第十章（第12/25页）

“你冷吗？”他轻声问，声调极其柔和，似乎她离得如此之近，两人已经密不可分。然而，她却全然没有这种感受，反倒觉得彼此的距离依然遥远。

"No! But I must go," she said gently.

“不冷！不过，我得回去了。”她柔声说。

He sighed, held her closer, then relaxed to rest again.

他叹口气，将她搂得更紧，然后又放松开来。

He had not guessed her tears. He thought she was there with him.

他没能猜透她眼泪的含义。他以为她此刻的感受与自己一样。

"I must go," she repeated.

“我得回去了。”她重复道。

He lifted himself kneeled beside her a moment, kissed the inner side of her thighs, then drew down her skirts, buttoning his own clothes unthinking, not even turning aside, in the faint, faint light from the lantern.

他直起身子，跪在她的身旁不愿离去，吻着她的大腿内侧，然后帮她把裙子整理好，借着油灯那微弱昏黄的光线，利落地穿好衣服，整个过程始终面对着康妮。

"Tha mun come ter th' cottage one time," he said, looking down at her with a warm, sure, easy face.

“哪天去俺家。”他低头望着她说，脸上的表情显得热忱真诚，信心满满，而又轻松自得。

But she lay there inert, and was gazing up at him thinking: Stranger! Stranger! She even resented him a little.

但她仍旧呆呆地躺在那里，直勾勾地盯着他看，心里想着：这不过是个陌生人！陌生人！丝丝恨意涌上心头。

He put on his coat and looked for his hat, which had fallen, then he slung on his gun.

他穿好外衣，把帽子从地上捡起来，跨上猎枪。

"Come then!" he said, looking down at her with those warm, peaceful sort of eyes.

“动身吧！”他说，低头看着她，眼神温存而又平和。

She rose slowly. She didn't want to go. She also rather resented staying. He helped her with her thin waterproof and saw she was tidy.

她慢慢站起身来。她并不愿离去。但也不想留在这里。他帮她披上那件单薄的雨衣，检查周身穿戴是否整齐。

Then he opened the door. The outside was quite dark. The faithful dog under the porch stood up with pleasure seeing him. The drizzle of rain drifted greyly past upon the darkness. It was quite dark.

他打开门。天色已晚。忠诚的猎犬原本趴在门廊下，看到主人出来，愉快地立起身子。灰蒙蒙的细雨划过夜空。夜已深沉。

"Ah mun ta' e th' lantern," he said. "The'll be nob'dy.” He walked just before her in the narrow path, swinging the hurricane lamp low, revealing the wet grass, the black shiny tree-roots like snakes, wan flowers. For the rest, all was grey rain-mist and complete darkness.

“俺把灯捎着。”他说。“不会有人发现的。”两人顺着狭窄的小径前行，他在前面引路，手里的防风灯提得很低，左右摇摆着，照亮湿漉漉的草丛，蛇一般黑亮的树根，以及色彩黯淡的花朵。除此之外，只剩下灰白的雨雾，无垠的黑暗。

"Tha mun come to the cottage one time," he said, "shall ta? We might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb." It puzzled her, his queer, persistent wanting her, when there was nothing between them, when he never really spoke to her, and in spite of herself she resented the dialect. His "tha mun come' seemed not addressed to her, but some common woman. She recognized the foxglove leaves of the riding and knew, more or less, where they were.

“哪天去俺家，”他说，“咋样？咱们干脆一不做二不休。”他那样偏执地渴望着她，让她感到迷惑不解，因为两人间此前几乎没有任何交集，他从来没有正经地跟她交谈过，而且她对那土腔土调又莫名地厌恶。他那句“来俺家”似乎并不是在对她说，而是跟某个粗俗的婆娘在交谈。她发现马道上的毛地黄叶，对两人此刻所处的位置，已大概有数。

"It's quarter past seven," he said, "you'll do it.” He had changed his voice, seemed to feel her distance. As they turned the last bend in the riding towards the hazel wall and the gate, he blew out the light. "We'll see from here," be said, taking her gently by the arm.

“现在是七点一刻，”他说，“你赶得及回家吃晚餐。”似乎觉察到她疏离的态度，他收起土语。他俩走过马道最末的拐弯处，前面就是低矮的榛丛以及花园的大门，他将灯吹熄。“在这儿会被人发现的。”他解释道，轻轻挽起她的胳膊。

But it was difficult, the earth under their feet was a mystery, but he felt his way by tread: he was used to it. At the gate he gave her his electric torch. "It's a bit lighter in the park," he said; "but take it for fear you get off th' path.” It was true, there seemed a ghost-glimmer of greyness in the open space of the park. He suddenly drew her to him and whipped his hand under her dress again, feeling her warm body with his wet, chill hand.

摸黑走夜路确实不太容易，完全不清楚脚下的状况，但好在他早已习惯如此，能够用脚试探着前进。到了园门外，他把自己的手电筒交给她。“花园里亮堂许多，”他说，“但还是带上它，以免迷路。”他说的没错，空旷的花园里，似乎闪烁着幽暗的鬼火。他猛地将她揽入怀中，将潮湿冰冷的手探入她的衣裙，摸索着那温热的肉体。

"I could die for the touch of a woman like thee," he said in his throat. "If tha' would stop another minute.” She felt the sudden force of his wanting her again.

“能摸到想恁这样的女人，俺死也甘愿。”他的声音变得嘶哑。“再让俺摸一分钟吧。”她感觉到他的欲火再度燃起。

"No, I must run," she said, a little wildly.

“不行，我必须快点赶回去。”她说，有些乱了分寸。

"Ay," he replied, suddenly changed, letting her go.

“是呀。”他叹道，突然偃旗息鼓，将她放开。

She turned away, and on the instant she turned back to him saying: "Kiss me." He bent over her indistinguishable and kissed her on the left eye. She held her mouth and he softly kissed it, but at once drew away. He hated mouth kisses.

她背过脸去，但又立刻转身对他说：“吻我。”暗夜里伸手不见五指，他俯下身体，亲吻着她的左眼。她扬起嘴唇，他轻啄后，随即挪开。他不喜欢湿吻。