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第37章 a re fr i eily(第1页)

WilliamFaulkner

I

WhenMissEmilyGriersondied,ourwholetownwenttoherfuneral:thementhroughasortofresectfulaffectionforafallenmonument,thewomenmostlyoutofcuriositytoseetheinsideofherhouse,whichnoonesaveanoldmanservant-acombinedgardenerandcook-hadseeninatleasttenyears。

Itwasabig,squarishframehousethathadoncebeenwhite,decoratedwithcuolasandsiresandscrolledbalconiesintheheavilylight-somestyleoftheseventies,setonwhathadoncebeenourmostselectstreet。Butgaragesandcottonginshadencroachedandobliteratedeventheaugustnamesofthatneighborhood;onlyMissEmily&aos;shousewasleft,liftingitsstubbornandcoquettishdecayabovethecottonwagonsandthegasolineums-aneyesoreamongeyesores。AndnowMissEmilyhadgonetojointhereresentativesofthoseaugustnameswheretheylayinthecedar-bemusedcemeteryamongtherankedandanonymousgravesofUnionandConfederatesoldierswhofellatthebattleofJefferson。

Alive,MissEmilyhadbeenatradition,aduty,andacare;asortofhereditaryobligationuonthetown,datingfromthatdayin1894whenColondSartoris,themayor-hewhofatheredtheedictthatnoNegrowomanshouldaearonthestreetswithoutanaron-remittedhertaxes,thedisensationdatingfromthedeathofherfatheronintoeretuity。NotthatMissEmilywouldhaveaccetedcharity。ColonelSartorisinventedaninvolvedtaletotheeffectthatMissEmily&aos;sfatherhadloanedmoneytothetown,whichthetown,asamatterofbusiness,referredthiswayofreaying。OnlyamanofColonelSartoris&aos;generationandthoughtcouldhaveinventedit,andonlyawomancouldhavebelievedit。

Whenthenextgeneration,withitsmoremodernideas,becamemayorsandaldermen,thisarrangementcreatedsomelittledissatisfaction。Onthefirstoftheyeartheymailedherataxnotice。Februarycame,andtherewasnorely。Theywroteheraformalletter,askinghertocallatthesheriff&aos;sofficeatherconvenience。Aweeklaterthemayorwroteherhimself,offeringtocallortosendhiscarforher,andreceivedinrelyanoteonaerofanarchaicshae,inathin,flowingcalligrahyinfadedink,totheeffectthatshenolongerwentoutatall。Thetaxnoticewasalsoenclosed,withoutcomment。

TheycalledasecialmeetingoftheBoardofAldermen。Adeutationwaiteduonher,knockedatthedoorthroughwhichnovisitorhadassedsincesheceasedgivingchina-aintinglessonseightortenyearsearlier。TheywereadmittedbytheoldNegrointoadimhallfromwhichastairwaymountedintostillmoreshadow。Itsmelledofdustanddisuse-aclose,danksmell。TheNegroledthemintothearlor。Itwasfurnishedinheavy,leather-coveredfurniture。WhentheNegrooenedtheblindsofonewindow,theycouldseethattheleatherwascracked;andwhentheysatdown,afaintdustrosesluggishlyabouttheirthighs,sinningwithslowmotesinthesinglesun-ray。OnatarnishedgilteaselbeforethefirelacestoodacrayonortraitofMissEmily&aos;sfather。

Theyrosewhensheentered-asmall,fatwomaninblack,withathingoldchaindescendingtoherwaistandvanishingintoherbelt,leaningonanebonycanewithatarnishedgoldhead。Herskeletonwassmallandsare;erhasthatwaswhywhatwouldhavebeenmerelylumnessinanotherwasobesityinher。Shelookedbloated,likeabodylongsubmergedinmotionlesswater,andofthatallidhue。Hereyes,lostinthefattyridgesofherface,lookedliketwosmalliecesofcoalressedintoalumofdoughastheymovedfromonefacetoanotherwhilethevisitorsstatedtheirerrand。

Shedidnotaskthemtosit。Shejuststoodinthedoorandlistenedquietlyuntilthesokesmancametoastumblinghalt。Thentheycouldheartheinvisiblewatchtickingattheendofthegoldchain。

Hervoicewasdryandcold。

"IhavenotaxesinJefferson。ColonelSartorisexlainedittome。Perhasoneofyoucangainaccesstothecityrecordsandsatisfyyourselves。

"

"Butwehave。Wearethecityauthorities,MissEmily。Didn&aos;tyougetanoticefromthesheriff,signedbyhim?

"

"Ireceivedaaer,yes,

"MissEmilysaid。

"Perhasheconsidershimselfthesheriff。。。IhavenotaxesinJefferson。

"

"Butthereisnothingonthebookstoshowthat,yousee。Wemustgobythe-

"

"SeeColonelSartoris。IhavenotaxesinJefferson。&aos;

"But,MissEmily-

"

"SeeColonelSartoris。

"(ColonelSartorishadbeendeadalmosttenyears。)

"IhavenotaxesinJefferson。Tobe!

"TheNegroaeared,

"Showthesegentlemenout。

"

II

Soshevanquishedthem,horseandfoot,justasshehadvanquishedtheirfathersthirtyyearsbeforeaboutthesmell。Thatwastwoyearsafterherfather&aos;sdeathandashorttimeafterhersweetheart-theonewebelievedwouldmarryher-haddesertedher。Afterherfather&aos;sdeathshewentoutverylittle;afterhersweetheartwentaway,eolehardlysawheratall。Afewoftheladieshadthetemeritytocall,butwerenotreceived,andtheonlysignoflifeaboutthelacewastheNegroman-ayoungmanthen-goinginandoutwithamarketbasket。

"Justasifaman-anyman-couldkeeakitchenroerly,

"theladiessaid;sotheywerenotsurrisedwhenthesmelldeveloed。Itwasanotherlinkbetweenthegross,teemingworldandthehighandmightyCriersons。

Aneighbor,awoman,comlainedtothemayor,JudgeStevens,eightyyearsold。

"Butwhatwillyouhavemedoaboutit,madam?

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