18.2 伊賣馬仔 kap 幔巾

18.2 I bē bé-á kap moa-kin

Góa khióng-kiaⁿ i ià-siān chit-chióng tan-tiāu ê seng-oa̍h, thê-gī tńg-khì Paris; m̄-koh i lóng kī-choa̍t, it-chài kă pó-chèng kóng, bô só͘-chāi pí chng-kha hō͘ i koh-khah khoài-lo̍k.

Prudence chit-chām chin chió lâi ah; m̄-koh i ū siá-phe lâi, he góa m̄-chai siá siáⁿ, kan-ta chai-iáⁿ, tha̍k phe liáu Marguerite tō sim-sū tiông-tiông. Góa m̄-chai boeh án-chóaⁿ hó.

Chi̍t kang, Marguerite tī i ê pâng-keng, góa ji̍p khì. I teh siá-phe.

"Lí teh siá-phe hō͘ siáng?" góa mn̄g.

"Hō͘ Prudence. Lí kám boeh khòaⁿ góa siá siáⁿ bô?"

Góa chin thó-ià lâng kóng góa ài chhai-gî, só͘-í góa kā ìn kóng, góa bô su-iàu chai-iáⁿ i tī phe nih siá siáⁿ; m̄-koh góa sim-nih khak-tēng, he phe tiāⁿ-tio̍h ē-tàng kái-soeh i ut-chut ê in-toaⁿ.

Keh-tńg kang, thiⁿ-khì chiâⁿ hó. Marguerite thê-gī kò-chûn ti̍t-ti̍t khì Croissy-tó sńg. I khòaⁿ khí-lâi sim-chêng chin hó; goán tńg-lâi ê sî, í-keng sī ē-po͘ gō͘ tiám ah.

"Duvernoy Hj ū lâi kòe," khòaⁿ goán ji̍p-lâi, Nanine kóng.

"Í koh lī-khui ah hioh?" Marguerite mn̄g.

"Sī, chē hu-jîn ê bé-chhia khì ê; i kóng lóng an-pâi hó ah."

"Án-ne hó," Marguerite kóng. "Kín chhoân chia̍h-àm."

Kòe nn̄g kang, ū Prudence ê phe lâi, koh-lâi nn̄g lé-pài, Marguerite ká-ná lóng bô hiah-ê ta̍k-kái lóng kiò góa goân-liōng ê bo̍k-bêng ut-chut, taⁿ, he lóng hó khì ah.

M̄-koh, hit chiah bé-chhia bô tńg lâi.

"Prudence ná ē bô kā lí ê bé-chhia sàng tńg-lâi?" chi̍t kang góa mn̄g.

"Ū chi̍t chiah bé phòa-pēⁿ, chhia mā ài sió chéng-lí leh. Thàn lán tī chia, bōe tńg Paris chìn-chêng m̄-bián iōng tio̍h bé-chhia, kā siu-lí chi̍t-ē."

Nn̄g kang í-āu Prudence lâi, i ê kóng-hoat kap Marguerit kóng ê kāng-khoán. Chit nn̄g ê cha-bó͘ chhut-khì tī hoe-hn̂g sàn-pō͘, góa kòe ê sî, in tō kái-piàn ōe-tê. Hit àm, Prudence boeh tńg ê sî hoah kóng gōa-kháu chin kôaⁿ, kiò Marguerite kā kasmir moa-kin chioh i.

Koh kòe chi̍t kò goe̍h, Marguerite chóng-sī pí í-chêng koh-khah hoaⁿ-hí, koh-khah khoài-lo̍k. Put-jî-kò, hit-chiah bé-chhia bô tńg-lâi, i ê moa-kin mā bô sàng tńg-lâi, bián-put-liáu góa khai-sí giâu-gî. Góa chai Marguerite kā Prudence siá ê phe khǹg tī tó chi̍t ê thoah-á, thàn i tī hoe-hn̂g ê sî, góa cháu-khì boeh khui hit-ê thoah-á; m̄-koh thoah-á só tio̍h, phah bē khui. Góa koh khì khui pêng-siông i iōng lâi khǹg chng-chhah kap soān-chio̍h ê kî-thaⁿ ê thoah-á; chiah-ê thoah-á chi̍t-ē tō khui ah, m̄-koh lāi-té khang-khang, liân té chng-chhah ê a̍p-á mā bô--khì ah.

Góa ê sim-koaⁿ chhoah chi̍t tiô. Góa pún-chiâⁿ ē-sái ti̍t-chiap mn̄g Marguerite mi̍h-kiāⁿ bô--khì ê chin-siòng, m̄-koh i tiāⁿ-tio̍h bē chiàu-si̍t kā góa kóng.

"Góa ê koai Marguerite," góa án-ne kā kóng, "góa chhiáⁿ lí ín-chún góa khì Paris chi̍t chōa. Goán chhù ê lâng m̄-chai góa lâi chia, góa khióng-kiaⁿ ū goán lāu-pē ê phe, i it-tēng ē siàu-liām góa; góa tio̍h kā siá hôe phe."

"Hó, lí khì, ," i kóng, "khah chá tńg-lâi leh."

Góa ti̍t-chiap cháu khì chhōe Prudence.

"Kín leh," góa ti̍t-lí ti̍t-lō͘ tō mn̄g i, "lí láu-si̍t kóng, Marguerite ê bé-á tī tó-ūi?"

"Bē khì ah."

"Moa-kin neh?"

"Bē khì ah."

"Soān-chio̍h neh?"

"Tǹg khì ah."

"Sī siáng bē kap tǹg ê?"

"Góa."

"Lí ná m̄ seng kă kóng?"

"Marguerite kiò góa bē-sái hō͘ lí chai."

"Lí ná m̄ chhōe góa the̍h chîⁿ?"

"In-ūi i m̄-khéng góa án-ne."

"Chîⁿ lóng the̍h khì chhòng siáⁿ?"

"The̍h khì hêng siàu."

"I khiàm lâng chin chē chîⁿ?"

"Saⁿ-bān franc, chha-put-to án-ne. Ah, góa ê hó pêng-iú ah, góa m̄-sī chá tō kóng kòe? Lí m̄ siong-sìn góa; taⁿ lí siong-sìn ah. Kong-chiok pún-chiâⁿ tah-èng boeh hù-siàu, chong-hông-siong khì soah chhōe bô lâng, keh-kang kong-chiok siá-phe kā kóng, i m̄ koh chhap Gautier Sc ê tāi-chì ah. Chit ê seng-lí lâng lâi thó chîⁿ; seng iōng góa ùi lí hia the̍h ê kúi-chheng franc hù chi̍t pō͘-hūn. Āu-lâi, ū lâng kā thê-chhíⁿ kóng, khiàm-siàu ê lâng í-keng hō͘ kong-chiok pàng-sak ah, chit-má kap chi̍t ê sàn-chhiah siàu-liân chò-hóe tòa. Kî-thaⁿ ê chè-chú mā thiaⁿ tio̍h kāng-khoán ê sìn-sit, ta̍k ê lóng lâi thó-chîⁿ, lâi the̍h mi̍h-kiāⁿ tú siàu. Marguerite siūⁿ boeh kā mi̍h-kiāⁿ lóng bē tiāu, m̄-koh í-keng bē-hù ah, sī kóng, góa mā m̄-khéng i án-ne chò. Iū-koh ài hù-siàu, iū-koh bô boeh chhōe lí chhun-chhiú ài chîⁿ, i kā bé-á kap moa-kin bē khì, koh tǹg tiāu i ê chu-pó. Lí boeh khòaⁿ siu-kì kap tǹg-phiò bô?"

--

18.2  伊賣馬仔 kap 幔巾

我恐驚伊厭僐這種單調 ê 生活, 提議轉去 Paris; 毋過伊攏拒絕, 一再 kă 保證講, 無所在比庄跤予伊閣較快樂.

Prudence 這站真少來 ah; 毋過伊有寫批來, 彼我毋知寫啥, 干焦知影, 讀批了 Marguerite tō 心事重重. 我毋知欲按怎好.

一工, Marguerite tī 伊 ê 房間, 我入去. 伊 teh 寫批.

"你 teh 寫批予 siáng?" 我問.

"予 Prudence. 你敢欲看我寫啥無?"

我真討厭人講我愛猜疑, 所以我 kā 應講, 我無需要知影伊 tī 批 nih 寫啥; 毋過我心 nih 確定, 彼批定著會當解說伊鬱卒 ê 因端.

隔轉工, 天氣誠好. Marguerite 提議划船直直去 Croissy 島耍. 伊看起來心情真好; 阮轉來 ê 時, 已經是下晡五點 ah.

"Duvernoy Hj 有來過," 看阮入來, Nanine 講.

"伊 koh 離開 ah hioh?" Marguerite 問.

"是, 坐夫人 ê 馬車去 ê; 伊講攏安排好 ah."

"Án-ne 好," Marguerite 講. "緊攢食暗."

過兩工, 有 Prudence ê 批來, 閣來兩禮拜, Marguerite 敢若攏無 hiah-ê 逐改攏叫我原諒 ê 莫名鬱卒, 今, 彼攏好去 ah.

毋過, 彼隻馬車無轉來.

"Prudence 那會無 kā 你 ê 馬車送轉來?" 一工我問.

"有一隻馬破病, 車 mā 愛小整理 leh. 趁咱 tī 遮, 未轉 Paris 進前毋免用著馬車, kā 修理一下."

兩工以後 Prudence 來, 伊 ê 講法 kap Marguerit 講 ê 仝款. 這兩个查某出去 tī 花園散步, 我過 ê 時, in tō 改變話題. 彼暗, Prudence 欲轉 ê 時喝講外口真寒, 叫 Marguerite kā kasmir 幔巾借伊.

Koh 過一個月, Marguerite 總是比以前閣較歡喜, 閣較快樂. 不而過, 彼隻馬車無轉來, 伊 ê 幔巾 mā 無送轉來, 免不了我開始憢疑. 我知 Marguerite kā Prudence 寫 ê 批囥 tī 佗一个屜仔, 趁伊 tī 花園 ê 時, 我走去欲開彼个屜仔; 毋過屜仔鎖著, 拍袂開. 我 koh 去開平常伊用來囥妝插 kap 璇石 ê 其他 ê 屜仔; chiah-ê 屜仔一下 tō 開 ah, 毋過內底空空, 連 té 妝插 ê 盒仔 mā 無去 ah.

我 ê 心肝掣一趒. 我本成會使直接問 Marguerite 物件無去 ê 真相, 毋過伊定著袂照實 kā 我講.

"我 ê 乖 Marguerite," 我 án-ne kā 講, "我請你允准我去 Paris 一逝. 阮厝 ê 人毋知我來遮, 我恐驚有阮老爸 ê 批, 伊一定會數念我; 我著 kā 寫回批."

"好, 你去, ," 伊講, "較早轉來 leh."

我直接走去揣 Prudence.

"緊 leh," 我直理直路 tō 問伊, "你老實講, Marguerite ê 馬仔 tī 佗位?"

"賣去 ah."

"幔巾 neh?"

"賣去 ah."

"璇石 neh?"

"當去 ah."

"是 siáng 賣 kap 當 ê?"

"我."

"你那毋先 kă 講?"

"Marguerite 叫我袂使予你知."

"你那毋揣我提錢?"

"因為伊毋肯我 án-ne."

"錢攏提去創啥?"

"提去還數."

"伊欠人真濟錢?"

"三萬 franc, 差不多 án-ne. Ah, 我 ê 好朋友 ah, 我毋是早 tō 講過? 你毋相信我; 今你相信 ah. 公爵本成答應欲付數, 裝潢商去煞揣無人, 隔工公爵寫批 kā 講, 伊毋 koh chhap Gautier Sc ê 代誌 ah. 這个生理人來討錢; 先用我 ùi 你遐提 ê 幾千 franc 付一部分. 後來, 有人 kā 提醒講, 欠數 ê 人已經予公爵放捒 ah, 這馬 kap 一个散赤少年做伙蹛. 其他 ê 債主 mā 聽著仝款 ê 信息, 逐个攏來討錢, 來提物件拄數. Marguerite 想欲 kā 物件攏賣掉, 毋過已經袂赴 ah, 是講, 我 mā 毋肯伊 án-ne 做. 又閣愛付數, 又閣無欲揣你伸手愛錢, 伊 kā 馬仔 kap 幔巾賣去, koh 當掉伊 ê 珠寶. 你欲看收據 kap 當票無?"

--

18.2

Fearing that so monotonous a life was beginning to weary her, I proposed returning to Paris; but she always refused, assuring me that she could not be so happy anywhere as in the country. 

Prudence now came but rarely; but she often wrote letters which I never asked to see, though, every time they came, they seemed to preoccupy Marguerite deeply. I did not know what to think. 

One day Marguerite was in her room. I entered. She was writing. 

"To whom are you writing?" I asked. 

"To Prudence. Do you want to see what I am writing?" 

I had a horror of anything that might look like suspicion, and I answered that I had no desire to know what she was writing; and yet I was certain that letter would have explained to me the cause of her sadness. 

Next day the weather was splendid. Marguerite proposed to me to take the boat and go as far as the island of Croissy. She seemed very cheerful; when we got back it was five o'clock. 

"Mme. Duvernoy has been here," said Nanine, as she saw us enter. 

"She has gone again?" asked Marguerite. 

"Yes, madame, in the carriage; she said it was arranged." 

"Quite right," said Marguerite sharply. "Serve the dinner." 

Two days afterward there came a letter from Prudence, and for a fortnight Marguerite seemed to have got rid of her mysterious gloom, for which she constantly asked my forgiveness, now that it no longer existed. 

Still, the carriage did not return. 

"How is it that Prudence does not send you back your carriage?" I asked one day. 

"One of the horses is ill, and there are some repairs to be done. It is better to have that done while we are here, and don't need a carriage, than to wait till we get back to Paris." 

Prudence came two days afterward, and confirmed what Marguerite had said. The two women went for a walk in the garden, and when I joined them they changed the conversation. That night, as she was going, Prudence complained of the cold and asked Marguerite to lend her a shawl. 

So a month passed, and all the time Marguerite was more joyous and more affectionate than she ever had been. Nevertheless, the carriage did not return, the shawl had not been sent back, and I began to be anxious in spite of myself, and as I knew in which drawer Marguerite put Prudence's letters, I took advantage of a moment when she was at the other end of the garden, went to the drawer, and tried to open it; in vain, for it was locked. When I opened the drawer in which the trinkets and diamonds were usually kept, these opened without resistance, but the jewel cases had disappeared, along with their contents no doubt. 

A sharp fear penetrated my heart. I might indeed ask Marguerite for the truth in regard to these disappearances, but it was certain that she would not confess it. 

"My good Marguerite," I said to her, "I am going to ask your permission to go to Paris. They do not know my address, and I expect there are letters from my father waiting for me. I have no doubt he is concerned; I ought to answer him." 

"Go, my friend," she said; "but be back early." 

I went straight to Prudence.

"Come," said I, without beating about the bush, "tell me frankly, where are Marguerite's horses?" 

"Sold."

"The shawl?"

"Sold."

"The diamonds?"

"Pawned."

"And who has sold and pawned them?"

"I."

"Why did you not tell me?"

"Because Marguerite made me promise not to."

"And why did you not ask me for money?"

"Because she wouldn't let me."

"And where has this money gone?"

"In payments."

"Is she much in debt?" 

"Thirty thousand francs, or thereabouts. Ah, my dear fellow, didn't I tell you? You wouldn't believe me; now you are convinced. The upholsterer whom the duke had agreed to settle with was shown out of the house when he presented himself, and the duke wrote next day to say that he would answer for nothing in regard to Mlle. Gautier. This man wanted his money; he was given part payment out of the few thousand francs that I got from you; then some kind souls warned him that his debtor had been abandoned by the duke and was living with a penniless young man; the other creditors were told the same; they asked for their money, and seized some of the goods. Marguerite wanted to sell everything, but it was too late, and besides I should have opposed it. But it was necessary to pay, and in order not to ask you for money, she sold her horses and her shawls, and pawned her jewels. Would you like to see the receipts and the pawn tickets?" 

--