The Yellow Wallpaper [7]
spite at the vicious thing.
She laughed and said she wouldn't mind doing it herself, but
I must not get tired.
How she betrayed herself that time!
But I am here, and no person touches this paper but me--not
ALIVE!
She tried to get me out of the room--it was too patent! But
I said it was so quiet and empty and clean now that I believed I
would lie down again and sleep all I could; and not to wake me
even for dinner--I would call when I woke.
So now she is gone, and the servants are gone, and the
things are gone, and there is nothing left but that great
bedstead nailed down, with the canvas mattress we found on it.
We shall sleep downstairs to-night, and take the boat home
to-morrow.
I quite enjoy the room, now it is bare again.
How those children did tear about here!
This bedstead is fairly gnawed!
But I must get to work.
I have locked the door and thrown the key down into the
front path.
I don't want to go out, and I don't want to have anybody
come in, till John comes.
I want to astonish him.
I've got a rope up here that even Jennie did not find. If
that woman does get out, and tries to get away, I can tie her!
But I forgot I could not reach far without anything to stand
on!
This bed will NOT move!
I tried to lift and push it until I was lame, and then I got
so angry I bit off a little piece at one corner--but it hurt my
teeth.
Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on
the floor. It sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it!
All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus
growths just shriek with derision!
I am getting angry enough to do something desperate. To
jump out of the window would be admirable exercise, but the bars
are too strong even to try.
Besides I wouldn't do it. Of course not. I know well
enough that a step like that is improper and might be
misconstrued.
I don't like to LOOK out of the windows even--there are so
many of those creeping women, and they creep so fast.
I wonder if they all come out of that wall-paper as I did?
But I am securely fastened now by my well-hidden rope--you
don't get ME out in the road there!
I suppose I shall have to get back behind the pattern when
it comes night, and that is hard!
It is so pleasant to be out in this great room and creep
around as I please!
I don't want to go outside. I won't, even if Jennie asks me
to.
For outside you have to creep on the ground, and everything
is green instead of yellow.
But here I can creep smoothly on the floor, and my shoulder
just fits in that long smooch around the wall, so I cannot lose
my way.
Why there's John at the door!
It is no use, young man, you can't open it!
How he does call and pound!
Now he's crying for an axe.
It would be a shame to break down that beautiful door!
"John dear!' said I in the gentlest voice, "the key is down
by the front steps, under a plantain leaf!"
That silenced him for a few moments.
Then he said--very quietly indeed, "Open the door, my
darling!"
"I can't", said I. "The key is down by the front door under
a plantain leaf!"
And then I said it again, several times, very gently and
slowly, and said it so often that he had to go and see, and he
got it of course, and came in. He stopped short by the door.
"What is the matter?" he cried. "For God's sake, what are
you doing!"
I kept on creeping just the same, but I looked at him over
my shoulder.
"I've got out at last," said I, "in spite of you and Jane.
And I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back!"
Now why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right
across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over him every
time!
End
She laughed and said she wouldn't mind doing it herself, but
I must not get tired.
How she betrayed herself that time!
But I am here, and no person touches this paper but me--not
ALIVE!
She tried to get me out of the room--it was too patent! But
I said it was so quiet and empty and clean now that I believed I
would lie down again and sleep all I could; and not to wake me
even for dinner--I would call when I woke.
So now she is gone, and the servants are gone, and the
things are gone, and there is nothing left but that great
bedstead nailed down, with the canvas mattress we found on it.
We shall sleep downstairs to-night, and take the boat home
to-morrow.
I quite enjoy the room, now it is bare again.
How those children did tear about here!
This bedstead is fairly gnawed!
But I must get to work.
I have locked the door and thrown the key down into the
front path.
I don't want to go out, and I don't want to have anybody
come in, till John comes.
I want to astonish him.
I've got a rope up here that even Jennie did not find. If
that woman does get out, and tries to get away, I can tie her!
But I forgot I could not reach far without anything to stand
on!
This bed will NOT move!
I tried to lift and push it until I was lame, and then I got
so angry I bit off a little piece at one corner--but it hurt my
teeth.
Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on
the floor. It sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it!
All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus
growths just shriek with derision!
I am getting angry enough to do something desperate. To
jump out of the window would be admirable exercise, but the bars
are too strong even to try.
Besides I wouldn't do it. Of course not. I know well
enough that a step like that is improper and might be
misconstrued.
I don't like to LOOK out of the windows even--there are so
many of those creeping women, and they creep so fast.
I wonder if they all come out of that wall-paper as I did?
But I am securely fastened now by my well-hidden rope--you
don't get ME out in the road there!
I suppose I shall have to get back behind the pattern when
it comes night, and that is hard!
It is so pleasant to be out in this great room and creep
around as I please!
I don't want to go outside. I won't, even if Jennie asks me
to.
For outside you have to creep on the ground, and everything
is green instead of yellow.
But here I can creep smoothly on the floor, and my shoulder
just fits in that long smooch around the wall, so I cannot lose
my way.
Why there's John at the door!
It is no use, young man, you can't open it!
How he does call and pound!
Now he's crying for an axe.
It would be a shame to break down that beautiful door!
"John dear!' said I in the gentlest voice, "the key is down
by the front steps, under a plantain leaf!"
That silenced him for a few moments.
Then he said--very quietly indeed, "Open the door, my
darling!"
"I can't", said I. "The key is down by the front door under
a plantain leaf!"
And then I said it again, several times, very gently and
slowly, and said it so often that he had to go and see, and he
got it of course, and came in. He stopped short by the door.
"What is the matter?" he cried. "For God's sake, what are
you doing!"
I kept on creeping just the same, but I looked at him over
my shoulder.
"I've got out at last," said I, "in spite of you and Jane.
And I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back!"
Now why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right
across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over him every
time!
End