a bundle of letters-第1部分

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A　Bundle　of　Letters



by　Henry　James









CHAPTER　I





FROM　MISS　MIRANDA　MOPE；　IN　PARIS；　TO　MRS。　ABRAHAM　C。　MOPE；　AT　BANGOR；

MAINE。



September　5th；　1879。



My　dear　motherI　have　kept　you　posted　as　far　as　Tuesday　week　last；

and；　although　my　letter　will　not　have　reached　you　yet；　I　will　begin

another　before　my　news　accumulates　too　much。　　I　am　glad　you　show　my

letters　round　in　the　family；　for　I　like　them　all　to　know　what　I　am

doing；　and　I　can't　write　to　every　one；　though　I　try　to　answer　all

reasonable　expectations。　　But　there　are　a　great　many　unreasonable

ones；　as　I　suppose　you　knownot　yours；　dear　mother；　for　I　am　bound

to　say　that　you　never　required　of　me　more　than　was　natural。　　You　see

you　are　reaping　your　reward：　　I　write　to　you　before　I　write　to　any

one　else。



There　is　one　thing；　I　hopethat　you　don't　show　any　of　my　letters　to

William　Platt。　　If　he　wants　to　see　any　of　my　letters；　he　knows　the

right　way　to　go　to　work。　　I　wouldn't　have　him　see　one　of　these

letters；　written　for　circulation　in　the　family；　for　anything　in　the

world。　　If　he　wants　one　for　himself；　he　has　got　to　write　to　me　first。

Let　him　write　to　me　first；　and　then　I　will　see　about　answering　him。

You　can　show　him　this　if　you　like；　but　if　you　show　him　anything　more；

I　will　never　write　to　you　again。



I　told　you　in　my　last　about　my　farewell　to　England；　my　crossing　the

Channel；　and　my　first　impressions　of　Paris。　　I　have　thought　a　great

deal　about　that　lovely　England　since　I　left　it；　and　all　the　famous

historic　scenes　I　visited；　but　I　have　come　to　the　conclusion　that　it

is　not　a　country　in　which　I　should　care　to　reside。　　The　position　of

woman　does　not　seem　to　me　at　all　satisfactory；　and　that　is　a　point；

you　know；　on　which　I　feel　very　strongly。　　It　seems　to　me　that　in

England　they　play　a　very　faded…out　part；　and　those　with　whom　I

conversed　had　a　kind　of　depressed　and　humiliated　tone；　a　little　dull；

tame　look；　as　if　they　were　used　to　being　snubbed　and　bullied；　which

made　me　want　to　give　them　a　good　shaking。　　There　are　a　great　many

peopleand　a　great　many　things；　tooover　here　that　I　should　like　to

perform　that　operation　upon。　　I　should　like　to　shake　the　starch　out

of　some　of　them；　and　the　dust　out　of　the　others。　　I　know　fifty　girls

in　Bangor　that　come　much　more　up　to　my　notion　of　the　stand　a　truly

noble　woman　should　take；　than　those　young　ladies　in　England。　　But

they　had　a　most　lovely　way　of　speaking　（in　England）；　and　the　men　are

REMARKABLY　HANDSOME。　　（You　can　show　this　to　William　Platt；　if　you

like。）



I　gave　you　my　first　impressions　of　Paris；　which　quite　came　up　to　my

expectations；　much　as　I　had　heard　and　read　about　it。　　The　objects　of

interest　are　extremely　numerous；　and　the　climate　is　remarkably

cheerful　and　sunny。　　I　should　say　the　position　of　woman　here　was

considerably　higher；　though　by　no　means　coming　up　to　the　American

standard。　　The　manners　of　the　people　are　in　some　respects　extremely

peculiar；　and　I　feel　at　last　that　I　am　indeed　in　FOREIGN　PARTS。　　It

is；　however；　a　truly　elegant　city　（very　superior　to　New　York）；　and　I

have　spent　a　great　deal　of　time　in　visiting　the　various　monuments　and

palaces。　　I　won't　give　you　an　account　of　all　my　wanderings；　though　I

have　been　most　indefatigable；　for　I　am　keeping；　as　I　told　you　before；

a　most　EXHAUSTIVE　journal；　which　I　will　allow　you　the　PRIVILEGE　of

reading　on　my　return　to　Bangor。　　I　am　getting　on　remarkably　well；　and

I　must　say　I　am　sometimes　surprised　at　my　universal　good　fortune。　　It

only　shows　what　a　little　energy　and　common…sense　will　accomplish。　　I

have　discovered　none　of　these　objections　to　a　young　lady　travelling

in　Europe　by　herself　of　which　we　heard　so　much　before　I　left；　and　I

don't　expect　I　ever　shall；　for　I　certainly　don't　mean　to　look　for

them。　　I　know　what　I　want；　and　I　always　manage　to　get　it。



I　have　received　a　great　deal　of　politenesssome　of　it　really　most

pressing；　and　I　have　experienced　no　drawbacks　whatever。　　I　have　made

a　great　many　pleasant　acquaintances　in　travelling　round　（both　ladies

and　gentlemen）；　and　had　a　great　many　most　interesting　talks。　　I　have

collected　a　great　deal　of　information；　for　which　I　refer　you　to　my

journal。　　I　assure　you　my　journal　is　going　to　be　a　splendid　thing。　　I

do　just　exactly　as　I　do　in　Bangor；　and　I　find　I　do　perfectly　right；

and　at　any　rate；　I　don't　care　if　I　don't。　　I　didn't　come　to　Europe　to

lead　a　merely　conventional　life；　I　could　do　that　at　Bangor。　　You　know

I　never　WOULD　do　it　at　Bangor；　so　it　isn't　likely　I　am　going　to　make

myself　miserable　over　here。　　So　long　as　I　accomplish　what　I　desire；

and　make　my　money　hold　out；　I　shall　regard　the　thing　as　a　success。

Sometimes　I　feel　rather　lonely；　especially　in　the　evening；　but　I

generally　manage　to　interest　myself　in　something　or　in　some　one。　　In

the　evening　I　usually　read　up　about　the　objects　of　interest　I　have

visited　during　the　day；　or　I　post　up　my　journal。　　Sometimes　I　go　to

the　theatre；　or　else　I　play　the　piano　in　the　public　parlour。　　The

public　parlour　at　the　hotel　isn't　much；　but　the　piano　is　better　than

that　fearful　old　thing　at　the　Sebago　House。　　Sometimes　I　go

downstairs　and　talk　to　the　lady　who　keeps　the　booksa　French　lady；

who　is　remarkably　polite。　　She　is　very　pretty；　and　always　wears　a

black　dress；　with　the　most　beautiful　fit；　she　speaks　a　little

English；　she　tells　me　she　had　to　learn　it　in　order　to　converse　with

the　Americans　who　come　in　such　numbers　to　this　hotel。　　She　has　given

me　a　great　deal　of　information　about　the　position　of　woman　in　France；

and　much　of　it　is　very　encouraging。　　But　she　has　told　me　at　the　same

time　some　things　that　I　should　not　like　to　write　to　you　（I　am

hesitating　even　about　putting　them　into　my　journal）；　especially　if　my

letters　are　to　be　handed　round　in　the　family。　　I　assure　you　they

appear　to　talk　about　things　here　that　we　never　think　of　mentioning　at

Bangor；　or　even　of　thinking　about。　　She　seems　to　think　she　can　tell

me　everything；　because　I　told　her　I　was　travelling　for　general

culture。　　Well；　I　DO　want　to　know　so　much　that　it　seems　sometimes　as

if　I　wanted　to　know　everything；　and　yet　there　are　some　things　that　I

think　I　don't　want　to　know。　　But；　as　a　general　thing；　everything　is

intensely　interesting；　I　don't　mean　only　everything　that　this　French

lady　tells　me；　but　everything　I　see　and　hear　for　myself。　　I　feel

really　as　if　I　should　gain　all　I　desire。



I　meet　a　great　many　Americans；　who；　as　a　general　thing；　I　must　say；

are　not　as　polite　to　me　as　the　people　over　here。　　The　people　over

hereespecially　the　gentlemenare　much　more　what　I　should　call

ATTENTIVE。　　I　don't　know　whether　Americans　are　more　SINCERE；　I

haven't　yet　made　up　my　mind　about　that。　　The　only　drawback　I

experience　is　when　Americans　sometimes　express　surprise　that　I　should

be　travelling　round　alone；　so　you　see　it　doesn't　come　from　Europeans。

I　always　have　my　answer　ready；　〃For　general　culture；　to　acquire　the

languages；　and　to　see　Europe　for　myself；〃　and　that　generally　seems　to

satisfy　them。　　Dear　mother；　my　money　holds　out　very　well；　and　it　IS

real　interesting。







CHAPTER　II








FROM　THE　SAME　TO　THE　SAME。



September　16th。



Since　I　last　wrote　to　you　I　have　left　that　hotel；　and　come　to　live　in

a　French　family。　　It's　a　kind　of　boarding…house　combined　with　a　kind

of　school；　only　it's　not　like　an　American　hoarding…house；　nor　like　an

American　school　either。　　There　are　four　or　five　people　here　that　have

come　to　learn　the　languagenot　to　take　lessons；　but　to　have　an

opportunity　for　conversation。　　I　was　very　glad　to　come　to　such　a

place；　for　I　had　begun　to　realise　that　I　was　not　making　much　progress

with　the　French。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　I　should　feel　ashamed　to　have

spent　two　months　in　Paris；　and　not　to　have　acquired　more　insight　into

the　language。　　I　had　always　heard　so　much　of　French　conversation；　and

I　found　I　was　having　no　more　opportunity　to　practise　it　than　if　I　had

remained　at　Bangor。　　In　fact；　I　used　to　hear　a　great　deal　more　at

Bangor；　from　those　French　Canadians　that　came　down　to　cut　the　ice；

than　I　saw　I　should　ever　hear　at　that　hotel。　　The　lady　that　kept　the

books　seemed　to　want　so　much　to　talk　to　me　in　English　（for　the　sake

of　practice；　too；　I　suppose）；　that　I　couldn't　bear　to　let　her　know　I

didn't　like　it。　　The　chambermaid　was　Irish；　and　all　the　waiters　were

German；　so　that　I　never　heard　a　word　of　French　spoken。　　I　suppose　you

might　hear　a　great　deal　in　the　shops；　only；　as　I　don't　buy　anything

I　prefer　to　spend　my　money　for　purposes　of　cultureI　don't　have　that

advantage。



I　have　been　thinking　some　of　taking　a　teacher；　but　I　am　well

acquainted　with　the　grammar　already；　and　teachers　always　keep　you

bothering　over　the　verbs。　　I　was　a　good　deal　troubled；　for　I　felt　as

if　I　didn't　want　to　go　away　without　having；　at　least；　got　a　general

idea　of　French　conversation。　　The　theatre　gives　you　a　good　deal　of

insight；　and　as　I　told　you　in　my　last；　I　go　a　good　deal　to　places　of

amusement。　　I　find　no　difficulty　whatever　in　going　to　such　places

alone；　and　am　always　treated　with　the　politeness　which；　as　I　told　you

before；　I　encounter　everywhere。　　I　see　plenty　of　other　ladies　alone

（mostly　French）；　and　they　generally　seem　to　be　enjoying　themselves　as

much　as　I。　　But　at　the　theatre　every　one　talks　so　fast　that　I　can

scarcely　make　out　what　they　say；　and；　besides；　there　are　a　great　many

vulgar　expressions　which　it　is　unnecessary　to　learn。　　But　it　was　the

theatre；　nevertheless；　that　put　me　on　the　track。　　The　very　next　day

after　I　wrote　to　you　last　I　went　to　the　Palais　Royal；　which　is　one　of

the　principal　theatres　in　Paris。　　It　is　very　small；　but　it　is　very

celebrated；　and　in　my　guide…book　it　is　marked　with　TWO　STARS；　which

is　a　sign　of　importance　attached　only　to　FIRST…CLASS　objects　of

interest。　　But　after　I　had　been　there　half　an　hour　I　found　I　couldn't

understand　a　single　word　of　the　play；　they　gabbled　it　off　so　fast；

and　they　m