A-Rose-for-Emily-原文具體內(nèi)容

ARoseforEmily

byWilliamFaulkner

I

WHENMissEmilyGriersondied,ourwholetownwenttoherfuneral:thementhroughasortofrespectfulaffectionforafallenmonument,thewomenmostlyoutofcuriositytoseetheinsideofherhouse,whichnoonesaveanoldman-servant--acombinedgardenerandcook--hadseeninatleasttenyears.

Itwasabig,squarishframehousethathadoncebeenwhite,decoratedwithcupolasandspiresandscrolledbalconiesintheheavilylightsomestyleoftheseventies,setonwhathadoncebeenourmostselectstreet.Butgaragesandcottonginshadencroachedandobliteratedeventheaugustnamesofthatneighborhood;onlyMissEmily'shousewasleft,liftingitsstubbornandcoquettishdecayabovethecottonwagonsandthegasolinepumps-aneyesoreamongeyesores.AndnowMissEmilyhadgonetojointherepresentativesofthoseaugustnameswheretheylayinthecedar-bemusedcemeteryamongtherankedandanonymousgravesofUnionandConfederatesoldierswhofellatthebattleofJefferson.

Alive,MissEmilyhadbeenatradition,aduty,andacare;asortofhereditaryobligationuponthetown,datingfromthatdayin1894whenColonelSartoris,themayor--hewhofatheredtheedictthatnoNegrowomanshouldappearonthestreetswithoutanapron-remittedhertaxes,thedispensationdatingfromthedeathofherfatheronintoperpetuity.NotthatMissEmilywouldhaveacceptedcharity.ColonelSartorisinventedaninvolvedtaletotheeffectthatMissEmily'sfatherhadloanedmoneytothetown,whichthetown,asamatterofbusiness,preferredthiswayofrepaying.OnlyamanofColonelSartoris'generationandthoughtcouldhaveinventedit,andonlyawomancouldhavebelievedit.

Whenthenextgeneration,withitsmoremodernideas,becamemayorsandaldermen,thisarrangementcreatedsomelittledissatisfaction.Onthefirstoftheyeartheymailedherataxnotice.Februarycame,andtherewasnoreply.Theywroteheraformalletter,askinghertocallatthesheriff'sofficeatherconvenience.Aweeklaterthemayorwroteherhimself,offeringtocallortosendhiscarforher,andreceivedinreplyanoteonpaperofanarchaicshape,inathin,flowingcalligraphyinfadedink,totheeffectthatshenolongerwentoutatall.Thetaxnoticewasalsoenclosed,withoutcomment.

TheycalledaspecialmeetingoftheBoardofAldermen.Adeputationwaiteduponher,knockedatthedoorthroughwhichnovisitorhadpassedsincesheceasedgivingchina-paintinglessonseightortenyearsearlier.TheywereadmittedbytheoldNegrointoadimhallfromwhichastairwaymountedintostillmoreshadow.Itsmelledofdustanddisuse--aclose,danksmell.TheNegroledthemintotheparlor.Itwasfurnishedinheavy,leather-coveredfurniture.WhentheNegroopenedtheblindsofonewindow,theycouldseethattheleatherwascracked;andwhentheysatdown,afaintdustrosesluggishlyabouttheirthighs,spinningwithslowmotesinthesinglesun-ray.OnatarnishedgilteaselbeforethefireplacestoodacrayonportraitofMissEmily'sfather.

Theyrosewhensheentered--asmall,fatwomaninblack,withathingoldchaindescendingtoherwaistandvanishingintoherbelt,leaningonanebonycanewithatarnishedgoldhead.Herskeletonwassmallandspare;perhapsthatwaswhywhatwouldhavebeenmerelyplumpnessinanotherwasobesityinher.Shelookedbloated,likeabodylongsubmergedinmotionlesswater,andofthatpallidhue.Hereyes,lostinthefattyridgesofherface,lookedliketwosmallpiecesofcoalpressedintoalumpofdoughastheymovedfromonefacetoanotherwhilethevisitorsstatedtheirerrand.

Shedidnotaskthemtosit.Shejuststoodinthedoorandlistenedquietlyuntilthespokesmancametoastumblinghalt.Thentheycouldheartheinvisiblewatchtickingattheendofthegoldchain.

Hervoicewasdryandcold."IhavenotaxesinJefferson.ColonelSartorisexplainedittome.Perhapsoneofyoucangainaccesstothecityrecordsandsatisfyyourselves."

"Butwehave.Wearethecityauthorities,MissEmily.Didn'tyougetanoticefromthesheriff,signedbyhim?"

"Ireceivedapaper,yes,"MissEmilysaid."Perhapsheconsidershimselfthesheriff...IhavenotaxesinJefferson."

"Butthereisnothingonthebookstoshowthat,youseeWemustgobythe--"

"SeeColonelSartoris.IhavenotaxesinJefferson."

"But,MissEmily--"

"SeeColonelSartoris."(ColonelSartorishadbeendeadalmosttenyears.)"IhavenotaxesinJefferson.Tobe!"TheNegroappeared."Showthesegentlemenout."

II

SoSHEvanquishedthem,horseandfoot,justasshehadvanquishedtheirfathersthirtyyearsbeforeaboutthesmell.

Thatwastwoyearsafterherfather'sdeathandashorttimeafterhersweetheart--theonewebelievedwouldmarryher--haddesertedher.Afterherfather'sdeathshewentoutverylittle;afterhersweetheartwentaway,peoplehardlysawheratall.Afewoftheladieshadthetemeritytocall,butwerenotreceived,andtheonlysignoflifeabouttheplacewastheNegroman--ayoungmanthen--goinginandoutwithamarketbasket.

"Justasifaman--anyman--couldkeepakitchenproperly,"theladiessaid;sotheywerenotsurprisedwhenthesmelldeveloped.Itwasanotherlinkbetweenthegross,teemingworldandthehighandmightyGriersons.

Aneighbor,awoman,complainedtothemayor,JudgeStevens,eightyyearsold.

"Butwhatwillyouhavemedoaboutit,madam?"hesaid.

"Why,sendherwordtostopit,"thewomansaid."Isn'ttherealaw?"

"I'msurethatwon'tbenecessary,"JudgeStevenssaid."It'sprobablyjustasnakeoraratthatniggerofherskilledintheyard.I'llspeaktohimaboutit."

Thenextdayhereceivedtwomorecomplaints,onefromamanwhocameindiffidentdeprecation."Wereallymustdosomethingaboutit,Judge.I'dbethelastoneintheworldtobotherMissEmily,butwe'vegottodosomething."ThatnighttheBoardofAldermenmet--threegraybeardsandoneyoungerman,amemberoftherisinggeneration.

"It'ssimpleenough,"hesaid."Sendherwordtohaveherplacecleanedup.Giveheracertaintimetodoitin,andifshedon't..."

"Dammit,sir,"JudgeStevenssaid,"willyouaccusealadytoherfaceofsmellingbad?"

Sothenextnight,aftermidnight,fourmencrossedMissEmily'slawnandslunkaboutthehouselikeburglars,sniffingalongthebaseofthebrickworkandatthecellaropeningswhileoneofthemperformedaregularsowingmotionwithhishandoutofasackslungfromhisshoulder.Theybrokeopenthecellardoorandsprinkledlimethere,andinalltheoutbuildings.Astheyrecrossedthelawn,awindowthathadbeendarkwaslightedandMissEmilysatinit,thelightbehindher,andheruprighttorsomotionlessasthatofanidol.Theycreptquietlyacrossthelawnandintotheshadowofthelocuststhatlinedthestreet.Afteraweekortwothesmellwentaway.

Thatwaswhenpeoplehadbeguntofeelreallysorryforher.Peopleinourtown,rememberinghowoldladyWyatt,hergreat-aunt,hadgonecompletelycrazyatlast,believedthattheGriersonsheldthemselvesalittletoohighforwhattheyreallywere.NoneoftheyoungmenwerequitegoodenoughforMissEmilyandsuch.Wehadlongthoughtofthemasatableau,MissEmilyaslenderfigureinwhiteinthebackground,herfatheraspraddledsilhouetteintheforeground,hisbacktoherandclutchingahorsewhip,thetwoofthemframedbytheback-flungfrontdoor.Sowhenshegottobethirtyandwasstillsingle,wewerenotpleasedexactly,butvindicated;evenwithinsanityinthefamilyshewouldn'thaveturneddownallofherchancesiftheyhadreallymaterialized.

Whenherfatherdied,itgotaboutthatthehousewasallthatwaslefttoher;andinaway,peoplewereglad.

Thenthenewergenerationbecamethebackboneandthespiritofthetown,andthepaintingpupilsgrewupandfellawayanddidnotsendtheirchildrentoherwithboxesofcolorandtediousbrushesandpicturescutfromtheladies'magazines.Thefrontdoorcloseduponthelastoneandremainedclosedforgood.Whenthetowngotfreepostaldelivery,MissEmilyalonerefusedtoletthemfastenthemetalnumbersaboveherdoorandattachamailboxtoit.Shewouldnotlistentothem.

Daily,monthly,yearlywewatchedtheNegrogrowgrayerandmorestooped,goinginandoutwiththemarketbasket.EachDecemberwesentherataxnotice,whichwouldbereturnedbythepostofficeaweeklater,unclaimed.Nowandthenwewouldseeherinoneofthedownstairswindows--shehadevidentlyshutupthetopfloorofthehouse--likethecarventorsoofanidolinaniche,lookingornotlookingatus,wecouldnevertellwhich.Thusshepassedfromgenerationtogeneration--dear,inescapable,impervious,tranquil,andperverse.

Andsoshedied.Fellillinthehousefilledwithdustandshadows,withonlyadodderingNegromantowaitonher.Wedidnotevenknowshewassick;wehadlongsincegivenuptryingtogetanyinformationfromtheNegro

Hetalkedtonoone,probablynoteventoher,forhisvoicehadgrownharshandrusty,asiffromdisuse.

Shediedinoneofthedownstairsrooms,inaheavywalnutbedwithacurtain,hergrayheadproppedonapillowyellowandmoldywithageandlackofsunlight.

V

THENEGROmetthefirstoftheladiesatthefrontdoorandletthemin,withtheirhushed,sibilantvoicesandtheirquick,curiousglances,andthenhedisappeared.Hewalkedrightthroughthehouseandoutthebackandwasnotseenagain.

Thetwofemalecousinscameatonce.Theyheldthefuneralonthesecondday,withthetowncomingtolookatMissEmilybeneathamassofboughtflowers,withthecrayonfaceofherfathermusingprofoundlyabovethebierandtheladiessibilantandmacabre;andtheveryoldmen--someintheirbrushedConfederateuniforms--ontheporchandthelawn,talkingofMissEmilyasifshehadbeenacontemporaryoftheirs,believingthattheyhaddancedwithherandcourtedherperhaps,confusingtimewithitsmathematicalprogression,astheolddo,towhomallthepastisnotadiminishingroadbut,instead,ahugemeadowwhichnowintereverquitetouches,dividedfromthemnowbythenarrowbottle-neckofthemostrecentdecadeofyears.

Alreadyweknewthattherewasoneroominthatregionabovestairswhichnoonehadseeninfortyyears,andwhichwouldhavetobeforced.TheywaiteduntilMissEmilywasdecentlyinthegroundbeforetheyopenedit.

Theviolenceofbreakingdownthedoorseemedtofillthisroomwithpervadingdust.Athin,acridpallasofthetombseemedtolieeverywhereuponthisroomdeckedandfurnishedasforabridal:upon