12.3 毋通 hiah 愛食醋

12.3 M̄-thang hiah ài chia̍h-chhò͘

Chhit-tiám ê sî, góa kàu Vaudeville kio̍k-tiûⁿ. Góa m̄-bat chiah chá kàu kio̍k-tiûⁿ. Pau-siuⁿ bān-bān chē móa, kan-ta chi̍t ê iáu khang tio̍h, sī ē-chàn bú-tâi chêng hit-ê. Tē-saⁿ bō͘ khai-sí ê sî, góa thiaⁿ tio̍h pau-siuⁿ khui-mn̂g ê siaⁿ, hia góa ê ba̍k-chiu bô chi̍t-sî hioh, Marguerite chhut-hiān lah. I sûi lâi-kàu pau-siuⁿ thâu-chêng, sì-kè khòaⁿ thiaⁿ-nih ê í-á ūi, khòaⁿ tio̍h góa, i hō͘ góa chi̍t ê kám-siā ê gán-sîn.

Hit-àm i chng-kah ū-kàu súi. Sī ūi-tio̍h góa chiah án-ne táⁿ-pān sioh? I kám ū ài góa kàu hit-ê thêng-tō͘, siūⁿ kóng chng lú súi góa lú hoaⁿ-hí? Che góa m̄-chai, m̄-koh i nā ū án-ne siūⁿ, i chò liáu chin sêng-kong, in-ūi i chi̍t-kàu, ta̍k-ê lóng oa̍t-thâu khòaⁿ i, liân tng teh bú-tâi piáu-ián ê ián-oân mā teh chhōe, tàu-té sī siáng, chi̍t-lâi tō hong-tōng koan-chiòng.

Taⁿ, góa ū chit ê cha-bó͘ pâng-keng ê só-sî, koh saⁿ-sì tiám-cheng, i tō koh sī góa ê ah!

Lán-lâng chek-pī hō͘ lú-ián-oân a̍h-sī kau-chè-hoe hāi-kah phò-sán ê lâng, m̄-koh hō͘ góa hòⁿ-kî ê sī, in ná bô chò-chhut koh-khah tōng-tu̍t ê tāi-chì. It-tēng ài chhiūⁿ góa án-ne, chìn-ji̍p chit-chióng seng-oa̍h, chiah ē chai, chí-iàu in ta̍k-kang boán-chiok chêng-jîn ê hi-hoa, tō ē-tàng bán-tiâu chêng-jîn sim-tiong tùi in ê ài -- lán kā kóng-chò "ài," in-ūi bô kî-thaⁿ ê jī thang iōng.

Chiap-leh Prudence lâi kàu pau-siuⁿ, koh ū chi̍t ê lâng, góa jīn-chhut he sī G pek-chiok, mā chē-lo̍h tī āu-piah. Khòaⁿ tio̍h i, góa kui-ê sim chū án-ne léng lo̍h-lâi.

Marguerite tiāⁿ-tio̍h ū hoat-hiān tio̍h hit-ê lâng ín-khí góa ê piáu-chêng piàn-hòa, i koh chi̍t-kái tùi góa chhiò chi̍t-ē, tō bô koh chhap pek-chiok, ké-kúi choan-sim teh khòaⁿ-hì. Tē-saⁿ bō͘ hioh-khùn ê sî, i oa̍t-thâu kóng nn̄g kù ōe, pek-chiok tō kiâⁿ-khui pau-siuⁿ, chū án-ne Marguerite àm-sī góa khì i hia.

"Àm-an," góa ji̍p-khì ê sî, i kă chio-ho͘, chhun chhiú hō͘ góa.

"Àm-an," góa kā Marguerite kap Prudence kóng.

"Chē chia."

"Che kám m̄-sī pa̍t-lâng ê ūi. G pek-chiok kám bē koh tńg lâi?"

"Ē; I khì thè góa bé thn̂g-á, án-ne lán ē-tàng sió-khóa kóng-ōe-á leh. Duvernoy bē o͘-pe̍h kóng-ōe."

"Sī lah, koai gín-á," i kóng, "Bián-kiaⁿ, góa bē kâng kóng siáⁿ."

"Lí e-àm sī án-chóaⁿ lah?" Marguerite kóng, khiā khí-lâi, lâi kàu pau-siuⁿ āu-piah, chim góa ê hia̍h-thâu.

"Góa bô-siáⁿ sóng-khoài."

"Lí kín khì khùn," i ìn góa, he tò-khau ê siaⁿ-tiāu tú-hó phòe-ha̍p tio̍h i iù-siù, cheng-bêng ê piáu-chêng.

"Khùn tó?"

"Khùn lín tau."

"Lí chai, góa tī chhù-nih khùn bē-khì."

"Hm, nā án-ne, m̄-thang in-ūi khòaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t ê lâng tō lâi góa ê pau-siuⁿ kā góa kek sái-bīn."

"M̄-sī án-ne lah."

"Sī, sī án-ne; góa lóng chai. Lí bē-sái án-ne; lán mài koh kóng che ah. Khòaⁿ-hì liáu, lí seng khì Prudence in tau, tī hia tán góa kiò lí kòe lâi. Án-ne lí chai bô?"

"Góa chai."

Góa ná ē-sái bô thiaⁿ-ōe neh?

"Lí iáu ū ài góa bô?"

"Ná tio̍h mn̄g?"

"Lí ū su-liām góa bô?"

"Kui-kang lóng teh siūⁿ."

"Lí kám chai, góa chiâⁿ kiaⁿ góa ē chin ê ài tio̍h lí? Lí khì mn̄g Prudence."

"Ah," Prudence kóng, "Si̍t-chāi chiâⁿ hó-chhiò!"

"Taⁿ, lí tńg-khì lí ê ūi. Pek-chiok liâm-mi tō koh lâi ah, mài hō͘ i khòaⁿ tio̍h lí tī chia."

"Án-chóaⁿ kóng?"

"In-ūi lí bô-ài khòaⁿ tio̍h i."

"Bô hit ê tāi-chì. Lí nā chá kă kóng lí e-àm boeh lâi Vaudeville kio̍k-tiûⁿ, góa mā ē-tàng chhiūⁿ i án-ne, thè lí bé pau-siuⁿ ê phiò."

"Phái-sè, góa bô kā kóng, i tō í-keng thè góa bé hó phiò ah, koh iau-chhiáⁿ góa tâng-chê lâi; lí chai, góa bē kā kī-choa̍t. Góa kan-ta ē-tàng siá-phe kā lí kóng, góa boeh khì tó, án-ne lí ē-tàng tú-tio̍h góa, che mā-sī in-ūi góa siūⁿ-boeh koh kìⁿ-tio̍h lí; siūⁿ bô kàu, lí hō͘ góa ê tap-siā sī án-ne, góa ài ē-kì-tit chit ê kàu-hùn."

"Góa chhò-koài lí ah, chhiáⁿ goân-liōng góa."

"Hó lah, bô tāi-chì; taⁿ, koai-koai tńg lí ê ūi, siōng iàu-kín, m̄-thang koh hiah ài chia̍h-chhò͘ ah."

I koh kă chim chi̍t-ē, góa lī-khui pau-siuⁿ. Tī cháu-lông, góa tú-tio̍h pek-chiok. Góa tńg lâi kàu góa ê chē-ūi.

Chóng-kóng, G pek-chiok chhut-hiān tī Marguerite ê pau-siuⁿ sī sù-siông ê tāi-chì. I bat sī Marguerite ê chêng-jîn, i sàng i pau-siuⁿ ê phiò, i pôe-phōaⁿ i lâi kio̍k-tiûⁿ; che lóng chin chū-jiân, góa nā boeh ū chhiūⁿ Marguerite chit-chióng chêng-hū, góa tō ài koàn-sì i ê seng-oa̍h hong-sek.

Chóng--sī, hit àm chhun ê sî-kan góa mā lóng chiok bô sóng-khoài, khòaⁿ tio̍h Prudence, pek-chiok, kap Marguerite in peh-chiūⁿ tán tī mn̂g-kháu ê bé-chhia liáu, góa tō būn-būn lī-khui.

M̄-koh, keng-kòe cha̍p-gō͘ hun-cheng, góa lâi kàu Prudence in tau, i mā tú-tú tńg kàu-ūi bô kú.

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12.3 毋通 hiah 愛食醋

七點 ê 時, 我到 Vaudeville 劇場. 我毋 bat chiah 早到劇場. 包廂慢慢坐滿, 干焦一个猶空著, 是下層舞台前彼个. 第三幕開始 ê 時, 我聽著包廂開門 ê 聲, 遐我 ê 目睭無一時歇, Marguerite 出現 lah. 伊隨來到包廂頭前, 四界看廳 nih ê 椅仔位, 看著我, 伊予我一个感謝 ê 眼神.

彼暗伊妝甲有夠媠. 是為著我才 án-ne 打扮 sioh? 伊敢有愛我到彼个程度, 想講妝愈媠我愈歡喜? 這我毋知, 毋過伊 nā 有 án-ne 想, 伊做了真成功, 因為伊一到, 逐个攏越頭看伊, 連當 teh 舞台表演 ê 演員 mā teh 揣, 到底是 siáng, 一來 tō 轟動觀眾.

今, 我有這个查某房間 ê 鎖匙, koh 三四點鐘, 伊 tō koh 是我 ê ah!

咱人責備予女演員抑是交際花害甲破產 ê 人, 毋過予我好奇 ê 是, in ná 無做出閣較撞突 ê 代誌. 一定愛像我 án-ne, 進入這種生活, 才會知, 只要 in 逐工滿足情人 ê 虛花, tō 會當挽牢情人心中對 in ê 愛 -- 咱 kā 講做 "愛," 因為無其他 ê 字通用.

接 leh Prudence 來到包廂, koh 有一个人, 我認出彼是 G 伯爵, mā 坐落 tī 後壁. 看著伊, 我規个心自 án-ne 冷落來.

Marguerite 定著有發現著彼个人引起我 ê 表情變化, 伊 koh 一改對我笑一下, tō 無 koh chhap 伯爵, 假鬼專心 teh 看戲. 第三幕歇睏 ê 時, 伊越頭講兩句話, 伯爵 tō 行開包廂, 自 án-ne Marguerite 暗示我去伊遐.

"暗安," 我入去 ê 時, 伊 kă 招呼, 伸手予我.

"暗安," 我 kā Marguerite kap Prudence 講.

"坐遮."

"這敢毋是別人 ê 位. G 伯爵敢袂 koh 轉來?"

"會; 伊去替我買糖仔, án-ne 咱會當小可講話仔 leh. Duvernoy 袂烏白講話."

"是 lah, 乖囡仔," 伊講, "免驚, 我袂 kâng 講啥."

"你下暗是按怎 lah?" Marguerite 講, 徛起來, 來到包廂後壁, 唚我 ê 額頭.

"我無啥爽快."

"你緊去睏," 伊應我, 彼倒剾 ê 聲調拄好配合著伊幼秀, 精明 ê 表情.

"睏佗?"

"睏恁兜."

"你知, 我 tī 厝 nih 睏袂去."

"Hm, nā án-ne, 毋通因為看著一个人 tō 來我 ê 包廂 kā 我激屎面."

"毋是 án-ne lah."

"是, 是 án-ne; 我攏知. 你袂使 án-ne; 咱莫 koh 講這 ah. 看戲了, 你先去 Prudence in 兜, tī 遐等我叫你過來. Án-ne 你知無?"

"我知."

我那會使無聽話 neh?

"你猶有愛我無?"

"那著問?"

"你有思念我無?"

"規工攏 teh 想."

"你敢知, 我誠驚我會真 ê 愛著你? 你去問 Prudence."

"Ah," Prudence 講, "實在誠好笑!"

"今, 你轉去你 ê 位. 伯爵 liâm-mi tō koh 來 ah, 莫予伊看著你 tī 遮."

"按怎講?"

"因為你無愛看著伊."

"無彼个代誌. 你 nā 早 kă 講你下暗欲來 Vaudeville 劇場, 我 mā 會當像伊 án-ne, 替你買包廂 ê 票."

"歹勢, 我無 kā 講, 伊 tō 已經替我買好票 ah, koh 邀請我同齊來; 你知, 我袂 kā 拒絕. 我干焦會當寫批 kā 你講, 我欲去佗, án-ne 你會當拄著我, 這 mā 是因為我想欲 koh 見著你; 想無到, 你予我 ê 答謝是 án-ne, 我愛會記得這个教訓."

"我錯怪你 ah, 請原諒我."

"好 lah, 無代誌; 今, 乖乖轉你 ê 位, 上要緊, 毋通 koh hiah 愛食醋 ah."

伊 koh ka̋ 唚一下, 我離開包廂. Tī 走廊, 我拄著伯爵. 我轉來到我 ê 坐位.

總講, G 伯爵出現 tī Marguerite ê 包廂是四常 ê 代誌. 伊 bat 是 Marguerite ê 情人, 伊送伊包廂 ê 票, 伊陪伴伊來劇場; 這攏真自然, 我 nā 欲有像 Marguerite 這種情婦, 我 tō 愛慣勢伊 ê 生活方式.

總是, 彼暗賰 ê 時間我 mā 攏足無爽快, 看著 Prudence, 伯爵, kap Marguerite in peh 上等 tī 門口 ê 馬車了, 我 tō 悶悶離開.

毋過, 經過十五分鐘, 我來到 Prudence in 兜, 伊 mā 拄拄轉到位無久.

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12.3

At seven o'clock I was at the Vaudeville. Never had I gone to a theatre so early. The boxes filled one after another. Only one remained empty, the stage box. At the beginning of the third act I heard the door of the box, on which my eyes had been almost constantly fixed, open, and Marguerite appeared. She came to the front at once, looked around the stalls, saw me, and thanked me with a look. 

That night she was marvellously beautiful. Was I the cause of this coquetry? Did she love me enough to believe that the more beautiful she looked the happier I should be? I did not know, but if that had been her intention she certainly succeeded, for when she appeared all heads turned, and the actor who was then on the stage looked to see who had produced such an effect on the audience by her mere presence there. 

And I had the key of this woman's room, and in three or four hours she would again be mine! 

People blame those who let themselves be ruined by actresses and kept women; what astonishes me is that twenty times greater follies are not committed for them. One must have lived that life, as I have, to know how much the little vanities which they afford their lovers every day help to fasten deeper into the heart, since we have no other word for it, the love which he has for them. 

Prudence next took her place in the box, and a man, whom I recognised as the Comte de G., seated himself at the back. As I saw him, a cold shiver went through my heart. 

Doubtless Marguerite perceived the impression made on me by the presence of this man, for she smiled to me again, and, turning her back to the count, appeared to be very attentive to the play. At the third entr'acte she turned and said two words: the count left the box, and Marguerite beckoned to me to come to her. 

"Good-evening," she said as I entered, holding out her hand. 

"Good-evening," I replied to both Marguerite and Prudence. 

"Sit down." 

"But I am taking some one's place. Isn't the Comte de G. coming back?" 

"Yes; I sent him to fetch some sweets, so that we could talk by ourselves for a moment. Mme. Duvernoy is in the secret." 

"Yes, my children," said she; "have no fear. I shall say nothing." 

"What is the matter with you to-night?" said Marguerite, rising and coming to the back of the box and kissing me on the forehead. 

"I am not very well." 

"You should go to bed," she replied, with that ironical air which went so well with her delicate and witty face. 

"Where?" 

"At home." 

"You know that I shouldn't be able to sleep there." 

"Well, then, it won't do for you to come and be pettish here because you have seen a man in my box." 

"It is not for that reason." 

"Yes, it is. I know; and you are wrong, so let us say no more about it. You will go back with Prudence after the theatre, and you will stay there till I call. Do you understand?" 

"Yes." 

How could I disobey? 

"You still love me?" 

"Can you ask?" 

"You have thought of me?" 

"All day long." 

"Do you know that I am really afraid that I shall get very fond of you? Ask Prudence." 

"Ah," said she, "it is amazing!" 

"Now, you must go back to your seat. The count will be coming back, and there is nothing to be gained by his finding you here." 

"Why?"

"Because you don't like seeing him." 

"No; only if you had told me that you wanted to come to the Vaudeville to-night I could have got this box for you as well as he." 

"Unfortunately, he got it for me without my asking him, and he asked me to go with him; you know well enough that I couldn't refuse. All I could do was to write and tell you where I was going, so that you could see me, and because I wanted to see you myself; but since this is the way you thank me, I shall profit by the lesson." 

"I was wrong; forgive me."


"Well and good; and now go back nicely to your place, and, above all, no more jealousy." 

She kissed me again, and I left the box. In the passage I met the count coming back. I returned to my seat. 

After all, the presence of M. de G. in Marguerite's box was the most natural thing in the world. He had been her lover, he sent her a box, he accompanied her to the theatre; it was all quite natural, and if I was to have a mistress like Marguerite I should have to get used to her ways. 

Nonetheless, I was very unhappy all the rest of the evening, and went away very sadly after having seen Prudence, the count, and Marguerite get into the carriage, which was waiting for them at the door. 

However, a quarter of an hour later I was at Prudence's. She had only just got in. 

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