repairs or the new furniture or the strange faces.Their talk about Christophine and obeah changed it. I knew her room so well-the pictures of the Holy Family and the prayer for a happy death. She had a bright patchwork counterpane,a broken-down press for her clothes,and my mother had given her an old rocking-chair Yet one day when I was waiting there I was suddenly very much afraid.The door was open to the sunlight,someone was whistling near the stables,but I was afraid.I was certain that hidden in the room (behind the old black press?)there was a dead man's dried hand,white chicken feathers,a cock with its throat cut,dying slowly,slowly.Drop by drop of blood was falling into a red basin and I imagined I could hear it.No one had ever spoken to me about obeah-but I knew what I would find if I dared to look.Then Christophine came in smiling and pleased to see me. Nothing alarming ever happened and I forgot,or told myself I had forgotten. Mr Mason would laugh if he knew how frightened I had been.He would laugh even louder than he did when my mother told him that she wished to leave Coulibri. This began when they had been married for over a year.They always said the same things and I seldom listened to the argument now.I knew that we were hated-but to go away...for once I agreed with my stepfather.That was not possible. 'You must have some reason,'he would say,and she would answer 'I need a change'or 'We could visit Richard'.(Richard,Mr Mason's son by his first marriage,was at school in Barbados.He was going to England soon and we had seen very little of him.) 'An agent should look after this place.For the time being.The people here hate us.They certainly hate me.'Straight out she said that one day and it was then he laughed so heartily. 'Annette,be reasonable.You were the widow of a slave-owner,the daughter of a slave- owner,and you had been living here alone,with two children,for nearly five tears when we met. Things were at their worst then.But you were never molested,never harmed.' 'How do you know that I was not harmed?'she said.'We were so poor then,'she told him, we were something to laugh at.But we are not poor now,'she said.'You are not a poor woman. Do you suppose that they don't know all about your estate in Trinidad?And the Antigua property? They talk about us without stopping.They invent stories about you,and lies about me.They try to find out what we eat every day. 'They are curious.It's natural enough.You have lived alone far too long,Annette.You imagine enmity which doesn't exist.Always one extreme or the other.Didn't you fly at me like a little wild cat when I said nigger.Not nigger,nor even negro.Black people I must say.' 'You don't like,or even recognize,the good in them,'she said,'and you won't believe in the other side.' They're too damn lazy to be dangerous,'said Mr Mason.I know that.' 'They are more alive than you are,lazy or not,and they can be dangerous and cruel for reasons you wouldn't understand.' No,I don't understand,'Mr Mason always said.'I don't understand at all.' 第9页共88页repairs or the new furniture or the strange faces. Their talk about Christophine and obeah changed it. I knew her room so well – the pictures of the Holy Family and the prayer for a happy death. She had a bright patchwork counterpane, a broken-down press for her clothes, and my mother had given her an old rocking-chair. Yet one day when I was waiting there I was suddenly very much afraid. The door was open to the sunlight, someone was whistling near the stables, but I was afraid. I was certain that hidden in the room (behind the old black press?) there was a dead man’s dried hand, white chicken feathers, a cock with its throat cut, dying slowly, slowly. Drop by drop of blood was falling into a red basin and I imagined I could hear it. No one had ever spoken to me about obeah – but I knew what I would find if I dared to look. Then Christophine came in smiling and pleased to see me. Nothing alarming ever happened and I forgot, or told myself I had forgotten. Mr Mason would laugh if he knew how frightened I had been. He would laugh even louder than he did when my mother told him that she wished to leave Coulibri. This began when they had been married for over a year. They always said the same things and I seldom listened to the argument now. I knew that we were hated – but to go away … for once I agreed with my stepfather. That was not possible. ‘You must have some reason,’ he would say, and she would answer ‘I need a change’ or ‘We could visit Richard’. (Richard, Mr Mason’s son by his first marriage, was at school in Barbados. He was going to England soon and we had seen very little of him.) ‘An agent should look after this place. For the time being. The people here hate us. They certainly hate me.’ Straight out she said that one day and it was then he laughed so heartily. ‘Annette, be reasonable. You were the widow of a slave-owner, the daughter of a slave￾owner, and you had been living here alone, with two children, for nearly five tears when we met. Things were at their worst then. But you were never molested, never harmed.’ ‘How do you know that I was not harmed?’ she said. ‘We were so poor then,’ she told him, ‘we were something to laugh at. But we are not poor now,’ she said. ‘You are not a poor woman. Do you suppose that they don’t know all about your estate in Trinidad? And the Antigua property? They talk about us without stopping. They invent stories about you, and lies about me. They try to find out what we eat every day.’ ‘They are curious. It’s natural enough. You have lived alone far too long, Annette. You imagine enmity which doesn’t exist. Always one extreme or the other. Didn’t you fly at me like a little wild cat when I said nigger. Not nigger, nor even negro. Black people I must say.’ ‘You don’t like, or even recognize, the good in them,’ she said, ‘and you won’t believe in the other side.’ ‘They’re too damn lazy to be dangerous,’ said Mr Mason. ‘I know that.’ ‘They are more alive than you are, lazy or not, and they can be dangerous and cruel for reasons you wouldn’t understand.’ ‘No, I don’t understand,’ Mr Mason always said. ‘I don’t understand at all.’ 第9 页共88页