[46]. She wanted to forget about that, and I told her that I was trying to find a way to
escape[47] from it. I said that I might get used to the danger with time, but my new suspicion was still
unbearable[48]. However, as the day went on, I felt a little better about the situation.
The next morning, I had of course returned to my pupils. I spent time with Flora and realized that she could tell when something was wrong with me. Looking into her beautiful eyes, I knew that her innocence was real and not a trick. But I knew that Flora saw the visitor, but she pretended she didn’t to make me wonder if I saw it too. Flora tried to distract me with games and songs, because she didn’t want me to talk about it.
I felt desperate and needed help. My colleague told me a lot under pressure, but there was still a small uncertain part. I remember saying; “What was on your mind when you said before Miles arrived, that you didn’t think he ever was bad? He has not literally ‘ever,’ in these weeks that I myself have lived with him and so closely watched him. And that’s why you could perfectly stand up for him if you didn’t know about something else. What was it and what did you talk about, because you had to see it personally?”
It was a serious question, but we weren’t joking around, and before sunrise I had got my answer. It was simply the fact that Quint and the boy had been spending a lot of time together. In fact, she said that it was strange for them to be so close. She even talked with Miss Jessel about it. Miss Jessel told her to mind her business. And the good woman talked to little Miles then. When I asked what she had said, she told me that she wanted to see young gentlemen remember their place.
I asked again, “Did you tell him that Quint was just a servant?”
“That’s right! And the problem was his answer, first of all.”
“And what else?” I waited for her to continue. “Did he tell Quint what you said?”
“No, not that. He definitely wouldn’t!” she said. “I was sure, at least,” she added, “that he didn’t. But he denied[49] some situations.”
“What situations?”
“When they were together as if Quint was his teacher—a very important one—and Miss Jessel was just there for the little lady. He spent hours with him, I mean, going off together.”