Chapter1
ItbeganinaWoman’sClubinLondononaFebruaryafternoon—anuncomfortableclub,
i
andamiserableafternoon—whenMrs.Wilkins,whohadcomedół
downfromHampsteadtoshopi
andhadlunchedatherclub,wzięła
tookupTheTimesfromthetableinthesmoking-room,i
andrunningherlistlesseyedół
downtheAgonyColumnsawthis:.To
Tych
ThosewhoAppreciateWistariaandSunshine.Mały
SmallmediaevalItalianCastleontheshoresoftheMediterraneantobeLetFurnishedforthemonthofApril.Necessaryservantsremain.
Z,Box1000,TheTimes.
Thatwasitsconception;
yet,asinthe
przypadku
caseofmanyanother,theconceiverwasunawareofitatthechwili
moment.SoentirelyunawarewasMrs.WilkinsthatherAprilforthat
roku
yearhadthenandtherebeensettledforherthatshedroppedthenewspaperz
withagesturethatwaszarówno
bothirritatedandresigned,andposzedł
wentovertothewindowi
andstareddrearilyoutatthedrippingstreet.Notforherweremediaevalcastles,
nawet
eventhosethatarespeciallydescribedasmałe
small.NotforhertheshoresinApriloftheMediterranean,
i
andthewistariaandsunshine.Takie
Suchdelightswereonlyfortherich.Jednak
Yettheadvertisementhadbeenaddressedtoosób
personswhoappreciatethesethings,sothatithadbeen,anyhow,addressedtootoniej
her,forshecertainlyappreciatedje
them;morethananybodyknew;
więcej
morethanshehadeverpowiedziała
told.Butshewaspoor.
Inthewhole
świecie
worldshepossessedofherverywłasny
ownonlyninetypounds,savedfromyeartoyear,umieścić
putbycarefullypoundbypound,outofherdressallowance.Shehadscraped
tę
thissumtogetheratthesuggestionofhermęża
husbandasashieldandrefugeprzed
againstarainyday.Herdressallowance,givenherbyher
ojca
father,was£100ayear,sothatMrs.Wilkins’sclotheswerewhathermąż
husband,urginghertosave,calledmodestandbecoming,andheracquaintancetoeachother,kiedy
whentheyspokeofheratall,whichwasseldomforshewasbardzo
verynegligible,calledaperfectsight.Mr.
Wilkins,asolicitor,encouragedthrift,exceptthatbranchofitwhich
dostała
gotintohisfood.Hedidnotcallthatthrift,hecalleditbadhousekeeping.
Ale
Butforthethriftwhich,jak
likemoth,penetratedintoMrs.Wilkins’sclothesi
andspoiltthem,hehadwiele
muchpraise.“Youneverknow,”he
powiedział
said,“whentherewillbearainydzień
day,andyoumaybebardzo
verygladtofindyoumasz
haveanest-egg.Indeedwebothmay.”
LookingoutoftheclubwindowintoShaftesburyAvenue—herswasaneconomicalclub,
ale
butconvenientforHampstead,whereshelived,i
andforShoolbred’s,wheresheshopped—Mrs.Wilkins,havingstoodtheresome
czas
timeverydrearily,hermind’seyeontheMediterraneaninApril,i
andthewistaria,andtheenviableopportunitiesoftherich,podczas
whileherbodilyeyewatchedthereallyextremelyhorriblesootyrainfallingsteadilyonthehurryingumbrellasi
andsplashingomnibuses,suddenlywonderedwhethermoże
perhapsthiswasnottherainydzień
dayMellersh—MellershwasMr.Wilkins—hadsooftenencouragedhertopreparefor,i
andwhethertogetoutofsuchaclimatei
andintothesmallmediaevalcastlewasn’tmoże
perhapswhatProvidencehadallalongintendedhertodowithhersavings.Partofhersavings,of
oczywiście
course;perhapsquiteasmallpart.
Thecastle,beingmediaeval,might
również
alsobedilapidated,anddilapidationsweresurelycheap.Shewouldn’tintheleastmindafewof
nich
them,becauseyoudidn’tpayfordilapidationsktóre
whichwerealreadythere;onthecontrary—byreducingthepriceyouhadto
zapłacić
paytheyreallypaidyou.Ale
Butwhatnonsensetothinkofit...Sheturnedawayfromthewindowwiththe
tym samym
samegestureofmingledirritationi
andresignationwithwhichshehadlaiddownTheTimes,i
andcrossedtheroomtowardsthedrzwi
doorwiththeintentionofgettinghermackintoshi
andumbrellaandfightingherwayintojednego
oneoftheovercrowdedomnibusesi
andgoingtoShoolbred’sonherwaydomu
homeandbuyingsomesolesforMellersh’sdinner—Mellershwasdifficultwithfishi
andlikedonlysoles,exceptsalmon—whenshebeheldMrs.Arbuthnot,awomansheznała
knewbysightasalsolivinginHampsteadi
andbelongingtotheclub,sittingatthetableinthemiddleoftheroomonktóra
whichthenewspapersandmagazineswerekept,absorbed,inherturn,inthefirstpageofTheTimes.Mrs.
Wilkinshadnever
jeszcze
yetspokentoMrs.Arbuthnot,whobelongedtojednego
oneofthevariouschurchsets,i
andwhoanalysed,classified,dividedi
andregisteredthepoor;whereasshe
i
andMellersh,whentheydidgoout,wenttothepartiesofimpressionistpainters,ofwhominHampsteadtherewerewiele
many.Mellershhadasisterwho
miał
hadmarriedoneofthemi
andlivedupontheHeath,i
andbecauseofthisallianceMrs.Wilkinswasdrawnintoacirclewhichwashighlyunnaturaltoniej
her,andshehadlearnedtodreadpictures.Shehadto
powiedzieć
saythingsaboutthem,andshedidn’twiedziała
knowwhattosay.Sheusedtomurmur,“Marvellous,”
i
andfeelthatitwasnotenough.Ale
Butnobodyminded.Nobodylistened.
Nikt nie
NobodytookanynoticeofMrs.Wilkins.Shewasthekindofpersonwhoisnotnoticedatparties.
Herclothes,infestedbythrift,
uczyniły
madeherpracticallyinvisible;herfacewasnon-arresting;
herconversationwasreluctant;
shewasshy.
And
jeśli
ifone’sclothesandfaceandconversationareallnegligible,pomyślała
thoughtMrs.Wilkins,whorecognisedherdisabilities,co
what,atparties,isthereleftofone?Również
AlsoshewasalwayswithWilkins,thatclean-shaven,fine-lookingmężczyzna
man,whogaveaparty,merelybycomingtoit,awielki
greatair.Wilkinswasveryrespectable.
Hewasknowntobehighlythoughtofbyhisseniorpartners.
Hissister’scircleadmired
go
him.Hepronouncedadequatelyintelligentjudgmentsonart
i
andartists.Hewaspithy;
hewasprudent;
he
nigdy nie
neversaidawordtoowiele
much,nor,ontheotherstrony
hand,didheeversayawordzbyt
toolittle.Heproducedtheimpressionofkeepingcopiesofeverythinghesaid;
i
andhewassoobviouslyreliableże
thatitoftenhappenedthatpeoplektórzy
whomethimatthesepartiesbecamediscontentedze
withtheirownsolicitors,andpo
afteraperiodofrestlessnessextricatedthemselvesi
andwenttoWilkins.NaturallyMrs.Wilkinswasblottedout.
“She,”
powiedziała
saidhissister,withsomethingherselfofthejudicial,thedigested,i
andthefinalinhermanner,“shouldstayathome.”Ale
ButWilkinscouldnotleavehisżony
wifeathome.Hewasafamilysolicitor,andallsuch
mają
havewivesandshowthem.Withhisintheweekhewenttoparties,
a
andwithhisonSundayshewenttochurch.Beingstillfairlyyoung—hewasthirty-nine—andambitiousofoldladies,ofwhomhe
miał
hadnotyetacquiredinhispracticeasufficientnumber,hecouldnotaffordtomisschurch,i
anditwastherethatMrs.Wilkinsbecamefamiliar,choć
thoughneverthroughwords,withMrs.Arbuthnot.She
widziała
sawhermarshallingthechildrenoftheubogich
poorintopews.ShewouldcomeinattheheadoftheprocessionfromtheSundaySchool
dokładnie
exactlyfiveminutesbeforethechoir,andgetherboysandgirlsneatlyfittedintotheirallottedseats,anddownontheirlittlekneesintheirpreliminaryprayer,andupponownie
againontheirfeetjustas,totheswellingorgan,thevestrydrzwi
dooropened,andthechoirandclergy,bigwiththelitaniesandcommandmentstheywerepresentlytorollout,emerged.She
miała
hadasadface,yetshewasevidentlyefficient.ThecombinationusedtomakeMrs.Wilkinswonder,forshehadbeen
powiedział
toldbyMellersh,ondayskiedy
whenshehadonlybeenstanie
abletogetplaice,thatjeśli
ifonewereefficientonewouldn’tbedepressed,andże
thatifonedoesone’spracę
jobwellonebecomesautomaticallybrightandbrisk.O
AboutMrs.Arbuthnottherewasnic
nothingbrightandbrisk,thoughwiele
muchinherwaywiththeSundaySchoolchildrenże
thatwasautomatic;butwhenMrs.Wilkins,turningfromthewindow,caughtsightofherintheclubshewasnotbeingautomaticatall,
ale
butwaslookingfixedlyatjedną
oneportionofthefirstpageofTheTimes,holdingthepapercałkiem
quitestill,hereyesnotmoving.Shewas
po prostu
juststaring;andherface,asusual,wasthefaceofapatientanddisappointedMadonna.
Obeyinganimpulseshewonderedateven
podczas
whileobeyingit,Mrs.Wilkins,theshyi
andthereluctant,insteadofproceedingasshehadintendedtothecloakroomi
andfromthencetoSchoolbred’sinsearchofMellersh’sfish,zatrzymał
stoppedatthetableandusiadł
satdownexactlyoppositeMrs.Arbuthnot,towhomshehadneveryetmówił
spokeninherlife.Itwas
jeden
oneofthoselong,narrowrefectorytables,soże
thattheywerequiteclosetoeachother.Mrs.
Arbuthnot,however,didnot
spojrzał
lookup.Shecontinuedtogaze,witheyes
które
thatseemedtobedreaming,atjednym
onespotonlyofTheTimes.Mrs.
Wilkinswatchedheraminute,tryingtoscrewupcourageto
porozmawiać
speaktoher.Shewantedto
zapytać
askherifshehadwidziała
seentheadvertisement.Shedidnot
wiedziała
knowwhyshewantedtozapytać
askherthis,butshewantedto.Jak
Howstupidnottobestanie
abletospeaktoher.She
wyglądała
lookedsokind.Shelookedsounhappy.
Dlaczego
Whycouldn’ttwounhappypeoplerefresheachotherontheirdrodze
waythroughthisdustybusinessofżycia
lifebyalittletalk—real,naturaltalk,o
aboutwhattheyfelt,whattheywouldmieć
haveliked,whattheystillpróbowali
triedtohope?Andshecouldnothelpthinking
że
thatMrs.Arbuthnot,too,wasreadingże
thatverysameadvertisement.Hereyeswereonthevery
części
partofthepaper.Was
ona
she,too,picturingwhatitwouldbelike—thecolour,thefragrance,thelight,thesoftlappingoftheseaamonglittlehotrocks?Colour,fragrance,light,sea;
insteadofShaftesburyAvenue,
i
andthewetomnibuses,andthefishdepartmentatShoolbred’s,i
andtheTubetoHampstead,i
anddinner,andto-morrowthesamei
andthedayafterthesamei
andalwaysthesame...SuddenlyMrs.Wilkins
znalazła
foundherselfleaningacrossthetable.“Areyoureading
o
aboutthemediaevalcastleandthewistaria?”she
słyszała
heardherselfasking.NaturallyMrs.Arbuthnotwassurprised;
ale
butshewasnothalfsomuchsurprisedasMrs.Wilkinswasatherselfforasking.Mrs.
Arbuthnot
miała
hadnotyettoherknowledgeustawić
seteyesontheshabby,lank,loosely-put-togetherfiguresittingoppositeher,z
withitssmallfreckledfacei
andbiggreyeyesalmostdisappearingpod
underasmashed-downwet-weatherhat,i
andshegazedatheramomentbez
withoutanswering.Shewasreading
o
aboutthemediaevalcastleandthewistaria,orratherhadprzeczytała
readaboutittenminutesbefore,andod
sincethenhadbeenlostindreams—ofświetle
light,ofcolour,offragrance,ofthesoftlappingoftheseaamonglittlehotrocks...“Whydoyouaskmethat?”
she
powiedziała
saidinhergravevoice,forhertrainingofi
andbythepoorhadmadehergravei
andpatient.Mrs.
Wilkinsflushed
i
andlookedexcessivelyshyandfrightened.“Oh,
tylko
onlybecauseIsawitteż
too,andIthoughtperhaps—Ipomyślałam
thoughtsomehow—”shestammered.
WhereuponMrs.Arbuthnot,her
umysł
mindbeingusedtogettingludzi
peopleintolistsanddivisions,fromhabitconsidered,asshegazedthoughtfullyatMrs.Wilkins,pod
underwhatheading,supposingshehadtoclassifyher,shecouldnajbardziej
mostproperlybeput.“AndI
znam
knowyoubysight,”wentonMrs.Wilkins,who,jak
likealltheshy,onceshewaszaczęła
startedplungedon,frighteningherselftomoreandmorespeechbythesheersoundofwhatshehadpowiedziała
saidlastinherears.“EverySunday—I
widzę
seeyoueverySundayinchurch—”.“Inchurch?”
echoedMrs.Arbuthnot.
“Andthisseems
taka
suchawonderfulthing—thisadvertisemento
aboutthewistaria—and—”.Mrs.
Wilkins,whomust
mieć
havebeenatleastthirty,brokeoffi
andwriggledinherchairwiththemovementofanawkwardi
andembarrassedschoolgirl.“Itseemssowonderful,”shewentoninakindofburst,“and—itis
takie
suchamiserableday...”Andthenshe
usiadła
satlookingatMrs.Arbuthnotwiththeeyesofanimprisonedpsa
dog.“Thispoorthing,”thoughtMrs.Arbuthnot,whoselifewasspentinhelping
i
andalleviating,“needsadvice.”Sheaccordinglypreparedherselfpatientlytogive
go
it.“Ifyouseemeinchurch,”she
powiedziała
said,kindlyandattentively,“IsupposeyouliveinHampsteadtoo?”“Ohyes,”
powiedziała
saidMrs.Wilkins.Andsherepeated,herheadonitslongthinneckdroopinga
trochę
littleasiftherecollectionofHampsteadbowedją
her,“Ohyes.”“Where?”
askedMrs.Arbuthnot,
który
who,whenadvicewasneeded,naturallynajpierw
firstproceededtocollectthefacts.Ale
ButMrs.Wilkins,layingherrękę
handsoftlyandcaressinglyontheczęści
partofTheTimeswheretheadvertisementwas,asthoughthemereprintedwordsofitwereprecious,tylko
onlysaid,“Perhapsthat’swhythisseemssowonderful.”“No—I
myślę
thinkthat’swonderfulanyhow,”saidMrs.Arbuthnot,forgettingfactsi
andfaintlysighing.“Thenyouwerereadingit?”
“Yes,”
powiedziała
saidMrs.Arbuthnot,hereyesgoingdreamyznów
again.“Wouldn’titbewonderful?”
murmuredMrs.Wilkins.
“Wonderful,”
powiedziała
saidMrs.Arbuthnot.Herface,
która
whichhadlitup,fadedintopatienceznów
again.“Verywonderful,”shesaid.
“Butit’s
nie
nousewastingone’stimethinkingoftakie
suchthings.”“Oh,butitis,”wasMrs.Wilkins’squick,surprisingreply;
surprising
ponieważ
becauseitwassomuchunliketherestofher—thecharacterlesscoati
andskirt,thecrumpledhat,theundecidedwispofwłos
hairstragglingout.“Andjusttheconsideringofthemisworthwhileinitself—suchachangefromHampstead—and
czasami
sometimesIbelieve—Ireallydobelieve—ifoneconsidersciężko
hardenoughonegetsthings.”Mrs.
Arbuthnotobservedherpatiently.
Inwhatcategorywouldshe,supposingshehadto,
umieściła
puther?“Perhaps,”shesaid,leaningforwardalittle,“youwill
powiedziała
tellmeyourname.Ifwearetobefriends”—shesmiledhergravesmile—“asI
nadzieję
hopeweare,wehadlepiej
betterbeginatthebeginning.”“Ohyes—howkindofyou.
I’mMrs.Wilkins,”
powiedziała
saidMrs.Wilkins.“Idon’texpect,”sheadded,flushing,asMrs.Arbuthnot
powiedziała
saidnothing,“thatitconveysanythingtoyou.Czasami
Sometimesit—itdoesn’tseemtoconveynic
anythingtomeeither.But”—she
spojrzała
lookedroundwithamovementofseekinghelp—“IamMrs.Wilkins.”Shedidnotlikeher
imię
name.Itwasamean,
małe
smallname,withakindoffacetioustwist,shepomyślała
thought,aboutitsendliketheupwardcurveofapugdog’stail.Thereitwas,however.
Therewasnodoing
nic
anythingwithit.Wilkinsshewas
i
andWilkinsshewouldremain;i
andthoughherhusbandencouragedhertogiveitonalloccasionsasMrs.Mellersh-Wilkinsshetylko
onlydidthatwhenhewaswithinearshot,forshethoughtMellershmadeWilkinsworse,emphasisingitinten
thewayChatsworthonthegate-postsofavillaemphasisesten
thevilla.WhenfirsthesuggestedsheshouldaddMellershshe
ma
hadobjectedfortheabovepowodu
reason,andafterapause—Mellershwasmuchzbyt
tooprudenttospeakexceptafterapause,duringwhichpresumablyhewastakingacarefulmentalcopyofhisby
comingobservation—hesaid,muchdispleased,“ButIamnotavilla,”andspojrzał
lookedatherashespojrzał
lookswhohopes,forperhapsthehundredthtime,thathemaynotma
havemarriedafool.Of
oczywiście
coursehewasnotavilla,Mrs.Wilkinsassuredgo
him;shehadneversupposedhewas;
shehadnotdreamedofmeaning...
shewasonly
po prostu
justthinking...The
więcej
moresheexplainedthemoreearnestbecameMellersh’shope,familiartohimbytym
thistime,forhehadthenbeenamężem
husbandfortwoyears,thathemightnotbyanychancehavemarriedafool;i
andtheyhadaprolongedquarrel,jeśli
ifthatcanbecalledaquarrelco
whichisconductedwithdignifiedsilenceononesidei
andearnestapologyonthedrugiej
other,astowhetherornoMrs.Wilkinsmiała
hadintendedtosuggestthatMr.Wilkinswasavilla.“Ibelieve,”shehad
pomyślała
thoughtwhenitwasatlastover—ittookalongwhile—“thatanybodywouldquarrelaboutwszystko
anythingwhenthey’venotleftoffbeingrazem
togetherforasingledayfordwa
twowholeyears.Whatweboth
potrzebujemy
needisaholiday.”“Myhusband,”wentonMrs.WilkinstoMrs.Arbuthnot,tryingtothrowsome
światła
lightonherself,“isasolicitor.He—”
Shecast
o
aboutforsomethingshecouldpowiedzieć
sayelucidatoryofMellersh,andznalazł
found:“He’sveryhandsome.”
“Well,”
powiedziała
saidMrs.Arbuthnotkindly,“thatmusi
mustbeagreatpleasuretoyou.”“Why?”
zapytała
askedMrs.Wilkins.“Because,”saidMrs.Arbuthnot,a
trochę
littletakenaback,forconstantintercoursez
withthepoorhadaccustomedhertohaveherpronouncementsacceptedbez
withoutquestion,“becausebeauty—handsomeness—isagiftjak
likeanyother,andifitisproperlyused—”.Shetrailedoffintosilence.
Mrs.Wilkins’sgreatgreyeyeswerefixedon
jej
her,anditseemedsuddenlytoMrs.Arbuthnotthatmoże
perhapsshewasbecomingcrystallisedintoahabitofexposition,andofexpositionafterthemannerofnursemaids,poprzez
throughhavinganaudiencethatcouldn’tbutagree,thatwouldbeafraid,jeśli
ifitwished,tointerrupt,thatdidn’twiedziała
know,thatwas,infact,athermercy.Ale
ButMrs.Wilkinswasnotsłuchała
listening;forjustthen,absurdasitseemed,apicturehadflashedacrossherbrain,
i
andthereweretwofiguresinitsittingrazem
togetherunderagreattrailingwistariaktóry
thatstretchedacrossthebranchesofatreeshedidn’tznała
know,anditwasherselfi
andMrs.Arbuthnot—shesawthem—shewidziała
sawthem.Andbehindthem,brightinsunshine,were
stare
oldgreywalls—themediaevalcastle—shesawit—theyweretam
there...ShethereforestaredatMrs.Arbuthnot
i
anddidnothearasłowa
wordshesaid.AndMrs.Arbuthnotstared
też
tooatMrs.Wilkins,arrestedbytheexpressiononhertwarzy
face,whichwassweptbytheexcitementofwhatshewidziała
saw,andwasasluminousi
andtremulousunderitaswoda
waterinsunlightwhenitisruffledbyagustofwind.At
tej
thismoment,ifshehadbeenataparty,Mrs.Wilkinswouldhavebeenlookedatz
withinterest.Theystaredateachother;
Mrs.Arbuthnotsurprised,inquiringly,Mrs.Wilkinswiththeeyesofsomeone
kto
whohashadarevelation.Of
oczywiście
course.Thatwashowitcouldbedone.
Sheherself,shebyherself,couldn’tafford
to
it,andwouldn’tbeable,nawet
evenifshecouldaffordto
it,togothereallsama
alone;butsheandMrs.Arbuthnot
razem
together...Sheleanedacrossthetable.
“Whydon’twetryandgetit?”
shewhispered.
Mrs.
Arbuthnotbecame
jeszcze
evenmorewide-eyed.“Getit?”
sherepeated.
“Yes,”
powiedziała
saidMrs.Wilkins,stillasthoughshewereafraidofbeingoverheard.“Not
tylko
justsithereandsayHowwonderful,andthengodomu
hometoHampsteadwithouthavingputsię
outafinger—gohomejustasusualandseeaboutthedinnerandthefishtylko
justaswe’vebeendoingforyearsandyearsandwillgoonrobimy
doingforyearsandyears.Infact,”
powiedziała
saidMrs.Wilkins,flushingtotherootsofherwłosów
hair,forthesoundofwhatshewaspowiedziała
saying,ofwhatwascomingpouringsię
out,frightenedher,andyetshecouldn’tzatrzymać
stop,“Iseenoendtoto
it.Thereisnoendtoit.
So
że
thatthereoughttobeaprzerwy
break,thereoughttobeintervals—ineverybody’sinterests.Why,itwould
naprawdę
reallybebeingunselfishtogoawayi
andbehappyforatrochę
little,becausewewouldcomebacksowiele
muchnicer.Yousee,afterabit
każdy
everybodyneedsaholiday.”“But—howdoyou
myśli
mean,getit?”askedMrs.Arbuthnot.
“Takeit,”
powiedziała
saidMrs.Wilkins.“Takeit?”