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LA ESFINGE SIN SECRETO THE SPHINX WITHOUT A SECRET

Una tarde, tomaba mi verm en la terraza delCaf de la Paix, contemplando el esplendor y la

miseria de la vida parisina y asombrndome delextrao panorama de orgullo y pobreza que

desfilaba ante mis ojos, cuando o que alguien

me llamaba. Volv la cabeza y vi a lordMurchison. No nos habamos vuelto a ver desde

nuestra poca de estudiantes, haca casi diez

aos, as que me encant encontrarme de nuevocon l y nos dimos un fuerte apretn de manos.

En Oxford habamos sido grandes amigos. Yo lohaba apreciado muchsimo, era tan apuesto,

ntegro y divertido! Solamos decir que habra

sido el mejor de los compaeros si no hubiesedicho siempre la verdad, pero creo que todos le

admirbamos ms por su franqueza. Me parecique estaba muy cambiado. Daba la impresin de

estar inquieto y desorientado, como si dudara de

algo. Comprend que no poda ser un caso deescepticismo moderno, pues Murchison era el

ms firme de los conservadores, y crea con lamisma conviccin en el Pentateuco que en la

Cmara de los Pares; as que llegu a la

conclusin de que se trataba de una mujer, y lepregunt si se haba casado.

ONE afternoon I was sitting outside the Caf de

la Paix, watching the splendour and shabbinessof Parisian life, and wondering over my

vermouth at the strange panorama of pride and

poverty that was passing before me, when Iheard some one call my name. I turned round,

and saw Lord Murchison. We had not met sincewe had been at college together, nearly ten years

before, so I was delighted to come across him

again, and we shook hands warmly. At Oxfordwe had been great friends. I had liked him

immensely, he was so handsome, so high-spirited, and so honourable. We used to say of

him that he would be the best of fellows, if he

did not always speak the truth, but I think wereally admired him all the more for his

frankness. I found him a good deal changed. Helooked anxious and puzzled, and seemed to be

in doubt about something. I felt it could not be

modern scepticism, for Murchison was the

stoutest of Tories, and believed in thePentateuch as firmly as he believed in the Houseof Peers; so I concluded that it was a woman,

and asked him if he was married yet.

-No comprendo suficientemente bien a las

mujeres -respondi.`I don't understand women well enough,' heanswered.

-Mi querido Gerald -dije-, las mujeres estnhechas para ser amadas, no comprendidas.

`My dear Gerald,' I said, `women are meant tobe loved, not to be understood.'

-Soy incapaz de amar a alguien en quien nopuedo confiar -replic. `I cannot love where I cannot trust,' he replied.

-Creo que hay un misterio en tu vida, Gerald

-exclam-; de qu se trata?`I believe you have a mystery in your life,

Gerald,' I exclaimed; `tell me about it.'

-Vamos a dar una vuelta en coche -contest-,

aqu hay demasiada gente. No, un carruajeamarillo no, de cualquier otro color... Mira,

aquel verde oscuro servir. Y poco despus

bajbamos trotando por el bulevar en direccina la Madeleine.

`Let us go for a drive,' he answered, `it is too

crowded here. No, not a yellow carriage, anyother colour - there, that dark-green one will

do;' and in a few moments we were trottingdown the boulevard in the direction of theMadeleine.

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-Dnde vamos? -quise saber.`Where shall we go to?' I said.

-Oh, donde t quieras! -repuso-. Al restaurante

del Bois de Boulogne; cenaremos all y mehablars de tu vida.

`Oh, anywhere you like!' he answered - `to the

restaurant in the Bois; we will dine there, andyou shall tell me all about yourself.'

-Me gustara que t lo hicieras antes -dije-.

Cuntame tu misterio.`I want to hear about you first,' I said. `Tell me

your mystery.'

Lord Murchison sac de su bolsillo una cajita

de tafilete con cierre de plata y me la entreg.La abr. En el interior llevaba la fotografa de

una mujer. Era alta y delgada, y de un extrao

atractivo, con sus grandes ojos de miradadistrada y su pelo suelto. Pareca una

clairvoyante, e iba envuelta en ricas pieles.

He took from his pocket a little silver-clasped

morocco case, and handed it to me. I opened it.Inside there was the photograph of a woman.

She was tall and slight, and strangely

picturesque with her large vague eyes andloosened hair. She looked like a clairvoyante,

and was wrapped in rich furs.

-Qu opinas de ese rostro? -inquiri-. Lo

crees sincero?`What do you think of that face?' he said; `is it

truthful?'

Lo examin detenidamente. Tuve la sensacinde que era el rostro de alguien que guardaba un

secreto, aunque fuese incapaz de adivinar si erabueno o malo. Se trataba de una belleza

moldeada a fuerza de misterios... una belleza

psicolgica, en realidad, no plstica... y el atisbo

de sonrisa que rondaba sus labios era demasiadosutil para ser realmente dulce.

I examined it carefully. It seemed to me the faceof some one who had a secret, but whether that

secret was good or evil I could not say. Itsbeauty was a beauty moulded out of many

mysteries - the beauty, in fact, which is

psychological, not plastic - and the faint smile

that just played across the lips was far too subtleto be really sweet.

-Bueno -exclam impaciente-, qu me dices?`Well,' he cried impatiently, `what do you say?'

-Es la Gioconda envuelta en martas cibelinas

-respond-. Cuntame todo sobre ella.

`She is the Gioconda in sables,' I answered. `Let

me know all about her.'

-Ahora no, despus de la cena -replic, antes de

empezar a hablar de otras cosas.`Not now,' he said; `after dinner;' and began to

talk of other things.

Cuando el camarero trajo el caf y loscigarrillos, record a Gerald su promesa. Se

levant de su asiento, recorri dos o tres vecesde un lado a otro la estancia y, desplomndose

en un sof, me cont la siguiente historia:

When the waiter brought us our coffee andcigarettes I reminded Gerald of his promise. He

rose from his seat, walked two or three times upand down the room, and, sinking into an

armchair, told me the following story:

-Una tarde -dijo-, estaba paseando por la CalleBond alrededor de las cinco. Haba una gran

aglomeracin de carruajes, y stos estaban casiparados. Cerca de la acera, haba un pequeo

coche amarillo que, por algn motivo, atrajo mi

atencin. Al pasar junto a l, vi asomarse elrostro que te he enseado esta tarde. Me fascin

al instante. Estuve toda la noche obsesionado

- `One evening,' he said, `I was walking downBond Street about five o'clock. There was a

terrific crush of carriages, and the traffic wasalmost stopped. Close to the pavement was

standing a little yellow brougham, which, for

some reason or other, attracted my attention. AsI passed by there looked out from it the face I

showed you this afternoon. It fascinated me

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con l, y todo el da siguiente. Camin arriba yabajo por esa maldita calle, mirando dentro de

todos los carruajes y esperando la llegada del

coche amarillo; pero no pude encontrar a ma

belle inconnue y empec a pensar que se trataba

de un sueo. Aproximadamente una semana

despus, tena una cena en casa de Madame deRastail. La cena iba a ser a las ocho; pero,

media hora despus, seguamos esperando en elsaln. Finalmente, el criado abri la puerta y

anunci a lady Alroy. Era la mujer que habaestado buscando. Entr muy despacio, como un

rayo de luna vestido de encaje gris y, para mi

inmenso placer, me pidieron que la acompaaseal comedor.

immediately. All that night I kept thinking of it,and all the next day. I wandered up and down

that wretched Row, peering into every carriage,and waiting for the yellow brougham; but I

could not find ma belle inconnue, and at last I

began to think she was merely a dream. About aweek afterwards I was dining with Madame de

Rastail. Dinner was for eight o'clock; but athalf-past eight we were still waiting in the

drawing-room. Finally the servant threw open

the door, and announced Lady Alroy. It was thewoman I had been looking for. She came in very

slowly, looking like a moonbeam in grey lace,and, to my intense delight, I was asked to take

her in to dinner.

-Creo que la vi en la Calle Bond hace unosdas, lady Alroy -exclam con la mayor

inocencia cuando nos hubimos sentado.

After we had sat down I remarked quiteinnocently, "I think I caught sight of you in

Bond Street some time ago, Lady Alroy."

Se puso muy plida y me dijo quedamente: -No hable tan alto, por favor; pueden orlo.

." She grew very pale, and said to me in a low

voice, "Pray do not talk so loud; you may beoverheard."

Me sent muy desdichado por haber empezadotan mal, y me zambull imprudentemente en el

asunto del teatro francs. Ella apenas decanada, siempre con la misma voz baja y musical,

y pareca tener miedo de que alguien laescuchara. Me enamor apasionada,estpidamente de ella, y la indefinible atmsfera

de misterio que la rodeaba despert mi msferviente curiosidad. Cuando estaba a punto de

marcharse, poco despus de la cena, le pregunt

si me permitira ir a visitarla. Ella parecivacilar, mir a uno y otro lado para comprobar

si haba alguien cerca de nosotros, y luegorepuso: -S, maana a las cinco menos cuarto.

I felt miserable at having made such a bad

beginning, and plunged recklessly into thesubject of the French plays. She spoke very

little, always in the same low musical voice, andseemed as if she was afraid of some one

listening. I fell passionately, stupidly in love,

and the indefinable atmosphere of mystery thatsurrounded her excited my most ardent

curiosity. When she was going away, which shedid very soon after dinner, I asked her if I might

call and see her. She hesitated for a moment,

glanced round to see if any one was near us, andthen said, "Yes; to-morrow at a quarter to five."

Ped a Madame de Rastail que me hablara de

ella, pero lo nico que logr saber fue que erauna viuda con una casa preciosa en Park Lane; y

como algn aburrido cientfico empez a

disertar sobre las viudas, a fin de ilustrar lasupervivencia de los ms capacitados para la

vida matrimonial, me desped y regres a casa.

" I begged Madame de Rastail to tell me about

her; but all that I could learn was that she was awidow with a beautiful house in Park Lane, and

as some scientific bore began a dissertation on

widows, as exemplifying the survival of thematrimonially fittest, I left and went home.

Al da siguiente llegu a Park Lane con

absoluta puntualidad, pero el mayordomo me

comunic que lady Alroy acababa de marcharse.Me dirig al club bastante apesadumbrado y

totalmente perplejo, y, despus de meditarlo con

`The next day I arrived at Park Lane punctual to

the moment, but was told by the butler that

Lady Alroy had just gone out. I went down tothe club quite unhappy and very much puzzled,

and after long consideration wrote her a letter,

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entr en ella. "He aqu el misterio", pens; y meacerqu presuroso a examinar la vivienda.

Pareca uno de esos lugares que alquilan

habitaciones. Su pauelo se haba cado en elumbral. Lo recog y lo met en mi bolsillo.

Entonces empec a cavilar sobre lo que deba

hacer. Llegu a la conclusin de que no tena elmenor derecho a espiarla y me dirig en carruaje

al club. A las seis aparec en su casa. Se hallabarecostada en un sof, con un elegante vestido de

tis plateado sujeto con unas extraas adulariasque siempre llevaba. Estaba muy hermosa. -No

sabe cunto me alegro de verlo -dijo-; no he

salido en todo el da La mir sorprendido, ysacando el pauelo de mi bolsillo, se lo

entregu. -Se le cay esta tarde en la CalleCummor, lady Alroy -seal sin inmutarme.

Me mir horrorizada, pero no hizo ningunatentativa de coger el pauelo. -Qu estabahaciendo all? -inquir. -Y qu derecho tiene

usted a preguntrmelo? -exclam ella. -Elderecho de un hombre que la quiere -contest-;

he venido para pedirle que sea mi mujer.

Ocult el rostro entre las manos y se deshizoen un mar de lgrimas. -Debe contrmelo

-prosegu.

she went up the steps, took out a latch- key, andlet herself in. "Here is the mystery," I said to

myself; and I hurried on and examined thehouse. It seemed a sort of place for letting

lodgings. On the doorstep lay her handkerchief

which she had dropped. I picked it up and put itin my pocket. Then I began to consider what I

should do. I came to the conclusion that I hadno right to spy on her, and I drove down to the

club. At six I called to see her. She was lying on

a sofa, in a tea-gown of silver tissue looped upby some strange moonstones that she always

wore. She was looking quite lovely. "I am soglad to see you," she said; "I have not been out

all day." I stared at her in amazement, and

pulling the handkerchief out of my pocket,

handed it to her. "You dropped this in CumnorStreet this afternoon, Lady Alroy," I said verycalmly. She looked at me in terror, but made no

attempt to take the handkerchief. "What were

you doing there?" I asked. "What right have youto question me?" she answered. "The right of a

man who loves you," I replied; "I came here toask you to be my wife." She hid her face in her

hands, and burst into floods of tears. "You must

tell me," I continued.

Ella se puso en pie y, mirndome a la cara,respondi: -Lord Murchison, no tengo nadaque contarle. -Fue usted a reunirse con alguien

-afirm-; se es su misterio. Lady Alroy

adquiri una palidez cadavrica y dijo: -No fuia reunirme con nadie.

-Acaso no puede decir la verdad? -exclam.-Ya se la he dicho -repuso. Yo estaba

furibundo, enloquecido; no recuerdo mis

palabras, pero la acus de cosas terribles.Finalmente, me precipit fuera de su domicilio.

Ella me escribi una carta al da siguiente; se ladevolv sin abrir y me fui a Noruega con Alan

Colville. Regres un mes ms tarde y lo primero

que le en elMorning Postfue la muerte de ladyAlroy. Se haba resfriado en la pera, y haba

muerto de una congestin pulmonar a los cincodas. Me encerr en casa y no quise ver a nadie.

La haba querido demasiado, la haba amado

con locura. Santo Dios! Cunto haba amado aesa mujer!

She stood up, and, looking me straight in the

face, said, "Lord Murchison, there is nothing totell you." - "You went to meet some one," I

cried; "this is your mystery." She grewdreadfully white, and said, "I went to meet no

one." - "Can't you tell the truth?" I exclaimed. "I

have told it," she replied. I was mad, frantic; Idon't know what I said, but I said terrible things

to her. Finally I rushed out of the house. Shewrote me a letter the next day; I sent it back

unopened, and started for Norway with Alan

Colville. After a month I came back, and thefirst thing I saw in the Morning Post was the

death of Lady Alroy. She had caught a chill atthe Opera, and had died in five days of

congestion of the lungs. I shut myself up and

saw no one. I had loved her so much, I hadloved her so madly. Good God! how I had loved

that woman!'

-Y nunca fuiste a aquella casa? -le interrump. `You went to the street, to the house in it?' I

said.

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-S -replic.`Yes,' he answered

Un da me dirig a la Calle Cummor. No pude

evitarlo; me torturaba la duda. Llam a la puertay me abri una mujer de aire respetable. Le

pregunt si tena alguna habitacin para alquilar.

-Ver, seor -contest-, en teora los salonesestn alquilados; pero, como hace tres meses

que la seora no viene y que nadie paga la renta,puede usted quedarse con ellos. -Es sta su

inquilina? -quise saber, mostrndole la foto. -

Sin duda alguna -exclam-, y cundo piensavolver, seor? -La seora ha fallecido -repuse.

-Oh, seor, espero que no sea cierto! -dijo lamujer-. Era mi mejor inquilina. Me pagaba tres

guineas a la semana slo por sentarse en mis

salones de vez en cuando. -Se reuna conalguien? -le pregunt. Pero la mujer me

asegur que no, que siempre llegaba sola yjams vea a nadie. -Y qu diablos haca?

-inquir. -Se limitaba a sentarse en el saln,

seor, y lea libros; a veces tambin tomaba el t-respondi ella. No supe qu contestarle, as

que le di una libra y me march.

`One day I went to Cumnor Street. I could not

help it; I was tortured with doubt. I knocked atthe door, and a respectable-looking woman

opened it to me. I asked her if she had anyrooms to let. "Well, sir," she replied, "thedrawing-rooms are supposed to be let; but I

have not seen the lady for three months, and asrent is owing on them, you can have them." - "Is

this the lady?" I said, showing the photograph.

"That's her sure enough," she exclaimed; "andwhen is she coming back, sir?" - "The lady is

dead," I replied. "Oh, sir, I hope not! said thewoman; `she was my best lodger. She paid me

three guineas a week merely to sit in my

drawing-rooms now and then." - "She met someone here?" I said; but the woman assured me

that it was not so, that she always came alone,and saw no one. "What on earth did she do

here?" I cried. "She simply sat in the drawing-

room, sir, reading books, and sometimes hadtea," the woman answered. I did not know what

to say, so I gave her a sovereign and went away.

-Y bien, qu crees que significaba todoaquello? No pensars que la mujer deca la

verdad?

Now, what do you think it all meant? You don't

believe the woman was telling the truth?'

-Pues claro que lo pienso.`I do.'

-Entonces, por qu acuda all lady Alroy?`Then why did Lady Alroy go there?'

-Mi querido Oswald -replic-, lady Alroy era

simplemente una mujer obsesionada con el

misterio. Alquil esas habitaciones por el placerde ir all tapada con su velo, imaginando que era

la herona de una novela. Le encantaban lossecretos, pero no era ms que una esfinge sin

secreto.

`My dear Gerald,' I answered, `Lady Alroy wassimply a woman with a mania for mystery. She

took these rooms for the pleasure of going there

with her veil down, and imagining she was aheroine. She had a passion for secrecy, but she

herself was merely a Sphinx without a secret.'

-De veras lo crees?`Do you really think so?'

-Estoy convencido.`I am sure of it,' I replied.

Sac la cajita de tafilete, la abri y contempl lafotografa. -Sigo teniendo mis dudas -exclam

finalmente.

He took out the morocco case, opened it, andlooked at the photograph. `I wonder?' he said at

last.