17.2 伊公開阮 ê 關係

17.2 I kong-kai goán ê koan-hē

Góa siūⁿ lí mā ioh ē tio̍h, chia khai ê chîⁿ lóng iû kong-chiok hù; iū-koh, Prudence sam-put gō͘-sî mā ē lâi chhōe góa, ài boeh chi̍t tiuⁿ chi̍t-chheng franc ê phiò-á, kóng sī Marguerite boeh ài ê. Lí mā chai-iáⁿ, góa poa̍h-kiáu ū iâⁿ kóa chîⁿ; só͘-í góa tō kín-kín hù hō͘ Prudence i thè Marguerit lâi thó ê chîⁿ. Iū-koh kiaⁿ góa ê chîⁿ bô-kàu i ê su-iàu, góa tō koh khì Paris chioh chi̍t pit chîⁿ, siong-tong góa kòe-khì chioh-kòe, í-keng hêng liáu ê kim-gia̍h. Chū án-ne, góa sin-siōng koh ū chiâⁿ bān franc, che iáu bô pau-hâm góa kò͘-tēng ê tin-thiap chāi-lāi. Put-jî-kò, Marguerite chiau-thāi pêng-iú ê hèng-chhù ū sió-khóa kàng-kē, in-ūi i hoat-hiān só͘-hùi siuⁿ tōa, iū-koh ū sî tio̍h ài chhōe góa thó chîⁿ. Sòe-chhù hō͘ Marguerite hiu-ióng ê kong-chiok í-keng bô teh lâi ah, in-ūi i bô-ài koh tú tio̍h chi̍t tīn chhá-chhá nāu-nāu ê lâng-kheh, i bô-ài lâng khòaⁿ tio̍h i lâi chia. Ū chi̍t kái, i boeh lâi kap Marguerite su-hā chò-hóe chia̍h-pn̄g, soah tú tio̍h chi̍t ê 15 lâng ê iàn-hōe. Hit tǹg tiong-tàu it-ti̍t chia̍h kàu i lâi, boeh hām Marguerite chia̍h àm-tǹg ê sî iáu bōe soah. I chi̍t phah-khui chhan-thiaⁿ ê mn̂g, bān-bān siūⁿ bē kàu, soah thiaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-chūn tōa chhiò siaⁿ; chū án-ne, i tio̍h tī hit tīn cha-bó͘-lâng ki-ki-kiāu-kiāu ê kún-chhiò siaⁿ nih, kín-kín oa̍t-thâu thè chhut-khì.

Marguerite lī-khui pn̄g-toh, lâi kàu keh-piah pâng-keng chhōe kong-chiok, chīn-liōng hó-ōe khǹg i mài koh siūⁿ chit-ê bô sóng-khoài ê tāi-chì, m̄-koh lāu-lâng kám-kak chū-chun siū tio̍h siong-hāi, tùi i oàn-hūn, m̄-khéng goân-liōng. I léng-léng kā Marguerite kóng, i m̄-ài koh chhut gōng chîⁿ hō͘ cha-bó͘ loān-iā, iū-koh liân tī ka-tī ê chhù to bô siū tio̍h chun-tiōng, chū án-ne i tō khì phut-phut cháu khui.

Chū hit-kang khai-sí, tō lóng bô i ê siaⁿ-soeh.

Marguerite sui-jiân bô koh chhiáⁿ-kheh, mā kái-piàn i ê seng-oa̍h si̍p-koàn, m̄-koh kong-chiok iáu sī bô koh lâi. Chit tiong-kan, góa soah thàn tio̍h, góa ê chêng-hū taⁿ oân-choân sī góa ê ah, góa ê bāng-sióng mā si̍t-hiān ah-lah. Marguerite bē-tàng bô góa. M̄-koán kiat-kó ē án-chóaⁿ, i kā lâng kong-khai goán ê koan-hē, góa mā poaⁿ-lâi tòa tī in chhù. Chhù nih ê iōng-lâng lóng kă tòng-chò chú-lâng, kiò góa thâu-ke.

Marguerite chit-chiong sin ê seng-oa̍h hong-sek Prudence ì-kiàn chin chē, m̄-koh Marguerite ìn i kóng, i ài góa, i bô góa bē-sái, m̄-koán ē án-chóaⁿ, i mā m̄-khéng sit-khì góa kap i chò-hóe ê hēng-hok, iū-koh kóng, nā khòaⁿ bē koàn-sì ê lâng ē-sái mài koh lâi chhōe i ah. Chiah-ê ōe sī góa thiaⁿ tio̍h ê, hit-kang Prudence kā Marguerite kóng, i ū tiōng-iàu ê tāi-chì boeh kā kóng, góa tō sī tán tī in ji̍p-khì koh koaiⁿ khí-lâi ê hit sìⁿ mn̂g piⁿ-á thau-thiaⁿ ê.

Koh kòe bô gōa kú, Prudence iū koh lâi ah. I lâi ê sî góa tī hoe-hn̂g ê iáu chi̍t-pêng, i bô khòaⁿ tio̍h góa. Khòaⁿ tio̍h Marguerite chiap i ê khoán-sek, góa chin khak-tēng, in boeh kóng ê it-tēng kap téng-kái góa thau-thiaⁿ tio̍h ê tāi-chì chha-put-to, góa tō koh khì thau-thiaⁿ. Nn̄g-ê cha-bó͘ koaiⁿ tī chi̍t-keng sió pâng-keng nih, góa kā hīⁿ-á giú tn̂g-tn̂g:

"Án-chóaⁿ?" Marguerite mn̄g.

"Hm, góa ū khì chhōe kong-chiok."

"I án-chóaⁿ kóng?"

"I goān-ì goân-liōng lí téng-kái hoat-seng ê hit-chióng tiûⁿ-bīn, m̄-koh i ū thiaⁿ tio̍h kóng, lí í-keng kong-khai kap Armand Duval sian-siⁿ tòa chò-hóe, che i bē-tàng goân-liōng. 'Kiò Marguerite lī-khui hit-ê cha-po͘,' i kă kóng, 'góa ē kap chá-chêng kāng-khoán boán-chiok i ê su-iàu, nā bô, kiò i mài koh lâi chhōe góa ài mi̍h-kiāⁿ.'"

"Lí án-chóaⁿ kā hôe-tap?"

"Góa kóng, góa ē lâi kā lí kóng, góa mā tah-èng i kóng, góa ē khǹg lí ài ū khah ha̍p-lí ê siūⁿ-hoat. Koai gín-á, taⁿ lí tio̍h án-ne siūⁿ, lí só͘ bô--khì ê chióng-chióng, chit-ê Armand sī bô hoat-tō͘ thang hō͘ lí ê. I iōng i kui-ê sèⁿ-miā teh ài lí, m̄-koh i bô siáⁿ ke-hóe thang kiong-èng lí ê su-iàu, chóng ū chi̍t-kang, i ē lī-khui lí, kàu hit-sî, tāi-chì tō siuⁿ bān ah, kong-chiok mā m̄-khéng koh ūi lí chò siáⁿ ah-lah. Góa thè lí khì kā Armand kóng, hó bô?"

Marguerite ná-chhiūⁿ teh siūⁿ siáⁿ, in-ūi i bô chhut-siaⁿ. Góa ê sim-koaⁿ pho̍k-pho̍k thiàu, tī teh tán i ê hôe-tap.

"Bô-ài," i hôe-tap, "góa m̄ lī-khui Armand, góa mā m̄ am-khàm góa hām i tòa chò-hóe ê sū-si̍t. Góa án-ne tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī chin gōng, m̄-koh góa ài i. Lí kiò góa boeh án-chóaⁿ hó? Kàu taⁿ, i í-keng koàn-sì kap góa chò-hóe, chi̍t-kang kan-ta chi̍t tiám-cheng bô hām góa chò-hóe i tō ē bān-hun thòng-khó͘. Ōe koh kóng tò-tńg lâi, góa koh oa̍h mā bô kú ah, bô su-iàu koh ūi tio̍h hō͘ chi̍t-ê lāu-lâng hoaⁿ-hí lâi chia̍h-khó͘, khòaⁿ tio̍h i góa ka-tī mā kám-kak lāu ah. Kiò i kā chîⁿ kò͘ ho͘ hó, góa m̄-bián i ê chîⁿ."

"M̄-koh, lí ū siáⁿ phah-sǹg?"

"Góa mā m̄-chai."

--

17.2  伊公開阮 ê 關係

我想你 mā 臆會著, 遮開 ê 錢攏由公爵付; 又閣, Prudence 三不五時 mā 會來揣我, 愛欲一張一千 franc ê 票仔, 講是 Marguerite 欲愛 ê. 你 mā 知影, 我跋筊有贏寡錢; 所以我 tō 緊緊付予 Prudence 伊替 Marguerit 來討 ê 錢. 又閣驚我 ê 錢無夠伊 ê 需要, 我 tō koh 去 Paris 借一筆錢, 相當我過去借過, 已經還了 ê 金額. 自 án-ne, 我身上 koh 有成萬 franc, 這猶無包含我固定 ê 津貼在內. 不而過, Marguerite 招待朋友 ê 興趣有小可降低, 因為伊發現所費傷大, 又閣有時著愛揣我討錢. 稅厝予 Marguerite 休養 ê 公爵已經無 teh 來 ah, 因為伊無愛 koh 拄著一陣吵吵鬧鬧 ê 人客, 伊無愛人看著伊來遮. 有一改, 伊欲來 kap Marguerite 私下做伙食飯, 煞拄著一个 15 人 ê 宴會. 彼頓中晝一直食到伊來, 欲和 Marguerite 食暗頓 ê 時猶未煞. 伊一拍開餐廳 ê 門, 萬萬想袂到, 煞聽著一陣大笑聲; 自 án-ne, 伊著 tī 彼陣查某人 ki-ki-kiāu-kiāu ê 滾笑聲 nih, 緊緊越頭退出去.

Marguerite 離開飯桌, 來到隔壁房間揣公爵, 盡量好話勸伊莫 koh 想這个無爽快 ê 代誌, 毋過老人感覺自尊受著傷害, 對伊怨恨, 毋肯原諒. 伊冷冷 kā Marguerite 講, 伊毋愛 koh 出戇錢予查某亂掖, 又閣連 tī 家己 ê 厝 to 無受著尊重, 自 án-ne 伊 tō 氣 phut-phut 走開.

自彼工開始, tō 攏無伊 ê 聲說.

Marguerite 雖然無 koh 請客, mā 改變伊 ê 生活習慣, 毋過公爵猶是無 koh 來. 這中間, 我煞趁著, 我 ê 情婦今完全是我 ê ah, 我 ê 夢想 mā 實現 ah-lah. Marguerite 袂當無我. 毋管結果會按怎, 伊 kā 人公開阮 ê 關係, 我 mā 搬來蹛 tī in 厝. 厝 nih ê 用人攏 kă 當做主人, 叫我頭家.

Marguerite 這種新 ê 生活方式 Prudence 意見真濟, 毋過 Marguerite 應伊講, 伊愛我, 伊無我袂使, 毋管會按怎, 伊 mā 毋肯失去我 kap 伊做伙 ê 幸福, 又閣講, nā 看袂慣勢 ê 人會使莫 koh 來揣伊 ah. Chiah-ê 話是我聽著 ê, 彼工 Prudence kā Marguerite 講, 伊有重要 ê 代誌欲 kā 講, 我 tō 是等 tī in 入去 koh 關起來 ê 彼扇門邊仔偷聽 ê.

Koh 過無偌久, Prudence 又閣來 ah. 伊來 ê 時我 tī 花園 ê 猶一爿, 伊無看著我. 看著 Marguerite 接伊 ê 款式, 我真確定, in 欲講 ê 一定 kap 頂改我偷聽著 ê 代誌差不多, 我 tō koh 去偷聽. 兩个查某關 tī 一間小房間 nih, 我 kā 耳仔搝長長:

"按怎?" Marguerite 問.

"Hm, 我有去揣公爵."

"伊按怎講?"

"伊願意原諒你頂改發生 ê 彼種場面, 毋過伊有聽著講, 你已經公開 kap Armand Duval Ss 蹛做伙, 這伊袂當原諒. '叫 Marguerite 離開彼个查埔,' 伊 kă 講, '我會 kap 早前仝款滿足伊 ê 需要, nā 無, 叫伊莫 koh 來揣我愛物件.'"

"你按怎 kā 回答?"

"我講, 我會來 kā 你講, 我 mā 答應伊講, 我會勸你愛有較合理 ê 想法. 乖囡仔, 今你著 án-ne 想, 你所無去 ê 種種, 這个 Armand 是無法度通予你 ê. 伊用伊規个性命 teh 愛你, 毋過伊無啥家伙通供應你 ê 需要, 總有一工, 伊會離開你, 到彼時, 代誌 tō 傷慢 ah, 公爵 mā 毋肯 koh 為你做啥 ah-lah. 我替你去 kā Armand 講, 好無?"

Marguerite 若像 teh 想啥, 因為伊無出聲. 我 ê 心肝 pho̍k-pho̍k 跳, tī teh 等伊 ê 回答.

"無愛," 伊回答, "我毋離開 Armand, 我 mā 毋掩崁我和伊蹛做伙 ê 事實. 我 án-ne 定著是真戇, 毋過我愛伊. 你叫我欲按怎好? 到今, 伊已經慣勢 kap 我做伙, 一工干焦一點鐘無和我做伙伊 tō 會萬分痛苦. 話 koh 講倒轉來, 我 koh 活 mā 無久 ah, 無需要 koh 為著予一个老人歡喜來食苦, 看著伊我家己 mā 感覺老 ah. 叫伊 kā 錢顧 ho͘ 好, 我毋免伊 ê 錢."

"毋過, 你有啥拍算?"

"我 mā 毋知."

--

17.2

The duke's money paid for all that, as you may imagine; but from time to time Prudence came to me, asking for a note for a thousand francs, professedly on behalf of Marguerite. You know I had won some money at gambling; I therefore immediately handed over to Prudence what she asked for Marguerite, and fearing lest she should require more than I possessed, I borrowed at Paris a sum equal to that which I had already borrowed and paid back. I was then once more in possession of some ten thousand francs, without reckoning my allowance. However, Marguerite's pleasure in seeing her friends was a little moderated when she saw the expense which that pleasure entailed, and especially the necessity she was sometimes in of asking me for money. The duke, who had taken the house in order that Marguerite might rest there, no longer visited it, fearing to find himself in the midst of a large and merry company, by whom he did not wish to be seen. This came about through his having once arrived to dine tete-a-tete with Marguerite, and having fallen upon a party of fifteen, who were still at lunch at an hour when he was prepared to sit down to dinner. He had unsuspectingly opened the dining-room door, and had been greeted by a burst of laughter, and had had to retire precipitately before the impertinent mirth of the women who were assembled there. 

Marguerite rose from table, and joined the duke in the next room, where she tried, as far as possible, to induce him to forget the incident, but the old man, wounded in his dignity, bore her a grudge for it, and could not forgive her. He said to her, somewhat cruelly, that he was tired of paying for the follies of a woman who could not even have him treated with respect under his own roof, and he went away in great indignation. 

Since that day he had never been heard of. 

In vain Marguerite dismissed her guests, changed her way of life; the duke was not to be heard of. I was the gainer in so, far that my mistress now belonged to me more completely, and my dream was at length realized. Marguerite could not be without me. Not caring what the result might be, she publicly proclaimed our liaison, and I had come to live entirely at her house. The servants addressed me officially as their master. 

Prudence had strictly sermonized Marguerite in regard to her new manner of life; but she had replied that she loved me, that she could not live without me, and that, happen what might, she would not sacrifice the pleasure of having me constantly with her, adding that those who were not satisfied with this arrangement were free to stay away. So much I had heard one day when Prudence had said to Marguerite that she had something very important to tell her, and I had listened at the door of the room into which they had shut themselves. 

Not long after, Prudence returned again. I was at the other end of the garden when she arrived, and she did not see me. I had no doubt, from the way in which Marguerite came to meet her, that another similar conversation was going to take place, and I was anxious to hear what it was about. The two women shut themselves into a boudoir, and I put myself within hearing. 

"Well?" said Marguerite. 

"Well, I have seen the duke." 

"What did he say?" 

"That he would gladly forgive you in regard to the scene which took place, but that he has learned that you are publicly living with M. Armand Duval, and that he will never forgive that. 'Let Marguerite leave the young man,' he said to me, 'and, as in the past, I will give her all that she requires; if not, let her ask nothing more from me.'" 

"And you replied?" 

"That I would report his decision to you, and I promised him that I would bring you into a more reasonable frame of mind. Only think, my dear child, of the position that you are losing, and that Armand can never give you. He loves you with all his soul, but he has no fortune capable of supplying your needs, and he will be bound to leave you one day, when it will be too late and when the duke will refuse to do any more for you. Would you like me to speak to Armand?" 

Marguerite seemed to be thinking, for she answered nothing. My heart beat violently while I waited for her reply. 

"No," she answered, "I will not leave Armand, and I will not conceal the fact that I am living with him. It is folly no doubt, but I love him. What would you have me do? And then, now that he has got accustomed to be always with me, he would suffer too cruelly if he had to leave me so much as an hour a day. Besides, I have not such a long time to live that I need make myself miserable in order to please an old man whose very sight makes me feel old. Let him keep his money; I will do without it." 

"But what will you do?" 

"I don't in the least know." 

--