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Traduction par Albert Savine
I
I
When Mr. Hiram B. Otis, the American Minister, bought Canterville Chase, every one told him he was doing a very foolish thing, as there was no doubt at all that the place was haunted.
Lorsque M. Hiram B. Otis, le ministre dâAmĂ©rique, fit lâacquisition de Canterville-Chase, tout le monde lui dit quâil faisait lĂ une trĂšs grande sottise, car on ne doutait aucunement que lâendroit ne fĂ»t hantĂ©.
Indeed, Lord Canterville himself, who was a man of the most punctilious honour, had felt it his duty to mention the fact to Mr. Otis when they came to discuss terms.
Dâailleurs, lord Canterville lui-mĂȘme, en homme de lâhonnĂȘtetĂ© la plus scrupuleuse, sâĂ©tait fait un devoir de faire connaĂźtre la chose Ă M. Otis, quand ils en vinrent Ă discuter les conditions.
âWe have not cared to live in the place ourselves,â said Lord Canterville, âsince my grandaunt, the Dowager Duchess of Bolton, was frightened into a fit, from which she never really recovered, by two skeleton hands being placed on her shoulders as she was dressing for dinner, and I feel bound to tell you, Mr. Otis, that the ghost has been seen by several living members of my family, as well as by the rector of the parish, the Rev. Augustus Dampier, who is a Fellow of Kingâs College, Cambridge.
â Nous-mĂȘmes, dit lord Canterville, nous nâavons point tenu Ă habiter cet endroit depuis lâĂ©poque oĂč ma grandâtante, la duchesse douairiĂšre de Bolton, a Ă©tĂ© prise dâune dĂ©faillance causĂ©e par lâĂ©pouvante quâelle Ă©prouva, et dont elle ne sâest jamais remise tout Ă fait, en sentant deux mains de squelette se poser sur ses Ă©paules, pendant quâelle sâhabillait pour le dĂźner. Je me crois obligĂ© Ă vous dire, M. Otis, que le fantĂŽme a Ă©tĂ© vu par plusieurs membres de ma famille qui vivent encore, ainsi que par le recteur de la paroisse, le rĂ©vĂ©rend Auguste Dampier, qui est un agrĂ©gĂ© du Kingâs-CollĂšge, dâOxford.
After the unfortunate accident to the Duchess, none of our younger servants would stay with us, and Lady Canterville often got very little sleep at night, in consequence of the mysterious noises that came from the corridor and the library.â
AprĂšs le tragique accident survenu Ă la duchesse, aucune de nos jeunes domestiques nâa consenti Ă rester chez nous, et bien souvent lady Canterville a Ă©tĂ© privĂ©e de sommeil par suite des bruits mystĂ©rieux qui venaient du corridor et de la bibliothĂšque.
âMy Lord,â answered the Minister, âI will take the furniture and the ghost at a valuation. I have come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy; and with all our spry young fellows painting the Old World red, and carrying off your best actors and prima-donnas, I reckon that if there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe, weâd have it at home in a very short time in one of our public museums, or on the road as a show.â
â Mylord, rĂ©pondit le ministre, je prendrai lâameublement et le fantĂŽme sur inventaire. Jâarrive dâun pays moderne, oĂč nous pouvons avoir tout ce que lâargent est capable de procurer, et avec nos jeunes et dĂ©lurĂ©s gaillards qui font les cent coups dans le vieux monde, qui enlĂšvent vos meilleurs acteurs, vos meilleures prima-donnas, je suis sĂ»r que sâil y avait encore un vrai fantĂŽme en Europe, nous aurions bientĂŽt fait de nous lâoffrir pour le mettre dans un de nos musĂ©es publics, ou pour le promener sur les grandes routes comme un phĂ©nomĂšne.
âI fear that the ghost exists,â said Lord Canterville, smiling, âthough it may have resisted the overtures of your enterprising impresarios. It has been well known for three centuries, since 1584 in fact, and always makes its appearance before the death of any member of our family.â
â Le fantĂŽme existe, je le crains, dit lord Canterville, en souriant, bien quâil ait tenu bon contre les offres de vos entreprenants impresarios. VoilĂ plus de trois siĂšcles quâil est connu. Il date, au juste, de 1574, et ne manque jamais de se montrer quand il va se produire un dĂ©cĂšs dans la famille.
âWell, so does the family doctor for that matter, Lord Canterville. But there is no such thing, sir, as a ghost, and I guess the laws of Nature are not going to be suspended for the British aristocracy.â
â Bah! le docteur de la famille nâagit pas autrement, lord Canterville. Mais, monsieur, un fantĂŽme, ça ne peut exister, et je ne suppose pas que les lois de la nature comportent des exceptions en faveur de lâaristocratie anglaise.
âYou are certainly very natural in America,â answered Lord Canterville, who did not quite understand Mr. Otisâs last observation, âand if you donât mind a ghost in the house, it is all right. Only you must remember I warned you.â
â Certainement, vous ĂȘtes trĂšs nature en AmĂ©rique, dit lord Canterville, qui ne comprenait pas trĂšs bien la derniĂšre remarque de M. Otis. Mais sâil vous plaĂźt dâavoir un fantĂŽme dans la maison, tout est pour le mieux. Rappelez-vous seulement que je vous ai prĂ©venu.
A few weeks after this, the purchase was concluded, and at the close of the season the Minister and his family went down to Canterville Chase.
Quelques semaines plus tard, lâachat fut conclu, et vers la fin de la saison, le ministre et sa famille se rendirent Ă Canterville.
Mrs. Otis, who, as Miss Lucretia R. Tappan, of West 53d Street, had been a celebrated New York belle, was now a very handsome, middle-aged woman, with fine eyes, and a superb profile.
Mrs Otis, qui, sous le nom de miss Lucretia R. Tappan, de la West 52e rue, avait Ă©tĂ© une illustre belle de New-York, Ă©tait encore une trĂšs belle femme, dâĂąge moyen, avec de beaux yeux et un profil superbe.
Many American ladies on leaving their native land adopt an appearance of chronic ill-health, under the impression that it is a form of European refinement, but Mrs. Otis had never fallen into this error. She had a magnificent constitution, and a really wonderful amount of animal spirits. Indeed, in many respects, she was quite English, and was an excellent example of the fact that we have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.
Bien des dames amĂ©ricaines, quand elles quittent leur pays natal, se donnent des airs de personnes atteintes dâune maladie chronique, et se figurent que câest lĂ une des formes de la distinction en Europe, mais Mrs Otis nâĂ©tait jamais tombĂ©e dans cette erreur. Elle avait une constitution magnifique, et une abondance extraordinaire de vitalitĂ©. Ă vrai dire, elle Ă©tait tout Ă fait anglaise, Ă bien des points de vue, et on eĂ»t pu la citer Ă bon droit pour soutenir la thĂšse que nous avons tous en commun avec lâAmĂ©rique, en notre temps, exceptĂ© la langue, cela sâentend.
Her eldest son, christened Washington by his parents in a moment of patriotism, which he never ceased to regret, was a fair-haired, rather good-looking young man, who had qualified himself for American diplomacy by leading the German at the Newport Casino for three successive seasons, and even in London was well known as an excellent dancer.
Son fils aĂźnĂ©, baptisĂ© Washington par ses parents dans un moment de patriotisme quâil ne cessait de dĂ©plorer, Ă©tait un jeune homme blond, assez bien tournĂ©, qui sâĂ©tait posĂ© en candidat pour la diplomatie en conduisant le cotillon au Casino de Newport pendant trois saisons de suite, et mĂȘme Ă Londres, il passait pour un danseur hors ligne.
Gardenias and the peerage were his only weaknesses. Otherwise he was extremely sensible.
Ses seules faiblesses étaient les gardénias et la pairie. à cela prÚs, il était parfaitement sensé.
Miss Virginia E. Otis was a little girl of fifteen, lithe and lovely as a fawn, and with a fine freedom in her large blue eyes.
Miss Virginia E. Otis Ă©tait une fillette de quinze ans, svelte et gracieuse comme un faon, avec un bel air de libre allure dans ses grands yeux bleus.
She was a wonderful Amazon, and had once raced old Lord Bilton on her pony twice round the park, winning by a length and a half, just in front of the Achilles statue, to the huge delight of the young Duke of Cheshire, who proposed for her on the spot, and was sent back to Eton that very night by his guardians, in floods of tears.
CâĂ©tait une amazone remarquable, et elle avait fait un jour sur son poney avec le vieux lord Bilton, parcourant deux fois tout le circuit du parc, et gagnant dâune longueur et demie, juste en face de la statue dâAchille, ce qui avait provoquĂ© un dĂ©lirant enthousiasme chez le jeune duc de Cheshire, si bien quâil lui proposa sĂ©ance tenante de lâĂ©pouser, et que ses tuteurs durent lâexpĂ©dier le soir mĂȘme Ă Eton, tout inondĂ© de larmes.
After Virginia came the twins, who were usually called âThe Star and Stripes,â as they were always getting swished. They were delightful boys, and, with the exception of the worthy Minister, the only true republicans of the family.
AprĂšs Virginia, il y avait les jumeaux, connus dâordinaire sous le nom dâĂtoiles et Bandes, parce quâon les prenait sans cesse Ă les arborer. CâĂ©taient de charmants enfants, et avec le digne ministre, les seuls vrais rĂ©publicains de la famille.
As Canterville Chase is seven miles from Ascot, the nearest railway station, Mr. Otis had telegraphed for a waggonette to meet them, and they started on their drive in high spirits. It was a lovely July evening, and the air was delicate with the scent of the pinewoods. Now and then they heard a wood-pigeon brooding over its own sweet voice, or saw, deep in the rustling fern, the burnished breast of the pheasant.
Comme Canterville-Chase est Ă sept milles dâAscot, la gare la plus proche, M. Otis avait tĂ©lĂ©graphiĂ© quâon vĂźnt les prendre en voiture dĂ©couverte, et on se mit en route dans des dispositions fort gaies. CâĂ©tait par une charmante soirĂ©e de juillet, oĂč lâair Ă©tait tout embaumĂ© de la senteur des pins. De temps Ă autre, on entendait un ramier roucoulant de sa plus douce voix, ou bien on entrevoyait, dans lâĂ©paisseur et le froufrou de la fougĂšre le plastron dâor bruni de quelque faisan.
Little squirrels peered at them from the beech-trees as they went by, and the rabbits scudded away through the brushwood and over the mossy knolls, with their white tails in the air.
De petits Ă©cureuils les Ă©piaient du haut des hĂȘtres, sur leur passage; des lapins dĂ©talaient Ă travers les fourrĂ©s, ou par-dessus les tertres mousseux, en dressant leur queue blanche.
As they entered the avenue of Canterville Chase, however, the sky became suddenly overcast with clouds, a curious stillness seemed to hold the atmosphere, a great flight of rooks passed silently over their heads, and, before they reached the house, some big drops of rain had fallen.
NĂ©anmoins dĂšs quâon entra dans lâavenue de Canterville-Chase, le ciel se couvrit soudain de nuages. Un silence singulier sembla gagner toute lâatmosphĂšre. Un grand vol de corneilles passa sans bruit au-dessus de leurs tĂȘtes, et avant quâon fĂ»t arrivĂ© Ă la maison, quelques grosses gouttes de pluie Ă©taient tombĂ©es.
Standing on the steps to receive them was an old woman, neatly dressed in black silk, with a white cap and apron. This was Mrs. Umney, the housekeeper, whom Mrs. Otis, at Lady Cantervilleâs earnest request, had consented to keep in her former position.
Sur les marches se tenait pour les recevoir une vieille femme convenablement mise en robe de soie noire, en bonnet et tablier blancs. CâĂ©tait Mrs Umney, la gouvernante, que Mrs Otis, sur les vives instances de lady Canterville, avait consenti Ă conserver dans sa situation.
She made them each a low curtsey as they alighted, and said in a quaint, old-fashioned manner, âI bid you welcome to Canterville Chase.â
Elle fit une profonde révérence à la famille quand on mit pied à terre, et dit avec un accent bizarre du bon vieux temps:
â Je vous souhaite la bienvenue Ă Canterville-Chase.
Following her, they passed through the fine Tudor hall into the library, a long, low room, panelled in black oak, at the end of which was a large stained glass window. Here they found tea laid out for them, and, after taking off their wraps, they sat down and began to look round, while Mrs. Umney waited on them.
On la suivit, en traversant un beau hall en style Tudor, jusque dans la bibliothĂšque, salle longue, vaste, qui se terminait par une vaste fenĂȘtre Ă vitraux. Le thĂ© les attendait. Ensuite, quand on se fut dĂ©barrassĂ© des effets de voyage, on sâassit, on se mit Ă regarder autour de soi, pendant que Mrs Umney sâempressait.
Suddenly Mrs. Otis caught sight of a dull red stain on the floor just by the fireplace, and, quite unconscious of what it really signified, said to Mrs. Umney, âI am afraid something has been spilt there.â
Tout Ă coup le regard de Mrs Otis tomba sur une tache dâun rouge foncĂ© sur le parquet, juste Ă cĂŽtĂ© de la cheminĂ©e, et sans se rendre aucun compte de ses paroles, elle dit Ă Mrs Umney:
â Je crains quâon nâait rĂ©pandu quelque chose Ă cet endroit.
âYes, madam,â replied the old housekeeper in a low voice, âblood has been spilt on that spot.â
â Oui, madame, rĂ©pondit Mrs Umney Ă voix basse. Du sang a Ă©tĂ© rĂ©pandu Ă cet endroit.
âHow horrid!â cried Mrs. Otis; âI donât at all care for blood-stains in a sitting-room. It must be removed at once.â
â Câest affreux! sâĂ©cria Mrs Otis. Je ne veux pas de taches de sang dans un salon. Il faut enlever ça tout de suite.
The old woman smiled, and answered in the same low, mysterious voice, âIt is the blood of Lady Eleanore de Canterville, who was murdered on that very spot by her own husband, Sir Simon de Canterville, in 1575.
La vieille femme sourit, et de sa mĂȘme voix basse, mystĂ©rieuse, elle rĂ©pondit:
â Câest le sang de lady Eleonor de Canterville, qui a Ă©tĂ© tuĂ©e en cet endroit mĂȘme par son propre mari, sir Simon de Canterville, en 1575.
Sir Simon survived her nine years, and disappeared suddenly under very mysterious circumstances. His body has never been discovered, but his guilty spirit still haunts the Chase. The blood-stain has been much admired by tourists and others, and cannot be removed.â
Sir Simon lui survĂ©cut neuf ans, et disparut soudain dans des circonstances trĂšs mystĂ©rieuses. Son corps ne fut jamais retrouvĂ©, mais son Ăąme coupable continue Ă hanter la maison. La tache de sang a Ă©tĂ© fort admirĂ©e des touristes et dâautres personnes, mais lâenlever⊠câest impossible.
âThat is all nonsense,â cried Washington Otis; âPinkertonâs Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent will clean it up in no time.â
â Tout ça, câest des bĂȘtises, sâĂ©cria Washington Otis. Le produit dĂ©tachant, le nettoyeur incomparable du champion Pinkerton fera disparaĂźtre ça en un clin dâĆil.
And before the terrified housekeeper could interfere, he had fallen upon his knees, and was rapidly scouring the floor with a small stick of what looked like a black cosmetic. In a few moments no trace of the blood-stain could be seen.
Et avant que la gouvernante horrifiĂ©e eĂ»t pu intervenir, il sâĂ©tait agenouillĂ©, et frottait vivement le parquet avec un petit bĂąton dâune substance qui ressemblait Ă du cosmĂ©tique noir. Peu dâinstants aprĂšs, la tache avait disparu sans laisser aucune trace.
âI knew Pinkerton would do it,â he exclaimed, triumphantly, as he looked round at his admiring family; but no sooner had he said these words than a terrible flash of lightning lit up the sombre room, a fearful peal of thunder made them all start to their feet, and Mrs. Umney fainted.
â Je savais bien que le Pinkerton en aurait raison, sâĂ©cria-t-il dâun ton de triomphe, en promenant un regard circulaire sur la famille en admiration. Mais Ă peine avait-il prononcĂ© ces mots quâun Ă©clair formidable illumina la piĂšce sombre, et quâun terrible roulement de tonnerre mit tout le monde debout, exceptĂ© Mrs Umney, qui sâĂ©vanouit.
âWhat a monstrous climate!â said the American Minister, calmly, as he lit a long cheroot. âI guess the old country is so overpopulated that they have not enough decent weather for everybody. I have always been of opinion that emigration is the only thing for England.â
â Quel affreux climat! dit tranquillement le ministre, en allumant un long cigare. Je mâimagine que le pays des aĂŻeux est tellement encombrĂ© de population, quâil nây a pas assez de beau temps pour tout le monde. Jâai toujours Ă©tĂ© dâavis que ce que les Anglais ont de mieux Ă faire, câest dâĂ©migrer.
âMy dear Hiram,â cried Mrs. Otis, âwhat can we do with a woman who faints?â
â Mon cher Hiram, sâĂ©cria Mrs Otis, que pouvons-nous faire dâune femme qui sâĂ©vanouit?
âCharge it to her like breakages,â answered the Minister; âshe wonât faint after that;â and in a few moments Mrs. Umney certainly came to.
â Nous dĂ©duirons cela sur ses gages avec la casse, rĂ©pondit le ministre. AprĂšs ça, elle ne sâĂ©vanouira plus. Et, en effet, Mrs Umney ne tarda pas Ă reprendre ses sens.
There was no doubt, however, that she was extremely upset, and she sternly warned Mr. Otis to beware of some trouble coming to the house.
Toutefois il Ă©tait Ă©vident quâelle Ă©tait bouleversĂ©e de fond en comble; et dâune voix austĂšre, elle avertit Mrs Otis quâelle eĂ»t Ă sâattendre Ă quelque ennui dans la maison.
âI have seen things with my own eyes, sir,â she said, âthat would make any Christianâs hair stand on end, and many and many a night I have not closed my eyes in sleep for the awful things that are done here.â
â Jâai vu de mes propres yeux, des choses⊠Monsieur, dit-elle, Ă faire dresser les cheveux sur la tĂȘte Ă un chrĂ©tien. Et pendant des nuits, et des nuits, je nâai pu fermer lâĆil, Ă cause des faits terribles qui se passent ici.
Mr. Otis, however, and his wife warmly assured the honest soul that they were not afraid of ghosts, and, after invoking the blessings of Providence on her new master and mistress, and making arrangements for an increase of salary, the old housekeeper tottered off to her own room.
NĂ©anmoins Mrs Otis et sa femme certifiĂšrent Ă la bonne femme, avec vivacitĂ© quâils nâavaient nulle peur des fantĂŽmes. La vieille gouvernante aprĂšs avoir appelĂ© la bĂ©nĂ©diction de la Providence sur son nouveau maĂźtre et sa nouvelle maĂźtresse, et pris des arrangements pour quâon augmentĂąt ses gages, rentra chez elle en clopinant.
II
II
The storm raged fiercely all that night, but nothing of particular note occurred. The next morning, however, when they came down to breakfast, they found the terrible stain of blood once again on the floor.
La tempĂȘte se dĂ©chaĂźna pendant toute la nuit, mais il ne se produisit rien de remarquable. Le lendemain, quand on descendit pour dĂ©jeuner, on retrouva sur le parquet la terrible tache.
âI donât think it can be the fault of the Paragon Detergent,â said Washington, âfor I have tried it with everything. It must be the ghost.â
â Je ne crois pas que ce soit la faute du Nettoyeur sans rival, dit Washington, car je lâai essayĂ© sur toute sorte de tache. Ăa doit ĂȘtre le fantĂŽme.
He accordingly rubbed out the stain a second time, but the second morning it appeared again.
En conséquence, il effaça la tache par quelques frottements. Le surlendemain, elle avait reparu.
The third morning also it was there, though the library had been locked up at night by Mr. Otis himself, and the key carried up-stairs.
Et pourtant la bibliothÚque avait été fermée à clef, et Mrs Otis avait emporté la clef en haut.
The whole family were now quite interested; Mr. Otis began to suspect that he had been too dogmatic in his denial of the existence of ghosts, Mrs. Otis expressed her intention of joining the Psychical Society, and Washington prepared a long letter to Messrs. Myers and Podmore on the subject of the Permanence of Sanguineous Stains when connected with Crime.
DĂšs lors, la famille commença Ă sâintĂ©resser Ă la chose. M. Otis Ă©tait sur le point de croire quâil avait Ă©tĂ© trop dogmatique en niant lâexistence des fantĂŽmes. Mrs Otis exprima lâintention de sâaffilier Ă la SociĂ©tĂ© Psychique, et Washington prĂ©para une longue lettre Ă MM. Myers et Podmore1, au sujet de la persistance des taches de sang quand elles rĂ©sultent dâun crime.
That night all doubts about the objective existence of phantasmata were removed for ever.
Cette nuit-lĂ leva tous les doutes sur lâexistence objective des fantĂŽmes.
The day had been warm and sunny; and, in the cool of the evening, the whole family went out to drive.
La journée avait été chaude et ensoleillée. La famille profita de la fraßcheur de la soirée pour faire une promenade en voiture.
They did not return home till nine oâclock, when they had a light supper.
On ne rentra quâĂ neuf heures, et on prit un lĂ©ger repas.
The conversation in no way turned upon ghosts, so there were not even those primary conditions of receptive expectations which so often precede the presentation of psychical phenomena.
La conversation ne porta nullement sur les fantĂŽmes, de sorte quâil manquait mĂȘme les conditions les plus Ă©lĂ©mentaires dâattente et de rĂ©ceptivitĂ© qui prĂ©cĂšdent si souvent les phĂ©nomĂšnes psychiques.
The subjects discussed, as I have since learned from Mr. Otis, were merely such as form the ordinary conversation of cultured Americans of the better class, such as the immense superiority of Miss Fanny Devonport over Sarah Bernhardt as an actress; the difficulty of obtaining green corn, buckwheat cakes, and hominy, even in the best English houses; the importance of Boston in the development of the world-soul; the advantages of the baggage-check system in railway travelling; and the sweetness of the New York accent as compared to the London drawl.
Les sujets quâon discuta, ainsi que je lâai appris plus tard de M. Otis, furent simplement ceux qui alimentent la conversation des AmĂ©ricains cultivĂ©s, qui appartiennent aux classes supĂ©rieures, par exemple lâimmense supĂ©rioritĂ© de miss Janny Davenport sur Sarah Bernhardt, comme actrice; la difficultĂ© de trouver du maĂŻs vert, des galettes de sarrasin, de la polenta, mĂȘme dans les meilleures maisons anglaises, lâimportance de Boston dans lâexpansion de lâĂąme universelle, les avantages du systĂšme qui consiste Ă enregistrer les bagages des voyageurs; puis la douceur de lâaccent new-yorkais, comparĂ© au ton traĂźnant de Londres.
No mention at all was made of the supernatural, nor was Sir Simon de Canterville alluded to in any way. At eleven oâclock the family retired, and by half-past all the lights were out.
Il ne fut aucunement question de surnaturel. On ne fit pas la moindre allusion, mĂȘme indirecte Ă sir Simon de Canterville. Ă onze heures, la famille se retira. Ă onze et demie, toutes les lumiĂšres Ă©taient Ă©teintes.
Some time after, Mr. Otis was awakened by a curious noise in the corridor, outside his room. It sounded like the clank of metal, and seemed to be coming nearer every moment.
Quelques instants plus tard, M. Otis fut réveillé par un bruit singulier dans le corridor, en dehors de sa chambre. Cela ressemblait à un bruit de ferraille, et se rapprochait de plus en plus.
He got up at once, struck a match, and looked at the time. It was exactly one oâclock.
Il se leva aussitĂŽt, fit flamber une allumette, et regarda lâheure. Il Ă©tait une heure juste.
He was quite calm, and felt his pulse, which was not at all feverish. The strange noise still continued, and with it he heard distinctly the sound of footsteps. He put on his slippers, took a small oblong phial out of his dressing-case, and opened the door.
M. Otis Ă©tait tout Ă fait calme. Il se tĂąta le pouls, et ne le trouva pas du tout agitĂ©. Le bruit singulier continuait, en mĂȘme temps que se faisait entendre distinctement un bruit de pas. M. Otis mit ses pantoufles, prit dans son nĂ©cessaire de toilette une petite fiole allongĂ©e et ouvrit la porte.
Right in front of him he saw, in the wan moonlight, an old man of terrible aspect. His eyes were as red burning coals; long grey hair fell over his shoulders in matted coils; his garments, which were of antique cut, were soiled and ragged, and from his wrists and ankles hung heavy manacles and rusty gyves.
Il aperçut juste devant lui, dans le pĂąle clair de lune, un vieil homme dâaspect terrible. Les yeux paraissaient comme des charbons rouges. Une longue chevelure grise tombait en mĂšches agglomĂ©rĂ©es sur ses Ă©paules. Ses vĂȘtements, dâune coupe antique, Ă©taient salis, dĂ©chirĂ©s. De ses poignets et de ses chevilles pendaient de lourdes chaĂźnes et des entraves rouillĂ©es.
âMy dear sir,â said Mr. Otis, âI really must insist on your oiling those chains, and have brought you for that purpose a small bottle of the Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator. It is said to be completely efficacious upon one application, and there are several testimonials to that effect on the wrapper from some of our most eminent native divines. I shall leave it here for you by the bedroom candles, and will be happy to supply you with more, should you require it.â
â Mon cher Monsieur, dit M. Otis, permettez-moi de vous prier instamment dâhuiler ces chaĂźnes. Je vous ai apportĂ© tout exprĂšs une petite bouteille du Graisseur de Tammany-Soleil-Levant. On dit quâune seule application est trĂšs efficace, et sur lâenveloppe il y a plusieurs certificats des plus Ă©minents thĂ©ologiens de chez nous qui en font foi. Je vais la laisser ici pour vous Ă cĂŽtĂ© des bougeoirs, et je me ferai un plaisir de vous en procurer davantage, si vous le dĂ©sirez.
With these words the United States Minister laid the bottle down on a marble table, and, closing his door, retired to rest.
Sur ces mots, le ministre des Ătats-unis posa la fiole sur une table de marbre, ferma la porte, et se remit au lit.
For a moment the Canterville ghost stood quite motionless in natural indignation; then, dashing the bottle violently upon the polished floor, he fled down the corridor, uttering hollow groans, and emitting a ghastly green light.
Pendant quelques instants, le fantĂŽme de Canterville resta immobile dâindignation. Puis lançant rageusement la fiole sur le parquet cirĂ©, il sâenfuit Ă travers le corridor, en poussant des grondements caverneux, et Ă©mettant une singuliĂšre lueur verte.
Just, however, as he reached the top of the great oak staircase, a door was flung open, two little white-robed figures appeared, and a large pillow whizzed past his head!
NĂ©anmoins comme il arrivait au grand escalier de chĂȘne, une porte sâouvrit soudain. Deux petites silhouettes drapĂ©es de blanc se montrĂšrent, et un lourd oreiller lui frĂŽla la tĂȘte.
There was evidently no time to be lost, so, hastily adopting the Fourth dimension of Space as a means of escape, he vanished through the wainscoting, and the house became quite quiet.
Ăvidemment, il nây avait pas de temps Ă perdre, aussi, utilisant comme moyen de fuite la quatriĂšme dimension de lâespace, il sâĂ©vanouit Ă travers le badigeon, et la maison reprit sa tranquillitĂ©.
On reaching a small secret chamber in the left wing, he leaned up against a moonbeam to recover his breath, and began to try and realize his position.
Parvenu dans un petit rĂ©duit secret de lâaile gauche, il sâadossa Ă un rayon de lune pour reprendre haleine, et se mit Ă rĂ©flĂ©chir pour se rendre compte de sa situation.
Never, in a brilliant and uninterrupted career of three hundred years, had he been so grossly insulted.
Jamais dans une brillante carriĂšre qui avait durĂ© trois cents ans de suite, il nâavait Ă©tĂ© insultĂ© aussi grossiĂšrement.
He thought of the Dowager Duchess, whom he had frightened into a fit as she stood before the glass in her lace and diamonds; of the four housemaids, who had gone into hysterics when he merely grinned at them through the curtains on one of the spare bedrooms; of the rector of the parish, whose candle he had blown out as he was coming late one night from the library, and who had been under the care of Sir William Gull ever since, a perfect martyr to nervous disorders; and of old Madame de Tremouillac, who, having wakened up one morning early and seen a skeleton seated in an armchair by the fire reading her diary, had been confined to her bed for six weeks with an attack of brain fever, and, on her recovery, had become reconciled to the Church, and broken off her connection with that notorious sceptic, Monsieur de Voltaire.
Il se rappela la duchesse douairiĂšre quâil avait jetĂ©e dans une crise dâĂ©pouvante pendant quâelle se contemplait, couverte de dentelles et de diamants devant la glace; les quatre bonnes, quâil avait affolĂ©es en des convulsions hystĂ©riques, rien quâen leur faisant des grimaces entre les rideaux dâune des chambres dâamis; le recteur de la paroisse dont il avait soufflĂ© la bougie, pendant quâil revenait de la bibliothĂšque, Ă une heure avancĂ©e et qui depuis Ă©tait devenu un client assidu de sir William Gull, et un martyr de tous les genres de dĂ©sordres nerveux; la vieille madame de TrĂ©mouillac, qui se rĂ©veillant de bonne heure, avait vu dans le fauteuil, prĂšs du feu, un squelette occupĂ© Ă lire le journal quâelle rĂ©digeait; et avait Ă©tĂ© condamnĂ©e Ă garder le lit pendant six mois par une attaque de fiĂšvre cĂ©rĂ©brale. Une fois remise, elle sâĂ©tait rĂ©conciliĂ©e avec lâĂglise, et avait rompu toutes relations avec ce sceptique avĂ©rĂ©, M. de Voltaire.
He remembered the terrible night when the wicked Lord Canterville was found choking in his dressing-room, with the knave of diamonds half-way down his throat, and confessed, just before he died, that he had cheated Charles James Fox out of ÂŁ50,000 at Crockfordâs by means of that very card, and swore that the ghost had made him swallow it.
Il se rappela aussi la nuit terrible oĂč ce coquin de lord Canterville avait Ă©tĂ© trouvĂ© rĂąlant dans son cabinet de toilette, le valet de pique enfoncĂ© dans sa gorge, et avait avouĂ© quâau moyen de cette mĂȘme carte, il avait filoutĂ© Ă Charles Fox, chez Crockford, la somme de 10, 000 livres. Il jurait que le fantĂŽme lui avait fait avaler cette carte.
All his great achievements came back to him again, from the butler who had shot himself in the pantry because he had seen a green hand tapping at the window-pane, to the beautiful Lady Stutfield, who was always obliged to wear a black velvet band round her throat to hide the mark of five fingers burnt upon her white skin, and who drowned herself at last in the carp-pond at the end of the Kingâs Walk.
Tous ses grands exploits lui revenaient Ă la mĂ©moire. Il vit dĂ©filer le sommelier qui sâĂ©tait brĂ»lĂ© la cervelle pour avoir vu une main verte tambouriner sur la vitre; et la belle lady Steelfield, qui Ă©tait condamnĂ©e Ă porter au cou un collier de velours noir pour cacher la marque de cinq doigts imprimĂ©s comme du fer rouge sur sa peau blanche, et qui avait fini par se noyer dans le vivier au bout de lâAllĂ©e du Roi.
With the enthusiastic egotism of the true artist, he went over his most celebrated performances, and smiled bitterly to himself as he recalled to mind his last appearance as âRed Reuben, or the Strangled Babe,â his dĂ©but as âGuant Gibeon, the Blood-sucker of Bexley Moor,â and the furore he had excited one lovely June evening by merely playing ninepins with his own bones upon the lawn-tennis ground.
Et tout plein de lâenthousiasme Ă©gotiste du vĂ©ritable artiste, il passa en revue ses rĂŽles les plus cĂ©lĂšbres. Il sâadressa un sourire amer, en Ă©voquant sa derniĂšre apparition dans le rĂŽle de «Ruben le Rouge ou le nourrisson Ă©tranglé» son dĂ©but dans celui de «GibĂ©on le Vampire maigre de la lande de Bexley», et la furore quâil avait excitĂ©e par une charmante soirĂ©e de juin, rien quâen jouant aux quilles avec ses propres ossements sur la pelouse du lawn-tennis.
Et tout cela pour aboutir Ă quoi?
And after all this some wretched modern Americans were to come and offer him the Rising Sun Lubricator, and throw pillows at his head! It was quite unbearable. Besides, no ghost in history had ever been treated in this manner.
De misĂ©rables AmĂ©ricains modernes venaient lui offrir le Graisseur Ă la marque du Soleil Levant! et ils lui jetaient des oreillers Ă la tĂȘte! CâĂ©tait absolument intolĂ©rable. En outre, lâhistoire nous apprend que jamais fantĂŽme ne fut traitĂ© de cette façon.
Accordingly, he determined to have vengeance, and remained till daylight in an attitude of deep thought.
La conclusion quâil en tira, câest quâil devait prendre sa revanche, et il resta jusquâau lever du jour dans une attitude de profonde mĂ©ditation.
III
III
The next morning, when the Otis family met at breakfast, they discussed the ghost at some length. The United States Minister was naturally a little annoyed to find that his present had not been accepted.
Le lendemain, quand le dĂ©jeuner rĂ©unit la famille Otis, on discuta assez longuement sur le fantĂŽme. Le ministre des Ătats-unis Ă©tait, naturellement, un peu froissĂ© de voir que son offre nâavait pas Ă©tĂ© agrĂ©Ă©e:
âI have no wish,â he said, âto do the ghost any personal injury, and I must say that, considering the length of time he has been in the house, I donât think it is at all polite to throw pillows at him,ââa very just remark, at which, I am sorry to say, the twins burst into shouts of laughter.
â Je nâai nullement lâintention de faire au fantĂŽme une injure personnelle, fit-il, et je reconnais que vu la longue durĂ©e de son sĂ©jour dans la maison, ce nâĂ©tait pas du tout poli de lui jeter des oreillers Ă la tĂȘte⊠Je suis fĂąchĂ© dâavoir Ă dire que cette observation si juste provoqua chez les jumeaux une explosion de rires.
âUpon the other hand,â he continued, âif he really declines to use the Rising Sun Lubricator, we shall have to take his chains from him. It would be quite impossible to sleep, with such a noise going on outside the bedrooms.â
â Mais dâautre part, reprit M. Otis, sâil persiste pour tout de bon Ă ne pas employer le Graisseur Ă la marque Soleil Levant, il faudra que nous lui enlevions ses chaĂźnes. Il nây aurait plus moyen de dormir avec tout ce bruit Ă la porte des chambres Ă coucher.
For the rest of the week, however, they were undisturbed, the only thing that excited any attention being the continual renewal of the blood-stain on the library floor.
NĂ©anmoins, pendant le reste de la semaine, on ne fut pas dĂ©rangĂ©. La seule chose qui attirĂąt quelque attention, câĂ©tait la rĂ©apparition continuelle de la tache de sang sur le parquet de la bibliothĂšque.
This certainly was very strange, as the door was always locked at night by Mr. Otis, and the windows kept closely barred.
CâĂ©tait certes bien Ă©trange, dâautant plus que la porte en Ă©tait toujours fermĂ©e Ă clef, le soir, par M. Otis, et quâon tenait les fenĂȘtres soigneusement closes.
The chameleon-like colour, also, of the stain excited a good deal of comment. Some mornings it was a dull (almost Indian) red, then it would be vermilion, then a rich purple, and once when they came down for family prayers, according to the simple rites of the Free American Reformed Episcopalian Church, they found it a bright emerald-green.
Les changements de teinte que subissait la tache, comparables Ă ceux dâun camĂ©lĂ©on, produisirent aussi de frĂ©quents commentaires. Certains matins, elle Ă©tait dâun rouge foncĂ©, presque dâun rouge indien: dâautres fois, elle Ă©tait vermillon; puis dâun pourpre riche, et une fois, quand on descendit pour faire la priĂšre conformĂ©ment aux simples rites de la libre Ăglise Ă©piscopale rĂ©formĂ©e dâAmĂ©rique, on la trouva dâun beau vert-Ă©meraude.
These kaleidoscopic changes naturally amused the party very much, and bets on the subject were freely made every evening. The only person who did not enter into the joke was little Virginia, who, for some unexplained reason, was always a good deal distressed at the sight of the blood-stain, and very nearly cried the morning it was emerald-green.
Naturellement ces permutations de kalĂ©idoscope amusĂšrent beaucoup la troupe, et on faisait chaque soir des paris sans se gĂȘner. La seule personne qui ne prit point de part Ă la plaisanterie Ă©tait la petite Virginie. Pour certaine raison ignorĂ©e, elle Ă©tait toujours vivement impressionnĂ©e Ă la vue de la tache de sang, et elle fut bien prĂšs de pleurer le matin oĂč la tache parut vert-Ă©meraude.
The second appearance of the ghost was on Sunday night. Shortly after they had gone to bed they were suddenly alarmed by a fearful crash in the hall.
Le fantĂŽme fit sa seconde apparition une nuit de dimanche. Peu de temps aprĂšs quâon fut couchĂ©, on fut soudain alarmĂ© par un Ă©norme fracas qui sâentendit dans le hall.
Rushing down-stairs, they found that a large suit of old armour had become detached from its stand, and had fallen on the stone floor, while seated in a high-backed chair was the Canterville ghost, rubbing his knees with an expression of acute agony on his face.
On descendit Ă la hĂąte, et on trouva quâune armure complĂšte sâĂ©tait dĂ©tachĂ©e de son support, et Ă©tait tombĂ©e sur les dalles. Tout prĂšs de lĂ , assis dans un fauteuil au dossier Ă©levĂ©, le fantĂŽme de Canterville se frictionnait les genoux avec une expression de vive souffrance peinte sur la figure.
The twins, having brought their pea-shooters with them, at once discharged two pellets on him, with that accuracy of aim which can only be attained by long and careful practice on a writing-master, while the United States Minister covered him with his revolver, and called upon him, in accordance with Californian etiquette, to hold up his hands!
Les jumeaux, qui sâĂ©taient munis de leurs sarbacanes, lui lancĂšrent aussitĂŽt deux boulettes avec cette sĂ»retĂ© de coup dâĆil quâon ne peut acquĂ©rir quâĂ force dâexercices longs et patients sur le professeur dâĂ©criture. Pendant ce temps-lĂ , le ministre des Ătats-unis tenait le fantĂŽme dans la ligne de son revolver, et conformĂ©ment Ă lâĂ©tiquette californienne, le sommait de lever les mains en lâair.
The ghost started up with a wild shriek of rage, and swept through them like a mist, extinguishing Washington Otisâs candle as he passed, and so leaving them all in total darkness.
Le fantĂŽme se leva brusquement en poussant un cri de fureur sauvage, et se dissipa au milieu dâeux, comme un brouillard, en Ă©teignant au passage la bougie de Washington Otis, et laissant tout le monde dans la plus complĂšte obscuritĂ©.
On reaching the top of the staircase he recovered himself, and determined to give his celebrated peal of demoniac laughter. This he had on more than one occasion found extremely useful.
Quand il fut au haut de lâescalier, il reprit possession de lui-mĂȘme, et se dĂ©cida Ă lancer son cĂ©lĂšbre carillon dâĂ©clats de rire sataniques. En maintes occasions, il avait expĂ©rimentĂ© lâutilitĂ© de ce procĂ©dĂ©.
It was said to have turned Lord Rakerâs wig grey in a single night, and had certainly made three of Lady Cantervilleâs French governesses give warning before their month was up.
On raconte que cela avait fait grisonner en une seule nuit la perruque de lord Raker. Il est certain quâil nâen avait pas fallu davantage pour dĂ©cider les trois gouvernantes françaises Ă donner leur dĂ©mission avant dâavoir fini leur premier mois.
He accordingly laughed his most horrible laugh, till the old vaulted roof rang and rang again, but hardly had the fearful echo died away when a door opened, and Mrs. Otis came out in a light blue dressing-gown.
En consĂ©quence il lança son Ă©clat de rire le plus horrible, rĂ©veillant de proche en proche les Ă©chos sous les antiques voĂ»tes, mais Ă peine les terribles sonoritĂ©s sâĂ©taient-elles Ă©teintes quâune porte sâouvrit, et quâapparut en robe bleu-clair Mrs Otis.
âI am afraid you are far from well,â she said, âand have brought you a bottle of Doctor Dobellâs tincture. If it is indigestion, you will find it a most excellent remedy.â
â Je crains, dit-elle, que vous ne soyez indisposĂ©, et je vous ai apportĂ© une fiole de la teinture du docteur Dobell. Si câest une indigestion, ça vous fera beaucoup de bien.
The ghost glared at her in fury, and began at once to make preparations for turning himself into a large black dog, an accomplishment for which he was justly renowned, and to which the family doctor always attributed the permanent idiocy of Lord Cantervilleâs uncle, the Hon. Thomas Horton.
Le fantĂŽme la regarda avec des yeux flambants de fureur, et se mit en mesure de se changer en un gros chien noir. CâĂ©tait un tour qui lui avait valu une rĂ©putation bien mĂ©ritĂ©e, et auquel le mĂ©decin de la famille attribuait toujours lâidiotie incurable de lâoncle de lord Canterville, lâhonorable Thomas Horton.
The sound of approaching footsteps, however, made him hesitate in his fell purpose, so he contented himself with becoming faintly phosphorescent, and vanished with a deep churchyard groan, just as the twins had come up to him.
Mais le bruit de pas qui se rapprochaient le fit chanceler dans sa cruelle rĂ©solution, et il se contenta de se rendre lĂ©gĂšrement phosphorescent. Puis, il sâĂ©vanouit, aprĂšs avoir poussĂ© un gĂ©missement sĂ©pulcral, car les jumeaux allaient le rattraper.
On reaching his room he entirely broke down, and became a prey to the most violent agitation.
Rentré chez lui, il se sentit brisé, en proie à la plus violente agitation.
The vulgarity of the twins, and the gross materialism of Mrs. Otis, were naturally extremely annoying, but what really distressed him most was that he had been unable to wear the suit of mail.
La vulgaritĂ© des jumeaux, le grossier matĂ©rialisme de Mrs Otis, tout cela Ă©tait certes trĂšs vexant, mais ce qui lâhumiliait le plus, câest quâil nâavait pas la force de porter la cotte de mailles.
He had hoped that even modern Americans would be thrilled by the sight of a Spectre in armour, if for no more sensible reason, at least out of respect for their natural poet Longfellow, over whose graceful and attractive poetry he himself had whiled away many a weary hour when the Cantervilles were up in town. Besides it was his own suit.
Il avait comptĂ© faire impression mĂȘme sur des AmĂ©ricains modernes, les faire frissonner Ă la vue dâun spectre cuirassĂ©, sinon par des motifs raisonnables, du moins par dĂ©fĂ©rence pour leur poĂšte national Longfellow, dont les poĂ©sies gracieuses et attrayantes lâavaient aidĂ© bien souvent Ă tuer le temps, pendant que les Canterville Ă©taient Ă Londres. En outre, câĂ©tait sa propre armure.
He had worn it with great success at the Kenilworth tournament, and had been highly complimented on it by no less a person than the Virgin Queen herself.
Il lâavait portĂ©e avec grand succĂšs au tournoi de Kenilworth, et avait Ă©tĂ© chaudement complimentĂ© par la Reine Vierge en personne.
Yet when he had put it on, he had been completely overpowered by the weight of the huge breastplate and steel casque, and had fallen heavily on the stone pavement, barking both his knees severely, and bruising the knuckles of his right hand.
Mais quand il avait voulu la mettre, il avait Ă©tĂ© absolument Ă©crasĂ© par le poids de lâĂ©norme cuirasse, du heaume dâacier. Il Ă©tait tombĂ© lourdement sur les dalles de pierre, sâĂ©tait cruellement Ă©corchĂ© les genoux, et contusionnĂ© le poignet droit.
For some days after this he was extremely ill, and hardly stirred out of his room at all, except to keep the blood-stain in proper repair.
Pendant plusieurs jours, il fut trĂšs malade, et faisait Ă peine quelques pas hors de chez lui, juste ce quâil fallait pour maintenir en bon Ă©tat la tache de sang.
However, by taking great care of himself, he recovered, and resolved to make a third attempt to frighten the United States Minister and his family.
NĂ©anmoins, Ă force de soins, il finit par se remettre, et il dĂ©cida de faire une troisiĂšme tentative pour enrayer le ministre des Ătats-unis et sa famille.
He selected Friday, August 17th, for his appearance, and spent most of that day in looking over his wardrobe, ultimately deciding in favour of a large slouched hat with a red feather, a winding-sheet frilled at the wrists and neck, and a rusty dagger.
Il choisit pour sa rentrĂ©e en scĂšne le vendredi 17 aoĂ»t, et consacra une grande partie de cette journĂ©e-lĂ Ă passer la revue de ses costumes. Son choix se fixa, enfin, sur un chapeau Ă bords relevĂ©s dâun cĂŽtĂ© et rabattus de lâautre, avec une plume rouge, un linceul effilochĂ© aux manches et au collet, enfin un poignard rouillĂ©.
Towards evening a violent storm of rain came on, and the wind was so high that all the windows and doors in the old house shook and rattled. In fact, it was just such weather as he loved. His plan of action was this.
Vers le soir, un violent orage de pluie Ă©clata. Le vent Ă©tait si fort quâil secouait et faisait battre portes et fenĂȘtres dans la vieille maison. Bref, câĂ©tait bien le temps quâil lui fallait. Voici ce quâil comptait faire.
He was to make his way quietly to Washington Otisâs room, gibber at him from the foot of the bed, and stab himself three times in the throat to the sound of low music.
Il se rendrait sans bruit dans la chambre de Washington Otis, lui jargonnerait des phrases, en se tenant au pied du lit, et lui planterait trois fois son poignard dans la gorge, au son dâune musique Ă©touffĂ©e.
He bore Washington a special grudge, being quite aware that it was he who was in the habit of removing the famous Canterville blood-stain by means of Pinkertonâs Paragon Detergent.
Il en voulait tout particuliĂšrement Ă Washington, car il savait parfaitement que câĂ©tait Washington qui avait lâhabitude constante dâenlever la fameuse tache de sang de Canterville, par lâemploi du Nettoyeur incomparable de Pinkerton.
Having reduced the reckless and foolhardy youth to a condition of abject terror, he was then to proceed to the room occupied by the United States Minister and his wife, and there to place a clammy hand on Mrs. Otisâs forehead, while he hissed into her trembling husbandâs ear the awful secrets of the charnel-house.
AprĂšs avoir rĂ©duit Ă un Ă©tat de terreur abjecte le tĂ©mĂ©raire, lâinsouciant jeune homme, il devait ensuite pĂ©nĂ©trer dans la chambre, occupĂ©e par le ministre des Ătats-unis et sa femme. Alors il poserait une main visqueuse sur le front de Mrs Otis, pendant que dâune voix sourde, il murmurerait Ă lâoreille de son mari tremblant les secrets terribles du charnier.
With regard to little Virginia, he had not quite made up his mind. She had never insulted him in any way, and was pretty and gentle.
En ce qui concernait la petite Virginie, il nâĂ©tait pas tout Ă fait fixĂ©. Elle ne lâavait jamais insultĂ© en aucune façon. Elle Ă©tait jolie et douce.
A few hollow groans from the wardrobe, he thought, would be more than sufficient, or, if that failed to wake her, he might grabble at the counterpane with palsy-twitching fingers.
Quelques grognements sourds partant de lâarmoire, cela lui semblait plus que suffisant, et si ce nâĂ©tait pas assez pour la rĂ©veiller, il irait jusquâĂ tirailler la courte pointe avec ses doigts secouĂ©s par la paralysie.
As for the twins, he was quite determined to teach them a lesson. The first thing to be done was, of course, to sit upon their chests, so as to produce the stifling sensation of nightmare.
Pour les jumeaux, il Ă©tait tout Ă fait rĂ©solu Ă leur donner une leçon, la premiĂšre chose Ă faire certes serait de sâasseoir sur leurs poitrines, de façon Ă produire la sensation Ă©touffante du cauchemar.
Đ Đ”ĐșĐ»Đ°ĐŒĐ°