畅想小说网

献给爱米丽的一朵玫瑰 A Rose for Emily(第2页)

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&sayshewas.Webelievedshehadtodothat.Werememberedalltheyouherhaddrivenathatwith,shewouldhavetogtothatwhichhadrobbedher,aspeoplewill.

III

Shewassickftime.heragain,herhairwasakingherlooklikeagirl,withavagueresemblahoseangelsincoloreddidserene.

&ownhadjustletthetractsfthesidewalks,andinthesummerafterherfather'sdeaththeybegantowork.Thestruewithniggersandmulesandmaery,andaforemannamedHomerBarron,aYankee—abig,dark,readyman,withabigvoideyeslighterthatleboyswouldfollowingroupstohearhimiggers,andtheniggerssingiheriseandfallofpicks.Prettysoonhekneweverybodyintown.Wheneveryouheardalotoflaughithesquare,HomerBarroheterofthegroup.PreseoseehimandMissEmilyonSundayafternintheyellow-wheeledbuggyachedteamofbaysfromtheliverystable.

AtfirstweweregladthatMissEmilywouldhavea,becausetheladiesallsaid,&quriersonwouldnotthinkseriouslyofaNortherner,adaylaborer."Buttherewerestillothers,olderpeople,whosaidthatevengriefotcausearealladytetnoblesseoblige—withoutgitnoblesseoblige.Theyjustsaid,"PoorEmily.Herkinsfolkshouldetoher."ShehadsomekininAlabama;butyearsagoherfatherhadfallenoutwiththemovertheestateofoldladyWyatt,thean,andtherewasnounibetweewofamilies.Theyhadnoteveedatthefuneral.

Andassoonastheoldpeoplesaid,"PoorEmily",thewhisperingbegan."Doyousupposeit'sreallyso?"theysaidtoo;Ofcourseitis.Whatelsecould..."Thisbehindtheirhands:rustlingofedsilkandsatinbehindjalousiescloseduponthesunofSundayafternoohin,swiftclop-clop-atchedteampassed:"PoorEmily."

Shecarriedherheadhighenough—evenwheshewasfallen.ItwasasifshedemahainityasthelastGrierson;asifithadwaouchofearthioreaffirmherimperviousness.Likewheheratpoison,thearsenic.Thatwasoverayearaftertheyhadbeguntosay"PoorEmily,"awofemaleswerevisitingher.

"Ioison."shesaidtist.Shewasoverthirtythen,stillaslightwoman,thoughthihanusualwithcold,haughtyblaafacethefleshofwhichwasstrainedacrossthetemplesandabouttheeye-socketsasyouimagihousekeeper'sfaceoughttolook."Ioison."shesaid.

"Yes,MissEmily.Whatkind?Forratsandsuch?I'dreend—"

"Iwayouhave.Idon'tcarewhatkind."

&namedseveral."They'llkillanythinguptoa.Butwhatyouwantis—"

"ArseniissEmilysaid,"Isthatagoodo;

"Is...arsenic?Yes,ma'aButwhatyouwant—"

"Iwa;

&lookeddownather.Shelookedbackathim,erect,herfacelikeastrainedflag."Why,ofcourse,&quistsaid."Ifthat'swhatyouwant.Butthelawrequiresyoutotellwhatytouseitfor."

MissEmilyjuststaredathim,herheadtiltedbaordertolookhimeyeforeye,untilhelookedawayaandgotthearsenideditup.TheNegrodeliverybhtherthepackage;thedruggistdidn'tebasheopehepackageathometherewaswrittenonthebox,uheskulla;Forrats."

IV

Sothedayweallsaid,"Shewillkillherself";awouldbethebestthing.WhenshehadfirstbeguhHomerBarron,wehadsaid,"Shewillmarryhi"Thenwesaid,"Shewillpersuadehimyet,"beselfhadremarked—helikedmen,anditwasknownthathedrankwiththeyouheElk'sClub—thathewasnman.Laterwesaid,"PoorEmily,"behindthejalousiesastheypassedonSundayafternooeringbuggy,MissEmilywithherheadhighandHomerBarronwithhishatdahisteeth,reinsandwhipinayellowglove.

TheheladiesbegantosaythatitwasadisgracetothetownaotheyouhemendidnotwanttoilasttheladiesforcedtheBaptistminister—MissEmily'speoplewereEpiscopal—toher.Heweenedduringthatiherefusedtogoba.TheSundaytheyagaihestreets,andthefollowier'swifewrotetoMissEmily'srelationsinAlabama.

Soshehadblood-kinunderherroofagaibackwatents.Atfirstnothihehattheyweretobemarried.WelearMissEmilyhadbeentothejeweler'sandorderedaman'stoiletsetihelettersH.B.owodayslaterwelearshehadboughtapleteoutfitofmen'sg,inganightshirt,andwesaid,"Theyaremarried."Wewerereallyglad.WeweregladbecausethetwofemaleswereevenmriersonthanMissEmilyhadeverbeen.

&surprisedwhenHomerBarroshadbeeimesine.Wewerealittledisappoihereublig-off,butwebelievedthathebadgooprepareforMissEmily'sing,iveheracetogetridofthes.(BythattimeitwasadwewereallMissEmily'salliestohelptthes.)Sureenough,afteraheydeparted.And,asectedallalong,withinthreedaysHomerBarronwasba.AneighborsawtheNegromanadmithimatthekitdooratduskoneevening.

AndthatwasthelastwesawofHomerBarron.AndofMissEmilyforsometime.TheNegromainandoutwiththemarketbasket,butthefrontdoorremainedowandthenwewouldseeheratawindowforamoment,asthemendidthatheysprihelime,butforalmostsixmoappearohehiswastobeexpectedtoo;asifthatqualityofherfatherwhichhadthwartedherwoman'slifesomanytimeshadbeentoovirulentandtoofurioustodie.

&sawMissEmily,shehadgrownfatandherhairwasturninggray.Durifewyearsitgrewgrayerailitattainedanevenpepper-and-saltiron-gray,wheurning.Uptothedayofherdeathatseventy-fouritwasstillthatvigray,likethehairofana.

Fromthattimeodoorremainedclosed,saveforaperiodofsixorsevenyears,whenshewasaboutfwhichshegavelessonsintiedupastudioihedownstairsrooms,wherethedaughtersandgranddaughtersofelSartoris'porariesweresehesameregularityandihattheyweresenttoSundayswithatwepiecefortheplate.Meaaxeshadbeeed.

&heiohebadthespiritofthetoaintingpupilsgrewupandfellawayanddidheirtoherwithboxesofdtediousbrushesafromtheladies'magazidoorclosedupooneandremainedclood.WhefreepostaldeliveryMissEmilyalothemfastealnumbersaboveherdoorandattachamailboxtoit.Shewouldhe

Daily,monthly,yearlywewategrrayeraooped,goinginandoutwiththemarketbasket.EachDecemberweseaxnotice,whichwouldbereturofficeaweeklater,unowandthenwewouldseeherihedos—shehadevidentlyshutupthetopfloorofthehouse—likethetorsoofanidolinaniche,lookingornotlookingatus,weevertellwhich.Thusshepassedfromgeogeion—dear,inescapable,impervious,tranquil,andperverse.

Andsoshedied.Fellillinthehousefilledwithdustandshadows,withonlyadromantowaitoevenknowshewassick;wehadlongsiryianyinformationfromtheonoone,probablyoher,forhisvoicehadgrownharshandrusty,asiffromdisuse.

Shediedihedownstairsrooms,inaheavywalha,hergrayheadproppedonapillowyellowandmoldywithageandlalight.

V

Thehefirstoftheladiesatthefrontdoorahtheirhushed,sibilaheirquick,curiousglahenhedisappeared.Hewalkedrightthroughthehouseandoutthebadwasnotseenagain.

&wofemaleeatohefuhesedday,withthetowningtolookatMissEmilybehamassofboughtflowers,withthefaceofherfathermusingprofouhebierandtheladiessibilantaheveryoldmeheirbrushedfederateuniforms—onthepordthelawn,talkingofMissEmilyasifshehadbeenaporaryoftheirs,believingthattheyhaddahherandcourtedherperhaps,gtimewithitsmathematicalprogression,astheolddo,toastisnotadiminishingroad,but,instead,ahugemeadoiouches,dividedfromthemnowbythenarrowbottlehemostretdecadeofyears.

Alreadywekherewasoneroominthatregioairswhiehadseeninfortyyears,andwhichwouldhavetobeforced.TheywaiteduntilMissEmilywasdethegrouheyope.

Theviolencedownthedoorseemedtofillthisroomwithpervadingdust.Athin,acridpallasofthetombseemedtolieeverywhereuponthisroomdedfurnishedasforabridal:uponthevalaainsoffadedrosecolor,upontherose-shadedlights,uptable,upoearrayofdtheman'stoiletthiarnishedsilver,silversotarhemonogramwasthemlayadtie,asiftheyhadjustbeenremoved,which,lifted,leftuponthesurfaceapaleti.Upthesuit,carefullyfolded;behetwomuteshoesandthediscardedsocks.

Themanhimselflayinthebed.

Fwhilewejuststoodthere,lookingdorofoundandfleshlessgrin.Thebodyhadapparentlyontheattitudeofanowthelooutlastslove,thatquerseventhegrimaceoflove,had.Whatwasleftofhim,rottedbewasleftofthenightshirt,hadbeeirithebedinwhichhelay;anduponhimanduponthepillowbesidehimlaythatevengofthepatientandbidingdust.

&icedthatinthesedpillowwastheiionofahead.Oneofusliftedsomethingfromit,andleaningforward,thatfaintandidryandathenostrils,wesawalongstrandrayhair.

爱米丽·格里尔生小姐去世的时候,我们镇上所有的人都去参加了她的葬礼:男人们是因为对这座纪念碑的倒下怀着某种敬意;女人们则大部分是出于好奇,想看看她的房子里面。

那所房子除了一个老仆人——花匠兼厨子之外,近十多年来,没有一个人进去过。

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