Uma página de Henry James

Uma das obras-primas da arte de escrever contos, O desenho no tapete, de Henry James, traz, no capítulo VI, uma página magistral também sobre a arte de escrever cartas. Quando escrever uma carta? Uma carta ou um telegrama? Se o assunto não cabe em carta, por que escrevê-la, então?
Enjoy it!


The Figure in the Carpet, de Henry James

CHAPTER VI.

[...]

Early in March I had a telegram from her, in consequence of which I
repaired immediately to Chelsea, where the first thing she said to
me was: "He has got it, he has got it!"
She was moved, as I could see, to such depths that she must mean
the great thing. "Vereker's idea?"
"His general intention. George has cabled from Bombay."
She had the missive open there; it was emphatic though concise.
"Eureka. Immense." That was all--he had saved the cost of the
signature. I shared her emotion, but I was disappointed. "He
doesn't say what it is."
"How could he--in a telegram? He'll write it."
"But how does he know?"
"Know it's the real thing? Oh I'm sure that when you see it you do
know. Vera incessu patuit dea!"
"It's you, Miss Erme, who are a 'dear' for bringing me such news!"-
-I went all lengths in my high spirits. "But fancy finding our
goddess in the temple of Vishnu! How strange of George to have
been able to go into the thing again in the midst of such different
and such powerful solicitations!"
"He hasn't gone into it, I know; it's the thing itself, let
severely alone for six months, that has simply sprung out at him
like a tigress out of the jungle. He didn't take a book with him--
on purpose; indeed he wouldn't have needed to--he knows every page,
as I do, by heart. They all worked in him together, and some day
somewhere, when he wasn't thinking, they fell, in all their superb
intricacy, into the one right combination. The figure in the
carpet came out. That's the way he knew it would come and the real
reason--you didn't in the least understand, but I suppose I may
tell you now--why he went and why I consented to his going. We
knew the change would do it--that the difference of thought, of
scene, would give the needed touch, the magic shake. We had
perfectly, we had admirably calculated. The elements were all in
his mind, and in the secousse of a new and intense experience they
just struck light." She positively struck light herself--she was
literally, facially luminous. I stammered something about
unconscious cerebration, and she continued: "He'll come right
home--this will bring him."
"To see Vereker, you mean?"
"To see Vereker--and to see ME. Think what he'll have to tell me!"
I hesitated. "About India?"
"About fiddlesticks! About Vereker--about the figure in the
carpet."
"But, as you say, we shall surely have that in a letter."
She thought like one inspired, and I remembered how Corvick had
told me long before that her face was interesting. "Perhaps it
can't be got into a letter if it's 'immense.'"
"Perhaps not if it's immense bosh. If he has hold of something
that can't be got into a letter he hasn't hold of THE thing.
Vereker's own statement to me was exactly that the 'figure' WOULD
fit into a letter."
"Well, I cabled to George an hour ago--two words," said Gwendolen.
"Is it indiscreet of me to ask what they were?"
She hung fire, but at last brought them out. "'Angel, write.'"
"Good!" I exclaimed. "I'll make it sure--I'll send him the same."

Para o conto completo, em inglês: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/645
Para uma tradução em espanhol: http://www.ciudadseva.com/textos/cuentos/ing/james/figura.htm
Em português, esse conto foi incluído na seguinte coletânea da Companhia das Letras:
JAMES, Henry. A morte do leão - Histórias de artistas e escritores. Tradução Paulo Henriques Britto. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 1993.
http://www.companhiadasletras.com.br/web_store.cgi?details=10372&buy=yes&cart_id=5426658.17348&pg_pesq=&slink=1