第十章（第25/25页）

霎时间，疯狂追求她的欲望支离破碎。他亲手将之击碎，因为理应如此。爱情的事必须两厢情愿。如果她不向他靠拢，他也不应紧追不放。他不能这样做。他应该抽身离开，直到她主动靠近。

He turned slowly, ponderingly, accepting again the isolation. He knew it was better so. She must come to him: it was no use his trailing after her. No use!

他慢慢转身，心事满腹，重新接受了孤独的宿命。他清楚这是最佳的选择。她应该向他靠拢，否则即便他紧追不放，也只是白费心力。徒劳无功！

Mrs. Bolton saw him disappear, saw his dog run after him.

博尔顿太太目送他远去，猎犬紧随其后。

"Well, well!" she said. "He's the one man I never thought of; and the one man I might have thought of. He was nice to me when he was a lad, after I lost Ted. Well, well! Whatever would he say if he knew! And she glanced triumphantly at the already sleeping Clifford, as she stepped softly from the room.

“妙啊，妙啊！”她自语道。“我压根没想到会是他，而他也恰恰是我应该想到的。少年时代，这小子曾有恩于我，那时泰德刚刚故去。有趣呀，有趣！要是他知道了事实的真相，又会说些什么呢！”她得意地瞥了一眼正在熟睡的克利福德，轻手轻脚地踱出房间。