Chapter 29 Section 23

After five months of wandering in the west, Michael Corleone finally understood his father's character and his own destiny.He finally understood characters like Luke Brasi and the hard-boiled Clemenza, and his mother's contented detachment.In Sicily he had seen clearly what would become of them if they did not act to fight their lot.He understood why the old man said over and over again, "A man has but one destiny." He understood at last the source of the contempt for powerful and legitimate governments.Understand the root of people's hatred for anyone who breaks the law of silence.

Wearing an old suit and a duckbill cap, Michael was transported to the interior of Sicily as soon as he arrived in Palermo, to the heart of a province controlled by underground family forces.There, the head of the underground family is grateful to Michael's father, because Michael's father worked hard for him in the early years.There is a small town in this province called Corleone, and the old man took the name of this town as his surname when he immigrated to the United States.But, in this small town, the old man has no living relatives anymore.The women in the kinship died, and the men were killed in family feuds or emigrated to America, Brazil, or the Italian peninsula.Michael would later learn that this poor town had the highest murder rate of any part of the world.

Michael, by arrangement, was staying as a guest with the uncle of the head of the family, who was a bachelor and the local doctor of the district.The underground gang leader was fifty-nine years old, and his name was Don Tomasino.His public identity is the steward of the most prominent noble family in Sicily, in charge of a large estate.The so-called steward here is actually the guard of the rich manor's manor. Poaching is allowed, and land occupation and farming are not allowed without authorization.To sum up, the so-called housekeeper is a person who acts as a black thug for a certain amount of money, protects the real estate of the rich, and opposes all legal or illegal demands made by the poor.Whenever any poor peasant tried to enforce the law allowing him to purchase uncultivated land, the steward frightened him away by threatening to maim or kill him.The butler's task is as simple as that.Tommasino also controlled the local "water rights", negating the Roman government's plans to build any new dams in the area.Such a dam will inevitably hit his water selling business, make the price of water cheap, and completely destroy the entire important system of water management that has been established through thousands of years of hard work.Tommasino, however, was an old-fashioned mob boss who disdained getting involved in drug smuggling and the whore trade.In this regard, there is a sympathy between Don Tomasino and the new type of gang leader who has just emerged in a big city like Palermo: those new types of characters who were deeply influenced by the hooligans who were repatriated from the United States to Italy. On the one hand, there is no scruple.

The leader of the gang was an unusually fat man, a "man with a big belly."The image, literally or literally, signifies a man capable of inspiring awe among his associates.Under his protection, Michael was safe, but it was still considered necessary to keep the identity of the homeless a secret.Michael's activities were thus confined within the walls of the estate of the Don's uncle, Dr. Tatcha. Dr. Tatcha was a large man for a Sicilian, almost six feet high, with a red face and snow-white hair.Although he was more than seventy years old, he went to Gillemot every week to patronize whores younger than him, the younger the better.Another problem with Dr. Tacha is reading.He read all kinds of books, and he would tell the contents of the books he read to the residents of the town, to the illiterate farmers, and to the shepherds of the manor.This earned him a reputation locally as a fool.Books have nothing to do with them.

In the evening, Dr. Tacha, Don Tomasino, and thirty Michael sat in the large garden full of marble statues.On this island, the marble statues grew magically from the gardens like great black and red grapes.Dr. Petra loved to talk about the exploits of the gang over the centuries, and Michael Corleone was fascinated.Sometimes even Don Tommasino could get carried away, and the rich air, the grape-flavored intoxicating wine, and the refined, secluded, uplifting atmosphere of Garden City couldn't help it. Tell a story based on your own experience.The doctor is talking about historical legends; the old man is talking about real people in reality.

In this quaint garden, Michael Corleone taps into the old roots from which his father grew.He also figured out that the word "gangster" originally meant "shelter" in Italian.Later, the word evolved into the name of the secret organization formed to rebel against successive rulers who oppressed the country and its people.This land in the west has been ravaged far more cruelly than anywhere else.The religious court tortured all the people in Ximian, regardless of whether they were rich or poor.The landlord Lao Cai and the prince and grandson in the Catholic Church have absolute power to dominate the herdsmen and farmers.The police are the tools of the church's power. The police and the powerful forces in the church are almost indistinguishable from each other, and they are completely indifferent.Therefore, scolding among Sicilians, scolding "you are a policeman" is considered the greatest insult.

Facing this brutal and brutal autocratic power, the suffering people have developed the habit of speaking out in anger.In order not to put themselves in a passive position of being beaten, they have developed the habit of never issuing any threats, because threatening is tantamount to reminding the other party, which will definitely lead to rapid retaliation by the other party.They understand that society is their enemy, so when they are wronged and demand justice, they turn to the gangster's underground organization, the so-called gang.The Mafia strengthened its power by adopting the law of silence, the so-called principle of tight-mouthedness.In Sicily, a stranger who asks the way to a town does not even get an answer.The worst crime a gang member can do is to give the police the name of the person who just shot him or hurt him.The law of silence has become almost a religious creed of people's devout beliefs.A woman, if her husband is murdered, goes down and tells the police the name of her husband's murderer, not even the name of her child's murderer, or the name of her daughter's rapist.

In Sicily, justice has never come from the authorities, so people who want justice always run to the Green Heroes.Today, gangster organizations still play this role.When the pinch hits, people always go to the local gang boss for help.He is the person in charge of their welfare and relief work, the chief in charge of food, clothing and placement in their area, and their patron saint. However, in the following months, what Dr. Tatcha did not add, but what Michael himself felt was that in Sicily, the gang had become an illegal espionage of the wealthy class, and even became an auxiliary of the judicial and administrative departments. Policemen.The gang has degenerated and turned into a capitalist institution, anti-communist and anti-people, and imposes self-imposed exorbitant taxes on any business.

For the first time, Michael Corleone realized why a man like his father would rather be a thief and murderer than a member of legitimate society.Poverty, fear, increasing hardship, these things were too dreadful for any man of backbone to bear.Sicilian immigrants who had just arrived in the United States thought that the American authorities would be equally cruel. Dr. Tacha offered to take Michael with him whenever he visited a brothel in Palermo, but Michael declined.He took refuge in Sicily, which made it impossible for him to receive proper treatment for his injured jaw bone. To this day, he still has a "souvenir" given to him by Captain McCluskey on the left side of his face.The broken bones were glued together indiscriminately, tearing his face crookedly, and it looked greatly deformed from his profile.He had always admired his own looks, and this caused him to suffer more than he had anticipated.The pain itself, appearing and disappearing from time to time, he didn't take it to heart at all.Dr. Tacha gave him some pills, which stopped the pain.Dr. Tacha offered to heal the wound on his face, but he declined again.Because he had been here for a long time and knew that Dr. Tacha was probably the worst doctor in all of Sicily.Dr. Tatcha reads everything except medicine, which he admits he doesn't understand, is about his profession.He passed his medical exams because the most important gang leader in Sicily gave him a back door.The gang leader made a special trip to Palermo to negotiate with Tacha's teacher to see what grade they should give Tacha.This fact shows that the gang is like a cancerous tumor to the society in which it lives.Merit is worth nothing, talent is worth nothing, achievement is worth nothing, and the godfather of the gang will give you a position as a gift.

Michael had plenty of time to think things through.When he went for walks in the country during the day, he was always accompanied by the two men who belonged to the Tommasino estate.Shepherds on this island are often hired out as executioners.They kill purely to make money.Michael ponders his father's organization.If his father's organization continued to prosper, it would grow into something like the gangsters on this island, and it would destroy an entire country like cancer destroys an entire human body.Sicily was already an empty, haunted place: men were constantly migrating around the world in order to make ends meet, or simply to escape the possibility of being murdered simply for exercising their political and economic liberties of doom.

What Michael saw on his long walks was that intoxicating beauty.He walked through the citrus groves, and there were everywhere citrus-like green avenues like endless caves, and there were ancient snake-like monsters carved out of stone in the B.C. Water pipes flowed out from the snake's mouth.The houses were all built like ancient Roman villas: a large marble porch in front, and a large vaulted room inside, most of which have become ruins or shelters for stray lambs.Looking from a distance, the mountains on the horizon look like piles of bones piled high.Gardens and fields adorned the desolate background like sparkling emerald necklaces, one after the other, glowing with green.Sometimes he walked as far as the town of Corleone, where eighteen thousand inhabitants lived on one long street, and the houses extended to the nearest hillside; crude huts of black stone.There were sixty murders in Corleone last year alone.Atmospherically, death looms over the town.In the distance, there is a "Phigusa" forest, which breaks the extremely monotonous atmosphere caused by all the farmland. The two bodyguards always had their big shotguns with them when they walked with Michael.This lethal Sicilian earthen musket is a favorite weapon of gangsters.The police leader sent by Mussolini back then wanted to eliminate the gangster forces in Ximianli.One of the first steps he took was to order that all the high stone walls of Sicily be torn down to a height of three feet.In this way, those who would like to kill cannot use the stone wall as a cover to carry out the assassination.The measure didn't do much.The last resort of the Superintendent of Police was to arrest any man suspected of being a gang member and send him to a labor camp. When Sicily was liberated by Allied forces, American military officials believed that anyone imprisoned by the fascist regime was a democrat.In this way, many gang members were appointed as village chiefs, town chiefs, or translators for the military government.This time, the gang got lucky and had the opportunity to regroup and develop even more terrifyingly than before. Long walks, a bottle of strong wine in the evening, and a large plate of pasta and meat allowed Michael to sleep soundly at night.In Dr. Tatcha's collection there are many in Italian.Although Michael can speak an authentic Italian dialect and has taken Italian as an elective in college, he still finds it very strenuous and time-consuming to read these books.He spoke Italian with almost no odd accents, but still not enough to sound like a native.From his accent one might think he came from the far north of Italy, bordering the Swiss and the Germans. His crooked face made him more like a native.In Seomyeon, due to lack of medical care, deformed people abound. The reason why minor injuries can be healed is because they cannot afford the money.In Sicily, many children, many men, have scars.Had it been in the United States, the scar would have been healed long ago, either through minor surgery or a complicated course of treatment. Michael often thought of Kay, of her voice and smile, of her figure.He abandoned her so unkindly, and didn't even say hello when he was parting.Every time he thought about it, he felt a prick in his conscience.He had never felt uneasy about the two men he had personally killed, because Sollozzo had tried to kill his father, and Captain McCloskey had beaten him with a disfigured face. Dr. Tacha repeatedly urged him to have an operation to correct his uneven face, especially as the pain became more and more severe and frequent as time went by.When Michael asked him for painkillers, he pressed harder.Tacha explains: There is a facial nerve center under the eyes.From this center spread a whole nervous system.To be honest, this place is also a place where gangsters like to make a fuss.The thugs used the sharp points of the ice picks on the dining table to find the nerve centers on the faces of the prisoners they were holding, and tortured them wantonly.This nerve center in Michael's face had been damaged, or perhaps a small splinter of bone had lodged in it.A simple operation in a hospital in Palermo can save the pain once and for all. Michael declined.When the doctor asked him why, he grinned and said, "This is a souvenir from my hometown." Pain, he really didn't care; pain, in fact, was more like numbness, more like a slight tremor in the skull, just like the rotation of a machine with a motor in a liquid, it would make the machine clean. After almost seven thousand months of this leisurely country life, Michael began to feel bored.At this time, old man Tomasino was also very busy, and it was rare to see him in the villa.He was having trouble with the "new mafia" that had just emerged in Palermo.The so-called "new gangsters" refer to young people who have made a fortune from the city's postwar construction industry.With the money in their hands, they are desperately trying to invade the country fiefdom of the old gang leader.They dismissed old gang leaders as senile.Old man Tommasino was busy everywhere, and he was busy defending his territory.So Michael lost the honor of the old man's company and had to make do with listening to Dr. Tacha's stories, some of which were repeated a second time. One morning Michael decided to take a long hike into the mountains beyond Corleone.He also naturally let the two herdsman bodyguards accompany him.This measure was not really designed to guard against enemies of the Corleone family.It's too dangerous for a stranger to wander around alone.Even locally, that's dangerous.There are many bandits in this area, and many gang guerrillas killing each other, which poses a threat to ordinary people.He could also be mistaken for a "farm shed" thief. "Farm tool shed" is a small thatched hut built with wheat stalks in the field, where farm tools can be stacked and agricultural workers can take a short break so that when they go to work in the field, they don't have to take farm tools so far from the village.In Sicily, farmers generally do not live alone on the land they cultivate, because it is too dangerous.Any arable land, if he could get his hands on it, was precious.He lived in the village, and as soon as the sun came out he set out to work in the distant fields.A farmer is a tourist who often walks about his home and fields.An agricultural laborer who arrives at his "implement shed" and finds it robbed of its contents is as wretched as he is robbed of his bread for the day.After the official law proved futile, the gangsters stepped forward and took this interest of the peasants into their own protection. The people solved the problem in typical fashion.The Mafia is responsible for hunting down and killing all "farm shed" thieves.Some innocent people also suffered, it is inevitable.This possibility also exists: If Michael inadvertently walks by a "tool shed" that has just been robbed, he may be legally convicted of robbery, unless he can find someone to bond for him. On a balmy morning, Michael set off on a long hike, followed by the two devoted herdsmen.One of the herdsmen was a plain and simple man, an imbecile, silent as a dead man, with a face as expressionless as an Indian's, and his body was that of a typical Sicilian, strong and thin, and his name was Gallo. The other herdsman is more cheerful, younger, and has seen some worldly experiences.In fact, all he has seen is the ocean.During the war he was a sailor in the Italian Navy.No sooner had he tattooed himself than the ship sank.He was caught by the British as a prisoner.However, the flowers tattooed on his body made him a celebrity in the whole village.Sicilians generally do not allow tattoos to be tattooed on their bodies.They have no such opportunities, nor such inclinations. (This herdsman named Fabrizio originally wanted to tattoo himself mainly to cover up a red, dirty-looking fetus on his belly.) However, the gang members drove the village There are carefully painted and brightly colored landscape paintings on both sides of the carriage.Fabrizio returned to his village; he was not at all particularly proud of the tattoo on his belly, although the theme represented by the tattoo was also very valuable to the honor revered by the Sicilians.French Reggio sometimes joked with Michael and asked him about the situation in the United States, because it was really impossible to keep his nationality from them for a long time.However, they did not know exactly who he was, other than knowing that he had taken refuge here.Talking nonsense and leaking his information is of course not allowed.Sometimes Fabrizio would bring Michael a fresh piece of cheese still oozing milk beads. They walked along the dusty country road, passing colorfully painted carts drawn by donkeys.The fields are full of pink flowers, and the orange groves, apricot groves, and olive groves are all blooming in full bloom, which is amazing, because everyone knows the poverty of Sicily, so Michael originally Think of it as a wilderness with no vegetation.However, now he found that the land here is a rich land, covered with flowers everywhere, exuding the fragrance of lemon blossoms everywhere.The land here is so beautiful, how can the people here have the heart to leave their homes and wander elsewhere?This, he couldn't figure it out.The extent to which people are cruel to people can be seen from the fact that a large number of people fled from this "Garden of Eden" country. He planned to walk to the seaside village of Matola and then drive back to Corleone so that he could get a good night's sleep after being tired.The two nomads were carrying travel bags with bread and cheese in them to satisfy their hunger when they got hungry along the way.The two nomads were blatantly carrying their big hunting guns, as if they were going out hunting all day. It was a beautiful morning, and Michael felt as happy as he had been when he was a child going out to play on a summer morning.Back then, the life I lived every day was as fresh as it had just been washed, and as fresh as a painting just drawn.Now, those kind of good days are here again.The large area of ​​Sicily is covered with colorful flowers, and everywhere exudes the fragrance of citrus and lemon blossom.Even with his face hurt and his sinuses constricted, he could smell it. The comminuted fracture on his left face had grown, but the bones were deformed: the pressure on his nose caused pain in his left eye, and his nose kept running.He wiped his nose with his handkerchief, and the handkerchief after handkerchief was wet and sticky.Like the local farmers, he often blows his nose everywhere.And when he was a kid, his habit of blowing his nose everywhere was a nuisance.He had always been disgusted then to see old Italians, like English dandies, disdain to use handkerchiefs and blow their noses into the gutters beside the roads. He also felt "heavy" on his face.Dr. Tatcha told him it was the pressure on his sinuses from the shattered bone fragments.Dr. Tatcha called this failure "staggered tumor eggshell rupture."He also said that if the treatment was done before the broken bone was set, the remedy was actually very simple, requiring only a simple surgical operation, that is, using a tool such as a spoon to straighten the broken bone.However, now the doctor said that he had to go to a hospital in Palermo for a check-up, a major operation called "maxillofacial surgery", and the long-term broken bones had to be knocked out again.This is really enough for Michael.He declined.However, what was more serious than the pain, and more serious than the runny nose, was that his face felt heavy. He never reached the waterfront that day.He walked about twelve miles with the two nomads and stopped in the cool, moist shade of citrus trees to eat and drink.Francois Reggio was babbling on and on about his going to America someday.After eating and drinking, they lay lazily under the shade of greenery.Fabrizio unbuttoned his shirt and stretched his belly, which made the pattern on his belly more obvious.The naked man and woman hugged each other excitedly on his chest, and the dagger that the husband stabbed into the woman's flesh was trembling slightly.The three of them were very happy to see this living pattern.While they were enjoying themselves, Michael was shot by the arrow of love that the Sicilians called "bolt from the blue". Beyond the citrus grove lay the strip of fields of a baronial estate.A little way down the road that leads into the orange grove is a villa in the Romanesque style that looks as if it had been dug out of the ruins of Pompeii.The villa was a small palace, with a large marble portico in front, and under the portico fluted Greek columns, out of which came a group of peasant girls, flanked by two Stocky, black-clad women, all from the neighboring villages, had evidently just come out from their old duty to the local baron, either to clean his dacha periodically, or to prepare for his winter return. get ready.At this time, they were going to the fields to pick some flowers for the baron to decorate the room.They were picking pink daisies and purple wisteria, and they were going to pick some citrus blossoms and lemon blossoms to mix in.The girls did not see the men who were resting in the orange grove, and they got closer and closer to the place where the men were resting. They wore cheap tights, richly printed and dyed.They are both in their teens, but their skin has matured quickly due to exposure to the wind and sun, and they look fully feminine.About three or four girls ganged up and chased one girl, and ran after her towards the orange grove.The girl being chased holds a bunch of big purple grapes in her left hand, picks grapes one after another from the bunch of grapes with her right hand, and throws them out to beat the girls who are chasing her.She had curly hair, the color of grapes, purple-black.She has a plump figure. Just when she was about to reach the orange grove, she stopped suddenly and froze, because her eyes caught sight of the shirts of the men who were of a different shade from the surrounding ones.She stood on tiptoe like a frightened fawn trying to run away.She is very close to the man at this moment, so close that the men can see her face clearly. Everything about her was egg-shaped—the egg-shaped eyes, the egg-shaped face, the egg-shaped forehead.Her skin was a wonderful rosy cream; her eyes were large, a dark violet and a dark brown; The cute face is set off hazy and mysterious.Her lips were plump but not brutal, sweet but not weak and sickly, deep red in color, as if about to ooze grape juice.She is unbelievably cute.So, Fabrizio said to himself: "Jesus Christ, I am really out of my mind after seeing such a beauty, you simply accept my soul, anyway, I am going to die." I'm joking, but that's a very vulgar remark.The girl seemed to have heard what he said, turned around on tiptoe and slipped away, running towards the girls who were chasing her.The calico dress she was wearing stretched her waist and legs tightly, and she twisted and flung herself as she ran. She was as lively as a fawn, as frivolous as a heathen, and had no sense of Christian stability. Innocence reveals a sensual charm.When she had reached her companion, she turned again, her face a mysterious black hole against a field of brightly colored flowers.She held out the hand that held the grapes and pointed to the orange grove.The girls laughed as they ran away.The two fat women followed behind, cursing non-stop. And Michael Corleone stood up without knowing it, his heart pounding hard in his chest.He felt dizzy, and the blood in his body was boiling, rushing to his limbs, impacting his fingers and toes.The aromas of the whole island are drifting with the wind, and they are not washed away: citrus flowers, grape flowers, and mountain flowers.At this moment, it was as if his soul had left him, burst out of his body.Just at this moment, he heard the two herdsmen laughing loudly. "You were hit by a bolt from the blue, eh?" said Fabrizio, patting him on the shoulder.Even Gallo, who had always been taciturn, could bear it no longer, and with a sympathetic and friendly look, patted him on the arm and said, "Don't be sad, boy, don't be sad." He said it, however, in a tone of pity, As if Michael had been hit by a car.Fabrizio handed Michael a bottle of wine, and Michael took it and gulped it down.After drinking this, his mind cleared up. "What the hell are you two talking about?" he asked.The two listened and laughed out loud.Gallo, with the utmost seriousness on his plain face, said solemnly: "When the thunderbolt hits you, you can't hide it as much as you want, and everyone can see it clearly. Christ, boy, there is nothing to be ashamed of." .Some men want a bolt from the blue to hit them and ask for it. You're lucky." Michael felt that his emotional fluctuations were so easily seen through, and he was not happy in his heart.But it was the first time in his life that something like this happened to him.This is fundamentally different from the infatuation he had when he first fell in love.It is fundamentally different from his love for Kai. His love for Kai is based on her sweetness, her intelligence, and her characteristics of being both a white beauty and a black beauty.But the emotional fluctuations in front of him are completely an overwhelming possessive desire, and it's all because the girl has left an indelible impression in his mind.He knew that if he didn't possess her, she would be on his mind every day as long as he lived.His life was so simple and concentrated on one point that nothing else was worth even a minute's attention.He had missed Kay all the time during his exile, but he felt that the two of them could no longer be lovers, or even ordinary friends.He is now a murderer no matter how he argues, and he is also a gangster who has passed the "hard test".But now, Kai was completely wiped from his consciousness. Fabrizio said cheerfully: "I suggest going to the village to have a look, and we might as well ask about her. Who knows, maybe she can be obtained more easily, even easier than we imagined. There is only one cure for lovesickness caused by a thunderbolt, um, what do you think, Gallo?" The herdsman nodded solemnly.Michael said nothing.The two nomads got up and walked away, and he followed.The three of them got on the main road and walked towards the village where the girls escaped just now. This village has a common layout in Sicily: there is a square in the middle, a well in the center of the square, and the houses of the villagers are all around the square.However, the village is precisely on the main road, so there are a few shops, a hotel, and a small cafe with three tables on a small outdoor terrace.The two nomads chose a table and sat down.Michael sat with them.There was no sign of the girl here, not even a shadow.The whole village seemed to have run away, except for a few little boys and a wandering little donkey. The owner of the coffee shop came out with food for them.He was not tall, but very strong, almost a dumpy man.He greeted them with gusto and set a plate of chickpeas on the table. "You are newcomers here," he said, "so let me introduce you to this wine. First try my wine, which is from my own farm and made by my sons. They With some citrus and lemon mixed in, this is the best wine in all of Italy. They told him to bring out a big pitcher, taste it, and, well, it was much better than he said: deep purple, almost as strong as brandy.Fabrizio said to the owner of the hotel: "I can assure you that you know all the girls here. Just now we saw some beautiful girls coming from the road, and one of them caused my companion to be hit by a bolt from the blue." He said and pointed to Michael. The coffee shop owner looked at Michael very seriously.It seems that he has long been used to that crooked face, and it is not worth a glance at all.But a man struck by a bolt from the blue is another matter, he has to look carefully. "My friend, I think you'd better take some bottles home," he said. "You're going to need something to sleep tonight." Michael asked the man, "Do you know that girl with curly hair? The skin is very smooth, like cream, and the eyes are very big, with very dark eyeballs. Do you know a girl like that in the village?" The coffee shop owner said firmly: "I don't know. I don't know where there is such a girl." After that, he left the small platform and slipped into the coffee shop. The three drank the wine without haste, and when they had finished the jug, they shouted for more.Fabrizio came out, made a face, and said to Michael: "As I've just expected, the girl we're talking about is none other than his daughter. Now, he's in the back of the house, his blood boils, and he's about to clean up." Let's. I think we'd better get off at once, and go to Corleone Town." Even though Michael had lived on the island for several months, he still couldn't get used to the fact that Sicilians were so emotional when it came to relationships between men and women.And the present situation, even as far as Sicilians are concerned, is extreme.However, the two herdsmen seemed to take this for granted and waited for him to leave together. Fabrizio said: "The old bastard just said he had two sons, and all he had to do was whistle, and there came those strong boys. Let's go." Michael gave him a cold look.Until then, he had acted like a taciturn, urbane young man, a typical American.If it wasn't for the refugee, he would have fought hard to show his prestige.这两个牧民第一次看到考利昂家族传统的瞪眼。托马辛诺老头子知道迈克尔的底细和事迹，对他一向都很谨慎，把他看作同自己一样的“值得尊敬的人”但是，这两个头脑简单的牧羊人却对迈克尔形成了他们自己的独特的看法，很不明智的看法。迈克尔那种严峻的发白的脸，冷酷的神色，从他身上表现出来的仿佛从冰块上散发出来的冷气一样的怒气，吓得他们两个不再笑了，同时也扑灭了他们流露出来的那种熟不拘礼的热情。 迈克尔发现他们两个恭恭敬敬在等待着他的吩咐，就喝令道：“把那个人喊出来，到这儿来见我！” 他们两个听了，马上行动起来，扛上大枪，走进了又黑暗又阴森的咖啡馆。只几秒钟工夫，他们又出来了，中间押着那个咖啡馆老板。那个矮胖子丝毫没有害怕的样子，与此相反，他那愤怒的表情里流露出几分警惕的神色。 迈克尔往后靠着椅背，把这个人仔细端详了一会儿，然后非常平静地说：“我现在明白了：我刚才谈论你家姑娘，已经把你惹得生气了。我向你赔礼道歉。我在你们这个国家人地两生，对你们这儿的风俗不那么了解。让我把这一点说明一下，我刚才对你或对她若有失札之处，可并不是有意的。” 两个保镖听了，印象极为深刻。迈克尔从前对他们两个说话的语气，从来都下像这个样子。刚才虽说是在道歉，但他的语气里却蕴藏着驾驭一切的威力和有权驾驭一切的信心。这个咖啡店老板耸了耸肩，更提高了警惕。他这时明白了，他不是同一个农场小工人打交道。“你究竟是什么人，对我女儿有什么要求？” 迈克尔毫不迟疑，立即开门见山地说：“我是个美国人，来到西西里是为了避难的，是为了逃避我国警察的追捕。我的名字叫迈克尔。你可以向警察告密，从而发个洋财，但是，如果那样的话，你家的女儿就不是得到一个丈夫，而是要丢失一个父亲。无论如何，我都要认识一下你的女儿。在你的允许之下，在你们全家人的监视之下，认识认识，正正派派地认识、互相尊重地认识。我是一个光明磊落的人，绝不会做出有损于你女儿荣誉的事。我想要见见她，同她谈谈。到头来如果我们双方感到称心如意，那我们就结婚。要是双方不满意而结不成婚，那你绝不会再看到我来打扰你。到头来，她也可能对我有反感。这，任何男人都能拿出补救办法。但是，话又说回来，到时候如果天公作美，那么，关于我的一切，要是一个岳父应该知道的，我一定全部告诉你。” 那三人都以惊奇的神态望着他。法布里吉奥以敬畏的心情悄悄地说：“这是真正给晴天霹雳击中了。”咖啡店老板的表情这才显得既下自负也不傲慢。他那怒气冲冲的样子也不那么明显了。未了，他问道：“你是朋友们的朋友吗？” 因为“黑帮”这个词绝对不可能由一个普通的西面里人说出口，所以咖啡店老板刚才那句话也就差不多等于在问迈克尔是不是黑帮成员。同一个人是否属于黑帮的贯用方式，就是那个样子，但这个问题通常不向当事人直接提出。 “不是，”迈克尔回答说，“我在你们这个国家是人地两生。” 咖啡店老板又仔细地把他打量了一番，望了望他那被打坏的左脸，望了望那双在西西里少见的长腿。他还望了望那两个毫无畏惧的、完全公开地擅自携带大枪的牧民，回想到他们两个如何走进他的咖啡馆，如何告诉他说他们的主人想要同他谈谈。咖啡馆老板咆哮起来，说什么他要那个狗娘养的小子从他家平台上滚开去。当时，其中一个牧民说：“听我说，你最好还是出去给他说说。”那时，一种感觉驱使他走了出来。此刻，又有一种感觉驱使他认识到，最好的办法还是向这位远方来客表示一点礼貌。他勉勉强强地说：“星期天下午来吧，我的名字叫维太里。我家就住在山坡上面，在村子那头的高处。但是，先到咖啡馆这儿来，我领你上去。” 法布里吉奥刚要开口说什么时，迈克尔把他瞪了一眼，那个牧民的舌头就像冻结在嘴里一样，一下子哑了。这，维太里也看到了。这样，当迈克尔站起来，把手伸出来的时候，咖啡馆老板也伸出手，一面笑，一面同他握手。他想打听打听。如果打听到的情况同迈克尔刚才所说的有出入，那么他就可以让他的两个儿子也扛上大猎枪去招呼他，咖啡馆老板在“朋友们的朋友们”中间并不是没有门路的。但是，他总感觉到这就是西西里人一向所相信的那种不期而遇的好运气。他还感觉到他女儿的美貌会帮她交上好运气，帮她的家庭过上安稳日子，如今还是将计就计吧。有些本地青年小子已经在围着她闹哄哄的了。而这个脸给打伤了的外乡人，刚好可以利用来完成一件必要的任务，那就是把他们吓跑。维太里为了表示自己的善意，特意送了一瓶最好的最纯正的葡萄酒给这几个不速之客。他注意到其中一个牧民付了钱。这向他清楚地表明，迈克尔真是那两个的上司。 迈克尔对徒步旅行不再感兴趣了。他们三个找到了一个出租汽车站，雇了一辆汽车和一个司机送他们回到考利昂镇。在晚饭前的什么时候，塔查大夫一定已经听到了那两个牧民把当天的奇遇向他作了汇报。当天晚上，坐在花园里的塔查大夫对托马辛诺老头子说：“咱们那个朋友今天给晴天霹雳击中了。” 托马辛诺老头子没有现出惊奇的神色，他哼了一声：“我巴不得巴勒莫那些年轻娃儿也能给晴天霹雳击中；也许他们给晴天霹雳击中了，我才能得到一些安宁。”他在自言自语，说的是巴勒莫大城市里涌现出来的新型黑帮头头，他们向他这样的旧体系的权威提出了挑战。 迈克尔对托马辛诺说：“我要求你告诉那两个牧羊人，星期天别跟着我。我要到这个姑娘家去赴宴，不要他们俩人缠着我。” 托马辛诺老头子摇摇头：“我要向你及你的父亲负责，别提出这样的要求。还有一点，我听到你甚至已经谈起结婚来了。这，我不能答应。这要等我征求你父亲的意见之后才能作决定。” 迈克尔·考利昂眼下说话非常谨慎，因为谈话的对象毕竟是一个值得尊敬的人。 “托马辛诺老头子，你知道我爸爸的脾气，他这个人，只要谁对他说个'不'字，马上就变成聋子了。只有等到人家给他回答'是'字的时候，他才会恢复听觉。哎，他已经听到过好几次我说'不'字了。派这两个保镖，这是想得通的，我不愿意给你造成麻烦，他们两个星期天可以跟我去，但是，万一我要结婚，那就结婚。如果我不允许我的爸爸干预我的私生活，那么同意你干预我的私生活，对他就等于是一种侮辱。这是明摆着的道理嘛。” 这位黑帮头目长叹了一口气：“那，好吧，结婚看来是势在必行的。我懂得你是给晴天霹雳击中了。她是正派人家的好闺女，你想侮辱这样的闺女而不遭到当爸爸的豁出老命干掉你，那你就办不到，到时候你准会流血。另外，我对这家人很了解，我不能让事情演变到那一步。” 迈克尔说：“她看到我这副样子可能受不了。她很年轻，可能嫌我老了。”他看到那两个人在向他微笑。“我需要些钱，好买点礼物；我看我需要买辆汽车。” The old man nodded. “这一切都由法布里吉奥去办理，他是个聪明的孩子，当年在海军里，人家教给他一些机修技术。我明天一早就给你些钱。我要把目前发生的事情告诉你爸爸，这是我必须做的。” 迈克尔对塔查大夫说：“你有什么药能够把我这经常流鼻涕的讨厌毛病止住吗？我不能让那个姑娘看到我老是在揩鼻涕。” 塔查大夫说：“你在去见她之前，可以临时敷上一种药。这种药敷上去，会把你弄得有点麻木，但是别担心，你一时还不能去吻她。”大夫本人和老头子都对这样的打趣发笑了。 快到星期天的时候，迈克尔搞到了一辆“小罗密欧”牌汽车，虽然碰伤了一点，但用起来还过得去。他还专程到已勒莫去为那姑娘和她家里人买了些礼物。他打听到那个姑娘的名字叫阿波罗妮娅，每天晚上他都在想着她那可爱的脸蛋儿和她那可爱的名字。他想睡一会儿就非得喝许多酒才行，所以他床边有一瓶冷酒。他每天晚上都要把那瓶酒喝光。 星期天，布满整个西西里的教堂的钟声一响，他就开着“小罗密欧”牌汽车直奔那个村子，车就停在咖啡馆门外。加洛和法市里吉奥两个人都带着滑膛枪坐在后座上。迈克尔要他们俩在咖啡馆里等着，不可到姑娘家里去。咖啡馆今天关门了，维太里靠在平合的栏杆上，在那儿等着他们哩。 他们互相一一握手后，迈克尔拿着三大包礼物，跟着维太里，步履艰难地向山上走去。维太里的家看来比一般村舍都要大一些，他们一家不算很贫穷。 屋子里的布置使人感到很熟悉：有几尊圣母雕像套在玻璃罩里；在这些雕像的脚前供着几盏闪烁着红光的还愿灯。两个儿子也都穿着他们最好的黑礼服，在家里等着。他们都是身体魁伟的年轻人，看上去刚二十出头，但由于他们在农场里辛勤劳动，因此都很显老。母亲也是个精力充沛的女人，同她丈夫一样结实。但是，却不见那姑娘的踪影。 介绍的时候，迈克尔根本没有听见，过后他们坐在一个房间里，这个房间很可能是起居室，也同样很可能是正式餐厅。房间里杂乱无章地摆满了各种各样的家具。房间并不怎么大，但在西西里来说，这已经是中产阶级才能享受的荣华富贵了。 迈克尔给维太里先生和维太里太太分别送了礼物：给当爸爸的送了一个金质雪茄烟切割机；给当妈妈的送了一匹在巴勒莫可能买到的质量最好的布。还有一包是准备送给姑娘的。他送的礼物，人家以含蓄的感谢收下了。这些礼物送得有点太早了，在他第二次访问之前本来不该送任何东西。 当爸爸的以农村人的语气对他说：“你不要以为我们就那么轻贱，那么随随便便地欢迎陌生人到我们家里来。只是因为托马辛诺老头子替你担了保，因此，我们欢迎你，不过，我必须有言在先，如果你对我女儿的意图是严肃认真的，那我们就必须再知道一点有关你和你家庭的情况。这，你是能够理解的，你的家庭原来也是从这个国家去的嘛。” 迈克尔点点头，彬彬有礼地说：“你想知道什么，我随时都可以告诉你。” 维太里先生举起一只手。“我并不是一个包打听。我们得先考虑一下，看是否有必要。眼下，你作为托马辛诺的朋友，在我们家里是受欢迎的。” 迈克尔尽管鼻子里面敷上了药，实际上还是闻到了姑娘就在这个房间里。他转过身一看，啊，她就站在通向后院的拱门口。他闻到的气味是鲜花的气味，柠檬花的气味，但她那乌黑的卷发上并没有插什么花。她那朴素的黑衣服（显然是她最好的衣服）上并没有插什么花。她迅速地瞥了他一眼，同时向他轻微地笑了一下，然后就默默地低头望着地面，并坐在她母亲的身边。 迈克尔又感到上气不接下气了，在他全身汹涌澎湃的，与其说是渴望，不如说是如痴似醉的占有欲。他头一次体会到了意大利男子的那种名不虚传的贪婪心理。此刻，谁要是摸摸这个姑娘，谁要是企图占有这个姑娘，把她从他的身边拉去，那他马上可以结果了这个人。他想要占有她，如疯似癫得就像守财奴想要占有金市一样，如饥似渴得就像二地主想要占有耕地一样。没有任何力量可以阻止他占有这个姑娘。把这个姑娘抓到自己手里、锁在家里，把她当作囚犯一样关起来，整天只陪着他一个人。甚至任何人想要看她一下，他也不愿意。当她回头对她的一个哥哥微笑时，迈克尔就莫名其妙地朝那个年轻人杀气腾腾地瞪了一眼。全家人看得清清楚楚，这就是被“晴天霹雳”击中的典型表现，因此也都感到放心了。这个年轻小伙子将是他们女儿手中任意捏弄的面团了。当然在他们俩结婚之前会是这样的，婚后的情况当然会有变化，但那也没有多大关系。 迈克尔原来在巴勒莫也给自己买了些新衣服，看上去再也不是邋里邋遢的农民了。如今全家人感到问题已经一目了然，他起码是个什么老头子。他那被打坏了半边脸，使他看上去也并不像他自己所想象的那样丑。因为另外半边脸仍然很秀气，把这边变形了的脸衬托得甚至很有趣。总之，在这个国度里，若说你是被破相了，那你就得同许多肉体遭受了极端不幸的人们对比对比，在这样的对比之下，你未必能称之为破相。 迈克尔直瞪瞪地瞅着姑娘，瞅着她那可爱的鸟蛋形的脸面。眼下他看到她的嘴唇发紫了，她的嘴唇里面流动着的热血也就是那样的紫红色。他不敢直呼她的名字，只泛泛地说：“那天我在柑橘林旁边见过你，是在你要跑开的时候，怕是我使你受惊了？” 姑娘抬起眼睛，把他扫视了片刻。She shook her head.但是，那双眼睛里的妩媚神态，迈克尔却受不了，不由自主地把脸移开了。母亲却酸溜溜地说：“阿波罗妮娅，你就同这个可怜的人说几句话吧，他从老远赶到这儿来看你。”但是，她那长长的眼睫毛仍然一动不动地耷拉着，活像鸟儿的翅膀益着眼睛。迈克尔趁机把用金纸包着的礼物递给她；姑娘把礼物放在自己的大腿上。父亲说：“女儿，打开看看。”但是，她那双手却一动也不动。她那双手很小，有点淡褐色，简直就是一双顽童的手。母亲把手伸了过来，下耐烦地打开包裹，然而又怕把宝贵的包装纸扯破，动作十分小心。她打开一看是红色丝绒珠宝盒，就给愣住了。她那双手从来没有摸过这样的宝贝东西，根本不知道怎样打开它。但是，她单凭纯粹的本能把盒子打开了，顺手取出了里面的礼物。 礼物是一条金链子，戴在脖子上的项链。这个礼物使他们一家入惊喜交集，敬畏之情油然而生。这不仅是因为这个礼物的价值，而且还因为在这个社会里；给人选用金子做的礼品，也就是等于最严肃的意图的一种表白。这，也就无异于求婚了，或者说得更确切一些，无异于求婚意图的信号。这一下，他们再也不能狐疑这位外乡人的严肃意图，不能狐疑他的家境了。 阿波罗妮娅仍然没有去摸她的礼物。他妈妈把礼物举得高高的，让她看；她把长长的眼睫毛抬起了一会儿，然后直盯盯望着迈克尔，她那羞羞答答的褐色眼睛显得很严肃，同时她说：“格拉吉亚。” 他第一次听到了她的声音。 她的声音充分体现了年幼的羞怯的娇嫩的特点，在迈克尔的耳朵里久久地回响着。他仍然不正面看她，仍然在同她父母亲交谈，原因很简单：看着她，他就会激动得六神无主了。但是，他还是注意到了，尽管她的衣服很保守，很不讲究，而她肉体散发出的诱人的肉感，简直像光亮似的透过了衣服。他还注意到，她的皮肤由于难为情而呈现出了深红色：她那本来又红又果的奶油般光润的皮肤，由于热血涌到了脸上面更显得又红又黑了。 未了，迈克尔站起来要走，那一家人也站了起来。他们按照正常礼仪互相告别。姑娘终于在他的正前面，同他握了手。她的皮肤一触到他，他感到触电似的一阵麻木。她的手温暖而粗糙，完全是农民的皮肤。当父亲的陪他下山，送他到汽车跟前，还邀请他下个星期再来参加他家的星期天家宴。迈克尔点了点头，但是他心里明白，他不可能忍受一星期之后才来看这位姑娘。 他没有忍耐那么久。第二天，不用那两个牧民陪伴，他就独自开车到那个村子里去了，坐在咖啡馆门前花园里的平台上，同她父亲聊起天来。维太里先生派人去喊他老伴和女儿下山来，到咖啡馆同他们一道聊聊。这次会见不像上次那么尴尬了，阿波罗妮娅不再那么害羞，话也多起来了。她穿的是时常穿的那种花紧身衣，这种衣服同她的肤色配合起来显得更为协调。 接着第三天，他又来了。不过这次阿波罗妮娅戴着他送的金项链。他一看就对她笑了，他明白这是对他发出的一种信号。他陪着她一道上山，她妈妈紧跟在他们后面。但是，要想这一对年轻人的身子不互相碰撞，那简直是不可能的。有一次，阿波罗妮娅还跌了一跤，刚好倒在他身上，这样他就不得不用手扶住她。他的手感到她的身于是那样热乎乎，那样充满活力。他们俩看到妈妈在后面忍不住发笑了，原因是她明明知道她本来是个小山羊，从她还是身上裹着尿布的婴儿的时候起，她在这条路上也从来没有跌过跤呀。她知道，这就是他在结婚前用手去摸摸她的唯一方式。 这样过了两个星期，迈克尔每次来总要给她带些礼物，她也逐渐地不羞怯了。但是，他们俩无法在女方没有陪伴的场合下私下去面。她是一个十足的农村姑娘，没有多少文化，没见过世面，但是她有一种清新的韵味，有一种对生活的热望。这两个优点，再加上语言上多少有点障碍，使她似乎能激发人的好奇心。一切都按迈克尔的要求非常顺利地进行。因为姑娘一来给他迷住了，二来知道他很有钱，所以结婚的日子就定在两星期以后的一天了。 如今，托马辛诺老头子在幕后插手了。他收到了从美国传来的话：尽管迈克尔不服从命令，但必须采取一些基本措施。因此，托马辛诺老头子就自命为新郎的父亲，从而保证了他的保镖能够有出场的机会。加洛和法布里吉奥这两个人间塔查大夫一样，也都算是考利昂家庭方面出席婚礼的成员。新郎新娘就打算住在塔查大夫的那个四周有石头围墙的别墅里。 婚礼是普通农民式的婚礼。当护送新娘的随行人员、主要来宾、一般客人从教堂出来步行回到新娘家时，村民们就站在街道两旁，向走过来的人们身上撒鲜花。参加婚礼游行的人们把传统的结婚糖果、蜜饯杏仁扔向附近的看客。剩下的糖果在新婚夫妇的床上堆成一座糖山。在这种情况下，洞房仅仅是象征性的，因为实际上新婚之夜将在考利昂镇以外的别墅里度过。婚礼宴会将要进行到半夜，但新郎新娘在半夜之前就要坐“小罗密欧”离开宴会。到了要离开的时候，迈克尔得知当妈妈的在新娘的要求之下也要跟他们一同到别墅去，因而感到很惊讶。当爸爸的解释说，女儿太年轻，是个处女，有点怕，需耍有人给她谈一谈。如果出现什么问题的话，就有人开导她有个正确的态度。这类问题有时非常微妙。迈克尔发现阿波罗妮娅用她那大大的雌鹿似的褐色眼睛，带着拿不定主意的神色，张望着迈克尔。他向她笑了笑，点了点头。 结果，他俩开着汽车，岳母也坐在汽车里，一同到了考利昂镇郊外的别墅里。但是，老太太同塔查大夫家的佣人交头接耳了一会儿之后，又把她女儿拥抱了一下，吻了一下，就退出现场了。这时，迈克尔同他的新娘子才被允许单独进入宽敞的新房。 阿波罗妮娅仍然还穿着那套新娘礼服，上面还披着一件大氅。她的箱子和皮包已经从汽车里拿到屋子里来了。在小桌上摆着一瓶葡萄酒和一小盘婚礼蛋糕，有大华盖的床一刻都没有脱离他们的视线。年轻女郎站在屋子中央等着迈克尔首先采取主动。 如今他终于同她在一起了，如今他合法地占有了她，再也没有什么妨碍了。迈克尔却发起呆来，不能挨近她了。他凝视着她取下了新娘头巾，把它搭在椅子上，把新娘花冠放在小梳妆台上。小梳妆台上还洋洋大观地摆着迈克尔让人从巴勒莫买来的各种各样的香水和雪花膏。新娘用目光把这些化妆品清点了一下。 迈克尔把屋里面的灯全关掉了。他想在她脱衣服的时候屋子里能够暗一些，好遮掩遮掩她的赤身裸体。但是，月光透过几扇没关上的活动百叶窗照了进来，把屋子照得通亮。于是，迈克尔就去关百叶窗，但没有关严，因为屋子里太闷热了。 新媳妇仍然站在化妆台跟前。迈克尔走出屋子，到楼下洗澡间去了。当女人们都在准备上床的时候，他同塔查大夫，还有托马辛诺老头子，一块儿在花园里喝了一玻璃杯葡萄酒。他原来预料，等他回来的时候，就会看到阿波罗妮娅穿上睡衣，早已躺在被窝里了。他感到很诧异，原来当妈妈的还没有给她女儿教会这一点。也许阿波罗妮娅想要他帮着她脱衣服。但是，他确信她大羞涩了，太天真了，不可能想到这样的作法。 回到新房，他发现里面漆黑一片，谁早已把百叶窗关严了。他摸到了床边，也摸到阿波罗妮娅躺在被窝里的身子，她的背对着他，身子蜷曲着，缩成一团。他脱了衣服，缩进被窝里去了…… 她一来就打破了这所别墅沉闷的、只有男子的单调气氛，使之活跃起来。新婚之夜的第二天，她就把母亲打发回家去了，从此她就以她那爽朗的活泼可爱的神态主持着团体聚餐。托马辛诺老头子每天晚上都同他们共进晚餐。当他们一道在花园里喝酒的时候，塔查大夫就讲讲他的老故事。布满园里的雕像像头上都戴着血红色的鲜花。他们傍晚是过得满愉快的。夜间，这对新婚夫妇就过几小时狂热的性生活。 她睡着了的时候，她的脸也是可爱的，像这样完美无瑕的脸，迈克尔以前只在意大利少女油画册上看到过。那些少女油画，丝毫没有艺术家技巧上的夸张痕迹，一看就可以认为是处女。 他们在结婚的第一周，经常开着“小罗密欧“出外野餐，作短途族行。但是，就在这个时候，托马辛诺老头子把迈克尔拉到旁边解释说：“结婚活动使他的身份在西西里一带已经传得家喻户晓了，务必采取一些措施来预防考利昂家族的敌人，因为敌人的手伸得很长，也伸到该岛的避难所了，托马辛诺老头子在别墅周围安置了武装警卫，同时决定让加洛和法布里吉奥这两个牧人在围墙里面固定执勤。因此，迈克尔和他的妻子必须待在别墅范围以内。迈克尔为了消遣时间，就教阿波罗妮娅学习英语，同时绕着别墅围墙的里侧教她开汽车。这个时候，托马辛诺老头子似乎忙得不可开交，很少陪他们。据塔查大夫说，老头子仍然在同巴勒莫市的新兴的黑帮闹纠纷。 一天晚上，在花园里，一个老年女佣人端来了一碟新鲜橄榄果，回头望着迈克尔说：“大家都纷纷传说你就是纽约市考利昂老头子、教父的儿子，这是真的吗？” 迈克尔看到托马辛诺老头子在摇头，对于他们的秘密已经家喻户晓这一点感到不安。但是，这个干瘪的满脸皱纹的老太婆在看着他的时候，却流露出了十分关切的神情，看来好像让她知道一下实请是很重要的，因而迈克尔点了点头。 “你认识我爸爸吗？”他问。 这个老太婆的名字叫斐洛必娜：她的脸布满了皱纹，又是褐色，很像个大核桃；她那褐色牙齿从她那像核桃壳似的上下嘴唇之间露了出来。她来到别墅这么久，破天荒第一次向他微笑一下。 “教父一度救过我的命，”她说，“是救了我的脑袋。”说着，她指了指自己的头。 看样子，她还有别的话要说，因而迈克尔笑了笑，鼓励她说下去。她几乎战战兢兢他说：“路加·布拉西已经死了，这是真的吗？” 迈克尔又点了点头，看到这个老太婆的脸上流露出了如释重负的表情，觉得很诧异。斐洛必娜在自己胸前划了个十字，说：“上帝饶恕我，但是我还是希望他的灵魂能在地狱里永远受煎熬。” 迈克尔对布拉西这个人物一直感到很神秘，同时有一种突如其来的直觉：这个老太婆一定知道黑根和桑儿一直拒不告诉他的故事。他给这个老太婆倒了一玻璃杯葡萄酒，并让她坐了下来。 “给我讲讲我爸爸和路加·布拉西过去的事，”他彬彬有礼地说，“我自己只知道一星半点。但是，为什么他们俩交上了朋友？为什么布拉西对我爸爸那么俯首贴耳？别怕，慢慢给我说吧，” 斐洛必娜满是皱纹的脸、葡萄干色的黑眼睛转向托马辛诺老头子。他间接表示同意让她说下去。于是，斐洛必娜就同他们一道度过了这个傍晚；向他们讲了她的遭遇。 三十年前，斐洛必娜是纽约市第十一街的一个助产婆，专门在意大利移民聚居区接生。她的生意很兴隆。医生们遇到难产，她还给他们教一些诀窍。她丈夫当时是一爿生意兴隆的食品杂货店的老板。如今这个可怜的人已经死了，她为他祝福。不过，他同时也是一个纸牌赌徒和一个朝三暮四的嫖客，压根儿不想存钱。 闲话少说，且说在三十年前一个倒霉的夜晚，当一切正派人都早已上床睡觉了的时候，突然有人来敲斐洛必娜的门。她一点儿也不怕，国为这是万籁俱寂的夜晚，婴儿们大都精明地选择这个时刻进入这个充满罪恶的世界，所以她芽好衣服，就去开门。一看，是路加·布拉西，这个人的名声在当时也是令人不寒而栗的。据悉，当时他是一个单身汉。于是，斐洛必娜立即给吓慌了。她心里想，来者不善，他一定是来害她丈夫的，也许是因为她丈夫曾经愚蠢地拒绝了布拉西的要求。 但是，布拉西这次倒是为了完成一项正常任务。他对斐洛必娜说：有个妇女快要临盆了。这个妇女的家离这个居民区还有一段路，她必须同他一块儿到那里去。斐洛必娜立即感到这个问题有点蹊跷。那天晚上布拉西那残暴的面孔简直就像疯子，他显然是被魔鬼缠住了，她拼命声明说，她只给那些知道底细的娘儿们接生。但是他给她硬塞了一把绿色钞票，并粗暴地命令她跟着他走。她给吓得不敢说个“不”字。 街道上停着一辆福特牌汽车，上面的司机同路加·布拉西是一丘之貉。汽车开了不过三分钟就到了长岛镇的一幢小小的木板房子里，原来是供两家人居住的房子，如今显然全部由布拉西和他那一帮坏蛋租用了。当时，另外几个流氓在厨房里一面打扑克一面喝酒。布拉西把斐洛必娜领到楼上一间卧室里，床上躺着一位年轻美丽的姑娘，看上去像爱尔兰人，肚子胀鼓鼓的。这个可怜的姑娘看上去是给吓坏了。她一看到布拉西，就吓得把头转过去。说真的，布拉西那张凶恶的脸上杀气腾腾的样子是她一生所看到的最吓人的凶相了。（说到这里，斐洛必娜又在自己的胸前划了个十字。） 长话短叙，且说布拉西离开了卧室，来了两个人协助产婆。婴孩生下来了，妈妈筋疲力尽，昏昏沉沉地睡着了。布拉西来了，斐洛必娜用毯子把新生婴孩裹起来，递给了他，并说：“如果你就是她爸爸的话，那就请把这个女娃娃接住吧。我的工作就算完成。” 布拉西瞪着她，凶神恶煞，真像疯子。 “对，我就是她爸爸，”他说，“但是，我可不要这种玩艺儿活下去。快给我拿到地下室里，丢到火炉里。” 斐洛必娜一时间觉得不大懂他的意思，他用了个“种”字她实在迷惑不懈。莫非他的意思是说这个姑娘不是意大利人？不然，莫非他的意思是说这个姑娘的身份是最下贱的？或简单地说，嫌她是妓女？当时，她断定他是开了一个粗野的玩笑。她简简单单地说：“孩子是你的，你爱怎么办就怎么办吧。”同时，她把包着的那个玩艺儿试着向他递了过去。 恰在这个时候，那个筋疲力尽的妈妈醒过来了，把身子转了一下，侧面躺着，面对着他们。她回过头来，刚好看到布拉西用拳头凶恶地捶打包着的那个玩艺儿，简直要把新生婴儿砸碎在斐洛必娜的怀里。当妈妈的有气无力地说：“路磕路磕，我很寒心。” 于是，布拉西转过脸，正面对着她。 据斐洛必娜说，当时的情况很可怕，非常可怕。他们简直像一对发了疯的野兽。他们的仇恨弥漫着整个房间。在那个时刻，对他俩来说，别的什么东西统统都不存在了，甚至连新生的婴儿也不再存在。只存在着一种不寻常的感情，一种残忍的色鬼的欲望，实在违背人之常情。你们知道，他们俩已经永远给打入地狱了。当时，路加·布拉西回头望着斐洛必娜，粗声粗气地说：“我叫你怎么办你就怎么办吧，我会让你发财的。” 斐洛窟娜给吓得一句话也说不出，只摇了摇头。最后她打起精神说：“你自己去办吧，你是她爸爸，随你怎