Penguin, Pre-Textos London (1961), 1962 Valencia, Spain, 2006 (Version 2.0) 15

Spark’s Brodie Silvia Barbero The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie La plenitud de la Señorita Brodie

by de

Muriel Spark 5 Muriel Spark

tr. de Silvia Barbero 10 Penguin, Pre-Textos London (1961), 1962 Valencia, Spain, 2006 (version 2.0) 15

20 -1- 1

The boys, as they talked to the girls Cuando hablaban con las niñas de la Es- from Marcia Blaine School, stood on cuela Marcia Blaine, los chicos se quedaban the far side of their bicycles holding 25 detrás de la bicicleta con las manos apoyadas the handlebars, which established a en el manillar, lo que hacía que las bicicletas protective fence of bicycle between the actuasen como barrera protectora entre ambos sexes, and the impression that at any sexos y que diese la impresión de que los chi- moment the boys were likely to cos tenían la posibilidad de marcharse en cual- be away. 30 quier momento.

The girls could not take off their Las niñas no podían quitarse el panamá panama hats because this was not far porque aquellos encuentros tenían lugar no panama hats: broad-brimmed straw hats and from the school gates and hatlessness muy lejos de la entrada de la escuela e ir sin part of the girls’ school uniform. The ways in was an offence. Certain departures 35 sombrero estaba prohibido. Algunas infrac- which the girls wear their hats is an indication of their different characters and personalities from the proper set of the hat on the ciones del uso adecuado del sombrero eran head were overlooked in the case of celosamente observadas en el caso de las ni- fourth-form girls and upwards so long ñas de cuarto curso para arriba, a fin de que astringent 1 causing the contraction of body tissues. 2 as nobody wore their hat at an angle. ninguna lo llevase ladeado. Pero había otras checking bleeding. 3 severe, austere, acerb, acerbic, sharp and penetrating; pungent or severe: astringent But there were other subtle variants 40 formas sutiles de moldear el ala del som- remarks = sour or bitter in taste astringent 1 (Med) astringente 2 (fig) adusto, austero from the ordinary rule of wearing the brero, distinta a la que exigía el reglamento astringent 1. causing contraction of body tissue, brim turned up at the back and down general, consistente en alzarla por detrás y contractive, contractile, styptic 2. checking the flow of blood from a cut 3. severe or harsh, strict, exacting, at the front. The five girls, standing en bajarla por delante. Aquellas cinco ni- harsh, grim, stern, hard, rigid, rigorous, austere, caustic, acerbic very close to each other because of the ñas, apiñadas a causa de la cercanía de los astringente 1. tr. Dicho de una sustancia que apreta, estrecha, contrae los tejidos orgánicos. 2. tr. que boys, wore their hats each with a 45 chicos, llevaban el sombrero con un toque estriñe. 3. que sujeta, obliga, constriñe. definite difference. especial.

Buchmanites: followers of the American These girls formed the Brodie set. Eran las niñas que integraban el grupo evangelist Frank Nathan Daniel Buchman That was what they had been called de Brodie. Así era como se las conocía, (1878-1961) who was the founder of the Oxford even before the headmistress had given 50 incluso antes de que la directora les diese Group and its development, Moral Rearmament. them the name, in scorn, when they had despectivamente ese nombre, desde que, Popular in the 1930s, the movement encouraged moved from the Junior to the Senior a la edad de doce años, pasaron de la es- young people to confess their misdemeanours school at the age of twelve. At that time cuela primaria a la secundaria. En aquella Mussolini: Benito Mussolini (1883-1945), Italian they had been immediately época, eran identificadas como las alumnas fascist dictator who came to power in 1922 and recognisable as Miss Brodie’s pupils, 55 de la señorita Brodie porque estaban muy embarked on an ambitious and grandiose being vastly informed on a lot of bien instruidas en muchas materias que re- programme of expensive public works, and subjects irrelevant to the authorised sultaban irrelevantes para el plan oficial de imperial expansion in Africa. Although he was curriculum, as the headmistress said, estudios, al menos según el criterio de la di- first admired for bringing a measure of stability and useless to the school as a school. rectora, e inútiles [9] para la escuela como to Italy, he joined forces with Germany during These girls were discovered to have 60 tal escuela. Aquellas niñas se distinguían por the Second World War, and was subsequently heard of the Buchmanites and el hecho de haber oído hablar del buchmanismo executed Mussolini, the Italian Renaissance y de Mussolini, de los pintores del Renaci- witch-hazel: an astringent of the leaves and bark painters, the advantages to the skin of miento italiano, de las ventajas de la crema of the plant of the same name (como ocozol) cleansing cream and witch-hazel over limpiadora y del hamamelis para la piel, en vez honest soap and water, and the word 65 del jabón normal y del agua clara, y del concepto

1 Spark’s Brodie Silvia Barbero menarche’: the onset of first menstruation “menarche”; the interior decoration of de «primera menstruación’: Estaban al corrien- the London house of the author of te de la decoración de la casa londinense del Winnie the Pooh: popular children’s novel by Winnie the Pooh had been described to autor de Winnie The Pooh, así como de la vida A. A. Milne (1882-1956), published in 1926 and them, as had the love lives of Charlotte sentimental de Charlotte Brontë y de la de featuring a bear of little brain of the same name Brontë and of Miss Brodie herself. 5 la propia señorita Brodie. Sabían de la Charlotte Bronte: English novelist (1816-85) They were aware of the existence of existencia de Einstein y estaban al tanto and author of Jane Eyre (1847). Jane Eyre was Einstein and the arguments of those de los argumentos de quienes considera- the first physically plain heroine in the English who considered the Bible to be untrue. ban que la Biblia era falsa. Conocían los novel. With its romantic plot it enjoyed an instant They knew the rudiments of astrology rudimentos de la astrología, aunque igno- success but not the date of the Battle of 10 raban la fecha de la célebre batalla de Flodden or the capital of Finland. All Flodden y cuál era la capital de Finlandia. Einstein: Albert Einstein. One of the best known of the Brodie set, save one, counted on Todas las niñas del grupo de Brodie, excepto una, conta- scientists of his day (1879-1955) who created its fingers, as had Miss Brodie, with ban con los dedos de las manos, al igual que la señorita the Theory of Relativity. He was awarded the accurate results more or less. Brodie, con resultados más o menos exactos. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921 15 Battle of Flodden: a crucial battle fought By the time they were sixteen, and Cuando cumplieron dieciséis años y pasa- between the armies of Scotland and England had reached the fourth form, and ron al cuarto curso de secundaria, en un perio- on 9 September 1517 which resulted in the loitered beyond the gates after do en que se dedicaban a perder el tiempo des- deaths of King James IV of Scotland together school, and had adapted themselves pués de salir de clase junto a la entrada de la with several Scottish nobles and members of to the orthodox regime, they 20 escuela y en que se habían ajustado ya a la or- the Royal household remained unmistakably Brodie, and todoxia del centro, seguían siendo, were all famous in the school, which inconfundiblemente, las niñas de Brodie. To- loiter idle, hogazanear, merodear loitered travelled indolently & with long is to say they were held in suspicion das eran famosas en la escuela, lo que viene a pauses and not much liking. They had no ser como decir que estaban bajo sospecha y que loitering parsimonioso, cachazudo, team spirit and very little in common 25 no gozaban de mucha simpatía. Entre ellas no loiterer lingerer someone who lingers aimlessly in or about a place, curioso with each other outside their existía espíritu de equipo y tenían muy poco en continuing friendship with Jean común, aparte de la prolongada amistad con Brodie. She still taught in the Junior Jean Brodie, que seguía enseñando en la escue- department. She was held in great la primaria y que también estaba sometida a un suspicion. 30 alto grado de sospecha.

Marcia Blaine School for Girls was La Escuela Marcia Blaine para niñas a day school which had been partially era una escuela sin internado que había endowed in the middle of the sido parcialmente fundada, a medidos del nineteenth century by the wealthy 35 siglo XIX, por la acaudalada viuda de un widow of an Edinburgh book-binder. encuadernador de Edimburgo. Antes de Garibaldi: Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-82). Italian She had been an admirer of Garibaldi morir, había sido admiradora de Garibaldi. patriot and politician who played a major role in before she died. Her manly portrait El retrato de esta señora de aspecto varonil col- uniting the small principalities of Italy into one hung in the great hall, and was gaba en el gran vestíbulo de la escuela y, cada country honoured every Founder’s Day by a 40 Día de la Fundadora, [10] se le rendía ho- bunch of hard-wearing flowers such as menaje depositando un ramo de flores pere- chrysanthemums or dahlias. These were cederas, como crisantemos o dalias, en un placed in a vase beneath the portrait, florero colocado debajo del retrato, sobre lectern: a reading desk, usually in a church, but upon a lectern which also held an open un atril en que también reposaba una Biblia in this case in the school hall Bible with the text underlined in red 45 abierta con una frase subrayada con tinta roja: «Oh, ink, “O where shall I find a virtuous dónde encontraré una mujer virtuosa, porque su ‘O where shall I find a virtuous woman, for woman, for her price is above rubies.” precio está por encima del de los rubíes». her price is above rubies’: biblical quotation from the Book of Proverbs, 31:10. This has been The girls who loitered beneath Cada una de las niñas que perdían el tiempo misquoted from the original in the King James the tree, shoulder to shoulder, very 50 bajo el árbol, hombro con hombro, apiñadas a Bible: ‘Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies’ close to each other because of the causa de la cercanía de los chicos, era famosa boys, were all famous for por algún aspecto en concreto. Monica Douglas, something. Now, at sixteen, con dieciséis años cumplidos, era una monitora Monica Douglas was a prefect, que tenía autoridad sobre otras alumnas, y era famous mostly for mathematics 55 famosa, sobre todo, por las matemáticas, debido which she could do in her brain, a su capacidad para resolver las operaciones men- and for her anger which, when it talmente, aunque también por su irascibilidad, was lively enough, drove her to que, cuando se le desataba, la llevaba a repartir slap out to right and left. She had golpes a diestro y siniestro. Tenía la nariz muy a very red nose, winter and 60 roja, tanto en verano como en invierno, unas summer, long dark plaits, and fat, trenzas largas y negras y las piernas gordas peg-like resembling or functioning like a leg; peg-like legs. Since she had turned como troncos. Desde que cumplió los «leglike appendages», con protuberantes, sixteen, Monica wore her panama dieciséis años, Monica llevaba el panamá cortas y anchas, hat rather higher on her head than bastante más alzado de lo normal, normal, perched as if it were too 65 encasquetado como si el sombrero fuera de-

2 Spark’s Brodie Silvia Barbero small and as if she knew she masiado pequeño y como si supiese que re- looked grotesque in any case. sultaba grotesca de todas formas.

Rose Stanley was famous for sex. Rose Stanley era famosa por su aura sexual. Her hat was placed quite unobtrusively 5 Se colocaba el sombrero de forma bastante dis- on her blonde short hair, but she creta sobre su pelo rubio y corto, aunque dented in the crown on either side. abollada ambos lados de la copa.

Eunice Gardiner, small, neat and Eunice Gardiner, pequeña pero bien propor- famous for her spritely gymnastics and 10 cionada, famosa por su vigor gimnástico y por glamorous swimming, had the brim of su elegancia al practicar la natación, llevaba her hat turned up at the front and down el ala del sombrero alzada por delante y caída at the back. por detrás.

Sandy Stranger wore it turned up 15 Sandy Stranger llevaba alzado todo el diá- all round and as far back on her metro del ala de su sombrero, y tan echado ha- head as it could possibly go; to cia atrás que daba la impresión de que iba a assist this, she had attached to her volársele. Para que esto no sucediese, le había hat a strip of elastic which went cosido una cinta elástica que se ajustaba por under the chin. Sometimes Sandy chewed 20 debajo de la barbilla. A veces, Sandy mastica- this elastic and when it was chewed down she ba ese elástico y, cuando estaba [11] ya dema- sewed on a new piece. She was merely siado mordido, le cosía uno nuevo. Aunque era notorious for her small, almost nonexistent, conocida por sus ojos pequeños, casi inexistentes, eyes, but she was famous for her vowel sounds era famosa por la manera como pronunciaba las which, long ago in the long past, in the Junior 25 vocales, una peculiaridad que, mucho tiempo school, had enraptured Miss Brodie. atrás, embelesó a la señorita Brodie. “Well, come and recite for us please, because it Por favor, sal y recítanos algo, porque el has been a tiring day.” día ha sido agotador.

‘She left the web . .. look’d down to Camelot’: She left the web, she left the loom, 30 Ella dejó el paño, dejó el telar, lines from the poem ‘The Lady of Shalott’ by She made three paces thro’ the room, a través de la estancia dio tres pasos, Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1808-92) She saw the water-lily bloom, vio que su lirio de agua florecía, She saw the helmet and the plume, contempló el yelmo y contempló la pluma, (1) Lord Alfred Tennyson, La Dama de Shalott y otros She look’d down to Camelot. dirigió su mirada a Camelot. (1) poemas, traducción castellana de Antonio Rivero Taravillo, Pre-Textos, Valencia, 2002. Todas las ci- 35 tas de Tennyson que aparecen en el presente libro han sido extraídas de la edición citada. (N. de la T.) “It lifts one up,” Miss Brodie usually — Esto eleva el espíritu a cualquiera —solía said, passing her hand outward from her decir la señorita Brodie, con el acompañamiento breast towards the class of ten-year-old de un movimiento de la mano que abarcaba a girls who were listening for the bell which toda la clase, compuesta por unas niñas de diez would release them. “Where there is no 40 años impacientes por oír la campana que las li- vision,” Miss Brodie had assured them, berase—. Donde no hay imaginación, el pueblo “the people perish. Eunice, come and do perece —les aseguró la señorita Brodie—. a somersault in order that we may have Eunice, ven a dar una voltereta para que poda- comic relief.” mos disfrutar de un toque humorístico. 45 But now, the boys with their bicycles Pero, en aquel momento, los chicos, apo- were cheerfully insulting Jenny Gray about yados en las bicicletas, se mofaban de Jenny her way of speech which she had got from Gray por su manera de hablar, aprendida en las her elocution classes. She was going to be clases de declamación. Iba a ser actriz. Era la an actress. She was Sandy’s best friend. She 50 mejor amiga de Sandy. El sombrero lo llevaba wore her hat with the front brim bent sharply con la parte delantera del ala echada brusca- downward; she was the prettiest and most mente hacia abajo; era la más guapa y graceful girl of the set, and this was her fame. elegante del grupo, y a eso debía su fama. “Don’t be a lout, Andrew,” she said with — Andrew, no seas gamberro — her uppish tone. There were three 55 dijo con su tono engreído. Había tres Andrews among the five boys, and these Andrew entre los cinco chicos, y los three Andrews now started mimicking tres Andrew empezaron a imitarla: Jenny: “Don’t be a lout, Andrew,” — Andrew, no seas gamberro — while the girls laughed beneath their mientras las niñas se reían bajo sus bobbing aleteante, cimbreantes bobbing panamas. 60 panamás oscilantes. [12] bob 1 a : to move up and down briefly or repeatedly b : to emerge, arise, or Along came Mary Macgregor, the last Mary Macgregor, la última componente appear suddenly or unexpectedly 2 : to nod or curtsy briefly 3 : to member of the set, whose fame rested on del grupo, que debía su fama a ser una espe- try to seize a suspended or floating object with the teeth menearse, agitarse, bazu- her being a silent lump, a nobody cie de bulto silencioso, una inutilidad a quien car= menear o revolver una cosa líquida moviendo la vasija en que está, aletear, bambolear whom everybody could blame. With 65 todo el mundo podía reprender, llegó acom- 3 Spark’s Brodie Silvia Barbero her was an outsider, Joyce Emily pañada de una intrusa, Joyce Emily Hammond, the very rich girl, their Hammond, la niña de familia riquísima, la delinquent, who had been recently sent delincuente de la escuela, que acababa de ser to Blaine as a last hope, because no enviada a Blaine como último recurso, por- other school, no governess, could 5 que ninguna otra escuela ni institutriz alguna manage her. She still wore the green podían con ella. Aún llevaba el uniforme ver- uniform of her old school. The others de de la escuela de la que provenía. Las otras wore deep violet. The most she had llevaban el de color violeta intenso. Hasta ese done, so far, was to throw paper momento, a lo más que había llegado era a pellets sometimes at the singing 10 tirar algunas bolitas de papel al maestro de master. She insisted on the use of her canto. Insistía en que la llamaran por two names, Joyce Emily. This Joyce sus dos nombres, Joyce Emily. Esta Emily was trying very hard to get into Joyce Emily se esforzó muchísimo por the famous set, and thought the two entrar en el famoso grupo y creyó que names might establish her as a 15 los dos nombres la consolidarían como something, but there was no chance un gran qué, pero no le sirvió de nada of it and she could not see why. y no alcanzó a entender el motivo.

Joyce Emily said, Joyce Emily dijo: “There’s a teacher coming out,” and 20 — Ha salido una profesora— y señaló con nodded towards the gates. la cabeza hacia la entrada.

Two of the Andrews wheeled their Dos de los Andrew sacaron las bicicletas a bicycles out on to the road and departed. la calzada y se fueron. Los otros tres chicos se The other three boys remained defiantly, 25 atrevieron a quedarse, aunque desviaron la mi- but looking the other way as if they might rada, intentando fingir que se habían parado para have stopped to admire the clouds on the admirar las nubes que vagaban por Pentland Pentland Hills: range of hills to the south of Pentland Hills. The girls crowded Hills. Las niñas se agruparon, como si estuvie- Edinburgh which form a dramatic visual round each other as if in sen cotilleando entre ellas. backdrop to the city discussion. “Good afternoon,” said Miss 30 — Buenas tardes —dijo la señorita Brodie Brodie when she approached the group. cuando se acercó al grupo—. Hace varios días “I haven’t seen you for some days. I think que no sé de vosotras. Creo que no deberíamos we won’t detain these young men and hacer perder el tiempo a estos jóvenes ciclis- their bicycles. Good afternoon, tas. Buenas tardes, chicos. boys.” The famous set moved off 35 — El famoso grupo se puso en marcha con ella, with her, and Joyce, the new y Joyce, la advenediza delincuente, las siguió. delinquent, followed. “I think I haven’t — Creo que no me habéis presentado a esta met this new girl,” said Miss Brodie, chica nueva —dijo la señorita Brodie, que es- looking closely at Joyce. And when crutaba a Joyce. Cuando se la presentaron, le they were introduced she said: “Well, 40 dijo—: Querida, aquí nos despedimos. Noso- we must be on our way, my dear.” tras tenemos que seguir nuestro camino. [13]

Sandy looked back as Joyce Sandy volvió la mirada y vio cómo se ale- Emily walked, and then skipped, jaba Joyce Emily; luego dio un salto, demasia- leggy and uncontrolled for her age, 45 do patilarga y descontrolada para su edad, y in the opposite direction, and the se unió al grupo de Brodie, que preservaba así Brodie set was left to their secret life ese secretismo que mantenía desde seis años as it had been six years ago in their atrás, cuando sus componentes aún estaban en childhood. la infancia. 50 “I am putting old heads on your young — Colmaré vuestras jóvenes cabezas de shoulders,” Miss Brodie had told them viejas sabidurías—les había dicho en aquella at that time, “and all my pupils are the época la señorita Brodie—. Todas mis alumnas crème de la crème: (French) the cream of the crème de la crème.” son la crème de la crème. cream; the ultimate, the best people, used in 55 this instance by Jean Brodie to describe her Sandy looked with her little screwed- Sandy miró con sus ojitos apretados pupils up eyes at Monica’s very red nose and la enrojecidísima nariz de Monica y re- remembered this saying as she followed cordó aquellas frases mientras seguía la ultimate 1. fundamental, definitivo, final, último, the set in the wake of Miss Brodie. estela del grupo de la señorita Brodie. 2. decisivo, inapelable 3. 60 máximo “I should like you girls to come to — Jovencitas, me gustaría que vinierais a supper tomorrow night,” Miss Brodie cenar mañana —dijo la señorita Brodie—. Ase- said. “Make sure you are free.” guraos de no adquirir otro compromiso.

“The Dramatic Society...” murmured 65 — El grupo de teatro... —murmuró

4 Spark’s Brodie Silvia Barbero Jenny. Jenny.

“Send an excuse,” said Miss — Busca una excusa —dijo la seño- Brodie. “I have to consult rita Brodie—. Necesito que me deis vues- you about a new plot which 5 tra opinión acerca del nuevo complot que forceful conturndente, eficaz, vigorosa is afoot to force me to resign. se está tramando para forzar mi dimi- Needless to say, I shall not resign.” sión. Ni que decir tiene que no dimitiré. fretful A adjective 1 querulous, whiney, whining(a), She spoke calmly as she always A pesar de la contundencia de aque- whiny habitually complaining; «a whining child» 2 fidgety, fretful, itchy, restless unable to relax or did in spite of her forceful llas palabras, las dijo de manera tranquila, be still; «a constant fretful stamping of hooves»; words. 10 como era su costumbre. «itchy for excitement»; «a restless child» fretful adj. visibly anxious, distressed, or irritated. Miss Brodie never discussed La señorita Brodie jamás comentaba sus her affairs with the other members asuntos con los demás miembros del profeso- cranky fractious, irritable, ill- tempered, nettlesome, of the staff, but only with those rado, sino tan sólo con aquellas antiguas alum- peevish, peckish, pettish, petulant, testy, tetchy, techy easily irritated or annoyed; «an incorrigibly former pupils whom she had 15 nas a las que había instruido desde el principio fractious young man»; «not the least nettlesome of trained up in her confidence. para que respetasen sus confidencias. Con an- his countrymen» 1. Having a bad disposition; peevish. 2. Having There had been previous plots to terioridad, habían tratado de despedirla de eccentric ways; odd. 3. Full of bends and turns; crooked: a cranky mountain road. 4. Working remove her from Blaine, which Blaine, pero todas aquellas conjuras se habían unpredictably; erratic: a cranky old truck. 5. had been foiled. visto frustradas. Rickety; loose. 1 a : given to fretful fussiness : readily angered when opposed 20 : CROTCHETY, ill-tempered, peevish b : marked by eccentricity “It has been suggested again that I De nuevo se me ha sugerido que de- 2 : full of twists and turns : TORTUOUS 3 : working erratically : UNPREDICTABLE 4 dialect : CRAZY, IMBECILE crank 1 manivela 2 excéntrico 3 chiflado, crackpot, methods would be more suited to the resultarían más apropiados que en Blaine. crank, nut, nut case, nutcase, fruitcake, screwballa whimsically eccentric person, chiflado 4 chistes di- system than they are at Blaine. But I 25 Pero yo no solicitaré ningún puesto en vertidos, quip, excentricidades shall not apply for a post at a crank una escuela elitista. Me quedaré en esta Of, being, or produced by an eccentric person: a crank letter; a crank phone call school. I shall remain at this education fábrica educativa. Por fuerza tiene que crank girar la manivela, rotate factory. There needs must be a leaven haber al menos una niña a la que yo le in the lump. Give me a girl at an sirva de levadura. Dadme una niña que ‘Give me a girl at an impressionable age, and impressionable age, and she is mine 30 esté en una edad influenciable y será mía she is mine for life’: an echo of the injunction for life.” de por vida. [14] that a boy introduced to the Jesuit religious order in childhood will remain in it for ever The Brodie set smiled in El grupo de Brodie sonrió y cada cual understanding of various interpretó aquellas palabras de un modo kinds. 35 distinto.

Miss Brodie forced her brown eyes La señorita Brodie hizo brillar sus ojos cas- to flash as a meaningful accompaniment taños para reforzar de manera elocuente su bajo to her quiet voice. She looked a mighty tono de voz. Tenía un aspecto imponente con woman with her dark Roman profile in 40 su bronceado perfil romano recortado por el sol. the sun. The Brodie set did not for a El grupo de Brodie no dudó ni por un instante moment doubt that she would prevail. As que ella se impondría. Tan raro sería que Julio soon expect Julius Caesar to apply for a César solicitara un trabajo en una escuela pro- job at a crank school as Miss Brodie. She gresista como que lo hiciese la señorita Brodie. would never resign. If the authorities 45 Jamás dimitiría. Si las autoridades escolares wanted to get rid of her she would have querían deshacerse de ella, tendrían que to be assassinated. asesinarla.

“Who are the gang, this time?” said — ¿Quiénes están en la pandilla ahora? — Rose, who was famous for sex-appeal. 50 preguntó Rose, famosa por su atractivo sexual.

“We shall discuss tomorrow — Mañana por la noche hablaremos de las night the persons who oppose me,” personas que están en contra de mí —dijo la said Miss Brodie. “But rest assured señorita Brodie—. Pero dad por seguro que no they shall not succeed.” 55 se saldrán con la suya.

“No,” said everyone. “No, of course — No —dijeron todas—. Desde luego que they won’t.” no.

“Not while I am in my prime,” 60 — No al menos mientras yo esté en la flor she said. “These years are still the de la vida —dijo—. Éstos son mis años de ple- years of my prime. It is important to nitud. Recordad lo que os digo: es importante recognise the years of one’s prime, saber reconocer cuáles son los mejores años de always remember that. Here is my la vida de cada cual. Aquí viene ya mi tranvía. tram car. I daresay I’ll not get a seat. 65 Mucho me temo que no encontraré asiento.