第十章（第10/25页）

But suddenly he came striding into the clearing, in his black oilskin jacket like a chauffeur, shining with wet. He glanced quickly at the hut, half-saluted, then veered aside and went on to the coops. There he crouched in silence, looking carefully at everything, then carefully shutting the hens and chicks up safe against the night.

但突然，他大踏步走进空地，身上那件黑色油布外衣像是司机的行头，上面落满雨水，闪闪发亮。他的目光扫过小屋，微施一礼，然后转身向鸡舍走去。他默然蹲下身子，仔细检查一番，然后小心翼翼地关好笼子，确保鸡妈妈和她们的宝宝一夜无忧。

At last he came slowly towards her. She still sat on her stool. He stood before her under the porch.

最后，他缓步向她靠近。她仍坐在凳子上。他来到门廊下，站在她的面前。

"You come then," he said, using the intonation of the dialect.

“恁来了。”他此时用的是方言。

"Yes," she said, looking up at him. "You're late! "Ay!" he replied, looking away into the wood.

“是的。”她应道，抬头望着他。“你来晚了！”“是呀！”他应道，转头向林中张望。

She rose slowly, drawing aside her stool.

她慢慢站起身，把凳子拉到一旁。

"Did you want to come in?" she asked.

“你要进来吗？”她问。

He looked down at her shrewdly.

他垂头看着她，两眼露出狡黠的目光。

"Won't folks be thinkin' some, you comin' here every night?" he said.

“恁每晚都来，不会有人起疑吗？”他问。

"Why?" She looked up at him, at a loss. "I said I'd come. Nobody knows.” "They soon will, though," he replied. "An' what then?” She was at a loss for an answer.

“为什么？”她不解地望着他，“我说过我会来。没人知道。”“可他们早晚会知道的，”他说，“那时怎么办才好？”她无言以对。

"Why should they know?" she said.

“为什么他们会知道？”她问。

"Folks always does," he said fatally.

“纸里包不住火。”他的答案直截了当。

Her lip quivered a little.

她的嘴唇微微颤抖起来。

"Well I can't help it," she faltered.

“可我也没有办法。”她支吾着。

"Nay," he said. "You can help it by not comin' —if yer want to," he added, in a lower tone.

“不。”他说。“恁有办法，不来这里会让一切平息——如果恁想这样做的话。”他低声补了一句。

"But I don't want to," she murmured.

“可我不想那么做。”她咕哝着。

He looked away into the wood, and was silent.

他转投向树林张望，沉默不语。

"But what when folks finds out?" he asked at last. "Think about it! Think how lowered you'll feel, one of your husband's servants.” She looked up at his averted face.

“可一旦被人发觉，到时候该怎么办？”末了，他问道。“试想一下！恁会感觉无地自容的，居然跟自己丈夫的仆人私通。”她抬头看着他侧转的脸。

"Is it," she stammered, "is it that you don't want me?” "Think!" he said. "Think what if folks find out Sir Clifford an'a’—an' everybody talkin' —” "Well, I can go away." "Where to?" "Anywhere! I've got money of my own. My mother left me twenty thousand pounds in trust, and I know Clifford can't touch it. I can go away.” "But 'appen you don't want to go away.” "Yes, yes! I don't care what happens to me.” "Ay, you think that! But you'll care! You'll have to care, everybody has. You've got to remember your Ladyship is carrying on with a game-keeper. It's not as if I was a gentleman. Yes, you'd care. You'd care.” "I shouldn't. What do I care about my ladyship! I hate it really. I feel people are jeering every time they say it. And they are, they are! Even you jeer when you say it.” "Me!" For the first time he looked straight at her, and into her eyes. "I don't jeer at you," he said.

她结结巴巴地说：“难道……难道你不想要我了？”“试想一下！”他说。“试想一下，要是被人发觉，克利福德爵士和……大家会怎么评论……”“那么，我可以离开这里。”“去哪儿？”“哪儿都行！我自己有积蓄。母亲留给我两万英镑，存在银行里，就算是克利福德也动不了它。我可以远走高飞。”“但恁并不想离开。”“我想离开！我不管以后会发生什么事。”“是吗？恁竟然这么想！可恁还是会在乎！恁肯定会在乎，人人都是如此。别忘了，恁这位尊贵的从男爵夫人，竟然跟个守林人纠缠不清。如果俺是贵族，那就另当别论。没错，恁会在乎。肯定会在乎的。”“我不在乎。从男爵夫人又算什么？我恨透了这个虚名。每次有人这样称呼我，语气中都充满嘲弄。他们都是这样，人人都不例外！甚至连你这样叫我时，我也感觉在被嘲弄。”“俺！”他头一遭直视着她，直视着她的双眸。“俺可没嘲弄恁。”他分辨道。

As he looked into her eyes she saw his own eyes go dark, quite dark, the pupils dilating.

当他紧盯着她的双眸，她发觉他的眼睛变得黯淡，愈发黯淡，瞳孔扩散开来。

"Don't you care about a' the risk?" he asked in a husky voice. "You should care. Don't care when it's too late! There was a curious warning pleading in his voice.

“难道恁不在乎危险吗？”他问，声音变得嘶哑。“恁应该在乎。到时候后悔就晚了！”他的声调中诡谲地半是提醒，半是恳求。

"But I've nothing to lose," she said fretfully. "If you knew what it is, you'd think I'd be glad to lose it. But are you afraid for yourself?” "Ay!" he said briefly. "I am. I'm afraid. I'm afraid. I'm afraid O' things.” "What things?" she asked. He gave a curious backward jerk of his head, indicating the outer world.

“可我没什么可失去的。”她不耐烦地说。“要是你了解真相，会明白抛开这些我该多么开心。难道你在为自己担心？”“是呀！”他的回答简单明了。“的确如此。俺担心。俺担心。许多事让俺担心。”“什么事？”她追问道。他猛然把头向后扭去，暗示一切都归罪于外面的世界。