she had so abruptly encountered on her first evening at Gaze. ‘He doesn’t - see her, communicate with her?’
‘He is not allowed to see her, and as far as I know he does not communicate with her. He could only make her situation worse, he could only harm her.’
‘But this is all absolutely appalling. What about you? Surely you can help her? Surely you aren’t on their side?’
‘What is - helping her?’
‘But I still don’t understand. Does she want to stay here?’
‘Perhaps. You must know that she is a religious person.’
‘What has religion to do with it? Did she - Do you think that she did really push him over?’
‘I don’t know. Perhaps she does not know now. But there are - acts which belong to people somehow regardless of their will.’
‘You mean she’d feel responsible anyway? Do you think she pushed him over?’
He paused. ‘Yes, perhaps. But is not important to say so. She has claimed the act and one has no right to take it from her.’
‘I just can’t imagine it. Staying so long in one small place. I’m surprised she hasn’t run mad.’
‘There are holy nuns in the convent at Blackport who live forever in smaller places.’
‘But they have faith.’
‘Perhaps Mrs Crean-Smith has faith.’
‘Yes, but she’s wrong. I mean, it can’t be right to give way to that sort of thing. It’s morbid. And it’s bad for him as well as for her. Do the people about here generally know about her?’
‘The local people? Yes, they know. She is a legend in this part of the country. They believe that if she comes outside the garden she will die.’
‘They think she is really under a curse?’
‘Yes. And they think that at the end of seven years something will happen to her.’
‘Why seven years? Just because that’s the time things go on for in fairy tales? But it is the end of seven years now!’
‘Yes. But nothing is going to happen.’
‘Something has happened. I have come.’
He was silent, as if shrugging his shoulders.
‘Why have I come?’ said Marian. Her own place in the story occurred to her for the first time. The ghastly tale had become a reality all about her, it was still going on. And it was a tale in which nothing happened at random. ‘Who decided I should come, and why?’
‘That has puzzled me,’ he said. ‘I think it may be simply -some moment of compassion. Or it may be that you are to be a sort of chaperone.’
‘Who do I chaperone, who with her, I mean?’
‘Oh, anyone. Mr Cooper, for instance. He is one of the few people who is allowed to visit her. He is a harmless man. But there might now be a chaperone to make sure. Or else it might be some torture.’
‘Some torture?’
‘To make her fond of you and then take you away. I don’t know. The nicer maids have all gone. You will be wise not to come too close to her. And another thing. Do not make an enemy of Gerald Scottow.’
A prophetic flash of understanding burnt her with a terrible warmth. That was what she was for; she was for Gerald Scottow: his adversary, his opposite angel. By wrestling with Scottow she would make her way into the story. It was scarcely a coherent thought and it was gone in a moment. She went on at once, ‘But why don’t her friends - you, Mr Lejour, Mr Cooper - persuade her to come away? She can’t be waiting still for him to relent, to forgive her. It sounds to me as if she were really under a spell, I mean a psychological spell, half believing by now that she’s somehow got to stay here. Oughtn’t she to be wakened up? I mean it’s all so unhealthy, so unnatural.’
‘What is spiritual is unnatural. The soul under the burden of sin cannot flee. What is enacted here with her is enacted with all of us in one way or another. You cannot come between her and her suffering, it is too complicated, too precious. We must play her game, whatever it is, and believe her beliefs.
‘He is not allowed to see her, and as far as I know he does not communicate with her. He could only make her situation worse, he could only harm her.’
‘But this is all absolutely appalling. What about you? Surely you can help her? Surely you aren’t on their side?’
‘What is - helping her?’
‘But I still don’t understand. Does she want to stay here?’
‘Perhaps. You must know that she is a religious person.’
‘What has religion to do with it? Did she - Do you think that she did really push him over?’
‘I don’t know. Perhaps she does not know now. But there are - acts which belong to people somehow regardless of their will.’
‘You mean she’d feel responsible anyway? Do you think she pushed him over?’
He paused. ‘Yes, perhaps. But is not important to say so. She has claimed the act and one has no right to take it from her.’
‘I just can’t imagine it. Staying so long in one small place. I’m surprised she hasn’t run mad.’
‘There are holy nuns in the convent at Blackport who live forever in smaller places.’
‘But they have faith.’
‘Perhaps Mrs Crean-Smith has faith.’
‘Yes, but she’s wrong. I mean, it can’t be right to give way to that sort of thing. It’s morbid. And it’s bad for him as well as for her. Do the people about here generally know about her?’
‘The local people? Yes, they know. She is a legend in this part of the country. They believe that if she comes outside the garden she will die.’
‘They think she is really under a curse?’
‘Yes. And they think that at the end of seven years something will happen to her.’
‘Why seven years? Just because that’s the time things go on for in fairy tales? But it is the end of seven years now!’
‘Yes. But nothing is going to happen.’
‘Something has happened. I have come.’
He was silent, as if shrugging his shoulders.
‘Why have I come?’ said Marian. Her own place in the story occurred to her for the first time. The ghastly tale had become a reality all about her, it was still going on. And it was a tale in which nothing happened at random. ‘Who decided I should come, and why?’
‘That has puzzled me,’ he said. ‘I think it may be simply -some moment of compassion. Or it may be that you are to be a sort of chaperone.’
‘Who do I chaperone, who with her, I mean?’
‘Oh, anyone. Mr Cooper, for instance. He is one of the few people who is allowed to visit her. He is a harmless man. But there might now be a chaperone to make sure. Or else it might be some torture.’
‘Some torture?’
‘To make her fond of you and then take you away. I don’t know. The nicer maids have all gone. You will be wise not to come too close to her. And another thing. Do not make an enemy of Gerald Scottow.’
A prophetic flash of understanding burnt her with a terrible warmth. That was what she was for; she was for Gerald Scottow: his adversary, his opposite angel. By wrestling with Scottow she would make her way into the story. It was scarcely a coherent thought and it was gone in a moment. She went on at once, ‘But why don’t her friends - you, Mr Lejour, Mr Cooper - persuade her to come away? She can’t be waiting still for him to relent, to forgive her. It sounds to me as if she were really under a spell, I mean a psychological spell, half believing by now that she’s somehow got to stay here. Oughtn’t she to be wakened up? I mean it’s all so unhealthy, so unnatural.’
‘What is spiritual is unnatural. The soul under the burden of sin cannot flee. What is enacted here with her is enacted with all of us in one way or another. You cannot come between her and her suffering, it is too complicated, too precious. We must play her game, whatever it is, and believe her beliefs.
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