Chapter 4 16-20

16 The dining room is very small and is mostly taken up by one wide table.On the walls are engravings depicting biblical stories with corresponding explanatory texts. "All the missionaries have such a big table," Waddington explained to them, "because they add a child every year, and at the beginning of their marriage they have to prepare a table big enough for these little future visitors. " A paraffin lamp hung from the roof, and Kitty could now have a better look at Waddington.His bald head had misled her into thinking he was no longer young, but now it seemed that he was not yet forty.He has a tall and round forehead, and the face below the forehead is small, but round and fat, without edges and corners, and his face is very ruddy.It was a monkey-like face, ugly but attractive because it was very amusing.Among his facial features, his nose and mouth are about the size of a child's; his eyes are not big, but bright and blue; his eyebrows are light-colored and very sparse.From a distance, he looks like an old boy.He kept pouring himself wine, and as the dinner progressed, Katie felt more and more that he was not at all serious and reserved.However, even if he was drunk, he didn't say anything hurtful about drinking, but he was very happy, looking quite like a womanizer who had drunk three rounds.

He talked about Hong Kong, where he had many friends, and he wondered how they were doing.He had just been there to bet on a horse race the year before last.He talked a lot about racehorses of all colors and knew their owners quite well. "By the way, how is Tang Sheng doing now?" He suddenly asked, "Is he going to be Chief Secretary soon?" Katie felt her face flush, but her husband didn't look at her. "I don't think it's a surprise," he replied. "He's the kind of guy who gets a lot of money." "Do you know him?" Walter asked.

"Yes. I know him very well. We have traveled together through the country." On the other side of the river, there was the sound of gongs and gongs, and then the firecrackers also crackled.There, not far from them, a town was in terror; death would at any moment relentlessly visit the winding streets.But Waddington began to talk of London.His topic turned to the theater.He knew exactly what was being played in London at the moment, and he gave details of a play he had seen on the last visit.He laughed when he spoke of the funny actor and sighed when he described the beauty of the female star of the musical.He happily informed them that one of his cousins ​​had married a prominent actress.He had lunch with her and was honored to be presented with a photo of her.When they were guests at customs, he would show them the photos.

Walter looked at his guest intently, but his eyes were indifferent and slightly mocking, obviously he was not moved by the other party's humor at all.He tried politely to show interest in those topics, but Katie knew he didn't know anything.During the conversation, Walter always had a smile on his face, but Katie's heart was filled with fear for no reason.In the house left by the deceased missionary, although they were just across the water from the plague-ravaged city, they seemed to be completely isolated from the whole world.Sitting here are just three lonely people who are strangers to each other.

When dinner was over, she got up from the table. "If you don't mind, I think it's time for me to say good night. I want to go back to bed." "I will also get up and go back. I guess Dr. Walter is going to bed too." Waddington replied, "We have to go out early tomorrow morning." He shook hands with Katie.It seems that his feet are not shaking yet, but his eyes are shining, which is quite different from usual. "I'll come to fetch you," he said to Walter. "I'll see the Magistrate and the Regimental Master first, and then I'll go to the convent. You can do a lot of work here, I assure you."

17 When she first had the opportunity to chat alone with Waddington, she deliberately directed the conversation to Charlie.Waddington had mentioned him the night they had arrived.She pretended not to know Charlie well, saying he was just an acquaintance of her husband's. "I don't pay much attention to him," said Waddington. "He, I think, is a nuisance." "I bet you're being overly critical," replied Katie, with the bright, playful tone she knew so well. "As far as I know, he is one of the most popular people in Hong Kong." "I know that. That's what he's worked on. He's got a knack for winning people over. He's got a talent for making everyone who meets him feel like he's right there. It's no big deal for him, He's always willing to work for you; and if it's a little harder for him to do what you want, he'll make you feel like you can't do it anywhere else."

"He is indeed a likable person." "Charm, the constant charm wears people out, I think personally. It's quite comfortable when you're in company with someone who's not courteous but serious. I've known Townsend for years, once or twice." Well, I saw him take off his mask. But I don't care about him, I'm just a low-level customs official. As far as I understand, he doesn't pay anyone in this world, except he himself." Katie sat leisurely in her chair, looked at Waddington with a smile in her eyes, and kept turning her wedding ring around in her hand.

"There is no doubt that he will succeed in his career. He knows all about official business. I shall have the honor of addressing him as Your Excellency in my lifetime and standing up for him when he enters the stage." "However, his promotion to the third rank is also expected. In the eyes of everyone, he is a talented person." "Brilliant? What nonsense! He's the stupidest man. He gives you the impression that he's smart and easy at what he does. But it wouldn't be surprising if that was true. He's the same as an ordinary Eurasian Small employees are no different, everything has to be done step by step and desperately."

"How did he earn his reputation as a wise man?" "There are enough fools in this world. When someone in high office doesn't put on airs with them and pats them on the shoulder and says he'll do what he can for them, they take it for granted that he's smart. Of course, this His wife must be in it too. She is a remarkable woman with a brain, and her ideas are always worth using. With her to make up her mind, Charlie Townsend has no fear of doing stupid things, And that's what it takes to be smooth in office. The government doesn't want smart people. Smart people have opinions, and opinions are trouble. They want people who are affable, tactful, and never make stupid mistakes. Well, yes , Charlie will eventually climb to the top of this pyramid."

"I'm curious why you hate him?" "I don't hate him." "Then you admire his wife more?" said Kitty, smiling. "I'm a traditional man and I prefer educated ladies." "I hope her taste in dress is as good as her upbringing." "She doesn't pay much attention to her clothes? I don't notice." "I've always heard they're a phoenix and songbird," Katie said, squinting at him through her lashes. "He has a lot of affection for her. That's all I can say about him. I think that's the most decent thing about him."

"What a harsh compliment." "He also has affairs, but they don't take them seriously. He's always been careful not to get himself hot and get himself into trouble. It's not like he's a lover, for sure, but he's just vain and wants to be liked by women. It’s just admiration. He’s fat, and he’s forty years old now, and he’s too good at pampering and treating himself well. But he was a handsome young man when he first came to Hong Kong. I often hear his wife make fun of his concubine.” "She doesn't take his affairs seriously?" "Er, yes. She knew he was just kidding and wouldn't overdo it. She said she'd like to make friends with Charlie's poor little lovers. But they're just commonplace. She said falling in love with Her husband's women are always second-rate, and it just flatters her." 18 After Waddington left, Katie pondered over his rash remarks.She hadn't been comfortable with a word of it, but she had to act poised and act like it didn't matter.Everything he said was true, and she felt extremely bitter when she thought of it.She knew Charlie was stupid, vain, and flattering, and she remembered vividly the way he had smugly boasted about his exploits.He is always smug about some small tricks.If she gave all her love to such a man just because he had beautiful eyes and a fit body, then she was belittling herself.She should despise him, because hating him can only show that she still loves him.How he treated her, she should have opened her eyes to see clearly.Walter had never looked down on him.Well, if only Walter had disappeared from her mind too!Also, his wife would tease him about her falling in love with him?Dorothy would probably be friends with her, but wouldn't that prove that she was a second-rate guy?Katie smiled softly: how indignant her mother would be if she knew that her daughter had been treated this way. But at night she dreamed of him again.She felt his arms wrap around her tightly, kissing her lips passionately.Even if he is forty years old, his body is a little fatter, so what?He has so many thoughts that make her feel pity.He has the vanity of a child, and she will love him more because of this, sympathize with him, and comfort him.When she woke up, tears were streaming down her face. She cried in her dream.She sighed inexplicably what a miserable situation this was for her. A few days later, Waddington and Katie were sitting together and talking.He had a mug of whiskey and soda in his hand, and this time he was talking about the nuns at the convent. "The Abbess is a very fine woman," he said. "The sisters told me she came from a famous family in France. But they wouldn't tell me which. They said the Abbot didn't want people Talk about it." "If you're interested why don't you just ask her?" Katie smiled. "If you knew her, you wouldn't be asking her these non-prudent questions." "She strikes you with such awe, and indeed appears to be a remarkable woman." "I have a message for you from her. She asked me to tell you that while you would most likely not venture into the heart of the plague, if you would, she would have the honor of showing you around the monastery have a look." "She's so nice. I didn't think she knew me." "I've mentioned you to them. I'm going down there two or three times a week to see what I can do to help. And I'm pretty sure your husband has told them that too. They adore him almost in admiration, yes. You have to be prepared for this.” "Are you a Catholic?" His sly eyes sparkled, and he giggled again, squeezing his funny little face into many folds. "Are you kidding me?" Katie asked. "Will there be much to be gained by being in the Catholic Church? No, I'm not Catholic. I consider myself Anglican. Anglican, which is a euphemism for not believing in anything at all. The Abbess came here ten years ago." , followed seven nuns, and now there are only three left, and the rest are dead. You know, even in the best of seasons, Meitan Prefecture is by no means a health resort. They live in the center of the city, and the last A poor place. They work hard and never take a day off." "So now only the dean and the three nuns are left?" "Well, no, a few new ones came to replace the dead nuns. There are now six of them. When the plague first broke out, one of them died of cholera, and two more came from Guangzhou right away." Katie shivered. "Are you cold?" "No, just a shudder for no reason." "When they leave France, they say good-bye there. They don't take a year's leave now and then, like Protestant missionaries. I think that's the harshest thing in the world. We Brits are seldom homesick, Wherever you go, you can go with the flow. But I think the French are very attached to their country, it's almost an instinct. They never really feel at home once they leave their homeland. These women make these sacrifices But it should be, and I'm often touched by it. I think if I were a Catholic, I would do it without hesitation." Katie looked at him impassively, not quite understanding the emotion the little man was talking about.She wondered if he was posturing.He had had a good deal of whiskey, and perhaps he was a little clouded by now. "Go and see for yourself." He immediately saw through her mind with a mocking smile on his face. "There is no greater risk than eating a tomato." "Since you have been there, why should I dare not?" "I promise you'll be amazed. It's like France in miniature." 19 They crossed the river in a small sampan.A sedan chair had been prepared for Katie at the trestle bridge, and she was carried up the mountain until she reached the water gate.On the causeway there was a group of slaves, with a yoke on their shoulders, and a large bucket of water from the river was carried at each end of the yoke, and they were walking in front of them.Water kept splashing from the barrels, drenching the causeway as if it had just rained heavily.Katie's bearer shouted at them at the top of her voice to get out of the way. "Obviously, a lot of business is gone," Waddington said.He didn't sit in a sedan chair, but walked beside her. "In normal times, there will be a lot of hard labor carrying goods to the trestle bridge to compete with you on this road." The streets in the city were narrow, each with many bends, and after a while Katie was completely lost.Many shops are closed.On the way to Meitan, she was used to the filthy streets of Chinese towns, but there was a mountain of garbage here, which had obviously not been picked up for weeks.The foul stench emanating from the garbage pile made Katie cover her nose with a handkerchief.People in the streets stared at her when she passed through Chinese towns, but now she was only occasionally glanced at indifferently.The streets are no longer crowded with people, only people walking around in twos and threes.They all seemed to be absorbed in what they were doing, but all of them were silent and listless.Occasionally passing through several houses, I would hear the sound of gongs beating inside, and at the same time, some musical instruments were playing sharp and long mournful tunes.It seemed that someone had just died behind those tightly shut doors. "Here we are," said Waddington at last. The sedan chair stopped in front of a small door with a cross on the top and long white walls on either side.Katie got out of the litter, and Waddington rang the bell. "You mustn't expect anything fancy. They're poor as hell, you know." The door was opened by a Chinese girl, and after Waddington said a few words to her, she led them into a small room next to the corridor.There was a large table covered with an oilcloth with a checkers board pattern on it, and a set of wooden chairs against the wall.At the end of the room is a plaster statue of the Virgin Mary.After a while, a nun came in. She was short and plump, with an unpretentious face, rosy cheeks, and very cheerful eyes.Waddington introduced Katie to her.He called her Sister St. Joseph. "Is it the doctor's wife?" she asked enthusiastically in French, and said that the dean would come directly in a moment. The Sisters of St. Joseph did not speak English, and Katie's French was also faltering, and only Waddington could speak a not very idiomatic French fluently.He made a barrage of hilarious comments that made the cheerful nun laugh out loud.Katie was amazed at how easily she laughed, and how heartily she laughed.She had thought that monks must be solemn and solemn people, but the nun's cheerfulness like a girl could not help but deeply moved her. 20 The door opened, and Katie felt astonished that the door seemed to swing open on its own axis, not by artificial force.The abbot entered the small room.She first stopped at the threshold for a moment, glanced at the smiling nuns and Waddington's wrinkled and clown-like face, and smiled solemnly at the corner of her mouth, then walked straight towards Katie and held out a hand. "Is that Mrs. Finn?" she said in English, with a strong accent, but her pronunciation was accurate.She bowed slightly and bowed to Katie. "It will be a great honor to make the acquaintance of the wife of our kind and brave doctor." Katie found the Dean's eyes fixed on her for a long time, as if judging her, without embarrassment in the least.The candor in her eyes made Katie feel that her staring was not disrespectful, as if she was a lady who specialized in criticizing people, and veiled and sideways glances were never superfluous.Courteous yet genial, she gestured for her guest to sit down in a chair, which she did herself.Sister St. Joseph stood to the side of the Dean, but slightly back.There was still a smile on her face, but she was completely quiet at the moment. "I know you English people like tea," said the Abbot, "and I have ordered some to be prepared. But if it is made according to the Chinese custom, I can only offer my apologies. I know Mr. Waddington likes whiskey, but I'm afraid I'm powerless to get you what you want." She was smiling, but there was a sly gleam in her solemn eyes. "Well, come on, Mammy, you talk like I'm a drunkard." "I wish to hear you say that you never drink, Mr. Waddington." "Yeah, I never drink, I just get drunk." The Abbess laughed, and spoke Waddington's wisecrack to the Sister St. Joseph in French.Sister St. Joseph's eyes looked at Waddington kindly. "We must forgive Mr. Waddington, for on two or three occasions we were in the throes of poverty, and Mr. Waddington provided us just in time when the orphans began to starve." The little Catholic girl who had opened the door for them came in, carrying a saucer with Chinese teacups and a teapot, and a plate of French cakes called madeleines. "You must try the madeleines," said the abbot. "Sister St. Joseph made them for you this morning." They chatted about trivial matters.The abbess asked Katie how long she had been in China, whether she was tired from the journey from Hong Kong, whether she had been to France, and whether she was not acclimatized in Hong Kong.The topic was extremely trivial, but the atmosphere was very harmonious, which seemed incompatible with the dangerous environment they were in.It was so quiet outside the house that it was hard to believe that this was the center of a populous city.However, when silence came, the plague did not subside, and it was still raging everywhere; people in panic ran around, but were sternly stopped by mob-like soldiers.The infirmaries within the monastery walls were filled with sick and dying soldiers, and a quarter of the orphans adopted by the nuns had died. Katie was attracted to the abbot for unknown reasons.She carefully observed this solemn lady who was so considerate to her.She was dressed in white, and the only color on the robe was the red heart embroidered on the chest.She was a middle-aged woman, about forty or fifty.It's hard to tell whether it's forty or fifty, because there are hardly any wrinkles on her smooth and plain face, but from her solemn demeanor, steady speech, and strong, beautiful but already thin hands, one can immediately see Judging that she is no longer young.Her face is elongated, her mouth is slightly larger, and her teeth are quite prominent.Her nose cannot be said to be small, but it is very delicate and tender.However, the stern and solemn face of her face was entirely due to the eyes under the thin black eyebrows.These are a pair of big black eyes, steady and firm, although not cold, but giving people a sense of imposing manner.The first time you see the abbot, you will immediately think that she must be a little beauty when she was young, but after a while, you will suddenly realize that her beauty is inseparable from her personality, and her charm will increase with the passage of time .Her voice was very low, obviously she was consciously controlling it.Whether she speaks English or French, she is word for word and methodical.However, what impresses people the most is the majesty of her body, which is undoubtedly the result of living in a Christian teaching position for a long time.You will think that this person must be used to giving orders, and others are used to following orders, but her demeanor of giving orders will be very humble, and it will never make people think that she is superior.It appears that she believed deeply in the authority of the Church in the secular world.However, Katie felt that beneath her majestic exterior, there should be a humanity shared by many people.When the dean listened to Waddington's cheeky nonsense, he always had a solemn smile on his face, and he obviously had a full understanding of humor. However, Katie vaguely felt that there was something else about her, but she couldn't tell what it was.It was in the solemn and dignified manner and the elegant and thoughtful etiquette of the priory-Katie was almost a cowardly schoolgirl by comparison-and it made Katie feel that there was always a distance between them. .