Chapter1
Itbeganin
je
aWoman’sClubinLondononje
aFebruaryafternoon—anuncomfortableclub,i
andamiserableafternoon—whenMrs.Wilkins,whohadcomeniz
downfromHampsteadtoshopi
andhadlunchedatherklub
club,tookupTheTimesfromthetableinthesmoking-room,i
andrunningherlistlesseyeniz
downtheAgonyColumnsawovo
this:.ToThosewhoAppreciateWistaria
i
andSunshine.SmallmediaevalItalian
Dvorac
CastleontheshoresoftheMediterraneantobeLetFurnishedforthemjesec
monthofApril.Necessaryservants
ostaju
remain.Z,Box1000,TheTimes.
To
Thatwasitsconception;yet,asinthe
slučaju
caseofmanyanother,theconceiverwasnesvjestan
unawareofitattheovom trenutku
moment.SoentirelyunawarewasMrs.Wilkinsthather
Travanj
Aprilforthatyearhadtheni
andtherebeensettledforherthatshedroppedthenovine
newspaperwithagesturethatwasbothirritatedi
andresigned,andwentovertothewindowi
andstareddrearilyoutatthedrippingstreet.Notforherweremediaevalcastles,even
oni
thosethatarespeciallydescribedasmali
small.NotforhertheshoresinApriloftheMediterranean,
i
andthewistariaandsunshine.Takva
Suchdelightswereonlyfortherich.Ipak
Yettheadvertisementhadbeenaddressedtopersonswhoappreciatete
thesethings,sothatithadbeen,anyhow,addressedtootoher,forshesigurno
certainlyappreciatedthem;morethan
itko
anybodyknew;morethanshehadevertold.
Ali
Butshewaspoor.Inthewhole
svijetu
worldshepossessedofherveryownsamo
onlyninetypounds,savedfromgodine
yeartoyear,putbypažljivo
carefullypoundbypound,outofherdressdodatak
allowance.Shehadscrapedthissumtogetheratthe
prijedlog
suggestionofherhusbandasje
ashieldandrefugeagainstje
arainyday.Herdressallowance,givenherbyher
otac
father,was£100ayear,sothatMrs.Wilkins’sodjeću
clotheswerewhatherhusband,urginghertosave,calledmodestandbecoming,andheracquaintancetoeachother,kada
whentheyspokeofheratall,whichwasrijetko
seldomforshewasverynegligible,calledje
aperfectsight.Mr.
Wilkins,
je
asolicitor,encouragedthrift,exceptthatgrana
branchofitwhichgotintohishranu
food.Hedidnotcallthatthrift,hecalleditbadhousekeeping.
Ali
Butforthethriftwhich,poput
likemoth,penetratedintoMrs.Wilkins’sodjeću
clothesandspoiltthem,hehadmnogo
muchpraise.“Youneverknow,”hesaid,“whenthere
će
willbearainyday,i
andyoumaybeverygladtofindyouhaveje
anest-egg.Indeedwebothmay.”
Lookingoutof
na
theclubwindowintoShaftesburyAvenue—herswasanekonomičan
economicalclub,butconvenientforHampstead,gdje
whereshelived,andforShoolbred’s,gdje
wheresheshopped—Mrs.Wilkins,havingstoodtheresome
vrijeme
timeverydrearily,hermind’sokom
eyeontheMediterraneaninApril,i
andthewistaria,andtheenviableopportunitiesoftherich,dok
whileherbodilyeyewatchedthezaista
reallyextremelyhorriblesootyrainfallingstalno
steadilyonthehurryingumbrellasi
andsplashingomnibuses,suddenlywonderedli
whetherperhapsthiswasnotthekišni
rainydayMellersh—MellershwasMr.Wilkins—hadsočesto
oftenencouragedhertopreparefor,i
andwhethertogetoutoftakve
suchaclimateandintothemali
smallmediaevalcastlewasn’tperhapswhatProvidencehadallalongintendedhertodos
withhersavings.Partofhersavings,of
naravno
course;perhapsquiteasmall
dio
part.Thecastle,beingmediaeval,might
također
alsobedilapidated,anddilapidationsweresigurno
surelycheap.Shewouldn’tintheleastmind
je
afewofthem,becauseyoudidn’tpayfordilapidationskoje
whichwerealreadythere;onthecontrary—byreducingthepriceyouhadto
platiti
paytheyreallypaidyou.Ali
Butwhatnonsensetothinkofit...Sheturnedawayfromthewindow
s
withthesamegestureofmingledirritationi
andresignationwithwhichshehadlaiddownTheTimes,i
andcrossedtheroomtowardsthevratima
doorwiththeintentionofgettinghermackintoshi
andumbrellaandfightingherputu
wayintooneoftheovercrowdedomnibusesi
andgoingtoShoolbred’sonherputu
wayhomeandbuyingsomesolesforMellersh’sdinner—Mellershwastežak
difficultwithfishandlikedsamo
onlysoles,exceptsalmon—whenshebeheldMrs.Arbuthnot,je
awomansheknewbysightastakođer
alsolivinginHampsteadandbelongingtotheclub,sittingatthetableinthesredini
middleoftheroomonwhichthenewspapersi
andmagazineswerekept,absorbed,inherturn,inthefirstpageofTheTimes.Mrs.
Wilkinshadnever
još
yetspokentoMrs.Arbuthnot,whobelongedtooneofthevariouschurchsets,i
andwhoanalysed,classified,dividedi
andregisteredthepoor;whereasshe
i
andMellersh,whentheydidgoout,wenttona
thepartiesofimpressionistpainters,ofwhominHampsteadthereweremnogo
many.Mellershhadasisterwhohad
udala
marriedoneofthemandlivedupontheHeath,i
andbecauseofthisallianceMrs.Wilkinswasdrawnintoje
acirclewhichwashighlyunnaturaltojoj
her,andshehadlearnedtodreadpictures.Shehadto
reći
saythingsaboutthem,andshedidn’tknowwhattoreći
say.Sheusedtomurmur,“Marvellous,”
i
andfeelthatitwasnotdovoljno
enough.Butnobodyminded.
Nobodylistened.
Nitko
NobodytookanynoticeofMrs.Wilkins.Shewasthekindof
osoba
personwhoisnotnoticedatparties.Herclothes,infestedbythrift,madeher
praktički
practicallyinvisible;herfacewasnon-arresting;
her
razgovor
conversationwasreluctant;shewasshy.
And
ako
ifone’sclothesandfaceandrazgovor
conversationareallnegligible,thoughtMrs.Wilkins,whorecognisedherdisabilities,što
what,atparties,isthereleftofone?Također
AlsoshewasalwayswithWilkins,thatclean-shaven,fine-lookingman,whogaveje
aparty,merelybycomingtoit,je
agreatair.Wilkinswas
vrlo
veryrespectable.Hewasknowntobe
visoko
highlythoughtofbyhisstariji
seniorpartners.Hissister’scircleadmiredhim.
Hepronouncedadequatelyintelligentjudgmentson
umjetnosti
artandartists.Hewaspithy;
hewasprudent;
heneversaida
riječ
wordtoomuch,nor,onthedruge
otherhand,didheeversayariječ
wordtoolittle.Heproducedthe
dojam
impressionofkeepingcopiesofsvega
everythinghesaid;andhewasso
očigledno
obviouslyreliablethatitoftenhappenedthatljudi
peoplewhomethimatthesepartiesbecamediscontentedwiththeirownsolicitors,i
andafteraperiodofrestlessnessextricatedthemselvesi
andwenttoWilkins.NaturallyMrs.Wilkinswasblottedout.
“She,”saidhis
sestra
sister,withsomethingherselfofthejudicial,thedigested,i
andthefinalinhermanner,“shouldostati
stayathome.”ButWilkinscouldnot
ostaviti
leavehiswifeathome.Hewas
je
afamilysolicitor,andallsuchimaju
havewivesandshowthem.S
Withhisintheweekhewenttoparties,a
andwithhisonSundayshewenttocrkvu
church.Beingstillfairlyyoung—hewasthirty-nine—and
ambiciozan
ambitiousofoldladies,ofwhomhehadnotyetacquiredinhispraksi
practiceasufficientnumber,hecouldnotpriuštiti
affordtomisschurch,anditwastamo
therethatMrs.Wilkinsbecamefamiliar,iako
thoughneverthroughwords,withMrs.Arbuthnot.Shesawhermarshalling
na
thechildrenofthepoorintopews.ShewouldcomeinattheheadoftheprocessionfromtheSundaySchoolexactly
pet
fiveminutesbeforethechoir,andgetherboysandgirlsuredno
neatlyfittedintotheirallottedseats,anddownontheirmala
littlekneesintheirpreliminaryprayer,andupopet
againontheirfeetjustas,totheswellingorgan,thevestryvrata
dooropened,andthechoirandclergy,bigwiththelitaniesandcommandmentstheywerepresentlytorollout,emerged.Shehad
je
asadface,yetshewasočito
evidentlyefficient.ThecombinationusedtomakeMrs.Wilkinswonder,forshehadbeentoldbyMellersh,ondays
kada
whenshehadonlybeenabletodobiti
getplaice,thatifonewereučinkovit
efficientonewouldn’tbedepressed,i
andthatifonedoesone’sposao
jobwellonebecomesautomaticallybrighti
andbrisk.AboutMrs.Arbuthnottherewas
ništa
nothingbrightandbrisk,thoughpuno
muchinherwaywithna
theSundaySchoolchildrenthatwasautomatski
automatic;butwhenMrs.Wilkins,turningfromthe
prozor
window,caughtsightofherintheclubshewasnotbeingautomaticatall,ali
butwaslookingfixedlyatjedan
oneportionofthefirstpageofTheTimes,holdingthenovine
paperquitestill,hereyesnotmoving.Shewas
samo
juststaring;andherface,as
obično
usual,wasthefaceofje
apatientanddisappointedMadonna.Obeyinganimpulseshewonderedat
čak
evenwhileobeyingit,Mrs.Wilkins,theshyi
andthereluctant,insteadofproceedingasshehadintendedtothecloakroomi
andfromthencetoSchoolbred’sinsearchofMellersh’sfish,stoppedatthetablei
andsatdownexactlyoppositeMrs.Arbuthnot,towhomshehadneverjoš
yetspokeninherlife.Itwas
jedan
oneofthoselong,narrowrefectorytables,sothattheywereprilično
quiteclosetoeachother.Mrs.
Arbuthnot,
međutim
however,didnotlookup.Shecontinuedtogaze,witheyesthatseemedtobedreaming,atonespot
samo
onlyofTheTimes.Mrs.
Wilkinswatchedher
je
aminute,tryingtoscrewuphrabrost
couragetospeaktoher.Shewantedto
pitati
askherifshehadseentheoglas
advertisement.Shedidnotknow
zašto
whyshewantedtoaskherthis,ali
butshewantedto.How
glupo
stupidnottobeabletopričati
speaktoher.Shelookedsokind.
Shelookedsounhappy.
Zašto
Whycouldn’ttwounhappypeopleosvježiti
refresheachotherontheirputu
waythroughthisdustybusinessoflifebyalittletalk—real,naturaltalk,aboutwhattheyfelt,whattheywouldhaveliked,whattheystilltriedtohope?I
Andshecouldnothelpthinkingda
thatMrs.Arbuthnot,too,wasreadingda
thatverysameadvertisement.Hereyeswereontheverypartofthepaper.
Was
ona
she,too,picturingwhatitwouldbelike—theboja
colour,thefragrance,thelight,thesoftlappingofthemora
seaamonglittlehotrocks?Boja
Colour,fragrance,light,sea;insteadofShaftesbury
Avenue
Avenue,andthewetomnibuses,i
andthefishdepartmentatShoolbred’s,i
andtheTubetoHampstead,i
anddinner,andto-morrowtheisto
sameandthedayaftertheisto
sameandalwaysthesame...Odjednom
SuddenlyMrs.Wilkinsfoundherselfleaningpreko
acrossthetable.“Areyoureading
o
aboutthemediaevalcastleandthewistaria?”sheheardherselfasking.
Naravno
NaturallyMrs.Arbuthnotwassurprised;ali
butshewasnothalfsomuchsurprisedasMrs.Wilkinswasatherselfforasking.Mrs.
Arbuthnothadnot
još
yettoherknowledgeseteyesontheshabby,lank,loosely-put-togetherfiguresittingnasuprot
oppositeher,withitssmallfreckledfaceandbiggreyeyesgotovo
almostdisappearingunderasmashed-downwet-weatherhat,andshegazedatherje
amomentwithoutanswering.Shewasreading
o
aboutthemediaevalcastleandthewistaria,ili
orratherhadreadaboutitdeset
tenminutesbefore,andsincethenhadbeenlostindreams—oflight,ofboje
colour,offragrance,ofthesoftlappingofthemora
seaamonglittlehotrocks...“Whydoyouaskmethat?”
shesaidinhergravevoice,forhertrainingof
i
andbythepoorhadmadehergravei
andpatient.Mrs.
Wilkinsflushed
i
andlookedexcessivelyshyandfrightened.“Oh,
samo
onlybecauseIsawitpreviše
too,andIthoughtperhaps—Ithoughtsomehow—”shestammered.
WhereuponMrs.Arbuthnot,her
um
mindbeingusedtogettingpeopleintolistsi
anddivisions,fromhabitconsidered,asshegazedthoughtfullyatMrs.Wilkins,pod
underwhatheading,supposingshehadtoclassifyher,shecouldmostproperlybeput.“AndIknowyoubysight,”wentonMrs.Wilkins,who,
kao
likealltheshy,onceshewasstartedplungedon,frighteningherselftoviše
moreandmorespeechbythesheerzvukom
soundofwhatshehadsaidlastinherears.“EverySunday—Iseeyou
svake
everySundayinchurch—”.“Inchurch?”
echoedMrs.Arbuthnot.
“And
ovo
thisseemssuchawonderfulthing—thisreklama
advertisementaboutthewistaria—and—”.Mrs.
Wilkins,whomust
imati
havebeenatleastthirty,brokeoffi
andwriggledinherchairs
withthemovementofanawkwardi
andembarrassedschoolgirl.“Itseemssowonderful,”shewentoninakindofburst,“and—itissuchamiserableday...”
A
AndthenshesatlookingatMrs.Arbuthnots
withtheeyesofanimprisonedpsa
dog.“Thispoorthing,”thoughtMrs.Arbuthnot,
čiji
whoselifewasspentinhelpingi
andalleviating,“needsadvice.”Sheaccordinglypreparedherself
strpljivo
patientlytogiveit.“Ifyouseemeinchurch,”shesaid,
ljubazno
kindlyandattentively,“IsupposeyouliveinHampsteadtoo?”“Ohyes,”saidMrs.Wilkins.
I
Andsherepeated,herheadonitslongthinvratu
neckdroopingalittleasiftherecollectionofHampsteadbowedher,“Ohyes.”“Where?”
askedMrs.Arbuthnot,
koji
who,whenadvicewasneeded,prirodno
naturallyfirstproceededtocollectthefacts.Ali
ButMrs.Wilkins,layingherruku
handsoftlyandcaressinglyonthedio
partofTheTimeswheretheoglas
advertisementwas,asthoughthemereprintedwordsofitwereprecious,samo
onlysaid,“Perhapsthat’swhyovo
thisseemssowonderful.”“No—Ithinkthat’swonderfulanyhow,”saidMrs.Arbuthnot,forgettingfacts
i
andfaintlysighing.“Thenyouwerereadingit?”
“Yes,”saidMrs.Arbuthnot,hereyesgoingdreamy
opet
again.“Wouldn’titbewonderful?”
murmuredMrs.Wilkins.
“Wonderful,”saidMrs.Arbuthnot.
Her
lice
face,whichhadlitup,fadedintopatienceopet
again.“Verywonderful,”shesaid.
“Butit’s
nema
nousewastingone’stimethinkingoftakvim
suchthings.”“Oh,butitis,”wasMrs.Wilkins’s
brzi
quick,surprisingreply;surprisingbecauseitwassomuchunliketherestofher—thecharacterless
kaput
coatandskirt,thecrumpledšešir
hat,theundecidedwispofkose
hairstragglingout.“Andjusttheconsideringofthemisworth
dok
whileinitself—suchachangefromHampstead—andponekad
sometimesIbelieve—Ireallydobelieve—ifjedan
oneconsidershardenoughonegetsthings.”Mrs.
Arbuthnotobservedher
strpljivo
patiently.Inwhatcategorywould
ona
she,supposingshehadto,staviti
puther?“Perhaps,”shesaid,leaning
naprijed
forwardalittle,“youwilltellmeyourname.Ako
Ifwearetobefriends”—shesmiledhergravesmile—“asIhopewese
are,wehadbetterbeginatthebeginning.”“Ohyes—howkindofyou.
I’mMrs.Wilkins,”saidMrs.Wilkins.
“Idon’texpect,”sheadded,flushing,asMrs.Arbuthnotsaidnothing,“thatitconveysanythingtoyou.
Ponekad
Sometimesit—itdoesn’tseemtoconveyništa
anythingtomeeither.But”—shelookedround
s
withamovementofseekinghelp—“IamMrs.Wilkins.”Shedidnotlikeher
ime
name.Itwasamean,small
ime
name,withakindoffacetioustwist,shethought,o
aboutitsendliketheupwardkrivulja
curveofapugdog’stail.Tu
Thereitwas,however.Therewasnodoing
ništa
anythingwithit.Wilkinsshewas
i
andWilkinsshewouldremain;i
andthoughherhusbandencouragedhertogiveitonalloccasionsasMrs.Mellersh-Wilkinsshesamo
onlydidthatwhenhewaswithinearshot,forshethoughtMellershmadeWilkinsworse,emphasisingitinthenačin
wayChatsworthonthegate-postsofje
avillaemphasisesthevilla.Kad
WhenfirsthesuggestedsheshouldaddMellershshehadobjectedforthegore
abovereason,andafterapause—Mellershwasmuchpreviše
tooprudenttospeakexceptnakon
afterapause,duringwhichvjerojatno
presumablyhewastakingapažljivo
carefulmentalcopyofhiscomingobservation—hesaid,muchdispleased,“ButIamnotje
avilla,”andlookedatherashelookswhohopes,forperhapsthehundredthput
time,thathemaynothaveoženio
marriedafool.Ofcoursehewasnot
je
avilla,Mrs.Wilkinsassuredga
him;shehadneversupposedhewas;
shehadnotdreamedofmeaning...
shewasonlyjustthinking...
The
više
moresheexplainedthemoreearnestbecameMellersh’snada
hope,familiartohimbythistime,forhehadthenbeenje
ahusbandfortwoyears,thathemightnotbyanychancehaveoženio
marriedafool;andtheyhadaprolonged
svađu
quarrel,ifthatcanbecalledasvađu
quarrelwhichisconductedwithdignifiedsilenceonjedne
onesideandearnestapologyonthedruge
other,astowhetherornoMrs.WilkinshadintendedtosuggestthatMr.Wilkinswasavilla.“Ibelieve,”shehadthought
kad
whenitwasatlastover—ittookje
alongwhile—“thatanybodywouldquarreloko
aboutanythingwhenthey’venotleftoffbeingzajedno
togetherforasingledayfordvije
twowholeyears.Whatwe
oboje
bothneedisaholiday.”“Myhusband,”wentonMrs.WilkinstoMrs.Arbuthnot,tryingto
baciti
throwsomelightonherself,“isasolicitor.He—”
Shecast
oko
aboutforsomethingshecouldreći
sayelucidatoryofMellersh,andfound:“He’s
vrlo
veryhandsome.”“Well,”saidMrs.Arbuthnot
ljubazno
kindly,“thatmustbeagreatzadovoljstvo
pleasuretoyou.”“Why?”
askedMrs.Wilkins.
“Because,”saidMrs.Arbuthnot,a
malo
littletakenaback,forconstantodnos
intercoursewiththepoorhadaccustomedhertohaveherpronouncementsacceptedbez
withoutquestion,“becausebeauty—handsomeness—isadar
giftlikeanyother,andako
ifitisproperlyused—”.Shetrailedoffinto
tišini
silence.Mrs.Wilkins’sgreatgreyeyeswerefixedon
nju
her,anditseemedsuddenlytoMrs.Arbuthnotthatmožda
perhapsshewasbecomingcrystallisedintoje
ahabitofexposition,andofexpositionafterthenačin
mannerofnursemaids,throughhavinganaudiencethatcouldn’tbutsložiti
agree,thatwouldbeafraid,ako
ifitwished,tointerrupt,thatdidn’tknow,thatwas,instvari
fact,athermercy.ButMrs.Wilkinswasnotlistening;
for
upravo
justthen,absurdasitseemed,apicturehadflashedpreko
acrossherbrain,andthereweredvije
twofiguresinitsittingzajedno
togetherunderagreattrailingwistariathatstretchedpreko
acrossthebranchesofadrveta
treeshedidn’tknow,anditwasherselfandMrs.Arbuthnot—shesawthem—shesawthem.A
Andbehindthem,brightinsuncu
sunshine,wereoldgreywalls—themediaevalcastle—shesawit—theyweretamo
there...She
zato
thereforestaredatMrs.Arbuthnoti
anddidnothearariječ
wordshesaid.AndMrs.Arbuthnotstared
također
tooatMrs.Wilkins,arrestedbytheexpressiononherface,whichwassweptbytheexcitementofwhatshesaw,i
andwasasluminousandtremulouspod
underitaswaterinsunlightkada
whenitisruffledbyagustofvjetra
wind.Atthismoment,ifshehadbeenat
je
aparty,Mrs.Wilkinswouldhavebeenlookedats
withinterest.Theystaredat
jedni
eachother;Mrs.Arbuthnotsurprised,inquiringly,Mrs.Wilkinswiththeeyesofsomeone
tko
whohashadarevelation.Of
naravno
course.Thatwashowitcouldbedone.
Sheherself,shebyherself,couldn’t
priuštiti
affordit,andwouldn’tbeable,evenifshecouldpriuštiti
affordit,togothereallsama
alone;butsheandMrs.Arbuthnot
zajedno
together...Sheleaned
preko
acrossthetable.“Whydon’twetry
i
andgetit?”shewhispered.
Mrs.
Arbuthnotbecameeven
još
morewide-eyed.“Getit?”
sherepeated.
“Yes,”saidMrs.Wilkins,stillasthoughshewere
boji
afraidofbeingoverheard.“Notjust
sjediti
sithereandsayHowdivno
wonderful,andthengohometoHampsteadbez
withouthavingputoutafinger—gokući
homejustasusualandvidjeti
seeaboutthedinnerandtheribe
fishjustaswe’vebeendoingforyearsandyearsandće
willgoondoingforyearsandyears.Infact,”saidMrs.Wilkins,flushingtotherootsofher
kose
hair,forthesoundofwhatshewassaying,ofwhatwascomingpouringout,frightenedju
her,andyetshecouldn’tprestati
stop,“Iseenoendtoit.Thereis
nema
noendtoit.Sothatthereoughttobea
pauze
break,thereoughttobeintervals—ineverybody’sinterests.Why,itwould
zaista
reallybebeingunselfishtootići
goawayandbehappyforamalo
little,becausewewouldcomebacksomnogo
muchnicer.Yousee,afterabit
svima
everybodyneedsaholiday.”“But—howdoyoumean,getit?”
askedMrs.Arbuthnot.
“Takeit,”saidMrs.Wilkins.
“Takeit?”