Поворот винта
The Turn of the Screw
Thenhebecameascommunicativeaswecoulddesireandindeedgaveushisbestreasonforbeingso.Wehaditfromhimagainbeforethefireinthehall,aswehadhadourmildwondersofthepreviousnight.Itappearedthatthenarrativehehadpromisedtoreadusreallyrequiredforaproperintelligenceafewwordsofprologue.Letmesayheredistinctly,tohavedonewithit,thatthisnarrative,fromanexacttranscriptofmyownmademuchlater,iswhatIshallpresentlygive.PoorDouglas,beforehisdeath—whenitwasinsight—committedtomethemanuscriptthatreachedhimonthethirdofthesedaysandthat,onthesamespot,withimmenseeffect,hebegantoreadtoourhushedlittlecircleonthenightofthefourth.Thedepartingladieswhohadsaidtheywouldstaydidn’t,ofcourse,thankheaven,stay:theydeparted,inconsequenceofarrangementsmade,inarageofcuriosity,astheyprofessed,producedbythetoucheswithwhichhehadalreadyworkedusup.Butthatonlymadehislittlefinalauditorymorecompactandselect,keptit,roundthehearth,subjecttoacommonthrill.
Thefirstofthesetouchesconveyedthatthewrittenstatementtookupthetaleatapointafterithad,inamanner,begun.Thefacttobeinpossessionofwasthereforethathisoldfriend,theyoungestofseveraldaughtersofapoorcountryparson,had,attheageoftwenty,ontakingserviceforthefirsttimeintheschoolroom,comeuptoLondon,intrepidation,toanswerinpersonanadvertisementthathadalreadyplacedherinbriefcorrespondencewiththeadvertiser.
