Chapter 5 simple

The first time I met Jane Fowler is still vividly imprinted on my mind.I observed her very carefully at the time, so I can be so confident in my memory.Looking back, I must honestly say it's incredible that I wasn't involved in a ridiculous prank.I recently returned from China and am having tea with Mrs Tower in London.Mrs. Tower has redecorated the house in the fashion.With the unique coldness of a woman, she will sit comfortably in the chair for several years, and sweep away the table, cabinet and interior decorations that have accompanied her since she got married, and the oil paintings she saw since she was born.Then leave everything to an expert to design.Now everything in the living room is strange to her, and everything in the living room has nothing to do with her past, and cannot bring her warm memories.That day she specially invited me to visit her house, to see her newly completed decoration, and to see those fashionable decorations that can be boasted.All the furnishings in her home that can be pickled have been pickled, and those that cannot be pickled have been painted.No two things go well with each other, but everything fits together.

"Do you remember that ridiculous parlor set I used to have?" asked Mrs. Tower. Curtains are very expensive, but the style is modest.The surface material of the sofa is Italian brocade, and the surface of the chair I am sitting on is a cloth embroidered with diagonal stitches.The whole living room is beautiful, luxurious without being ostentatious, original without being weird.But it seems to me that something is missing.While I was full of praise for the decoration of the living room, I wondered why I liked the living room more than before.I preferred the old chintz upholstery that had been thrown out; the familiar Victorian gouaches on the walls; the Dresden china that had once adorned the mantelpiece.I'm thinking, I'm still nostalgic for the original look of these houses, and now the decorating company completely changes the interior with industrial products, so that they can make money.Is this effect really satisfying?But Mrs. Tower looked around her room with a look of contentment.

"Do you like these stone lamps?" she asked. "These lamps have such a soft light." "Personally I prefer brighter lights," I said with a smile. "It's a little difficult to get the light to be bright and soft." Mrs. Tower smiled. I can't guess how old she is.She was a much older married woman when I was a child, but she now treats me like her peer.She has often said that she is not secretive about her age, which is now forty.Then she would add with a smile that all women would reveal their age by five years less than their real age.She says she never tries to hide the fact that she dyes her hair (she has beautiful brown hair with a hint of red).She said her hair was going gray and it was horrible, so she wanted to dye it.Once her hair is completely white, she won't dye it again.

"At that time, people will say that I am a child with white hair." Her face was lightly made up, and her eyes were carefully painted, making her look very lively.She is a beautiful woman in an elegant dress.She said she had just turned forty.In the dim light of the stone lamp, you would never see that she was even a day older than this age. "Only in front of the dresser, I can bear the direct light of thirty-two candle light bulbs," she added with a cynical smile, "I need bright lights in front of the dresser, so I can see clearly." You can take some necessary remedial measures only if you have your true appearance."

We chatted lightly and cheerfully about some acquaintances we all knew.Mrs. Tower told me of some of the most recent scandals, which kept me abreast of the times.After traveling around the world, sitting in such a comfortable chair, feeling the blazing fire in the fireplace, playing with the exquisite tea set on the elegant coffee table, and meeting such a witty and charming person The ladies were chatting, which was really pleasant.She treated me like a wandering wanderer who had just returned home and wanted to treat me well.She was quite proud of her past successes in throwing banquets.She racked her brains about which guests to invite as much as she worried about the recipes; and any guest who was lucky enough to attend one of her dinners considered it a great pleasure.Now she has fixed the time for the next banquet and asked who I would like to see at the banquet.

"But there is one thing I want to tell you first. If Jane Fowler is still here, I shall have to postpone this party." "Who is Jane Fowler?" Mrs. Tower smiled wryly. "She's someone who gives me a headache." "Oh!" "Do you remember a photo of my house before it was renovated? I hung it above the piano. It was a woman in a tights with cuffs cuffed up, a locket on her chest, and her hair pulled back ; with a broad forehead, pricked ears, and a pair of spectacles perched on a flat nose. This woman is Jane Fowler." "Your room is full of photos from before it was renovated," I said absently.

"The room was such a mess back then, I can't imagine what it was like now. I wrapped all those photos in a big brown paper bag and put them in the attic." "By the way, who is this Jane Fowler?" I asked again, smiling a little at the same time. "She's my great aunt, my husband's sister, married to a manufacturer who lives in the north. She's been a widow for many years. She's very rich." "Why does she give you a headache?" "She's too rich, too scruffy, too rustic. She looks 20 years older than me, but she tells almost everyone we're schoolmates. She takes the family bond way too seriously. , and I was her only living relative, so she took me very seriously. Whenever she came to London, she would definitely live with me. She thought I would be unhappy if she lived elsewhere. And she came to me We lived there for three or four weeks. We just sat in the living room. She knits and reads. Sometimes she makes sure to take me to dinner at the Claridge's. She looks like a funny old maid. , I really don't want others to see me sitting and eating with such a person, but the table next to me is full of acquaintances. On the way home in the car, she said that she was very happy to treat me a little. She also knits teapot warmers for me with her own hands. No way, as long as she is here, I have to use these teapot warmers, small tablecloths, etc. that she knits."

Mrs. Tower paused for breath. "I imagine a man as clever as you is capable of dealing with such things." "Well, you don't know, I can't help it. She's a very kind person, and is very kind to me. I'm mad at her, but I can't make her see it." "When is she coming?" "tomorrow." But before the words fell, the doorbell rang, and then there was a commotion in the hall.After a minute or two, the butler ushered in an old lady. "Mrs. Fowler is here," he announced aloud. "Jane," cried Mrs. Tower, jumping up, "I didn't expect you to be here today."

"That's what your steward told me. But I did say in my letter that I would be here today." Mrs. Tower regained her composure. "Oh, that's all right. I'm glad you come anytime. Fortunately, I don't have anything else tonight." "You mustn't bother me. All I need is a hard-boiled egg for dinner." Mrs. Tower curled her lips slightly, so that her pretty face was a little deformed.Just a boiled egg! "Oh, I think I can come up with a better dinner than this request of yours." I can't help but secretly laugh when I think that these two ladies are almost the same age.Mrs. Fowler looked well past fifty-five.She was a bit bulky and wore a black straw hat with a wide brim and a black eyelet veil that hung down to her shoulders.She wears an oddly patterned and overly embellished cloak, a long skirt that looks so bulky that it looks like she's wearing layers of petticoats, and a pair of fat boots.She's also obviously nearsighted, because she looks at you through those big gold-rimmed glasses.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" asked Mrs. Tower. "If it doesn't cause you too much trouble, I'll take off the cloak first." She began to take off the black gloves she was wearing, and then she took off the cloak.Around her neck hung a great gold necklace, from which hung a large gold locket.I figured it must contain a picture of her late husband.Then she took off her hat again, and put the hat, gloves and cape together neatly on a corner of the sofa.Mrs. Tower pouted at this.These dresses of Mrs. Tower's were certainly out of tune with the austere elegance of Mrs. Tower's recently furnished drawing room.I wonder where on earth Mrs. Fowler got these unusual costumes.The garments are new and expensive.It would shock me if someone is still making these costumes that no one has worn for a quarter of a century.Mrs. Fowler has gray hair in a plain cut, with her forehead and ears exposed and parted simply in the middle.Her hair had apparently never been used with a Marcel curling iron.Now her eyes fell on the coffee table.The coffee table features a Georgian silver teapot and Worcester china mugs.

"Mary, I made you a teapot warmer when I was here last time. Why is it gone?" she asked. "You didn't use it?" "Yes, I use it every day," Mrs. Tower said falsely, "but unfortunately, there was a little accident a few days ago, and the warm jacket burned out." "The one I just gave you burned out?" "We really were too careless." "Never mind," said Mrs. Fowler, smiling. "I'll knit another one for you. I'll go to the Liberty Store tomorrow and get some silk." Mrs. Tower's face pulled down instantly. "Don't worry about it any more, let me spoil it here. Doesn't the wife of the vicar in your parish want one?" "Oh, I've already given her one," said Mrs. Fowler cheerfully. I noticed that when she smiled, she showed a mouthful of small, neat white teeth.Her teeth are really beautiful.Her smile is also very kind. I realized it was time for me to leave, so I said goodbye to the two ladies and left. I was woken up the next morning by Mrs. Tower's phone ringing.I could hear right away in her voice that she was very excited. "I have the most wonderful news for you," said she, "Jane is getting married." "You're kidding." "The groom is coming to my house tonight for dinner and she is going to introduce him to me. I want you to come too." "Oh, I'm afraid I'm in the way on this occasion?" "No, it doesn't matter. It was Jane who asked you to come. You must come!" She spoke with a smile. "Who is the groom?" "I don't know that. She told me he was an architect. You can imagine what kind of man Jane could marry." I had nothing to do anyway, and Mrs. Tower's feast was sure to be right. Mrs. Tower was alone when I arrived at her house.She was wearing a grand tea dress.The color of the dress was not suitable for a person of her age. "Jane is putting the finishing touches on her outfit. I really want you to see what she'll look like when she comes out. She's flustered now. She says he adores her. His name is Gilbert. She mentions His voice trembled when he said his name, it was hilarious. I almost laughed out loud." "I don't know what he looks like." "Oh, you don't have to guess. He must be a big man, bald, with a huge gold chain hanging diagonally from his potbelly. He must have had a fat, rosy face, clean-shaven. His speaking voice It must have been very loud." Mrs. Fowler came in.She wore a very stiff black silk dress and a wide floor-length skirt; Silver necklace with precious stones.She was holding a pair of black gloves and a black ostrich feather fan.It can be seen that she is trying to show her true self, which is difficult for most people to do.You see her and you know right away that she is a respectable widow whose ex-husband must have been a northern factory owner and well off. "Jane, your neck is so beautiful." Mrs. Tower said with a friendly smile. Compared with her weather-beaten face, her neck is really white and tender, which is really surprising.The skin on her neck was fair and smooth, without any wrinkles.Then I noticed that she was actually a very smart person too. "Did Marion tell you the news?" she said to me, with a smile so genial and natural as if we had been old friends. "I want to congratulate you," I said. "Wait until you see my young bridegroom." "You always talk so sweetly about your young bridegroom," laughed Mrs. Tower. Mrs. Fowler's eyes must be shining again under those ridiculous spectacles. "You don't think my bridegroom has to be an old man. You don't want me to marry a rotten old man with a leg in a coffin, do you?" The only advance warning she gave us was this sentence.But there really wasn't time to discuss her groom in detail.At this time, the butler had already opened the door and declared loudly: "Mr. Gilbert Napier is here." A young man in a well-cut tuxedo entered the living room.He was slender, not too tall, with beautiful hair that was slightly curled; his face was clean-shaven and he had blue eyes.He was not particularly handsome, but he was kind and likable.Ten years from now he may be a sallow, shriveled man; but now, being very young, he looks fresh, fresh, and very neat.He was certainly not yet twenty-four years old.My first thought was that this man was the son of Mrs. Jane Fowler's fiancé (her groom, I suppose, was a widower).He was here to inform that his father was unable to attend the feast because of a sudden attack of gout.But his face lit up when he saw Mrs. Jane Fowler.He held out his hands to her, and Mrs. Jane Fowler held out hers too, with a timid smile on her face.She turned to her sister-in-law and said: "Mary, this is my fiancé." He held out his hand. "I wish you to like me, Mrs. Tower," said he; "Jane told me that you are the only family she has left in the world." It was wonderful to see the look on Mrs. Tower's face now.I could not help admiring to myself the mighty force of good breeding and social custom, which in combination can finally triumph over a woman's nature.Her face was first startled, then unconcealed dismay, but soon changed to an affable, welcoming expression.But she obviously didn't know what to say.Gilbert was naturally a little embarrassed, and I was trying to think of something to say without laughing.As long as Mrs. Fowler keeps her composure. "I know you'll like him, Marion. There's no one who enjoys food more than him." She turned to the young man. "Marion's food is famous." "I know." He said beamingly. Mrs. Tower said something hastily, and we went downstairs.This dinner can be said to be a smart comedy, which I will never forget for a long time.Mrs. Tower wondered whether the two men were joking with her, or whether Jane had cleverly concealed her bridegroom's age in order to make a fool of her.But Jane had never been a joker, and she could not have done such a vicious thing.Mrs. Tower was astonished, annoyed, and bewildered.But she regained self-control.In any case she could not forget that she was a perfect hostess, and it was her duty to keep the dinner going.Although she was still talking cheerfully, I do not know if Gilbert Napier noticed that, although she showed a false warmth and friendliness, she looked at him with a cold and obviously hostile look. .She was examining him closely.She was looking for a way to pry into the secrets of his heart.I can see that she is really angry now.Despite the rouge on her face, I could see her blushing with irritation. "Mary, you look so rosy today," said Jane.Her kind eyes looked at her through large round glasses. "I was in a bit of a rush with my makeup. Maybe a little extra rouge." "Is it carmine? I think it's your rosy cheeks. Otherwise I wouldn't have noticed." She smiled shyly at Gilbert, "You don't know, Marion and I were classmates when we were kids. You now Surely you wouldn't have thought that we were classmates, right? Of course my life has always been quiet." I don't know what she meant by saying this, but her expression is so natural that I feel incredible.But in any case, this remark angered Mrs. Tower, so that she threw all her reserve behind her.A cheerful smile appeared on her face. "I say, Jane, we're not going to look like we're fifty anymore," she said. If she meant to upset the widow by saying this, she had failed. "Gilbert said, for his sake, that I must never tell anyone that I am past forty-nine," she said flatly. Mrs. Tower's hands trembled a little, but she found a place to take her revenge. "Of course there is a certain age gap between you two." She smiled. "Twenty-seven," Jane said, "do you think that's too much of a gap? Gilbert said, I look young at my age. I told you I don't want to marry someone with one leg An old man stuck in a coffin." I couldn't help laughing again, and Gilbert laughed too.His laugh is very honest, like a big boy.It seemed that everything Jane said was interesting to him.But Mrs. Tower had run out of patience.I knew she was going to lose her composure and throw a tantrum if no one helped her.I hastily changed the subject. "I suppose you must be busy shopping for wedding clothes right now?" I said. "No. Originally I wanted to buy my wedding dress from a tailor in Liverpool. I've been buying from him since I was first married. But Gilbert didn't agree with me. He's a real dictator, of course his taste Also high." She smiled and looked at him tenderly, with a bit of coyness in her eyes, as if she was still a seventeen-year-old girl. In spite of the rouge on Mrs. Tower's face, I could see her pale. "We're going to Italy for our honeymoon. Gilbert has never had the opportunity to look at Renaissance buildings. As an architect, it's important to see them for yourself. On our way to Italy, the two of us I have to stop in Paris first, and buy my wedding dress in Paris." "Are you two going to be away for a long time this time?" "Gilbert took six months off. That's a treat for him. Isn't it? You two don't know, he's never been off for more than two weeks before." "Why?" asked Mrs. Tower.Although she tried to hide it, her voice was still cold. "His financial situation does not permit him to do so, poor fellow." "Oh!" said Mrs. Tower, with much meaning in her tone. The coffee was served and the ladies went upstairs.Me and Gilbert gossip.This is what happens when men have nothing to say.But two minutes later the housekeeper brought me a note.The note was from Mrs. Tower and read as follows: I can only make up a reason. "Mrs. Tower has a bit of a headache. She wants to go to bed. I think if you don't mind we'd better go now." "Of course," he replied. We went upstairs, and five minutes later we were out the door.I hailed a taxi and offered to give the young man a ride. "No, thanks," he replied, "I'll just get to that corner and I'll catch the bus." Mrs. Tower lost her temper when she heard the door close behind us. "Are you mad, Jane?" "I believe I am no different from those who live outside the asylum," said Jane gently. "Can you tell me why you married this young man?" Mrs. Tower's tone was still polite enough. "Part of it was that he didn't accept my rejection. He proposed to me five times and I couldn't say no to him again." "Have you ever thought about why he proposed to you so shamelessly?" "I made him happy." Mrs. Tower exclaimed angrily: "He's a shameless rascal. I almost told him so to his face." "It would be wrong for you to do that, it would be too impolite." "He is penniless and you are so rich. Are you really so stupid that you can't see that he just married you because of your money bag." Jane was not angry at all.She looked at her angry sister-in-law detachedly. "I don't see it that way," she replied. "I think he loves me." "You are an old lady, Jane." "We're the same age, Marion," she said, smiling. "I never let myself go, I want to look much younger. Nobody ever said I was over forty. But even I wouldn't dream of marrying a boy twenty years younger than me." "Twenty-seven years old." Jane corrected. "Do you mean to tell me that you believe a young man can really love a woman old enough to be his mother? Is that possible?" "I've lived in the country for a long time, so I don't think I know much about human nature. But I've heard that there was an Austrian named Freud, and I believe..." Mrs. Tower interrupted her roughly. "Don't be ridiculous, Jane. It's so indignified and humiliating. I always thought you were a sensible woman. I never dreamed that you should be in love with a boy." "I'm not in love with him. I've told him so. Of course, I like him very much, or I would never have thought of marrying him. I think it's only fair to him if I tell him how I feel. .” Mrs. Tower gasped for breath.The blood in her body rushed straight to her forehead, and she felt a little difficult to breathe.She didn't have a fan in hand, so she grabbed an evening newspaper as a fan and fanned it desperately. "If you don't love him, then why did you marry him?" "I've been a widow for too long, and my life has been too quiet. I want to change that." "If you want to marry, do so, but why not marry a man your own age?" "No man my age has proposed to me five times. In fact no man my age has proposed to me at all." Jane answered with a giggle.It was driving Mrs. Tower mad. "Don't laugh, Jane. I can't stand it. I think you're out of your head. You're really mad." She couldn't bear it any longer, and tears welled up in her eyes.She knew she couldn't afford to cry at her age, her eyes would be red and swollen all day and night, and her image would be ruined.But she couldn't stop the tears.She looked at Marion through her large spectacles, her hands reflexively caressing her thighs in the black silk dress. "Your life will be very miserable, you will be very miserable," said Mrs. Tower, sobbing, wiping her eyes carefully so that the blackness of the lashes would not be washed away by tears. "I don't think the situation you mentioned will happen." Jane said in her usual gentle and kind tone.Seems to be smiling a little. "We've had a lot of conversations about these issues. I've always considered myself a very easygoing person, easy to get along with. I think I've been able to make Gilbert very happy and comfortable. No one has ever I took care of him. We decided to get married after careful consideration. We have reached an agreement that if one of us wants to divorce in the future, the other will not make it difficult." Mrs. Tower had regained her composure so that she could continue with her harsh words. "How much did he ask you to pay him?" "I offered him £1,000 a year but he refused. He was very upset when I suggested it. He said he was earning enough to spend himself." "He's more cunning than I thought," said Mrs. Tower sharply. Jane didn’t answer right away.She gave her sister-in-law a kind but firm look. "I'm not like you, my dear," she said. "You've never been a widow for as long as I have, have you?" Mrs. Tower looked at him.Her face was a little red, and she even felt a little uncomfortable.But Jane is a very simple person, and her words certainly do not insinuate.Mrs. Tower calmed down for a moment, and put on a dignified posture again. "I'm all out of my mind now, and I have to go to bed," she said. "We'll talk about it tomorrow morning." "I'm afraid it won't be very convenient to-morrow morning, my dear. Gilbert and I have a wedding to-morrow morning." Mrs. Tower spread her hands in astonishment, but she had nothing to say. The wedding takes place at the marriage registry.Mrs. Tower and I acted as witnesses.Gilbert looked very young in a stylish blue suit.He was clearly excited.It's a trying time for any man.But Jane remained calm and composed, which was admirable.She seemed like a fashionable woman who had gotten used to frequent marriages.Only the slight rosiness on her face revealed the excitement inside her calm exterior.Any woman would be very emotional at a time like this.She was wearing a very formal silver-gray velvet dress.I could see that the dress had been cut by the tailor in Liverpool.The tailor was undoubtedly a widow of excellent character, and she had been the one who had made Jane's dresses for many years.Jane, too, had evidently succumbed to the trend of frivolity, and now wore a sombrero full of ostrich feathers.Her gold-rimmed glasses made the hat look wildly out of place. After the ceremony, the officials in charge of the ceremony shook hands with them and expressed congratulations to them.Of course, the congratulatory message used strictly official language.I think he was a little intimidated by the size of the age gap between the couple.The groom blushed slightly and kissed the bride.Mrs. Tower kissed her, though she still looked displeased.Then the bride looked at me expectantly.Obviously I should go kiss her too.I did too.But frankly, I felt a little shy as we walked out of the registration office and passed the crowd of onlookers outside.These people looked at the couple with mocking expressions on their faces.I didn't feel relieved until I got into Mrs. Tower's car.We drove directly to Victoria Railway Station.As the happy couple were to leave for Paris by the two o'clock train in the afternoon, Jane insisted that the wedding reception be held at the station's restaurant.She said she would be upset if she didn't get on the platform of the station early.Mrs. Tower was only there out of a strong sense of family duty, so she kept a low profile throughout and ate nothing (I can't blame her for that, as the food was terrible and I hate being in the champagne at lunch).Her voice was also subdued.But despite this, she dutifully went over the recipe. "I always think that one should have a good meal before traveling away from home," she said. We put them on the train and watched the train leave.Then I drove Mrs. Tower home. "How long do you think their marriage will last?" she asked. "Six months?" "Let's try to think in the best direction." I replied with a smile. "Don't be so foolish. There can't be anything good between them. He married her for her money, don't you think so? So this marriage won't last. I just hope she doesn't feel too bad then. But she's doing it on her own." I laughed.Although her words were very kind, from the tone of her words, I could fully hear her voice. "Well, if this was a short-lived marriage, you'd be very relieved to say: I warned you," I said. "I can assure you, I will never do that." "That way, you'll be satisfied, too. You'll congratulate yourself for having such self-control that you didn't say: I warned you." "She's really old and ugly and stupid." "Do you really think she's stupid?" I asked. "She doesn't talk much, but she has a lot to say." "I've never heard her tell a joke in my life." When Gilbert and Jane returned from their honeymoon, I was already in the Far East again.And this time I went for almost two years.Mrs. Tower didn't like writing letters.Although I occasionally send her a picture postcard, she never writes back.But I saw her within a week of my return to London.I was invited to a banquet and found that my seat was right next to hers.It was a big party, and I think we were like twenty-four black thrushes baked in a pie. I arrived a bit late, and I was in a hurry to be seated, not paying attention to who was at the banquet.But when everyone was seated, I looked around at the guests sitting around the long table, and I found that many of them were famous people whose photos were often published in newspapers.The hostess of the banquet especially likes to invite so-called celebrities to the parties hosted by her, so the banquet is really full of guests and celebrities. I haven't seen Mrs. Tower for two years, so it's only natural that I start with a few words of courtesy.Then I asked about Jane. "She's very well," said Mrs. Tower dryly. "How did that marriage end?" Mrs. Tower didn't answer right away, she picked up a salted apricot from the plate in front of her. "Appears to be successful." "So, you guessed wrong?" "I said this marriage was not going to last. I still think so. This marriage is totally against human nature." "Is she happy now?" "They're both very happy." "I suppose you haven't seen them very often." "We met often at first. But now..." Mrs. Tower pouted, "Jane is very noble." "What do you mean by that?" I laughed. "I thought I should tell you that she's here tonight." "it's here?" I was taken aback.I looked again at the people around the table.The hostess is a fun woman who makes guests very happy.But I couldn't imagine that she would invite such a tacky old woman, the wife of an unknown architect, to dinner.Mrs. Tower saw my bewilderment, and shrewdly guessed what I was thinking.A forced smile appeared on her face. "Pay attention to the left side of the host." I looked in the direction she said.The woman sitting there was so queer that I noticed her as soon as I entered the crowded living room.I noticed the look in her eyes, she seemed a little familiar to me.But I never actually met her.Her hair was iron gray, so she must be quite old.Her hair was beautifully shaped, her hair was cut short, and her hair was permed into dense curls, which stuck tightly to the back of her neck.She didn't try to dress herself up to look younger.She was the only woman at the party who was conspicuous without lipstick, rouge, or powder.Her face was not very pretty, but her weather-beaten cheeks were rosy.Her countenance is natural and very pleasing since there is no artificial modification of any kind.In contrast to the color of her face, her shoulders are very white and tender, which can be described as beautiful.A thirty-year-old woman would be very proud to have such shoulders.But she was dressed in a very peculiar way.Rarely have I seen such bold dressing.Her blouse was cut very low at the neckline, and she wore a short fashionable skirt in black and yellow.She was dressed like she was going to a masquerade ball.如果换一个人穿这身衣服的话，就会让人觉得令人恶心；而她这样穿着却让人感到简洁而自然，一点儿也不过分。她还戴着一副单镜片的眼镜，眼镜用一条宽宽的绸带固定着。这让她的一身装束显得更加奇特而不做作，奢华而不炫耀。 “难道那个女人就是你的大姑姐吗？”我呼吸急促地问道。 “她就是简·纳皮尔。”托尔夫人冷冷地说道。 她此时正在说话。男主人面冲着她，没等她说完脸上就露出了微笑。男主人坐在她的左侧，微微有些秃头，剩下的头发也都白了。他的目光锐利，面容显得很聪慧。他身体向前倾着，神情专注地听她说话。而坐在对面的两个客人也停止了交谈，仔细地听着。她说完后，他们都突然仰身向后靠到椅背上，哈哈大笑起来。桌子的对面有一个男人向托尔夫人打了句招呼。我认出他是一个著名的政治家。 “您的大姑姐又说了个笑话，托尔夫人。”他说道。 托尔夫人微微一笑。 “她可是个无价之宝，对不对？” “我自罚喝一大杯香槟，然后你无论如何也要告诉我这到底是怎么回事。”我说道。 就这样，我了解了事情的全部经过。 在他俩蜜月的头一站，吉尔伯特就领着简到巴黎大大小小的服装店去挑选衣服。他并不直接反对她大量购买自己中意的那些“长袍”，而是巧妙地劝说她定做一两件“裙服”。这些“裙服”都是按照他自己设计的样式制作的。他从事这类事情似乎很有窍门。他还雇用了一个伶俐的法国女仆。这可是简从来都没有过的事情。以往她都是自己动手缝缝补补，如果需要打扫房间的卫生，她习惯打电话找一个钟点女工来做。吉尔伯特为她设计的服装与她以往的穿着样式截然不同，她从未穿过这样的服装。但他谨慎地逐渐改变着服装的样式，避免走得太快、太远。她虽然心怀疑虑，但为了让他高兴，还是挑选了几件自认能穿出去的衣服穿上。这样一来，她过去习惯穿着的那些肥大的衬裙当然也就没有用处了。她虽然也为此而犹豫，但还是抛弃了这些臃肿的服装。 “现在你都看到了，”托尔夫人的话音中带着一种嗤之以鼻的味道，“她除了一件薄薄的真丝紧身装之外，什么都不穿。我真感到奇怪，她这么大年纪了，怎么就没有冻感冒呢？” 吉尔伯特和法国女仆教她如何穿这些衣服。让人料想不到的是，她很快就学会了。法国女仆为女主人漂亮的胳膊和肩膀而感到欣喜若狂。不将这样的优美展现出来那真是天理难容。 “先别忙，阿芳欣妮，”吉尔伯特说道，“我为夫人设计的下几套服装会让她显得更美。” 这些服装的效果当然非常惊人。但任何人戴着一副金边眼镜都不会让人有完美的感觉。吉尔伯特让简换一副玳瑁边的眼镜试试。但他还是摇摇头。 “如果是一个女孩的话，这个搭配就很好，”他说道，“但你的岁数太大了，简，你不适合戴着眼镜。”突然，他产生了一个灵感，“对了，我有主意了。你一定要戴一副单镜片眼镜才行。” “哦，吉尔伯特，这可不行。” She looks at him.他非常激动，那完全是一种艺术家的激动。she laughed.他对自己太好了，只要他高兴，她愿意做任何事情。 “好吧，我试试。”她说道。 当他俩找到一家眼镜店，选完适当的镜架后，简乐呵呵地将一个单镜片眼镜扣到眼睛上。吉尔伯特猛地拍了一下巴掌，当着目瞪口呆的售货员的面，他在简的双颊上各亲了一口。 “你看起来真是太美了。”他喊道。 他俩就这样前往意大利，在那里快乐地度过了几个月的时间。他在那里研究文艺复兴时期和巴洛克风格的建筑。简不仅慢慢适应了她的新装束，而且发现自己喜欢这样。起初，当她走进宾馆的餐厅时，所有人都转过身来盯着她看，她还感到有点儿羞怯。以往从来没有哪个人愿意正眼看她一眼，现在她感到这种感觉还真是不错。女士们纷纷向她打听在哪里买的衣服。 “您喜欢吗？”她娴静地问道，“是我丈夫亲自为我设计的。” “如果您不介意的话，我也想照您的衣服样式做一套。” 简虽然多年来一直过着一种非常闭塞的生活，但这绝不意味着她就缺乏女人固有的天性。她早就准备好了如何应对这类问题。 “我感到非常抱歉。我丈夫是一个很特别的人，他决不会让任何人复制我的衣服样式。他希望我的衣服样式独一无二。” 她这样说后本以为别人会嘲笑她，但她们没有。她们只是回答道：“哦，当然。我完全理解。您确实非常出众。” 但她看得出来，这些人在心里默记下了她的衣服样式，这让她感到有些烦恼。她此生中还是头一遭穿得这么独特。她想不明白为什么所有人都想要模仿她的穿着。 “吉尔伯特，”她十分生气地说道，“下次你为我设计服装，要让谁也没法模仿。” “唯一的办法就是设计出只有你能穿的服装。” “你能做到这一点吗？” “可以，但你先要为我做点儿事。” "What's up?" “剪短你的头发。” 我想这是简第一次对他的要求踌躇不决。她的头发又长又厚。她还是姑娘的时候就为自己的头发而感到骄傲，将自己的头发剪掉真是一个非常激进的举措。真可称得上是破釜沉舟啊。对她而言这不是代价巨大的第一步，而是再也不能让步了。但她还是迈出了这一步。她当时说：“我知道玛丽恩会认为我是个十足的傻瓜，而且我再也没法回到利物浦了。”当他俩在返回住处的路上经过巴黎街头时，吉尔伯特将她领入一家世界上最高档的美发店。她进去的时候两腿发软，心脏猛烈地跳动着。但当她走出这家美发店的时候，她的头型已经全部显露了出来，蓬松的灰色鬈发显得既大胆又活泼。皮格马利翁完成了他惊人的杰作，伽拉忒亚诞生了。 “我明白了一些，”我说道，“但这些还不足以解释为什么简今晚会出现在这里，出现在这个满是公爵夫人、内阁大臣等上流人士的场合。她现在可是左边坐着宴会的男主人，右边坐着一位海军元帅。” “简是个幽默大师，”托尔夫人说道，“你没看到她说了句什么，他们就全都笑了吗？” 毫无疑问，托尔夫人现在心中充满了苦楚。 “当简给我写信，告诉我他俩已经度完蜜月，正在返回伦敦时，我想我必须请他俩吃顿饭。其实我心里并不想请他俩，但还必须这样做。我知道这个宴会一定非常枯燥无味，因此不打算请任何重要人士参加，免得他们扫兴。但另一方面，我又不想让简认为我没有什么像样的朋友。你知道我像样的朋友也就不超过八个人。但我想只有请十二个朋友参加，才能使这个宴会够场面。我那段时间一直很忙，直到宴会开始的那天晚上才见到简。她让我们大家都等了她一小会儿（这是吉尔伯特高明的设计）。她最后才飘然而至。我简直要晕过去了。她让餐厅内所有的女士都黯然失色，显得土气和落伍了。她让我觉得自己就像个打扮妖艳的老妓女。” 托尔夫人喝了一小口香槟。 “我希望能向你描述出她当时穿的外套。这套服装换任何一个人恐怕也穿不出去，但穿在她身上却堪称完美。还有她戴的那个单镜片眼镜！我认识她已经三十五年了，我还从来没见过她不戴着一副双镜片眼镜。” “但你知道她身材很好。” “我哪里会知道呢？我自打认识她起，她就一直穿着那身你第一次看见她时穿的服装。你当时能看出她的身材好吗？她似乎没有意识到她所引起的轰动，倒认为这样的反应理所当然。我原来一直担心自己的宴会，现在总算欣慰地舒了口气。即使她有点儿不善与人交谈，有了她的这身打扮，其他的也就不重要了。她坐在餐桌的那一头。我听到那里笑声不绝于耳。客人们能在我的宴会上感到开心，这让我很高兴。但宴会结束后我却大吃了一惊。至少有三位先生过来对我说，我的大姑姐是个极为有趣的人，问我如果他们想去登门拜访，她能否答应。我真不知道该如何回答这个问题。二十四小时后，今晚宴会的女主人就给我打来了电话。她说听说我的大姑姐来伦敦了，而且她是一个极为有趣的人。问我能否请她过来吃午饭，也好见见她。这个女人的直觉从来都没有错过。果然不到一个月的时间，所有人都在谈论简。我今天能到这里来，并非由于我是女主人的老相识，请她吃过无数次饭，我能受邀参加这个宴会只是由于我是简的弟媳而已。” 可怜的托尔夫人。这样的地位真是让人感到屈辱。这种局面真可谓是对她的一种报复。虽说我感到很有趣，但我还是觉得应该说点儿什么来安慰她。 “人们一般都喜欢那些使他们开心的人。”我想要安慰她，故而这样说。 “她从来都没有让我笑过。” 从桌子那头又传来了一阵大笑声。我猜简又说了点儿什么逗乐的话。 “你的意思是说，你是唯一认为她并不风趣的人？”我微笑着问道。 “你过去认为她是个懂幽默的人吗？” “我必须承认，我过去也认为她并不幽默。” “她现在说的话跟她这三十五年来说的没有什么两样。我看到大家都在笑，所以我也就跟着笑。我不想让别人认为我是一个十足的傻瓜。但我根本就没感到她的话哪里可笑。” “就像维多利亚女王一样。”我说道。 这是一句比喻不当的俏皮话。托尔夫人立时拉下脸来，直截了当地这样告诉了我。我赶忙岔开话题。 “吉尔伯特也在这里吗？”我一面问，一面用目光在桌子周围搜寻着。 “当然也要邀请吉尔伯特了。如果没有邀请他的话，简是不会来的。但今晚他要去参加一个建筑师协会或什么组织的宴会，所以就没有来这里。” “我非常想再认识认识她。” “吃完饭你直接过去跟她说话就行了。她会邀请你参加她举办的星期二聚会。” “她的星期二聚会？” “她每个星期二都在自己家里举行聚会。你能在那里见到你所听过的任何一个人。这个聚会在伦敦享有盛名。她在一年的时间里就取得了这么大的成功，而我用了二十年都没有做到。” “你对我说的事真如同奇迹一般。她是怎么做到这一点的？” 托尔夫人耸了耸她那美丽但多肉的肩膀。 “你问我，我又问谁去呢？”她回答道。 吃完饭后我就试图向简坐的沙发靠拢，但被人群拦住了。过了一会儿工夫，宴会的女主人走过来对我说： “我必须向你介绍我举办的这场聚会的明星。你认识简·纳皮尔吗？她是一个非常风趣的人。她比喜剧演员还有趣。” 我被引到简坐的沙发旁，吃饭时一直坐在她身旁的元帅现在依然坐在她旁边，而且他丝毫也没有要走开的意思。简同我握了握手，把我介绍给元帅。 “您认识雷金纳德·弗罗比歇爵士吗？” 我们开始闲聊。简与过去一样，还是极端地朴实，毫不忸怩做作，非常自然大方。但她绝妙的打扮使她无论说什么都有一种特殊的韵味。不知不觉间我已经笑得前仰后合了。她说了句什么，非常敏锐，非常贴切，但一点儿也没有故作诙谐的感觉。她说话的样子，她透过眼镜平和地瞅着我的眼光都让人完全无法抗拒。我有一种彻底放松，身心愉悦的感觉。当我离开她身边的时候，她对我说： “如果您星期二晚上没有更好的地方可去，就到我那去玩。吉尔伯特会非常高兴见到你的。” “当他在伦敦住了一个月后，他就会知道，他不会有更好的地方去的。”元帅说道。 就这样，星期二我前往简的住处，但去的有点儿晚。说实话，我对自己周围的客人有点儿吃惊。这里真可谓是作家、画家、政治家、演员、贵妇和知名美女们的大集合。托尔夫人说得对，这确实是一个盛大的派对。自打斯特福德豪斯公馆被卖掉之后，我在伦敦就再也没有看到这么盛大的聚会了。聚会中并没有特意安排吃喝玩乐的项目，茶点虽然谈不上奢侈，但也足够丰富了。简天性沉静，她似乎在自得其乐。我没有看到她为招待客人而忙得不可开交，但客人们却喜欢到她这里来。欢快而令人感到愉快的聚会一直持续到夜里两点才结束。这次聚会之后，我经常与她见面。我不仅经常到她家里去，而且每次应邀外出吃午饭或晚饭，我也总会遇见她。我对幽默不大在行，因此总想发现她怎样才获得了这样特殊的天赋。她说的任何话都让人发笑。就如同某种美酒别人难以仿制一样，她的话同样无法效仿。她不会写诙谐的短诗，她从来也没有惊人的连珠妙语。她的话语中从来没有恶意，也从来不会用冷嘲热讽的语言去伤害他人。有些人认为要风趣就要说些粗鄙的语言，而非言简意赅。但简从来不说任何一句使维多利亚时代的人脸红的话。我确信她的幽默是无意识行为，未经事前考虑。她的幽默就像蝴蝶从一株鲜花飞向另一株一样，只是随性的行为，决然没有任何事先谋划好的方法和意图。她的幽默是通过她说话的方式和她的目光表现出来的。由于吉尔伯特为她设计了这种炫耀而夸张的打扮，她说出的话很自然地就产生了一种微妙的幽默感。但她的打扮只是产生这种幽默感的部分原因。现在只要她开口说话，人们就憋不住要笑。人们也不再为吉尔伯特为何娶一个比他的岁数大那么多的妻子而感到不解了。人们都认识到，与简这样的女人在一起，岁数并不重要。人们开始认为他是一个非常幸运的年轻人。那位海军元帅在跟我评论她时引用了莎士比亚的一句名言：“岁月带不走她的容颜，年华不能使她老去。”吉尔伯特很高兴简取得了成功。我越了解这个年轻人就越喜欢他。现在已经很清楚了，他既不是一个坏蛋，也不是为了金钱而追求简。他不仅为简感到非常骄傲，而且真心爱她。他对她的体贴照料让人为之心动。他是一个非常无私和心地善良的年轻人。 “现在您怎么评价简呢？”有一次他以一种成功的口吻，带点儿孩子气的问我。 “我不知道你们俩谁更神奇一些，”我回答道，“是你还是她。” “哦，我没法跟她比。” “胡说。你不会认为我是一个大傻瓜吧？我难道还看不出来，正是你改变了简，使她现在这么走红。” “我唯一的贡献是，在别人没有发现的时候，我看到了她的非凡之处。”他答道。 “你看出了她身上具有绝佳形象的可能，这我可以理解。但你将她变成了一个幽默大师，这我无论如何也想不明白。” “我一直认为她说的话都非常有趣。她一直就是个幽默大师。” “你可是唯一持这种观点的人。” 托尔夫人很有雅量，她现在知道自己错怪了吉尔伯特。她与吉尔伯特的关系日渐密切。但表面上她依然坚持自己的观点，认为他们的婚姻不可能长久。我感到她这种观点很好笑。 “不会吧？我从来就没有看到过这样一对感情甚笃的夫妇。”我说道。 “吉尔伯特现在已经二十七岁了，这正是一个吸引漂亮女孩的年龄。那天晚上你注意没有，就是在简的派对中，雷金纳德爵士那个漂亮的小侄女，我想简非常注意观察他们俩。我对此有种不祥的预感。” “世界上没有哪个姑娘比得过简，我想她有这个自信。” “那就等着瞧吧。”托尔夫人说道。 “你曾说过他俩的婚姻持续不了六个月。” “哦，现在我修正为三年。” 当一个人固执于他的看法的时候，他其实是希望自己判断错了。人类的天性就是如此。托尔夫人的这个猜测确实是有些过于自信，但最后却是她猜对了。她始终认为这对不相配的夫妻长不了，事实确也果真如此。而且命运总是跟我们开玩笑，你认为会向东，但它却向西。托尔夫人虽然可以为自己猜对了而沾沾自喜，但我想她很快就会意识到自己还是错了。因为事情根本就没有按照她的预测方向发展。 一天，我接到了她的一个电话，要我可能的话立刻去见她。当我被带进客厅后，托尔夫人马上从椅子上站了起来，用一种花豹悄悄靠近猎物一样既悄然无声又快速的脚步向我走来。我看出来她的内心很不平静。 “简与吉尔伯特已经分手了。”她说道。 “真的吗？这么说你猜对了。” 托尔夫人用一种我无法理解的眼神看着我。 “可怜的简。”我喃喃自语道。 “可怜的简！”她重复了一遍我的话，但话音中充满了讽刺，我不禁惊呆了。 她简直不知该怎样告诉我到底发生了什么事。 吉尔伯特前脚离开她家，她后脚就急忙给我打电话，让我过来。他走进她家的时候脸色苍白，一副忧心如焚的样子。她立即就看出来出现了什么不祥之事。他没有开口她就知道他要说什么。 “玛丽恩，简把我甩了。” 她冲他微微一笑，握住了他的手。 “我知道你表现得很绅士。如果别人知道是你甩了她，那她就没有脸面了。” “我到您这里来是指望得到您的同情的。” “哦，我并没有指责你呀，吉尔伯特，”托尔夫人非常和蔼地说道，“这是必然要发生的事情。” He sighed. “我也是这样想的。我无法指望永远拴住她。她太优秀了，而我只是一个再普通不过的人了。” 托尔夫人拍拍他的手。他的表现确实很绅士。 “现在到什么程度了？” “她要跟我离婚。” “简一直说，如果你想要娶哪个姑娘，她不会挡你的道。” “自从我做了简的丈夫，我就从来没有过再娶任何别的女人的念头。”他回答道。 托尔夫人感到迷惑不解了。 “你难道不是说你已经把简给甩了吗？” “我？我怎么可能有这样的想法呢。打死我也不会这样做的。” “那么她为什么要跟你离婚呢？” “与我办完离婚手续后，她要马上嫁给雷金纳德·弗罗比歇爵士。” 托尔夫人尖声叫了起来。她感到自己的头脑中一片空白，不得不掏出嗅盐来闻闻。 “难道是你做了什么对不起她的事吗？” “我什么都没做。” “难道说你就这样答应了她，让她把你利用完后就甩了？” “我俩婚前就有过约定，如果我俩中有一人想要离婚，另一人不得设置障碍。” “但那是为你设置的。因为你比她年轻二十七岁。” “结果这个约定被她用上了。”他语调酸楚地答道。 托尔夫人又是规劝，又是争吵，但吉尔伯特坚持认为既然已经有约在先，那他就不能给简设置障碍。他离开后托尔夫人感到六神无主。将事情经过完整地告诉我之后她才大大地松了一口气。她看到我与她一样对这件事感到吃惊，因而十分开心。如果我没有与她一样对简的这个行为表示愤慨，她就会认为我对男性缺乏尊敬，是一种道德上的犯罪。当她仍然非常激动的时候，客厅的门被推开了，管家将简请了进来。她穿着的服装都是黑色或白色，这无疑与她目前有点儿模糊的身份相配。但她身上服装的样式却非常新颖和奇特，头上戴着的帽子也完全与众不同。她的这身打扮让我一见之下屏位了呼吸。但她依然是那样平和与镇静。她走上前来想要亲吻托尔夫人，但托尔夫人高傲地躲开了。她冷冰冰地说道： “吉尔伯特刚离开这里。” “是的，这我知道，”简微笑着说道，“是我让他过来见你的。我今晚要到巴黎去，我想求你在这段时间里关照关照他。我担心他在开始的这段时间里会有点儿孤独。如果你能关照关照他，我心里会感到好受一些。” 托尔夫人双手一拍，说道： “吉尔伯特刚才对我说了件让我感到难以置信的事。他告诉我说，你要与他离婚，然后嫁给雷金纳德·弗罗比歇。” “你不记得了吗？在我与吉尔伯特结婚前，你曾建议我要嫁给一个与我岁数相当的男人。元帅今年五十三岁。” “但是，简，你现在的一切全要归功于吉尔伯特，”托尔夫人愤愤不平地说道，“如果没有他，你能有今天吗？如果没有他给你设计服装，你什么都不是。” “哦，他答应继续为我设计服装。”简平和地说道。 “没有哪个女人还能找到比他更合格的丈夫了。他对你是始终如一的关爱。” “哦，我知道他很可爱。” “那你怎么还能这样没有良心呢？” “可我从来就没有爱过吉尔伯特呀，”简说道，“我一直是这样告诉他的。我现在开始感到需要一个与我同龄男人的陪伴了。我想我嫁给吉尔伯特的时间够长了。这个年轻人与我没有什么共同语言。”她略微停顿了一下，向我俩露出了迷人的微笑。“我当然不会忘了吉尔伯特。我已经与雷金纳德安排好了。元帅有一个侄女与他很般配。我俩结婚后会马上邀请他俩到马耳他去度假。你俩可能知道，元帅即将就任皇家海军地中海地区的司令官，所以我也要到那里去居住。如果他俩相爱了，我一点儿也不会感到突然。” 托尔夫人从鼻孔中哼出点儿笑声。 “你是否也与元帅达成了协议，如果你俩中某一方想要离婚，另一方不得设置任何障碍？” “我提出了这样的建议，”简泰然自若地回答道，“但元帅说，他看中的人错不了；而他自己也没有再娶其他女人的念头了。如果有人想要娶我，他说他的旗舰上有口径八十二英寸的大炮，他会在近距离内与这个人讨论这个问题。”她通过眼镜看了我俩一眼。即使担心托尔夫人生气，我也止不住笑了起来。“呵呵，元帅真是个多情的男人。” 托尔夫人确实冲我生气地皱下了眉头。 “我从来都不认为自己很风趣，玛丽恩，”简微笑着说道，露出了她光亮而排列整齐的牙齿，“我很高兴能在太多的人对我改变看法之前离开伦敦。” “您要是能告诉我您取得了如此巨大成功的秘密在哪里就好了。”我说道。 她朝我转过脸来，依然是那副我所熟悉的、平和而单纯的神情。 “你不知道，当我嫁给吉尔伯特，我俩定居在伦敦后，不管我说什么别人都要笑。对此，我比任何人都更感吃惊。我这样说话已经有三十年了，没有任何人觉得会惹人发笑。我曾认为这一定是由于我的服装样式或我的短发，要么就是我的眼镜的缘故。但后来我发现，我的话惹人发笑是由于我说了实话。人们认为讲实话很幽默这太不寻常了。终有一天会有某人发现这个秘密。当人们对讲实话习以为常后，人们当然也就不会认为这有什么可幽默的了。” “为什么我是唯一认为这没有什么可笑的人呢？”托尔夫人问道。 简踌躇了片刻，仿佛她真的在寻找一个满意的解释。 “也许是你看待一件事情时只看到了表面现象，亲爱的玛丽恩。”她以自己一贯的方式，语气温和地说道。 这句话无疑是对她的盖棺定论。我感觉简说的话总是能一语破的。她确实是个无价之宝。