8.2 等公爵死才來綴伯爵

8.2 Tán kong-chiok sí chiah lâi tòe pek-chiok

"Tō sī án-ne oh," góa koh kóng, "só͘-í i ka-tī chi̍t ê tī chia?"

"Bô m̄-tio̍h."

"Án-ne, siáng sàng i tńg-chhù?"

"Kong-chiok."

"I lâi pôe i tńg-chhù?"

"Liâm-mi tō lâi."

"Nā án-ne, siáng sàng lí tńg?"

"Bô lâng."

"Góa sàng lí tńg-khì, hó bô?"

"M̄-koh lí iáu ū chi̍t ê pêng-iú, sī bô?"

"Goán tâng-chê sàng lí tńg."

"Lín pêng-iú sī siáng?"

"Chi̍t ê iân-tâu--ê, chin hó chò-tīn. I it-tēng chin hoaⁿ-hí kap lí se̍k-sāi."

"Hm, chin hó; chit bō͘ ián-liáu lán tō cháu, āu-piah--ê góa khòaⁿ kòe ah."

"Chiâⁿ hó; góa taⁿ khì kā goán pêng-iú kóng."

"Hó lah. Ah," Góa tú boeh cháu, Prudence koh kóng, "Lí khòaⁿ, kong-chiok lâi i ê pau-siuⁿ ah."

Góa kā khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē. Chi̍t ê chha-put-to chhit-cha̍p hòe ê lâng chē tī Marguerite ê āu-piah, tú teh kau hō͘ i chi̍t pau kiām-sng-tiⁿ, i sûi chhiò-bi-bi ùi lāi-té the̍h chhut-lâi chia̍h. I kā hit-pau kiām-sng-tiⁿ hiòng Prudence iāⁿ chi̍t-ē, ná sī kóng, "Lí boeh chia̍h bô?"

"Boaih," Prudence kā piáu-sī.

Marguerite kā kiām-sng-tiⁿ siu khí-lâi, oa̍t thâu khai-sí kap kong-chiok kóng-ōe.

Kóng chiah-ê hō͘ lí thiaⁿ, ná chin iù-tī, m̄-koh só͘-ū hām Marguerite iú-koan ê tāi-chì góa lóng kì-kah chiok chheng-chhó, taⁿ tō chū -jiân koh siūⁿ khí-lâi.

Góa tńg-khì Gaston hia, kā kóng góa thè i kap góa só͘ chò ê an-pâi. I tông-ì, góan tō lī-khui chē-ūi, kiâⁿ khì Duvernoy Hj [Hu-jîn] ê pau-siuⁿ. Tú phah-khui óng cháu-lông ê mn̂g, goán tio̍h seng tòng-tiām niū Marguerite kap kong-chiok kiâⁿ-kòe. Góa kam-goān kiám oa̍h cha̍p nî lâi thè-ōaⁿ hit ê lāu-lâng ê tē-ūi.

In kiâⁿ kàu ke-lō͘ ê sî, kong-chiok khan Marguerite chiūⁿ sì-lián hian-kòa ê bé-chhia, i chē tī kà-sú ê ūi, kóaⁿ nn̄g chiah koân-tōa ê bé khí-kiâⁿ.

Goán lâi-kàu Prudence ê pau-siuⁿ, hit bō͘ hì soah goán tō kiò chi̍t chiah bé-chhia, sái lâi d'Antin Ke 7 hō. Kàu mn̂g-kháu ê sî, Prudence chhiáⁿ goán ji̍p-khì chham-koan i ê tiàm-bīn, chia goán m̄-bat lâi, i ná-chhiūⁿ chin tit-ì chit ê só͘-chāi. Lí siūⁿ-khòaⁿ-māi, góa sûi tō tah-èng, in-ūi án-ne góa ná-chhiūⁿ kap Marguerite lú lâi lú chiap-kīn ah. Chin kín, góa tō kā ōe-tê choán hiòng Marguerite.

"Lāu kong-chiok lâu tī lín chhù-piⁿ in tau?" góa mn̄g Prudence.

"Oh, bô; Marguerite hoān-sè ka-tī tī chhù."

"Án-ne i tiāⁿ-tio̍h ē bô-liâu--sí," Gaston kóng.

"Goán chha-put-to ta̍k-àm lóng chò-hóe, nā bô, tō sī i tńg-lâi ê sî kiò góa kòe khì. I m̄-bat tī pòaⁿ-mê nn̄g tiám chêng khì khùn. Khah chá i khùn bē khì."

"Sī án-chóaⁿ?"

"In-ūi i ū hì-pēⁿ, chha-put-to lóng teh hoat-sio."

"I kám bô ài-jîn?" góa mn̄g.

"Góa lī-khui sî lóng bô khòaⁿ ū lâng lâu lo̍h-lâi; góa cháu-liáu góa m̄-káⁿ kóng ū lâng khì bô. Tī in tau, ū-sî góa ē tú tio̍h chi̍t ê kiò N ê pek-chiok, hit lâng siūⁿ-kóng àm-sî cha̍p-it tiám lâi pài-hóng, sàng i chē-chē thâu-chhah tō ē tit-tio̍h i; m̄-koh Marguerite bô kah-ì i. Marguerite m̄-chai chit ê pek-chiok chin hó-gia̍h. Góa kā kóng chin chē kái, 'Gōng gín-á, chit ê chiah sī lí ê lâng.' M̄-koh tō sī bô-hāu. Pêng-sî i lóng thiaⁿ góa ê ōe, m̄-koh nā kóng che, i tō oa̍t-thâu, kóng hit lâng siuⁿ gōng. Kóng gōng, i sī gōng; m̄-koh mā sī chi̍t ê āu-chhiú, in-ūi lāu kong-chiok sûi-sî ū khó-lêng sí. Lāu lâng chin chū-su; in ka-cho̍k koh chhiâng-chāi chek-pī i kap Marguerite ê tāi-chì; chit nn̄g ê lí-iû tō chai i bē lâu siáⁿ hō͘ Marguerite. Góa kā i khoàn-kái, m̄-koh i kan-ta kóng, tán kong-chiok sí liáu chiah lâi tòe pek-chiok iáu lâi ē-lī." Prudence koh kóng, "chhiūⁿ i án-ne seng-oa̍h, si̍t-chāi chin bô ì-sù. Góa chai góa bô sek-ha̍p chit chióng seng-oa̍h, nā-chún sī góa, góa tō kā lāu-lâng kóaⁿ-cháu. Chit ê lāu-lâng chiâⁿ hoân; i kā Marguerite tòng-chò cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ; ná gín-á án-ne koán-kò͘; chóng-sī kā i tîⁿ-kha poān-chhiú. Góa siong-sìn chit ê sî-chūn mā ū i ê iōng-lâng tī ke-lō͘ kiâⁿ-lâi kiâⁿ-khì, khòaⁿ siáng ùi in tau chhut-khì, iû-kî sī siáng kiâⁿ ji̍p-khì."

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8.2 等公爵死才來綴伯爵

"Tō 是 án-ne oh," 我 koh 講, "所以伊家己一个 tī 遮?"

"無毋著."

"Án-ne, siáng 送伊轉厝?"

"公爵."

"伊來陪伊轉厝?"

"Liâm-mi tō 來."

"Nā án-ne, siáng 送你轉?"

"無人."

"我送你轉去, 好無?"

"毋過你猶有一个朋友, 是無?"

"阮同齊送你轉."

"恁朋友是 siáng?"

"一个緣投 ê, 真好做陣. 伊一定真歡喜 kap 你熟似."

"Hm, 真好; 這幕演了咱 tō 走, 後壁 ê 我看過 ah."

"誠好; 我今去 kā 阮朋友講."

"好 lah. Ah," 我拄欲走, Prudence koh 講, "你看, 公爵來伊 ê 包廂 ah."

我 kā 看一下. 一个差不多七十歲 ê 人坐 tī Marguerite ê 後壁, 拄 teh 交予伊一包鹹酸甜, 伊隨笑 bi-bi ùi 內底提出來食. 伊提彼包鹹酸甜向 Prudence iāⁿ 一下, ná 是講, "你欲食無?"

"無愛," Prudence kā 表示.

Marguerite kā 鹹酸甜收起來, 越頭開始 kap 公爵講話.

講 chiah-ê 予你聽, ná 真幼稚, 毋過所有和 Marguerite 有關 ê 代誌我攏記甲足清楚, 今 tō 自然 koh 想起來.

我轉去 Gaston 遐, kā 講我替伊 kap 我所做 ê 安排. 伊同意, 阮 tō 離開坐位, 行去 Duvernoy Hj [夫人] ê 包廂. 拄拍開往走廊 ê 門, 阮著先擋恬讓 Marguerite kap 公爵行過. 我甘願減活十年來替換彼个老人 ê 地位.

In 行到街路 ê 時, 公爵牽 Marguerite 上四輪掀蓋 ê 馬車, 伊坐 tī 駕駛 ê 位, 趕兩隻懸大 ê 馬起行.

阮來到 Prudence ê 包廂, 彼幕戲煞阮 tō 叫一隻馬車, 駛來 d'Antin 街 7 號. 到門口 ê 時, Prudence 請阮入去參觀伊 ê 店面, 遮阮毋 bat 來, 伊若像真得意這个所在. 你想看覓, 我隨 tō 答應, 因為 án-ne 我若像 kap Marguerite lú 來 lú 接近 ah. 真緊, 我 tō kā 話題轉向 Marguerite.

"老公爵留 tī 恁厝邊 in 兜?" 我問 Prudence.

"Oh, 無; Marguerite 凡勢家己 tī 厝."

"Án-ne 伊定著會無聊死," Gaston 講.

"阮差不多逐暗攏做伙, nā 無, tō 是伊轉來 ê 時叫我過去. 伊毋 bat tī 半暝兩點前去睏. 較早伊睏袂去."

"是按怎?"

"因為伊有肺病, 差不多攏 teh 發燒."

"伊敢無愛人?" 我問.

"我離開時攏無看有人留落來; 我走了我毋敢講有人去無. Tī in 兜, 有時我會拄著一个叫 N ê 伯爵, 彼人想講暗時十一點來拜訪, 送伊濟濟頭插 tō 會得著伊; 毋過 Marguerite 無佮意伊. Marguerite 毋知這个伯爵真好額. 我 kā 講真濟改, '戇囡仔, 這个才是你 ê 人.' 毋過 tō 是無效. 平時伊攏聽我 ê 話, 毋過 nā 講這, 伊 tō 越頭, 講彼人 siuⁿ 戇. 講戇, 伊是戇; 毋過 mā 是一个後手, 因為老公爵隨時有可能死. 老人真自私; in 家族 koh 常在責備伊 kap Marguerite ê 代誌; 這兩个理由 tō 知伊袂留啥予 Marguerite. 我 kā 伊勸解, 毋過伊干焦講, 等公爵死了才來綴伯爵猶來會離." Prudence koh 講, "像伊 án-ne 生活, 實在真無意思. 我知我無適合這種生活, 若準是我, 我 tō kā 老人趕走. 這个老人誠煩; 伊 kā Marguerite 當做查某囝; ná 囡仔 án-ne 管顧; 總是 kā 伊纏跤絆手. 我相信這个時陣 mā 有伊 ê 用人 tī 街路行來行去, 看 siáng ùi in 兜出去, 尤其是 siáng 行入去."

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8.2

"That, then," I continued, "is why she is alone here?"


"Precisely."


"But who will see her home?" 

"He will."


"He will come for her?"


"In a moment."


"And you, who is seeing you home?" 

"No one." 

"May I offer myself?" 

"But you are with a friend, are you not?" 

"May we offer, then?" 

"Who is your friend?" 

"A charming fellow, very amusing. He will be delighted to make your acquaintance." 

"Well, all right; we will go after this piece is over, for I know the last piece." 

"With pleasure; I will go and tell my friend." 

"Go, then. Ah," added Prudence, as I was going, "there is the duke just coming into Marguerite's box."

I looked at him. A man of about seventy had sat down behind her, and was giving her a bag of sweets, into which she dipped at once, smiling. Then she held it out toward Prudence, with a gesture which seemed to say, "Will you have some?" 

"No," signalled Prudence.


Marguerite drew back the bag, and, turning, began to talk with the duke. 

It may sound childish to tell you all these details, but everything relating to Marguerite is so fresh in my memory that I can not help recalling them now. 

I went back to Gaston and told him of the arrangement I had made for him and for me. He agreed, and we left our stalls to go round to Mme. Duvernoy's box. We had scarcely opened the door leading into the stalls when we had to stand aside to allow Marguerite and the duke to pass. I would have given ten years of my life to have been in the old man's place. 

When they were on the street he handed her into a phaeton, which he drove himself, and they were whirled away by two superb horses. 

We returned to Prudence's box, and when the play was over we took a cab and drove to 7, Rue d'Antin. At the door, Prudence asked us to come up and see her showrooms, which we had never seen, and of which she seemed very proud. You can imagine how eagerly I accepted. It seemed to me as if I was coming nearer and nearer to Marguerite. I soon turned the conversation in her direction. 

"The old duke is at your neighbours," I said to Prudence. 

"Oh, no; she is probably alone." 

"But she must be dreadfully bored," said Gaston. 

"We spend most of our evening together, or she calls to me when she comes in. She never goes to bed before two in the morning. She can't sleep before that." 

"Why?" 

"Because she suffers in the chest, and is almost always feverish." 

"Hasn't she any lovers?" I asked. 

"I never see any one remain after I leave; I don't say no one ever comes when I am gone. Often in the evening I meet there a certain Comte de N., who thinks he is making some headway by calling on her at eleven in the evening, and by sending her jewels to any extent; but she can't stand him. She makes a mistake; he is very rich. It is in vain that I say to her from time to time, 'My dear child, there's the man for you.' She, who generally listens to me, turns her back and replies that he is too stupid. Stupid, indeed, he is; but it would be a position for her, while this old duke might die any day. Old men are egoists; his family are always reproaching him for his affection for Marguerite; there are two reasons why he is likely to leave her nothing. I give her good advice, and she only says it will be plenty of time to take on the count when the duke is dead. It isn't all fun," continued Prudence, "to live like that. I know very well it wouldn't suit me, and I should soon send the old man about his business. He is so dull; he calls her his daughter; looks after her like a child; and is always in the way. I am sure at this very moment one of his servants is prowling about in the street to see who comes out, and especially who goes in." 

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