in the cage- 第1部分

In　the　Cage



by　Henry　James












CHAPTER　I







It　had　occurred　to　her　early　that　in　her　positionthat　of　a　young

person　spending；　in　framed　and　wired　confinement；　the　life　of　a

guinea…pig　or　a　magpieshe　should　know　a　great　many　persons

without　their　recognising　the　acquaintance。　　That　made　it　an

emotion　the　more　livelythough　singularly　rare　and　always；　even

then；　with　opportunity　still　very　much　smotheredto　see　any　one

come　in　whom　she　knew　outside；　as　she　called　it；　any　one　who　could

add　anything　to　the　meanness　of　her　function。　　Her　function　was　to

sit　there　with　two　young　menthe　other　telegraphist　and　the

counter…clerk；　to　mind　the　〃sounder；〃　which　was　always　going；　to

dole　out　stamps　and　postal…orders；　weigh　letters；　answer　stupid

questions；　give　difficult　change　and；　more　than　anything　else；

count　words　as　numberless　as　the　sands　of　the　sea；　the　words　of　the

telegrams　thrust；　from　morning　to　night；　through　the　gap　left　in

the　high　lattice；　across　the　encumbered　shelf　that　her　forearm

ached　with　rubbing。　　This　transparent　screen　fenced　out　or　fenced

in；　according　to　the　side　of　the　narrow　counter　on　which　the　human

lot　was　cast；　the　duskiest　corner　of　a　shop　pervaded　not　a　little；

in　winter；　by　the　poison　of　perpetual　gas；　and　at　all　times　by　the

presence　of　hams；　cheese；　dried　fish；　soap；　varnish；　paraffin　and

other　solids　and　fluids　that　she　came　to　know　perfectly　by　their

smells　without　consenting　to　know　them　by　their　names。



The　barrier　that　divided　the　little　post…and…telegraph…office　from

the　grocery　was　a　frail　structure　of　wood　and　wire；　but　the　social；

the　professional　separation　was　a　gulf　that　fortune；　by　a　stroke

quite　remarkable；　had　spared　her　the　necessity　of　contributing　at

all　publicly　to　bridge。　　When　Mr。　Cocker's　young　men　stepped　over

from　behind　the　other　counter　to　change　a　five…pound　noteand　Mr。

Cocker's　situation；　with　the　cream　of　the　〃Court　Guide〃　and　the

dearest　furnished　apartments；　Simpkin's；　Ladle's；　Thrupp's；　just

round　the　corner；　was　so　select　that　his　place　was　quite　pervaded

by　the　crisp　rustle　of　these　emblemsshe　pushed　out　the　sovereigns

as　if　the　applicant　were　no　more　to　her　than　one　of　the　momentary；

the　practically　featureless；　appearances　in　the　great　procession；

and　this　perhaps　all　the　more　from　the　very　fact　of　the　connexion

（only　recognised　outside　indeed）　to　which　she　had　lent　herself　with

ridiculous　inconsequence。　　She　recognised　the　others　the　less

because　she　had　at　last　so　unreservedly；　so　irredeemably；

recognised　Mr。　Mudge。　　However　that　might　be；　she　was　a　little

ashamed　of　having　to　admit　to　herself　that　Mr。　Mudge's　removal　to　a

higher　sphereto　a　more　commanding　position；　that　is；　though　to　a

much　lower　neighbourhoodwould　have　been　described　still　better　as

a　luxury　than　as　the　mere　simplification；　the　corrected

awkwardness；　that　she　contented　herself　with　calling　it。　　He　had　at

any　rate　ceased　to　be　all　day　long　in　her　eyes；　and　this　left

something　a　little　fresh　for　them　to　rest　on　of　a　Sunday。　　During

the　three　months　of　his　happy　survival　at　Cocker's　after　her

consent　to　their　engagement　she　had　often　asked　herself　what　it　was

marriage　would　be　able　to　add　to　a　familiarity　that　seemed　already

to　have　scraped　the　platter　so　clean。　　Opposite　there；　behind　the

counter　of　which　his　superior　stature；　his　whiter　apron；　his　more

clustering　curls　and　more　present；　too　present；　H's　had　been　for　a

couple　of　years　the　principal　ornament；　he　had　moved　to　and　fro

before　her　as　on　the　small　sanded　floor　of　their　contracted　future。

She　was　conscious　now　of　the　improvement　of　not　having　to　take　her

present　and　her　future　at　once。　　They　were　about　as　much　as　she

could　manage　when　taken　separate。



She　had；　none　the　less；　to　give　her　mind　steadily　to　what　Mr。　Mudge

had　again　written　her　about；　the　idea　of　her　applying　for　a

transfer　to　an　office　quite　similarshe　couldn't　yet　hope　for　a

place　in　a　biggerunder　the　very　roof　where　he　was　foreman；　so

that；　dangled　before　her　every　minute　of　the　day；　he　should　see

her；　as　he　called　it；　〃hourly；〃　and　in　a　part；　the　far　N。W。

district；　where；　with　her　mother；　she　would　save　on　their　two　rooms

alone　nearly　three　shillings。　　It　would　be　far　from　dazzling　to

exchange　Mayfair　for　Chalk　Farm；　and　it　wore　upon　her　much　that　he

could　never　drop　a　subject；　still；　it　didn't　wear　as　things　HAD

worn；　the　worries　of　the　early　times　of　their　great　misery；　her

own；　her　mother's　and　her　elder　sister'sthe　last　of　whom　had

succumbed　to　all　but　absolute　want　when；　as　conscious　and

incredulous　ladies；　suddenly　bereft；　betrayed；　overwhelmed；　they

had　slipped　faster　and　faster　down　the　steep　slope　at　the　bottom　of

which　she　alone　had　rebounded。　　Her　mother　had　never　rebounded　any

more　at　the　bottom　than　on　the　way；　had　only　rumbled　and　grumbled

down　and　down；　making；　in　respect　of　caps；　topics　and　〃habits；〃　no

effort　whateverwhich　simply　meant　smelling　much　of　the　time　of

whiskey。







CHAPTER　II







It　was　always　rather　quiet　at　Cocker's　while　the　contingent　from

Ladle's　and　Thrupp's　and　all　the　other　great　places　were　at

luncheon；　or；　as　the　young　men　used　vulgarly　to　say；　while　the

animals　were　feeding。　　She　had　forty　minutes　in　advance　of　this　to

go　home　for　her　own　dinner；　and　when　she　came　back　and　one　of　the

young　men　took　his　turn　there　was　often　half　an　hour　during　which

she　could　pull　out　a　bit　of　work　or　a　booka　book　from　the　place

where　she　borrowed　novels；　very　greasy；　in　fine　print　and　all　about

fine　folks；　at　a　ha'penny　a　day。　　This　sacred　pause　was　one　of　the

numerous　ways　in　which　the　establishment　kept　its　finger　on　the

pulse　of　fashion　and　fell　into　the　rhythm　of　the　larger　life。　　It

had　something　to　do；　one　day；　with　the　particular　flare　of

importance　of　an　arriving　customer；　a　lady　whose　meals　were

apparently　irregular；　yet　whom　she　was　destined；　she　afterwards

found；　not　to　forget。　　The　girl　was　blasee；　nothing　could　belong

more；　as　she　perfectly　knew；　to　the　intense　publicity　of　her

profession；　but　she　had　a　whimsical　mind　and　wonderful　nerves；　she

was　subject；　in　short；　to　sudden　flickers　of　antipathy　and

sympathy；　red　gleams　in　the　grey；　fitful　needs　to　notice　and　to

〃care；〃　odd　caprices　of　curiosity。　　She　had　a　friend　who　had

invented　a　new　career　for　womenthat　of　being　in　and　out　of

people's　houses　to　look　after　the　flowers。　　Mrs。　Jordan　had　a

manner　of　her　own　of　sounding　this　allusion；　〃the　flowers；〃　on　her

lips；　were；　in　fantastic　places；　in　happy　homes；　as　usual　as　the

coals　or　the　daily　papers。　　She　took　charge　of　them；　at　any　rate；

in　all　the　rooms；　at　so　much　a　month；　and　people　were　quickly

finding　out　what　it　was　to　make　over　this　strange　burden　of　the

pampered　to　the　widow　of　a　clergyman。　　The　widow；　on　her　side；

dilating　on　the　initiations　thus　opened　up　to　her；　had　been

splendid　to　her　young　friend；　over　the　way　she　was　made　free　of　the

greatest　housesthe　way；　especially　when　she　did　the　dinner…

tables；　set　out　so　often　for　twenty；　she　felt　that　a　single　step

more　would　transform　her　whole　social　position。　　On　its　being　asked

of　her　then　if　she　circulated　only　in　a　sort　of　tropical　solitude；

with　the　upper　servants　for　picturesque　natives；　and　on　her　having

to　assent　to　this　glance　at　her　limitations；　she　had　found　a　reply

to　the　girl's　invidious　question。　　〃You've　no　imagination；　my

dear！〃that　was　because　a　door　more　than　half　open　to　the　higher

life　couldn't　be　called　anything　but　a　thin　partition。　　Mrs。

Jordan's　imagination　quite　did　away　with　the　thickness。



Our　young　lady　had　not　taken　up　the　charge；　had　dealt　with　it　good…

humouredly；　just　because　she　knew　so　well　what　to　think　of　it。　　It

was　at　once　one　of　her　most　cherished　complaints　and　most　secret

supports　that　people　didn't　understand　her；　and　it　was　accordingly

a　matter　of　indifference　to　her　that　Mrs。　Jordan　shouldn't；　even

though　Mrs。　Jordan；　handed　down　from　their　early　twilight　of

gentility　and　also　the　victim　of　reverses；　was　the　only　member　of

her　circle　in　whom　she　recognised　an　equal。　　She　was　perfectly

aware　that　her　imaginative　life　was　the　life　in　which　she　spent

most　of　her　time；　and　she　would　have　been　ready；　had　it　been　at　all

worth　while；　to　contend　that；　since　her　outward　occupation　didn't

kill　it；　it　must　be　strong　indeed。　　Combinations　of　flowers　and

green…stuff；　forsooth！　　What　SHE　could　handle　freely；　she　said　to

herself；　was　combinations　of　men　and　women。　　The　only　weakness　in

her　faculty　came　from　the　positive　abundance　of　her　contact　with

the　human　herd；　this　was　so　constant；　it　had　so　the　effect　of

cheapening　her　privilege；　that　there　were　long　stretches　in　which

inspiration；　divination　and　interest　quite　dropped。　　The　great

thing　was　the　flashes；　the　quick　revivals；　absolute　accidents　all；

and　neither　to　be　counted　on　nor　to　be　resisted。　　Some　one　had　only

sometimes　to　put　in　a　penny　for　a　stamp　and　the　whole　thing　was

upon　her。　　She　was　so　absurdly　constructed　that　these　were

literally　the　moments　that　made　upmade　up　for　the　long　stiffness

of　sitting　there　in　the　stocks；　made　up　for　the　cunning　hostility

of　Mr。　Buckton　and　the　importunate　sympathy　of　the　counter…clerk；

made　up　for　the　daily　deadly　flourishy　letter　from　Mr。　Mudge；　made

up　even　for　the　most　haunting　of　her　worries；　the　rage　at　moments

of　not　knowing　how　her　mother　did　〃get　it。〃



She　had　surrendered　herself　moreover　of　late　to　a　certain　expansion

of　her　consciousness；　something　that　seemed　perhaps　vulgarly

accounted　for　by　the　fact　that；　as　the　blast　of　the　season　roared

louder　and　the　waves　of　fashion　tossed　their　spray　further　over　the

counter；　there　were　more　impressions　to　be　gathered　and　reallyfor

it　came　to　thatmore　life　to　be　led。　　Definite　at　any　rate　it　was

that　by　the　time　May　was　well　started　the　kind　of　company　she　kept

at　Cocker's　had　begun　to　strike　her