9.1 伊予伯爵誠無面子

Tē 9 Chiong

9.1 I hō͘ pek-chiok chiâⁿ bô bīn-chú

"Chhin-ài ê Gaston, àm-an," Marguerite hiòng góa ê tông-phōaⁿ kóng. "Chin hoaⁿ-hí khòaⁿ tio̍h lí. Tī Varietes kio̍k-tiûⁿ lí ná m̄ lâi góa ê pau-siuⁿ khòaⁿ góa?"

"Góa khióng-kiaⁿ ē sit-lé."

"Chò-ûi pêng-iú, lán m̄-bián hiah kheh-khì." Marguerite te̍k-pia̍t kā "pêng-iú" kóng khah tōa-siaⁿ, ká-ná sī boeh hō͘ chāi-tiûⁿ ê lâng chai-iáⁿ, sui-jiân i kap Gaston chhin-hò͘-hò͘, m̄-koh in ê koan-hē kan-ta kàu pêng-iú niā-niā.

"Nā án-ne, chhiáⁿ ín-chún góa kài-siāu Armand Duval Ss hó bô?"

"Góa í-keng tap-èng Prudence kā kài-siāu ah."

"Nā án-ne kóng, hu-jîn," góa ná oan-io ná ùi nâ-âu kóng chhut chi̍t kù lâng thiaⁿ-ū ê ōe, "góa chin êng-hēng, chá-chêng bat ū-lâng kă kài-siāu kòe ah."

Marguerite ê gán-sîn ná-chhiūⁿ sī teh chhōe i ê kì-tî, m̄-koh i bē-kì-tit ah, a̍h-sī kóng, i ká-ná siūⁿ bē-khí-lâi ah.

"Hu-jîn," góa koh kóng, "hó-ka-chài lí bē-kì-tit tē-it kái ê kài-siāu ah, in-ūi hit sî góa chin hàm-kó͘, it-tēng ū jiá lí bô hoaⁿ-hí. Nn̄g nî chêng góa tī Comique Kio̍k-tiûⁿ, hām góa tàu-tīn ê sī Ernest de..."

"Ah, góa kì khí-lâi ah," Marguerite chhiò-chhiò kóng. "M̄-sī lí hàm-kó͘, sī góa ài chhòng-tī lâng, taⁿ mā sī án-ne, m̄-koh khah hó ah. Lí bô khioh-hūn góa hoⁿh?"

I chhun chhiú hō͘ góa, góa kā chim chi̍t-ē.

"Bô m̄-tio̍h," i koh kóng; "Lí chai, góa ū chi̍t ê pháiⁿ si̍p-koàn, ài chhòng-tī chho͘ kìⁿ-bīn ê lâng. Án-ne chò si̍t-chāi sam-pat. I-seng kă kóng, che sī in-ūi góa ū sîn-keng-chit, koh tiāⁿ-tiāⁿ phòa-pēⁿ; chhiáⁿ siong-sìn góa ê i-seng."

"M̄-koh lí khòaⁿ khí-lâi sin-thé chin hó."

"Oh! Góa tú pēⁿ-kah chin tāng."

"Góa chai."

"Siáng kā lí kóng--ê?"

"Ta̍k-ê lóng chai; góa tiāⁿ-tiāⁿ lâi thàm-thiaⁿ lí ê pēⁿ, chin hoaⁿ-hí lí í-keng hó ah."

"Góa m̄-bat siu-tio̍h lí ê miâ-chhì."

"Góa lóng bô lâu miâ-chhì."

"He sī lí oh, góa pēⁿ ê sî, ū chi̍t ê lâng ta̍k kang lâi, koh lóng bô lâu miâ-chhì?"

"Tio̍h, he tō sī góa."

"Nā án-ne, lí put-chí tō͘-liōng hó, koh sim-koaⁿ mā hó," I kă khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē, he gán-sîn tiong-kan piáu-sī chhut lú-jîn tùi lâm-jîn ê khòaⁿ-hoat, jiân-āu i oa̍t kòe tùi N pek-chiok kóng, "Pek-chiok ah, lí ē án-ne chò bô?"

"Góa chiah bat lí nn̄g kò goe̍h niâ," pek-chiok hôe-tap.

"A̍h chit ūi sin-sū chiah bat góa gō͘ hun-cheng niâ. Lí chiâⁿ ài kóng chhiò-khoe."

Lú-jîn tùi in bô kah-ì ê lâng chóng-sī chin bô-chêng. Pek-chiok bīn âng-âng, chhùi-tûn kā leh.

Góa thè i kám-kak pháiⁿ-sè, tō ná-chhiūⁿ góa, i khòaⁿ khí-lâi ài tio̍h Marguerite, m̄-koh Marguerite ê thó͘-ti̍t it-tēng hō͘ i chin bô bīn-chú, iû-kî sī tī nn̄g ê chheⁿ-hūn-lâng bīn-chêng.

"Goán lâi ê sî lín tú teh tôaⁿ-khîm," góa siūⁿ boeh kái-piàn ōe-tê, tō kóng, "chhiáⁿ kā goán tòng-chò lāu pêng-iú, kè-sio̍k tôaⁿ-khîm, hó bô?"

“Oh," ná pí chhiú-sè kiò goán chē lo̍h-lâi, ná siàng lo̍h phòng-í, i kóng, "Gaston chai-iáⁿ góa ê im-ga̍k án-chóaⁿ. Góa ka-tī kap pek-chiok chò-hóe ê sî iáu ē-sái, m̄-koh góa bô-ài hō͘ lín hīⁿ-khang siū chiat-bôa."

"Li tùi góa chiah-nī te̍k-pia̍t?" pek-chiok chhiò-chhiò kóng, hián-sī chhut chi̍t chióng khin-khin ê khau-sé.

"Lí m̄-thang koài góa. Kan-ta sī chit hāng niā-niā." Chū án-ne hit ê khó-liân ê siàu-liân kan-ta ē-tàng tiām-tiām. I iōng khún-kiû ê ba̍k-sek khòaⁿ Marguerite chi̍t-ē.

"Hm, Prudence," i koh kóng, "góa pài-thok ê tāi-chì lí ū chò bô?"

"Chò hó ah."

"Chin hó. Liam-mi lí kă kóng. Lán ài chham-siông chi̍t-ē; bōe kóng í-chêng, lí m̄-thang lī-khui."

--

第 9 章

9.1 伊予伯爵誠無面子

"親愛 ê Gaston, 暗安," Marguerite 向我 ê 同伴講. "真歡喜看著你. Tī Varietes 劇場你 ná 毋來我 ê 包廂看我?"

"我恐驚會失禮."

"做為朋友, 咱毋免 hiah 客氣." Marguerite 特別 kā "朋友" 講較大聲, 敢若是欲予在場 ê 人知影, 雖然伊 kap Gaston 親 hò͘-hò͘, 毋過 in ê 關係干焦到朋友 niā-niā.

"Nā án-ne, 請允准我介紹 Armand Duval Ss 好無?"

"我已經答應 Prudence kā 介紹 ah."

"Nā án-ne 講, 夫人," 我 ná 彎腰 ná ùi 嚨喉講出一句人聽有 ê 話, "我真榮幸, 早前 bat 有人 kă 介紹過 ah."

Marguerite ê 眼神若像是 teh 揣伊 ê 記持, 毋過伊袜記得 ah, 抑是講, 伊敢若想袜起來 ah.

"夫人," 我 koh 講, "好佳哉你袂記得第一改 ê 介紹 ah, 因為彼時我真譀古, 一定有惹你無歡喜. 兩年前我 tī Comique 劇場, 和我鬥陣 ê 是 Ernest de..."

"Ah, 我記起來 ah," Marguerite 笑笑講. "毋是你譀古, 是我愛創治人, 今 mā 是 án-ne, 毋過較好 ah. 你無抾恨我 hoⁿh?"

伊伸手予我, 我 kā 唚一下.

"無毋著," 伊 koh 講; "你知, 我有一个歹習慣, 愛創治初見面 ê 人. Án-ne 做實在三八. 醫生 kă 講, 這是因為我有神經質, koh 定定破病; 請相信我 ê 醫生."

"毋過你看起來身體真好."

"Oh! 我拄病甲真重."

"我知."

"Siáng kā 你講 ê?"

"逐个攏知; 我定定來探聽你 ê 病, 真歡喜你已經好 ah."

"我毋 bat 收著你 ê 名刺."

"我攏無留名刺."

"彼是你 oh, 我病 ê 時, 有一个人逐工來, koh 攏無留名刺?"

"著, 彼 tō 是我."

"Nā án-ne, 你不只度量好, koh 心肝 mā 好," 伊 kă 看一下, 彼眼神中間表示出女人對男人 ê 看法, 然後伊越過對 N 伯爵講, "伯爵 ah, 你會 án-ne 做無?"

"我才捌你兩個月 niâ," 伯爵回答.

"A̍h 這位紳士才捌我五分鐘 niâ. 你誠愛講笑詼."

女人對 in 無佮意 ê 人總是真無情. 伯爵面紅紅, 喙脣咬 leh.

我替伊感覺歹勢, tō 若像我, 伊看起來愛著 Marguerite, 毋過 Marguerite ê 土直一定予伊真無面子, 尤其是 tī 兩个生份人面前.

"阮來 ê 時恁拄 teh 彈琴," 我想欲改變話題, tō 講, "請 kā 阮當做老朋友, 繼續彈琴, 好無?"

“Oh," ná 比手勢叫阮坐落來, ná siàng 落膨椅, 伊講, "Gaston 知影我 ê 音樂按怎. 我家己 kap 伯爵做伙 ê 時猶會使, 毋過我無愛予恁耳空受折磨."

"你對我 chiah-nī 特別?" 伯爵笑笑講, 顯示出一種輕輕 ê 剾洗.

"你毋通怪我. 干焦是這項 niā-niā." 自 án-ne 彼个可憐 ê 少年干焦會當恬恬. 伊用懇求 ê 目色看 Marguerite 一下.

"Hm, Prudence," 伊 koh 講, "我拜託 ê 代誌你有做無?"

"做好 ah."

"真好. Liâm-mi 你 kă 講. 咱愛參詳一下; 未講以前, 你毋通離開."

--

Chapter 9 

9.1

"Good-evening, my dear Gaston," said Marguerite to my companion. "I am very glad to see you. Why didn't you come to see me in my box at the Varietes?" 

"I was afraid it would be indiscreet." 

"Friends," and Marguerite lingered over the word, as if to intimate to those who were present that in spite of the familiar way in which she greeted him, Gaston was not and never had been anything more than a friend, "friends are always welcome." 

"Then, will you permit me to introduce M. Armand Duval?" 

"I had already authorized Prudence to do so." 

"As far as that goes, madame," I said, bowing, and succeeding in getting more or less intelligible sounds out of my throat, "I have already had the honour of being introduced to you." 

Marguerite's beautiful eyes seemed to be looking back in memory, but she could not, or seemed not to, remember. 

"Madame," I continued, "I am grateful to you for having forgotten the occasion of my first introduction, for I was very absurd and must have seemed to you very tiresome. It was at the Opera Comique, two years ago; I was with Ernest de --." 

"Ah, I remember," said Marguerite, with a smile. "It was not you who were absurd; it was I who was mischievous, as I still am, but somewhat less. You have forgiven me?" 

And she held out her hand, which I kissed. 

"It is true," she went on; "you know I have the bad habit of trying to embarrass people the first time I meet them. It is very stupid. My doctor says it is because I am nervous and always ill; believe my doctor." 

"But you seem quite well." 

"Oh! I have been very ill." 

"I know."


"Who told you?" 

"Every one knew it; I often came to inquire after you, and I was happy to hear of your convalescence." 

"They never gave me your card."

"I did not leave it."

"Was it you, then, who called every day while I was ill, and would never leave your name?" 

"Yes, it was I." 

"Then you are more than indulgent, you are generous. You, count, wouldn't have done that," said she, turning toward M. de N., after giving me one of those looks in which women sum up their opinion of a man. 

"I have only known you for two months," replied the count. 

"And this gentleman only for five minutes. You always say something ridiculous." 

Women are pitiless toward those whom they do not care for. The count reddened and bit his lips. 

I was sorry for him, for he seemed, like myself, to be in love, and the bitter frankness of Marguerite must have made him very unhappy, especially in the presence of two strangers. 

"You were playing the piano when we came in," I said, in order to change the conversation. "Won't you be so good as to treat me as an old acquaintance and go on?" 

"Oh," said she, flinging herself on the sofa and motioning to us to sit down, "Gaston knows what my music is like. It is all very well when I am alone with the count, but I won't inflict such a punishment on you." 

"You show me that preference?" said M. de N., with a smile which he tried to render delicately ironical. 

"Don't reproach me for it. It is the only one." It was fated that the poor man was not to say a single word. He cast a really supplicating glance at Marguerite. 

"Well, Prudence," she went on, "have you done what I asked you to do?" 

"Yes." 

"All right. You will tell me about it later. We must talk over it; don't go before I can speak with you." 

--