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文/芭芭拉·貝特 譯/曾文雙 審訂/唐偉勝

By Barbara Bate

羅杰在機(jī)場等艾琳時(shí)，他真的希望自己沒有一直躲著不給她寫信，但隨著她的歸期臨近，他還是認(rèn)為當(dāng)面說會比文字柔和些。這個(gè)決定曾讓他松了口氣，直到他看到艾琳走下飛機(jī)。

[2]“嘿，親愛的，你好！”她向他打招呼，“我都不知道你會不會來接我。你為什么不寫信？”

羅杰沖她笑了笑，神情喜悅?！澳憧瓷先ゲ诲e(cuò)啊。六個(gè)月的海外生活很愜意嘛。你還有啥變化嗎，除了那頂……帽子，應(yīng)該是帽子吧?！?/p>

“好吧！”她愉快地答道，“如果你的意思是‘你有新的男朋友了嗎？’那答案就是沒有！你還是我最喜歡的單身漢，沒錯(cuò)，這就是一頂帽子?！?/p>

[3]再次見到他后，她臉上掩飾不住的那份愉悅讓羅杰立刻意識到，這個(gè)任務(wù)比自己想象的更艱巨。他一邊忙著帶艾琳和她的一大堆行李通過海關(guān)，一邊小心翼翼地讓他們的對話保持隨意。等到所有的手續(xù)都辦妥，午飯時(shí)間到了。艾琳表示想吃頓飯后再回家。去酒店？羅杰建議道。不，艾琳決定去他們的老地方——?dú)夥沼押玫目沦愋〔蛷d。

[4]到餐廳的時(shí)候他們受到了非常熱情的接待。艾琳在這里本來人氣就高，加上這位魅力四射的客人剛從海外歸來，因此更特別一些。午餐令人愉悅。很多人停下來，對艾琳的歸來表示歡迎，他們愉快地交談，喜氣洋洋；羅杰則始終微笑著一言不發(fā)，一會兒沉浸在大家對艾琳歸來的喜悅中，一會兒又在想當(dāng)他告訴艾琳關(guān)于彭妮的事情后會發(fā)生什么。

[5]“瞧那個(gè)迷人的女孩，羅杰?！卑照f，“哦，我看她朝我們走過來了，你認(rèn)識她？”

羅杰左右看了看，吃驚地看到彭妮正穿過擁擠的桌子朝他走來。她緊盯著艾琳，但當(dāng)她飛快地瞥了他一眼后，羅杰剎那間意識到彭妮的到來并非巧合。

[6]“嗨，親愛的！”她說，“你可沒告訴我，今天會在這兒吃午餐哦?！?/p>

羅杰站起身，覺得她的聲音里有一種舍我其誰的調(diào)調(diào)，在這種情況下很讓人難堪。

“這是臨時(shí)決定的?！彼呎f邊讓她坐到艾琳旁邊。

[7]艾琳和彭妮形成了有趣的對比，但是羅杰沒心情欣賞這個(gè)了。艾琳面容姣好，有著雕塑般的美，高雅成熟。彭妮婀娜多姿，深棕色的頭發(fā)柔軟光滑（羅杰的頭發(fā)又淺又硬），她是個(gè)十分引人注目的女孩，這絲毫不奇怪。她最美的是那雙眼睛——清澈的琥珀色，眼角彎彎，富有東方韻味。緊張和嫉妒的時(shí)候她的眼眸會變深，現(xiàn)在幾乎是黑色的了。

[8]在他介紹的時(shí)候，兩位魅力四射的美麗女性相互打量著對方。談話變得女人味起來。

[9]“很高興你旅行回來了?！迸砟菡f道，明顯沒那么熱情，“希望你玩得不錯(cuò)。”

艾琳也沒有表現(xiàn)得特別興奮?！暗拇_很開心，不過我覺得回家看到羅杰才是最開心的。你認(rèn)識羅杰很久了？”她補(bǔ)了一句。這更像是陳述事實(shí)，而非問題。

彭妮睜大眼睛，一副驚訝的樣子?！爱?dāng)然了！我們是老朋友了！”

[10]“這就怪了。”艾琳若有所思地說，“我不記得他提過你。當(dāng)然了——”她補(bǔ)充道，試圖以微笑來掩蓋自己話中的鋒芒，“我也不可能記住他提過的所有女孩?！?/p>

彭妮的眼睛發(fā)亮，語氣堅(jiān)決。“這次不會有問題了。你會記得我的。你瞧……我可不是那許多中的一個(gè)?！?/p>

[11]“等……等一下。”艾琳急急說道。她轉(zhuǎn)向羅杰，那精心描過的眉毛幾乎神經(jīng)質(zhì)地?fù)P了起來?！笆俏译x開太久了嗎？”

“這和時(shí)間長短沒關(guān)系，是嗎，羅杰？”彭妮不依不饒。

[12]羅杰看著她，英俊的臉上明白顯示出他怒火上揚(yáng)。讓他焦慮的并不是妒忌。他以前見識過艾琳熟練處理這類事情，而且她一直都是冷靜、優(yōu)雅的典范，讓他焦慮的是彭妮咄咄逼人的語氣，她是逼他馬上道出實(shí)情，而不讓他用自己的方式來處理眼前的情況。這個(gè)女孩怎么了，他惱怒地想，好像艾琳回來后就不再相信他了。

[13]就在羅杰猶豫不決的時(shí)候，彭妮開始脫手套。她刻意放緩動(dòng)作，將手指一只一只露出，這吸引了艾琳的目光。

[14]彭妮左手無名指上那嶄新的純金婚戒閃閃發(fā)亮，真的引人注目。艾琳呆呆地想，這說不上昂貴的珠寶戴在離心最近的手上，它象征著一個(gè)男人的真愛啊。在不期而至的沉默中，她聽見身后那些人單調(diào)的嗡嗡聲，還有陶瓷杯不安分地碰撞碟子發(fā)出的清脆響聲。羅杰盯著她震驚的眼睛，緊張地搓著自己的頭發(fā)。

[15]他站起身，緊緊抓住椅背，總算控制住了自己的聲音。

“彭妮，到此為止吧?！彼届o地說，“今兒夠辛苦的了。我們可以回家解決這事兒嗎？”

[16]彭妮突然為羅杰臉上明顯的怒意感到羞愧和害怕?！拔液鼙??！彼穆曇艉退粯悠届o。所有的尖酸刻薄離她而去，此刻她感到又疲倦又沮喪。

他們看著艾琳，她還安靜地坐在椅子上，面無表情，唯一表露其情緒的是她用一只修得十分漂亮的手指不停地敲著桌面。羅杰探過身，把手輕輕地壓在那根手指上。

[17]“我們走吧？”他說。

艾琳緊盯著他，目光如炬。他趕緊把手抽了回來。

“坐下，羅杰?！彼届o地說，“就在這里解決?！?/p>

[18]羅杰坐了下來，但艾琳一直沉默著，讓他懷疑她是不是已經(jīng)忘記了他們。終于，她開口了。她的目光似乎凝視著遠(yuǎn)處某個(gè)東西，她的話遙遠(yuǎn)而縹緲，好像是從思緒中某個(gè)遙遠(yuǎn)的焦點(diǎn)發(fā)出的。

[19]“別為這段婚姻感到愧疚，彭妮。我知道總有一天我會失去羅杰，但我必須承認(rèn)，我沒料到會是這種方式。過去也總有這樣的機(jī)會，他會離我而去，和別人……像你這樣的人……找到更完美的幸福。我想，這種事情遲早都會發(fā)生在我們所有人身上的?！?/p>

[20]“你能原諒我嗎？”彭妮低聲說。

一絲微笑掠過艾琳的臉，馬上又不見了。她的眼神已不似剛才那樣遙遠(yuǎn)。當(dāng)她再次看向彭妮時(shí)，她的眼神銳利而明亮。

[21]“有什么需要原諒的嗎？你們相愛，又都是自由的，然后就結(jié)婚了。但我很遺憾，你沒等到更了解我，就對我做出了判斷。如果你耐心點(diǎn)兒，就會發(fā)現(xiàn)，我根本不會為嫉妒和占有欲這類低級的情感受折磨?！?/p>

[22]她沖彭妮微笑著，試圖不讓她的話顯得尖刻，但當(dāng)她再次開口時(shí)，彭妮意識到，她說出的疑惑關(guān)乎他們?nèi)??！拔覀儽仨毟私鈱Ψ?，否則……”

她的聲音漸漸變小，話沒講完，懸在半空，像在挑戰(zhàn)一般。羅杰依然沒有說話。他知道這是兩個(gè)女人之間的事。一想到剛才還希望羞辱這個(gè)對羅杰如此重要的女人，彭妮就感到一陣羞愧。她放下這種感覺，試圖眨去眼淚，甚至露出了微笑。

[23]“我十分理解?！彼郎厝岫嬲\地說，“我也不知道自己怎么會這樣做，只是……呃……我本來以為……”

“你本來以為，我會設(shè)法阻止你們結(jié)婚?！卑昭a(bǔ)完了彭妮的話，語調(diào)輕柔。

“是的。羅杰那么愛你，我想我就是嫉妒了?！?/p>

[24]艾琳站起身，低頭朝他們笑了笑?！芭砟?，那樣的話，我們就把這個(gè)誤會歸咎于我兒子，讓他用寬厚的肩膀來承擔(dān)吧?！?□

Penny knew all about Irene; Irene knew nothing about Penny. Roger hadn’t wanted them to meet until everything was settled.彭妮知曉艾琳的一切，艾琳卻對彭妮一無所知。羅杰本想在一切妥當(dāng)之后再讓她們碰面。

As Roger waited at the airport for Irene, he wished he had not shirked1shirk 避免，躲避。writing to her, but as the days for her return had drawn nearer, he had decided that the spoken word was more gentle than the written word, and this decision had brought him relief, until he saw Irene step off the plane.

[2] “Why darling, hello there!” she greeted him. “I didn’t know whether to expect you or not. Why didn’t you write?”

Roger smiled into her happy face.“You look fine. Six months over the sea has agreed with you. Anything new with you apart from that… hat, would you call it.”

“Well!” she answered gaily, “if I translate that remark to mean, ‘have you a new man?’ The answer is no. You are still my favourite bachelor, and yes, this is a hat.”

[3] By her evident pleasure in being with him again, Roger knew immediately that this task would be even harder than he thought. He busied himself getting Irene and her large amount of luggage through the customs, managing to keep the talk carefully causal. By the time all the formalities had been taken care of it was lunch time. Irene said she would like to eat before going home. A hotel? Suggested Roger. No, Irene decided, they would go to their old haunt,the friendly little Kosy.

[4] When they arrived at the restaurant, they were greeted with a special flourish. Irene was popular here, and there is something special about a glamorous client returned from abroad. The lunch was delightful. There were lots of stoppers-by to welcome Irene home, and they kept the talk gay and festive while Roger spent the time being smilingly silent and alternating his thoughts between the pleasure they were all getting at having Irene back and what was going to happen when he told her about Penny2alternate between A and B 在A和B之間轉(zhuǎn)換。.

[5] “Now there’s a very attractive girl,Roger,” Irene said. “Oh, I think she’s coming over, do you know her?”

Roger looked around and with a shock saw Penny making her way through the crowded tables towards him. Her eyes were fixed on Irene, but when she glanced brie fly in his direction Roger received the impression, fleeting as it was that her arrival was no coincidence.

[6] “Hello darling!” she said. “You didn’t tell me you would be lunching here today.”

As he stood up, Roger thought her voice carried a tone of possessiveness which in the circumstances was embarrassing.

“It was a snap decision.” He said, as he seated her next to Irene.

[7] They made an interesting contrast,Irene and Penny, but Roger was not in the mood to appreciate it. Irene with her fair, statuesque beauty, immaculate in her chic sophistication. Penny was a willowy brunette, her hair as dark and sleek as Roger’s was fair and rough.She was an extraordinarily striking girl,which was not accidental. Her eyes were her most beautiful feature—a clear amber with the suggestion of an oriental slant. In moments of stress and jealousy they became very dark. They were almost black now.

[8] Two beautiful and glamorous women, sizing each other up as he made the introductions. The talk became womanly.

[9] “I’m so pleased you’re back from your trip.” Penny said, with a conspicuous lack of enthusiasm. “I hope you had a lovely time.”

Irene didn’t appear particularly thrilled either. “It was most enjoyable,but I think coming home to Roger is the best part of it. You have known Roger long?” she added. It was more a statement than a question.

And Penny with wide-eyed surprise.“Of course! We’re very old friends.”

[10] “Strange,” Irene said thoughtfully, “I don’t remember him mentioning you. Still,” she added, smiling to take the sting out of the words, “it would be quite impossible for me to remember all the girls he has mentioned.”

Penny’s eyes flashed, as she said strongly. “There’ll be no problem this time. You’ll remember me. You see…I’m not one of the many.”

[11] “I… I’m sorry,” Irene said quickly. She turned to Roger and the lift of her finely delineated eyebrows was almost a nervous flicker. “Did I stay away too long?”

“Time has nothing to do with it, has it, Roger?” Penny demanded.

[12] Roger looked at her, his handsome face expressive enough to show his rising anger. It wasn’t the jealousy that was worrying him. He had seen Irene handle that before with skill of much practice and she had always been a model of coolness and urbanity3urbanity 優(yōu)雅。. It was penny’s truculent4truculent 好戰(zhàn)的。tone and the way she was forcing a quick revelation on him instead of allowing him to handle the situation in his own way. What had got into that girl, he wondered irritably.It was as though she didn’t trust him now Irene was back.

[13] While Roger hesitated on the brink of a decision, Penny began to remove her gloves. There was something in the deliberate slowness of the action of releasing each imprisoned finger which drew Irene’s attention.

[14] In its shining newness, it really was impressive, the plain gold wedding ring on the third finger of Penny’s left hand. It was the symbol of a man’s true love, Irene thought dully, this least expensive of jewellery placed on the hand nearest the heart. In the sudden silence between them, she listened to the low monotonous murmur of the people behind them and the sharp click of crockery as cups scrapped restlessly against saucers. Roger looked into her shocked eyes and rubbed nervously at his hair.

[15] He stood up and gripped the back of his chair. But somehow he managed to control his voice.

“That was quite a curtain call5a curtain call 謝幕。Penny,” he said quietly. “It’s been a strenuous day. Shall we finish this in the privacy of our flat?”

[16] Penny suddenly felt ashamed and frightened by the sharp anger on Roger’s face. “I’m sorry,” she said in a voice as quiet as his own. All the acrimony had left her, and she felt tired and depressed.

They looked at Irene, still sitting quietly in her chair, the only outward sign of emotion the restless drumming of one beautifully manicured finger on the table. Roger leaned across and pressed gently down on it.

[17] “Shall we go now?” he said.

Irene looked at him steadily and with such intensity that he drew his hand quickly away.

“Sit down, Roger,” she said calmly.“We’ll finish this here.”

[18] Roger sat, but Irene was silent for so long that he began to wonder if she had forgotten them. When she at last spoke her gaze seemed on something far away and her words had a remote, detached quality, as though they had their origin at the distant focus of her thoughts.

[19] “Don’t feel guilty about this marriage, Penny. I always knew the day would come when I should lose Roger,but I must confess I didn’t expect it to happen quite like this. There was always the chance that he would twist away from me and find a more complete happiness with someone else… someone like you. It’s something that happens to all of us sometime or other, I suppose.”

[20] “Will you ever be able to forgive me?” Penny said in a low voice.

A slight smile moved across Irene’s face and vanished. Her eyes lost their remoteness and when she looked at Penny again they were quick and bright.

[21] “Is there anything to forgive?You fell in love and, both of you being free, married. But I am sorry you didn’t wait to know me better before you judged me. If you had you would have learnt I’m quite incapable of suffering from such primitive emotions as jealousy and possessiveness.”

[22] She smiled at Penny to take the sting out of the words, but when she spoke again Penny realized she was voicing a doubt that concerned the three of them. “We must understand each other better, or…”

As her voice trailed away, the incomplete sentence hung in the air like a challenge. Roger remained silent. He knew this was between two women. Penny felt a wave of shame as she thought of how she had wanted to humiliate this woman who meant so much to Roger. She pushed the feeling down and even managed a smile as she tried to blink away the tears.

[23] “I understand perfectly.” She said softly and sincerely. “I can’t explain my action, except… well… I thought…”

“You thought I would try to prevent your marriage,” Irene finished gently.

“Yes. Roger loved you so much, I guess I was just plain jealous.”

[24] Irene rose and smiled down at them. “In that case, Penny, we’ll put the blame of this misunderstanding onto the broad shoulders of my son.” ■