Готель з привидами
Chapter XIX
’WhenisMissLockwoodexpectedtobeinVenice?’
’Whathasthattodowithyournewplay,Countess?’
TheCountessappearedtofeelsomedifficultyingivingthatquestionitsfitreply.Shemixedanothertumblerfullofmaraschinopunch,anddrankonegoodhalfofitbeforeshespokeagain.
’Ithaseverythingtodowithmynewplay,’wasallshesaid.’Answerme.’Francisansweredher.
’MissLockwoodmaybehereinaweek.Or,forallIknowtothecontrary,soonerthanthat.’
’Verywell.IfIamalivingwomanandafreewomaninaweek’stime—orifIaminpossessionofmysensesinaweek’stime(don’tinterruptme;IknowwhatIamtalkingabout)—Ishallhaveasketchoroutlineofmyplayready,asaspecimenofwhatIcando.Onceagain,willyoureadit?’
’Iwillcertainlyreadit.But,Countess,Idon’tunderstand—’
Sheheldupherhandforsilence,andfinishedthesecondtumblerofmaraschinopunch.
’Iamalivingenigma—andyouwanttoknowtherightreadingofme,’shesaid.’Hereisthereading,asyourEnglishphrasegoes,inanutshell.Thereisafoolishideainthemindsofmanypersonsthatthenativesofthewarmclimatesareimaginativepeople.Thereneverwasagreatermistake.YouwillfindnosuchunimaginativepeopleanywhereasyoufindinItaly,Spain,Greece,andtheotherSoutherncountries.Toanythingfanciful,toanythingspiritual,theirmindsaredeafandblindbynature.Nowandthen,inthecourseofcenturies,agreatgeniusspringsupamongthem;andheistheexceptionwhichprovestherule.
