The next day Newland told May he was going to see about buying a new horse for her carriage, and drove north to Portsmouth. He found the Blenkers' house, but Ellen was not there. The Blenkers told him she had received a telegram the day before, and gone to Boston, where she would be staying at the Parker House Hotel.
When he returned to Newport, he told May he had urgent business in Boston. He was ashamed of the way he was able to lie so easily, but it had to be done. He travelled all night, by boat and train, and arrived in a hot and dirty midsummer Boston.
After having breakfast at a hotel, he sent a messenger to the Parker House Hotel with a note for Countess Olenska. The man returned after ten minutes. 'The lady was out, sir,' he said.
It must be a mistake!' thought Newland. 'How could she be out so early? How stupid of me not to send a note earlier!'
He went out, and as he started to walk across the park towards Ellen's hotel, he saw her, sitting on a bench under a tree. Her head was bent low, and she looked quite miserable. He came a step nearer, and she turned and saw him.
Oh!' she said, her face breaking into a slow smile of wonder and happiness, and she made room for him on the bench.
I'm here on business – just got here,' Newland explained. 'But what on earth are you doing here?' He had really no idea what he was saying; he seemed to be shouting to her across endless distances; he thought she might disappear again before he could reach her.
I'm here on business too,' she answered.
You do your hair differently now,' he said, his heart beating wildly as he looked at her.
Differently? No, it's the best I can do without my servant.'
You didn't bring her? You're staying alone at the hotel?'
She looked at him, with a little challenging smile in her eyes. 'Does that seem so dangerous to you?'
No, not dangerous, but—'
But unusual? I see, I suppose it is. I hadn't thought of it, because I've just done something so much more unusual.' Her eyes still watched him with a little challenge. 'I've just refused to take back some money – which belonged to me.'
Newland jumped up and moved a step or two away. Then he came back and stood in front of her.
Someone – has come here to meet you – with this offer?'
Yes.'
And you refused, because of the conditions?'
I refused,' she said after a moment.
He sat down by her again. 'What were the conditions?'
Oh, they were not demanding. Just to sit at the head of his dinner table now and then.'
There was another silence. Newland was searching for the right words. 'He wants you back – at any price.'
A considerable price. At least, it's considerable for me.'
You came to Boston in order to meet him?'
She stared, and then laughed. 'Meet him – my husband? Here? He spends his summers in more fashionable places.'
He sent someone to you, with a letter?'
Not a letter, just a message. He hardly ever writes to me.'
Newland blushed, thinking of the accusation in the only letter he knew the Count had written to her. 'Why is that?'
Why should he write? What are secretaries for?'
The young man's blush deepened, and he was about to ask, 'Did he send his secretary, the one you ran away with?' But he stopped, in order to spare Ellen the embarrassment of replying.
The messenger has insisted on waiting until this evening,' added Madame Olenska, smiling, 'in case I change my mind.'
And you came out here to think things over?'
I came out for a breath of air. The hotel's too hot. I'm taking the afternoon train back to Portsmouth.'
They sat silent, not looking at each other. Finally she turned her eyes again to his face and said, 'You've not changed.'
He felt like saying, 'I had, until I saw you again,' but instead he stood up suddenly and looked round at the untidy park.
This is horrible. Why don't we go out in a boat? It will be cooler on the water. We could take the boat to Point Arley and back.' She looked up at him hesitatingly and he went on, 'There won't be many people on the boat. My train for New York doesn't leave until the evening. Why shouldn't we?' Suddenly he broke out, 'Haven't we done all we can?'
Oh!' she whispered. 'You mustn't say things like that to me.'
I'll say anything you like; or nothing. What harm can it do to anybody? All I want is to listen to you.'
She took a little gold watch from her pocket.
Oh, don't think about time!' he cried. 'Give me the day! Come now, at once! It's a hundred years since we last met – it may be another hundred before we meet again.'
Her anxious eyes were on his face. 'Why didn't you come down to the beach to fetch me, the day I was at Grandmother's?'
Because you didn't look round. I wanted you to look round.' He laughed at the childishness of his behaviour.
But I deliberately didn't look round. I knew it was you. I recognized your carriage when you drove up to the house. So I went down to the beach.'
To get away from me as far as you could?'
She repeated softly, 'To get away from you as far as I could.'
He laughed again. 'Well, you see it's no use. I may as well tell you that I came here to find you. And I have found you. But look here, we must start or we'll miss our boat.'
They went back to the hotel, so that Madame Olenska could leave a note for the messenger. While Newland waited for her, he watched the stream of people passing in and out of the hotel. 'They all look so like each other,' he thought. And then suddenly came a face which was different from the rest – the face of a young man, pale with heat, or worry, or both. 'Probably a foreign businessman,' thought Newland, and then forgot about him.
When she came out, they took a taxi to the harbour, and were soon on a boat moving smoothly out into the open sea. As they left the city behind them, it seemed to Newland they were leaving their old familiar world behind as well. Were they starting on some voyage from which they might never return? He was afraid to ask Madame Olenska if she felt the same – she trusted him to remain calm and not speak of his feelings. There had been days and nights when the memory of their kiss had burned on his lips, and the thought of her had run through him like fire. But now that she was beside him, they seemed to have reached the kind of deeper nearness that a touch or a word might destroy.
When they arrived at Point Arley, the hotel dining room was full of a noisy party of school-teachers on holiday, so Newland asked for a private room, with a view over the sea. There he and Madame Olenska sat down to their lunch, like two old friends who had so much to say to each other...
They talked of all that had happened in the year and a half since they had met. They talked of ideas and social changes, the narrow minds of New Yorkers, and the reasons why she had decided to move to Washington.
There are more varieties of people and of opinion there,' she said. 'Our New York friends seem to follow blindly the old ideas from England. But it seems stupid to have discovered America only to make it into a copy of another country.'
Ah, it's what I've always told you,' said Newland sadly. 'You don't like us. We're dull. We've no character, no colour. I wonder,' he broke out, 'why you don't go back to him?'
Her eyes darkened, and he expected an angry reply. But she sat in silent thought, and he grew frightened that she might answer that she wondered too.
At last she said, 'I believe it's because of you.'
I believe it's because of you,' said Ellen Olenska.
Newland reddened, but dared not move or speak.
At least,' she continued, 'it was you who made me understand that under the dullness there are things so fine and sensitive that even those I most cared for in my other life look cheap by comparison. For a long time I've hoped this chance would come – so that I could tell you how you've helped me, what you've made of me...'
Newland broke in with a laugh. 'And what do you think you've made of me? I'm the man who married one woman because another woman told him to.'
I thought – you promised – not to say such things!'
Ah – how like a woman! None of you will accept a bad situation, or do anything about it!'
Is it a bad situation – for May?' she asked in a low voice. 'Because that's what we've always got to think of, isn't it? That's what you've shown me.'
I've shown you?' he echoed, looking blindly out at the sea.
If it's not worthwhile,' she said painfully, 'to have given up our wishes, to save other people from misery, then everything I came home for, everything you've taught me, everything that makes my other life look so poor because no one there bothers about it – all these things are a pretence or a dream...'
And if it's not worthwhile,' he finished for her, 'there's no reason on earth why you shouldn't go back?'
Her eyes stared desperately into his. 'Oh, is there no reason?'
Not if you were hoping for the success of my marriage,' he said fiercely. 'My marriage is certainly not worth staying for. Well, what do you expect? You let me see a real life, just for a moment, and at the same time asked me to go on with a false one. It's more than any human being can bear – that's all.'
Oh, don't say that – when I'm bearing it!' she burst out, her eyes filling with tears.
Newland sat dumbly, staring at her. 'You too – oh, all this time, you too?' She did not answer, but let the tears run down her face. He was thinking, with a strange sort of happiness, 'Now I shall never again feel completely alone.'
But after a moment he was in despair again. There they were, close together, yet so tied to their separate lives that they might as well be half a world apart.
What's the use – when you will go back?' he cried out.
She sat without moving. 'Oh, I won't go yet!'
Not yet? Some time, then? Some time in the future?'
At that she gave him her clearest look. 'I promise you, not as long as you can bear it. Not as long as we can look straight at each other like this.'
He turned to look out at the sea again. What her answer really said was, 'If you lift a finger, you'll drive me back to all the horrors you know of, and all the temptations you half guess.' The thought kept him to his side of the table, safely away from her.
What a life for you!' he cried.
Oh, it's bearable – as long as it's a part of yours.'
And as long as mine's a part of yours?'
Yes.'
And that's to be all – for either of us?'
Well, it is all, isn't it?'
At that he jumped up, forgetting everything but the sweetness of her face. She stood up too, and their hands met. They stood in that way for a long time, looking deep into each other's eyes, reading each other's hearts.
Don't – don't be unhappy,' she said, with a break in her voice, as she drew her hands away.
And he answered, 'You won't go back – you won't go back?'
I won't go back,' she said.
In silence they took the boat back to Boston harbour, and Newland left Madame Olenska at the Parker House Hotel.
The next morning he arrived back in New York, to start work again, as he had told May he would do. Although he had not even managed to kiss Madame Olenska's hand or persuade her to meet him again, he felt surprisingly calm. He realized he must not tempt her to come closer to him, or she would simply return to her husband. He was determined to wait, and trust her to decide when they could meet again.
On the way to his office he recognized the young man that he had seen coming out of the Parker House Hotel. The man recognized him at the same moment, and came over to shake his hand.
Surely, Monsieur, we met at the Carfrys'?' said the foreigner.
Ah, yes! Monsieur Rivière!' said Newland. 'What are you doing in New York? Come and have lunch with me.'
The young Frenchman thanked him, but asked if he could instead call on Newland at his office that afternoon. They agreed a time, and Newland gave him directions.
When Monsieur Rivière arrived, he looked pale and serious. He explained that he had been sent to Boston with a message from his employer for the Countess Olenska.
The blood rushed to Newland's face. 'In other words, you are Count Olenski's messenger?'
That is true, but this is my own message I am bringing you. You may not know, Monsieur, that Madame Olenska's family are trying to persuade her to return to her husband.'
Good God!' cried Newland. He sat in silent shock, realizing he had been cut out of the family's discussions. Somehow, they must know he was no longer on their side. He remembered May saying recently that Ellen might be happier with her husband, and his angry reply. May had not spoken Ellen's name since then.
He stared at the Frenchman. 'I didn't know,' he said.
Exactly, Monsieur. And I beg you... I beg you – Don't let her go back!' The Frenchman spoke with desperate sincerity.
May I ask if you advised the Countess not to go back?'
The Frenchman reddened. 'No, Monsieur, I gave her the Count's message as I had been ordered to do. But after talking to her, I realized that she has changed. Monsieur, her life with him now would be unbearable. I worked for the Count for many years, and returned to his employment only recently – but I promise you, I shall never work for him again!'
Thank you,' said Newland simply. Both men were very moved. They shook hands, and Monsieur Rivière left the office.
midsummer n. the middle of a summer 仲夏
messenger n. someone whose job is to deliver messages or documents, or someone who takes a message to someone else 信使,使者
on business in the process of doing things as a part of your job 因事,因公
considerable adj. fairly large, especially large enough to have an effect or be important 相當(dāng)大的
embarrassment n. the feeling you have when you are embarrassed 尷尬
in case as a way of being safe from something that might happen or might be true 以防萬一
trust v. to have confidence in someone 信任
echo v. to repeat what someone else has just said 重復(fù)(他人的話)
painfully adv. with pain or causing pain 痛苦地
bear v. to suffer pain or unhappiness 忍受
might as well used to say that the effect of an action or situation is the same as if it was another one 倒不如
bearable adj. something that is bearable is difficult or unpleasant, but you can deal with it 可以忍受的
surprisingly adv. unusually or unexpectedly 使人驚奇地
direction n. instructions about how to get from one place to another (行路)指引
somehow adv. in some way, or by some means, although you do not know how 不知怎么
sincerity n. the quality showed when someone is sincere and really means what they are saying 真誠
employment n. the act of paying someone to work for you 雇用
第二天,紐蘭告訴梅,他要去為她的馬車物色一匹新馬,然后驅(qū)車北上前往普茨茅斯。他找到布倫克斯家,不過埃倫不在那兒。布倫克斯家的人告訴他,前一天埃倫收到一封電報(bào),然后去了波士頓,她會住在帕克旅館。
他回到紐波特之后,對梅說他在波士頓有緊急公務(wù)要處理。他為自己能夠如此輕而易舉地撒謊感到羞愧,可又不得不那么做。他整夜在趕路,又是乘船又是坐火車,終于來到仲夏時(shí)節(jié)炎熱而骯臟的波士頓。
在旅館吃過早餐后,他吩咐信使去帕克旅館給奧蘭斯卡伯爵夫人送一封便函。十分鐘后,信使回來跟他說,“那位女士出去了,先生。”
“一定是弄錯(cuò)了!”紐蘭想,“這么早她怎么會出去呢?我真傻,怎么沒有早點(diǎn)給她送信!”
他出了門,剛要穿過公園去埃倫住的旅館時(shí),看見她正坐在樹下的長凳上。她低垂著頭,看上去十分痛苦。他又向前邁了一步,她轉(zhuǎn)過頭看到了他。
“哦!”她說,臉上慢慢綻放出驚喜的笑容。她挪了挪身子,在長凳上給他空出了位置。
“我來這兒辦公事——剛剛到的。”紐蘭解釋說,“可你究竟在這里做什么呢?”他實(shí)際上不知道自己在說些什么;他仿佛是在很遙遠(yuǎn)的地方朝她叫喊;他覺得只要靠近她,她便會再次消失。
“我也是來辦公事。”她回答。
“你的發(fā)型變了。”他說,看著她的時(shí)候心里怦怦亂跳。
“發(fā)型不同嗎?沒有,這是我自己梳的。用人不在身邊,我只能盡力而為。”
“你沒有把她帶上嗎?你一個(gè)人住在旅館?”
她看著他,眼里露出一絲挑釁的笑意。“在你看來,就那么危險(xiǎn)嗎?”
“不,不是危險(xiǎn),只不過——”
“不過是不合常規(guī)?我明白了,我想也是吧。我沒有想過這一點(diǎn),因?yàn)槲覄倓傋隽艘患硬缓铣R?guī)的事。”她的眼神依舊略帶挑釁,“我剛剛拒絕拿回一筆錢——一筆屬于我的錢。”
紐蘭跳起來,后退了一兩步,接著又回來站在她跟前。
“有人——來這兒見你了——帶著這個(gè)提議?”
“是的。”
“而你拒絕了,因?yàn)閷Ψ剿岬臈l件?”
“我拒絕了。”片刻之后她說。
他又坐到她身旁。“條件是什么?”
“哦,要求并不高,只是偶爾在他的餐桌首位坐坐。”
又是一陣沉默,紐蘭在思考恰當(dāng)?shù)拇朐~。“他想讓你回去——不惜任何代價(jià)。”
“很高的代價(jià)。至少對我來說是巨額。”
“你來波士頓是為了見他?”
她瞪大眼睛,接著笑起來。“見他——我丈夫?在這里?夏季他會到更受歡迎的地方度過。”
“他派了一個(gè)人來,帶來一封信?”
“不是一封信,只是一個(gè)口訊。他幾乎從來不給我寫信。”
紐蘭知道伯爵曾給她寫過一封信,想起信中的那些指責(zé),他不禁面色通紅。“那是為什么?”
“他干嗎要寫?要秘書是做什么的?”
年輕人的臉更紅了,他差一點(diǎn)就要問:“他是派秘書來的嗎?就是和你逃走的那個(gè)秘書?”不過他忍住了,以免埃倫為了要回答問題而覺得尷尬。
“那位信使堅(jiān)持要等到傍晚,”奧蘭斯卡夫人笑著補(bǔ)充說,“以防萬一我改變了主意。”
“那么你出來就是為了仔細(xì)考慮這件事情?”
“我出來是為了透透氣。旅館里太悶熱了。我準(zhǔn)備乘下午的火車回普茨茅斯。”
他們默默無語地坐著,誰都沒看對方。最后,她把目光轉(zhuǎn)回到他的臉上,說:“你沒有變。”
他很想說:“我變了,是因?yàn)樵俅我姷侥?,才讓我變回從前的自己?rdquo;但最終卻猛地站起來,打量著公園周圍臟亂的環(huán)境。
“這里太糟糕了。我們?yōu)楹尾蛔鋈ス涔??在水面上會涼快一些。我們可以乘船去趟阿利角,然后再回來?rdquo;她抬起頭望著他,有些遲疑。他接著說:“船上不會有多少人的。我回紐約的火車傍晚才開。我們干嗎不去呢?”突然他又冒出一句:“難道我們不是已經(jīng)做了我們能做的一切了嗎?”
“哦!”她小聲叫起來,“你千萬別對我說那些事了。”
“你喜歡什么我就說什么,或者干脆什么都不說。這又能傷害誰呢?我只想聽你說話。”
她從口袋里取出一只小金表。
“啊,不要考慮時(shí)間!”他叫道,“把今天給我吧!現(xiàn)在就來,立刻就來!我們上次見面,已經(jīng)是一百年前的事了——也許要再過一百年我們才能重逢。”
她看著他的臉,目光焦慮。“我在奶奶家那天,你為什么不來海灘接我?”
“因?yàn)槟銢]回頭,我想要你自己回頭。”他為自己這種孩子氣的行為笑了起來。
“可我是故意不回頭的,我知道是你。你們駕車來家里的時(shí)候,我認(rèn)出了你的馬車,所以我去了海邊。”
“為了盡可能地遠(yuǎn)離我?”
她柔聲重復(fù)道:“為了盡可能地遠(yuǎn)離你。”
他又笑了起來。“哦,你知道,那是沒用的。我還可以告訴你,我來這兒就是為了找你,而且我找到你了。不過你瞧,我們得動身了,要不然會誤了船的。”
他們回到旅館,這樣奧蘭斯卡夫人可以給信使留個(gè)便條。紐蘭一邊等她,一邊注視著絡(luò)繹不絕的人在旅館進(jìn)進(jìn)出出。“他們?nèi)奸L得如此相似。”他想。這時(shí),突然出現(xiàn)了一張與眾不同的面孔——一張年輕男人的臉。那張臉顯得蒼白,可能是因?yàn)檠谉峄蚪箲],或者兩者皆有。“也許是一個(gè)外國商人。”紐蘭心想,接著就把他忘掉了。
她從旅館出來后,他們乘坐出租馬車前往碼頭,很快就登上了一艘船,平穩(wěn)地駛向一望無際的大海。船只逐漸駛離城市,紐蘭覺得過去熟悉的世界也跟他們漸離漸遠(yuǎn)。他們是否踏上了一去不返的航程?他不敢去問奧蘭斯卡夫人是否與他有同樣的感覺——她相信他會保持鎮(zhèn)定,不說出他的感受。他們親吻的記憶曾日日夜夜地灼燒著他的雙唇,對她的思念像火般灼遍他全身。然而此刻她在他身旁,他們的親近仿佛到了另一種境界,只消一言一動就會破壞這種氣氛。
他們來到阿利角后,發(fā)現(xiàn)旅館的餐廳吵吵嚷嚷,擠滿了一群前來度假的教師,于是紐蘭要了一個(gè)可以觀海景的包間。他和奧蘭斯卡夫人在那里坐下來吃午餐,就像兩個(gè)有太多話要互相傾訴的老朋友……
他們談?wù)撟运麄兿嘤鲋笠荒臧霑r(shí)間里發(fā)生的一切,談?wù)摳鞣N見解和社交界的變化,紐約人的狹隘觀念,還談了她決定搬往華盛頓的原因。
“那里有更多類型的人,以及更多類型的觀點(diǎn)。”她說,“我們紐約的朋友們好像都盲從英格蘭的陳舊觀念??墒?,如果發(fā)現(xiàn)美洲大陸只是為了把它變成另外一個(gè)國家的翻版,那似乎是很愚蠢的。”
“啊,這就是我一直對你所說的。”紐蘭難過地說。“你不喜歡我們。我們單調(diào)乏味,沒有個(gè)性,沒有特色??晌液芤苫?,”他脫口而出,“你為什么不回到他身邊去呢?”
她的眼神黯淡下來,而他等待著她憤怒的回應(yīng)。然而,她坐著一聲不吭,陷入了思考。他開始害怕了,唯恐她說她也感到疑惑。
終于,她開口說:“我想是因?yàn)槟愕木壒省?rdquo;
紐蘭的臉漲得通紅,可他不敢動,也不敢開口說話。
“至少,”她接著說,“是你讓我明白,在刻板沉悶的背后還有那么美好而體貼的人和事,這讓我在另一種生活中最喜愛的事物也相形見絀。長久以來,我都希望有這樣一次機(jī)會——好讓我告訴你,你給了我怎樣的幫助,你令我有了怎樣的改變……”
紐蘭笑了一聲,打斷了她的話:“可你知道你怎樣改變了我嗎?我娶了一個(gè)女人,是因?yàn)榱硪粋€(gè)女人要我這么做。”
“我想——你答應(yīng)過——不講這些事情!”
“啊——真是十足的女人??!你們這些女人既不愿接受糟糕的局面,也不愿為此做點(diǎn)兒什么!”
“那真是糟糕的局面嗎——對梅來說?”她低聲問,“因?yàn)檫@正是我們一直得考慮的事情,不是嗎?你自己的表現(xiàn)也是如此。”
“我自己的表現(xiàn)?”他重復(fù)道,眼睛茫然地望著大海。
她痛苦地說:“如果我們不值得為了讓他人免受痛苦而放棄自己的希望,那么我回家來所為的一切,你教給我的一切,讓我的另一種生活因?yàn)闊o人關(guān)心而顯得如此可悲的一切——這所有的一切都是虛偽或者夢幻……”
“如果是不值得,”他替她接著說,“那你就完全沒有理由不回去了嗎?”
她神色絕望地盯著他說:“噢,真的是沒有理由嗎?”
“沒有,如果你希望我的婚姻幸福美滿,”他激動地說,“你肯定不值得為了我的婚姻而留下。那么,你期待發(fā)生什么呢?你才讓我見識了真正的生活不久,卻同時(shí)又要求我繼續(xù)過虛偽的生活。這是任何人都無法忍受的——我說完了。”
“啊,別那么說——我也在忍受著啊!”她叫道,眼里噙滿了淚水。
紐蘭呆呆地坐在那兒,凝望著她。“你也——噢,這些日子,你也在忍受嗎?”她沒有回答,而是任由眼淚順著臉頰流淌下來。他思索著,內(nèi)心有一種奇特的愉悅感。“我再也不會感到完完全全的孤獨(dú)了。”
但過了一會兒,他再次陷入絕望。他們雖然人在這兒,靠得很近,然而卻被各自的生活束縛著,跟隔著半個(gè)世界沒有分別。
“這有什么用處呢——既然你要回去?”他大聲說。
她坐著沒有動。“哦,我現(xiàn)在還不會走呢!”
“還不會?那么,到某個(gè)時(shí)間就走?將來的某個(gè)時(shí)間?”
聽到這里,她用最清澈的眼神望著他,說道:“我答應(yīng)你,只要你能堅(jiān)持住,只要我們能像現(xiàn)在這樣正視對方,我就不走。”
他再一次轉(zhuǎn)過頭望著大海。她的回答實(shí)際上是說:“只要你抬一根手指頭,就會把我趕回舊時(shí)的生活去,你知道那種日子有多讓人厭惡,而那些誘惑你不過只猜到部分。”這個(gè)念頭讓他坐在桌子這一邊,與她保持著安全距離。
“這對你來說會是怎樣的一種生活??!”他叫道。
“哦,這種生活我可以忍受——只要它屬于你生活的一部分。”
“只要我的生活也屬于你生活的一部分?”
“是的。”
“而這就是全部——對我們兩人來說?”
“對,這就是全部,不是嗎?”
聽到這里,他跳起來,除了她甜美的臉龐,他什么都不記得了。她也站起身來,兩人的手握在一起。他們就那樣站了很久,深情地凝望著對方,品味著彼此的心意。
“不要——不要不高興了。”她說著,話音中有些停頓,同時(shí)把手抽了回去。
他回答說:“你不會回去——你不會回去?”
“我不會回去。”她說。
他們默默地乘船返回了波士頓碼頭,之后紐蘭把奧蘭斯卡夫人送回帕克旅館才離去。
次日早晨,他回到紐約,重新開始了工作,就像他之前跟梅說的那樣。盡管他連奧蘭斯卡夫人的手也沒吻過,更沒有勸說她和自己再次會面,但他卻覺得出奇地平靜。他明白他絕不能誘惑她更靠近自己些,要不然她就會回到她丈夫身邊去。他決心等待,讓她來決定他們何時(shí)可以再見面。
在去事務(wù)所的路上,他認(rèn)出了一個(gè)年輕人,他在帕克旅館見過他。與此同時(shí),那個(gè)年輕人也認(rèn)出了他,于是走過來和他握手。
“先生,我們一定在卡弗萊家見過面吧?”那個(gè)外國人說。
“啊,沒錯(cuò)!里維埃先生!”紐蘭說,“你到紐約來有何貴干?過來和我吃午飯吧。”
年輕的法國人向他表示感謝,不過,他問紐蘭是否可以在當(dāng)天下午去事務(wù)所拜訪他。他們約定了時(shí)間,然后紐蘭告訴他怎么走。
里維埃先生登門的時(shí)候臉色蒼白,神情嚴(yán)肅。他解釋道,他的雇主派他前往波士頓,捎口訊給奧蘭斯卡伯爵夫人。
紐蘭漲紅了臉。“那也就是說,你就是奧蘭斯基伯爵的信使?”
“沒錯(cuò),不過我來找你不是伯爵的意思。你也許不知道吧,先生,奧蘭斯卡夫人的家人正在努力勸說她回到丈夫身邊。”
“我的天哪!”紐蘭叫道。他震驚地坐在那里,默默無言。他意識到自己已不獲邀參與家庭討論。他們一定是不知怎么看出他已經(jīng)不站在他們一邊了。他回想起梅最近說的一句話——埃倫也許跟她丈夫在一起更幸福——以及當(dāng)時(shí)他憤怒的回答。從那以后,梅就沒有提過埃倫的名字。
他盯著法國人,說:“我不知道。”
“一點(diǎn)沒錯(cuò),先生。所以我請求你……請求你——別讓她回去!”法國人極其真誠地說。
“我可否問一下,你是否建議伯爵夫人不要回去?”
法國人臉紅了。“不,先生,我按照伯爵的吩咐,轉(zhuǎn)述了他的話。但和夫人談過之后,我發(fā)現(xiàn)她變了。先生,現(xiàn)在回到他身邊生活會讓她無法忍受的。我曾經(jīng)為伯爵工作多年,只是最近才又受雇于他——不過我向你保證,我再也不會為他工作了!”
“謝謝你。”紐蘭只是說了一句。兩個(gè)人內(nèi)心都很激動。他們握了握手,里維埃隨即離開了事務(wù)所。
瘋狂英語 英語語法 新概念英語 走遍美國 四級聽力 英語音標(biāo) 英語入門 發(fā)音 美語 四級 新東方 七年級 賴世雄 zero是什么意思??谑薪瓥|御城英語學(xué)習(xí)交流群