第37章 A Rose for Miss Emily (第1/3页)

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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.