Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Casque Isle
We all breathed a sigh of relief early Friday morning when we saw the ferry slowly come into port.The tour guide we met on the first day pushed a trolley and walked towards the shore among the crowd.Before the ship docked, we were already fully armed and waiting.
Ferry schedules are not fixed.I heard that the departure in the afternoon will arrive at Casker Island tomorrow afternoon-if everything goes well.
When we were about to leave, there was a commotion among the inhabitants of the shore.Since the itinerary is completely determined by the time of loading, our departure time has been delayed for a long time. We are the only passengers going to Casque Island.
The arrival and departure of the ferry adds a lot of vivid color to the monotonous life of the islanders.Of course they could never know what kind of people it would bring—strange and different tourists like us were their entertainment and big news for the island.
That night, Temaris, Luca and I sat on the deck, hoping to find sleep in the vastness of night.A bright moon is calmly reflected in the pitch-black ocean, and the waves lapping on the side of the ship are whispering in a low voice, and the elegant air seems to have a scent of fragrance, which makes people feel happy.Every time a school of fish swims past my eyes calmly, I will see flashes of light flashing on the surface of the sea.
At this time, what I care about and worry about the most is almost on the other side of the earth, which is farther away than the night.There were times when I blamed myself for being so stupid and had to get back up and face life bravely.Lost Chris Pie because I didn't dare to stay there, and now?what!I was so foolish as to think I could forget about him because of it.
The two of them were already dozing off, but I could only stare at the calm sea, and all I could see and think of was Chris Pai.
While I was sitting on deck the next afternoon, one of the boatmen suddenly cried out, waving his hand excitedly, and pointed to a jutting piece of land on the horizon. "Cask Island!" he yelled.
That’s it—a green and brown island pierced through the blue sea.
Several sailors were already on the deck preparing to take us ashore, while Luca, Temaris and I stood aside.After so many years, I was finally going to meet my father, and my heart was full of mixed emotions.
Luca put his hand on my arm as if he knew how I felt.
"This will be an extraordinary day for you," he said.
I nod.
"Congratulations on finally meeting the two of you."
"In my opinion, this island is not different from Kador Island at all," said Temaris.
The closer she was to land, the closer her judgment was.Already a few brown-skinned inhabitants had gathered on the shore, all dressed in brightly colored clothes, with chains of beads around their necks and ankles.The music they played was very similar to what I heard that night in Caddo Island.Several naked children were shouting and running happily back and forth on the beach.Women strapped their babies behind their backs — some simply clinging to their mothers’ chests — and stood waiting on the bank, everyone screaming excitedly at the approaching ferry.
"We have to go and see our luggage," Luca said.
"Do you think we are lucky to have a 'Holy Man' take care of us?" Temaris asked.
"Very lucky." I replied.
We found our luggage and it was all ready.As soon as we stepped off the boat, we saw a man with an official attitude walking towards us. He was wearing a blue shirt and a pair of white cotton trousers.
"Miss Hyman! Miss Hyman!" he screamed again and again.
"It's me! It's me!" I yelled. "I'm here!"
His large, dark face was broadened by a wide grin showing dazzling white teeth.He put his palms together and saluted me in a small arc. "Miss Carla gives the order, and I will come."
"Oh, thank you, this is so good!" I exclaimed. "These two are my friends, and we have quite a lot of luggage."
He nodded, grinned, and said, "Leave it to Markla, and Markla will arrange it."
I turn to Temaris and Luca. "I think he must have been sent by my father to fetch us."
I thought he would come here himself.Maybe he had a reason for not coming, I told myself, and that's why he sent this man.
"Kara?" Temaris said. "Who is Kara?"
Markla flicked her fingers arrogantly. "Mando!" he called. "Mando!" Then a ten-year-old boy ran over.
Markla returned to her original tone, while the boy listened carefully, nodding occasionally.Then he turned to us and said, "Follow me." He led us to a carriage drawn by two donkeys. "I'll arrange it," Markla said.
"To Mr. Hyman's?" I asked.
He nodded and said, "I'll make the arrangements." He instructed us to get into the carriage and rest.
"We can't just leave our luggage here and just leave," Temaris said.
That's when the kid showed up with our luggage and he pointed to the back after putting it down.
Markla nodded, turned to us and grinned. "I'll let it go," he said.
"Don't we need to help?" Luca asked.
"If you go with them, you will get separated from us," Temaris pointed out. "It's all very strange, and after all, we're far more important than the luggage. Freddy, I thought your father would come for us. He can't live too far away."
I didn't answer.
We didn't need to worry about the luggage at all, Markla came back in a short time; this time in addition to the child, there was another tall man who brought all our luggage.
We gave them some of the money we had left over at Caddo Island, and both the boy and the tall man looked quite happy.
After sitting down, the carriage drove towards the green grass and trees, and within ten minutes we saw the house.Its entire body was erected, about one meter above the ground, and it was a long, low one-story house. The house was built of white wood, and bushes with bright colors were planted around it.
As we proceeded, the front porch door swung open and a woman stood inside.She is tall? , the graceful face looks like a statue of a Greek goddess, quite attractive.She has her beautiful black hair casually coiled on her head, and her complexion is much paler than that of the islanders we have seen.Her big piercing eyes look tender; her hospitable smile just shows off her perfect teeth.
"You are Frederica," she said, but her eyes were on Temaris, not me.
"No," I said. "I'm the."
Her English has a regular and lilting accent, which sounds charming.
"You're finally here. Lonneld has always wanted you to come."
She habitually accentuated my father's name, and I wondered if she had anything to do with him.
"This is my friend, Lady Marchmont, who came with me."
"Lady Marchmont," she said. "We're all glad you're here."
"This is Mr. Elmo. Thanks to his care, we can go so smoothly. He is a missionary."
For a moment she frowned worriedly, and then laughed again a moment later.
"I'm Carla," she said.
"We heard from that man... Markla... that you sent someone to pick us up."
"That's right."
"Is my father here?"
"He's very glad you're here."
I looked around hopefully, and she continued, "Everyone, please come in, don't just stand outside."
Compared with the scorching heat outside, the indoors are much cooler.There were many windows in the house, and they were all wide open, with screens on the other side to keep mosquitoes out, I guess.The furniture throughout the interior is made of light wood, I think they are all bamboo products.
"You must go see your father first," she said.
She looked at Temaris and Luca in bewilderment.The expression on her face was quite rich, and one could almost read her thoughts directly. She was the kind of straightforward person who was thinking——I should meet my father alone in private.
Luca said calmly and understandingly: "We can wait here. He must be impatient to see you, we'll get to know him sooner or later anyway." That's typical Luca.
I don't mean to be paranoid, but it's all so weird that I think there must be a reason for it.
Luca breathed a sigh of relief, I gave Luca a grateful smile, and Tamariss chose a bamboo chair and sat down.Carla turned to me and said, "Come on!"
She led me down a narrow passage, stopped at a door, opened it, and said very softly, "Here she is."
He was sitting on a chair by the window without even turning his head, which was so eerie.
I followed Carla into the room and stood by his chair.Although he is still sitting, his tall figure can be clearly felt.His graying hair still had a touch of gold in it, and he was - still - quite a handsome man of medium build.In that very strong, low voice he said, "Frederica, my daughter, you have come to see me, at last you have come." He held out his hand and said, "My dear, I cannot see you, My eyes are already blind."
My lips trembled in horror, and I couldn't say a word.He continued, "Come closer."
Then he stood up and reached out to search for me, then his hands fell on my shoulders, and he raised them to feel my face, searching with his sensitive fingers.Then tender lips fell on my forehead.
"Dear child, I have been waiting to meet you for so many years, and now I really look forward to it."
Unlike me, he calmed down quickly from the emotional turmoil, saying he must see Temaris and the enthusiastic young man.I told them my father wanted to meet them and explained that he was blind in both eyes. The news came as a great shock to them; but when he met them he was lively and lively--just as Aunt Sophie had described him. He welcomed Temaris graciously, and said he was overwhelmed with unspeakable joy when he heard that she would come with me; take care of. We sat down to talk while Carla came in with a tray of juice.She joined us, and I noticed at the same time how attentive she was to my father, moving the table until my father's glass was close enough to reassure him. It seems that this housekeeper's status is not simple, I saw a curious look in Temaris's eyes. Finally Luca said he had to go back to church and they were waiting for him! "If you don't mind the old carriage, let Markla take you back," Carla said. "That's the best one we have here. Poor old donkeys that are dying, but they can't be replaced because there are no new ones to replace them. They have been doing very well." "The church is about half a mile from here," my father said. "So we're close neighbors. How did you decide to come here?" "There happened to be a vacancy in the church, so I readily accepted it," Luca said. Father nodded. "We welcome you to come to the humble house for a light meal at any time, Carla, do you think he should come?" "Must come," she replied. When Luca was gone, his father said, "Poor young man, but he looks very honest. I hope everything goes well." "You don't seem to have a very high opinion of the church," I said. "I don't think there's anything wrong here. It's good to maintain the status quo. It's a very difficult job to reform the heretics...Of course, unless the heretics themselves want to be reformed." "And people here don't want to?" He shrugged and said: "I dare say they like the old way of life. If people's hearts are satisfied, then no matter how twists and turns, they can always soothe and calm the wounded heart easily. They don't understand those 'Dun The principle of good neighborliness is that the most important thing is to take good care of yourself, the neighbors are something outside your own door, and they have no time to take care of them.” "Luca's a pretty nice guy," I said. "We all call him 'Holy Luca,'" Tamariss added. Father smiled. "Indeed," he said. "He exudes a gentle and refined atmosphere. I hope you can visit him often." Our room was separated by only one wall. The room was filled with light-colored wooden furniture, a few small rugs on the original wooden floor, and screens were installed outside the windows. Each room had a washbasin and a water jug.I later found out that the water was drawn from a well near the house.The living conditions here are as rough as on Caddo Island, where two families live in a hut-like place with the humility of servants.According to the circumstances, the hospitality we received here was very high. What I longed for most at this moment was to talk to my father alone, and Tamaris seemed to understand my feelings very well. After dinner, she went back to her room early to rest on the grounds of being tired.In this way, I will have a chance to achieve my wish. He took me to the place where we first met. "This is the sanctuary of my study." He said. "I've been here a lot. Kara said you're a bit confused and I should explain everything to you." "Who the hell is Kara?" "This house belongs to her. Her father is British and her mother is a local resident. Her father opened up a large coconut forest here shortly after he came here. He didn't officially marry her mother, but he took good care of Kara. Gar. She's a very smart woman... and very charming; in fact, she's a very nice person, and I know you two will get on well. After her father, Dan Malin, passed away, the house was , a forest farm and a large amount of property are all left to her, and she has great power on this island." "Do you live here with her?" He smiled and said: "We are very good friends. After the accident—" He rubbed his eyes, "She brought me here." "Aunt Sophie told me about you, but never about your blindness." "She didn't know it herself. I didn't tell her about it." "However, you continued to correspond with her. I thought you were still in Egypt until I decided to come and see you." "I was in Egypt for a while, when... you know, I was serving, and then... after I got out of the army Just stay there... There are other places to engage in various transactions.But all this has passed, and there is no need to confuse yourself with wasted years. " "Then those days were wasted?" "How is it possible, I have a very happy life. It's just that now I no longer only care about myself selfishly, I have learned to look at the people and things around me with a caring heart." "I really want to know more about you. I've known for years that I had a father but never met one, and I knew very little about you, even before Aunt Sophie started talking about you .” "You can't quite believe everything she says, she's always been so kind to me." "Whenever she mentions you, there will always be a look of love in her eyes. She likes you very much." "I like her a lot too. Thanks to her over the years, I've learned something about your situation, and I was really happy when I knew you were moving in with her." "This arrangement is the most perfect for me." "Whenever I think about the comfort you two can find in each other, it makes my heart a little easier. Sophie has always known how to...comfort." There was strong regret in his voice.I really want to ask about the relationship between them, I know she has always loved him deeply, and I think he loves her too.There are so many things I want to know, but I don't expect to find all the answers at once. "I want to know more about Kara," I said. "So in other words, the house is hers, and we are her guests." "I live here too." "As a guest?" "Not exactly." After a short silence, he continued: "You may already know my ups and downs in life. Your mother and I, we divorced, do you know why?" "You two are not happy together." "It's better for her without me, and we'll never be happy together. I don't intend to be a saint...not at all like your Luca. I don't think I'm like most men; like me This kind of man will never be without a... partner in his life." "You and Kara?" I asked. He nodded and said, "We're like family." "You can get married... can't you?" "Of course, I'm a bachelor now, and she was married once...I think it was for money, maybe not quite, but I bet money must have driven him to do it. He probably wanted to get her but it failed because she was a shrewd strong woman. Now he is dead. Yes, we could marry, but it's not like the English countryside - the neighbors are always staring around, deep Afraid of anything degrading and disrupting social order. Kara never thought about getting married, and neither did I. But this does not hinder the fact that we get happiness from each other. Daughter, you are scared by me after hearing what I said Reached?" "No, I think that's what life is all about. She's a very kind person." "She's half Aboriginal, half Anglo-Saxon, which is an interesting combination. I met her in Egypt when she was traveling, and I immediately liked her fresh, straightforward and upbeat voice." attitude; 'live for today' is her philosophy of life and mine. We became friends in Egypt and then my health came to a red flag and she has taken care of me ever since. My mood has fallen to the bottom, and I am full of fear of the dark world in front of me. My dear child, your father has never been afraid of anything in his life. At that time, he even began to pray: 'Dear God, I wish Give me everything around me for my precious eyes.' God ignored my pleas, but sent me Carla." He held my hand like that for a while, before continuing, "Kara is a wonderful person, a natural mother. I don't understand how a woman like that can be childless. She's with me. I lived through the days of depression and despair, and brought me here, she has a lot of weight in my heart. Her father who doted on her left her this house, and by the standards of the residents of the island, she is Very rich, she owns thousands of high-yielding coconut trees, and takes care of these forest farms in every possible way, no less than a man; she also takes care of me like a mother, a real strong woman worthy of the name. She not only takes care of these Coconut Grove is my patron saint, Frederica, if it weren't for her presence, I would never have endured the fact of blindness alone." I said, "You should go back to England and find us. I'm sure Aunt Sophie will take care of you." He shook his head and said, "Even though I know she's going to do it, I still can't go back to her. There are a few times I've thought about it... But that was before I went blind. You know, at first..." "I know, she told me. She thought you would marry her, but she didn't expect the bride to be my mother." "Oh……" "She'll understand." "It's useless. I don't deserve Sophie's sacrifice for me. I can't live my life the way she expects." "All she wants is the real you." "But she has a more precious pearl—my daughter." "It turns out that Kara is taking care of you these days. She has graciously let you share her house...and her life." "That's all she asked for." "So, are you happy here?" He was silent for a while, and finally said: "Although my body has been disabled, I still live comfortably. All things are always two sides of the same coin. There are gains and losses, and my blindness is not all. Sad. Whenever there was a footstep, I would have fun trying to figure out who it was, and I'd say to myself, 'This is Markra... or Little Mando.' I recognize Kara's footsteps, I became very sensitive to all kinds of noises made by people after being blind. Because of this, I often think of those frivolous and indulgent days in the past; and for those unpleasant things, I always have a way to avoid them It takes a lot of skill to think about it, and sometimes I say to myself, 'You're blind. Maybe you lost your most precious asset, but God compensated you for the loss.' And then I start Thinking about it, I have Carla's love, and my daughter has traveled halfway around the world to see me."
A week passed, and I felt as if I had lived my whole life on this island, a long time. In the dead of night, I would lie in bed thinking of Chris Pie and Aunt Sophie, and asking myself if I was doing the right thing.It was a great thing to come and meet my father, and I'm glad we got along so well, like we've known him all our lives, and it's all thanks to Aunt Sophie.I can see that he must have a considerable influence on everyone, at least he has won my heart.I often chat with him.We always sit together under the tree side by side, listening to the gentle waves whispering softly in our ears, and then he will tell the days of youth and frivolity one by one.It was obvious that he was happy that I was here with him. It's just that whenever the night falls, the distant hometown will return to me, and the face of Chris Pai begging me not to leave keeps appearing in front of my eyes, and I can almost hear him uttering a sentence in pain. Say: "I'll find a solution, there must be a way." I will try not to think about what happened in the bush plantation in St. Aubie's Garden, and Guston.Scenes of Marchmont lying there stiff, but it was all for naught. This is a very beautiful island, but I think it's like all tropical islands in the world: broad palm trees swaying in the wind, lush green branches and leaves, thunderstorms shaped like flash floods, scorching hot sun, don't care people, lazily, let the time pass by the wind. I'm glad Temaris likes it here, I think the main factor is that it's more than five hundred miles away from home.I don't believe at all that she had anything to do with that murder—but, as she said, usually in a case like this, the wife is usually on the list of suspects. She often laughed at the group of awkward, funny children, and they were obviously very interested in her.Usually no matter where she goes, there will always be one or two children following her, and some bold ones will go forward to touch her fair skin and golden hair that shines like waves on her shoulders. She has always liked the feeling of being valued, so she always showed a look of joy, so it didn't take long for her to become the favorite of these children. We used to explore around the island a lot.Not far from the shore there is a potter sitting cross-legged on the floor, and we often stop there to watch him make these pots—the products include a variety of platters and flower vessels.To impress him, we all bought some to take home, while a group of kids—Tamaris admirers—gave in to witness the whole transaction. The other merchants sat on coir woven mats and waited, their eyes searching for tourists as soon as the ferry came ashore, hoping that the handicrafts on their stalls would attract the attention of tourists. Many people warned us not to go into the bush without a guide and be careful not to encounter snakes. Of course, we also visited the church - it was like a thatched barn, gloomy at first glance, the only decoration on the pale walls was the crucifixion, this place There is simply no kindness and enthusiasm at all. "What a gloomy, boring place!" Temaris said to Luca who showed us around. At one end of the room was a kitchen cabinet, with a blackboard on a shelf beside it. "This room is specially designed for classrooms." Luca said. "Oh, so where are the students?" Temaris said. "Someday it will come." Luca introduced us to John.Havers and his sister Morel knew each other.They have been on Casque Island for two years, but admit that their progress has been slow due to the deliberate obliteration of the islanders. "It's a different place than the last time we worked," John.Havers said. "It's bigger and less isolated. Here, you have to start from scratch, and you're dealing with a bunch of people who don't care, who don't care." "That's why Mr. Elmore came," continued Morel. "You haven't found a student yet?" I said. "There used to be some kids who would come, but they didn't stay very long. I used to prepare cookies in the morning for them to eat at eleven o'clock recess, I tried to teach them, but I knew they came for the cookies. , they always sat there happily eating, and then all ran away after eating." "This is the end of bribery." Temaris said lightly. "I'm afraid that is the best way to combine all kinds of evaluations." Maurier Havers said. "Those poor little things," Temaris said afterward. "I don't think they'd want to sit in class and listen to Miss Hayvers, no matter how delicious the biscuits are." Every meal at Carla's house was festive, and it must have been carefully planned by Carla and my father.The extravagant feast was served us silently by several barefoot servants. Carla and my father often talked about their time in Egypt, and it sounded like they were involved in a lot of anecdotes, and it usually took us a long time to finish a meal. "Poor Luca," Temaris said suddenly one day. "It must have been hard living in church with the Hayforss." "They're all good people," Kara said. "It's just that sometimes it's too good to not know how to relax. They live too seriously, and I feel for both of them." "Can we invite them over for dinner?" Tamalis asked. "Oh my God!" Carla exclaimed. "Sorry, I should have thought of this earlier." "Actually," said the father. "I'm also thinking that we should invite Luca to our house as soon as possible. He has really taken care of you two along the way." "We should do it," Carla echoed. "Also, I'll invite Tom Holloway to come with me." "Tom Holloway," my father explained. "He's the director of the forest farm, and he's a very nice guy, Carla, do you agree with me?" "He's a pretty good guy, just a little melancholy, and people don't live to be melancholy." "We'd love to meet him, don't you, Temaris," I said. "Of course I don't mind." That was her answer. "Then we'll book it tomorrow," Carla said. "Isn't it too urgent to notify them shortly?" I asked. Carla burst out laughing—her way. "It's not often that they get the opportunity to eat out, and I assure you, they do." "The social circle on Caskers is quite small," the father added. "They will come." Before they came, my father briefly told me something about Tom.Tell me about Holloway. "He used to be an agent of imported coconut wool woven mats in the UK. Coconuts have always been used in a variety of ways! Tom Holloway's business network spread all over England. Later, his wife died of dystocia, and his child also died. From then on, he Can't get up from the grief. Kara often sees him from time to time because of her business relationship. At that time, she was very horrified by his sudden change, so I think you can guess by now-she is the kind of Someone who is willing to do anything for a friend—well, her opinion is that Tom needs to go to a new environment and put the past sadness behind him. So she surprised her by suggesting that he take over the management position of the forest farm What's more, he agreed immediately." "Does this method really work?" "Probably some! It's been two years—almost—and his willpower has been strong. I think for a while he really forgot about the unpleasant stuff and threw himself into the forest business. He learned how to manage These guys, and having fun doing it! Kara has been wanting to watch him settle down - but it's not easy." "Kara is such a good woman!" He nodded, showing a very happy look.
Although Luca looked a little downcast, the dinner was generally a success.I noticed that Luca was no longer the energetic, upbeat young man we had known on the boat.John and Morel.Havers spoke sincerely about the church, but I still couldn't let go of a thought in my mind—they didn't know much about the people around them. I later mentioned to my father that they seemed to regard the residents here as uncivilized savages, rather than just a bunch of ordinary people who could not accept new ideas. In fact, the people here are very simple-minded.I also guessed that Morel didn't approve of the relationship between my father and Carla. Temaris seemed very happy; after seeing them off, we all went to our rooms to rest, and then she came to my room to discuss the evening's affairs with me. "How do you feel?" she asked. "Everything is going very well. I think Luca must be very happy to have a good meal." "Poor friend," Temaris said softly. "Well, a downcast look, but I'm not surprised at all—living under the same roof as that boring brother and sister, no wonder." "It's not that they are completely boring and uninteresting, it's just that they can't grasp the current situation and panicked." "Unable to grasp, flustered! They are missionaries, aren't they? They should be full of confidence and move forward bravely. On this small island far away from the hustle and bustle, what the residents need most is a spiritual belonging! Poor Luca! We have to visit him more often to cheer him up and keep him happy." "You're absolutely right." "I don't know what your father thinks of this matter." "I'll talk to him. By the way, Temaris, how are you feeling? Is everything all right?" "I don't think about the past very much now." "That's fine." "And you?" "I think about it a lot." "Actually, you don't need to escape like this." "...my father wants to meet me." "But you've just gotten engaged to Chris Pie—oh, I know you don't want to talk about it. Guston's my husband, and he's been murdered, and that's why I'm so desperate to go." "I understand, of course I understand all of this. I just feel that I should also go away for a while." "Is it because of that? You don't know anything about Guston, do you?" "No, it's not like that. It has nothing to do with it." "What are you hiding?" she said. I didn't deny it, didn't answer it, and just let the sentence hang in the air. At the same time, I realized the fact that no matter how much this trip affected Temaris, it probably wouldn't have much effect on me. I went out with Temaris early the next morning.Not long after we left, we saw three or four children sitting on the ground playing games. As we walked forward, they immediately got up and ran towards us. All eyes were on Temaris. They ate and ate Smiling silly, completely out of control. "I'm happy," Temaris said with a smile. "I really like you little brats." This made them laugh even more uncontrollably, each pair of eyes fixed on her, as if expecting her to say something more. We walked on, and they followed us closely.We walked to the shore, past vendors who sat cross-legged on straw mats with their wares on display. We stopped in front of the potter.There are two large vases on his straw mat, the style is simple and elegant, and it looks beautiful.Temaris looked at them with admiration and admiration, and the owner also looked at us with joyful eyes.Are we making them especially interesting?I doubt it.Are we so different from theirs in how we look, how we speak, and how we behave? Temaris picked up the two big vases, and the group of children immediately surrounded her, every little face showed an excited expression. She brought the two vases in front of him, looked at him inquiringly, and then he offered a price. "I want this one," Temaris said. "What did you buy this big vase for?" I asked. "You'll know then, I want another one." 此举引起了更大的骚动，几个女人和小孩都跑过来看热闹，邻近摊位上的那个男人眼中流露出既期待、又羡慕的神情。 “佛莱迪，你拿这一个。”她说。“我拿另外那个，我要买下这对花瓶。” “我真想不出你买它们有什么用。” “我想得出。”泰玛莉丝说。 其中一个孩子欢天喜地地跳了起来；其他的则在他们一手交钱一手交货时挤成一团。 “来，跟我走。”泰玛莉丝说。孩子们开心地跟在我们身后，在往教会的途中，还有几位陆陆续续加入我们的阵营里。 她推开门，走入大厅。 “到了！”她高兴地说。“我打算把它们摆在这里。我们该到小溪边取水放在花瓶里，一个放在门边，另一个……”她看了看四周。“对了，就放在那两个窗子中间。现在，我需要一些美丽的花，红色的好了，红色是最活泼生动的颜色，可以使这个地方看起来既温馨、又亲切。走吧！我们先去取些水来。” 那群孩子全部都跟我们到溪边，他们像失控的野马般，一路兴奋地又蹦又跳的，好不开心。 “接下来是花。”她转向孩子们。“走吧！你们不能只是光站在那里笑，还得要帮我。我们要采一些花，红色的……就像这个一样……还有淡紫色，就像这个一样的。那边还有很多。” 她说得一点也没错，这里一眼望过去全是娇艳的花朵。她先采一些做示范，并让他们了解得照她的样子做。她把这群孩子分为两组，一组采红色的花，另一组采淡紫色的花。 一会儿，我们全部人马便又回到教会了。泰玛莉丝跪在花瓶前，把红色的花放进里面；孩子们百思不解地看着她，并一直不断地把花送到她面前。 “真美，”她大叫。“这里，太好了。” 她从一位耸着肩的女孩手中接过一朵花，那女孩眼看着她把花放入花瓶时，开心地大笑了起来。 最后，泰玛莉丝终于站起来宣布道：“这瓶花真是美极了！”她高兴地拍着手，所有的孩子也都跟着鼓掌。 “来吧！现在该换淡紫色的花了。”泰玛莉丝说。 孩子们都雀跃不已，争先恐后地抢着拿给她。她有技巧地安排花朵，使它们呈现出最美丽的一面：不过花再怎么美，也抵不过这群心花怒放的孩子更悦人。 当地总算完成时，孩子们都高兴地拍手着，就在这同时——摩瑞儿．海佛斯走了进来。 “我的天！”她大叫，瞪着呈现在她眼前的景象。我怀疑她可能从来没见过这么多孩子在这里聚集过，他们全转过头看她，脸上依然挂着笑容，不过他们的目光并没离开泰玛莉丝太久。 “我觉得花朵可为这里带来一点新气象。”泰玛莉丝说。 “你说的一点也没错，”摩瑞儿．海佛斯说。“可是……这些孩子！” “他们只不过是进来帮忙罢了。”泰玛莉丝说。 她的声音中很明显地流露出得意扬扬的讯息。我心里想着：她变了，我不知道到底发生什么，但她真的变了。
我们来到这个小岛已有三个星期了。日子虽然过得很慢，不过时光依旧从指间飞逝了。我常自问着：我到底在这里做什么？该回去了，佛莱迪。我常想到，如果当初苏菲姨妈没在戴维兹看到凯萨琳．卡菲尔，我的生命也不会有这么大的转变。我本该和克里斯派过着幸福快乐的日子，把这件事遗忘在角落里；不行，这么做是行不通的，她一定会再出现，我们这一生将永远无法从恐惧、勒索、伪装中逃出。克里斯派说的那句话不断在我的耳里回响起：“一定有解决之道的。”他有意将这件事隐瞒起来，他是个全身充满秘密的男人，我不是一直都有这种感受吗？但是，我依然爱他，全心全意地爱着他；而如今我却一再反覆地告诉自己：不过你却不认识他，他的背后隐藏太多不可告人的秘密了。 然后我又对自己说：我必须回到那个心爱的地方，我无法承受心中不时浮现的失落感。 看来泰玛莉丝的适应力比我好太多了。不过她是逃出来的，抛在她身后的全是一些不值得留恋的过去。她和家人的关系并不亲近——母亲从小就忽略她，她们之间从来没有伟大的母女之爱，她为克里斯派感到骄傲，也如手足般地敬爱他，但他们之间也仅止如此而已。她的脖子上根本没有拴住她的绳索，挽留她的心。我不难想像，总有一天当她厌倦这座岛及岛上的居民时……不过目前她所需的，就是这种新奇、愉快的生活体验。 一开始她对汤姆．郝洛威还有点兴趣，不过他却严谨地感受不到这一些。他的心依然为妻子的死哀伤着，所以无心再去挑拨另一场情缘。泰玛莉丝挺喜欢路卡的，她常叫他“那个大好人”，语气中总是带有一点嘲讽的意味。我猜她只是在做无力的抗争，想藉此保护自己不被他吸引，此举真是令人想不透——通常她都会伸出求援的手，找男人来保护她。 不管怎么说，她的确常往教会跑。她一出现，孩子们也都跟着聚集在周围，无形中使她更喜欢这群孩子了。他们会为了接近她而大打出手，无论她做了什么事、说了什么话，他们总是痴痴地看着她笑。 “他们看起来好像在盼望我能逗他们开心，”她说。 “我真得说他们是很令人激赏的观众。路卡很开心……约翰和摩瑞儿也是，他们说：“无论背后隐藏的原因是什么，能让孩子们来教堂已经算很好的了。 " 她从陶工那儿买回更多的花瓶。 她说：“每当我看到他，他总是把我当成女皇般和我打招呼，那些孩子依然按时间带花来给我。前几天我讲了一个故事给他们听，他们一个字也听不懂，不过却都聚精会神地听，好像这是一则最惊心动魄的故事般。你非亲眼看看他们的模样不可！事实上我讲的是'小红帽'，大部分都用比手划脚地'演'出故事情节。你真该看看当大野狼出现时，他们那副兴奋的模样，他们一会儿开怀大笑、一会儿欢呼喝采，并且还不断地抚摸、拉扯着我的头发。这个战果收获很大，摩瑞儿说我应该引用圣经上面的故事；或许，哪天我会试试看，不过就目前为止除了'小红帽'之外，我不想一下让他们接受太多。他们知道大野狼在什么时候会出现，并且都会装出害怕的样子，他们会匍匐在地上爬行，并大喊着：'大野狼！大野狼！大野狼是个坏蛋'……居民们也都学会这句了。我告诉你，这一切真是有趣极了。” 我很高兴看到她这么地快乐，也知道路卡对这件事感到很开心。 一艘比渡轮大上几倍的船停泊在岸上，使得岛上的居民兴奋不已。泰玛莉丝和我走到岸边去，熙来攘往的人潮及喧哗声把整个地方都占满了。小船在海中来回穿梭着，几个观光客也上了岸，他们走过来和我们聊天，并且说明他们是从雪梨出发，在各个岛屿中穿梭观光，他们已到过卡多岛及其他一些小岛了；不过，他们说：每个岛看来看去都差不多。 他们很惊讶我们是以作客的身份待在这里的。 孩子们在一旁徘徊着，兴趣勃勃地看着我们交谈。那天下午，陶工卖出的杯子和浅盘数量，比他一整个月的收入还多。工艺品、草帽及提篮也都卖了不少。 当船离去时，岸上目送它消逝的人们，眼底都流露出哀凄的情感。 这艘船递送了几封信到卡斯克岛来，我收到了两封——一封是克里斯派寄的，另一封则来自苏菲姨妈。 我把信拿到房间里，细细地独自品尝来自故乡的思念。 首先是克里斯派的信—— Dear, I miss you so much!你要回家了吗？放下手边的一切，立刻回来。我知道自己无论如何都得把这件事处理好，我会让她同意和我离婚的，我会爱上别人，其实是她罪有应得，我有权利提出离婚的要求，我有所需的一切证据，且也雇用了一位律师，目前正在进行着。 少了你生活变得暗淡无味了，好像没有什么事是要紧的。我目前唯一的愿望就是——希望你搭下班船，立刻回家。Why!即使如此，还得等上好一段时间呢！不过，只要想着你已在回家的路途中，我的心便会好过一些。 一切都会没事的，你只要想着：我将找出一个解决之道，从这一团乱象中理出一条路来，只要她能离我们远远的……永远不再出现。相信我，我一定会找出解决之道的；而当那一天来临时，如果你还没回到我身边，我可就要到那里把你抓回来。 我知道你过得不快乐——如同我一样。在某方面来说，其实我很高兴你有此反应，如果你已不再在乎我，我是会受不了的。你知道，不论发生什么事，我今生今世是离不开你的了。求求你，快回家好吗？ 你的姨妈非常想念你，我知道她过得很不快乐。 我想她会同意我所说的：你根本不该离开我们的。 致上我永远的爱克里斯派 由苏菲姨妈的信看来，我知道她也在质疑着：当初怂恿我离去是否真的是明智的抉择。She wrote: 我们都很想你。可怜的克里斯派是最不快乐的一个了，他真的很爱你，佛莱迪，我看得出这次离别把他的心都摔碎了。他不是那种轻易付出感情的人，不过当他爱上一个人时，他便会深深地陷在里面，不可自拔。我想他有些生气，生我的气，因为是我看到凯萨琳．卡菲尔，并把这件告诉了你。可怜的孩子，他必须找个人来发泄，我并不怪他。他说他会找出办法摆脱她，他说得那么有说服力，我真的相信他会有办法的，毕竟当初是她离他而去的。我不知道目前的确切情势是怎么样，但我会祷告希望一切都能顺利。 佛莱迪，他需要你。你或许会认为他是那种能掌控一切事宜，且又能照顾自己的男人；没错，他的外表的确让人有此错觉，但我知道他的内心正在受苦痛的煎熬。这让我深深地感受到人生残酷的一面，一个人如果在年轻时冲动地走错一步，就会平平白白地断送了一生的幸福。不过，他不会让这种事发生的，而且我认为他是那种不达目的，绝不干休的男人。 亲爱的孩子，我希望你和你父亲能相处得很融洽、很快乐，我想这是不容置疑的——我太了解你们俩了。他很讨人喜欢，不是吗？你一定要把对他的观感告诉我。 还有，佛莱迪，我想你该考虑回家的事了。你父亲想和你见面，他是不是病了？希望能有他的近况消息，千万别瞒着我什么。从他的来信中，我可以感觉出有什么不对劲的事发生了，这也是我急着要你过去的原因之一，当然了，我也认为在克里斯派把事情解决之前，你最好能离开一阵子。 不过，如今你应该考虑什么时候要回家。我知道你才刚到不久，不过如果你可写信告诉我何时回家，我想这对克里斯派会有帮助的。 好好照顾自己，我的爱 愿上帝和你在一起，并且爱着你苏菲姨妈 我反覆地看了好几次，想到我们之间遥遥相隔这么远，我必须尽快回去。
父亲对我说：“家里寄来的信？” "yes." “这就是你悲伤的原因，是不是想家了？” “我想……是的。” 他把手放在我的手上，就这样静静地手握着手。 “你是不是该告诉我了？”他说。 于是我便告诉他。我把事情从头到尾全告诉他了：从我第一次和克里斯派见面的情形，及当时他无心的一句话让我痛苦了好久；古塚树林所发生的不幸事故；在邸园工作的那段时间，我们之间爱的火苗是如何串烧起来的。我还告诉他有关克里斯派的妻子重回哈普葛林的事，并也同时粉碎了我们俩编织的美梦；解释克里斯派原本打算不把事实告诉我，继续照着原订的计划进行。 “原来如此，而这件事让你感到很震惊，”父亲说。“我想问题就出现在：你根本不确定自己想要什么。你非常爱他，不是吗？” “我的确很爱他。” “而在这同时，你并不完全肯定他对你的心意。” “我相信他是爱我的，但是……” “但是……”他鼓励地说。 “有件事我无法解释，它一直阻挡在我们俩之间，甚至在这之前……就在那里了。” “秘密之类的事吗？” “我是这么认为。有时它就像一个障碍物般，横跨在我们俩之间，我之所以会注意到是因为我们彼此相爱相知的缘故。但有好几次我都感觉到……自己永远也无法越过这面墙。” “你为何不亲口问他呢？” “很奇怪地，他从来没提起过这件事。虽然这件事一直搁在他心里，但他却无意让我知道。后来发生了那个事件后，他才承认原本是打算瞒着我——不把他根本毫无立场结婚的事实告诉我——让我按照计划举行一场不具任何法律成效的婚礼。之后我才察觉另一件事才是最大的关键所在。” “你已经都解释过了，”他说。“我想你虽然爱着他，但却无法完全相信他。我说得对不对？” “我觉得他的心里有个秘密，但他却不愿告诉我……一个很重要的秘密。” “和他第一次婚姻有关吗？” “没有。他和其他人都一致相信他的妻子已经死了。所以当她回来时，才会使他惊讶得不知所措……我们每个人的惊吓程度都是不分上下的。” “所以这是早在这些事之前，一个邪恶到令人难以启齿的秘密。当你的脑子里想着这些事时，心里还依然爱着他吗？” “是的，我还是深爱着他。” “在这世上，没有什么比爱更重要的了，这一点你必须了解。'信、希望和宽恕，而其中最伟大的就是宽恕。'宽恕就是爱的表现，这是真理，只要你的心中有爱，再大的困难都能克服。” “我只想知道隐藏在背后操控我们的那个秘密。” “在你立誓嫁给他时，它就在那里了，而那时你还开开心心地想和他白头偕老。” “的确。当我和他在一起时，我真的可以把那些疑惧全抛在脑后。它们看起来是那么地模糊，那么地不真实，那么地愚蠢。” “有些人对快乐有恐惧感，总是抱着怀疑的眼光去看它。他们认为'快乐'太美好了，不可能是真实的，于是便开始鸡蛋里挑骨头——想从中找出一些瑕疵来。你想，你是不是有这样的倾向？” “或许吧！我也无法确定。这其中真的暗藏着某件不可告人的秘密，而且还阴魂不散地跟着他。” “他会告诉你的。等到你们俩结婚后，他就不会再害怕失去你了，到时他自然会告诉你的。” “他现在为什么害怕、不敢告诉我？” “这个答案，和当初他不敢将妻子回来的事告诉你的理由一样——他的一切所做所为，全都是出自那颗害怕失去你的心。” “这种作法是不诚实的。” 父亲精明的眼睛闪闪发亮地笑着说：“这就是爱，我们不是都已认同——生命中，没有什么比真爱更能打动人心的了，记得吗？”
我分别写了一封信给克里斯派和苏菲姨妈。我并没把父亲失明的事告诉苏菲姨妈，我察觉到若他想让她知道的话，他会告诉她的。等到下一班回雪梨的船来时，这两封信就将漂洋过海，横越大半个地球——回到英国，这整段旅途得花上好长一段时间才能到达目的地。 我不断地说服自己：该回家了。他们俩都这么要求我，不论将来的后果如何，我都必须陪在他们身边。 汤姆．郝洛威的拜访次数很频繁，卡拉一向都很好客。如今连路卡和海佛斯兄妹也常来了，卡拉确定他们在教会的食物一定不够吃，他们一共才请了两个仆人。卡拉说：恐怕是因为摩瑞儿太过关心充实心灵上的事，而忽略到生理上的需求吧！ 路卡每次来到这里都显得开心多了，当初在船上的那个乐观知命的男孩，如今已逐渐地消逝了。他满怀抱负地想改变这个教会，但却因有阻挠而进退不得——他并不想对海佛斯兄妹无礼，虽然这两年来事实已证明：他们俩没能力经营这个教会。 泰玛莉丝已经开始引诱这些孩子到教会去了，如今他们之中有好几位都成了教会的常客。不过他们都是去看泰玛莉丝的，虽然她试着讲“乐善好施者”的故事给他们听，但他们依然坚持要听“小红帽和大野狼”的故事。 可怜的路卡！他是那么专注，投入了这么大的心思只为了做他想做的事。 一天下午，汤姆带我们——泰玛莉丝、路卡和我三人——参观林场。穿梭在高耸的椰子树下，举头望去——便看到一颗颗顽强的椰子在阳光下耀武扬威着。汤姆带我们到编织椰毛垫子的小屋里去，这里算是大宗交易的制造圣地了；我们也一道参观他的办公室，和他那位埋头苦干的助理打招呼。 我们还参观了他生活起居的基地——那幢房子的空间很宽敞，室内的摆设也都很俱全，我猜这些都是卡拉为他安排的吧！一位供他使唤的仆人送果汁过来给我们，我们就这样坐在走廊上看着围绕在四周的林场。汤姆问起有关教会的事；路卡把居民们漠不关心，使得推动起来倍加困难的事全告诉他。 “语文沟通是症结所在，”汤姆说。“这对我而言比较容易，我只要试范一次给他们看，他们就会照着做，这些为我工作的人全都是岛上最优秀的。并不是所有的人都愿意撒下汗水赚取金钱的；有些人宁愿躺在阳光底下，舒舒服服地过日子——这全是迷漫在四周的热流造成的，使得他们养成这种无忧无虑、随心所欲的个性，除非他们动怒了，否则他们就和一只毫无杀伤力的猫一样。他们生气起来的样子是很吓人的。” “这是真的，”路卡说。“那天有两个人为了一小块毫无价值的土地争吵不休。两个人都声明这块土地是自己的，他们互相诅咒对方，后来居然连刀子都亮出来了，要不是当时有人急忙去找老首领来，恐怕他们不争到'不是你死，便是我活'的地步，是绝不罢休的。” “的确，”汤姆说。“我知道你说的那个人是谁——欧兰姆。他虽然是个矮小的老人，但那双炯炯有神的眼睛很不寻常，好像有魔力般让人不敢直视；瞳孔周围有白色一圈一圈的东西，很可能是什么眼疾吧！不过他至高无上的权力便是从这里散发出的。” “最后那件事终于摆平了，”路卡继续说。“我为他的权威感到相当不可思议。” “他是一个有智慧的男人。他使人们产生相当程度的紧张和不安。很明显的，你所看到的例子完满地被解决了，不过事情不是一向都这么顺利的，有时候他会变得很……吓人。他被公认拥有某些特殊的神力，如果他告诉一个人他将会死去，那么不久那个人就会死。” “我听说过这种事，这太可怕了。”路卡说。 “我必须小心这个人，千万别惹他；和他保持良好的关系，不时地送他一些小礼物，因此我们已经算是朋友了。” “这些人千奇百怪的，就算花了一辈子的时间也归不出个结论来，”泰玛莉丝说。“可惜他们不像这群孩子一样——他们既天真又甜美。” “泰玛莉丝和他们处得相当好。”路卡下了个评断。 “那是因为我头发的颜色吸引了他们的注意力，”泰玛莉丝说。“小孩子嘛，好奇心比较重。” “岛上的居民大多只想开心地过日子，”汤姆解释道。“他们会工作一段时间，但你对他们的要求不能太高。他们喜欢在这里工作，觉得这份职业很值得骄傲；欧兰姆并不反对这个想法，因为我让他觉得我很尊敬他，所以到目前为止都还算是平平顺顺的。去年他们有个重大的节庆，幸好一切的进行非常顺利。今年也快举行了，我都已经开始着手准备了，不过第一年总觉得很诡异。” “怎么说？”泰玛莉丝问。 “庆典进行期间，岛上居民是不工作的。起先我不知道，且没人警告，所以也没理会。庆典的过程有一套特定的仪式——全天不停、彻夜无休地嘶喊着，并且手上都各举着一把长矛（不知他们平时如何保存的，除了庆典期间，我们谁也没机会看到这些长矛）。欧兰姆是全程最突出的人物，事实上，这种个庆典都是他一手策划的。他们踩着脚，绕着圈圈不停地跳，每个人都一副凶猛残暴样。那时我正决定出门观赏这场盛会时，卡拉来到这里，她告诉我庆典活动会持续两天之久，在这段期间内最好离他们远一点。那晚他们通宵达旦地嘶喊了一整夜，扰得我们全都心神不宁。直到这一切结束了，他们才又平静下来，恢复原状。” “他们这么做又代表了什么呢？” “听说是战前藉以提高士气的仪式——或许类似我们所谓的军事演习吧——以免被其他岛屿部族侵略。” “这种事发生机率很小。”路卡说。 “现在是不用担心了，英国和法国派来的船舰不时地在各个岛间巡逻着，有谁敢造反。不过他们还是继续举行这个仪式，祈求神灵来保护他们。而且，欧兰姆能记得这个传统的习俗，并致力于保持的工作，其实是件很可喜的事。” “这简直和巫术毫无两样，不是吗？”泰玛莉丝说。“郝洛威先生，生活在这之间你难道不害怕吗？” “现在我们全都在它的掌握中了。”汤姆说。 “没错。但是你的情形更糟，你是完全被它包围了。” 汤姆耸耸肩说：“你错了，他们是一群温和的人，除非他们被激怒才可能会有危险，而我是不可能会去惹他们的。” “我们所要做的是——让他们了解另一种生活方式，”路卡说。“教导他们敦亲睦邻，我相信有上帝的帮助，我们一定能成功的。” “我相信你们一定会成功的。”我说。 然后汤姆问到有关教会的事，他听说现在每天早上都会有一群孩子会主动往那里跑。 泰玛莉丝哈哈地大笑了起来。“他们是为了'小红帽' 及拉扯我的头发才去的。” “这是一个好的开始。”路卡说，柔情似水地对着她笑。 “我也乐在其中。”泰玛莉丝回应他。“我真想见见那个……叫什么名字来着……欧兰姆，是吗？” “别急，他神通广大，一定会注意到你的。”汤姆说。 我说：“泰玛莉丝，我很高兴看到那群孩子被你迷得晕头转向的。” “我不是说了吗？这得全归功于'小红帽'……或是，那只十恶不赦的大野狼。” “也不完全是这样。在这之前他们就很喜欢你了。” 她开心地笑着，闪烁不定的双眼从路卡身上掠过汤姆。“哦，我现在可是个很受欢迎的人呢！” 就在那个同时，一个男人匆匆忙忙地跑到阳台。 “怎么回事？”汤姆站起来，大声地说。 “主人，他掉下去了。杰可……他从树上掉下去了，现在躺在那里。”那个男人耸着肩，摇着头，悲恸地说。 “带我去。”汤姆说。于是我们全跟着他往林场的方向走去。 地上躺着一个看上去大约十二来岁的男孩，正痛得大声哭喊着，他的脚受伤了。 汤姆因恐惧而屏气凝息，路卡说：“看来他是摔断腿了。” 他跪在男孩身边，说：“可怜的小家伙，很痛吧？” 我想那个孩子一句也听不懂，不过路卡声音中显露出来的怜悯，倒是使他平静了些，他张开那双饱受惊吓的眼睛，紧紧地盯着路卡的脸庞。 “不会有事的，”路卡继续说。“我知道该怎么做。拿一根坚硬的实心木棍及一些绷带来。” “我去拿，”汤姆回答。“你们和他待在这里。” 路卡转身对那孩子说：“我要试着把它归回原位，忍着点，会很痛的。泰玛莉丝，抱住他的肩膀。对，就是这样。” 我什么忙也帮不上，只好站在那里看了。旁边聚集了几个男人，他们全都在一旁指指点点地，不知道在讨论什么。 路卡让那个孩子平躺在地上，很明显地，他的骨头已经断了。 “真
Unlike me, he calmed down quickly from the emotional turmoil, saying he must see Temaris and the enthusiastic young man.I told them my father wanted to meet them and explained that he was blind in both eyes. The news came as a great shock to them; but when he met them he was lively and lively--just as Aunt Sophie had described him. He welcomed Temaris graciously, and said he was overwhelmed with unspeakable joy when he heard that she would come with me; take care of. We sat down to talk while Carla came in with a tray of juice.She joined us, and I noticed at the same time how attentive she was to my father, moving the table until my father's glass was close enough to reassure him. It seems that this housekeeper's status is not simple, I saw a curious look in Temaris's eyes. Finally Luca said he had to go back to church and they were waiting for him! "If you don't mind the old carriage, let Markla take you back," Carla said. "That's the best one we have here. Poor old donkeys that are dying, but they can't be replaced because there are no new ones to replace them. They have been doing very well." "The church is about half a mile from here," my father said. "So we're close neighbors. How did you decide to come here?" "There happened to be a vacancy in the church, so I readily accepted it," Luca said. Father nodded. "We welcome you to come to the humble house for a light meal at any time, Carla, do you think he should come?" "Must come," she replied. When Luca was gone, his father said, "Poor young man, but he looks very honest. I hope everything goes well." "You don't seem to have a very high opinion of the church," I said. "I don't think there's anything wrong here. It's good to maintain the status quo. It's a very difficult job to reform the heretics...Of course, unless the heretics themselves want to be reformed." "And people here don't want to?" He shrugged and said: "I dare say they like the old way of life. If people's hearts are satisfied, then no matter how twists and turns, they can always soothe and calm the wounded heart easily. They don't understand those 'Dun The principle of good neighborliness is that the most important thing is to take good care of yourself, the neighbors are something outside your own door, and they have no time to take care of them.” "Luca's a pretty nice guy," I said. "We all call him 'Holy Luca,'" Tamariss added. Father smiled. "Indeed," he said. "He exudes a gentle and refined atmosphere. I hope you can visit him often." Our room was separated by only one wall. The room was filled with light-colored wooden furniture, a few small rugs on the original wooden floor, and screens were installed outside the windows. Each room had a washbasin and a water jug.I later found out that the water was drawn from a well near the house.The living conditions here are as rough as on Caddo Island, where two families live in a hut-like place with the humility of servants.According to the circumstances, the hospitality we received here was very high. What I longed for most at this moment was to talk to my father alone, and Tamaris seemed to understand my feelings very well. After dinner, she went back to her room early to rest on the grounds of being tired.In this way, I will have a chance to achieve my wish. He took me to the place where we first met. "This is the sanctuary of my study." He said. "I've been here a lot. Kara said you're a bit confused and I should explain everything to you." "Who the hell is Kara?" "This house belongs to her. Her father is British and her mother is a local resident. Her father opened up a large coconut forest here shortly after he came here. He didn't officially marry her mother, but he took good care of Kara. Gar. She's a very smart woman... and very charming; in fact, she's a very nice person, and I know you two will get on well. After her father, Dan Malin, passed away, the house was , a forest farm and a large amount of property are all left to her, and she has great power on this island." "Do you live here with her?" He smiled and said: "We are very good friends. After the accident—" He rubbed his eyes, "She brought me here." "Aunt Sophie told me about you, but never about your blindness." "She didn't know it herself. I didn't tell her about it." "However, you continued to correspond with her. I thought you were still in Egypt until I decided to come and see you." "I was in Egypt for a while, when... you know, I was serving, and then... after I got out of the army Just stay there... There are other places to engage in various transactions.But all this has passed, and there is no need to confuse yourself with wasted years. " "Then those days were wasted?" "How is it possible, I have a very happy life. It's just that now I no longer only care about myself selfishly, I have learned to look at the people and things around me with a caring heart." "I really want to know more about you. I've known for years that I had a father but never met one, and I knew very little about you, even before Aunt Sophie started talking about you .” "You can't quite believe everything she says, she's always been so kind to me." "Whenever she mentions you, there will always be a look of love in her eyes. She likes you very much." "I like her a lot too. Thanks to her over the years, I've learned something about your situation, and I was really happy when I knew you were moving in with her." "This arrangement is the most perfect for me." "Whenever I think about the comfort you two can find in each other, it makes my heart a little easier. Sophie has always known how to...comfort." There was strong regret in his voice.I really want to ask about the relationship between them, I know she has always loved him deeply, and I think he loves her too.There are so many things I want to know, but I don't expect to find all the answers at once. "I want to know more about Kara," I said. "So in other words, the house is hers, and we are her guests." "I live here too." "As a guest?" "Not exactly." After a short silence, he continued: "You may already know my ups and downs in life. Your mother and I, we divorced, do you know why?" "You two are not happy together." "It's better for her without me, and we'll never be happy together. I don't intend to be a saint...not at all like your Luca. I don't think I'm like most men; like me This kind of man will never be without a... partner in his life." "You and Kara?" I asked. He nodded and said, "We're like family." "You can get married... can't you?" "Of course, I'm a bachelor now, and she was married once...I think it was for money, maybe not quite, but I bet money must have driven him to do it. He probably wanted to get her but it failed because she was a shrewd strong woman. Now he is dead. Yes, we could marry, but it's not like the English countryside - the neighbors are always staring around, deep Afraid of anything degrading and disrupting social order. Kara never thought about getting married, and neither did I. But this does not hinder the fact that we get happiness from each other. Daughter, you are scared by me after hearing what I said Reached?" "No, I think that's what life is all about. She's a very kind person." "She's half Aboriginal, half Anglo-Saxon, which is an interesting combination. I met her in Egypt when she was traveling, and I immediately liked her fresh, straightforward and upbeat voice." attitude; 'live for today' is her philosophy of life and mine. We became friends in Egypt and then my health came to a red flag and she has taken care of me ever since. My mood has fallen to the bottom, and I am full of fear of the dark world in front of me. My dear child, your father has never been afraid of anything in his life. At that time, he even began to pray: 'Dear God, I wish Give me everything around me for my precious eyes.' God ignored my pleas, but sent me Carla." He held my hand like that for a while, before continuing, "Kara is a wonderful person, a natural mother. I don't understand how a woman like that can be childless. She's with me. I lived through the days of depression and despair, and brought me here, she has a lot of weight in my heart. Her father who doted on her left her this house, and by the standards of the residents of the island, she is Very rich, she owns thousands of high-yielding coconut trees, and takes care of these forest farms in every possible way, no less than a man; she also takes care of me like a mother, a real strong woman worthy of the name. She not only takes care of these Coconut Grove is my patron saint, Frederica, if it weren't for her presence, I would never have endured the fact of blindness alone." I said, "You should go back to England and find us. I'm sure Aunt Sophie will take care of you." He shook his head and said, "Even though I know she's going to do it, I still can't go back to her. There are a few times I've thought about it... But that was before I went blind. You know, at first..." "I know, she told me. She thought you would marry her, but she didn't expect the bride to be my mother." "Oh……" "She'll understand." "It's useless. I don't deserve Sophie's sacrifice for me. I can't live my life the way she expects." "All she wants is the real you." "But she has a more precious pearl—my daughter." "It turns out that Kara is taking care of you these days. She has graciously let you share her house...and her life." "That's all she asked for." "So, are you happy here?" He was silent for a while, and finally said: "Although my body has been disabled, I still live comfortably. All things are always two sides of the same coin. There are gains and losses, and my blindness is not all. Sad. Whenever there was a footstep, I would have fun trying to figure out who it was, and I'd say to myself, 'This is Markra... or Little Mando.' I recognize Kara's footsteps, I became very sensitive to all kinds of noises made by people after being blind. Because of this, I often think of those frivolous and indulgent days in the past; and for those unpleasant things, I always have a way to avoid them It takes a lot of skill to think about it, and sometimes I say to myself, 'You're blind. Maybe you lost your most precious asset, but God compensated you for the loss.' And then I start Thinking about it, I have Carla's love, and my daughter has traveled halfway around the world to see me."
A week passed, and I felt as if I had lived my whole life on this island, a long time. In the dead of night, I would lie in bed thinking of Chris Pie and Aunt Sophie, and asking myself if I was doing the right thing.It was a great thing to come and meet my father, and I'm glad we got along so well, like we've known him all our lives, and it's all thanks to Aunt Sophie.I can see that he must have a considerable influence on everyone, at least he has won my heart.I often chat with him.We always sit together under the tree side by side, listening to the gentle waves whispering softly in our ears, and then he will tell the days of youth and frivolity one by one.It was obvious that he was happy that I was here with him. It's just that whenever the night falls, the distant hometown will return to me, and the face of Chris Pai begging me not to leave keeps appearing in front of my eyes, and I can almost hear him uttering a sentence in pain. Say: "I'll find a solution, there must be a way." I will try not to think about what happened in the bush plantation in St. Aubie's Garden, and Guston.Scenes of Marchmont lying there stiff, but it was all for naught. This is a very beautiful island, but I think it's like all tropical islands in the world: broad palm trees swaying in the wind, lush green branches and leaves, thunderstorms shaped like flash floods, scorching hot sun, don't care people, lazily, let the time pass by the wind. I'm glad Temaris likes it here, I think the main factor is that it's more than five hundred miles away from home.I don't believe at all that she had anything to do with that murder—but, as she said, usually in a case like this, the wife is usually on the list of suspects. She often laughed at the group of awkward, funny children, and they were obviously very interested in her.Usually no matter where she goes, there will always be one or two children following her, and some bold ones will go forward to touch her fair skin and golden hair that shines like waves on her shoulders. She has always liked the feeling of being valued, so she always showed a look of joy, so it didn't take long for her to become the favorite of these children. We used to explore around the island a lot.Not far from the shore there is a potter sitting cross-legged on the floor, and we often stop there to watch him make these pots—the products include a variety of platters and flower vessels.To impress him, we all bought some to take home, while a group of kids—Tamaris admirers—gave in to witness the whole transaction. The other merchants sat on coir woven mats and waited, their eyes searching for tourists as soon as the ferry came ashore, hoping that the handicrafts on their stalls would attract the attention of tourists. Many people warned us not to go into the bush without a guide and be careful not to encounter snakes. Of course, we also visited the church - it was like a thatched barn, gloomy at first glance, the only decoration on the pale walls was the crucifixion, this place There is simply no kindness and enthusiasm at all. "What a gloomy, boring place!" Temaris said to Luca who showed us around. At one end of the room was a kitchen cabinet, with a blackboard on a shelf beside it. "This room is specially designed for classrooms." Luca said. "Oh, so where are the students?" Temaris said. "Someday it will come." Luca introduced us to John.Havers and his sister Morel knew each other.They have been on Casque Island for two years, but admit that their progress has been slow due to the deliberate obliteration of the islanders. "It's a different place than the last time we worked," John.Havers said. "It's bigger and less isolated. Here, you have to start from scratch, and you're dealing with a bunch of people who don't care, who don't care." "That's why Mr. Elmore came," continued Morel. "You haven't found a student yet?" I said. "There used to be some kids who would come, but they didn't stay very long. I used to prepare cookies in the morning for them to eat at eleven o'clock recess, I tried to teach them, but I knew they came for the cookies. , they always sat there happily eating, and then all ran away after eating." "This is the end of bribery." Temaris said lightly. "I'm afraid that is the best way to combine all kinds of evaluations." Maurier Havers said. "Those poor little things," Temaris said afterward. "I don't think they'd want to sit in class and listen to Miss Hayvers, no matter how delicious the biscuits are." Every meal at Carla's house was festive, and it must have been carefully planned by Carla and my father.The extravagant feast was served us silently by several barefoot servants. Carla and my father often talked about their time in Egypt, and it sounded like they were involved in a lot of anecdotes, and it usually took us a long time to finish a meal. "Poor Luca," Temaris said suddenly one day. "It must have been hard living in church with the Hayforss." "They're all good people," Kara said. "It's just that sometimes it's too good to not know how to relax. They live too seriously, and I feel for both of them." "Can we invite them over for dinner?" Tamalis asked. "Oh my God!" Carla exclaimed. "Sorry, I should have thought of this earlier." "Actually," said the father. "I'm also thinking that we should invite Luca to our house as soon as possible. He has really taken care of you two along the way." "We should do it," Carla echoed. "Also, I'll invite Tom Holloway to come with me." "Tom Holloway," my father explained. "He's the director of the forest farm, and he's a very nice guy, Carla, do you agree with me?" "He's a pretty good guy, just a little melancholy, and people don't live to be melancholy." "We'd love to meet him, don't you, Temaris," I said. "Of course I don't mind." That was her answer. "Then we'll book it tomorrow," Carla said. "Isn't it too urgent to notify them shortly?" I asked. Carla burst out laughing—her way. "It's not often that they get the opportunity to eat out, and I assure you, they do." "The social circle on Caskers is quite small," the father added. "They will come." Before they came, my father briefly told me something about Tom.Tell me about Holloway. "He used to be an agent of imported coconut wool woven mats in the UK. Coconuts have always been used in a variety of ways! Tom Holloway's business network spread all over England. Later, his wife died of dystocia, and his child also died. From then on, he Can't get up from the grief. Kara often sees him from time to time because of her business relationship. At that time, she was very horrified by his sudden change, so I think you can guess by now-she is the kind of Someone who is willing to do anything for a friend—well, her opinion is that Tom needs to go to a new environment and put the past sadness behind him. So she surprised her by suggesting that he take over the management position of the forest farm What's more, he agreed immediately." "Does this method really work?" "Probably some! It's been two years—almost—and his willpower has been strong. I think for a while he really forgot about the unpleasant stuff and threw himself into the forest business. He learned how to manage These guys, and having fun doing it! Kara has been wanting to watch him settle down - but it's not easy." "Kara is such a good woman!" He nodded, showing a very happy look.
Although Luca looked a little downcast, the dinner was generally a success.I noticed that Luca was no longer the energetic, upbeat young man we had known on the boat.John and Morel.Havers spoke sincerely about the church, but I still couldn't let go of a thought in my mind—they didn't know much about the people around them. I later mentioned to my father that they seemed to regard the residents here as uncivilized savages, rather than just a bunch of ordinary people who could not accept new ideas. In fact, the people here are very simple-minded.I also guessed that Morel didn't approve of the relationship between my father and Carla. Temaris seemed very happy; after seeing them off, we all went to our rooms to rest, and then she came to my room to discuss the evening's affairs with me. "How do you feel?" she asked. "Everything is going very well. I think Luca must be very happy to have a good meal." "Poor friend," Temaris said softly. "Well, a downcast look, but I'm not surprised at all—living under the same roof as that boring brother and sister, no wonder." "It's not that they are completely boring and uninteresting, it's just that they can't grasp the current situation and panicked." "Unable to grasp, flustered! They are missionaries, aren't they? They should be full of confidence and move forward bravely. On this small island far away from the hustle and bustle, what the residents need most is a spiritual belonging! Poor Luca! We have to visit him more often to cheer him up and keep him happy." "You're absolutely right." "I don't know what your father thinks of this matter." "I'll talk to him. By the way, Temaris, how are you feeling? Is everything all right?" "I don't think about the past very much now." "That's fine." "And you?" "I think about it a lot." "Actually, you don't need to escape like this." "...my father wants to meet me." "But you've just gotten engaged to Chris Pie—oh, I know you don't want to talk about it. Guston's my husband, and he's been murdered, and that's why I'm so desperate to go." "I understand, of course I understand all of this. I just feel that I should also go away for a while." "Is it because of that? You don't know anything about Guston, do you?" "No, it's not like that. It has nothing to do with it." "What are you hiding?" she said. I didn't deny it, didn't answer it, and just let the sentence hang in the air. At the same time, I realized the fact that no matter how much this trip affected Temaris, it probably wouldn't have much effect on me. I went out with Temaris early the next morning.Not long after we left, we saw three or four children sitting on the ground playing games. As we walked forward, they immediately got up and ran towards us. All eyes were on Temaris. They ate and ate Smiling silly, completely out of control. "I'm happy," Temaris said with a smile. "I really like you little brats." This made them laugh even more uncontrollably, each pair of eyes fixed on her, as if expecting her to say something more. We walked on, and they followed us closely.We walked to the shore, past vendors who sat cross-legged on straw mats with their wares on display. We stopped in front of the potter.There are two large vases on his straw mat, the style is simple and elegant, and it looks beautiful.Temaris looked at them with admiration and admiration, and the owner also looked at us with joyful eyes.Are we making them especially interesting?I doubt it.Are we so different from theirs in how we look, how we speak, and how we behave? Temaris picked up the two big vases, and the group of children immediately surrounded her, every little face showed an excited expression. She brought the two vases in front of him, looked at him inquiringly, and then he offered a price. "I want this one," Temaris said. "What did you buy this big vase for?" I asked. "You'll know then, I want another one." 此举引起了更大的骚动，几个女人和小孩都跑过来看热闹，邻近摊位上的那个男人眼中流露出既期待、又羡慕的神情。 “佛莱迪，你拿这一个。”她说。“我拿另外那个，我要买下这对花瓶。” “我真想不出你买它们有什么用。” “我想得出。”泰玛莉丝说。 其中一个孩子欢天喜地地跳了起来；其他的则在他们一手交钱一手交货时挤成一团。 “来，跟我走。”泰玛莉丝说。孩子们开心地跟在我们身后，在往教会的途中，还有几位陆陆续续加入我们的阵营里。 她推开门，走入大厅。 “到了！”她高兴地说。“我打算把它们摆在这里。我们该到小溪边取水放在花瓶里，一个放在门边，另一个……”她看了看四周。“对了，就放在那两个窗子中间。现在，我需要一些美丽的花，红色的好了，红色是最活泼生动的颜色，可以使这个地方看起来既温馨、又亲切。走吧！我们先去取些水来。” 那群孩子全部都跟我们到溪边，他们像失控的野马般，一路兴奋地又蹦又跳的，好不开心。 “接下来是花。”她转向孩子们。“走吧！你们不能只是光站在那里笑，还得要帮我。我们要采一些花，红色的……就像这个一样……还有淡紫色，就像这个一样的。那边还有很多。” 她说得一点也没错，这里一眼望过去全是娇艳的花朵。她先采一些做示范，并让他们了解得照她的样子做。她把这群孩子分为两组，一组采红色的花，另一组采淡紫色的花。 一会儿，我们全部人马便又回到教会了。泰玛莉丝跪在花瓶前，把红色的花放进里面；孩子们百思不解地看着她，并一直不断地把花送到她面前。 “真美，”她大叫。“这里，太好了。” 她从一位耸着肩的女孩手中接过一朵花，那女孩眼看着她把花放入花瓶时，开心地大笑了起来。 最后，泰玛莉丝终于站起来宣布道：“这瓶花真是美极了！”她高兴地拍着手，所有的孩子也都跟着鼓掌。 “来吧！现在该换淡紫色的花了。”泰玛莉丝说。 孩子们都雀跃不已，争先恐后地抢着拿给她。她有技巧地安排花朵，使它们呈现出最美丽的一面：不过花再怎么美，也抵不过这群心花怒放的孩子更悦人。 当地总算完成时，孩子们都高兴地拍手着，就在这同时——摩瑞儿．海佛斯走了进来。 “我的天！”她大叫，瞪着呈现在她眼前的景象。我怀疑她可能从来没见过这么多孩子在这里聚集过，他们全转过头看她，脸上依然挂着笑容，不过他们的目光并没离开泰玛莉丝太久。 “我觉得花朵可为这里带来一点新气象。”泰玛莉丝说。 “你说的一点也没错，”摩瑞儿．海佛斯说。“可是……这些孩子！” “他们只不过是进来帮忙罢了。”泰玛莉丝说。 她的声音中很明显地流露出得意扬扬的讯息。我心里想着：她变了，我不知道到底发生什么，但她真的变了。
我们来到这个小岛已有三个星期了。日子虽然过得很慢，不过时光依旧从指间飞逝了。我常自问着：我到底在这里做什么？该回去了，佛莱迪。我常想到，如果当初苏菲姨妈没在戴维兹看到凯萨琳．卡菲尔，我的生命也不会有这么大的转变。我本该和克里斯派过着幸福快乐的日子，把这件事遗忘在角落里；不行，这么做是行不通的，她一定会再出现，我们这一生将永远无法从恐惧、勒索、伪装中逃出。克里斯派说的那句话不断在我的耳里回响起：“一定有解决之道的。”他有意将这件事隐瞒起来，他是个全身充满秘密的男人，我不是一直都有这种感受吗？但是，我依然爱他，全心全意地爱着他；而如今我却一再反覆地告诉自己：不过你却不认识他，他的背后隐藏太多不可告人的秘密了。 然后我又对自己说：我必须回到那个心爱的地方，我无法承受心中不时浮现的失落感。 看来泰玛莉丝的适应力比我好太多了。不过她是逃出来的，抛在她身后的全是一些不值得留恋的过去。她和家人的关系并不亲近——母亲从小就忽略她，她们之间从来没有伟大的母女之爱，她为克里斯派感到骄傲，也如手足般地敬爱他，但他们之间也仅止如此而已。她的脖子上根本没有拴住她的绳索，挽留她的心。我不难想像，总有一天当她厌倦这座岛及岛上的居民时……不过目前她所需的，就是这种新奇、愉快的生活体验。 一开始她对汤姆．郝洛威还有点兴趣，不过他却严谨地感受不到这一些。他的心依然为妻子的死哀伤着，所以无心再去挑拨另一场情缘。泰玛莉丝挺喜欢路卡的，她常叫他“那个大好人”，语气中总是带有一点嘲讽的意味。我猜她只是在做无力的抗争，想藉此保护自己不被他吸引，此举真是令人想不透——通常她都会伸出求援的手，找男人来保护她。 不管怎么说，她的确常往教会跑。她一出现，孩子们也都跟着聚集在周围，无形中使她更喜欢这群孩子了。他们会为了接近她而大打出手，无论她做了什么事、说了什么话，他们总是痴痴地看着她笑。 “他们看起来好像在盼望我能逗他们开心，”她说。 “我真得说他们是很令人激赏的观众。路卡很开心……约翰和摩瑞儿也是，他们说：“无论背后隐藏的原因是什么，能让孩子们来教堂已经算很好的了。 " 她从陶工那儿买回更多的花瓶。 她说：“每当我看到他，他总是把我当成女皇般和我打招呼，那些孩子依然按时间带花来给我。前几天我讲了一个故事给他们听，他们一个字也听不懂，不过却都聚精会神地听，好像这是一则最惊心动魄的故事般。你非亲眼看看他们的模样不可！事实上我讲的是'小红帽'，大部分都用比手划脚地'演'出故事情节。你真该看看当大野狼出现时，他们那副兴奋的模样，他们一会儿开怀大笑、一会儿欢呼喝采，并且还不断地抚摸、拉扯着我的头发。这个战果收获很大，摩瑞儿说我应该引用圣经上面的故事；或许，哪天我会试试看，不过就目前为止除了'小红帽'之外，我不想一下让他们接受太多。他们知道大野狼在什么时候会出现，并且都会装出害怕的样子，他们会匍匐在地上爬行，并大喊着：'大野狼！大野狼！大野狼是个坏蛋'……居民们也都学会这句了。我告诉你，这一切真是有趣极了。” 我很高兴看到她这么地快乐，也知道路卡对这件事感到很开心。 一艘比渡轮大上几倍的船停泊在岸上，使得岛上的居民兴奋不已。泰玛莉丝和我走到岸边去，熙来攘往的人潮及喧哗声把整个地方都占满了。小船在海中来回穿梭着，几个观光客也上了岸，他们走过来和我们聊天，并且说明他们是从雪梨出发，在各个岛屿中穿梭观光，他们已到过卡多岛及其他一些小岛了；不过，他们说：每个岛看来看去都差不多。 他们很惊讶我们是以作客的身份待在这里的。 孩子们在一旁徘徊着，兴趣勃勃地看着我们交谈。那天下午，陶工卖出的杯子和浅盘数量，比他一整个月的收入还多。工艺品、草帽及提篮也都卖了不少。 当船离去时，岸上目送它消逝的人们，眼底都流露出哀凄的情感。 这艘船递送了几封信到卡斯克岛来，我收到了两封——一封是克里斯派寄的，另一封则来自苏菲姨妈。 我把信拿到房间里，细细地独自品尝来自故乡的思念。 首先是克里斯派的信—— Dear, I miss you so much!你要回家了吗？放下手边的一切，立刻回来。我知道自己无论如何都得把这件事处理好，我会让她同意和我离婚的，我会爱上别人，其实是她罪有应得，我有权利提出离婚的要求，我有所需的一切证据，且也雇用了一位律师，目前正在进行着。 少了你生活变得暗淡无味了，好像没有什么事是要紧的。我目前唯一的愿望就是——希望你搭下班船，立刻回家。Why!即使如此，还得等上好一段时间呢！不过，只要想着你已在回家的路途中，我的心便会好过一些。 一切都会没事的，你只要想着：我将找出一个解决之道，从这一团乱象中理出一条路来，只要她能离我们远远的……永远不再出现。相信我，我一定会找出解决之道的；而当那一天来临时，如果你还没回到我身边，我可就要到那里把你抓回来。 我知道你过得不快乐——如同我一样。在某方面来说，其实我很高兴你有此反应，如果你已不再在乎我，我是会受不了的。你知道，不论发生什么事，我今生今世是离不开你的了。求求你，快回家好吗？ 你的姨妈非常想念你，我知道她过得很不快乐。 我想她会同意我所说的：你根本不该离开我们的。 致上我永远的爱克里斯派 由苏菲姨妈的信看来，我知道她也在质疑着：当初怂恿我离去是否真的是明智的抉择。She wrote: 我们都很想你。可怜的克里斯派是最不快乐的一个了，他真的很爱你，佛莱迪，我看得出这次离别把他的心都摔碎了。他不是那种轻易付出感情的人，不过当他爱上一个人时，他便会深深地陷在里面，不可自拔。我想他有些生气，生我的气，因为是我看到凯萨琳．卡菲尔，并把这件告诉了你。可怜的孩子，他必须找个人来发泄，我并不怪他。他说他会找出办法摆脱她，他说得那么有说服力，我真的相信他会有办法的，毕竟当初是她离他而去的。我不知道目前的确切情势是怎么样，但我会祷告希望一切都能顺利。 佛莱迪，他需要你。你或许会认为他是那种能掌控一切事宜，且又能照顾自己的男人；没错，他的外表的确让人有此错觉，但我知道他的内心正在受苦痛的煎熬。这让我深深地感受到人生残酷的一面，一个人如果在年轻时冲动地走错一步，就会平平白白地断送了一生的幸福。不过，他不会让这种事发生的，而且我认为他是那种不达目的，绝不干休的男人。 亲爱的孩子，我希望你和你父亲能相处得很融洽、很快乐，我想这是不容置疑的——我太了解你们俩了。他很讨人喜欢，不是吗？你一定要把对他的观感告诉我。 还有，佛莱迪，我想你该考虑回家的事了。你父亲想和你见面，他是不是病了？希望能有他的近况消息，千万别瞒着我什么。从他的来信中，我可以感觉出有什么不对劲的事发生了，这也是我急着要你过去的原因之一，当然了，我也认为在克里斯派把事情解决之前，你最好能离开一阵子。 不过，如今你应该考虑什么时候要回家。我知道你才刚到不久，不过如果你可写信告诉我何时回家，我想这对克里斯派会有帮助的。 好好照顾自己，我的爱 愿上帝和你在一起，并且爱着你苏菲姨妈 我反覆地看了好几次，想到我们之间遥遥相隔这么远，我必须尽快回去。
父亲对我说：“家里寄来的信？” "yes." “这就是你悲伤的原因，是不是想家了？” “我想……是的。” 他把手放在我的手上，就这样静静地手握着手。 “你是不是该告诉我了？”他说。 于是我便告诉他。我把事情从头到尾全告诉他了：从我第一次和克里斯派见面的情形，及当时他无心的一句话让我痛苦了好久；古塚树林所发生的不幸事故；在邸园工作的那段时间，我们之间爱的火苗是如何串烧起来的。我还告诉他有关克里斯派的妻子重回哈普葛林的事，并也同时粉碎了我们俩编织的美梦；解释克里斯派原本打算不把事实告诉我，继续照着原订的计划进行。 “原来如此，而这件事让你感到很震惊，”父亲说。“我想问题就出现在：你根本不确定自己想要什么。你非常爱他，不是吗？” “我的确很爱他。” “而在这同时，你并不完全肯定他对你的心意。” “我相信他是爱我的，但是……” “但是……”他鼓励地说。 “有件事我无法解释，它一直阻挡在我们俩之间，甚至在这之前……就在那里了。” “秘密之类的事吗？” “我是这么认为。有时它就像一个障碍物般，横跨在我们俩之间，我之所以会注意到是因为我们彼此相爱相知的缘故。但有好几次我都感觉到……自己永远也无法越过这面墙。” “你为何不亲口问他呢？” “很奇怪地，他从来没提起过这件事。虽然这件事一直搁在他心里，但他却无意让我知道。后来发生了那个事件后，他才承认原本是打算瞒着我——不把他根本毫无立场结婚的事实告诉我——让我按照计划举行一场不具任何法律成效的婚礼。之后我才察觉另一件事才是最大的关键所在。” “你已经都解释过了，”他说。“我想你虽然爱着他，但却无法完全相信他。我说得对不对？” “我觉得他的心里有个秘密，但他却不愿告诉我……一个很重要的秘密。” “和他第一次婚姻有关吗？” “没有。他和其他人都一致相信他的妻子已经死了。所以当她回来时，才会使他惊讶得不知所措……我们每个人的惊吓程度都是不分上下的。” “所以这是早在这些事之前，一个邪恶到令人难以启齿的秘密。当你的脑子里想着这些事时，心里还依然爱着他吗？” “是的，我还是深爱着他。” “在这世上，没有什么比爱更重要的了，这一点你必须了解。'信、希望和宽恕，而其中最伟大的就是宽恕。'宽恕就是爱的表现，这是真理，只要你的心中有爱，再大的困难都能克服。” “我只想知道隐藏在背后操控我们的那个秘密。” “在你立誓嫁给他时，它就在那里了，而那时你还开开心心地想和他白头偕老。” “的确。当我和他在一起时，我真的可以把那些疑惧全抛在脑后。它们看起来是那么地模糊，那么地不真实，那么地愚蠢。” “有些人对快乐有恐惧感，总是抱着怀疑的眼光去看它。他们认为'快乐'太美好了，不可能是真实的，于是便开始鸡蛋里挑骨头——想从中找出一些瑕疵来。你想，你是不是有这样的倾向？” “或许吧！我也无法确定。这其中真的暗藏着某件不可告人的秘密，而且还阴魂不散地跟着他。” “他会告诉你的。等到你们俩结婚后，他就不会再害怕失去你了，到时他自然会告诉你的。” “他现在为什么害怕、不敢告诉我？” “这个答案，和当初他不敢将妻子回来的事告诉你的理由一样——他的一切所做所为，全都是出自那颗害怕失去你的心。” “这种作法是不诚实的。” 父亲精明的眼睛闪闪发亮地笑着说：“这就是爱，我们不是都已认同——生命中，没有什么比真爱更能打动人心的了，记得吗？”
我分别写了一封信给克里斯派和苏菲姨妈。我并没把父亲失明的事告诉苏菲姨妈，我察觉到若他想让她知道的话，他会告诉她的。等到下一班回雪梨的船来时，这两封信就将漂洋过海，横越大半个地球——回到英国，这整段旅途得花上好长一段时间才能到达目的地。 我不断地说服自己：该回家了。他们俩都这么要求我，不论将来的后果如何，我都必须陪在他们身边。 汤姆．郝洛威的拜访次数很频繁，卡拉一向都很好客。如今连路卡和海佛斯兄妹也常来了，卡拉确定他们在教会的食物一定不够吃，他们一共才请了两个仆人。卡拉说：恐怕是因为摩瑞儿太过关心充实心灵上的事，而忽略到生理上的需求吧！ 路卡每次来到这里都显得开心多了，当初在船上的那个乐观知命的男孩，如今已逐渐地消逝了。他满怀抱负地想改变这个教会，但却因有阻挠而进退不得——他并不想对海佛斯兄妹无礼，虽然这两年来事实已证明：他们俩没能力经营这个教会。 泰玛莉丝已经开始引诱这些孩子到教会去了，如今他们之中有好几位都成了教会的常客。不过他们都是去看泰玛莉丝的，虽然她试着讲“乐善好施者”的故事给他们听，但他们依然坚持要听“小红帽和大野狼”的故事。 可怜的路卡！他是那么专注，投入了这么大的心思只为了做他想做的事。 一天下午，汤姆带我们——泰玛莉丝、路卡和我三人——参观林场。穿梭在高耸的椰子树下，举头望去——便看到一颗颗顽强的椰子在阳光下耀武扬威着。汤姆带我们到编织椰毛垫子的小屋里去，这里算是大宗交易的制造圣地了；我们也一道参观他的办公室，和他那位埋头苦干的助理打招呼。 我们还参观了他生活起居的基地——那幢房子的空间很宽敞，室内的摆设也都很俱全，我猜这些都是卡拉为他安排的吧！一位供他使唤的仆人送果汁过来给我们，我们就这样坐在走廊上看着围绕在四周的林场。汤姆问起有关教会的事；路卡把居民们漠不关心，使得推动起来倍加困难的事全告诉他。 “语文沟通是症结所在，”汤姆说。“这对我而言比较容易，我只要试范一次给他们看，他们就会照着做，这些为我工作的人全都是岛上最优秀的。并不是所有的人都愿意撒下汗水赚取金钱的；有些人宁愿躺在阳光底下，舒舒服服地过日子——这全是迷漫在四周的热流造成的，使得他们养成这种无忧无虑、随心所欲的个性，除非他们动怒了，否则他们就和一只毫无杀伤力的猫一样。他们生气起来的样子是很吓人的。” “这是真的，”路卡说。“那天有两个人为了一小块毫无价值的土地争吵不休。两个人都声明这块土地是自己的，他们互相诅咒对方，后来居然连刀子都亮出来了，要不是当时有人急忙去找老首领来，恐怕他们不争到'不是你死，便是我活'的地步，是绝不罢休的。” “的确，”汤姆说。“我知道你说的那个人是谁——欧兰姆。他虽然是个矮小的老人，但那双炯炯有神的眼睛很不寻常，好像有魔力般让人不敢直视；瞳孔周围有白色一圈一圈的东西，很可能是什么眼疾吧！不过他至高无上的权力便是从这里散发出的。” “最后那件事终于摆平了，”路卡继续说。“我为他的权威感到相当不可思议。” “他是一个有智慧的男人。他使人们产生相当程度的紧张和不安。很明显的，你所看到的例子完满地被解决了，不过事情不是一向都这么顺利的，有时候他会变得很……吓人。他被公认拥有某些特殊的神力，如果他告诉一个人他将会死去，那么不久那个人就会死。” “我听说过这种事，这太可怕了。”路卡说。 “我必须小心这个人，千万别惹他；和他保持良好的关系，不时地送他一些小礼物，因此我们已经算是朋友了。” “这些人千奇百怪的，就算花了一辈子的时间也归不出个结论来，”泰玛莉丝说。“可惜他们不像这群孩子一样——他们既天真又甜美。” “泰玛莉丝和他们处得相当好。”路卡下了个评断。 “那是因为我头发的颜色吸引了他们的注意力，”泰玛莉丝说。“小孩子嘛，好奇心比较重。” “岛上的居民大多只想开心地过日子，”汤姆解释道。“他们会工作一段时间，但你对他们的要求不能太高。他们喜欢在这里工作，觉得这份职业很值得骄傲；欧兰姆并不反对这个想法，因为我让他觉得我很尊敬他，所以到目前为止都还算是平平顺顺的。去年他们有个重大的节庆，幸好一切的进行非常顺利。今年也快举行了，我都已经开始着手准备了，不过第一年总觉得很诡异。” “怎么说？”泰玛莉丝问。 “庆典进行期间，岛上居民是不工作的。起先我不知道，且没人警告，所以也没理会。庆典的过程有一套特定的仪式——全天不停、彻夜无休地嘶喊着，并且手上都各举着一把长矛（不知他们平时如何保存的，除了庆典期间，我们谁也没机会看到这些长矛）。欧兰姆是全程最突出的人物，事实上，这种个庆典都是他一手策划的。他们踩着脚，绕着圈圈不停地跳，每个人都一副凶猛残暴样。那时我正决定出门观赏这场盛会时，卡拉来到这里，她告诉我庆典活动会持续两天之久，在这段期间内最好离他们远一点。那晚他们通宵达旦地嘶喊了一整夜，扰得我们全都心神不宁。直到这一切结束了，他们才又平静下来，恢复原状。” “他们这么做又代表了什么呢？” “听说是战前藉以提高士气的仪式——或许类似我们所谓的军事演习吧——以免被其他岛屿部族侵略。” “这种事发生机率很小。”路卡说。 “现在是不用担心了，英国和法国派来的船舰不时地在各个岛间巡逻着，有谁敢造反。不过他们还是继续举行这个仪式，祈求神灵来保护他们。而且，欧兰姆能记得这个传统的习俗，并致力于保持的工作，其实是件很可喜的事。” “这简直和巫术毫无两样，不是吗？”泰玛莉丝说。“郝洛威先生，生活在这之间你难道不害怕吗？” “现在我们全都在它的掌握中了。”汤姆说。 “没错。但是你的情形更糟，你是完全被它包围了。” 汤姆耸耸肩说：“你错了，他们是一群温和的人，除非他们被激怒才可能会有危险，而我是不可能会去惹他们的。” “我们所要做的是——让他们了解另一种生活方式，”路卡说。“教导他们敦亲睦邻，我相信有上帝的帮助，我们一定能成功的。” “我相信你们一定会成功的。”我说。 然后汤姆问到有关教会的事，他听说现在每天早上都会有一群孩子会主动往那里跑。 泰玛莉丝哈哈地大笑了起来。“他们是为了'小红帽' 及拉扯我的头发才去的。” “这是一个好的开始。”路卡说，柔情似水地对着她笑。 “我也乐在其中。”泰玛莉丝回应他。“我真想见见那个……叫什么名字来着……欧兰姆，是吗？” “别急，他神通广大，一定会注意到你的。”汤姆说。 我说：“泰玛莉丝，我很高兴看到那群孩子被你迷得晕头转向的。” “我不是说了吗？这得全归功于'小红帽'……或是，那只十恶不赦的大野狼。” “也不完全是这样。在这之前他们就很喜欢你了。” 她开心地笑着，闪烁不定的双眼从路卡身上掠过汤姆。“哦，我现在可是个很受欢迎的人呢！” 就在那个同时，一个男人匆匆忙忙地跑到阳台。 “怎么回事？”汤姆站起来，大声地说。 “主人，他掉下去了。杰可……他从树上掉下去了，现在躺在那里。”那个男人耸着肩，摇着头，悲恸地说。 “带我去。”汤姆说。于是我们全跟着他往林场的方向走去。 地上躺着一个看上去大约十二来岁的男孩，正痛得大声哭喊着，他的脚受伤了。 汤姆因恐惧而屏气凝息，路卡说：“看来他是摔断腿了。” 他跪在男孩身边，说：“可怜的小家伙，很痛吧？” 我想那个孩子一句也听不懂，不过路卡声音中显露出来的怜悯，倒是使他平静了些，他张开那双饱受惊吓的眼睛，紧紧地盯着路卡的脸庞。 “不会有事的，”路卡继续说。“我知道该怎么做。拿一根坚硬的实心木棍及一些绷带来。” “我去拿，”汤姆回答。“你们和他待在这里。” 路卡转身对那孩子说：“我要试着把它归回原位，忍着点，会很痛的。泰玛莉丝，抱住他的肩膀。对，就是这样。” 我什么忙也帮不上，只好站在那里看了。旁边聚集了几个男人，他们全都在一旁指指点点地，不知道在讨论什么。 路卡让那个孩子平躺在地上，很明显地，他的骨头已经断了。 “真