6.2 Sī án-chóaⁿ yi teh khàu?
Oat chi̍t-ê oan, yi khòaⁿ tio̍h nn̄g ê lâng tī thâu-chêng ê lō͘: la̍h-tiûⁿ khàn-siú kap chi̍t-ê teh khàu ê sè-hàn cha-bó͘ gín-á, yi chhēng kiô-sek gōa-thò, tì bùn-chhì-phôe ê bō-á.
"Ah, mài khàu lah, sí gín-á!" hit ê lâng khì phut-phut kóng, m̄-koh gín-á khàu lú tōa-siaⁿ.
Constance tōa-pō͘ kiâⁿ-kòe, ba̍k-chiu hoat-kng. Hit lâng oa̍t-sin khòaⁿ yi, léng-léng chio-ho͘ chi̍t-ē, khì kah bīn hoán-pe̍h.
"Sī án-chóaⁿ? Sī án-chóaⁿ yi teh khàu?" Constance mn̄g, kháu-khì ngē-ngē, sió-khóa teh chhoán.
Hit lâng bīn chhiò chi̍t-ē, ná chhiūⁿ gio̍h-chhiò. "Cher, lír to̍h mūi yi," i chho͘-siaⁿ iōng pún-tē khiuⁿ-kháu kóng.
Connie kám-kak ná chhiūⁿ yi ê bīn khì hō͘ siàn chi̍t-ē, khì kah bīn piàn-sek. Yi kek chi̍t-ê chhàu-bīn khòaⁿ i, chhim-nâ ê ba̍k-chiu ná chhiūⁿ ē hoat-kng.
"Góa sī teh mn̄g lí," yi ná chhoán ná kóng.
I hian bō-á, khin-khin kiâⁿ chi̍t-ē koài-koài ê lé. "Sī ah, Hu-jîn," i kóng; koh lâi iū iōng pún-tē khiuⁿ kóng: "m̄-kú, góa bē-thang kā lír kóng." I piàn-chò ná kun-jîn, m̄-chai siūⁿ siáⁿ, ba̍k-thâu kat-kat, bīn pe̍h-pe̍h.
Connie oat-kòe gín-á hia, chi̍t-ê 9 hòe a̍h 10 hòe, âng bīn, o͘ thâu-mo͘ ê gín-á. "Sī siáⁿ tāi-chì, koai gín-á? Kă kóng, lí sī án-chóaⁿ teh khàu!" yi kóng, piáu-hiān chhut ha̍p-lí ê un-chêng. Khàu lú tōa-siaⁿ, thiâu-kang ê. Connie koh lú un-jiû.
"Hó lah, hó lah, m̄-thang koh khàu! Kă kóng, in án-chóaⁿ kāng--lí!" ... siaⁿ-tiāu móa-móa ê un-jiû. Yi ná tī phòng-se saⁿ lak-tē-á té, chiâⁿ tú-hó, jim5 chhut chi̍t-ê 6-pence gîn-kak-á.
"Mài koh khàu lah!" yi kóng, àⁿ-io hiòng gín-á. "Lí khóaⁿ, che siáⁿ boeh hō͘ lí!"
Ná háu ná suh-phīⁿ, am-bīn ê kûn-thâu-bó gia̍h khui, o͘-sek kim ba̍k-chiu hiòng 6-pence siòng--chi̍t-ē. Kè-sio̍k khàu, bān-bān thêng--lo̍h-lâi. "Tio̍h, kă kóng, sī siáⁿ tāi-chì, kă kóng!" Connie kā gín-kak-á khǹg tī gín-á pûi-pûi ê chhiú nih, he sûi kā tēⁿ leh.
"He sī... he sī... ūi tio̍h niau-nĭ!"
Khàu liáu ê chhoah-tāng.
"Siáⁿ-mih niau-nĭ, koai?"
Tiām chi̍t khùn liáu, tēⁿ 6-pence ê kûn-thâu-bó bān-bān pí hiòng ū-chhì ê koeh-niau chhok.
"Tī hia!"
Connie khòaⁿ hia, chin ê, hia ū chi̍t chiah tōa o͘-niau, sí-sí tó tī hia, sin-khu ū hoeh jia̍h.
"Oh!" yi kiò chhut siaⁿ.
"Che sī chi̍t chiah soaⁿ-niau, Hu-jîn," hit lâng lāng-gê kóng.
Yí kā gîn chi̍t-ē. "Bián-kóng gín-á ē khàu," yi kóng, "Yi chāi-tiūⁿ, lí phah-chhèng, tong-jiân yi ē khàu!"
I kim-kim khòaⁿ Connie ê ba̍k-chiu, kek koân-koân, bô am-khàm i ê kám-kak. Connie koh-chài bīn-âng; yi chai, yi tú sái kòe sèng-tē, chit ê lâng bô chun-tiōng yi.
"Lí kiò siáⁿ miâ?" yi lāng gín-á kóng. "Kă kóng lí ê miâ, hó bô?"
Gín-á suh-phîⁿ; jiân-āu iōng chiam-siaⁿ kóng: "Connie Mellors!"
"Connie Mellors! Hm, he sī hó miâ! Lí kap lín Papa chhut-lâi, i phah-sí chi̍t chiah niau-nĭ? M̄-koh he sī bô-koai ê niau-nĭ!"
Gín-á kā khòaⁿ, o͘-sek ba̍k-chiu tián-tōa teh chhì-thàm, thàm yi ê lâng kap yi ê sim-ì.
"Góa boeh pôe Amá," hit ê sè-han cha-bó͘ gín-á kóng.
"Án-ne hoⁿh? Lín Amá tī tó-ūi?"
Gín-á gia̍h chhiú, pí hiòng lō͘ loeh-khì. "Tī chhun-sià."
"Chhun-sià! Lí boeh tńg yi hia, sī bô?"
Hut-jiân, iū-koh chi̍t chūn ka-lún-sún kap ng-ng háu. "Sī lah!"
"Lâi ah, góa chhōa lí hó bô? Góa chhōa lí khì Amá hia hó bô? Án-ne, lín Papa tō ē-sái chò i ê tāi-chì." Yi oa̍t-thâu khòaⁿ hit lâng. "Che lín cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ, sī bô?"
I kā kiâⁿ chi̍t-ē lé, koh khin-khin tìm-thâu ìn sī.
"Góa siūⁿ, góa ē-sái chhōa yi khì chhun-sià?" Connie mn̄g.
"Jû-kó Hu-jîn lí goān-ì."
I koh-chài khòaⁿ yi ê ba̍k-chiu, iōng léng-chēng, chhì-thàm, ko͘-ta̍k ê gán-sîn. Che sī chi̍t-ê ko͘-toaⁿ, to̍k-li̍p ê cha-po͘-lâng.
"Lí boeh hām góa khì chhun-sià, Amá hia bô, chhin-ài ê?"
Gín-á koh lia̍h yi khòaⁿ, "Hó!" yi hoaⁿ-hí kóng.
Connie bô kah-ì chit ê sēng-pháiⁿ, ài ke-sian ê cha-bó͘ gín-á. M̄-koh yi iáu sī kā chhit bīn, khan chhiú. Khàn-siú tiām-tiām kiâⁿ chi̍t-ē lé.
"Chài-kiàn!" Connie kóng.
Kàu chhun-sià chha-put-to chi̍t mai, iáu-bōe khòaⁿ tio̍h khàn-siú in súi-súi ê chhù chìn-chêng, tōa Connie tō kám-kak sió Connie chin hoân ah lah. Chit ê gín-á tō ná kâu-san-á hiah-nī ài chò-koài, koh chin chū-chāi.
Chhun-sià ê mn̂g khui-khui, thiaⁿ ē-tio̍h lâi-té ê khi̍h-kho̍k siaⁿ. Connie tiû-tû chi̍t-ē, gín-á chhiú liu-khui, cháu ji̍p-khì.
"Amá! Amá!"
"Ai-ah, lír í-keng tín--lâi ah!"
Amá tú-chiah iōng o͘-iân boah hóe-lō͘, he sī pài-la̍k chá-khí. Yi lâi-kàu mn̂g-kháu, ûi chi̍t tiâu chho͘-pò͘ ûi-kûn, chhiú the̍h o͘-iân lù-á, phīⁿ-thâu ū o͘-jiah. Yi sī chi̍t ê ta-sán ê sè-hàn cha-bó͘-lâng.
"Ai-ah, sáⁿ tāi lah?" yi kóng, khòaⁿ tio̍h Connie khiā tī gōa-kháu, tō kín iōng chhiú-ē-chat chhit bīn.
"Gâu-chá!" Connie kóng. "Yi teh khàu, góa chhōa yi tńg-lâi."
Amá kín-kín kā gín-á khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē:
"Ai-ah, lír Papa tī tór?"
Cha-bó͘ gín-á khiú Amá ê kûn, gōng-gōng teh chhiò.
"I tī hit pêng," Connie kóng, "i phah chi̍t chiah soaⁿ-niau, gín-á khì heh-tio̍h."
"Oh, bô in-kai mâ-hôan lír lah, Chatterley Hu-jîn, óa chai! óa chai, lír chiâ hó, bô in-kai chak-chō lír. Ai-ah, lír ū khòa to̍h bô!" ... a-pô oa̍t-kòe khòaⁿ gín-á: "Ka-chài ū Chatterley Hu-jîn hó-sim chiàu-kò͘ lír! Ai-ah, bô in-kai mâ-hoân yi lah!"
"Che bē mâ-hoân lah, chí-sī sàn-pō͘," Connie bî-bî-á chhiò.
--
6.2 是按怎她 teh 哭?
斡一个彎, 她看著兩个人 tī 頭前 ê 路: 獵場看守 kap 一个 teh 哭 ê 細漢查某囡仔, 她穿茄色外套, 戴鼢鼠皮 ê 帽仔.
"Ah, 莫哭 lah, 死囡仔!" 彼个人氣 phut-phut 講, m̄-koh 囡仔哭 lú 大聲.
Constance 大步行過, 目睭發光. 彼人越身看她, 冷冷招呼一下, 氣 kah 面反白.
"是按怎? 是按怎她 teh 哭?" Constance 問, 口氣硬硬, 小可 teh 喘.
彼人面笑一下, ná 像謔笑. "Cher, lír to̍h mūi 她," 伊粗聲用本地腔口講.
Connie 感覺 ná 像她 ê 面去予搧一下, 氣 kah 面變色. 她激一个臭面看伊, 深藍 ê 目睭 ná 像會發光.
"我是 teh 問你," 她 ná 喘 ná 講.
伊掀帽仔, 輕輕行一个怪怪 ê 禮. "是 ah, 夫人," 伊講; koh 來又用本地腔講: "m̄-ku, 我袂 thang kā lír 講." 伊變做 ná 軍人, 毋知想啥, 目頭結結, 面白白 .
Connie 斡過囡仔遐, 一个 9 歲抑 10 歲, 紅面, 烏頭毛 ê 囡仔. "是啥代誌, 乖囡仔? Kă 講, 你是按怎 teh 哭!" 她講, 表現出合理 ê 溫情. 哭 lú 大聲, 刁工 ê. Connie koh lú 溫柔.
"好 lah, 好 lah, 毋 thang koh 哭! Kă 講, in 按怎 kāng 你!" ... 聲調滿滿 ê 溫柔. 她 ná tī 膨紗衫 lak 袋仔底, 誠拄好, 撏出一个 6-pence 銀角仔.
"莫 koh 哭 lah!" 她講, àⁿ 腰向囡仔. "你看, 這啥欲予你!"
Ná 吼 ná 欶鼻, 掩面 ê 拳頭母攑開, 烏色金目睭向 6-pence 相一下. 繼續哭, 慢慢停落來. "著, kă 講, 是啥代誌, kă 講!" Connie kā 銀角仔囥 tī 囡仔肥肥 ê 手 nih, 彼隨 kā 捏 leh.
"彼是... 彼是 ... 為著貓 nĭ!"
哭了 ê 掣動.
"啥物貓 nĭ, 乖?"
恬一睏了, 捏 6-pence ê 拳頭母慢慢比向有刺 ê 蕨貓簇.
"Tī 遐!"
Connie 看遐, 真 ê, 遐有一隻大烏貓, 死死倒 tī 遐, 身軀有血跡.
"Oh!" 她叫出聲.
"這是一隻山貓, 夫人," 彼人弄牙講.
她 kā 睨一下. "免講囡仔會哭," 她講, "她在場, 你拍銃, 當然她會哭!"
伊金金看 Connie ê 目睭, 激懸懸, 無掩崁伊 ê 感覺. Connie koh 再面紅; 她知, 她拄使過性地, 這个人無尊重她.
"你叫啥名?" 她弄囡仔講. "Kă 講你 ê 名, 好無?"
囡仔欶鼻; 然後用尖聲講: "Connie Mellors!"
"Connie Mellors! Hm, 彼是好名! 你 kap 恁爸爸出來, 伊拍死一隻貓 nĭ? M̄-koh 彼是無乖 ê 貓 nĭ!"
囡仔 kā 看, 烏色目睭展大 teh 刺探, 探她 ê 人 kap 她 ê 心意.
"我欲陪 Amá," 彼个細漢查某囡仔講.
"Án-ne hoⁿh? 恁 Amá tī 佗位?"
囡仔攑手, 比向路 loeh 去. "Tī 村舍."
"村舍! 你欲轉她遐, 是無?"
忽然, 又 koh 一陣 ka-lún-sún kap ng-ng 吼. "是 lah!"
"來 ah, 我 chhōa 你好無? 我 chhōa 你去 Amá 遐好無? Án-ne, 恁爸爸 tō ē-sái 做伊 ê 代誌." 她越頭看彼人. "這恁查某囝, 是無?"
伊 kā 行一个禮, koh 輕輕 tìm 頭應是.
"我想, 我 ē-sái chhōa 她去村舍?" Connie 問.
"如果夫人你願意."
伊 koh 再看她 ê 目睭, 用冷靜, 刺探, 孤 ta̍k ê 眼神. 這是一个孤單, 獨立 ê 查埔人.
"你欲和我去村舍, Amá 遐無, 親愛 ê?"
囡仔 koh 掠她看, "好!" 她歡喜講.
Connie 無佮意這个寵歹, 愛假仙 ê 查某囡仔. M̄-koh 她猶是 kā 拭面, 牽手. 看守恬恬行一下禮.
"再見!" Connie 講.
到村舍差不多一 mai, 猶未看著看守 in 媠媠 ê 厝進前, 大 Connie tō 感覺小 Connie 真煩 ah lah. 這个囡仔 tō ná 猴山仔 hiah-nī 愛做怪, koh 真自在.
村舍 ê 門開開, 聽會著內底 ê khi̍h-kho̍k 聲. Connie 躊躕一下, 囡仔就溜開, 走入去.
"Amá! Amá!"
"Ai-ah, lír 已經 tín 來 ah!"
Amá 拄才用烏鉛抹火爐, 彼是拜六早起. 她來到門口, 圍一條粗布圍裙, 手提烏鉛 lù-á, 鼻頭有烏跡. 她是一个焦瘦 ê 細漢查某人.
"Ai-ah, sáⁿ 代 lah?" 她講, 看著 Connie 徛 tī 外口, tō 緊用手下節拭面.
"Gâu 早!" Connie 講. "她 teh 哭, 我 chhōa 她轉來."
Amá 緊緊 kā 囡仔看一下:
"Ai-ah, lír Papa tī tór?"
查某囡仔搝 Amá ê 裙, 戇戇 teh 笑.
"伊 tī 彼爿," Connie 講, "伊拍一隻山貓, 囡仔嚇著."
"Oh, 無因該麻煩 lír lah, Chatterley 夫人, óa 知! óa 知, lír chiâ 好, 無因該齪嘈 lír. Ai-ah, lír 有 khòa to̍h 無!" ... 阿婆越過看囡仔: "佳哉有 Chatterley 夫人好心照顧 lír! Ai-ah, 無因該麻煩她 lah!"
"這袂麻煩 lah, 只是散步," Connie 微微仔笑.
--
6.2
Turning the corner, she saw two figures in the drive beyond her: the keeper, and a little girl in a purple coat and moleskin cap, crying.
'Ah, shut it up, tha false little bitch!' came the man's angry voice, and the child sobbed louder.
Constance strode nearer, with blazing eyes. The man turned and looked at her, saluting coolly, but he was pale with anger.
'What's the matter? Why is she crying?' demanded Constance, peremptory but a little breathless.
A faint smile like a sneer came on the man's face. 'Nay, yo' mun ax 'er,' he replied callously, in broad vernacular.
Connie felt as if he had hit her in the face, and she changed colour. Then she gathered her defiance, and looked at him, her dark blue eyes blazing rather vaguely.
'I asked you,' she panted.
He gave a queer little bow, lifting his hat. 'You did, your Ladyship,' he said; then, with a return to the vernacular: 'but I canna tell yer.' And he became a soldier, inscrutable, only pale with annoyance.
Connie turned to the child, a ruddy, black-haired thing of nine or ten. 'What is it, dear? Tell me why you're crying!' she said, with the conventionalized sweetness suitable. More violent sobs, self-conscious. Still more sweetness on Connie's part.
'There, there, don't you cry! Tell me what they've done to you!' ... an intense tenderness of tone. At the same time she felt in the pocket of her knitted jacket, and luckily found a sixpence.
'Don't you cry then!' she said, bending in front of the child. 'See what I've got for you!'
Sobs, snuffles, a fist taken from a blubbered face, and a black shrewd eye cast for a second on the sixpence. Then more sobs, but subduing. 'There, tell me what's the matter, tell me!' said Connie, putting the coin into the child's chubby hand, which closed over it.
'It's the ... it's the ... pussy!'
Shudders of subsiding sobs.
'What pussy, dear?'
After a silence the shy fist, clenching on sixpence, pointed into the bramble brake.
'There!'
Connie looked, and there, sure enough, was a big black cat, stretched out grimly, with a bit of blood on it.
'Oh!' she said in repulsion.
'A poacher, your Ladyship,' said the man satirically.
She glanced at him angrily. 'No wonder the child cried,' she said, 'if you shot it when she was there. No wonder she cried!'
He looked into Connie's eyes, laconic, contemptuous, not hiding his feelings. And again Connie flushed; she felt she had been making a scene, the man did not respect her.
'What is your name?' she said playfully to the child. 'Won't you tell me your name?'
Sniffs; then very affectedly in a piping voice: 'Connie Mellors!'
'Connie Mellors! Well, that's a nice name! And did you come out with your Daddy, and he shot a pussy? But it was a bad pussy!'
The child looked at her, with bold, dark eyes of scrutiny, sizing her up, and her condolence.
'I wanted to stop with my Gran,' said the little girl.
'Did you? But where is your Gran?'
The child lifted an arm, pointing down the drive. 'At th' cottidge.'
'At the cottage! And would you like to go back to her?'
Sudden, shuddering quivers of reminiscent sobs. 'Yes!'
'Come then, shall I take you? Shall I take you to your Gran? Then your Daddy can do what he has to do.' She turned to the man. 'It is your little girl, isn't it?'
He saluted, and made a slight movement of the head in affirmation.
'I suppose I can take her to the cottage?' asked Connie.
'If your Ladyship wishes.'
Again he looked into her eyes, with that calm, searching detached glance. A man very much alone, and on his own.
'Would you like to come with me to the cottage, to your Gran, dear?'
The child peeped up again. 'Yes!' she simpered.
Connie disliked her; the spoilt, false little female. Nevertheless she wiped her face and took her hand. The keeper saluted in silence.
'Good morning!' said Connie.
It was nearly a mile to the cottage, and Connie senior was well bored by Connie junior by the time the game-keeper's picturesque little home was in sight. The child was already as full to the brim with tricks as a little monkey, and so self-assured.
At the cottage the door stood open, and there was a rattling heard inside. Connie lingered, the child slipped her hand, and ran indoors.
'Gran! Gran!'
'Why, are yer back a'ready!'
The grandmother had been blackleading the stove, it was Saturday morning. She came to the door in her sacking apron, a blacklead-brush in her hand, and a black smudge on her nose. She was a little, rather dry woman.
'Why, whatever?' she said, hastily wiping her arm across her face as she saw Connie standing outside.
'Good morning!' said Connie. 'She was crying, so I just brought her home.'
The grandmother looked around swiftly at the child:
'Why, wheer was yer Dad?'
The little girl clung to her grandmother's skirts and simpered.
'He was there,' said Connie, 'but he'd shot a poaching cat, and the child was upset.'
'Oh, you'd no right t'ave bothered, Lady Chatterley, I'm sure! I'm sure it was very good of you, but you shouldn't 'ave bothered. Why, did ever you see!' — and the old woman turned to the child: 'Fancy Lady Chatterley takin' all that trouble over yer! Why, she shouldn't 'ave bothered!'
'It was no bother, just a walk,' said Connie smiling.
--
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