　my

intercourse　with　the　Misses　Bordereau；　and　she　was　disappointed

that　the　intercourse；　and　consequently　the　drama；　had　not　come　off。

〃They'll　lead　you　on　to　your　ruin；〃　she　said　before　she　left　Venice。

〃They'll　get　all　your　money　without　showing　you　a　scrap。〃

I　think　I　settled　down　to　my　business　with　more　concentration

after　she　had　gone　away。



It　was　a　fact　that　up　to　that　time　I　had　not；　save　on　a　single

brief　occasion；　had　even　a　moment's　contact　with　my　queer　hostesses。

The　exception　had　occurred　when　I　carried　them　according

to　my　promise　the　terrible　three　thousand　francs。

Then　I　found　Miss　Tita　waiting　for　me　in　the　hall；　and　she

took　the　money　from　my　hand　so　that　I　did　not　see　her　aunt。

The　old　lady　had　promised　to　receive　me；　but　she　apparently

thought　nothing　of　breaking　that　vow。　　The　money　was　contained

in　a　bag　of　chamois　leather；　of　respectable　dimensions；

which　my　banker　had　given　me；　and　Miss　Tita　had　to　make　a　big

fist　to　receive　it。　　This　she　did　with　extreme　solemnity；

though　I　tried　to　treat　the　affair　a　little　as　a　joke。

It　was　in　no　jocular　strain；　yet　it　was　with　simplicity；

that　she　inquired；　weighing　the　money　in　her　two　palms：

〃Don't　you　think　it's　too　much？〃　　To　which　I　replied　that　that

would　depend　upon　the　amount　of　pleasure　I　should　get　for　it。

Hereupon　she　turned　away　from　me　quickly；　as　she　had　done

the　day　before；　murmuring　in　a　tone　different　from　any　she　had

used　hitherto：　　〃Oh；　pleasure；　pleasurethere's　no　pleasure

in　this　house！〃



After　this；　for　a　long　time；　I　never　saw　her；　and　I　wondered　that

the　common　chances　of　the　day　should　not　have　helped　us　to　meet。

It　could　only　be　evident　that　she　was　immensely　on　her　guard

against　them；　and　in　addition　to　this　the　house　was　so　big　that

for　each　other　we　were　lost　in　it。　　I　used　to　look　out　for　her

hopefully　as　I　crossed　the　sala　in　my　comings　and　goings；

but　I　was　not　rewarded　with　a　glimpse　of　the　tail　of　her　dress。

It　was　as　if　she　never　peeped　out　of　her　aunt's　apartment。

I　used　to　wonder　what　she　did　there　week　after　week　and　year

after　year。　　I　had　never　encountered　such　a　violent　parti　pris

of　seclusion；　it　was　more　than　keeping　quietit　was　like　hunted

creatures　feigning　death。　　The　two　ladies　appeared　to　have

no　visitors　whatever　and　no　sort　of　contact　with　the　world。

I　judged　at　least　that　people　could　not　have　come　to　the　house

and　that　Miss　Tita　could　not　have　gone　out　without　my　having

some　observation　of　it。　　I　did　what　I　disliked　myself　for　doing

（reflecting　that　it　was　only　once　in　a　way）：　I　questioned

my　servant　about　their　habits　and　let　him　divine　that　I

should　be　interested　in　any　information　he　could　pick　up。

But　he　picked　up　amazingly　little　for　a　knowing　Venetian：

it　must　be　added　that　where　there　is　a　perpetual　fast　there

are　very　few　crumbs　on　the　floor。　　His　cleverness　in　other　ways

was　sufficient；　if　it　was　not　quite　all　that　I　had　attributed

to　him　on　the　occasion　of　my　first　interview　with　Miss　Tita。

He　had　helped　my　gondolier　to　bring　me　round　a　boatload　of　furniture；

and　when　these　articles　had　been　carried　to　the　top　of　the　palace

and　distributed　according　to　our　associated　wisdom　he　organized

my　household　with　such　promptitude　as　was　consistent　with　the　fact

that　it　was　composed　exclusively　of　himself。　　He　made　me　in　short

as　comfortable　as　I　could　be　with　my　indifferent　prospects。

I　should　have　been　glad　if　he　had　fallen　in　love　with　Miss

Bordereau's　maid　or；　failing　this；　had　taken　her　in　aversion；

either　event　might　have　brought　about　some　kind　of　catastrophe；

and　a　catastrophe　might　have　led　to　some　parley。

It　was　my　idea　that　she　would　have　been　sociable；　and　I

myself　on　various　occasions　saw　her　flit　to　and　fro　on

domestic　errands；　so　that　I　was　sure　she　was　accessible。

But　I　tasted　of　no　gossip　from　that　fountain；　and　I

afterward　learned　that　Pasquale's　affections　were　fixed

upon　an　object　that　made　him　heedless　of　other　women。

This　was　a　young　lady　with　a　powdered　face；　a　yellow　cotton　gown；

and　much　leisure；　who　used　often　to　come　to　see　him。

She　practiced；　at　her　convenience；　the　art　of　a　stringer　of　beads

（these　ornaments　are　made　in　Venice；　in　profusion；　she　had

her　pocket　full　of　them；　and　I　used　to　find　them　on　the　floor

of　my　apartment）；　and　kept　an　eye　on　the　maiden　in　the　house。

It　was　not　for　me　of　course　to　make　the　domestics　tattle；

and　I　never　said　a　word　to　Miss　Bordereau's　cook。



It　seemed　to　me　a　proof　of　the　old　lady's　determination

to　have　nothing　to　do　with　me　that　she　should　never　have

sent　me　a　receipt　for　my　three　months'　rent。　　For　some　days

I　looked　out　for　it　and　then；　when　I　had　given　it　up；

I　wasted　a　good　deal　of　time　in　wondering　what　her　reason

had　been　for　neglecting　so　indispensable　and　familiar　a　form。

At　first　I　was　tempted　to　send　her　a　reminder；　after　which　I

relinquished　the　idea　（against　my　judgment　as　to　what　was　right

in　the　particular　case）；　on　the　general　ground　of　wishing

to　keep　quiet。　　If　Miss　Bordereau　suspected　me　of　ulterior

aims　she　would　suspect　me　less　if　I　should　be　businesslike；

and　yet　I　consented　not　to　be　so。　　It　was　possible　she　intended

her　omission　as　an　impertinence；　a　visible　irony；　to　show

how　she　could　overreach　people　who　attempted　to　overreach　her。

On　that　hypothesis　it　was　well　to　let　her　see　that　one　did

not　notice　her　little　tricks。　　The　real　reading　of　the　matter；

I　afterward　perceived；　was　simply　the　poor　old　woman's　desire

to　emphasize　the　fact　that　I　was　in　the　enjoyment　of　a　favor

as　rigidly　limited　as　it　had　been　liberally　bestowed。

She　had　given　me　part　of　her　house；　and　now　she　would

not　give　me　even　a　morsel　of　paper　with　her　name　on　it。

Let　me　say　that　even　at　first　this　did　not　make　me　too　miserable；

for　the　whole　episode　was　essentially　delightful　to　me。

I　foresaw　that　I　should　have　a　summer　after　my　own　literary　heart；

and　the　sense　of　holding　my　opportunity　was　much　greater　than

the　sense　of　losing　it。　　There　could　be　no　Venetian　business

without　patience；　and　since　I　adored　the　place　I　was　much

more　in　the　spirit　of　it　for　having　laid　in　a　large　provision。

That　spirit　kept　me　perpetual　company　and　seemed　to　look

out　at　me　from　the　revived　immortal　facein　which　all

his　genius　shoneof　the　great　poet　who　was　my　prompter。

I　had　invoked　him　and　he　had　come；　he　hovered　before　me　half　the　time；

it　was　as　if　his　bright　ghost　had　returned　to　earth　to　tell　me

that　he　regarded　the　affair　as　his　own　no　less　than　mine　and

that　we　should　see　it　fraternally；　cheerfully　to　a　conclusion。

It　was　as　if　he　had　said；　〃Poor　dear；　be　easy　with　her；

she　has　some　natural　prejudices；　only　give　her　time。

Strange　as　it　may　appear　to　you　she　was　very　attractive　in　1820。

Meanwhile　are　we　not　in　Venice　together；　and　what　better

place　is　there　for　the　meeting　of　dear　friends？

See　how　it　glows　with　the　advancing　summer；　how　the　sky

and　the　sea　and　the　rosy　air　and　the　marble　of　the　palaces

all　shimmer　and　melt　together。〃　　My　eccentric　private　errand

became　a　part　of　the　general　romance　and　the　general　glory

I　felt　even　a　mystic　companionship；　a　moral　fraternity　with　all

those　who　in　the　past　had　been　in　the　service　of　art。　　They　had

worked　for　beauty；　for　a　devotion；　and　what　else　was　I　doing？

That　element　was　in　everything　that　Jeffrey　Aspern　had　written；

and　I　was　only　bringing　it　to　the　light。



I　lingered　in　the　sala　when　I　went　to　and　fro；　I　used　to　watch

as　long　as　I　thought　decentthe　door　that　led　to　Miss　Bordereau's　part

of　the　house。　　A　person　observing　me　might　have　supposed　I　was　trying

to　cast　a　spell　upon　it　or　attempting　some　odd　experiment　in　hypnotism。

But　I　was　only　praying　it　would　open　or　thinking　what　treasure　probably

lurked　behind　it。　　I　hold　it　singular；　as　I　look　back；　that　I　should　never

have　doubted　for　a　moment　that　the　sacred　relics　were　there；　never　have

failed　to　feel　a　certain　joy　at　being　under　the　same　roof　with　them。

After　all　they　were　under　my　handthey　had　not　escaped　me　yet；

and　they　made　my　life　continuous；　in　a　fashion；　with　the　illustrious

life　they　had　touched　at　the　other　end。　　I　lost　myself　in　this

satisfaction　to　the　point　of　assumingin　my　quiet　extravagance

that　poor　Miss　Tita　also　went　back；　went　back；　as　I　used　to　phrase　it。

She　did　indeed；　the　gentle　spinster；　but　not　quite　so　far　as　Jeffrey　Aspern；

who　was　simply　hearsay　to　her；　quite　as　he　was　to　me。　　Only　she　had

lived　for　years　with　Juliana；　she　had　se