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双语·剧院风情 第八章

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2022年05月20日

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Chapter 8

Michael got himself demobbed the moment the war was finished and stepped straight into a part. He returned to the stage a much better actor than he left it. The breeziness he had acquired in the army was effective. He was a well set-up, normal, high-spirited fellow, with a ready smile and a hearty laugh. He was well-suited to drawing-room comedy. His light voice gave a peculiar effect to a flippant line, and though he never managed to make love convincingly he could carry off a chaffing love scene, making a proposal as if it were rather a joke, or a declaration as though he were laughing at himself, in a manner that the audience found engaging. He never attempted to play anyone but himself. He specialized in men about town, gentlemanly gamblers, guardsmen and young scamps with a good side to them. Managers liked him. He worked hard and was amenable to direction. So long as he could get work he didn't mind much what sort of part it was. He stuck out for the salary he thought he was worth, but if he couldn't get it was prepared to take less rather than be idle.

He was making his plans carefully. During the winter that followed the end of the war there was an epidemic of influenza. His father and mother died. He inherited nearly four thousand pounds, and this with his own savings and Julia's brought up their joint capital to seven thousand. But the rent of theatres had gone up enormously, the salaries of actors and the wages of stage-hands had increased, so that the expense of running a theatre was very much greater than it had been before the war. A sum that would then have been amply sufficient to start management on was now inadequate. The only thing was to find some rich man to go in with them so that a failure or two to begin with would not drive them from the field. It was said that you could always find a mug in the city to write a fat cheque for the production of a play, but when you came down to business you discovered that the main condition was that the leading part should be played by some pretty lady in whom he was interested. Years before, Michael and Julia had often joked about the rich old woman who would fall in love with him and set him up in management. He had long since learnt that no rich old woman was to be found to set up in management a young actor whose wife was an actress to whom he was perfectly faithful. In the end the money was found by a rich woman, and not an old one either, but who was interested not in him but in Julia.

Mrs. de Vries was a widow. She was a short stout woman with a fine Jewish nose and fine Jewish eyes, a great deal of energy, a manner at once effusiveand timid, and a somewhat virile air. She had a passion for the stage. When Julia and Michael had decided to try their luck in London Jimmie Langton, to whose rescue she had sometimes come when it looked as though he would be forced to close his repertory theatre, had written to her asking her to do what she could for them. She had seen Julia act in Middlepool. She gave parties so that the young actors might get to know managers, and asked them to stay at her grand house near Guildford, where they enjoyed a luxury they had never dreamt of. She did not much like Michael. Julia accepted the flowers with which Dolly de Vries filled her flat and her dressing-room, she was properly delighted with the presents she gave her, bags, vanity cases, strings of beads in semiprecious stones, brooches; but appeared to be unconscious that Dolly's generosity was due to anything but admiration for her talent. When Michael went away to the war Dolly pressed her to come and live in her house in Montagu Square, but Julia, with protestations of extravagant gratitude, refused in such a way that Dolly, with a sigh and a tear, could only admire her the more. When Roger was born Julia asked her to be his godmother.

For some time Michael had been turning over in his mind the possibility that Dolly de Vries might put up the money they needed, but he was shrewd enough to know that while she might do it for Julia she would not do it for him. Julia refused to approach her.

“She's already been so kind to us I really couldn't ask her, and it would be so humiliating if she refused.”

“It's a good gamble, and even if she lost the money she wouldn't feel it. I'm quite sure you could get round her if you tried.”

Julia was pretty sure she could too. Michael was very simpleminded in some ways; she did not feel called upon to point out to him the obvious facts.

But he was not a man who let a thing drop when he had set his mind to it. They were going to Guildford to spend the weekend with Dolly, and were driving down after the Saturday night's performance in the new car that Julia had given Michael for his birthday. It was a warm beautiful night. Michael had bought options, though it wrung his heart to write the cheques, on three plays that they both liked, and he had heard of a theatre that they could get on reasonable terms. Everything was ready for the venture except the capital. He urged Julia to seize the opportunity that the weekend presented.

“Ask her yourself then,” said Julia impatiently. “I tell you, I'm not going to.”

“She wouldn't do it for me. You can twist her round your little finger.”

“We know a thing or two about financing plays now. People finance plays for two reasons, either because they want notoriety, or because they're in love with someone. A lot of people talk about art, but you don't often find them paying out hard cash unless they're going to get something out of it for themselves.”

“Well, we'll give Dolly all the notoriety she wants.”

“That doesn't happen to be what she's after.”

“What do you mean?”

“Can't you guess?”

Light dawned on him, and he was so surprised that he slowed down. Was it possible that what Julia suspected was true? He had never even thought that Dolly liked him much, and as for supposing she was in love with him—why, the notion had never crossed his mind. Of course Julia had sharp eyes, not much got by her, but she was a jealous little thing, she was always thinking women were making a dead set at him. It was true that Dolly had given him a pair of cuff links at Christmas, but he thought that was only so that he shouldn't feel left out in the cold because she had given Julia a brooch that much have cost at least two hundred pounds. That might be only her cunning. Well, he could honestly say he'd never done a thing to make her think there was anything doing. Julia giggled.

“No, darling, it's not you she's in love with.”

It was disconcerting the way Julia knew what he was thinking. You couldn't hide a thing from that woman.

“Then why did you put the idea into my head? I wish to goodness you'd express yourself so that a fellow can understand.”

Julia did.

“I never heard such nonsense,” he cried. “What a filthy mind you've got, Julia!”

“Come off it, dear.”

“I don't believe there's a word of truth in it. After all I've got eyes in my head. Do you mean to say I shouldn't have noticed it?” He was more irritable than she had ever known him. “And even if it were true I suppose you can take care of yourself. It's a chance in a thousand, and I think it would be madness not to take it.”

“Claudio and Isabella in Measure for Measure.”

“That's a rotten thing to say, Julia. God damn it, I am a gentleman.”

“‘Nemo me impune lacessit.’”

They drove the rest of the journey in stormy silence. Mrs. de Vries was waiting up for them.

“I didn't want to go to bed till I'd seen you,” she said as she folded Julia in her arms and kissed her on both cheeks. She gave Michael a brisk handshake.

Julia spent a happy morning in bed reading the Sunday papers. She read first the theatrical news, then the gossip columns, after that the woman's pages, and finally cast an eye over the headlines of the world's news. The book reviews she ignored; she could never understand why so much space was wasted on them. Michael, who had the room next hers, had come in to say good-morning, and then gone out into the garden. Presently there was a timid little knock at her door and Dolly came in. Her great black eyes were shining. She sat on the bed and took Julia's hand.

“Darling, I've been talking to Michael. I'm going to put up the money to start you in management.”

Julia's heart gave a sudden beat.

“Oh, you mustn't. Michael shouldn't have asked you. I won't have it. You've been far, far too kind to us already.”

Dolly leant over and kissed Julia on the lips. Her voice was lower than usual and there was a little tremor in it.

“Oh, my love, don't you know there isn't anything in the world I wouldn't do for you? It'll be so wonderful; it'll bring us so close together and I shall be so proud of you.”

They heard Michael come whistling along the passage, and when he came into the room Dolly turned to him with her great eyes misty with tears.

“I've just told her.”

He was brimming over with excitement.

“What a grand woman!” He sat down on the other side of the bed and took Julia's disengaged hand. “What d'you say, Julia?”

She gave him a little reflective look.

“‘Vous l'avez voulu, Georges Dandin.’”

“What's that?”

“Molière.”

As soon as the deed of partnership had been signed and Michael had got his theatre booked for the autumn he engaged a publicity agent. Paragraphs were sent to the papers announcing the new venture and Michael and the publicity agent prepared interviews for him and Julia to give to the Press. Photographs of them, singly and together, with and without Roger, appeared in the weeklies. The domestic note was worked for all it was worth. They could not quite make up their minds which of the three plays they had it would be best to start with. Then one afternoon when Julia was sitting in her bedroom reading a novel, Michael came in with a manuscript in his hand.

“Look here, I want you to read this play at once. It's just come in from an agent. I think it's a knock-out. Only we've got to give an answer right away.”

Julia put down her novel.

“I'll read it now.”

“I shall be downstairs. Let me know when you've finished and I'll come up and talk it over with you. It's got a wonderful part for you.”

Julia read quickly, skimming over the scenes in which she was not concerned, but the principal woman's part, the part of course she would play, with concentration. When she had turned the last page she rang the bell and asked her maid (who was also her dresser) to tell Michael she was ready for him.

“Well, what d'you think?”

“The play's all right. I don't see how it can fail to be a success.”

He caught something doubtful in her tone.

“What's wrong then? The part's wonderful. I mean, it's the sort of thing that you can do better than anyone in the world. There's a lot of comedy and all the emotion you want.”

“It's a wonderful part, I know that; it's the man's part.”

“Well, that's a damned good part too.”

“I know; but he's fifty, and if you make him younger you take all the point out of the play. You don't want to take the part of a middle-aged man.”

“But I wasn't thinking of playing that. There's only one man for that. Monte Vernon. And we can get him. I'll play George.”

“But that's a tiny part. You can't play that.”

“Why not?”

“But I thought the point of going into management was that we should both play leads.”

“Oh, I don't care a hang about that. As long as we can find plays with star parts for you I don't matter. Perhaps in the next play there'll be a good part for me too.”

Julia leant back in her chair and the ready tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks.

“Oh, what a beast I am.”

He smiled, and his smile was as charming as ever. He came over to her and kneeling by her side put his arms round her.

“Lor Lumme, what's the matter with the old lady now?”

When she looked at him now she wondered what there was in him that had ever aroused in her such a frenzy of passion. The thought of having sexual relations with him nauseated her. Fortunately he found himself very comfortable in the bedroom she had furnished for him. He was not a man to whom sex was important, and he was relieved when he discovered that Julia no longer made any demands on him. He thought with satisfaction that the birth of the baby had calmed her down, he was bound to say that he had thought it might, and he was only sorry they had not had one before. When he had two or three times,more out of amiability than out of desire, suggested that they should resume marital relations and she had made excuses, either that she was tired, not very well, or had two performances next day, to say nothing of a fitting in the morning, he accepted the situation with equanimity. Julia was much easier to get on with, she never made scenes any more, and he was happier than he had ever been before. It was a damned satisfactory marriage he had made, and when he looked at other people's marriages he couldn't help seeing he was one of the lucky ones. Julia was a damned good sort and clever, as clever as a bagful of monkeys; you could talk to her about anything in the world. The best companion a chap ever had, my boy. He didn't mind saying this, he'd rather spend a day alone with her than play a round of golf.

Julia was surprised to discover in herself a strange feeling of pity for him because she no longer loved him. She was a kindly woman, and she realized that it would be a bitter blow to his pride if he ever had an inkling how little he meant to her. She continued to flatter him. She noticed that for long now he had come to listen complacently to her praise of his exquisite nose and beautiful eyes. She got a little private amusement by seeing how much he could swallow. She laid it on with a trowel. But now she looked more often at his straight thin-lipped mouth. It grew meaner as he grew older, and by the time he was an old man it would be no more than a cold hard line. His thrift, which in the early days had seemed an amusing, rather touching trait, now revolted her. When people were in trouble, and on the stage they too often are, they got sympathy and kind friendly words from Michael, but very little cash. He looked upon himself as devilish generous when he parted with a guinea, and a five-pound note was to him the extreme of lavishness. He had soon discovered that Julia ran the house extravagantly, and insisting that he wanted to save her trouble took the matter in his own hands. After that nothing was wasted. Every penny was accountedfor. Julia wondered why servants stayed with them. They did because Michael was so nice to them. With his hearty, jolly, affable manner he made them anxious to please him, and the cook shared his satisfaction when she had found a butcher from whom they could get meat a penny a pound cheaper than elsewhere. Julia could not but laugh when she thought how strangely his passion for economy contrasted with the devil-may-care, extravagant creatures he portrayed so well on the stage. She had often thought that he was incapable of a generous impulse; and now, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, he was prepared to stand aside so that she might have her chance. She was too deeply moved to speak. She reproached herself bitterly for all the unkind things she had for so long been thinking of him.

第八章

迈克尔在战争结束的那一刻就复员了,紧接着就接演了一个角色。再次回到舞台的他,比起离开舞台时,演技大有长进。他在军队中练就的风趣在舞台上很有效。他是个身体健壮、生气活泼的正常人,总是笑容满面,有时哈哈大笑。他很适合出演发生在会客室的喜剧。他那轻柔的声音让一句挑逗的台词有了特殊效果,虽然他从未让求爱戏看起来逼真,但他能很好地演绎打趣的爱情戏,把求婚演得像笑话,或者讲一段爱情告白时更像是在自我嘲笑,他的表演方式让观众们产生兴趣。他从不试图表演除他以外的人。他擅长演花花公子、绅士般的赌棍、禁卫军官兵和生性善良的年轻坏蛋。经理们也喜欢他。他工作非常努力,并且听从指挥。只要他能接到角色,他并不在意演的是什么。他力争他认为合适的薪金,但如果达不到,那么少些也行,总比闲着强。

他仔细地做自己的计划。战争结束后的第一个冬天暴发了一场流感。他的父亲和母亲都在流感中死亡。他继承了大约四千英镑,再加上他和朱莉娅的储蓄,他们有了七千英镑。但剧院的租金同时也上涨了许多,演员的工资和舞台工作人员的薪水也都增加了,这意味着经营剧院的花销比战前多了许多。原本足够开剧院的钱现在却显得捉襟见肘。唯一的方法就是找一个有钱人和他们一起入伙,这样即使一开始出现一两次失败的经历也不会把他们逐出这圈子。据说,你总能在城市里找到个傻瓜开张数目不小的支票让你制作一部戏剧,但当你谈到实际问题时,你发现,他们的一个重要条件是得让他们感兴趣的某位漂亮女演员来出演主角。多年前,迈克尔和朱莉娅开玩笑说会有个有钱的老女人爱上迈克尔并出钱让他开剧院。他早就知道,没有哪个富有的老女人会出钱让一个妻子是个女演员的年轻男演员经营剧院的,尤其是他对妻子还绝对忠诚。最后,确实有一位有钱的女人掏了这笔钱,然而她并不老,让她感兴趣的人也不是迈克尔,而是朱莉娅。

德·弗里斯太太是个寡妇。她矮小敦实,长着精致的犹太人的鼻子和眼睛,充满活力,性格既奔放又懦弱,还有些男子汉的气概。她对舞台充满热情,在吉米·兰顿的轮演剧目剧团看似要被迫关门的时候几次慷慨解囊。于是,在朱莉娅和迈克尔决定在伦敦碰碰运气时,吉米·兰顿写信给她,希望她能给予他们帮助。她在米德尔普尔看过朱莉娅的表演。她为他们举办宴会,让这对年轻的演员有机会认识剧院经理,并邀请他们在她吉尔福德附近的豪华大房子里住下来,他们在那里享受到做梦都没想过的奢侈生活。她不太喜欢迈克尔。朱莉娅经常收到多莉·德·弗里斯送来的鲜花,她用鲜花填满朱莉娅的公寓和化妆间,她还送朱莉娅很多礼物,例如包包、小手袋、次等宝石串成的项链、胸针等。朱莉娅自然很开心,但她只把多莉的慷慨归因于她喜欢她的才华。当迈克尔去了前线,多莉提出让朱莉娅搬到她在蒙塔古广场的别墅中居住,朱莉娅拒绝了,并表达了她极度的感谢之情。多莉叹了口气,掉了滴眼泪,更加爱慕她。当罗杰出生时,朱莉娅请她做孩子的教母。

有段时间,迈克尔一直在想多莉·德·弗里斯出这笔钱的可能性,但他非常明白,虽然她会为了朱莉娅同意这么做,但是朱莉娅不会为了他而这么做。朱莉娅拒绝向她求助。

“她对我们已经非常好了,我真的不能再去向她提更多要求,而且如果她拒绝了该多丢人啊。”

“这个险值得一冒,而且即使她亏了这笔钱,她也不会在乎。我相信你一定能说服她,如果你肯尝试一下。”

朱莉娅很清楚自己能说服多莉。迈克尔在某些方面头脑很简单;而她也不愿意告诉他已经明摆着的事实。

然而,一旦迈克尔认定了某件事情就不可能轻易放弃。周六晚上的表演结束后,他们开着朱莉娅在迈克尔生日时送给他的车,准备去吉尔福德与多莉共度周末。这是个美妙而温暖的夜晚。迈克尔已经购买了——虽然写支票的时候心痛不已——三部他们俩都喜欢的剧本,并且他已经打听到一家条件合理的剧院。一切都已准备好了,除了钱。他让朱莉娅这周末抓住机会向多莉提及此事。

“你自己问吧,”朱莉娅不耐烦地说道,“我跟你说,我不会去的。”

“我去问,她不会同意的。你动动小指就能让她跟着你转。”

“现在我们也大概对投资戏剧有了些了解。人们投资戏剧有两种原因,要么他们想要名声,要么他们爱上了某个人。很多人谈论艺术,但很难看到有人会为了艺术真的出钱,除非他们自己会从中得利。”

“那么,我们就给多莉她想要的知名度。”

“那不是她想要的。”

“你什么意思?”

“你猜不出来吗?”

他明白了,惊讶得不得了,以至于连车速都降了下来。朱莉娅怀疑的会是真的吗?他从来没有想过多莉有多么喜欢他,至于多莉爱上了他——这种想法从来没有在他脑子里出现。当然朱莉娅有双犀利的眼睛,几乎什么都逃不过她这双眼,但她是个爱嫉妒的小东西,她总是觉得女人们都力图博得他的宠爱。虽然多莉曾经在圣诞节的时候送过他一副袖扣,但他以为多莉这么做只是避免让他感到被冷落,因为她送给朱莉娅一个至少花了两百镑的胸针。那可能只是多莉的诡计。他可以发誓,他从未做过任何让多莉误解他们之间可能会有什么事情发生的事。朱莉娅笑了。

“不,亲爱的,她爱的并不是你。”

朱莉娅看出他在想什么,这让他觉得不安。你几乎无法向她隐瞒什么。

“那你为什么要让我这么想?我乞求上帝,你能表达得清楚一些吗?这样别人才能明白你的意思。”

朱莉娅这么做了。

“我从未听过这种无稽之谈,”他喊道,“你的思想太肮脏了,朱莉娅!”

“别胡说八道,亲爱的。”

“我不相信你刚刚说的有一句是真话。毕竟我头上也长了眼睛。难道你想说我就从未注意到吗?”这是她认识迈克尔这么久以来,他最暴躁的一次,“即使你说的是真的,我也相信你能照顾好自己。这是个千载难逢的好机会,我觉得如果不抓住的话简直就是愚昧至极。”

“《一报还一报》中的克劳第奥和伊莎贝拉。(1)”

“说什么混账话,朱莉娅。上帝啊,我是个绅士。”

“‘犯我者必受惩。’”

他们在暗藏着暴风雨的沉寂中开车走完了剩下的路途。德·弗里斯太太还在等待他们。

“我不想还没见到你就去上床睡觉了。”她说道,拥抱了朱莉娅并亲吻了她两个脸颊。然后,她和迈克尔轻快地握了握手。

第二天,朱莉娅在床上读着星期日的报纸,度过了一个愉快的早晨。她先读了有关剧院的消息,然后是八卦专栏,之后读了关于女人的部分,最后瞧了一眼世界新闻的头条。书评被直接忽略,她搞不懂为什么这部分要占据那么大的篇幅。住在隔壁的迈克尔进来说了一声早安后就去花园了。现在,她门外有人小心翼翼地敲门,然后多莉走了进来。她那双又大又黑的眼睛闪着光芒。她坐在床上,握住了朱莉娅的手。

“亲爱的,我已经跟迈克尔谈过了,我会出钱让你经营剧院的。”

朱莉娅的心脏突然狂跳不止。

“哦,你千万别这么做。迈克尔本就不该去问你。我不会同意的。你对我们已经非常非常好了。”

多莉俯下身来,亲吻了朱莉娅的嘴唇。她的声音比平常还要低沉,带着点微微的颤音。

“哦,我的宝贝,难道你不知道这世上没什么是我不会为你做的吗?一切都会非常美好;它将让我们的关系更加密切,而且我会为你感到非常骄傲。”

她们听到迈克尔在走廊里吹口哨,当他走进房间时,多莉转身面向他,泪眼蒙眬。

“我刚刚告诉了她。”

他兴奋得眉飞色舞。

“多么伟大的女人啊!”他坐在床的另一边,握着朱莉娅另外那只手,“你说呢,朱莉娅?”

她朝他瞥了一眼,心事满满。

“‘这原是你要这样做的,乔治·当丹。’”(2)

“你说什么?”

“莫里哀。”

在合作协议签署完成、迈克尔办妥了剧院秋天营业的手续之后,他立刻雇用了一个宣传代理人。报纸上刊登了多篇报道宣布这一新投资,迈克尔和这个宣传代理人还为他和朱莉娅准备了媒体采访。他们的照片刊登在各种周刊上,其中有单人照还有合照,有罗杰出镜的以及没有罗杰出镜的。家庭信息中最有价值的都被利用了起来。他们无法决定买下的三部剧中首先上演哪一部。某天下午,当朱莉娅坐在卧室读小说时,迈克尔手里拿着剧本走了进来。

“看这里,我想要你立刻读这个剧本。这是刚刚从一个中介那里得来的。我觉得棒极了。只是我们必须现在就做决定。”

朱莉娅放下小说。

“我现在就读。”

“我在楼下。你读完了告诉我,我会上来跟你讨论。这剧本有一个非常精彩的角色给你。”

朱莉娅读得很快,迅速浏览她不感兴趣的部分,但女主角的部分,也就是她要演的部分,她读得非常仔细。当她翻到最后一页,她拉响铃铛,让女仆(也是她的服装师)告诉迈克尔她在等他。

“你怎么想?”

“这个剧本不错。我看不出为什么会不成功。”

他听出她声调中的怀疑口吻。

“那么有什么问题?角色很精彩。我是说,这正是你最擅长演的角色,你会比世界上任何其他演员演得好。有很多喜剧部分,还有你想要的一切情感。”

“我知道女主角是不错的角色,我说的是男主角。”

“也是个非常好的角色。”

“我知道;但他已经五十岁了,如果你让他变得年轻点,那所有的意义就都消失了。而你肯定不想演一个中年男人。”

“但我没有想着要饰演那个角色。只有一个男人适合这个角色。蒙特·弗农。我们可以请到他。我演乔治。”

“但那是个非常小的角色,你不能演那个。”

“为什么不能?”

“但我以为我们经营剧院的目的就是能一起演主角啊。”

“哦,我一点都不在乎那个。只要我们能找到适合你演主角的剧本就行,我无所谓。也许下个剧本中会有个不错的角色适合我。”

朱莉娅靠到她的椅子上,泪水充满了她的双眼,顺着脸颊流下。

“哦,我真是个禽兽。”

他笑了笑,他的笑容还如同以往一样迷人。他走到她身边,跪了下来,拥抱了她。

“老天爷保佑,这位老太太现在怎么样啦?”

朱莉娅这会儿注视着迈克尔,心里想着,他以前究竟是用什么唤醒了她心中火热的激情。想到曾与他发生过的性关系,这让她感到恶心。幸运的是,他对朱莉娅为他布置的床非常满意。他并不是一个把性生活看得很重的人,因而当他发现朱莉娅不再对他有任何要求,这让他松了口气。他想一定是婴儿的出生让她平静下来,他早就想到可能会这样,现在他觉得没早点儿要小孩是个遗憾。当他有那么两三次,更多地出于友好而非欲望,建议恢复性关系,她借口拒绝了。要么是因为太累,身体不适,要么是第二天有两场演出,更不用说早上还要去试穿服装,他平静地接受了她的理由。朱莉娅比以前好相处了许多,她不再吵闹,而他从未像现在这样开心过。他的婚姻简直太幸福了,当他看到别人的婚姻时,他无法抑制地想自己属于幸运者中的一个。朱莉娅为人善良又聪明,像猴子那样聪明;你能同她讲世界上任何事情。她是一个人所能得到的最理想的伴侣。他甚至不会介意这么说,比起打一轮高尔夫,他宁愿和朱莉娅待上一整天。

朱莉娅惊讶地发现自己对迈克尔有一种怜悯之情,因为她已不再爱他。她是个善良的女人,她明白如果迈克尔知道自己对她毫不重要,这对迈克尔将会是一个痛苦的打击。她继续恭维他。她注意到,很久以来,他听到她称赞他那精致的鼻子和美丽的眼睛时都会扬扬得意。她想看看他能受得了多少赞美,这成了她自己的小消遣。她竭力夸奖他。但现在她更多地注意到他那张单薄没有曲线的嘴巴。随着他渐渐变老,迈克尔的嘴越来越难看,当他真正成了一个老人时,这张嘴将只剩下一条生硬冰冷的直线。他的节俭,早年的时候被认为有趣,是一个令人感动的特点,现在让她感到厌恶。当人们陷入困境时,尤其是舞台上的人们经常会遇到这样的情况,迈克尔会奉上亲切友好的慰问之词,却几乎从不给钱。当他捐了一基尼硬币,他都会觉得自己非常慷慨,捐献五英镑对他来说是极度奢侈的。他很快发现朱莉娅持家挥霍无度,坚持要从她手中接管过这个工作,以免除她的麻烦。在那之后,家里没什么浪费了。每一分钱都花得很值。朱莉娅想不明白为什么仆人们还会待在他们家里。那是因为迈克尔对他们非常和蔼可亲。迈克尔那真诚、欢乐、平易近人的态度让他们急于讨好他,当厨娘发现从某个屠夫那里买肉会一斤省下一分钱的时候,迈克尔和她都喜笑颜开,非常满意。一想到他对节俭的热情和他在舞台上呈现的那些满不在乎、挥霍无度的人物形成的反差,朱莉娅忍不住大笑。她时常以为迈克尔无法有慷慨的冲动;现在,就好像是这世上最自然的事情一样,他已经准备好站到一边,让她去抓住自己的机遇了。她感动得说不出话来。对于长期以来她对他不好的想法,朱莉娅感到强烈的自责。

————————————————————

(1) 在莎士比亚的喜剧《一报还一报》中,克劳第奥因未婚与情人生了孩子而被判处死刑,他姐姐修女伊莎贝拉为他向摄政安哲鲁恳求赦罪,安哲鲁见美色而起淫心,向伊莎贝拉提出若她能依从,便同意赦免她的弟弟。伊莎贝拉将这件事告诉狱中的弟弟,他竟要求姐姐牺牲贞操救他性命。

(2) 法语,“Vous l'avez voulu, Georges Dandin.”,引自莫里哀的喜剧《乔治·当丹》。

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