18.3 三萬 franc 我來款

18.3 Saⁿ-bān franc góa lâi khoán

Prudence phah khui thoah-á, the̍h hiah-ê phiò-kì hō͘ góa khòaⁿ.

"Ah, lí siūⁿ-kóng," i iōng chi̍t-chióng tek-ì ê kháu-khì koh kóng, "lí siūⁿ-kóng chí-iàu nn̄g-ê sio-ài, lâi chng-kha tō ē-tàng kòe ná bîn-bāng ê chng-kha seng-oa̍h. Bô hiah kán-tan, góa ê pêng-iú. Tî liáu chit-chióng lí-sióng ê seng-oa̍h, iáu ū chi̍t ê bu̍t-chit seng-oa̍h, liân chòe sûn-kiat ê koat-sim mā ū chióng-chióng ê si-sòaⁿ kap hiān-si̍t khan-liân tio̍h, tō ná thih-soh kāng-khoán, sī chhiat bē tn̄g ê. Nā kóng Marguerite chāi-chāi bô hoán-pōe lí, he sī in-ūi i ū kap lâng bô kāng ê khì-chit. Góa bô khǹg i án-ne, he mā m̄-sī góa ê m̄-tio̍h, in-ūi góa put-jím-sim khòaⁿ chit ê khó-liân ê ko͘-niû kui-sin pak liáu-liáu. I m̄-thiaⁿ góa kóng; i ìn góa kóng i ài lí, m̄-koán án-chóaⁿ i to bē hoán-pōe lí. Che chāi-chāi lóng chiâⁿ súi ah, chhiong-móa tio̍h si-ì, tān-sī che bē-tàng tòng-chò chîⁿ the̍h lâi hêng chè-chú ah, gán-chêng i hō͘ chè-chú lia̍h tiâu-tiâu, tî-hui i ū hoat-tō͘ khêng tio̍h saⁿ-bān franc."

"Hó, hiah-ê chîⁿ góa lâi khêng."

"Lí boeh khì chioh?"

"Thiⁿ ah, lí ná ē chai."

"Lí nā án-ne chò tō chiâⁿ gōng. Lí ē hām lín lāu-pē hoán-bīn, lí ê chu-goân tō tn̄g khì ah, koh-kóng, saⁿ-bān franc mā m̄-sī chi̍t-nn̄g kang tō chioh ū. Thiaⁿ góa kóng, chhin-ài ê Armand, góa pí lí khah liáu-kái cha-bó͘; m̄-thang chò gōng-sū; ū chi̍t kang lí ē hoán-hóe. Siūⁿ ho͘ thong. Góa m̄-sī khǹg lí kap Marguerite hun-khui, sī khǹg lí chhiūⁿ tú khai-sí ê sî án-ne kap i seng-oa̍h. Hō͘ i khì siūⁿ pān-hoat kái-koat chit ê khùn-lân. Kòe chi̍t chām kong-chiok tō ē tńg-lâi. N pek-chiok cha-hng kă kóng, chí-iàu Marguerite goān-ì, i boeh thè i hêng só͘-ū ê chè-bū, koh boeh chi̍t kò goe̍h hō͘ i sì-gō͘ chheng franc. I chi̍t nî ū jī-cha̍p bān ê siu-ji̍p. Che sī Marguerite su-iàu ê khò-soaⁿ, lí chá-bān mā sī ài lī-khui i. M̄-thang tán kàu lí phò-sán, iû-kî chit ê N pek-chiok gōng-gōng, bô siáⁿ ē-tàng chó͘-tòng lí kè-sio̍k chò Marguerite ê chêng-jîn. Tú khai-sí i lân-bián ē khàu kúi-kang-á, m̄-koh chòe-āu i tō koàn-sì ah, lí án-ne chò, ū chi̍t kang lí ē kám-siā góa. Che tō ná chhin-chhiūⁿ Margurite kiat-hun liáu koh thó khè-hiaⁿ kāng-khoán, tō sī án-ne niā-niā. Chiah-ê ōe góa í-chêng bat kā lí kóng kòe chi̍t piàn, hit sî-chūn chí-sī kóng hō͘ lí chham-khó, kàu taⁿ í-keng bô án-ne bē-sái lah."

Prudence kóng ê sui-jiân chân-jím, m̄-koh ū-lí.

"Tāi-chì tō sī án-ne," i ná kā tú-chiah hŏa khòaⁿ ê phiò-kì siu khí-lâi, ná koh kóng, "chhiūⁿ Marguerite chit-chióng cha-bó͘ kan-ta chhōe ē ài in ê lâng, bē chhōe in boeh ài ê lâng; nā m̄-sī án-ne, in tō ka-tī khiām-chîⁿ, kàu saⁿ-cha̍p hòe ê sî, tō ē-tàng phok-sóng ū chi̍t ê ài-jîn, m̄-bián ūi tio̍h chîⁿ. Góa nā chá chai che tō hó lah! Chóng-kóng, lí siáⁿ lóng mài kóng, kā Marguerite chhōa tńg-lâi Paris. Lí í-keng kap i chò-hóe sì-gō͘ kò goe̍h ah-lah; án-ne ū-kàu ah-lah. Taⁿ ba̍k-chiu kek gōa-gōa, m̄-koán lâng mn̄g siáⁿ, lóng án-ne. Koh kòe pòaⁿ kò goe̍h i tō ē chiap-la̍p N pek-chiok ah, kôaⁿ-thiⁿ i ē khiām-chîⁿ, mê-nî joa̍h-thiⁿ lí tō koh kòe chit-chióng seng-oa̍h ah. Tāi-chì tō sī án-ne chò ê, góa ê pêng-iú ah!"

Prudence ná chhiūⁿ kóng-kah tio̍h-tâng, góa khì-kah sûi kā kī-choa̍t.

M̄-nā góa ê ài kap góa ê chun-giâm bē ín-chún góa án-ne, góa mā khak-tēng, khòaⁿ chit-chūn ê Marguerite, góa chai i sí mā bē koh chiap-siū pa̍t-lâng ê ài ah.

"Mài kóng-chhiò lah," góa kā Prudence kóng, "kan-ta kă kóng Marguerite su-iàu gōa-chē chîⁿ."

"Góa kóng kòe ah: saⁿ-bān franc."

"Chiah-ê chîⁿ i tang-sî su-iàu?"

"Tī nn̄g kò goe̍h í-lāi."

"Góa ē khoán hō͘ i."

Prucence keng-thâu giâ chi̍t-ē.

"Góa ē kau hō͘ lí," góa kè-sio̍k kóng, "m̄-koh lí bē-sái kā Marguerite kóng chîⁿ sī góa hō͘ lí ê."

"Lí hòng-sim hó lah."

"I nā koh kiò lí thè i bē a̍h sī tǹg mi̍h-kiāⁿ, lí sûi kă kóng."

"Bián hoân-ló. I siáⁿ to bô ah-lah."

Góa chū án-ne tō tńg chhù nih, khòaⁿ ū goán lāu-pē siá ê phe bô. Ū sì tiuⁿ.

--

18.3  三萬 franc 我來款

Prudence 拍開屜仔, 提 hiah-ê 票據予我看.

"Ah, 你想講," 伊用一種得意 ê 口氣 koh 講, "你想講只要兩个相愛, 來庄跤 tō 會當過 ná 眠夢 ê 庄跤生活. 無 hiah 簡單, 我 ê 朋友. 除了這種理想 ê 生活, 猶有一个物質生活, 連最純潔 ê 決心 mā 有種種 ê 絲線 kap 現實牽連著, tō ná 鐵索仝款, 是切袂斷 ê. Nā 講 Marguerite 在在無反背你, 彼是因為伊有 kap 人無仝 ê 氣質. 我無勸伊 án-ne, 彼 mā 毋是我 ê 毋著, 因為我不忍心看這个可憐 ê 姑娘規身剝了了. 伊毋聽我講; 伊應我講伊愛你, 毋管按怎伊 to 袂反背你. 這在在攏誠媠 ah, 充滿著詩意, 但是這袂當當做錢提來還債主 ah, 眼前伊予債主掠牢牢, 除非伊有法度 khêng 著三萬 franc."

"好, hiah-ê 錢我來 khêng."

"你欲去借?"

"天 ah, 你那會知."

"你 nā án-ne 做 tō 誠戇. 你會和恁老爸反面, 你 ê 資源 tō 斷去 ah, 閣講, 三萬 franc mā 毋是一兩工 tō 借有. 聽我講, 親愛 ê Armand, 我比你較了解查某; 毋通做戇事; 有一工你會反悔. 想 ho͘ 通. 我毋是勸你 kap Marguerite 分開, 是勸你像拄開始 ê 時 án-ne kap 伊生活. 予伊去想辦法解決這个困難. 過一站公爵 tō 會轉來. N 伯爵昨昏 kă 講, 只要 Marguerite 願意, 伊欲替伊還所有 ê 債務, koh 欲一個月予伊四五千 franc. 伊一年有二十萬 ê 收入. 這是 Marguerite 需要 ê 靠山, 你早慢 mā 是愛離開伊. 毋通等到你破產, 尤其這个 N 伯爵戇戇, 無啥會當阻擋你繼續做 Marguerite ê 情人. 拄開始伊難免會哭幾工仔, 毋過最後伊 tō 慣勢 ah, 你 án-ne 做, 有一工你會感謝我. 這 tō ná 親像 Margurite 結婚了 koh 討契兄仝款, tō 是 án-ne niā-niā. Chiah-ê 話我以前 bat kā 你講過一遍, 彼時陣只是講予你參考, 到今已經無 án-ne 袂使 lah."

Prudence 講 ê 雖然殘忍, 毋過有理.

"代誌 tō 是 án-ne," 伊 ná kā 拄才 hŏa 看 ê 票據收起來, ná koh 講, "像 Marguerite 這種查某干焦揣會愛 in ê 人, 袂揣 in 欲愛 ê 人; nā 毋是 án-ne, in tō 家己儉錢, 到三十歲 ê 時, tō 會當博爽有一个愛人, 毋免為著錢. 我 nā 早知這 tō 好 lah! 總講, 你啥攏莫講, kā Marguerite chhōa 轉來 Paris. 你已經 kap 伊做伙四五個月 ah-lah; án-ne 有夠 ah-lah. 今目睭激外外, 毋管人問啥, 攏 án-ne. Koh 過半個月伊 tō 會接納 N 伯爵 ah, 寒天伊會儉錢, 明年熱天你 tō koh 過這種生活 ah. 代誌 tō 是 án-ne 做 ê, 我 ê 朋友 ah!"

Prudence 若像講甲著 tâng, 我氣甲隨 kā 拒絕.

毋但我 ê 愛 kap 我 ê 尊嚴袂允准我 án-ne, 我 mā 確定, 看這陣 ê Marguerite, 我知伊死 mā 袂 koh 接受別人 ê 愛 ah.

"莫講笑 lah," 我 kā Prudence 講, "干焦 kă 講 Marguerite 需要偌濟錢."

"我講過 ah: 三萬 franc."

"Chiah-ê 錢伊當時需要?"

"Tī 兩個月以內."

"我會款予伊."

Prucence 肩頭夯一下.

"我會交予你," 我繼續講, "毋過你袂使 kā Marguerite 講錢是我予你 ê."

"你放心好 lah."

"伊 nā koh 叫你替伊賣抑是當物件, 你隨 kă 講."

"免煩惱. 伊啥 to 無 ah-lah."

我自 án-ne tō 轉厝 nih, 看有阮老爸寫 ê 批無. 有四張.

--

18.3

And Prudence opened the drawer and showed me the papers. 

"Ah, you think," she continued, with the insistence of a woman who can say, I was right after all, "ah, you think it is enough to be in love, and to go into the country and lead a dreamy, pastoral life. No, my friend, no. By the side of that ideal life, there is a material life, and the purest resolutions are held to earth by threads which seem slight enough, but which are of iron, not easily to be broken. If Marguerite has not been unfaithful to you twenty times, it is because she has an exceptional nature. It is not my fault for not advising her to, for I couldn't bear to see the poor girl stripping herself of everything. She wouldn't; she replied that she loved you, and she wouldn't be unfaithful to you for anything in the world. All that is very pretty, very poetical, but one can't pay one's creditors in that coin, and now she can't free herself from debt, unless she can raise thirty thousand francs." 

"All right, I will provide that amount." 

"You will borrow it?"

"Good heavens! Why, yes!" 

"A fine thing that will be to do; you will fall out with your father, cripple your resources, and one doesn't find thirty thousand francs from one day to another. Believe me, my dear Armand, I know women better than you do; do not commit this folly; you will be sorry for it one day. Be reasonable. I don't advise you to leave Marguerite, but live with her as you did at the beginning. Let her find the means to get out of this difficulty. The duke will come back in a little while. The Comte de N., if she would take him, he told me yesterday even, would pay all her debts, and give her four or five thousand francs a month. He has two hundred thousand a year. It would be a position for her, while you will certainly be obliged to leave her. Don't wait till you are ruined, especially as the Comte de N. is a fool, and nothing would prevent your still being Marguerite's lover. She would cry a little at the beginning, but she would come to accustom herself to it, and you would thank me one day for what you had done. Imagine that Marguerite is married, and deceive the husband; that is all. I have already told you all this once, only at that time it was merely advice, and now it is almost a necessity." 

What Prudence said was cruelly true. 

"This is how it is," she went on, putting away the papers she had just shown me; "women like Marguerite always foresee that some one will love them, never that they will love; otherwise they would put aside money, and at thirty they could afford the luxury of having a lover for nothing. If I had only known once what I know now! In short, say nothing to Marguerite, and bring her back to Paris. You have lived with her alone for four or five months; that is quite enough. Shut your eyes now; that is all that any one asks of you. At the end of a fortnight she will take the Comte de N., and she will save up during the winter, and next summer you will begin over again. That is how things are done, my dear fellow!" 

And Prudence appeared to be enchanted with her advice, which I refused indignantly. 

Not only my love and my dignity would not let me act thus, but I was certain that, feeling as she did now, Marguerite would die rather than accept another lover. 

"Enough joking," I said to Prudence; "tell me exactly how much Marguerite is in need of." 

"I have told you: thirty thousand francs."

"And when does she require this sum?"

"Before the end of two months." 

"She shall have it."

Prudence shrugged her shoulders. 

"I will give it to you," I continued, "but you must swear to me that you will not tell Marguerite that I have given it to you." 

"Don't be afraid."

"And if she sends you anything else to sell or pawn, let me know."

"There is no danger. She has nothing left."

I went straight to my own house to see if there were any letters from my father. There were four. 

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