第十九章（第6/13页）

They did not meet Clifford till they went down to dinner. He was dressed, and with a black tie: rather reserved, and very much the superior gentleman. He behaved perfectly politely during the meal and kept a polite sort of conversation going: but it seemed all touched with insanity.

下楼吃晚餐的时候，她们才与克利福德碰面。他身着礼服，扎着黑色领结，态度矜持，摆出那副高傲的贵族派头。席间，他的行为举止相当客气，与姐妹俩交谈时也保持着文雅的仪态，但这一切都带着疯狂的色彩。

"How much do the servants know?" asked Connie, when the woman was out of the room.

“仆人们都知道多少？”趁博尔顿太太离开餐厅，康妮问。

"Of your intentions? Nothing whatsoever." "Mrs. Bolton knows." He changed colour.

“关于你的打算？我从未透露半句。”“博尔顿太太却了解内情。”他颜色更变。

"Mrs. Bolton is not exactly one of the servants," he said.

“准确的说，博尔顿太太并不属于仆人。”他说。

"Oh, I don't mind.” There was tension till after coffee, when Hilda said she would go up to her room.

“哦，我不会介意的。”剑拔弩张的气氛一直持续到用过咖啡，希尔达说要回房休息。

Clifford and Connie sat in silence when she had gone. Neither would begin to speak. Connie was so glad that he wasn't taking the pathetic line, she kept him up to as much haughtiness as possible. She just sat silent and looked down at her hands.

她离开以后，克利福德和康妮默默对坐。没人愿意首先打破僵局。他没有哭天抹泪，这让康妮感觉很欣慰，她始终配合着，使他尽量保持着趾高气昂的态度。她只是静静坐着，垂首望着自己的双手。

"I suppose you don't at all mind having gone back on your word?" he said at last.

“我希望你能收回自己说过的话。”他终于先开口。

"I can't help it," she murmured.

“我办不到。”她低声答道。

"But if you can't, who can?” "I suppose nobody." He looked at her with curious cold rage. He was used to her. She was as it were embedded in his will. How dared she now go back on him, and destroy the fabric of his daily existence? How dared she try to cause this derangement of his personality? "And for WHAT do you want to go back on everything?" he insisted.

“可如果你做不到，谁能呢？”“没人能做到这一点。”他瞪着她，恼羞成怒的样子让人不寒而栗。他习惯了她的存在。她就像深植于他自我意识之中。可现在，她怎么敢背弃他，破坏他正常的生活秩序呢？她怎么敢做出扰乱他人格的事呢？“到底是什么原因，让你选择了背叛？”他执着地想要知道答案。

"Love!" she said. It was best to be hackneyed.

“爱情！”她回答。这理由虽说老套，但却是敷衍搪塞的好招数。

"Love of Duncan Forbes? But you didn't think that worth having, when you met me. Do you mean to say you now love him better than anything else in life?” "One changes," she said.

“对邓肯·福布斯的爱？但当年你遇到我的时候，并不认为他值得去爱。难道你的意思是，此刻你对他的爱超越一切？”“人是会变的。”她说。

"Possibly! Possibly you may have whims. But you still have to convince me of the importance of the change. I merely don't believe in your love of Duncan Forbes.” "But why should you believe in it? You have only to divorce me, not to believe in my feelings.” "And why should I divorce you?" "Because I don't want to live here any more. And you really don't want me.” "Pardon me! I don't change. For my part, since you are my wife, I should prefer that you should stay under my roof in dignity and quiet. Leaving aside personal feelings, and I assure you, on my part it is leaving aside a great deal, it is bitter as death to me to have this order of life broken up, here in Wragby, and the decent round of daily life smashed, just for some whim of yours.” After a time of silence she said: "I can't help it. I've got to go. I expect I shall have a child.” He too was silent for a time.

“或许！或许你的确反复无常。可你必须说服我，让我相信这种改变的意义所在。我无法相信你会爱上邓肯·福布斯。”“可你为何要相信这些呢？你只需要跟我离婚，不必相信我的感情。”“我为什么要跟你离婚？”“因为我不希望继续生活在这里。你也不再需要我。”“你错了！我从未改变。在我看来，既然你是我的妻子，就应该安坐家中，安安静静，体体面面。暂且把个人感情放在一边，我可以向你保证，我已将感情的事尽数抛开。只因为你的朝三暮四，就将拉格比的生活秩序完全破坏，将这种体面的生活状态彻底摧毁，对我而言，简直跟死没什么两样。”沉默片刻，她说：“我无能为力。我必须离开。我希望有个孩子。”他同样陷入沉默。