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第37章 a re fr i eily（第1页）

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?

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