The Thirteenth Tale-第30章

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he　sky　began。　his　neat　hair　was　graying；　and　there　was　a　perfect　circle　of　pink　scalp　an　inch　and　a　half　wide　on　the　top　of　his　head。

‘john　is　making　good　the　damage　that　the　twins　did；“　hester　said。

‘what　made　them　do　it？“

‘in　emmeline’s　case　that　is　an　easy　question　to　answer。　adeline　made　her　do　it。　as　for　what　made　adeline　do　it；　that　is　a　harder　question　altogether。　i　doubt　she　knows　herself。　most　of　the　time　she　is　governed　by　impulses　that　appear　to　have　no　conscious　element。　whatever　the　reason；　the　result　was　devastating　for　john。　his　family　has　tended　this　garden　for　generations。“

‘heartless。　all　the　more　shocking　ing　from　a　child。“

unseen　by　the　doctor；　she　pulled　another　face。　clearly　he　did　not　know　much　about　children。　“heartless　indeed。　though　children　are　capable　of　great　cruelty。　only　we　do　not　like　to　think　it　of　them。”

slowly　they　began　to　walk　between　the　topiary　shapes；　admiring　the　yews　while　speaking　of　hester’s　work。　keeping　a　safe　distance；　but　always　within　earshot；　a　little　spy　followed　them；　moving　from　the　protection　of　one　yew　to　another。　left　and　right　they　moved；　sometimes　they　turned　to　double　back　on　themselves；　it　was　a　game　of　angles；　an　elaborate　dance。

‘you　are　satisfied　with　the　results　of　your　efforts　with　emmeline；　i　imagine；　miss　barrow？“

‘yes。　with　another　year　or　so　of　my　attention；　i　see　no　reason　why　emmeline　should　not　give　up　unruliness　for　good　and　bee　permanently　the　sweet　girl　she　knows　how　to　be　at　her　best。　she　will　not　be　clever；　but　still；　i　see　no　reason　why　she　should　not　one　day　lead　a　satisfying　life　separately　from　her　sister。　perhaps　she　might　even　marry。　all　men　do　not　seek　intelligence　in　a　wife；　and　emmeline　is　very　affectionate。“

‘good；　good。“

‘with　adeline　it　is　a　different　matter　entirely。“

they　came　to　a　standstill；　next　to　a　leafy　obelisk　with　a　gash　cut　into　its　side　part　of　the　way　up。　the　governess　peered　at　the　brown　inner　branches　and　touched　one　of　the　new　twigs　with　its　bright　green　leaves　that　was　growing　from　the　old　wood　toward　the　light。　she　sighed。

‘adeline　puzzles　me；　dr。　maudsley。　i　would　value　your　medical　opinion。“

the　doctor　gave　a　courteous　half　bow。　“by　all　means。　what　is　it　that　is　troubling　you？”

‘i　have　never　known　such　a　confusing　child。“　she　paused。　”forgive　my　slowness；　but　there　is　no　succinct　way　to　explain　the　strangeness　i　have　noticed　in　her。“

‘then　take　your　time。　i　am　in　no　rush。“

the　doctor　indicated　a　low　bench；　at　the　back　of　which　a　hedge　of　box　had　been　trained　into　an　elaborately　curlicued　arch；　the　kind　that　frequently　forms　the　headboard　of　a　highly　crafted　bedstead。　they　sat　and　found　themselves　facing　the　good　side　of　one　of　the　garden’s　largest　geometrical　pieces。　“a　dodecahedron；　look。”

hester　disregarded　his　ment　and　began　her　explanation。

‘adeline　is　a　hostile　and　aggressive　child。　she　resents　my　presence　in　the　house　and　resists　all　my　efforts　to　impose　order。　her　eating　is　erratic；　she　refuses　food　until　she　is　half　starving；　and　only　then　will　she　eat　but　the　merest　morsel。　she　has　to　be　bathed　by　force；　and；　despite　her　thinness；　it　takes　two　people　to　hold　her　in　the　water。　any　warmth　i　show　her　is　met　by　utter　indifference。　she　seems　incapable　of　all　the　normal　range　of　human　emotion；　and；　i　speak　frankly　to　you；　dr。　maudsley；　i　have　wondered　whether　she　has　it　in　her　to　return　to　the　fold　of　mon　humanity。“

‘is　she　intelligent？“

‘she　is　wily。　she　is　cunning。　but　she　cannot　be　stimulated　to　take　an　interest　in　anything　beyond　the　realm　of　her　own　wishes；　desires　and　appetites。“

‘and　in　the　classroom？“

‘you　appreciate　of　course　that　with　girls　like　these　the　classroom　is　not　what　it　might　be　for　normal　children。　there　is　no　arithmetic；　no　latin；　no　geography。　still；　in　the　interests　of　order　and　routine；　the　children　are　made　to　attend　for　two　hours；　twice　a　day；　and　i　educate　them　by　telling　stories。“

‘does　she　appreciate　these　lessons？“

‘if　only　i　knew　how　to　answer　that　question！　she　is　quite　wild；　dr。　maudsley。　she　has　to　be　trapped　in　the　room　by　trickery；　or　sometimes　i　have　to　get　john　to　bring　her　by　force。　she　will　do　anything　to　avoid　it；　flailing　her　arms　or　else　holding　her　whole　body　rigid　to　make　it　awkward　to　carry　her　through　the　door。　seating　her　behind　a　desk　is　practically　impossible。　more　often　than　not　john　is　obliged　to　simply　leave　her　on　the　floor。　she　will　neither　look　at　me　nor　listen　to　me　in　the　classroom；　but　retreats　to　some　inner　world　of　her　own。“

the　doctor　listened　closely　and　nodded。　“it　is　a　difficult　case。　her　behavior　causes　you　greater　anxiety　and　you　fear　that　the　results　of　your　efforts　may　be　less　successful　than　with　her　sister。　and　yet”—his　smile　was　charming—“forgive　me；　miss　barrow；　if　i　do　not　see　why　you　profess　to　be　baffled　by　her。　on　the　contrary；　your　account　of　her　behavior　and　mental　state　is　more　coherent　than　many　a　medical　student　might　make；　given　the　same　evidence。”

she　eyed　him　levelly。　“i　have　not　yet　e　to　the　confusing　part。”

‘ah。“

‘there　are　methods　that　have　been　successful　with　children　like　adeline　in　the　past。　there　are　strategies　of　my　own　that　i　have　some　faith　in　and　would　not　hesitate　to　put　into　action　were　it　not　that…“

hester　hesitated；　and　this　time　the　doctor　was　wise　enough　to　wait　for　her　to　go　on。　when　she　spoke　again　it　was　slowly；　and　she　weighed　her　words　with　care。

‘it　is　as　though　there　is　a　mist　in　adeline；　a　mist　that　separates　her　not　only　from　humanity　but　from　herself。　and　sometimes　the　mist　thins；　and　sometimes　the　mist　clears；　and　another　adeline　appears。　and　then　the　mist　returns　and　she　is　as　before。“

hester　looked　at　the　doctor；　watching　his　reaction。　he　frowned；　but　above　his　frown；　where　his　hair　was　receding；　his　skin　was　an　unwrinkled　pink。　“what　is　she　like　during　these　periods？”

‘the　outward　signs　are　very　small。　for　several　weeks　i　was　not　aware　of　the　phenomenon；　and　even　then　i　waited　some　time　before　being　sure　enough　to　e　to　you。“　i　see。

‘first　of　all　there　is　her　breathing。　it　changes　sometimes；　and　i　know　that　though　she　is　pretending　to　be　in　a　world　of　her　own；　she　is　listening　to　me。　and　her　hands—“

‘her　hands？“

‘usually　they　are　splayed；　tense；　like　this“—hester　demonstrated—”but　then　sometimes　i　notice　they　relax；　like　this“—and　her　own　fingers　relaxed　into　softness。　”it　is　as　if　her　involvement　with　the　story　has　captured　her　attention　and　in　doing　so　undermined　her　defenses；　so　that　she　relaxes　and　forgets　her　show　of　rejection　and　defiance。　i　have　worked　with　a　great　many　difficult　children；　dr。　maudsley。　i　have　considerable　expertise。　and　what　i　have　seen　amounts　to　this：　against　all　the　odds；　there　is　a　fermentation　in　her。“

the　doctor　did　not　answer　immediately　but　considered；　and　hester　seemed　gratified　at　his　application。

‘is　there　any　pattern　to　the　emergence　of　these　signs？“

‘nothing　i　can　be　sure　of　as　yet；　but…“

he　put　his　head　on　one　side；　encouraging　her　to　go　on。

‘it’s　probably　nothing；　but　certain　stories…“

‘stories？“

“jane　eyre；　for　instance。　i　told　them　a　shortened　version　of　the　first　part；　over　several　days；　and　i　certainly　noticed　it　then。　dickens；　too。　the　historical　tales　and　the　moral　tales　have　never　had　the　same　effect。”

the　doctor　frowned。　“and　is　it　consistent？　does　reading　jane　eyre　always　bring　about　the　changes　you　have　described？”

‘no。　that　is　the　difficulty。“

‘hmm。　so　what　do　you　mean　to　do？“

‘there　are　methods　for　managing　selfish　and　resistant　children　such　as　adeline。　a　strict　regime　now　might　be　enough　to　keep　her　out　of　an　institution　later　in　life。　however；　this　regime；　involving　the　imposition　of　strict　routine　and　the　removal　of　much　that　stimulates　her；　would　be　most　detrimental　to—“

‘to　the　child　we　see　through　the　gaps　in　the　mist？“

‘precisely。　in　fact；　for　that　child；　nothing　would　be　worse。“

‘and　that　child；　the　girl　in　the　mist；　what　future　could　you　foresee　for　her？“

‘it　is　a　premature　question。　suffice　it　to　say　that　i　cannot　at　present　countenance　her　being　lost。　who　knows　what　she　might　bee？　“

they　sat　in　silence；　gazing　at　the　leafy　geometry　opposite　and　contemplating　the　problem　hester　had　set　out　while；　unbeknownst　to　them；　the　problem　itself；　well　concealed　by　topiary；　stared　back　at　them　through　the　gaps　in　the　branches。

finally　the　doctor　spoke。　“there　is　no　medical　condition　i　know　of　that　would　cause　mental　effects　of　quite　the　kind　you　describe。　however；　that　may　be　my　own　ignorance。”　he　waited　for　her　to　protest；　she　didn’t。　“h…hum。　it　would　be　sensible　for　me　to　give　the　child　a　thorough　examination　in　order　to　establish　her　overall　state　of　health；　both　mental　and　physical；　as　a　first　step。”

‘that　is　just　what　i　was　thinking；“　hester　replied。　”now…　“—she　rummaged　in　her　pocket—”here　are　my　notes。　you　will　find　descriptions　of　each　instance　i　have　witnessed；　together　with　some　preliminary　analysis。　perhaps　after　the　medical　you　might　stay　for　half　an　hour　to　give　me　your　first　thoughts？　we　can　decide　on　the　appropriate　next　step　then。“

he　looked　at　her　in　some　amazement。