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第37章 A Rose for Miss Emily（第2页）

Shewassickftime。heragain，herhairwasakingherlooklikeagirl，withavagueresemblahoseangelsincoloreddidserene。

&ownhadjustletthetractsfthesidewalks，andinthesummerafterherfather'sdeaththeybegantowork。ThestruewithniggersandmulesandmadaforemannamedHomerBarron，aYankee-abig，dark，readyman，withabigvoideyeslighterthaleboyswouldfollowingroupstohearhimiggers，andtheniggerssingiheriseandfallofpicks。PrettysoonhekneweverybodyintownWheneveryouheardalotoflaughithesquare，HomerBarroheterofthegroup。PreseoseehimandMissEmilyonSundayafternintheyellow-wheeledbuggyachedteamofbaysfromtheliverystable。

AtfirstweweregladthatMissEmilywouldhavea，becausetheladiesallsaid，&quriersonwouldnotthinkseriouslyofaNortherner，adaylaborer。"Buttherewerestillothers，olderpeople，whosaidthatevengriefotcausearealladytetnoblesseoblige-withoutgitheyjustsaid，"PoorEmily。Herkinsfolkshouldetoher。"ShehadsomekininAlabama;butyearsagoherfatherhadfallenoutwiththemovertheestateofoldladyWyatt，thean，andtherewasnounibetweewofamilies。Theyhadnoteveedatthefuneral。

Andassoonastheoldpeoplesaid，"PoorEmily"，thewhisperi;Doyousupposeit'sreallyso?"theysaidtoo;ofcourseitis。Whatelsecould。。。"Thisbehindtheirhands:rustlingofedsilkandsatinbehindjalousiescloseduponthesunofSundayafternoohin，swiftclop-atchedteampassed:"PoorEmily"。

Shecarriedherheadhighenough-evenwheshewasfallen。ItwasasifshedemahainityasthelastGrierson;asifithadwaouchofearthioreaffirmherimperviousness。Likewheheratpoisowasoverayearaftertheyhadbeguntosay"PoorEmily。"awofemaleswerevisitingher。

"Ioison，"shesaidtist。Shewasoverthirtythen，stillaslightwoman，thoughthihanusualwithcold，haughtyblaafacethefleshofwhichwasstrainedacrossthetemplesandabouttheeye-socketsasyouimagihouse-keeper'sfaceoughttolook。"Ioison，"shesaid。

"Yes，MissEmily。Whatkind?Forratsandsuch?I'dreend-"

"Iwayouhave。Idon'tcarewhatkind。"

&;They'llkillanythinguptoawhatyouwantis-"

"Arseniilysaid"Isthatagoodo;

"Is。。。arsenic?Yesma'am。Butwhatyouwant-"

"Iwa;

&lookeddownather。Shelookedbackathim，erect，herfacelikeastrainedflag。"Why，ofcourse，&quistsaid。"Ifthat'swhatyouwant。Butthelawrequiresyoutotellwhatytouseitfor。"

MissEmilyjuststaredathim，herheadtiltedbaordertolookhimeyeforeye，untilhelookedawayaandgotthearsenideditup。TheNegrodeliverybhtherthepackage;thedruggistdidn'tebasheopehepackageathometherewaswrittenonthebox，uheskulla;Forrats。"

IV

Sothedayweallsaid，"Shewillkillherself";awouldbethebestthing。WhenshehadfirstbeguhHomerBarron，wehadsaid，"Shewillmarryhim。"Thenwesaid，"Shewillpersuadehimyet，"beselfhadremarked-helikedmen，anditwasknownthathedrankwiththeyouheElk'sClub-thathewasnman。Laterwesaid，"PoorEmily，"behindthejalousiesastheypassedonSundayafternooeringbuggy，MissEmilywithherheadhighandHomerBarronwithhishatdahisteeth，reinsandwhipinayellowglove。

TheheladiesbegantosaythatitwasadisgracetothetownaotheyouhemendidnotwaatlasttheladiesforcedtheBaptistminister-MissEmily'speoplewereEpiscopal-toher。Heweenedduringthatiherefusedtogoba。TheSundaytheyagaihestreets，andthefollowier'swifewrotetoMissEmily'srelationsinAlabama。

Soshehadblood-kinunderherroofagaibackwatents。Atfirstnothihehattheyweretobemarried。WelearMissEmilyhadbeentothejeos;sandorderedaman'stoiletsetihelettersH。B。owodayslaterwelearshehadboughtapleteoutfitofmen'sg，inganightshirt，andwesaid，"Theyaremarried。"Wewerereallyglad。WeweregladbecausethetwofemaleswereevenmriersonthanMissEmilyhadeverbeen。

&surprisedwhenHomerBarroshadbeeimesine。Wewerealittledisappoihereublig-off，butwebelievedthathebadgooprepareforMissEmily'sing，iveheracetogetridofthes。（BythattimeitwasadwewereallMissEmily'salliestohelptthes。）Sureeherweektheydeparted。And，asectedallalong，withinthreedaysHomerBarronwasba。AneighborsawtheNegromanadmithimatthekitdooratduskoneevening。

AndthatwasthelastwesawofHomerBarron。AndofMissEmilyforsometime。TheNegromainandoutwiththemarketbasket，butthefrontdoorremainedowandthenwewouldseeheratawindowforamoment，asthemendidthatheyspriforalmostsixmoappearohehiswastobeexpectedtoo;asifthatqualityofherfatherwhichhadthwartedheros;slifesomanytimeshadbeentoovirulentandtoofurioustodie。

&sawMissEmily，shehadgrownfatandherhairwasturninggray。Durifewyearsitgrewgrayerailitattainedanevenpepper-and-saltiroceasedturning。Uptothedayofherdeathatseventy-fouritwasstillthatvigray，likethehairofana。

Fromthattimeodoorremainedclosed，saveforaperiodofsixorsevenyears，whenshewasabwhichshegavelessonsintiedupastudioihedownstairsrooms，wherethedaughtersandgranddaughtersofelSartoris'porariesweresehesameregularityandihattheyweresenttoSundayswithatwepiecefortheeaaxeshadbeeed。

&heiohebadthespiritofthetoaintingpupilsgrewupandfellawayanddidheirtoherwithboxesofdtediousbrushesafromtheladies'magazidoorclosedupooneandremainedclood。WhefreepostaldeliveryMissEmilyalothemfastealnumbersaboveherdoorandattachamailboxtoit。Shewouldhem。

Daily，monthly，yearlywewategrrayeraooped，goinginandoutwiththemarketbasket。EachDecemberweseaxnotice，whichwouldbereturofficeaweeklater，unowandthenwewouldseeherihedos-shehadevidentlyshutupthetopfloorofthehouse-likethetorsoofanidolinanigornotlookingatus，weevertellwhich。Thusshepassedfromgeogeion-dear，inescapable，impervious，tranquil，andperverse。

Andsoshedied。Fellillinthehousefilledwithdustandshadows，withonlyadromantowaitoevenknoehadlongsiryianyinformationfromtheonoone，probablyoher，forhisvoicehadgrownharshandrusty，asiffromdisuse。

Shediedihedownstairsrooms，inaheavywalha，hergrayheadproppedonapillowyellowandmoldywithageandlalight。

V

Thehefirstoftheladiesatthefrontdoorahtheirhushed，sibilaheirquick，curiousglahenhedisappeared。Hewalkedrightthroughthehouseandoutthebadwasnotseenagain。

&wofemaleeatohefuhesedday，withthetowningtolookatMissEmilybehamassofboughtflowers，withthefaceofherfathermusingprofouhebierandtheladiessibilantaheveryoldmeheirbrushedfederateuniforms-onthepordthelawn，talkingofMissEmilyasifshehadbeenaporaryoftheirs，believingthattheyhaddahherandcourtedherperhaps，gtimewithitsmathematicalprogressiooastisnotadiminishingroad，but，instead，ahugemeadoiouches，dividedfromthemnowbythenarrowbottlehemostretdecadeofyears。

Alreadywekherewasoneroominthatregioairswhiehadseeninfortyyears，andwhichwouldhavetobeforced。TheywaiteduntilMissEmilywasdethegrouheyope。

Theviolencedownthedoorseemedtofillthisroomwithpervadingdust。Athin，acridpallasofthetombseemedtolieeverywhereuponthisroomdedfurnishedasforabridal:uponthevalaainsoffadedrosetherose-shadedlights，uptable，upoearrayofdtheman'stoiletthiarnishedsilver，silversotarhemonogramwasthemlayadtie，asiftheyhadjustbeenremoved，which，lifted，leftuponthesurfaceapaleti。Upthesuit，carefullyfolded;behetwomuteshoesandthediscardedsocks。

Themanhimselflayinthebed。

Fwhilewejuststdorofoundahebodyhadapparentlyontheattitudeofanowthelooutlastslove，thatquerseventhegrimaceoflove，had。Whatwasleftofhim，rottedbewasleftofthenightshirt，hadbeeirithebedinwhichhelay;anduponhimanduponthepillowbesidehimlaythatevengofthepatientandbidingdust。

&icedthatinthesedpillowwastheiionofahead。Oneofusliftedsomethingfromit，andleaningforward，thatfaintandidryandathenostrils，wesawalongstrandrayhair。