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双语·邦斯舅舅 十一、食客所受的百般羞辱,这不过是一例

所属教程:译林版·邦斯舅舅

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2022年05月26日

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XI

Madeleine had no sooner left the room than the Presidente turned to Cousin Pons with that insincere friendliness which is about as grateful to a sensitive soul as a mixture of milk and vinegar to the palate of an epicure.

Dinner is ordered, dear cousin; you must dine without us; my husband has just sent word from the court that the question of the marriage has been reopened, and we are to dine with the Councillor. We need not stand on ceremony at all. Do just as if you were at home. I have no secrets from you; I am perfectly open with you, as you see. I am sure you would not wish to break off the little darling's marriage.

I, cousin? On the contrary, I should like to find some one for her; but in my circle—

Oh, that is not at all likely, said the Presidente, cutting him short insolently. "Then you will stay, will you not? Cecile will keep you company while I dress.

Oh! I can dine somewhere else, cousin.

Cruelly hurt though he was by her way of casting up his poverty to him, the prospect of being left alone with the servants was even more alarming.

But why should you? Dinner is ready; you may just as well have it; if you do not, the servants will eat it. At that atrocious speech Pons started up as if he had received a shock from a galvanic battery, bowed stiffly to the lady, and went to find his spencer. Now, it so happened that the door of Cecile's bedroom, beyond the little drawing-room, stood open, and looking into the mirror, he caught sight of the girl shaking with laughter as she gesticulated and made signs to her mother. The old artist understood beyond a doubt that he had been the victim of some cowardly hoax. Pons went slowly down the stairs; he could not keep back the tears. He understood that he had been turned out of the house, but why and wherefore he did not know.

I am growing too old, he told himself. "The world has a horror of old age and poverty—two ugly things. After this I will not go anywhere unless I am asked."

Heroic resolve!

Downstairs the great gate was shut, as it usually is in houses occupied by the proprietor; the kitchen stood exactly opposite the porter's lodge, and the door was open. Pons was obliged to listen while Madeleine told the servants the whole story amid the laughter of the servants. She had not expected him to leave so soon. The footman loudly applauded a joke at the expense of a visitor who was always coming to the house and never gave you more than three francs at the year's end.

Yes, put in the cook; "but if he cuts up rough and does not come back, there will be three francs the less for some of us on New Year's day."

Eh! How is he to know? retorted the footman.

Pooh! said Madeleine, "a little sooner or a little later—what difference does it make? The people at the other houses where he dines are so tired of him that they are going to turn him out."

The gate, if you please! Madeleine had scarcely uttered the words when they heard the old musician's call to the porter. It sounded like a cry of pain. There was a sudden silence in the kitchen.

He heard! the footman said.

Well, and if he did, so much the worser, or rather so much the better, retorted Madeleine. "He is an arrant skinflint."

Poor Pons had lost none of the talk in the kitchen; he heard it all, even to the last word. He made his way home along the boulevards, in the same state, physical and mental, as an old woman after a desperate struggle with burglars. As he went he talked to himself in quick spasmodic jerks; his honor had been wounded, and the pain of it drove him on as a gust of wind whirls away a straw. He found himself at last in the Boulevard du Temple; how he had come thither he could not tell. It was five o'clock, and, strange to say, he had completely lost his appetite.

But if the reader is to understand the revolution which Pons' un-expected return at that hour was to work in the Rue de Normandie, the promised biography of Mme. Cibot must be given in this place.

十一、食客所受的百般羞辱,这不过是一例

玛特兰纳一出去,庭长太太假装很和善地瞧着邦斯舅舅,那眼神对一个感觉灵敏的人,好比挑精拣肥的舌头碰到了加有酸醋的牛奶。

“亲爱的舅舅,晚饭已经预备了,你自个儿吃吧,我们失陪了;我丈夫送信回来,说又要跟法官商量亲事,教我们上那儿去吃饭……咱们之间一点不用客气,你在这儿尽管自便。我什么都不瞒你的,你瞧我多老实……想必你不会要我们的小天使错过机会吧?”

“我吗?噢,外甥,我真想替她找个丈夫呢;可是在我的环境里……”

“那自然谈不上,”庭长太太很不客气地抢着说,“得啦,那么你不走了?我去穿衣服的时候,赛西尔会来陪你的。”

“噢!外甥,我可以上别的地方吃饭的。”

因为穷而受到庭长太太那种待遇,他固然伤透了心,可是想到要自个儿去应付仆人,他更害怕。

“为什么?……饭菜已经预备好了,还不是得给用人们吃了吗!”听到这句难堪的话,邦斯仿佛触电似的马上站起身子,冷冷地对外甥媳妇行了礼,去穿上他的斯宾塞。赛西尔的卧房是跟小客厅通连的,房门半开着,邦斯从前面的镜子里瞧见她在那儿笑弯了腰,对母亲颠头耸脑地做鬼脸;这一下老艺术家才明白她们是通同闹鬼。他忍着眼泪,慢腾腾地走下楼梯:他眼看自己给这一家撵走了,可不知道为的什么。

“我太老了,”他心里想,“穷跟老是人家最讨厌的。从今以后要不是邀请,我哪儿也不去了。”

多么悲壮的话!……

厨房在屋子的底层,正对门房。像业主自用的那些屋子一样,大门老是关上,厨房门老是开着的。邦斯听见厨娘和当差的在那儿哈哈大笑:玛特兰纳没想到老头儿这么快就跑了,正在把耍弄邦斯的事讲给他们听。当差的很赞成对这个熟客开一下玩笑,说他过年只给一枚三法郎的小洋钱!

厨娘说:“对,可是他真要怄了气,从此不来了,咱们总是少了三法郎的年赏……”

“!他怎么会知道?”当差的回答。

“怕什么!反正早晚是这么回事,”玛特兰纳接着说,“他上哪儿吃饭都招人厌,要不到处给人撵走才怪!”

这时音乐家招呼看门女人:“对不起,开门哪!”一听这声痛苦的叫喊,厨房里的人顿时没有了声音。

“他在那里听着呢。”当差的说。

“再好没有,让他听吧,这个老啬鬼是玩儿完啦。”玛特兰纳回答。

可怜虫把厨房里的话都听了去,连最后那句也没漏掉。他打大街上往回走,神气像个老婆子刚同一个要谋害她的人拼命打过了一架。他一边走一边自言自语,脚步很快,有点哆嗦:受伤的自尊心推着他向前,有如狂风之扫落叶。五点左右他发觉自己到了修院大街,简直不明白是怎么来的;奇怪的是他一点也不觉得饿。

邦斯在这时候回去真是一件出人意料的大事;可是要了解这一点,就得把上文保留的关于西卜太太的情形,在这儿说一说。

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