CHAPTER VII. THE ESCAPE

As she packed her trunk behind the locked door of her room—an unnecessary precaution, since the girls generally avoided her society— Mary Louise considered whether to confide the fact of her going to Miss Stearne or to depart without a word of adieu. In the latter case she would forfeit her trunk and her pretty clothes, which she did not wish to do unless it proved absolutely necessary; and, after all, she decided, frankness was best. In quest'ultimo caso avrebbe perso il suo baule e i suoi bei vestiti, cosa che non voleva fare se non fosse stato assolutamente necessario; e, dopo tutto, decise che la franchezza era la cosa migliore. Gran'pa Jim had often said that what one could not do openly should not be done at all. There was nothing to be ashamed of in her resolve to leave the school where she was so unhappy. Non c'era nulla di cui vergognarsi nella sua decisione di lasciare la scuola in cui era così infelice. The girls did not want her there and she did not want to stay; the school would be relieved of a disturbing element and Mary Louise would be relieved of unjust persecution; no blame attached to any but those who had made public this vile slander against her grandfather. Le ragazze non la volevano lì e lei non voleva restare; la scuola sarebbe stata liberata da un elemento di disturbo e Mary Louise sarebbe stata sollevata da un'ingiusta persecuzione; nessuna colpa sarebbe stata attribuita a nessuno, se non a coloro che avevano reso pubblica questa ignobile calunnia contro suo nonno. From all viewpoints she considered she was doing the right thing; so, when her preparations were complete, she went to Miss Stearne's room, although it was now after eight o'clock in the evening, and requested an interview. Da tutti i punti di vista riteneva di fare la cosa giusta; così, quando i suoi preparativi furono completati, si recò nella stanza della signorina Stearne, sebbene fossero ormai passate le otto di sera, e chiese un colloquio. "I am going away," she quietly announced to the principal. "Going away! But where?" asked the astonished teacher.

"I cannot tell you that, Miss Stearne." "Do you not know?" "Non lo sai?" "Yes, I know, but I prefer not to tell you." Miss Stearne was greatly annoyed. Miss Stearne era molto seccata. She was also perplexed. The fact that Mary Louise was deserting her school did not seem so important, at the moment, as the danger involved by a young girl's going out into the world unprotected. The good woman had already been rendered very nervous by the dreadful accusation of Colonel Weatherby and the consequent stigma that attached to his granddaughter, a pupil at her eminently respectable school. La buona donna era già stata resa molto nervosa dalla terribile accusa del colonnello Weatherby e dal conseguente stigma che gravava sulla nipote, allieva della sua rispettabilissima scuola. She realized perfectly that the girl was blameless, whatever her grandsire might have done, and she deeply deplored the scornful attitude assumed by the other pupils toward poor Mary Louise; nevertheless a certain bitter resentment of the unwholesome scandal that had smirched her dignified establishment had taken possession of the woman, perhaps unconsciously, and while she might be a little ashamed of the ungenerous feeling, Miss Stearne fervently wished she had never accepted the girl as a pupil. Si rendeva perfettamente conto che la ragazza era irreprensibile, qualunque cosa avesse fatto il nonno, e deplorava profondamente l'atteggiamento sprezzante assunto dalle altre allieve nei confronti della povera Mary Louise; tuttavia un certo risentimento amaro per lo scandalo sgradevole che aveva offuscato la sua dignitosa istituzione si era impossessato della donna, forse inconsciamente, e, pur vergognandosi un po' di questo sentimento ingeneroso, Miss Stearne desiderava ardentemente non aver mai accettato la ragazza come allieva.

She HAD accepted her, however. She had received the money for Mary Louise's tuition and expenses and had promptly applied the entire sum to reducing her grocery bills and other pressing obligations; therefore she felt it her duty to give value received. Aveva ricevuto il denaro per la retta e le spese di Mary Louise e aveva prontamente destinato l'intera somma alla riduzione delle bollette della spesa e ad altri obblighi impellenti; quindi sentiva il dovere di dare il valore ricevuto. If Mary Louise was to be driven from the school by the jeers and sneers of the other girls, Miss Stearne would feel like a thief. Se Mary Louise fosse stata allontanata dalla scuola dalle derisioni e dagli sberleffi delle altre ragazze, Miss Stearne si sarebbe sentita una ladra. Moreover, it would be a distinct reproach to her should she allow a fifteen-year-old girl to wander into a cruel world because her school—her sole home and refuge—had been rendered so unbearable that she could not remain there. Inoltre, sarebbe un grave rimprovero per lei se permettesse a una ragazza di quindici anni di vagare in un mondo crudele perché la sua scuola - la sua unica casa e il suo unico rifugio - è stata resa così insopportabile da non potervi rimanere. The principal was really unable to repay the money that had been advanced to her, even if that would relieve her of obligation to shelter the girl, and therefore she decided that Mary Louise must not be permitted, under any circumstances, to leave her establishment without the authority of her natural guardians. La direttrice non era davvero in grado di restituire il denaro che le era stato anticipato, anche se questo l'avrebbe sollevata dall'obbligo di ospitare la ragazza, e quindi decise che a Mary Louise non doveva essere permesso, in nessun caso, di lasciare il suo stabilimento senza l'autorità dei suoi tutori naturali.

This argument ran hurriedly through her mind as the girl stood calmly waiting. Questo argomento le passò frettolosamente per la testa, mentre la ragazza aspettava con calma.

"Is this action approved by your mother, or—or—by your grandfather?" she asked, somewhat more harshly than was her wont in addressing her pupils. chiese, un po' più duramente di quanto fosse sua abitudine quando si rivolgeva ai suoi allievi.

"No, Miss Stearne." "Then how dare you even suggest it?" "Allora come osi anche solo suggerirlo?". "I am not wanted here," returned the girl with calm assurance. "Qui non mi vogliono", rispose la ragazza con tranquilla sicurezza. "My presence is annoying to the other girls, as well as to yourself, and so disturbs the routine of the school. For my part, I—I am very unhappy here, as you must realize, because everyone seems to think my dear Gran'pa Jim is a wicked man—which I know he is not. Per quanto mi riguarda, sono molto infelice qui, come dovete capire, perché tutti sembrano pensare che il mio caro nonno Jim sia un uomo malvagio, cosa che io so non essere. I have no heart to study, and—and so—it is better for us all that I go away." Non ho voglia di studiare, e quindi è meglio per tutti noi che io me ne vada". This statement was so absolutely true and the implied reproach was so justified, that Miss Stearne allowed herself to become angry as the best means of opposing the girl's design. Questa affermazione era così assolutamente vera e il rimprovero implicito era così giustificato, che Miss Stearne si permise di arrabbiarsi come mezzo migliore per opporsi al progetto della ragazza. "This is absurd!" she exclaimed. "You imagine these grievances, Mary Louise, and I cannot permit you to attack the school and your fellow boarders in so reckless a manner. "Tu immagini queste lamentele, Mary Louise, e non posso permetterti di attaccare la scuola e i tuoi compagni in modo così sconsiderato. You shall not stir one step from this school! Non vi allontanerete di un solo passo da questa scuola! I forbid you, positively, to leave the grounds hereafter without my express permission. Vi proibisco categoricamente di lasciare il terreno senza il mio esplicito permesso. You have been placed in my charge and I insist that you obey me. Go to your room and study your lessons, which you have been shamefully neglecting lately. If I hear any more of this rebellious wish to leave the school, I shall be obliged to punish you by confining you to your room." The girl listened to this speech with evident surprise; yet the tirade did not seem to impress her. La ragazza ascoltò questo discorso con evidente sorpresa; tuttavia la filippica non sembrò impressionarla.

"You refuse, then, to let me go?" she returned.

"I positively refuse." "Mi rifiuto categoricamente". "But I cannot stay here, Miss Stearne," she protested. "You must. I have always treated you kindly—I treat all my girls well if they deserve it—but you are developing a bad disposition, Mary Louise—a most reprehensible disposition, I regret to say—and the tendency must be corrected at once. Vi ho sempre trattato con gentilezza - tratto bene tutte le mie ragazze se lo meritano - ma state sviluppando una cattiva disposizione d'animo, Mary Louise - una disposizione d'animo molto riprovevole, mi dispiace dirlo - e la tendenza deve essere corretta immediatamente. Not another word! Go to your room." Mary Louise went to her room, greatly depressed by the interview. She looked at her trunk, made a mental inventory of its highly prized contents, and sighed. Guardò il baule, fece un inventario mentale del suo prezioso contenuto e sospirò. But as soon as she rejoined Gran'pa, Jim, she reflected, he would send an order to have the trunk forwarded and Miss Stearne would not dare refuse. For a time she must do without her pretty gowns.

Instead of studying her text books she studied the railway time-card. She had intended asking Miss Stearne to permit her to take the five- thirty train from Beverly Junction the next morning and since the recent interview she had firmly decided to board that very train. Aveva intenzione di chiedere alla signorina Stearne di permetterle di prendere il treno delle cinque e mezza da Beverly Junction la mattina successiva e, dopo il recente colloquio, aveva deciso fermamente di salire proprio su quel treno. This was not entirely due to stubbornness, for she reflected that if she stayed at the school her unhappy condition would become aggravated, instead of improving, especially since Miss Stearne had developed unexpected sharpness of temper. Questo non era dovuto interamente alla sua testardaggine, perché rifletteva che se fosse rimasta a scuola la sua infelice condizione si sarebbe aggravata, invece di migliorare, soprattutto perché la signorina Stearne aveva sviluppato un'inaspettata acutezza di carattere. She would endure no longer the malicious taunts of her school fellows or the scoldings of the principal, and these could be avoided in no other way than by escaping as she had planned. Non avrebbe più sopportato gli scherni malevoli dei compagni di scuola o i rimproveri del preside, che potevano essere evitati solo fuggendo come aveva progettato.

At ten o'clock she lay down upon her bed, fully dressed, and put out her light; but she dared not fall asleep lest she miss her train. Alle dieci si sdraiò sul letto, completamente vestita, e spense la luce; ma non osava addormentarsi per non perdere il treno. At times she lighted a match and looked at her watch and it surprised her to realize how long a night can be when one is watching for daybreak. A volte accendeva un fiammifero e guardava l'orologio: si sorprendeva nel rendersi conto di quanto possa essere lunga una notte quando si attende l'alba.

At four o'clock she softly rose, put on her hat, took her suit case in hand and stealthily crept from, the room. Alle quattro si alzò dolcemente, si mise il cappello, prese la valigia in mano e uscì furtivamente dalla stanza. It was very dark in the hallway but the house was so familiar to her that she easily felt her way along the passage, down the front stairs and so to the front door. Il corridoio era molto buio, ma la casa le era così familiare che si orientò facilmente lungo il passaggio, scese le scale d'ingresso e arrivò alla porta d'ingresso.

Miss Stearne always locked this door at night but left the key in the lock. La signorina Stearne chiudeva sempre a chiave questa porta di notte, ma lasciava la chiave nella serratura. To-night the key had been withdrawn. La sera stessa la chiave era stata ritirata. When Mary Louise had satisfied herself of this fact she stole along the lower hallway toward the rear. Quando Mary Louise si fu accertata di questo fatto, si incamminò lungo il corridoio inferiore verso il retro. The door that connected with the dining room and farther on with the servants' quarters had also been locked and the key withdrawn. Anche la porta che collegava la sala da pranzo con gli alloggi della servitù era stata chiusa a chiave e la chiave era stata ritirata. This was so unusual that it plainly told the girl that Miss Stearne was suspicious that she might try to escape, and so had taken precautions to prevent her leaving the house. Questo fatto era talmente insolito da far capire alla ragazza che la signorina Stearne sospettava che potesse tentare di scappare e aveva quindi preso delle precauzioni per impedirle di uscire di casa.

Mary Louise cautiously set down her suit case and tried to think what to do. Mary Louise posò cautamente la valigia e cercò di pensare a cosa fare. The house had not been built for a school but was an old residence converted to school purposes. On one side of the hall was a big drawing- room; on the other side were the principal's apartments. Da un lato del corridoio c'era un grande salone, dall'altro gli appartamenti del direttore. Mary Louise entered the drawing-room and ran against a chair that stood in her way. Mary Louise entrò nel salotto e andò a sbattere contro una sedia che la ostacolava. Until now she had not made the slightest noise, but the suit case banged against the chair and the concussion reverberated dully throughout the house. Fino a quel momento non aveva fatto il minimo rumore, ma la valigia sbatté contro la sedia e la commozione si riverberò in tutta la casa.

The opposite door opened and a light flooded the hall. La porta opposta si aprì e una luce inondò il corridoio. From where the girl stood in the dark drawing-room she could see Miss Stearne standing in her doorway and listening. Da dove la ragazza si trovava nel buio del salotto, poteva vedere la signorina Stearne in piedi sulla porta e in ascolto. Mary Louise held herself motionless. She scarcely dared breathe. The principal glanced up and down the hall, noted the locked doors and presently retired into her room, after a little while extinguishing the light.

Then Mary Louise felt her way to a window, drew aside the heavy draperies and carefully released the catch of the sash, which she then succeeded in raising. Poi Mary Louise si avvicinò a una finestra, scostò i pesanti tendaggi e sbloccò con cura il fermo dell'anta, che riuscì a sollevare. The wooden blinds were easily unfastened but swung back with a slight creak that made her heart leap with apprehension. Le tende di legno si slacciavano facilmente, ma oscillavano all'indietro con un leggero scricchiolio che le fece balzare il cuore in apprensione. She did not wait, now, to learn if the sound had been heard, for already she had wasted too much time if she intended to catch her train. She leaned through the window, let her suit case down as far as she could reach, and dropped it to the ground. Si sporse dalla finestra, lasciò cadere la valigia fino a dove poteva arrivare e la fece cadere a terra. Then she climbed through the opening and let herself down by clinging to the sill. Poi si arrampicò attraverso l'apertura e si lasciò cadere aggrappandosi al davanzale. It was a high window, but she was a tall girl for her age and her feet touched the ground. Now she was free to go her way.

She lost no time in getting away from the grounds, being guided by a dim starlight and a glow in the east that was a promise of morning. Non perse tempo ad allontanarsi dal terreno, guidata dalla luce fioca delle stelle e da un bagliore a est che era una promessa del mattino. With rapid steps she made her way to the station, reaching it over the rough country road just as the train pulled in. A passi veloci si diresse verso la stazione, raggiungendola attraverso l'impervia strada di campagna proprio mentre il treno arrivava. She had been possessed with the idea that someone was stealthily following her and under the light of the depot lamps her first act was to swing around and stare into the darkness from which she had emerged. Era stata posseduta dall'idea che qualcuno la stesse seguendo furtivamente e, alla luce delle lampade del deposito, il suo primo gesto fu quello di girarsi e fissare l'oscurità da cui era uscita. She almost expected to see Miss Stearne appear, but it was only a little man with a fat nose and a shabby suit of clothes, who had probably come from the village to catch the same train she wanted. Si aspettava quasi di veder comparire la signorina Stearne, ma si trattava solo di un ometto con un naso grasso e un vestito malandato, che probabilmente era venuto dal villaggio per prendere lo stesso treno che voleva lei. He paid no attention to the girl but entered the same car she did and quietly took his seat in the rear.