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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?
"hesaid.
"Why,sendherwordtostoit,
"thewomansaid,
"Isn&aos;ttherealaw?
"
"I&aos;msurethatwon&aos;tbenecessary,
"JudgeStevenssaid,
"It&aos;srobablyjustasnakeoraratthatniggerofherskilledintheyard.I&aos;llseaktohimaboutit.
"
Thenextdayhereceivedtwomorecomlaints,onefromamanwhocameindiffidentderecation.
"Wereallymustdosomethingaboutit,Judge.I&aos;dbethelastoneintheworldtobotherMissEmily,butwe&aos;vegottodosomething.
