JOHN FOWLES

The Collector - fragments
 

“I expected something broken-down. It looked old all right, black beams and white outside and old stone tiles. It stood right on its own. The estate agent came out when I drove up. I thought he would be older, he was my age, but the public schoolboy type, full of silly remarks that are meant to be funny, as if it was below him to sell anything and there was some difference between selling houses and something in a shop. He put me off straight away because he was inquisitive. Still, I thought I better look round, having come all that way. The rooms were not much, but it was well fitted out with all mod cons, electricity, telephone and all. Some retired navy admiral or somebody had had it and died, and then the next buyer died unexpectedly as well and so it was on the market.
I still say I didn't go down there with the intention of seeing whether there was anywhere to have a secret guest. I can't really say what intention I had.”

Olivia Pop

John Fowles
 

Ma asteptam la ceva darapanat. Arata intr-adevar veche, grinzi albe si negre afara si caramizi vechi. Se tinea bine. Agentul imobiliar a iesit cand eu am ajuns. Am crezut ca va fi mai batran, era de varsta mea, dar genul de baiat de scoala particulara, plin de remarci prostesti menite sa fie amuzante, ca si cum a vinde ceva era sub nivelul lui si exista o diferenta intre a vinde case si a vinde ceva intr-un magazin. M-a indispus imediat pentru ca era curios. Totusi mi-am zis ca e mai bine sa ma uit prin jur daca tot am facut drumul pana acolo. Camerele nu erau cine stie ce, dar era bine aranjata cu toate utilitatile, electricitate, telefon si altele. Un oarecare amiral pensionat sau cineva a avut-o si a murit, iar apoi urmatorul comparator a murit si el neasteptat si astfel era la vanzare.
Eu inca sustin faptul ca nu am mers pana acolo cu intentia de a vedea daca era loc pentru un musafir secret. Nu prea pot sa spun care era intentia mea.