小说园>最后一片叶子ppt免费 > 第37章 a re fr i eily（第1页）
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?
