22.3 咱 ê 代誌已經過去 lah

22.3 Lán ê tāi-chì í-keng kòe-khì lah

Góa jiok-tio̍h chi̍t/nn̄g tâi hòe-chhia, chin kín tō piàⁿ kòe in. Ū chi̍t tâi sì-lián ê bé-chhia, khoài-sok hiòng Bougival lâi. I kàu góa bīn-chêng ê sî, góa sim siūⁿ, Marguerite khó-lêng chē tī lāi-té. Góa thêng lo̍h-lâi, tōa-siaⁿ kiò: "Marguerite! Marguerite!" M̄-koh bô lâng ìn, bé-chhia kè-sio̍k kiâⁿ i ê lō͘. Góa khòaⁿ i hn̄g-hn̄g siau-sit liáu, chiah koh hiòng chêng kiâⁿ. Kiâⁿ nn̄g tiám-cheng, góa lâi kàu Barriere de l'Etoile. Khòaⁿ tio̍h Paris, góa koh ū khùi-la̍t ah, tō iân hit tiâu góa chia̍p-chia̍p kiâⁿ ê lō͘-sòaⁿ cháu lo̍h-khì.

Hit àm, lō͘ nih lóng bô lâng, tō ná chhiūⁿ kiâⁿ tī bô-lâng siâⁿ. Thiⁿ boeh kng ah. Góa lâi kàu d'Antin Ke ê sî, chit ê tōa siâⁿ khai-sí tín-tāng, chiām-chiām chhéⁿ khí-lâi. Saint Roch kàu-tn̂g ê cheng khà gō͘ tiám ê sî, góa lâi kàu Marguerite ê chhù. Góa kā kò͘-mn̂g--ê tōa-siaⁿ pò góa ê miâ, i the̍h kòe chin chē kái góa hō͘ i ê 20 franc kim-pè, chai-iáⁿ góa ē-sái tī thàu-chá gō͘ tiám lâi Gautier Sc ê chhù. Góa chin sūn-lī tō ji̍p-khì. Góa pún ē-sái mn̄g kóng, Marguerite ū tī chhù bô, m̄-koh i mā ē ìn kóng, "Bô," só͘-í góa lêng-khó koh jím nn̄g hun-cheng, in-ūi iáu-bōe ū tap-àn chìn-chêng góa lóng iáu ū hi-bāng.

Góa kā hīⁿ-á phak tī mn̂g thiaⁿ chi̍t khùn, thiaⁿ khòaⁿ ū siáⁿ bô. Lóng bô. Chng-kha ê tiām-chēng ná iân-sio̍k kàu chia lâi. Góa khui mn̂g, ji̍p khì. Só͘-ū ê thang-á-lî lóng koaiⁿ-kah ba̍t-ba̍t. Góa kā pn̄g-thiaⁿ ê thang-á-lî khiú khui, kiâⁿ hiòng khùn-pâng, tháⁿ khui mn̂g. Góa chông kàu thang-lî soh-á hia, tōa-la̍t kā khiú khui. Thang-lî khui-khui, bî-bî ê kng ji̍p--lâi. Góa chông kàu bîn-chhn̂g chêng. Bîn-chhn̂g khang-khang.

Góa chi̍t sìⁿ chi̍t sìⁿ khui-mn̂g, lâi ta̍k-keng pâng-keng. Lóng bô lâng. Góa kiông boeh siáu ah.

Góa chìn-ji̍p se-chng-pâng, kā thang-á phah-khui, tī hia kúi-nā kái kiò Prudence. Duvernoy Hj ê thang-á iáu sī koaiⁿ tio̍h.

Góa kàu lâu-kha chhōe kò͘-mn̂g--ê, mn̄g i Gautier Sc tī ji̍t-sî kám ū lâi kòe.

"Ū," hit ê lâng kóng; "kap Duvernoy Hj tâng-chê."

"I kám bô lâu ōe boeh hō͘ góa?"

"Bô."

"Lí kám chai, in āu-lâi chhòng siáⁿ?"

"In chē bé-chhia lī-khui."

"Siáⁿ khoán ê bé-chhia?"

"Su-jîn ê sì-lián bé-chhia."

Che tàu-té sī siáⁿ ì-sù ah?

Góa koh khì khiú pa̍t-ūi ê mn̂g-lêng.

"Lí boeh chhōe siáng, sian-siⁿ?" kò͘-mn̂g--ê chhut-lâi, mn̄g góa.

"Chhōe Duvernoy Hj."

"I bô tńg-lâi."

"Lí khak-tēng?"

"Tio̍h, sian-siⁿ; chia ū chi̍t tiuⁿ phe, cha-àm sàng lâi ê, góa iáu bōe kau hō͘ i."

Kò͘-mn̂g--ê hō͘ góa khòaⁿ phe, góa hiông-hiông kā gán chi̍t-ē. Góa jīn chhut Marguerite ê pit-chek. Góa kā phe the̍h tio̍h, téng-koân siá: "Chhiáⁿ Duvernoy Hj kau hō͘ Duval Ss."

"Chit tiuⁿ phe boeh hō͘ góa," góa kā kò͘-mn̂g--ê kóng, hō͘ khòaⁿ chū-chí.

"Lí sī Duval Ss?" i kóng.

"Sī ah."

"Ah! Góa kì khí-lâi ah. Lí tiāⁿ-tiāⁿ lâi chhōe Duvernoy Hj."

Kiâⁿ kàu ke-lō͘, góa sûi kā phe thiah-khui. Siat-sú kòng chi̍t ê lûi tī góa ê kha, góa mā bē pí tha̍k tio̍h chit tiuⁿ phe koh-khah tio̍h-kiaⁿ.

=

"Lí teh tha̍k chit tiuⁿ phe ê sî, Armand, góa í-keng sī pa̍t-lâng ê chêng-hū lah. Lán ê tāi-chì í-keng lóng kòe-khì lah.

Tńg-khì lín lāu-pē sin-piⁿ, góa ê pêng-iú, tńg thàm-bōng lín sió-mōe, tī hia, tī hit ê sûn-kiat ê, m̄-chai goán khó͘-chêng ê siàu-lú sin-piⁿ, lí chin kín tō ē bē-kì-tit hit ê kiò-chò Marguerite Gautier ê tūi-lo̍h ko͘-niû só͘ hō͘ lí ê thòng-khó͘. I bat chiap-siū lí ê ài, he sī i ê sèⁿ-miā tiong siōng hēng-hok ê sî-chūn, taⁿ i hi-bāng, hit-ê sèⁿ-miā koh chhun bē chin kú."

=

 Tha̍k kàu chòe-āu chi̍t jī ê sî, góa siūⁿ góa í-keng khí-kông ah. Chi̍t sî góa khióng-kiaⁿ góa ē tó tī ke-lō͘. Góa ê ba̍k-chiu ná khā tio̍h hûn-bū, pìn-piⁿ ê hoeh-kńg sia̍k-sia̍k kiò. Kai-chài góa koh chheng-chhéⁿ khí-lâi, sì-bīn khòaⁿ-khòaⁿ leh, kî-koài pa̍t-lâng ê seng-oa̍h lóng chiàu-siông, bô in-ūi góa ê put-hēng sió-khóa thêng-khùn leh.

Góa ka-tī bô-kàu kian-kiông thang sêng-siū chit-chióng táⁿ-kek. Góa siūⁿ tio̍h goán lāu-pē iáu tī Paris, cha̍p hun-cheng góa tō ē-tàng kàu i hia, m̄-koán góa ê thòng-khó͘ sī ūi-tio̍h siáⁿ, i it-tēng ē kap góa hun-taⁿ.

Góa cháu-kah ná siáu-lâng, ná chha̍t-á, lâi kàu Hotel de Paris, khòaⁿ tio̍h i ê só-sî chhah tī mn̂g, góa tō ji̍p-khì. I teh khòaⁿ-chheh. Khòaⁿ tio̍h góa, i ká-ná bô chóaⁿ-iūⁿ tio̍h-kiaⁿ, ká-ná i chai góa ē lâi. Góa siáⁿ to bô kóng, tō phak tī i ê heng-chêng. Góa kā Marguerite ê phe hō͘ khòaⁿ, kūi tī i ê chhn̂g piⁿ, khàu-kah ba̍k-sái lâu ba̍k-sái tih.

--

22.3 咱 ê 代誌已經過去 lah

我逐著一兩台貨車, 真緊 tō 拚過 in. 有一台四輪 ê 馬車, 快速向 Bougival 來. 伊到我面前 ê 時, 我心想, Marguerite 可能坐 tī 內底. 我停落來, 大聲叫: "Marguerite! Marguerite!" M̄-koh 無人應, 馬車繼續行伊 ê 路. 我看伊遠遠消失了, 才 koh 向前行. 行兩點鐘, 我來到 Barriere de l'Etoile. 看著 Paris, 我 koh 有氣力 ah, tō 沿彼條我捷捷行 ê 路線走落去.

彼暗, 路 nih 攏無人, tō 若像行 tī 無人城. 天欲光 ah. 我來到 d'Antin 街 ê 時, 這个大城開始振動, 漸漸醒起來. Saint Roch 教堂 ê 鐘敲五點 ê 時, 我來到 Marguerite ê 厝. 我 kā 顧門 ê 大聲報我 ê 名, 伊提過真濟改我予伊 ê 20 franc 金幣, 知影我會使 tī 透早五點來 Gautier Sc ê 厝. 我真順利 tō 入去. 我本會使問講, Marguerite 有 tī 厝無, m̄-koh 伊 mā 會應講, "無," 所以我寧可 koh 忍兩分鐘, 因為猶未有答案進前我攏猶有希望.

我 kā 耳仔仆 tī 門聽一睏, 聽看有啥無. 攏無. 庄跤 ê 恬靜 ná 延續到遮來. 我開門, 入去. 所有 ê 窗仔簾攏關甲密密. 我 kā 飯廳 ê 窗仔簾搝開, 行向睏房, 挺開門. 我傱到窗簾索仔遐, 大力 kā 搝開. 窗簾開開, 微微 ê 光入來. 我傱到眠床前. 眠床空空.

我一扇一扇開門, 來逐間房間. 攏無人. 我強欲痟 ah.

我進入梳妝房, kā 窗仔拍開, tī 遐幾若改叫 Prudence. Duvernoy Hj ê 窗仔猶是關著.

我到樓跤揣顧門 ê, 問伊 Gautier Sc tī 日時敢有來過.

"有," 彼个人講; "kap Duvernoy Hj 同齊."

"伊敢無留話欲予我?"

"無."

"你敢知, in 後來創啥?"

"In 坐馬車離開."

"啥款 ê 馬車?"

"私人 ê 四輪馬車."

這到底是啥意思 ah?

我 koh 去搝別位 ê 門鈴.

"你欲揣 siáng, 先生?" 顧門 ê 出來, 問我.

"揣 Duvernoy Hj."

"伊無轉來."

"你確定?"

"著, 先生; 遮有一張批, 昨暗送來 ê, 我猶未交予伊."

顧門 ê 予我看批, 我雄雄 kā 眼一下. 我認出 Marguerite ê 筆跡. 我 kā 批提著, 頂懸寫: "請 Duvernoy Hj 交予 Duval Ss."

"這張批欲予我," 我 kā 顧門 ê 講, 予看住址.

"你是 Duval Ss?" 伊講.

"是 ah."

"Ah! 我記起來 ah. 你定定來揣 Duvernoy Hj."

行到街路, 我隨 kā 批拆開. 設使摃一个雷 tī 我 ê 跤, 我 mā 袂比讀著這張批閣較著驚.

=

"你 teh 讀這張批 ê 時, Armand, 我已經是別人 ê 情婦 lah. 咱 ê 代誌已經攏過去 lah.

轉去恁老爸身邊, 我 ê 朋友, 轉探望恁小妹, tī 遐, tī 彼个純潔 ê, 毋知阮苦情 ê 少女身邊, 你真緊 tō 會袂記得彼个叫做 Marguerite Gautier ê 墮落姑娘所予你 ê 痛苦. 伊 bat 接受你 ê 愛, 彼是伊 ê 性命中上幸福 ê 時陣, 今伊希望, 彼个性命 koh 賰袂真久."

=

 讀到最後一字 ê 時, 我想我已經起狂 ah. 一時我恐驚我會倒 tī 街路. 我 ê 目睭 ná khā 著雲霧, 鬢邊 ê 血管 sia̍k-sia̍k 叫. 佳哉我 koh 清醒起來, 四面看看 leh, 奇怪別人 ê 生活攏照常, 無因為我 ê 不幸小可停睏 leh.

我家己無夠堅強通承受這種打擊. 我想著阮老爸猶 tī Paris, 十分鐘我 tō 會當到伊遐, 毋管我 ê 痛苦是為著啥, 伊一定會 kap 我分擔.

我走甲 ná 痟人, ná 賊仔, 來到 Hotel de Paris, 看著伊 ê 鎖匙插 tī 門, 我 tō 入去. 伊 teh 看冊. 看著我, 伊敢若無怎樣著驚, 敢若伊知我會來. 我啥 to 無講, tō 仆 tī 伊 ê 胸前. 我 kā Marguerite ê 批予看, 跪 tī 伊 ê 床邊, 哭甲目屎流目屎滴.

--

22.3

I overtook one or two wagons, which I soon left behind. A carriage was going at full gallop toward Bougival. As it passed me the hope came to me that Marguerite was in it. I stopped and cried out, "Marguerite! Marguerite!" But no one answered and the carriage continued its course. I watched it fade away in the distance, and then started on my way again. I took two hours to reach the Barriere de l'Etoile. The sight of Paris restored my strength, and I ran the whole length of the alley I had so often walked. 

That night no one was passing; it was like going through the midst of a dead city. The dawn began to break. When I reached the Rue d'Antin the great city stirred a little before quite awakening. Five o'clock struck at the church of Saint Roch at the moment when I entered Marguerite's house. I called out my name to the porter, who had had from me enough twenty-franc pieces to know that I had the right to call on Mlle. Gautier at five in the morning. I passed without difficulty. I might have asked if Marguerite was at home, but he might have said "No," and I preferred to remain in doubt two minutes longer, for, as long as I doubted, there was still hope. 

I listened at the door, trying to discover a sound, a movement. Nothing. The silence of the country seemed to be continued here. I opened the door and entered. All the curtains were hermetically closed. I drew those of the dining-room and went toward the bed-room and pushed open the door. I sprang at the curtain cord and drew it violently. The curtain opened, a faint light made its way in. I rushed to the bed. It was empty. 

I opened the doors one after another. I visited every room. No one. It was enough to drive one mad.

I went into the dressing-room, opened the window, and called Prudence several times. Mme. Duvernoy's window remained closed. 

I went downstairs to the porter and asked him if Mlle. Gautier had come home during the day. 

"Yes," answered the man; "with Mme. Duvernoy."

"She left no word for me?"

"No." 

"Do you know what they did afterward?" 

"They went away in a carriage."

"What sort of a carriage?"

"A private carriage." 

What could it all mean?

I rang at the next door.

"Where are you going, sir?" asked the porter, when he had opened to me. 

"To Mme. Duvernoy's."

"She has not come back."

"You are sure?" 

"Yes, sir; here's a letter even, which was brought for her last night and which I have not yet given her." 

And the porter showed me a letter which I glanced at mechanically. I recognised Marguerite's writing. I took the letter. It was addressed, "To Mme. Duvernoy, to forward to M. Duval." 

"This letter is for me," I said to the porter, as I showed him the address. 

"You are M. Duval?" he replied.

"Yes."

"Ah! I remember. You often came to see Mme. Duvernoy." 

When I was in the street I broke the seal of the letter. If a thunder-bolt had fallen at my feet I should have been less startled than I was by what I read. 

=

"By the time you read this letter, Armand, I shall be the mistress of another man. All is over between us. 

"Go back to your father, my friend, and to your sister, and there, by the side of a pure young girl, ignorant of all our miseries, you will soon forget what you would have suffered through that lost creature who is called Marguerite Gautier, whom you have loved for an instant, and who owes to you the only happy moments of a life which, she hopes, will not be very long now." 

=

When I had read the last word, I thought I should have gone mad. For a moment I was really afraid of falling in the street. A cloud passed before my eyes and my blood beat in my temples. At last I came to myself a little. I looked about me, and was astonished to see the life of others continue without pausing at my distress. 

I was not strong enough to endure the blow alone. Then I remembered that my father was in the same city, that I might be with him in ten minutes, and that, whatever might be the cause of my sorrow, he would share it. 

I ran like a madman, like a thief, to the Hotel de Paris; I found the key in the door of my father's room; I entered. He was reading. He showed so little astonishment at seeing me, that it was as if he was expecting me. I flung myself into his arms without saying a word. I gave him Marguerite's letter, and, falling on my knees beside his bed, I wept hot tears. 

--