the aspern papers-第6章

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She　received　this　announcement　with　serenity　and　with　no　apparent　sense

that　after　all　it　would　be　becoming　of　her　to　say　that　I　ought　to　see

the　rooms　first。　　This　did　not　occur　to　her　and　indeed　her　serenity

was　mainly　what　I　wanted。　　Our　little　bargain　was　just　concluded

when　the　door　opened　and　the　younger　lady　appeared　on　the　threshold。

As　soon　as　Miss　Bordereau　saw　her　niece　she　cried　out　almost　gaily；

〃He　will　give　three　thousandthree　thousand　tomorrow！〃



Miss　Tita　stood　still；　with　her　patient　eyes　turning　from　one

of　us　to　the　other；　then　she　inquired；　scarcely　above　her　breath；

〃Do　you　mean　francs？〃



〃Did　you　mean　francs　or　dollars？〃　the　old　woman　asked　of　me　at　this。



〃I　think　francs　were　what　you　said；〃　I　answered；　smiling。



〃That　is　very　good；〃　said　Miss　Tita；　as　if　she　had　become　conscious

that　her　own　question　might　have　looked　overreaching。



〃What　do　YOU　know？　　You　are　ignorant；〃　Miss　Bordereau　remarked；

not　with　acerbity　but　with　a　strange；　soft　coldness。



〃Yes；　of　moneycertainly　of　money！〃　　Miss　Tita　hastened　to　exclaim。



〃I　am　sure　you　have　your　own　branches　of　knowledge；〃

I　took　the　liberty　of　saying；　genially。　　There　was　something

painful　to　me；　somehow；　in　the　turn　the　conversation　had　taken；

in　the　discussion　of　the　rent。



〃She　had　a　very　good　education　when　she　was　young。

I　looked　into　that　myself；〃　said　Miss　Bordereau。

Then　she　added；　〃But　she　has　learned　nothing　since。〃



〃I　have　always　been　with　you；〃　Miss　Tita　rejoined　very　mildly；

and　evidently　with　no　intention　of　making　an　epigram。



〃Yes；　but　for　that！〃　her　aunt　declared　with　more　satirical　force。

She　evidently　meant　that　but　for　this　her　niece　would　never　have　got

on　at　all；　the　point　of　the　observation　however　being　lost　on　Miss　Tita；

though　she　blushed　at　hearing　her　history　revealed　to　a　stranger。

Miss　Bordereau　went　on；　addressing　herself　to　me：　　〃And　what　time　will

you　come　tomorrow　with　the　money？〃



〃The　sooner　the　better。　　If　it　suits　you　I　will　come　at　noon。〃



〃I　am　always　here　but　I　have　my　hours；〃　said　the　old　woman；

as　if　her　convenience　were　not　to　be　taken　for　granted。



〃You　mean　the　times　when　you　receive？〃



〃I　never　receive。　　But　I　will　see　you　at　noon；　when　you　come

with　the　money。〃



〃Very　good；　I　shall　be　punctual；〃　and　I　added；　〃May　I　shake　hands　with　you；

on　our　contract？〃　　I　thought　there　ought　to　be　some　little　form；　it　would

make　me　really　feel　easier；　for　I　foresaw　that　there　would　be　no　other。

Besides；　though　Miss　Bordereau　could　not　today　be　called　personally　attractive

and　there　was　something　even　in　her　wasted　antiquity　that　bade　one　stand　at

one's　distance；　I　felt　an　irresistible　desire　to　hold　in　my　own　for　a　moment

the　hand　that　Jeffrey　Aspern　had　pressed。



For　a　minute　she　made　no　answer；　and　I　saw　that　my　proposal

failed　to　meet　with　her　approbation。　　She　indulged　in　no　movement

of　withdrawal；　which　I　half…expected；　she　only　said　coldly；

〃I　belong　to　a　time　when　that　was　not　the　custom。〃



I　felt　rather　snubbed　but　I　exclaimed　good　humoredly　to　Miss　Tita；

〃Oh；　you　will　do　as　well！〃　　I　shook　hands　with　her　while　she　replied；

with　a　small　flutter；　〃Yes；　yes；　to　show　it's　all　arranged！〃



〃Shall　you　bring　the　money　in　gold？〃　　Miss　Bordereau　demanded；

as　I　was　turning　to　the　door。



I　looked　at　her　for　a　moment。　　〃Aren't　you　a　little　afraid；

after　all；　of　keeping　such　a　sum　as　that　in　the　house？〃

It　was　not　that　I　was　annoyed　at　her　avidity　but　I　was　really

struck　with　the　disparity　between　such　a　treasure　and　such

scanty　means　of　guarding　it。



〃Whom　should　I　be　afraid　of　if　I　am　not　afraid　of　you？〃

she　asked　with　her　shrunken　grimness。



〃Ah　well；〃　said　I；　laughing；　〃I　shall　be　in　point　of　fact　a　protector　and　I

will　bring　gold　if　you　prefer。〃



〃Thank　you；〃　the　old　woman　returned　with　dignity　and　with　an　inclination

of　her　head　which　evidently　signified　that　I　might　depart。　　I　passed

out　of　the　room；　reflecting　that　it　would　not　be　easy　to　circumvent　her。

As　I　stood　in　the　sala　again　I　saw　that　Miss　Tita　had　followed　me；

and　I　supposed　that　as　her　aunt　had　neglected　to　suggest　that　I　should

take　a　look　at　my　quarters　it　was　her　purpose　to　repair　the　omission。

But　she　made　no　such　suggestion；　she　only　stood　there　with　a　dim；　though　not

a　languid　smile；　and　with　an　effect　of　irresponsible；　incompetent　youth

which　was　almost　comically　at　variance　with　the　faded　facts　of　her　person。

She　was　not　infirm；　like　her　aunt；　but　she　struck　me　as　still　more　helpless；

because　her　inefficiency　was　spiritual；　which　was　not　the　case　with　Miss

Bordereau's。　I　waited　to　see　if　she　would　offer　to　show　me　the　rest

of　the　house；　but　I　did　not　precipitate　the　question；　inasmuch　as　my　plan

was　from　this　moment　to　spend　as　much　of　my　time　as　possible　in　her　society。

I　only　observed　at　the　end　of　a　minute：



〃I　have　had　better　fortune　than　I　hoped。　　It　was　very　kind　of　her　to　see　me。

Perhaps　you　said　a　good　word　for　me。〃



〃It　was　the　idea　of　the　money；〃　said　Miss　Tita。



〃And　did　you　suggest　that？〃



〃I　told　her　that　you　would　perhaps　give　a　good　deal。〃



〃What　made　you　think　that？〃



〃I　told　her　I　thought　you　were　rich。〃



〃And　what　put　that　idea　into　your　head？〃



〃I　don't　know；　the　way　you　talked。〃



〃Dear　me；　I　must　talk　differently　now；〃　I　declared。

〃I'm　sorry　to　say　it's　not　the　case。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Miss　Tita；　〃I　think　that　in　Venice　the　forestieri；

in　general；　often　give　a　great　deal　for　something　that　after　all　isn't　much。〃

She　appeared　to　make　this　remark　with　a　comforting　intention；　to　wish　to

remind　me　that　if　I　had　been　extravagant　I　was　not　really　foolishly　singular。

We　walked　together　along　the　sala；　and　as　I　took　its　magnificent

measure　I　said　to　her　that　I　was　afraid　it　would　not　form　a　part　of　my

quartiere。　　Were　my　rooms　by　chance　to　be　among　those　that　opened　into　it？

〃Not　if　you　go　above；　on　the　second　floor；〃　she　answered　with　a　little

startled　air；　as　if　she　had　rather　taken　for　granted　I　would　know

my　proper　place。



〃And　I　infer　that　that's　where　your　aunt　would　like　me　to　be。〃



〃She　said　your　apartments　ought　to　be　very　distinct。〃



〃That　certainly　would　be　best。〃　　And　I　listened　with　respect

while　she　told　me　that　up　above　I　was　free　to　take　whatever　I　liked；

that　there　was　another　staircase；　but　only　from　the　floor　on　which

we　stood；　and　that　to　pass　from　it　to　the　garden…story　or　to　come

up　to　my　lodging　I　should　have　in　effect　to　cross　the　great　hall。

This　was　an　immense　point　gained；　I　foresaw　that　it　would

constitute　my　whole　leverage　in　my　relations　with　the　two　ladies。

When　I　asked　Miss　Tita　how　I　was　to　manage　at　present　to　find

my　way　up　she　replied　with　an　access　of　that　sociable　shyness

which　constantly　marked　her　manner。



〃Perhaps　you　can't。　I　don't　seeunless　I　should　go　with　you。〃

She　evidently　had　not　thought　of　this　before。



We　ascended　to　the　upper　floor　and　visited　a　long　succession　of

empty　rooms。　　The　best　of　them　looked　over　the　garden；　some　of　the　others

had　a　view　of　the　blue　lagoon；　above　the　opposite　rough…tiled　housetops。

They　were　all　dusty　and　even　a　little　disfigured　with　long　neglect；

but　I　saw　that　by　spending　a　few　hundred　francs　I　should　be　able

to　convert　three　or　four　of　them　into　a　convenient　habitation。

My　experiment　was　turning　out　costly；　yet　now　that　I　had　all

but　taken　possession　I　ceased　to　allow　this　to　trouble　me。

I　mentioned　to　my　companion　a　few　of　the　things　that　I　should　put　in；

but　she　replied　rather　more　precipitately　than　usual　that　I　might

do　exactly　what　I　liked；　she　seemed　to　wish　to　notify　me　that　the

Misses　Bordereau　would　take　no　overt　interest　in　my　proceedings。

I　guessed　that　her　aunt　had　instructed　her　to　adopt　this　tone；　and　I

may　as　well　say　now　that　I　came　afterward　to　distinguish　perfectly

（as　I　believed）　between　the　speeches　she　made　on　her　own　responsibility

and　those　the　old　lady　imposed