首页 >出版文学> To Be Read At Dusk>第2章
  Foritsbeingalittlegloomy,hehadhireditprincipallyforthegardens,andheandmymistresswouldpassthesummerweatherintheirshade。
  'Soallgoeswell,Baptista?'saidhe。
  'Indubitably,signore;verywell。'
  Wehadatravellingchariotforourjourney,newlybuiltforus,andinallrespectscomplete。Allwehadwascomplete;wewantedfornothing。Themarriagetookplace。Theywerehappy。Iwashappy,seeingallsobright,beingsowellsituated,goingtomyowncity,teachingmylanguageintherumbletothemaid,labellaCarolina,whoseheartwasgaywithlaughter:whowasyoungandrosy。
  Thetimeflew。ButIobserved-listentothis,Ipray!(andherethecourierdroppedhisvoice)-Iobservedmymistresssometimesbroodinginamannerverystrange;inafrightenedmanner;inanunhappymanner;withacloudy,uncertainalarmuponher。IthinkthatIbegantonoticethiswhenIwaswalkinguphillsbythecarriageside,andmasterhadgoneoninfront。Atanyrate,I
  rememberthatitimpresseditselfuponmymindoneeveningintheSouthofFrance,whenshecalledtometocallmasterback;andwhenhecameback,andwalkedforalongway,talkingencouraginglyandaffectionatelytoher,withhishandupontheopenwindow,andhersinit。Nowandthen,helaughedinamerryway,asifhewerebanteringheroutofsomething。By-and-by,shelaughed,andthenallwentwellagain。
  Itwascurious。IaskedlabellaCarolina,theprettylittleone,Wasmistressunwell?-No-Outofspirits?-No-Fearfulofbadroads,orbrigands?-No。Andwhatmadeitmoremysteriouswas,theprettylittleonewouldnotlookatmeingivinganswer,butWOULDlookattheview。
  But,onedayshetoldmethesecret。
  'Ifyoumustknow,'saidCarolina,'Ifind,fromwhatIhaveoverheard,thatmistressishaunted。'
  'Howhaunted?'
  'Byadream。'
  'Whatdream?'
  'Byadreamofaface。Forthreenightsbeforehermarriage,shesawafaceinadream-alwaysthesameface,andonlyOne。'
  'Aterribleface?'
  'No。Thefaceofadark,remarkable-lookingman,inblack,withblackhairandagreymoustache-ahandsomemanexceptforareservedandsecretair。Notafacesheeversaw,oratalllikeafacesheeversaw。Doingnothinginthedreambutlookingatherfixedly,outofdarkness。'
  'Doesthedreamcomeback?'
  'Never。Therecollectionofitisallhertrouble。'
  'Andwhydoesittroubleher?'
  Carolinashookherhead。
  'That'smaster'squestion,'saidlabella。'Shedon'tknow。Shewonderswhy,herself。ButIheardhertellhim,onlylastnight,thatifshewastofindapictureofthatfaceinourItalianhouse(whichsheisafraidshewill)shedidnotknowhowshecouldeverbearit。'
  UponmywordIwasfearfulafterthis(saidtheGenoesecourier)ofourcomingtotheoldpalazzo,lestsomesuchill-starredpictureshouldhappentobethere。Iknewthereweremanythere;and,aswegotnearerandnearertotheplace,IwishedthewholegalleryinthecraterofVesuvius。Tomendthematter,itwasastormydismaleveningwhenwe,atlast,approachedthatpartoftheRiviera。Itthundered;andthethunderofmycityanditsenvirons,rollingamongthehighhills,isveryloud。Thelizardsraninandoutofthechinksinthebrokenstonewallofthegarden,asiftheywerefrightened;thefrogsbubbledandcroakedtheirloudest;thesea-windmoaned,andthewettreesdripped;andthelightning-bodyofSanLorenzo,howitlightened!
  WeallknowwhatanoldpalaceinornearGenoais-howtimeandtheseaairhaveblottedit-howthedraperypaintedontheouterwallshaspeeledoffingreatflakesofplaster-howthelowerwindowsaredarkenedwithrustybarsofiron-howthecourtyardisovergrownwithgrass-howtheouterbuildingsaredilapidated-
  howthewholepileseemsdevotedtoruin。Ourpalazzowasoneofthetruekind。Ithadbeenshutupcloseformonths。Months?-
  years!-ithadanearthysmell,likeatomb。Thescentoftheorangetreesonthebroadbackterrace,andofthelemonsripeningonthewall,andofsomeshrubsthatgrewaroundabrokenfountain,hadgotintothehousesomehow,andhadneverbeenabletogetoutagain。Therewas,ineveryroom,anagedsmell,grownfaintwithconfinement。Itpinedinallthecupboardsanddrawers。Inthelittleroomsofcommunicationbetweengreatrooms,itwasstifling。
  Ifyouturnedapicture-tocomebacktothepictures-thereitstillwas,clingingtothewallbehindtheframe,likeasortofbat。
  Thelattice-blindswerecloseshut,alloverthehouse。Thereweretwougly,greyoldwomeninthehouse,totakecareofit;oneofthemwithaspindle,whostoodwindingandmumblinginthedoorway,andwhowouldassoonhaveletinthedevilastheair。Master,mistress,labellaCarolina,andI,wentallthroughthepalazzo。
  Iwentfirst,thoughIhavenamedmyselflast,openingthewindowsandthelattice-blinds,andshakingdownonmyselfsplashesofrain,andscrapsofmortar,andnowandthenadozingmosquito,oramonstrous,fat,blotchy,Genoesespider。
  WhenIhadlettheeveninglightintoaroom,master,mistress,andlabellaCarolina,entered。Then,welookedroundatallthepictures,andIwentforwardagainintoanotherroom。Mistresssecretlyhadgreatfearofmeetingwiththelikenessofthatface-
  weallhad;buttherewasnosuchthing。TheMadonnaandBambino,SanFrancisco,SanSebastiano,Venus,SantaCaterina,Angels,Brigands,Friars,TemplesatSunset,Battles,WhiteHorses,Forests,Apostles,Doges,allmyoldacquaintancesmanytimesrepeated?-yes。Dark,handsomemaninblack,reservedandsecret,withblackhairandgreymoustache,lookingfixedlyatmistressoutofdarkness?-no。
  Atlastwegotthroughalltheroomsandallthepictures,andcameoutintothegardens。Theywereprettywellkept,beingrentedbyagardener,andwerelargeandshady。Inoneplacetherewasarustictheatre,opentothesky;thestageagreenslope;thecoulisses,threeentrancesuponaside,sweet-smellingleafyscreens。Mistressmovedherbrighteyes,eventhere,asifshelookedtoseethefacecomeinuponthescene;butallwaswell。
  'Now,Clara,'mastersaid,inalowvoice,'youseethatitisnothing?Youarehappy。'
  Mistresswasmuchencouraged。Shesoonaccustomedherselftothatgrimpalazzo,andwouldsing,andplaytheharp,andcopytheoldpictures,andstrollwithmasterunderthegreentreesandvinesallday。Shewasbeautiful。Hewashappy。Hewouldlaughandsaytome,mountinghishorseforhismorningridebeforetheheat:
  'Allgoeswell,Baptista!'
  'Yes,signore,thankGod,verywell。'