JOHN FOWLES

The Collector - fragments
 

Well, then there was the bit in the local paper about the scholarship she'd won and how clever she was, and her name as beautiful as herself, Miranda. So I knew she was up in London studying art. It really made a difference, that newspaper article. It seemed like we became more intimate, although of course we still did not know each other in the ordinary way.
I can't say what it was, the very first time I saw her, I knew she was the only one. Of course I am not mad, I knew it was just a dream and it always would have been if it hadn't been for the money. I used to have daydreams about her, I used to think of stories where I met her, did things she admired, married her and all that. Nothing nasty, that was never until what I'll explain later.
 

Svetlana Iuschievici

John Fowles
 

Ei bine, apoi a aparut in ziarul orasului fragmentul despre bursa pe care o obtinuse la scoala, despre cat era de desteapta, iar numele ei era Miranda, un nume la fel de frumos ca si ea. Asa ca stiam ca e la Londra, studia Artele. Chiar a avut un efect, articolul din ziar. Mi se pare ca devenisem mai apropiati, desi, bineinteles, inca nu ne cunosteam propriu-zis.
Nu pot sa spun ce anume a fost, insa de prima oara cand am vazut-o, am stiut ca este unica. Desigur, nu eram nebun, stiam ca este doar un vis si asa ar fi ramas, daca nu ar fi fost banii. Obisnuiam sa visez ziua, cu ochii deschisi, la ea, sa imi imaginez povesti despre locurile in care as intalni-o, facand lucruri pe care ea le-ar admira, cum ne-am casatori si tot tacamul. Nimic urat, niciodata nu ma gandisem la asa ceva pana cand s-a intamplat ceea ce voi explica mai tarziu.