第61部分(第4/8 頁)

　just　as　soon　not　…　〃

〃It　isn't　a　question　of　what　I　want〃；　she　said。　〃I　have　to　know　how　it　came　out；　although　I　guess　there　is　no　doubt　that　you　executed　him。　The　intervention　of　Providence…with…a…capital…P　is　greatly　overrated　in　the　lives　of　ordinary　humans；　I　think。　But　before　I　take　those　pages　。。。　Paul　。。。〃

She　stopped；　as　if　unsure　how　to　go　on。　I　waited。　Sometimes　you　can't　help　people。　Sometimes　it's　better　not　even　to　try。

〃Paul；　you　speak　in　here　as　though　you　had　two　grown　children　in　1932　…　not　just　one；　but　two。　If　you　didn't　get　married　to　your　Janice　when　you　were　twelve　and　she　was　eleven；　something　like　that　…　〃

I　smiled　a　little。　〃We　were　young　when　we　married　…　a　lot　of　hill…people　are；　my　own　mother　was　…　but　not　that　young。〃

〃Then　how　old　are　you？　I've　always　assumed　you　were　in　your　early　eighties；　my　age；　possibly　even　a　little　younger；　but　according　to　this。。。〃

〃I　was　forty　the　year　John　walked　the　Green　Mile〃；　I　said。　〃I　was　born　in　1892。　That　makes　me　a　hundred　and　four；　unless　my　reckoning's　out。〃

She　stared　at　me；　speechless。

I　held　out　the　rest　of　the　manuscript；　remembering　again　how　John　had　touched　me；　there　in　his　cell。

You　won't　'splode；　he'd　said；　smiling　a　bit　at　the　very　idea；　and　I　hadn't　。。。　but　something　had　happened　to　me；　all　the　same。　Something　lasting。

〃Read　the　rest　of　it〃；　I　said。　〃What　answers　I　have　are　in　there。〃

〃All　right〃；　she　almost　whispered。　〃I