雙語·面紗 第六十五章

They buried him three hours later. It seemed horrible to Kitty that he must be put into a Chinese coffin, as though in so strange a bed he must rest uneasily, but there was no help for it. The nuns, learning of Walter's death as they learned everything that happened in the city, sent by a messenger a cross of dahlias, stiff and formal, but made as though by the accustomed hands of a florist; and the cross, alone on the Chinese coffin, looked grotesque and out of place. When all was ready they had to wait for Colonel Yü who had sent to Waddington to say that he desired to attend the funeral. He came accompanied by an A.D.C. They walked up the hill, the coffin borne by half a dozen coolies, to a little plot of land where lay buried the missionary whose place Walter had taken. Waddington had found among the missionary's effects an English prayer-book and in a low voice, with an embarrassment that was unusual to him, read the burial service. Perhaps, reciting those solemn but terrible words, the thought hovered in his mind that if he in his turn fell a victim to the pestilence there would be no one now to say them over him. The coffin was lowered into the grave and the grave-diggers began to throw in the earth.

Colonel Yü, who had stood with bared head by the grave-side, put on his hat, saluted Kitty gravely, said a word or two to Waddington, and followed by his A.D.C. walked away. The coolies, curious to watch a Christian burial, had lingered and now in a straggling group, their yokes trailing in their hands, sauntered off. Kitty and Waddington waited till the grave was filled and then placed on the mound, smelling of fresh earth, the nuns' prim dahlias. She had not wept, but when the first shovelful of earth rattled on the coffin she felt a dreadful pang at her heart.

She saw that Waddington was waiting for her to come away.

“Are you in a hurry?” she asked. “I don't want to go back to the bungalow just yet.”

“I have nothing to do. I am entirely in your hands.”

三個小時以后，他們埋葬了他。在凱蒂看來，他不得不被安放在中國式樣的棺材里，好像他必須很難受地躺在一張不舒服的床上一樣，這太可怕了，但她又無能為力。修女們知道了沃爾特的死訊，就如同知道城里發(fā)生的一切一樣。她們派人送來了大麗花編成的十字花環(huán)，死板而缺乏生氣，但是好像還是出自花藝師慣常的手法，而這個十字花環(huán)，被孤零零地放在中國樣式的棺材上，看上去荒誕不經(jīng)和不合時宜。當(dāng)一切都準(zhǔn)備好了以后，他們不得不等著余上校的到來，他已經(jīng)派人告訴威廷頓說他希望參加葬禮。最后他在一名副官的陪同下到了。他們向山上走去，六個苦力抬著棺材，來到一小塊墓地上，這塊地埋葬著沃爾特的前任，死去的那位傳教士。威廷頓從傳教士的遺物中找到了一本英文禱告書，他用低沉的聲音，略帶著對他而言不同尋常的尷尬，宣讀著送葬詞。也許，讀著這些莊嚴(yán)但可怕的詞語，有種念頭會在他腦海中盤旋，下次可能就輪到他作為瘟疫的犧牲品了，卻沒人能在他的葬禮上為他讀悼詞了。棺材被慢慢地放進(jìn)了墓穴，挖墓人開始往上面填土了。

余上校脫帽站在了墓穴旁，戴上帽子后很莊重地對凱蒂敬了一個禮，跟威廷頓說了一兩句話后，在其副官的跟隨下，大踏步地走了?？嗔兒闷娴乜粗@場基督教的葬禮，在一旁逡巡了一會兒，現(xiàn)在也三五成群地，手里拿著抬棺材的軛和抵肩，漫步而去。凱蒂和威廷頓一直等到墓穴被填滿，然后又把新鮮的泥土和修女們送來的雅致的大麗花環(huán)放到了墳丘上。她并沒有哭泣，可是當(dāng)?shù)谝幌悄嗤寥鲈诠撞纳蠒r，她的心如針扎般疼痛。

她看見威廷頓正等著她離開。

“你有急事嗎？”她問道，“我還不想回到平房去?！?/p>

“我沒什么事，我會照你說的辦?！?/p>