乐文小说网

第37章 a re fr i eily（第4页）

"Forrats。

"

IV

Sothenextdayweallsaid，

"Shewillkillherself

";andwesaiditwouldbethebestthing。WhenshehadfirstbeguntobeseenwithHomerBarron，wehadsaid，

"Shewillmarryhim。

"Thenwesaid，

"Shewillersuadehimyet，

"becauseHomerhimselfhadremarked-helikedmen，anditwasknownthathedrankwiththeyoungermenintheElk&aos;sClub-thathewasnotamarryingman。Laterwesaid，

"PoorEmily，

"behindthejalousiesastheyassedonSundayafternoonintheglitteringbuggy，MissEmilywithherheadhighandHomerBarronwithhishatcockedandacigarinhisteeth，reinsandwhiinayellowglove。

Thensomeoftheladiesbegantosaythatitwasadisgracetothetownandabadexamletotheyoungeole。Themendidnotwanttointerfere，butatlasttheladiesforcedtheBatistminister-MissEmily&aos;seolewereEiscoal-tocalluonher。Hewouldneverdivulgewhathaenedduringthatinterview，butherefusedtogobackagain。ThenextSundaytheyagaindroveaboutthestreets，andthefollowingdaytheminister&aos;swifewrotetoMissEmily&aos;srelationsinAlabama。

Soshehadblood-kinunderherroofagainandwesatbackwatchdeveloments。Atfirstnothinghaened。Thenweweresurethattheyweretobemarried。WelearnedthatMissEmilyhadbeentothejeweler&aos;sandorderedaman&aos;stoiletsetinsilver，withthelettersH。B。oneachiece。Twodayslaterwelearnedthatshehadboughtacomleteoutfitofmen&aos;sclothing，includinganightshirt，andwesaid，

"Theyaremarried。

"Wewerereallyglad。WeweregladbecausethetwofemalecousinswereevenmoreGriersonthanMissEmilyhadeverbeen。

SowewerenotsurrisedwhenHomerBarron-thestreetshadbeenfinishedsometimesince-wasgone。Wewerealittledisaointedthattherewasnotaublicblowing-off，butwebelievedthathebadgoneontoreareforMissEmily&aos;scoming，ortogiveherachancetogetridofthecousins。（Bythattimeitwasacabal，andwewereallMissEmily&aos;salliestohelcircumventthecousins。）Sureenough，afteranotherweektheydearted。And，aswehadexectedallalong，withinthreedaysHomerBarronwasbackintown。AneighborsawtheNegromanadmithimatthekitchendooratduskoneevening。

AndthatwasthelastwesawofHomerBarron。AndofMissEmilyforsometime。TheNegromanwentinandoutwiththemarketbasket，butthefrontdoorremainedclosed。Nowandthenwewouldseeheratawindowforamoment，asthemendidthatnightwhentheysrinkledthelime，butforalmostsixmonthsshedidnotaearonthestreets。Thenweknewthatthiswastobeexectedtoo;asifthatqualityofherfatherwhichhadthwartedherwoman&aos;slifesomanytimeshadbeentoovirulentandtoofurioustodie。

WhenwenextsawMissEmily，shehadgrownfatandherhairwasturninggray。Duringthenextfewyearsitgrewgrayerandgrayeruntilitattainedaneveneer-and-saltiron-gray，whenitceasedturning。Utothedayofherdeathatseventy-fouritwasstillthatvigorousiron-gray，likethehairofanactiveman。

Fromthattimeonherfrontdoorremainedclosed，saveforaeriodofsixorsevenyears，whenshewasaboutforty，duringwhichshegavelessonsinchina-ainting。Shefitteduastudioinoneofthedownstairsrooms，wherethedaughtersandgranddaughtersofColonelSartoris&aos;contemorariesweresenttoherwiththesameregularityandinthesamesiritthattheyweresenttochurchonSundayswithatwenty-fivecentieceforthecollectionlate。Meanwhilehertaxeshadbeenremitted。

Thenthenewergenerationbecamethebackboneandthesiritofthetown，andtheaintinguilsgrewuandfellawayanddidnotsendtheirchildrentoherwithboxesofcolorandtediousbrushesandicturescutfromtheladies&aos;magazines。Thefrontdoorcloseduonthelastoneandremainedclosedforgood。WhenthetowngotfreeostaldeliveryMissEmilyalonerefusedtoletthemfastenthemetalnumbersaboveherdoorandattachamailboxtoit。Shewouldnotlistentothem。

Daily，monthly，yearlywewatchedtheNegrogrowgrayerandmorestooed，goinginandoutwiththemarketbasket。EachDecemberwesentherataxnotice，whichwouldbereturnedbytheostofficeaweeklater，unclaimed。Nowandthenwewouldseeherinoneofthedownstairswindows-shehadevidentlyshututhetofloorofthehouse-likethecarventorsoofanidolinaniche，lookingornotlookingatus，wecouldnevertellwhich。Thussheassedfromgenerationtogeneration-dear，inescaable，imervious，tranquil，anderverse。

Andsoshedied。Fellillinthehousefilledwithdustandshadows，withonlyadodderingNegromantowaitonher。Wedidnotevenknowshewassick;wehadlongsincegivenutryingtogetanyinformationfromtheNegro。Hetalkedtonoone，robablynoteventoher，forhisvoicehadgrownharshandrusty，asiffromdisuse。

Shediedinoneofthedownstairsrooms，inaheavywalnutbedwithacurtain，hergrayheadroedonaillowyellowandmoldywithageandlackofsunlight。

V

TheNegrometthefirstoftheladiesatthefrontdoorandletthemin，withtheirhushed，sibilantvoicesandtheirquick，curiousglances，andthenhedisaeared。Hewalkedrightthroughthehouseandoutthebackandwasnotseenagain。

Thetwofemalecousinscameatonce。Theyheldthefuneralonthesecondday，withthetowncomingtolookatMissEmilybeneathamassofboughtflowers，withthecrayonfaceofherfathermusingrofoundlyabovethebierandtheladiessibilantandmacabre，andtheveryoldmen-someintheirbrushedConfederateuniforms-ontheorchandthelawn，talkingofMissEmilyasifshehadbeenacontemoraryoftheirs，believingthattheyhaddancedwithherandcourtedhererhas，confusingtimewithitsmathematicalrogression，astheolddo，towhomalltheastisnotadiminishingroad，but，instead，ahugemeadowwhichnowintereverquitetouches，dividedfromthemnowbythenarrowbottleneckofthemostrecentdecadeofyears。

Alreadyweknewthattherewasoneroominthatregionabovestairswhichnoonehadseeninfortyyears，andwhichwouldhavetobeforced。TheywaiteduntilMissEmilywasdecentlyinthegroundbeforetheyoenedit。

Theviolenceofbreakingdownthedoorseemedtofillthisroomwithervadingdust。Athin，acridallasofthetombseemedtolieeverywhereuonthisroomdeckedandfurnishedasforabridal:uonthevalancecurtainsoffadedrosecolor，uontherose-shadedlights，uonthedressingtable，uonthedelicatearrayofcrystalandtheman&aos;stoiletthingsbackedwithtarnishedsilver，silversotarnishedthatthemonogramwasobscured。Amongthemlayacollarandtie，asiftheyhadjustbeenremoved，which，lifted，leftuonthesurfaceaalecrescentinthedust。Uonachairhungthesuit，carefullyfolded;beneathitthetwomuteshoesandthediscardedsocks。

Themanhimselflayinthebed。

Foralongwhilewejuststoodthere，lookingdownattherofoundandfleshlessgrin。Thebodyhadaarentlyoncelainintheattitudeofanembrace，butnowthelongsleethatoutlastslove，thatconquerseventhegrimaceoflove，hadcuckoldedhim。Whatwasleftofhim，rottedbeneathwhatwasleftofthenightshirt，hadbecomeinextricablefromthebedinwhichhelay;anduonhimanduontheillowbesidehimlaythatevencoatingoftheatientandbidingdust。

Thenwenoticedthatinthesecondillowwastheindentationofahead。Oneofusliftedsomethingfromit，andleaningforward，thatfaintandinvisibledustdryandacridinthenostrils，wesawalongstrandofiron-grayhair。

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