Chapter 7 chapter Five

After the shearers had gone, the district fell into a dreary picture of winter when the annual Killambo Fun and Picnic Races began.It's a top priority event on the social calendar and lasts for two days.Fee didn't feel well, so Paddy drove Mary Carson into town in the Ross-Ross.His wife was not around to help him, nor could it keep Mary's tongue in order.He had noticed that, for some mysterious reason, his sister was shorter and less imposing when Fee was there. Everyone else has gone.The boys were told to behave themselves or they would die.They got into a truck with Bill Barrell Pete, Jim, Tom, Mrs. Smith, and the maids, while Frank left early alone in the Model T Ford.The grown-ups who attended were to stay there overnight for the second-largest race meeting; Mary Carson declined Father Ralph's invitation to stay at the parsonage for reasons well known to her. But he encouraged Paddy and Frank to accept the invitation.Two shepherds.Where Tom and the gardener went, no one knows.But Mrs. Smith, Minnie, and Kate had friends in Gilly, and they went to live with them.

At ten o'clock in the morning, Paddy put his sister up in the best room in the Punjab Hotel, and went downstairs to the bar.He saw Frank standing at the counter with a mug of beer in his hand. "I'll get the next one, man," Paddy said kindly to his son. "I've got to take Aunt Mary to the Jockey Club luncheon, and if I'm going to suffer this while your mother's away, I need some food for thought." Habits and fears are much more difficult to overcome than people actually wanting to go against years of habitual behavior.Frank found he couldn't do what he aspired to do, he couldn't throw a glass of wine in his father's face in front of a crowd at the bar.So he drank the rest of the beer and smiled a little unhappy.Say, "I'm sorry, Dad, I already promised to go to the casino and meet some buddies."

"Oh, go ahead. But you take this, and spend it as you like. Have a good time, and don't let your mother find out if you're drunk." Frank stared at the blue, crumpled five pound note in his hand, wishing he could tear it to pieces and throw it in Paddy's face.Once again, however, habit prevailed; he folded the note, put it in his watch pocket, and thanked his father.He couldn't get out of the bar anytime soon. Paddy wore his best blue suit, with his waistcoat buttoned up, and his gold watch with a gold chain and a pendant of natural gold from the Lawrence mines.He tugged on his celluloid collar and checked the bar for any familiar faces.He hadn't been in Gilly much in the nine months since he'd been on Drogheda, but his status as Mary Carson's younger brother and heir apparent meant he was courted wherever he was in town. He was well received and his face was clearly remembered.Several men were smiling at him and shouting for a beer.In a little while he was among the small group of excited people, forgetting about Frank.

These days, Meggie's hair is braided, because no nun wants to serve the curly hair (though Mary Carson is rich), and the curly hair is braided into two thick braids hanging from her shoulders, with two sea blue colored ribbons.She was in the sober navy uniform of students at the Holy Cross school, and a nun accompanied her from the convent across the lawn to Father Ralph's housekeeper; she liked the girl very much. "Why, the little girl has beautiful hair, just like Sheeran's," she explained cheerfully to the priest when he asked her once: Anne never liked little girls very much, and I also regretted that the priest's house was too close to the school.

"Come on, Anne! Hair has no life; you can't like her just because of the color of her hair," he said teasingly. "Oh, oh, you see, she's a pure little girl--quite funny." He didn't get it at all, but he didn't ask her what "pretty" meant, nor commented that the word sounded as smoothly as Meggie's name.Sometimes, it's better not to make the truth out of An Huan's meaning, or pay too much attention to her words to make her more excited. In her own words, she is a person who can pinch and count. If you take pity on this child, He didn't want to hear her say that it was her future that she pitied, not her past.

Frank came, still shaking from running into his father in the bar, not knowing what to do. "Hey, Meggie, I'll take you to the market," he said, holding out a hand. "Why don't you let me take you two with you?" asked Father Ralph.He also held out a hand. Meggie was utterly happy to be caught between two people she admired, holding their hands tightly. Killambo Casino is located on the banks of the Barwin River, next to the racetrack.Although the flood waters have receded for six months, the mud is still not dry, and the impatient first comers have trampled it into a muddy puddle.Beyond the sheep, cows, pigs, landscapes, and first-rate, impeccable livestock pens that competed for prizes, there were tents full of handicrafts and food, and they looked at the livestock, pastry, crochet Woven scarves, knitted baby clothes, embroidered tablecloths, cats, dogs and canaries.

On the far side of all this was the racetrack, where young riders and jockeys were still slowly following their stubbed horses in front of the judges, and in the eyes of giggling Meggie, those The referee itself looks a lot like a horse.The female equestrians are dressed in beautiful serge female riding outfits, sitting high on the saddles of tall horses; their top hats are wrapped with a bunch of provocative and anxious veils.Meggie could not have imagined a wonderful girl until she had seen a magnificent girl make a series of difficult leaps on a lively horse, and finish her performance as impeccably as it had begun. How can a person ride on horseback so mysteriously, wear such a hat, gallop at a speed much faster than walking on horseshoes, and yet sit firmly in the saddle and be safe and sound.Then the girl spurred her mount impatiently, and the broken hooves cut across the wet ground, reining in the horse in front of Meggie, Frank, and Father Ralph, barring their path; One leg in the shiny black boot came off, and the girl sat on the side of the saddle, holding out her gloved hands proudly.

"Father! Help me down, please!" He reached up and wrapped his arms around her waist, and her hands rested on his shoulders.He turned around lightly and hugged her down.As soon as her heels touched the ground, he let go, took the reins of her horse in his hands, and walked on.The girl walked shoulder to shoulder with him, striding effortlessly after him. "Miss Carmichael, will you win the race?" he asked in a tone of the utmost indifference. She pouted: she was young and beautiful, and his unpredictable and otherworldly temperament annoyed her.I hope to win, but I'm not sure.Miss Hopeton and Mrs Antoine King also race, but I can win the training, so if I don't win the races I don't complain. "

When she spoke, the round vowels were very pleasant, and there was no trace of the excited vernacular in her voice, full of the witty words of a well-bred young lady.Father Ralph's own voice, when he spoke to her, mellowed out even the pleasant faint Irishness; gone.Listening to their relaxed but cautious phrasing; Meggie was puzzled; she frowned, not knowing what had changed in Father Ralph, only that he had changed, and she didn't like it Variety.She let go of Frank's hand, indeed the situation made it awkward for them to continue walking side by side. By this time they had come to a wide puddle pass, and Frank had fallen behind them.Father Ralph looked across the water, his eyes flashing.The puddle was almost a shallow pond. He turned to the child who had been holding hands tightly with him all this time, and bent over her with a particularly tender expression, which the lady would never have misread, because in There was no such tenderness in his courteous conversation with her.

"I have come without a cloak, Meggie dear, and therefore I cannot be your Sir Walter Raleigh. Dear Miss Carmichael, I trust you will forgive me," -- you handed back the reins The lady—"I can't get my favorite girl covered in mud, can I?" ①British soldier, explorer, statesman, 1554? -1618. -- Annotation He picked up Meggie, clamped her effortlessly around the waist, and let Miss Carmichael hold her heavy, floor-slagging skirt with one hand and the red string with the other, without any help. Down, splashing muddy water through puddles.Frank laughed behind them, and the laughter added fuel to the fire; on the other side of the puddle, she left them and walked away.

"I believe with all my heart that if she could, she'd kill you," Frank said as Father Ralph put Meggie down.This encounter, and Father Ralph's deliberate cruelty, delighted him immensely.In Frank's eyes, she was beautiful and arrogant, and it seemed that no man would despise her, even a priest; A charming magic weapon for girls to use as a weapon.It seemed to Frank that the priest hated her; to be able to hate all the women she represented was a subtle and mysterious world he hadn't had the chance to experience.Stung by his mother's words, he wished Miss Carmichael would notice him, the eldest son of Mary Carson's heir, but she would not even admit that he existed, even though he was stout and dark. , with delicate features, but her attention was still focused on the ascetic, masculine priest. "Don't worry, she'll come along after a few more times," said Father Ralph sarcastically. "She's rich, so next Sunday she'll put a ten-pound note in the teaching offering plate with all the glory." He smiled at Frank's expression. "I'm not much older than you, lad. I'm a very worldly man, despite my profession. Don't blame me for that. Just take it to be my experience." They had moved away from the racetrack and into the casino, a place both Meggie and Frank were fascinated by.Father Ralph gave Meggie a solid five shillings, and Frank himself had five pounds; it was a joy to have enough money to pay the entrance fee to all the attractive sheds.The place is crowded with people.The children poked around, staring at the sleazy, sleazy legends painted in front of the battered tents: "The Fattest Wife in the World," "Islamic Princess Dancing Snake" (" See how she pissed off a cobra!"), "The Rubber Man of India," "Grieus, the Strongest Man in the World," "Thétis the Mermaid."They paid at each shed, and watched intently; not minding that the scales of the mermaid Seids had faded, and the smiling cobras had not a single tooth left. There's a huge tent on the other side of the casino, it's so big it dominates.In front of it was a high boardwalk, and behind it hung a long, curtain-like tweed, on which several condescending and menacing figures were painted.A man with a microphone was shouting to the assembled crowd. "Gentlemen, our class is Jimmy Sharman's famous boxing class! There are eight of the best boxers in the world in our class. Which hero is willing to come up and compete and win a prize!" Women and girls receded from the audience, and men and boys rushed in from all sides; they crowded tightly under the aisle, and the audience grew in number.The eight boxers stood majestically in a line like gladiators marching in line in the ancient Roman arena.They spread their legs apart, put their hands on their hips, and posed for the admiring crowd.They wore long black bodysuits and tank tops, gray tights from waist to mid-thigh.Clinging so close to the body, Meggie thought they were wearing underwear.Written across their chests in large white Roman letters: Jimmy Sharman Boxing Class.They were all of different sizes, some were tall, some were short, some were of medium height, but they were all extremely strong.They chatted and laughed with each other casually, as if this was a common occurrence for them; "Hey, guys, who's the contest?" the tout yelled gruffly. "Who wants to compete? Let's fight and win a five-pound note!" he yelled, beating the drum. "I'm coming!" Frank yelled. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" He shook off Father Ralph's trying to hold him back, and everyone in the crowd who could see Frank's small size laughed and kindly pushed him forward. But the tout was very serious.Then a man from the boxing class extended a friendly hand and pulled Frank up the ladder to the side of the aisle where eight men were already standing. "Please don't laugh, gentlemen, he's not too tall, but he's the first one to come out on his own! You know, it's not about the size of the fight, it's about how it goes! Hey, this little guy wants to try Try your hand--how about you big and tall friends, eh? Show your hand and win a fiver's ticket and take on one of Jimmy Sharman's boxing classes!" Slowly, the number of volunteers increased.These young lads squeezed their hats with some embarrassment, looking at the group of carefully selected professional boxers standing beside them.Father Ralph was tempted to stay to see what happened, but finally decided reluctantly that Meggie could no longer be kept around now.So, he picked her up, then turned and left.Meggie screamed, and the farther he went the louder she screamed.People are watching them.There are so many people who know him that it is nerve-wracking, not to mention how demeaning it is. "Hey, Meggie, I can't take you away! Your father will skin me, yes!" "I want to be with Frank, I want to be with Frank!" she cried at the top of her voice, kicking and kicking and trying to bite. "Oh, what a pest!" he said. He had to give in, and reached into his pocket for the coins he needed, and he signaled to the opened entrance of the marquee, his eyes gliding to see if there was a Cleary boy.But they were nowhere to be seen, so he figured they were trying their luck at the racetrack, or feasting on their mince pies and ice cream. "Father, you can't take her in!" said the foreman of the boxing class in great surprise. Ralph looked up at the sky. "As long as you tell me how we can get her out of here without getting all the police in Gilly to stop us because we want to make things difficult for the child, I'd be happy to go! But her brother volunteered to fight, She won't go until she sees her brother beat your brothers to pieces." The foreman shrugged his shoulders: "Well, Father, I won't argue with you, okay? You come in, but don't let her in, you--you do something good. No, no, Father, Put the money in your pocket, Jimmy won't be happy." The tent seemed full of men and lads, circling a circle in the middle, and Father Ralph found a place at the back of the crowd against the canvas tent; he was clutching at Meggie desperately.The air smelled of smoke and of sawdust that sucked mud on the ground.Frank had gloves on his hands, and he was the first challenger of the day. It's not uncommon for someone out of the crowd to beat a professional fighter, but it's not unheard of either.It was admitted that they were not the best fighters in the world, but some of them were the best fighters in Australia.Because of Frank's size, he was designated to fight a bantamweight fighter under 120 pounds.He knocked his opponent down on the third punch and offered to fight another fighter again.By the time word spread of his bout with a third pro, the tent was so packed that it was impossible to accommodate another eager spectator. He barely took a punch, and the few punches he'd landed only fueled a pent-up rage.His eyes were wide; every one of his opponents seemed to have Paddy's face.The shouts and applause from the crowd rushed into his head, and she seemed to have a great voice calling: Come on!superior!superior!Oh, how he longed for the chance to fight; he hadn't had one since Drogheda!Because fighting was the only way he knew to vent his anger and pain, when he threw the punch that knocked the other person down, he felt that the dull cry in his ears changed to: kill!kill!kill! Then they pitted him against a real first-rate fighter; a featherweight who had been ordered to keep Frank at a distance and see if he knew anything about boxing besides punching.Jimmy Sharman's eyes sparkled.He was always on the lookout for first-rate fighters, and in backcountry fights he had spotted a few.The lightweight boxer was doing as he was told, and although he was superior in strength, he was still being pressed.Frank followed, determined to kill the hopping, dodging figure; he could see nothing but the man.From every scuffle and punch he knew this strange opponent who could think even in the heat of his rage.He prevailed in spite of the blows he had eaten from his opponent, one of his eyes was swollen and his eyebrows and lips were torn.But he won £20, and every man and respect in the room Meggie wrenched herself free from Father Ralph's already relaxed arms, and she rushed out of the tent before he could grab her.When he found her outside, she had vomited for a while and was about to wipe her spattered shoes with a small handkerchief.Without a word he handed her his handkerchief and stroked her shiny hair as she sobbed.The atmosphere in the tent just now was not to his liking, which made him feel uncomfortable, and he hoped that the dignity of his profession would not show this in public, so as to alleviate this pain. "Would you like to wait for Frank, or would you like us to go now?" "I'm going to wait for Frank," she murmured, leaning against him, grateful for his calm and sympathy. "I don't understand why you're pulling on my puddle of feelings so much?" Like many people who live alone, speak their minds out loud. "Don't you remind me of my mother. I never had a sister, and I wish I could understand you and your unhappy family... Are you having a hard time, my little Meggie?" Frank came out of the tent with a plaster on one eye and a patch on his broken lip.For the first time since Father Ralph had known him he looked beaming, which, it seemed to the priest, was the way most men are known to look after a good night in bed with a woman. "What's Meggie doing here?" he said gruffly, the excitement of the ring not quite over. "Just about tying her arms and legs, let alone coaxing her; I can't keep her out," said Father Ralph sharply, though he was offended at having to defend himself. But he wasn't sure Frank would come after him either.He wasn't afraid of Frank at all, but he was afraid of making a scene in public. "She's freaked out because of you, Frank, and she wants to get as close to you as possible so she can see with her own eyes that you're all right. Don't be mad at her, she's miserable enough." "Aren't you afraid to let Dad know you've been in places like this?" Frank said to Meggie. "How about cutting our visit short?" asked the priest. "I thought we could all go to my mansion for a break and a cup of tea." He twisted the tip of Meggie's nose. "As for you, miss, you can have a good wash." Paddy had a rough day with his sister, and did her bidding in a way Fee had never done to him.On her feet she walked across the sloughs of Kiri in imported jipil lace shoes.She's fussy, loses her temper when she doesn't agree, smiles and talks with whomever she greets with dignity, when she presents emerald bracelets to winners of the "Killambo Cup" , he had to stand aside.He couldn't understand why they were spending all their winnings on such a woman's trinkets instead of giving out a gold trophy and a bundle of tickets.This is because he does not understand that this race is completely amateurish, that those who participate do not need the money they want, but instead can casually throw the money they get to this little woman, riding a sorrel. Horse wins Kim Edward's Holly Hopton to snag the emerald bracelet.He has won a ruby ​​bracelet, a diamond bracelet and a sapphire bracelet in previous years.He has a wife and five daughters and says he won't stop until he has won six bracelets. Paddy's starched shirt and celluloid collar were a pain in the ass, the blue coat was too hot for him, and the Sydney seafood and champagne at the luncheon reception was not to his appetite for mutton. , he felt a fool, or looked like a fool.His clothes were of good material, but cheap to sew and rustic in style.They were not his kind; they were the rough, tweedy ranchers, the housewives, the grinning, horse-riding young ladies, of those whom the news papers dubbed "the ranch masters." elite.They try to forget that they have seized large tracts of land here in the last century and appropriated them for themselves.Their title to the land was acquiesced by a Federal Council Act.They became the most admired people on the planet, ran their own political parties, sent their children to Sydney's tertiary institutions and drank with the visiting Prince of Wales.He, ordinary Cleary, was a working man, and he had nothing in common with these colonial nobles; they only reminded him of his wife's family, and made him uncomfortable. So when he came to the rectory to find Frank, Meggie, and Father Ralph lounging around the fire, seemingly having a good, carefree day, he felt a nameless rage It was unbearable for him to lose Fee's kind of nurturing support, mind you; he still didn't like his sister as much as he did during his single year in Ireland, and he never liked to owe her.At this time, he found the plaster next to Frank's eyes and his swollen face.What a godsend excuse. "Look at what you've done! How did you go back to see your mother?" he yelled, "I don't see anyone for a day and you get into the old habit of fighting with people on the side of the road who look at you more than once!" Startled, Ralph jumped up, and was about to say something comforting, but Frank was faster than him. "I made money off of this!" he said very gently, pointing to the plaster. "I made twenty pounds in a few minutes, more than what Aunt Mary paid us both in a month. In Jimmy's tent this afternoon I knocked I got three good fighters out there and came through against the lightweight champion. I made 20 pounds myself. What I did may not be what you think, but I earned the respect of everyone in the audience this afternoon. " "Down with a few listless, dazed old fellows at the country fair, are you going to be a hero among them? Frank, grow up! I know you won't grow, but for your mother's sake, Your mind should mature." Frank's face was pale!Like drifting bones.It was the worst insult he had ever received, and it was his father who had insulted him.He couldn't fight back, he struggled to control his hands, breathing from the bottom of his lungs. "Not old dude, Dad. You know what Jimmy is like I do, and Jimmy himself said I'd do well as a boxer; he wanted me in his boxing class. He wants to pay me! I may not grow any taller, but I'm big enough to beat anyone in the world, including you bloody old pervert!" Paddy understood the meaning behind the adjective, and his face turned as pale as his son's. "How dare you insult me ​​like that!" "What the hell are you? You're disgusting, worse than a ram in heat! Can't you just leave her alone? Can't you let her go?" "Stop it! No! Stop it!" Meggie screamed.Ralph grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her painfully towards him.She was tearing up, trying violently and futilely to break away, "Stop it, Dad, stop it! Oh, Frank, please stop it! Please stop it, stop it!" she screamed. But only Father Ralph heard her.Frank and Paddy come face to face, and they eventually realize that they both loathe and fear each other.The levee of mutual love for Fei is broken, and the poignant rivalry for Fei is revealed. "I am her husband. It is a blessing of God that we have children." Paddy said calmly, trying to control himself. "You're not much better than a male dog chasing bitches around!" "You're not much better than the old dog who bore you, whoever you are! Thank goodness it's nothing to do with me!" cried Paddy, and stopped. "Ah! Dear Christ!" Crazy Knife left him like a whirlwind. He bent over, trembling all over, and desperately scratched his mouth with his hands, as if trying to tear out the tongue that said something that shouldn't be said. "That's not what I mean! That's not what I mean! That's not what I mean!" As soon as Paddy's words were out of his mouth, Ralph let go of Meggie and held Frank tightly.He twisted Frank's right arm behind his back and wrapped his left arm around Frank's neck, strangling him.Ralph was strong and strong.Clamps on Frank so tight -- so he can't fight back.Frank tried to pull away, but his resistance failed; he shook his head in submission.Meggie threw herself on the ground, knelt and wept; her eyes moved helplessly from her brother to her father.She begged bitterly, she didn't know what happened, but she understood that this incident meant that she could no longer keep both of them at the same time. "That's what you mean," said Frank hoarsely. "I wish I had known! If only I had known." He turned his head to Father Ralph with difficulty. "Father, let me go, I Not touching him, God forbid, I'm not touching him." "God bless you? God will rot your soul! Let your souls rot! If you ruin this child, I'll kill you!" roared the priest, and now he was the only one angry "You know what? I left her here because I was afraid you would kill each other in my absence, and she heard it! I should have let you kill each other, you two mean, Selfish idiot!" "Well, I'm leaving," Frank said in a strange, feeble voice, "I'm going to Jimmy's boxing class, and I'm not coming back." "You must come back," murmured Paddy. "How can I tell your mother? You mean more to her than all of us put together, and she will never forgive me." "Tell her I went to Jimmy's boxing class because I wanted to get ahead. It's the truth." Frank's strange dark eyes gleamed mockingly.It had surprised the priest when he first saw it. How could Fee with gray eyes and Paddy with blue eyes have a son with black eyes?Ralph knew Mendel's laws; not even Fee's gray eyes could have caused it. ① Mendel, 1882-1884, Austrian biologist and geneticist. -- Annotation Frank picked up his hat and coat. "Oh, that's the truth! I should have known you had no memory of your mother playing the piano in one house! That shows you got her after me, and she belonged to me first." He grinned hoarsely, "No Come to think of it, I've been complaining all these years about you holding her back, that's what I think, that's what I think!" "No one holding her back, Frank, no one!" cried the priest, trying to draw him back. "It's just part of God's great, elusive plan; you should think so!" "God's great and elusive plan!" came the young man's jeering voice from the door. "Father de Bricassart, you were little more than an answerer when you were a priest! I say God bless you, because You're the only one here who doesn't know God!" Paddy sat pale in his chair; he looked in amazement at Meggie, kneeling by the fire, weeping.He stood up and came in front of her, but Father Ralph pushed him roughly away. "Don't touch her. You've done enough! There's whiskey in the cupboard, go get some. I'll put her to bed first, then I'll come back and talk to you, don't you go. Did you hear me, man?" "I'll stay here, Father. Let her go to bed," Upstairs in the charming, apple-green bedroom, the priest took off the little girl's coat and blouse, made her sit on the edge of the bed, and then took off her shoes and socks.The pajamas Annie had sent lay on the pillow.Before taking off her panties, he pulled the pajamas over and gently slipped them over her head.He kept talking to her about irrelevant gossip about buttons refusing to be undone, shoelaces tied stubbornly, ribbons that wouldn't come undone, and so on.Whether she was listening or not was hard to say.The troubles, pain and unspeakable childhood tragedies are far beyond the acceptable range of her age.Her eyes stared sadly over his shoulder. "Lie down now, dear girl. Go to sleep, I'll see you in a moment. Don't worry, do you hear me? We'll talk about it later." "How is she?" Paddy asked when he returned to the living room. Father Ralph reached for the whiskey on the cupboard and poured himself a large glass. "I really don't know, for God's sake, Paddy, I want to know what's worse for the Irish. The booze? Or the temper? What made you say that? No, don't hurry to answer! Temper, of course. Of course, yes! I knew he wasn't your boy the first time I set eyes on him." "Nothing escapes you, does it?" "Probably so. Anyway, when my followers are in trouble or suffering, I don't have to work hard to see it. Now that I see it, it is my duty to help as much as possible." "Father, you are much loved in Gilly." "It is my face and my figure, no doubt," said the priest sharply; he had meant to say it lightly. "Do you think so? I don't agree. Father, we like you because you are a good guide in spirit." "(Mouth) Well, anyway, I seem to be quite involved in your troubles," said Father Ralph uneasily. "Dude, you better tell what's on your mind." Paddy stared into the firelight, stoking it as best he could while the priest sent Meggie to bed, and did it with utter regret and fury.The empty glass quivered in his hand; Father Ralph rose, fetched the bottle, and filled the glass.Paddy thought for a while, then sighed, and wiped the tears from his face. "I don't know who this Frank's father is. This happened before I met Fay. Her family was of the highest social standing in New Zealand, and her father had a large fortune in wheat and sheep on the South Island, off Ashburton.财产；钱算不上什么东西；菲是他的独生女。据我所知，他为她安排生活--到故国去旅行，在社交界露面，找一个好丈夫。当然，她在家里从来不干活。他们有女佣人、男管家、马车和马，生活得就象贵族。 "我是个挤奶工，我常常从远处看见菲带着一个大约一岁半的男孩子散步。后来，老詹姆斯阿姆斯特郎米找我。他说，他女儿玷污了他的门风，没结婚就有了孩子。当然，这件事被压了下来；他们想把她赶走，可她祖母唠唠叨叨，不肯答应，他们别无选择，只好把她留下。尽管这是件尴尬的事。现在，她祖母快死了，谁也拦不住他们把菲和那孩子赶走。詹姆斯说我是单身汉，要是我肯娶她，并保证把她带离南岛，他愿意付给我路费，外加500镑。 "是的，神父，这是我的运气。我厌恶单身生活了。但我一直是个腼腆的人，从没和姑娘好过。这对我来说似乎是个好主意，老实说，我才不在乎那个孩子呢。她祖母听到了风声，便派人来找我，尽管她病得很厉害。我敢说，她平时一定是个很难对付的人，但却是一位真正的贵妇人。她把菲的事给我透露了一些，但没说孩子的父亲是谁，我也懒得问。把正她要我答应对菲好--她知道，她一死，他们就会把菲从那地方赶走，于是，她建议詹姆斯为她孙女找个丈夫。我很可怜那老家伙；她太喜欢菲啦。 "神父，你相信吗？我第一次接近菲并向她打招呼，就是我娶她的那天。" "哦，我相信。"教士摒着呼吸说道。他望着杯中的酒，然后一饮而尽，又伸手去拿酒瓶，给他们两人各斟一杯。"因此、你娶了一个地位比你高得多的贵妇，帕迪。" "是的。起首，我怕她怕得要死。那时候她太缥亮了，神父，所以……我都傻眼了。你明白我的意思吗？好象那不是她，好象这事是发生在别人的身上。" "她现在仍然很美，帕迪。"拉尔夫神父温和地说道。"从梅吉的身上我能看出她上世纪以前的样子。" "对她来说日子可不轻松，神父，可我不知道我还做些什么别的。至少，她和我在一起是安全的，没受过虐待。一直过了两年我才有勇气--呃，成为她真正的丈夫。我不得不教她做饭、拖地板、洗熨衣服。她不知道该怎么做。" "神父，我们结婚这许多年来，她既不抱怨，也不笑不哭。只有在我们同床共枕时，她才显得有点儿情绪，但她从来不张口。我希望她说话，但又不想让她说，因为我一直在想，要是她说的话，一定是叫那人的名字。哦，我并不是说她不喜欢我或我们的孩子。但我太爱她了，不过我似乎觉得她一直没有这种那种感情，除了对弗兰克。我一直都明白，我们加在一起也赶不上她对弗兰克的爱，她一定爱他的父亲。可我一点儿也不了解那男人：他是谁？为什么也不能嫁他？" 拉尔夫神父低头望着自己的双手，眨动着眼睛。"哦，帕迪，真是活受罪啊！谢天谢地，幸亏我没勇气去沾这种生活的边。" 帕迪摇摇晃晃地站了起来。"唉，现在我沾上了，神父，对吗？我把弗兰克赶走了，菲永远不会宽恕我的。" "你不能跟她说，帕迪。不，你千万别告诉她。就跟她说弗兰克跟拳击手们跑了，就这样说。她清楚弗兰克一直不安分；她会相信你的。" "我不能那样做，神父！"帕迪惊呆了。 "你必须这样做，帕迪。她经历的辛酸苦难还少吗？别再给她加码了。"他心里却在想：谁知道呢？也许她终将学会把对弗兰克的爱给予你，给予你和楼上的那个小东西。 "你真这么想吗，神父？" "是的。已经发生的事不能再继续下去了。" "可梅吉怎么办？她全听见了。" "别担心梅吉，我会照料她的。我想，她除了明白你和弗兰克吵了架，别的什么都不会明白的。我会让她明白，既然弗兰克跑了，再把吵架的事告诉她母亲，只能往增悲伤。此外，我有个感觉：梅吉不会先对她母亲多说什么的。"他站起身来。"去睡吧，帕迪。你明天参加玛丽的舞会时。得显得若无其事，记住了吗？" 梅吉没有睡着；床边的小灯闪着昏暗的光，她睁着眼睛躺在那里。教士坐在她的身边。注视着她发辫上一动不动的毛发。他仔细地解开蓝缎带。轻轻地拉着，直到头发散落地枕头和床单上。 "弗兰克走了，梅吉。"他说。 "我知道，神父。" "你知道为什么吗，亲爱的？" "他和爸干了一架。" "你打算怎么力？" "我要和弗兰克一起走。他需要我。" "你不能走，我的梅吉。" "不，我能走。我本打算今晚就去找他的，可我的腿发软，我也不喜欢黑夜。但一大早我会去找他的。" "不，你千万别这样做。你知道，弗兰克得有自己的生活，他到了该走的时候了。我知道你不希望他走，但他很久以来就想走了。你千万别自私；你得让他过自己的生活。"千篇一律的重复，他想，要继续把这种观点灌输给她。"我们一旦长大成人，自然就有权利希望离开自己生长的家，到外面谋生活；弗兰克是个成年人了、现在他应该有他自己的家、自己的妻子和家庭。你明白吗，梅吉？你爸和弗兰克吵架只是表明弗兰克想走了。这不是因为他们互相厌恶。许多年轻人都是这样做的、这是一种借口。这次吵架给弗兰克找到了一个去做他长期以来就想做的事情的借口，一个弗兰克离开的借口，你明白吗，我的梅吉？" 她的眼光转到了他的脸上，停在了那里。那双眼睛是如此疲惫，如此充满了痛苦，如此老气横秋。"我明白。"她说。"我明白，我还是个小姑娘的时候，弗兰克就想走，可他没走成。爸把他带了回来，强迫他和我们呆在一起。" "但这次爸爸不会把他带回来了，因为爸爸现在不能强迫他留下来了。弗兰克永远走了，梅吉。他不会回来了。" "我再也见不到他了吗？" "我不知道，"他老老实实地答道。"当然，我愿意说你能再见到他，但没人能预言未来，梅吉，甚至连教士都不能。"他吸了口气。"你千万别告诉妈妈他们吵了架，梅吉。你听见我的话了吗？这会使她非常烦恼的，她身体不好。" "是因为她又要生孩子了吗？" "你怎么知道的？" "妈喜欢养孩子；她生了好多。神父，她生了那么多好孩子，就是她身体不好的时候也生。我自己就想生个像哈尔那样的孩子，那样，我就不会太思念弗兰克了，对吗？" "单性生殖，"他说。"好运气呀，梅吉。那你干嘛不想法生一个？ "我还有哈尔呢，"她迷迷糊糊地说着，偎起了身子。随后，她又说："神父，你也会走吗？会吗？" "总有一天会的，梅吉。但没那么快，我想，所以用不着担心。我觉得我会在基里呆很久很久的。"教士答道，他的眼睛里充满了酸楚的神情。