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'Twixt Land & Sea-Part6_JOSEPH CONRAD (1857-1924)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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I had not noticed the girl before. She occupied a low, deep,



wickerwork arm-chair, and I saw her in exact profile like a figure

in a tapestry, and as motionless. Jacobus released my arm.



"This is Alice," he announced tranquilly; and his subdued manner of

speaking made it sound so much like a confidential communication



that I fancied myself nodding understandingly and whispering: "I

see, I see." . . . Of course, I did nothing of the kind. Neither



of us did anything; we stood side by side looking down at the girl.

For quite a time she did not stir, staring straight before her as



if watching the vision of some pageant passing through the garden

in the deep, rich glow of light and the splendour of flowers.



Then, coming to the end of her reverie, she looked round and up.

If I had not at first noticed her, I am certain that she too had



been unaware of my presence till she actually perceived me by her

father's side. The quickened upwardmovement of the heavy eyelids,



the widening of the languid glance, passing into a fixed stare, put

that beyond doubt.



Under her amazement there was a hint of fear, and then came a flash

as of anger. Jacobus, after uttering my name fairly loud, said:



"Make yourself at home, Captain - I won't be gone long," and went

away rapidly. Before I had time to make a bow I was left alone



with the girl - who, I remembered suddenly, had not been seen by

any man or woman of that town since she had found it necessary to



put up her hair. It looked as though it had not been touched again

since that distant time of first putting up; it was a mass of



black, lustrous locks, twisted anyhow high on her head, with long,

untidy wisps hanging down on each side of the clear sallow face; a



mass so thick and strong and abundant that, nothing but to look at,

it gave you a sensation of heavy pressure on the top of your head



and an impression of magnificently cynical untidiness. She leaned

forward, hugging herself with crossed legs; a dingy, amber-



coloured, flounced wrapper of some thin stuff revealed the young

supple body drawn together tensely in the deep low seat as if



crouching for a spring. I detected a slight, quivering start or

two, which looked uncommonly like bounding away. They were



followed by the most absolute immobility.

The absurdimpulse to run out after Jacobus (for I had been



startled, too) once repressed, I took a chair, placed it not very

far from her, sat down deliberately, and began to talk about the



garden, caring not what I said, but using a gentle caressing

intonation as one talks to soothe a startled wild animal. I could



not even be certain that she understood me. She never raised her

face nor attempted to look my way. I kept on talking only to



prevent her from takingflight. She had another of those

quivering, repressed starts which made me catch my breath with



apprehension.

Ultimately I formed a notion that what prevented her perhaps from



going off in one great, nervous leap, was the scantiness of her

attire. The wicker armchair was the most substantial thing about



her person. What she had on under that dingy, loose, amber wrapper

must have been of the most flimsy and airy character. One could



not help being aware of it. It was obvious. I felt it actually

embarrassing at first; but that sort of embarrassment is got over



easily by a mind not enslaved by narrow prejudices. I did not

avert my gaze from Alice. I went on talking with ingratiating



softness, the recollection that, most likely, she had never before

been spoken to by a strange man adding to my assurance. I don't



know why an emotional tenseness should have crept into the

situation. But it did. And just as I was becoming aware of it a



slight scream cut short my flow of urbane speech.

The scream did not proceed from the girl. It was emitted behind



me, and caused me to turn my head sharply. I understood at once

that the apparition in the doorway was the elderly relation of



Jacobus, the companion, the gouvernante. While she remained




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