16.1 我毋准你叫人跟蹤我

Tē 16 Chiong

16.1 Góa m̄-chún lí kiò lâng kin-chong góa

Connie kàu chhù liáu-āu, jím-siū tio̍h tap bē oân ê mn̄g-ōe. Ē-po͘-tê ê sî, Clifford chhut-mn̂g, tī hong-hō͘ lâi chìn-chêng tńg kàu chhù, tō mn̄g kóng, hu-jîn tó khì ah? Bô lâng chai, kan-ta Bolton Tt ioh kóng, yi khì chhiū-nâ nih sàn-pō͘. Chit-khoán hong-hō͘ khì chhiū-nâ nih! Ū chi̍t-chūn, Clifford sîn-keng giâ kah ná boeh khí-siáu. Sih-nah nā sih i tō hoat-chok, lûi-kong nā tân i tō hoán-pe̍h. I khòaⁿ he peng-léng ê lûi-kong-hō͘, bē-su sī sè-kài ê boa̍t-ji̍t. I lú lâi lú chia̍p hoat-kông.

Bolton Tt chīn-liōng an-ùi i.

"Yi ē khì bih tī liâu-á, tán hong-hō͘ kòe. Bián hoân-ló, Hu-jîn bē ū tāi-chì lah."

"Chit-chióng hong-hō͘, góa bô ài yi tī chhiū-nâ nih! Góa kin-pún bô ài yi khì chhiū-nâ! Yi í-keng lī-khui nn̄g tiám-cheng ah. Yi kúi-tiám chhut-khì ê?"

"Tī lí tńg-lâi chêng chi̍t-khùn-á chhut-khì ê."

"Góa bô tī hoe-hn̂g tú-tio̍h yi. Thiⁿ chiah chai yi khì toh, a̍h sī yi án-chóaⁿ ah."

"Oh, yi bô tāi-chì lah. Tán leh lí khòaⁿ, hō͘ chi̍t thêng, yi tō ē tńg-lâi lah. Yi sī hō͘ hō͘ tòng tio̍h ê lah."

M̄-koh, hō͘ thêng, hu-jîn bô sûi tńg-lâi. Sî-kan kè-sio̍k kòe, ji̍t-thâu chiò-chhut chòe-āu ê n̂g-kng, iáu sī bô yi ê iáⁿ-jiah. Ji̍t-thâu lo̍h-khì, thiⁿ boeh àm, chia̍h-àm ê cheng-á mā hiáng tē-it piàn ah.

"Bô siáⁿ thò-tòng!" Clifford lia̍h-kông kóng. "Góa tio̍h kiò Field kap Betts khì chhōe yi."

"Oh, m̄-thang án-ne lah!" Bolton Tt hoah-siaⁿ kóng. "In ē siūⁿ-kóng chū-sat a̍h siáⁿ. Oh, taⁿ siáⁿ lóng mài kóng. Hō͘ góa khì liâu-á khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē, khòaⁿ yi sī m̄-sī tī hia. Góa ū hoat-tō͘ chhōe tio̍h yi."

Án-ne kā khó͘-khǹg, Clifford chún yi chhut-khì. Chū án-ne, Connie chiah tī tōa-lō͘ nih tú tio̍h yi, bīn pe̍h-pe̍h, lōa-lōa-sô.

"M̄-thang koài góa lâi chhōe lí, Hu-jîn! M̄-koh, Clifford Sià hoân-ló kah hit-lō khoán. I kiò-sī lí khì hō͘ lûi-kong kòng tio̍h, a̍h sī khì hō͘ tó-lo̍h ê chhiū-á teh tio̍h. I kóng boeh phài Field hām Betts khì chhiū-nâ chhōe sí-thé. Só͘-í góa siūⁿ, siōng-hó sī góa lâi, bián-tit kiaⁿ-tāng só͘-ū ê ē-kha-lâng."

Yi kóng kah chin put-an. Yi iáu sī khòaⁿ ē chhut Connie bīn siōng ê kong-chhái kap chhun-hong, yi mā chai-iáⁿ, Connie tùi yi ê chhut-hiān teh siū-khì.

"Án-ne tio̍h!" Connie kóng. Taⁿ yi bô siáⁿ hó kóng.

Chit nn̄g-ê cha-bó͘ bān-bān kiâⁿ tī tâm-tâm ê sè-kài, tiām-tiām, chhiū-nâ nih ti-ti to̍p-to̍p iáu teh tih-chúi. Yin kàu hoe-hn̂g ê sî, Connie kiâⁿ thâu-chêng, Bolton Tt sió-khóa ē chhoán. Yi piàn khah tōa-kho͘ ah.

"Clifford tōa-kiaⁿ-sió-koài, si̍t-chāi chin gōng!" Connie chòe-āu siū-khì kóng, yi sī kóng hō͘ ka-tī thiaⁿ.

"Oh, lí chai, cha-po͘ tō sī án-ne! In chóng-sī ài chhau-hoân. M̄-koh, i nā khòaⁿ tio̍h Hu-jîn lí, i tō hó ah."

Connie chiâⁿ hóe-tōa, taⁿ Bolton Tt chai-iáⁿ yi ê pì-bi̍t ah: tiāⁿ-tio̍h yi chai lah.

Hut-jiân Conne khiā tī sió-lō͘ thêng lo̍h-lâi.

"Khí-iú-chhú-lí, góa khì hō͘ lâng tui-chong!" yi kóng, ba̍k-chiu hoat-hóe.

"Oh, Hu-jîn ah, m̄-thang án-ne kóng! I pún-chiâⁿ boeh kiò hit nn̄g-lâng lâi, in tō ē ti̍t-chiap khì liâu-á hia. Góa sī m̄-chai liâu-á tī toh, chin ê."

Thiaⁿ tio̍h che, Connie khì kah bīn lú âng. M̄-koh, yi ê bīn iáu ū chhun-hong, yi bē-sái kóng pe̍h-chha̍t. Yi sīm-chì bē-sái ké-sian kóng yi kap khàn-siú tiong-kan bô siáⁿ koan-hē. Yi khòaⁿ sin-piⁿ hit-ê cha-bó͘, kek gōa-gōa, lê-thâu khiā tī hia: chóng-sī yi mā sī cha-bó͘, sī kāng-kok ê.

"Oh, hó lah!" yi kóng. "Kì-jiân sī án-ne, góa tō bē kòa-ì lah!"

"Ai-ah, lí hòng-sim, Hu-jîn! Lí put-kò sī tī liâu-á bih-hō͘. Choa̍t-tùi bô siáⁿ-tāi."

Yin tńg-lâi kàu chhù. Connie kiâⁿ khì Clifford ê pâng-keng, sái sèng-tē, tùi i he pe̍h-pe̍h, kín-tiuⁿ ê bīn hām phok-phok ê ba̍k-chiu khì-phut-phut.

"Góa kā lí kóng, góa m̄-chún lí kiò ē-kha-lâng lâi kin-chong góa," yi jiáng chhut-siaⁿ.

"Thiⁿ ah!" i po̍k-hoat. "Cha-bó͘ ah, lí khì tó-ūi ah? Lí chhut-khì kúi-nā tiám-cheng, gōa-kháu hong kap hō͘! Lí khì hit-ê khióng-pò͘ ê chhiū-nâ pìⁿ siáⁿ kúi-koài? Tàu-té sī ūi tio̍h siáⁿ? Hō͘ mā í-keng thêng kúi-nā tiám-cheng ah! Lí chai taⁿ kúi-tiám bô? Lí ū-kàu kiò lâng khí-siáu lah. tàu-té lí sī khì tó-ūi? Lí sī tī hia chhòng siáⁿ sí-lâng kut-thâu?"

"Góa nā koat-tēng m̄ kā lí kóng neh?" Yi kā bō-á ùi thâu-khak chhái lo̍h-lâi, koh hàiⁿ yi ê thâu-chang.

I kā khòaⁿ, ba̍k-chiu phok-phok, ba̍k-pe̍h khí n̂g. Khì kah án-ne tùi i pēng bô-hó: koh-lâi kúi-nā kang, Bolton Tt tio̍h ē chin thiám-thâu. Connie hut-jiân kám-kak liông-sim put-an.

"M̄-koh, kóng si̍t-chāi!" yi kóng, khah un-hô ah. "Ta̍k-lâng lóng kî-koài góa sī khì tó-ūi! Hong-hō͘ lâi ê sî, góa chí-sī chē tī liâu-á nih, ka-tī hiâⁿ chi̍t-ê hóe, kám-kak chiâⁿ khoài-lo̍k."

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第 16 章

16.1 我毋准你叫人跟蹤我

Connie 到厝了後, 忍受著答袂完 ê 問話. 下晡茶 ê 時, Clifford 出門, tī 風雨來進前轉到厝, tō 問講, 夫人佗去 ah? 無人知, 干焦 Bolton Tt 臆講, 她去樹林 nih 散步. 這款風雨去樹林 nih! 有一陣, Clifford 神經夯 kah ná 欲起痟. 爍爁若爍伊 tō 發作, 雷公若霆伊 tō 反白. 伊看彼冰冷 ê 雷公雨, 袂輸是世界 ê 末日. 伊 lú 來 lú 捷發狂.

Bolton Tt 盡量安慰伊.

"她會去覕 tī 寮仔, 等風雨過. 免煩惱, 夫人袂有代誌 lah."

"這種風雨, 我無愛她 tī 樹林 nih! 我根本無愛她去樹林! 她已經離開兩點鐘 ah. 她幾點出去 ê?"

"Tī 你轉來前一睏仔出去 ê."

"我無 tī 花園拄著她. 天 chiah 知她去佗, 抑是她按怎 ah."

"Oh, 她無代誌 lah. 等 leh 你看, 雨一停, 她 tō 會轉來 lah. 她是予雨擋著 ê lah."

M̄-koh, 雨停, 夫人無隨轉來. 時間繼續過, 日頭照出最後 ê 黃光, 猶是無她 ê 影跡. 日頭落去, 天欲暗, 食暗 ê 鐘仔 mā 響第一遍 ah.

"無啥妥當!" Clifford 掠狂講. "我著叫 Field kap Betts 去揣她."

"Oh, 毋通 án-ne lah!" Bolton Tt 喝聲講. "In 會想講自殺抑啥. Oh, 今啥攏莫講. 予我去寮仔看一下, 看她是毋是 tī 遐. 我有法度揣著她."

Án-ne kā 苦勸, Clifford 准她出去. 自 án-ne, Connie 才 tī 大路 nih 拄著她, 面白白, lōa-lōa 趖.

"毋通怪我來揣你, 夫人! M̄-koh, Clifford Sià 煩惱 kah hit-lō 款. 伊叫是你去予雷公摃著, 抑是去予倒落 ê 樹仔硩著. 伊講欲派 Field 和 Betts 去樹林揣死體. 所以我想, 上好是我來, 免得驚動所有 ê 下跤人."

她講 kah 真不安. 她猶是看會出 Connie 面上 ê 光彩 kap 春風, 她 mā 知影, Connie 對她 ê 出現 teh 受氣.

"Án-ne 著!" Connie 講. 今她無啥好講.

這兩个查某慢慢行 tī 澹澹 ê 世界, 恬恬, 樹林 nih ti-ti to̍p-to̍p 猶 teh 滴水. 姻到花園 ê 時, Connie 行頭前, Bolton Tt 小可會喘. 她變較大箍 ah.

"Clifford 大驚小怪, 實在真戇!" Connie 最後受氣講, 她是講予家己聽.

"Oh, 你知, 查埔 tō 是 án-ne! In 總是愛操煩. M̄-koh, 伊若看著夫人你, 伊 tō 好 ah."

Connie 誠火大, 今 Bolton Tt 知影她 ê 祕密 ah: 定著她知 lah.

忽然 Conne 徛 tī 小路停落來.

"豈有此理, 我去予人追蹤!" 她講, 目睭發火.

"Oh, 夫人 ah, 毋通 án-ne 講! 伊本成欲叫彼兩人來, in tō 會直接去寮仔遐. 我是毋知寮仔 tī 佗, 真 ê."

聽著這, Connie 氣 kah 面 lú 紅. M̄-koh, 她 ê 面猶有春風, 她袂使講白賊. 她甚至袂使假仙講伊 kap 看守中間無啥關係. 她看身邊彼个查某, 激外外, 犁頭徛 tī 遐: 總是她 mā 是查某, 是仝國 ê.

"Oh, 好 lah!" 她講. "既然是 án-ne, 我 tō 袂掛意 lah!"

"Ai-ah, 你放心, 夫人! 你不過是 tī 寮仔覕雨. 絕對無啥代."

姻轉來到厝. Connie 行去 Clifford ê 房間, 使性地, 對伊彼白白, 緊張 ê 面和 phok-phok ê 目睭氣 phut-phut.

"我 kā 你講, 我毋准你叫下跤人來跟蹤我," 她嚷出聲.

"天 ah!" 伊爆發. "查某 ah, 你去佗位 ah? 你出去幾若點鐘, 外口風 kap 雨! 你去彼个恐怖 ê 樹林 pìⁿ 啥鬼怪? 到底是為著啥? 雨 mā 已經停幾若點鐘 ah! 你知今幾點無? 你有夠叫人起痟 lah. 到底你是去佗位? 你是 tī 遐創啥死人骨頭?"

"我若決定毋 kā 你講 neh?" 她 kā 帽仔 ùi 頭殼採落來, koh 幌她 ê 頭鬃.

伊 kā 看, 目睭 phok-phok, 目白起黃. 氣 kah án-ne 對伊並無好: koh 來幾若工, Bolton Tt 著會真忝頭. Connie 忽然感覺良心不安.

"M̄-koh, 講實在!" 她講, 較溫和 ah. "逐人攏奇怪我是去佗位! 風雨來 ê 時, 我只是坐 tī 寮仔 nih, 家己燃一个火, 感覺誠快樂."

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Chapter 16

16.1

Connie arrived home to an ordeal of cross-questioning. Clifford had been out at tea-time, had come in just before the storm, and where was her ladyship? Nobody knew, only Mrs Bolton suggested she had gone for a walk into the wood. Into the wood, in such a storm! Clifford for once let himself get into a state of nervous frenzy. He started at every flash of lightning, and blenched at every roll of thunder. He looked at the icy thunder-rain as if it dare the end of the world. He got more and more worked up.

Mrs Bolton tried to soothe him.


’She’ll be sheltering in the hut, till it’s over. Don’t worry, her Ladyship is all right.’


’I don’t like her being in the wood in a storm like this! I don’t like her being in the wood at all! She’s been gone now more than two hours. When did she go out?’

’A little while before you came in.’

’I didn’t see her in the park. God knows where she is and what has happened to her.’

’Oh, nothing’s happened to her. You’ll see, she’ll be home directly after the rain stops. It’s just the rain that’s keeping her.’

But her ladyship did not come home directly the rain stopped. In fact time went by, the sun came out for his last yellow glimpse, and there still was no sign of her. The sun was set, it was growing dark, and the first dinner-gong had rung.

’It’s no good!’ said Clifford in a frenzy. ‘I’m going to send out Field and Betts to find her.’

’Oh don’t do that!’ cried Mrs Bolton. ‘They’ll think there’s a suicide or something. Oh don’t start a lot of talk going. Let me slip over to the hut and see if she’s not there. I’ll find her all right.’

So, after some persuasion, Clifford allowed her to go. And so Connie had come upon her in the drive, alone and palely loitering.


’You mustn’t mind me coming to look for you, my Lady! But Sir Clifford worked himself up into such a state. He made sure you were struck by lightning, or killed by a falling tree. And he was determined to send Field and Betts to the wood to find the body. So I thought I’d better come, rather than set all the servants agog."

She spoke nervously. She could still see on Connie’s face the smoothness and the half-dream of passion, and she could feel the irritation against herself.

’Quite!’ said Connie. And she could say no more.

The two women plodded on through the wet world, in silence, while great drops splashed like explosions in the wood. When they came to the park, Connie strode ahead, and Mrs Bolton panted a little. She was getting plumper.

’How foolish of Clifford to make a fuss!’ said Connie at length, angrily, really speaking to herself.

’Oh, you know what men are! They like working themselves up. But he’ll be all right as soon as he sees your Ladyship.’


Connie was very angry that Mrs Bolton knew her secret: for certainly she knew it.


Suddenly Constance stood still on the path.

’It’s monstrous that I should have to be followed!’ she said, her eyes flashing.

’Oh! your Ladyship, don’t say that! He’d certainly have sent the two men, and they’d have come straight to the hut. I didn’t know where it was, really.’

Connie flushed darker with rage, at the suggestion. Yet, while her passion was on her, she could not lie. She could not even pretend there was nothing between herself and the keeper. She looked at the other woman, who stood so sly, with her head dropped: yet somehow, in her femaleness, an ally.

’Oh well!’ she said. ‘If it is so it is so. I don’t mind!’

’Why, you’re all right, my Lady! You’ve only been sheltering in the hut. It’s absolutely nothing.’

They went on to the house. Connie marched in to Clifford’s room, furious with him, furious with his pale, over-wrought face and prominent eyes.

’I must say, I don’t think you need send the servants after me,’ she burst out.

’My God!’ he exploded. ‘Where have you been, woman? You’ve been gone hours, hours, and in a storm like this! What the hell do you go to that bloody wood for? What have you been up to? It’s hours even since the rain stopped, hours! Do you know what time it is? You’re enough to drive anybody mad. Where have you been? What in the name of hell have you been doing?’


’And what if I don’t choose to tell you?’ She pulled her hat from her head and shook her hair.


He looked at her with his eyes bulging, and yellow coming into the whites. It was very bad for him to get into these rages: Mrs Bolton had a weary time with him, for days after. Connie felt a sudden qualm.

‘But really!’ she said, milder. ‘Anyone would think I’d been I don’t know where! I just sat in the hut during all the storm, and made myself a little fire, and was happy.’

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