Tē 14 Chiong
14.1 Clifford hit khoán lâng bô lān-hu̍t
Kiâⁿ óa hoe-hn̂g ê mn̂g ê sî, yi thiaⁿ tio̍h mn̂g-chhòaⁿ ê siaⁿ. Hit-sî, i tī hia, tī chhiū-nâ ê o͘-àm nih, ū khòaⁿ tio̍h yi!
"Chiâⁿ chán, lí lâi liáu chin chá," i ùi o͘-àm tiong kóng. "Tāi-chì lóng sūn-lī bô?"
"Bān-sū lóng sūn-lī."
I tòe yi āu-piah chēng-chēng kā hn̂g-mn̂g koaiⁿ hó, iōng chhiú-tiān chiò-kng àm-àm ê thô͘-kha, hián-chhut àm-sî iáu teh khui ê phú-pe̍h-sek ê hoe. In hun-pia̍t hiòng-chêng, tiām-tiām bô kóng-ōe.
"Lí khak-tēng chá-khí bô hō͘ hit-ê chhia-á siong tio̍h?" yi mn̄g.
"Bô, bô!"
"Lí tang-sî tit-tio̍h hì-iām, he pēⁿ tùi lí ū siáⁿ éng-hióng?"
"Oh, bô-siáⁿ! He hō͘ góa sim-chōng piàn jio̍k, hì-pō͘ bô koh hiah ióng. M̄-koh chóng-sī án-ne."
"Án-ne lí tio̍h bē-sái koh chò chho͘-tāng?"
"Bē-sái siuⁿ chia̍p."
Yi siū-khì tiām-tiām ta̍h-pō͘ hiòng-chêng.
"Lí ē chheh Clifford bô?" chòe-āu yi mn̄g.
"Chheh i, bē! I hit-khoán lâng góa tú kòe siuⁿ chē, bián koh chheh i ah-lah. Sū-sian góa tō chai, góa bē kòa-ì chit-khoán lâng, só͘-í góa kì-chāi in khì."
"I sī siáⁿ khoán lâng?"
"Nái, lí pí góa koh-khah chai. Sī ná cha-bó͘ ê siàu-liân sin-sū, bô nn̄g-lia̍p."
"Nn̄g-lia̍p siáⁿ?"
"Nn̄g-lia̍p! Nn̄g-lia̍p lān-hu̍t-á!"
Yi chēng-chēng teh siūⁿ che.
"Hekám-sī būn-tê ê só͘-chāi?" yi kóng, sió-khóa siūⁿ bē-thong.
"Lâng nā gōng, lán kóng i bô thâu-náu; nā pi-phí, lán kóng i bô sim-koaⁿ; nā kiaⁿ-sí, lán kóng i bô táⁿ. Lâng nā bô hit-chióng lâm-sèng ê chho͘-iá khì-phek, lán tō kóng i bô lān-hu̍t. Hit-sî i tō-sī kiu-kiu lun-lun ê lâng."
Yi koh chēng-chēng siūⁿ che.
"Clifford kiu-kiu lun-lun?" yi mn̄g.
"Kiu koh lun, chin ok-chit: hām tōa pō͘-hūn hit-chióng lâng kāng-khoán, lí nā kap in hoán-khòng."
"Lí kám-kak lí bô kiu-kiu lun-lun?"
"Khó-lêng bô oân-choân sī!"
Hn̄g-hn̄g, yi khòaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-pha n̂g-sek ê teng.
Yi khiā tiām.
"Thâu-chêng ū kng!" yi kóng.
"Góa chóng-sī lâu chi̍t-pha teng tī chhù-lāi," i kóng.
Yi tòe tī i sin-piⁿ kè-sio̍k kiâⁿ, m̄-koh bô kha̍p tio̍h i, sim-nih kî-koài, yi ná ē tòe i kiâⁿ ah.
I khui mn̂g-só, nn̄g-lâng ji̍p-khì, i koh kā mn̂g chhòaⁿ khí-lâi. Che ká-ná sī kaⁿ-ga̍k, yi siūⁿ! Âng-sek ê hóe piⁿ-á, tê-kó͘ teh hiáng, toh-téng ū kúi-nā ê tê-poe-á.
Yi chē lo̍h tī hóe-lô͘ piⁿ ê chhâ kau-í. Ùi hân-léng ê gōa-bīn ji̍p-lâi, kám-kak chia chiâⁿ un-loán.
"Góa boeh thǹg ê-á, in lóng tâm-khì ah," yi kóng.
Yi kā chhēng tn̂g boe̍h-á ê kha khǹg tī kim-sih-sih ê thih jia-hóe-kè. I khì si̍t-bu̍t-keng the̍h si̍t-bu̍t: pháng, leng-iû, kap sīⁿ gû-chi̍h. Yi kám-kak un-loán, kā gōa-thò thǹg lo̍h. I kā tiàu tī mn̂g.
"Lí boeh lim kokoa, tê, a̍h-sī kapi?" i mn̄g.
"Góa siáⁿ to bô-ài," yi kóng, ná khòaⁿ toh-téng. "Lí chia̍h lah."
"Nái, góa mā m̄ chia̍h. Kan-ta sī boeh chhī káu."
I tī chng-á tē-pán chēng-chēng ún-tāng ta̍h-pō͘, kā si̍t-bu̍t khǹg ji̍p chang-sek ê óaⁿ hō͘ káu. He la̍h-káu gia̍h-thâu kim-kim siòng i.
"Ái, che sī lír ê àm-tǹg, mài kek kah ná lír bô-thang chia̍h!" i kóng.
I kā óaⁿ khǹg tī lâu-thui thâu ê ta̍h-kha tē-thán, chē lo̍h tī piah-piⁿ ê í-á, boeh thǹg khia-háng kap hia-kóng. Káu bô chia̍h, cháu lâi i bīn-chêng, chē lo̍h khòaⁿ i, hián-chhut put-an.
I bān-bān tháu khia-háng. Káu sóa khah óa lâi.
"Lír tó-ūi m̄ tú-hó ah?" Sī-m̄-sī in-ūi pa̍t-lâng tī chia ah? He sī cha-bó͘-lâng lah, sī ah! Kín khì chia̍h lír ê àm-tǹg."
I iōng chhiú bong káu ê thâu, káu-á khi thâu óa i sin-khu. I khin-khin, bān-bān giú káu-á kng-ku̍t ê tn̂g hīⁿ-á.
"Khì hia!" i kóng. "Khì hia! Khì chia̍h lír ê àm-tǹg! Kín khì!"
I kā í-á sóa óa tē-thán téng ê káu-óaⁿ, káu tō koai-koai kiâⁿ kòe, áⁿ-thâu khai-sí chia̍h.
"Lí kah-ì káu bô?" Connie mn̄g i.
"Bô, bô chin kah-ì. In lóng siuⁿ koai, siuⁿ khîⁿ."
--
第 14 章
14.1 Clifford 彼款人無膦核
行倚花園 ê 門 ê 時, 她聽著門閂 ê 聲. 彼時, 伊 tī 遐, tī 樹林 ê 烏暗 nih, 有看著她!
"誠讚, 你來了真早," 伊 ùi 烏暗中講. "代誌攏順利無?"
"萬事攏順利."
伊綴她後壁靜靜 kā 園門關好, 用手電照光暗暗 ê 塗跤, 顯出暗時猶 teh 開 ê 殕白色 ê 花. In 分別向前, 恬恬無講話.
"你確定早起無予彼个車仔傷著?" 她問.
"無, 無!"
"你 tang-sî 得著肺炎, 彼病對你有啥影響?"
"Oh, 無啥! 彼予我心臟變弱, 肺部無 koh hiah 勇. M̄-koh 總是 án-ne."
"Án-ne 你著袂使 koh 做粗重?"
"袂使 siuⁿ 捷."
她受氣恬恬踏步向前.
"你會慼 Clifford 無?" 最後她問.
"慼伊, 袂! 伊彼款人我拄過 siuⁿ 濟, 免 koh 慼伊 ah-lah. 事先我 tō 知, 我袂掛意這款人, 所以我據在 in 去."
"伊是啥款人?"
"Nái, 你比我 koh 較知. 是 ná 查某 ê 少年紳士, 無兩粒."
"兩粒啥?"
"兩粒! 兩粒 lān 核仔!"
她靜靜 teh siūⁿ 這.
"彼敢是問題 ê 所在?" 她講, 小可想袂通.
"人若戇, 咱講伊無頭腦; 若卑鄙, 咱講伊無心肝; 若驚死, 咱講伊無膽. 人若無彼種男性 ê 粗野氣魄, 咱 tō 講伊無 lān 核. 彼時伊 tō 是勼勼 lun-lun ê 人."
她 koh 靜靜想這.
"Clifford 勼勼 lun-lun?" 她問.
"勼 koh lun, 真惡質: 和大部份彼種人仝款, 你若 kap in 反抗."
"你感覺你無勼勼 lun-lun?"
"可能無完全是!"
遠遠, 她看著一葩黃色 ê 燈.
她徛恬.
"頭前有光!" 她講.
"我總是留一葩燈 tī 厝內," 伊講.
她綴 tī 伊身邊繼續行, m̄-koh 無磕著伊, 心 nih 奇怪, 她那會綴伊行 ah.
伊開門鎖, 兩人入去, 伊 koh kā 門閂起來. 這 ká-ná 是監獄, 她想! 紅色 ê 火邊仔, 茶鈷 teh 響, 桌頂有幾若 ê 茶杯仔.
她坐落 tī 火爐邊 ê 柴交椅. Ùi 寒冷 ê 外面入來, 感覺遮誠溫暖.
"我欲褪鞋仔, in 攏澹去 ah," 她講.
她 kā 穿長襪仔 ê 跤囥 tī 金爍爍 ê 鐵遮火架. 伊去食物間提食物: pháng, 奶油, kap 豉牛舌. 她感覺溫暖, kā 外套褪落. 伊 kā 吊 tī 門.
"你欲啉 kokoa, 茶, 抑是 kapi?" 伊問.
"我啥都無愛," 她講, ná 看桌頂. "你食 lah."
"Nái, 我 mā 毋食. 干焦是欲飼狗."
伊 tī 磚仔地板靜靜穩重踏步, kā 食物囥入棕色 ê 碗予狗. 彼獵狗攑頭金金相伊.
"Ái, 這是 lír ê 暗頓, 莫激 kah ná lír 無通食!" 伊講.
伊 kā 碗囥 tī 樓梯頭 ê 踏跤地毯, 坐落 tī 壁邊 ê 椅仔, 欲褪 khia-háng kap 靴管. 狗無食, 走來伊面前, 坐落看伊, 顯出不安.
伊慢慢敨 khia-háng. 狗徙較倚來.
"Lír 佗位毋拄好 ah?" 是毋是因為別人 tī 遮 ah? 彼是查某人 lah, 是 ah! 緊去食 lír ê 暗頓."
伊用手摸狗 ê 頭, 狗仔 khi 頭倚伊身軀. 伊輕輕, 慢慢 giú 狗仔光滑 ê 長耳仔.
"去遐!" 伊講. "去遐! 去食 lír ê 暗頓! 緊去!"
伊 kā 椅仔徙倚地毯頂 ê 狗碗, 狗 tō 乖乖行過, áⁿ 頭開始食.
"你佮意狗無?" Connie 問伊.
"無, 無真佮意. In 攏 siuⁿ 乖, siuⁿ khîⁿ."
--
Chapter 14
14.1
When she got near the park-gate, she heard the click of the latch. He was there, then, in the darkness of the wood, and had seen her!
‘You are good and early,’ he said out of the dark. ‘Was everything all right?’
‘Perfectly easy.’
He shut the gate quietly after her, and made a spot of light on the dark ground, showing the pallid flowers still standing there open in the night. They went on apart, in silence.
‘Are you sure you didn’t hurt yourself this morning with that chair?’ she asked.
‘No, no!’
‘When you had that pneumonia, what did it do to you?’
‘Oh nothing! it left my heart not so strong and the lungs not so elastic. But it always does that.’
‘And you ought not to make violent physical efforts?’
‘Not often.’
She plodded on in an angry silence.
‘Did you hate Clifford?’ she said at last.
‘Hate him, no! I’ve met too many like him to upset myself hating him. I know beforehand I don’t care for his sort, and I let it go at that.’
‘What is his sort?’
‘Nay, you know better than I do. The sort of youngish gentleman a bit like a lady, and no balls.’
‘What balls?’
‘Balls! A man’s balls!’
She pondered this.
‘But is it a question of that?’ she said, a little annoyed.
‘You say a man’s got no brain, when he’s a fool: and no heart, when he’s mean; and no stomach when he’s a funker. And when he’s got none of that spunky wild bit of a man in him, you say he’s got no balls. When he’s a sort of tame.’
She pondered this.
‘And is Clifford tame?’ she asked.
‘Tame, and nasty with it: like most such fellows, when you come up against ’em.’
‘And do you think you’re not tame?’
‘Maybe not quite!’
At length she saw in the distance a yellow light.
She stood still.
‘There is a light!’ she said.
‘I always leave a light in the house,’ he said.
She went on again at his side, but not touching him, wondering why she was going with him at all.
He unlocked, and they went in, he bolting the door behind them. As if it were a prison, she thought! The kettle was singing by the red fire, there were cups on the table.
She sat in the wooden arm-chair by the fire. It was warm after the chill outside.
‘I’ll take off my shoes, they are wet,’ she said.
She sat with her stockinged feet on the bright steel fender. He went to the pantry, bringing food: bread and butter and pressed tongue. She was warm: she took off her coat. He hung it on the door.
‘Shall you have cocoa or tea or coffee to drink?’ he asked.
‘I don’t think I want anything,’ she said, looking at the table. ‘But you eat.’
‘Nay, I don’t care about it. I’ll just feed the dog.’
He tramped with a quiet inevitability over the brick floor, putting food for the dog in a brown bowl. The spaniel looked up at him anxiously.
‘Ay, this is thy supper, tha nedna look as if tha wouldna get it!’ he said.
He set the bowl on the stairfoot mat, and sat himself on a chair by the wall, to take off his leggings and boots. The dog instead of eating, came to him again, and sat looking up at him, troubled.
He slowly unbuckled his leggings. The dog edged a little nearer.
‘What’s amiss wi’ thee then? Art upset because there’s somebody else here? Tha’rt a female, tha art! Go an’ eat thy supper.’
He put his hand on her head, and the bitch leaned her head sideways against him. He slowly, softly pulled the long silky ear.
‘There!’ he said. ‘There! Go an’ eat thy supper! Go!’
He tilted his chair towards the pot on the mat, and the dog meekly went, and fell to eating.
‘Do you like dogs?’ Connie asked him.
‘No, not really. They’re too tame and clinging.’
--
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