18.7 Nn̄g lâng kiàn-li̍p-liáu lâm-sèng bah-kám ê chêng-gî
Hilda lâi ah, thiaⁿ tio̍h chiah-ê tāi-chì, yi mā siū-khì kah. Yi choa̍t-tùi bô hoat-tō͘ jím-siū, gōa-kháu lâng kóng yin sió-mōe hām la̍h-tiûⁿ khàn-siú ê kiàn-siàu-tāi. He sī thài, thài bô bīn-chú lah!"
"Lán ná m̄ sûi-lâng cháu-khui, khì British Columbia, án-ne tō bô kiàn-siàu-tāi ah?" Connie kóng.
M̄-koh, he mā bô-hāu, kiàn-siàu-tāi iáu-sī ē po̍k-hoat. Connie nā boeh kap hit-lâng khì, chòe-hó yi tio̍h hām i kiat-hun. Che sī Hilda ê ì-kiàn. Malcolm Sià m̄-káⁿ khak-tēng. Tāi-chì mā sī ū khó-lêng ē po̍k-hoat.
"Lí ē-sái kap i kìⁿ-bīn bô, A-pa?"
Khó-liân ê Malcolm Sià! I sī oân-choân bô ì-goān lah. Khó-liân ê Mellors, i mā bô siáⁿ-mih ū ì-goān. M̄-koh, chóng-sī nn̄g lâng sio kìⁿ-bīn ah: tī klub ê su-bi̍t pâng-keng chia̍h-tàu, kan-ta nn̄g-ê lâng, bīn tùi bīn sio-siòng.
Malcolm Sià lim bē chió ê wiski, Mellors mā ū lim. In tōa pō͘-hūn lóng teh kóng India ê tāi-chì, che sī hit-ê siàu-liân-lâng chin se̍k ê ōe-tê.
Chia̍h-pn̄g kui-lō͘ lóng kóng che. It-ti̍t kàu kapi lâi ah, ho̍k-bū-oân kiâⁿ-khui liáu, Malcolm Sià tiám chi̍t-ki sigar, koan-sim kóng:
"Eh, siàu-liân--ê, goán cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ boeh án-chóaⁿ?"
Mellors ê bīn hiàn-chhut khó͘-chhiò.
"Hm, Sian-siⁿ, yi sī án-chóaⁿ sioh?"
"Lí ū chi̍t-ê eⁿ-á tī yi ê pak-tó͘ lāi."
"He sī góa ê êng-hēng!" Mellors khó͘-chhiò.
"Êng-hēng, Thiⁿ ah!" Malcolm Sià khin chhiò nn̄g siaⁿ, hiàn-chhut Scotland lâng ê hā-liû sèng-keh. "Êng-hēng! Lí kám-kak án-chóaⁿ, eh? Chán hoⁿh, siàu-liân--ê, án-chóaⁿ?"
"Chán noh!"
"Góa siūⁿ mā sī án-ne! Ha-ha! Goán cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ, ū góa ê chin kang-hu, siáⁿ khoán! Nā ū hó-khang thang kàn, góa mā bē kī-choa̍t. Khó-sioh, yin lāu-bú, oh, thiⁿ ah!" I gia̍h-ba̍k khòaⁿ thiⁿ. "M̄-koh, lí kā hang-sio ah, oh, lí kā hang-sio ah, góa khòaⁿ ē chhut. Ha-ha! Yi ū góa ê hiat-thóng! Lí kā yi ê chháu-tui tiám-to̍h ah. Ha ha ha! Góa chin hoaⁿ-hí, góa kā lí kóng, yi su-iàu he. Oh, yi sī chi̍t-ê hó ko͘-niû, chi̍t-ê hó ko͘-niû, chí-iàu ū bó͘ chi̍t-ê hó-hàn kā yi ê chháu-tui tiám-to̍h, yi tō ē hó kah ná pó! Ha ha ha! La̍h-tiûⁿ khàn-siú, eh, siàu-liân--ê! Lí sī lī-hāi ê thau phah-la̍h ê chhèng-chhiú, góa án-ne kā lí kóng. Ha-ha! M̄-koh, taⁿ, kóng chèng-keng, lán tio̍h án-chóaⁿ siu-bóe? Kóng chèng-keng, lí chai!"
Kóng chèng-keng, in kóng bô gōa hn̄g. Mellors, sui-jiân sió-khóa chùi, sī nn̄g lâng tiong-kan khah chheng-chhéⁿ ê. I chīn-liōng pó-chhî kóng chèng-keng, m̄-koh iáu sī kóng bô lō͘-lâi.
"Só͘-í, lí sī chi̍t-ê la̍h-tiûⁿ khàn-siú! Oh, lí kóng liáu tio̍h! La̍h-tiûⁿ su-iàu ū lâng koán-lí, eh, án-chóaⁿ? Cha-bó͘-lâng ê chhì-giām, tio̍h liàm yi ê kha-chhng. Chí-iàu liàm yi ê kha-chhng, lí tō ē chai, he sī m̄-sī hó-khang ê. Ha-ha! Góa him-siān lí, koai gín-á. Lí kúi hòe ah?"
"Saⁿ-cha̍p káu."
Lâm-chiok ba̍k-bâi gia̍h chi̍t-ē.
"Ū hiah chē! Hm, khòaⁿ lí ê khoán, lí iáu ū hó-hó ê 20 nî. M̄-koán lí sī m̄-sī la̍h-tiûⁿ khàn-siú, lí sī hó kha-siàu. Che, ba̍k-chiu kheh chi̍t-lúi, góa mā khòaⁿ ē chhut. Lí kap hit-ê khôe-kha ê Clifford bô kāng! I sī bô-táⁿ ê káu, m̄-bat chhio--kòe, m̄-bat. Góa kah-ì lí, koai gín-á, góa siong-sìn lí ū hó ke-si; oh, lí sī sio-phah-ke-á, góa khòaⁿ ē chhut. Lí hèng sio-tak. La̍h-tiûⁿ khàn-siú! Ha-ha, ai-ah, góa m̄-káⁿ hō͘ lí kò͘ góa ê la̍h-tiûⁿ! Taⁿ, lí khòaⁿ, kóng chèng-keng, lán tio̍h án-chóaⁿ chò chiah hó? Sè-kài móa-móa sī làu-si̍t ê lāu cha-bó͘."
Kóng chèng-keng, in siáⁿ to bô chò tio̍h, kan-ta kiàn-li̍p-liáu nn̄g lâng tiong-kan ê lâm-sèng bah-kám ê chêng-gî.
"Lí khòaⁿ, koai gín-á, góa nā ē-tàng thè lí chò siáⁿ, lí ē-sái sìn-jīm góa. La̍h-tiûⁿ khàn-siú! Kitok ah, m̄-koh he chiâⁿ hó-liāu! Góa kah-ì, góa kah-ì! Bêng-bêng goán cha-á-kiáⁿ ū kám-siū tio̍h. Kám m̄-sī? Chóng-sī, lí chai, yi ū ka-tī ê siu-ji̍p, bô chē, bô chē, m̄-koh iau bē sí. Góa ū ê, mā lóng ē lâu hō͘ yi. Chiàu thiⁿ-lí, góa ē lâu hō͘ yi. Tī sì-kè lóng sī lāu cha-bó͘ ê sè-kài, yi piáu-hiān ióng-khì, án-ne yi tō eng-kai tit-tio̍h he. Chhit-cha̍p nî lâi, góa it-ti̍t phah-piàⁿ boeh siám-khui lāu cha-bó͘ ê kûn, kàu taⁿ iáu hut bē hó-sè. M̄-koh lí chò ē-kàu, góa khòaⁿ ē chhut."
"Góa chin hoaⁿ-hí lí án-ne siūⁿ. Pa̍t-lâng it-poaⁿ ē keng-thé góa sī kâu-san-á."
"Oh, he tong-jiân! Chhin-ài ê pêng-iú ah, tùi hiah-ê lāu cha-bó͘ lâi kóng, lí m̄-sī kâu-san-á, sī siáⁿ?"
--
18.7 兩人建立了男性肉感 ê 情誼
Hilda 來 ah, 聽著 chiah-ê 代誌, 她 mā 受氣 kah. 她絕對無法度忍受, 外口人講姻小妹和獵場看守 ê 見笑代. 彼是太, 太無面子 lah!"
"咱那毋隨人走開, 去 British Columbia, án-ne tō 無見笑代 ah?" Connie 講.
M̄-koh, 彼 mā 無效, 見笑代猶是會爆發. Connie 若欲 kap 彼人去, 最好她著和伊結婚. 這是 Hilda ê 意見. Malcolm Sià 毋敢確定. 代誌 mā 是有可能會爆發.
"你會使 kap 伊見面無, 阿爸?"
可憐 ê Malcolm Sià! 伊是完全無意願 lah. 可憐 ê Mellors, 伊 mā 無啥物有意願. M̄-koh, 總是兩人相見面 ah: tī klub ê 私密房間食晝, 干焦兩个人, 面對面 sio 相.
Malcolm Sià 啉袂少 ê wiski, Mellors mā 有啉. In 大部份攏 teh 講 India ê 代誌, 這是彼个少年人真熟 ê 話題.
食飯規路攏講這. 一直到 kapi 來 ah, 服務員行開了, Malcolm Sià 點一支 sigar, 關心講:
"Eh, 少年 ê, 阮查某囝欲按怎?"
Mellors ê 面現出苦笑.
"Hm, 先生, 她是按怎 sioh?"
"你有一个嬰仔 tī 她 ê 腹肚內."
"彼是我 ê 榮幸!" Mellors 苦笑.
"榮幸, 天 ah!" Malcolm Sià 輕笑兩聲, 現出 Scotland 人 ê 下流性格. "榮幸! 你感覺按怎, eh? 讚 hoⁿh, 少年 ê, 按怎?"
"讚 noh!"
"我想 mā 是 án-ne! Ha-ha! 阮查某囝, 有我 ê 真功夫, 啥款! 若有好空通 kàn, 我 mā 袂拒絕. 可惜, 姻老母, oh, 天 ah!" 伊攑目看天. "M̄-koh, 你 kā 烘燒 ah, oh, 你 kā 烘燒 ah, 我看會出. Ha-ha! 她有我 ê 血統! 你 kā 她 ê 草堆點 to̍h ah. Ha ha ha! 我真歡喜, 我 kā 你講, 她需要彼. Oh, 她是一个好姑娘, 一个好姑娘, 只要有某一个好漢 kā 她 ê 草堆點 to̍h, 她 tō 會好 kah ná 寶! Ha ha ha! 獵場看守, eh, 少年 ê! 你是厲害 ê 偷拍獵 ê 銃手, 我 án-ne kā 你講. Ha-ha! M̄-koh, 今, 講正經, 咱著按怎收尾? 講正經, 你知!"
講正經, in 講無偌遠. Mellors, 雖然小可醉, 是兩人中間較清醒 ê. 伊盡量保持講正經, m̄-koh 猶是講無路來.
"所以, 你是一个獵場看守! Oh, 你講了著! 獵場需要有人管理, eh, 按怎? 查某人 ê 試驗, 著捻她 ê 尻川. 只要捻她 ê 尻川, 你 tō 會知, 彼是毋是好空 ê. Ha-ha! 我欣羨你, 乖囡仔. 你幾歲 ah?"
"三十九."
男爵目眉攑一下.
"有 hiah 濟! Hm, 看你 ê 款, 你猶有好好 ê 20 年. 毋管你是毋是獵場看守, 你是好跤數. 這, 目睭瞌一蕊, 我 mā 看會出. 你 kap 彼个瘸跤 ê Clifford 無仝! 伊是無膽 ê 狗, m̄-bat chhio 過, m̄-bat. 我佮意你, 乖囡仔, 我相信你有好家私; oh, 你是相拍雞仔, 我看會出. 你興相觸. 獵場看守! Ha-ha, ai-ah, 我毋敢予你顧我 ê 獵場! 今, 你看, 講正經, 咱著按怎做才好? 世界滿滿是 làu 翼 ê 老查某."
講正經, in 啥都無做著, 干焦建立了兩人中間 ê 男性肉感 ê 情誼.
"你看, 乖囡仔, 我若會當替你做啥, 你會使信任我. 獵場看守! Kitok ah, m̄-koh 彼誠好料! 我佮意, 我佮意! 明明阮 cha-á 囝有感受著. 敢毋是? 總是, 你知, 她有家己 ê 收入, 無濟, 無濟, m̄-koh 枵袂死. 我有 ê, mā 攏會留予她. 照天理, 我會留予她. Tī 四界攏是老查某 ê 世界, 她表現勇氣, án-ne 她 tō 應該得著彼. 七十年來, 我一直拍拚欲閃開老查某 ê 裙, 到今猶 hut 袂好勢. M̄-koh 你做會到, 我看會出."
"我真歡喜你 án-ne 想. 別人一般會 keng-thé 我是猴山仔."
"Oh, 彼當然! 親愛 ê 朋友 ah, 對 hiah-ê 老查某來講, 你毋是猴山仔, 是啥?"
--
18.7
Hilda arrived, also furious when she heard of the new developments. And she also simply could not stand the thought of a public scandal about her sister and a game-keeper. Too, too humiliating!
’Why should we not just disappear, separately, to British Columbia, and have no scandal?’ said Connie.
But that was no good. The scandal would come out just the same. And if Connie was going with the man, she’d better be able to marry him. This was Hilda’s opinion. Sir Malcolm wasn’t sure. The affair might still blow over.
’But will you see him, Father?’
Poor Sir Malcolm! he was by no means keen on it. And poor Mellors, he was still less keen. Yet the meeting took place: a lunch in a private room at the club, the two men alone, looking one another up and down.
Sir Malcolm drank a fair amount of whisky, Mellors also drank. And they talked all the while about India, on which the young man was well informed.
This lasted during the meal. Only when coffee was served, and the waiter had gone, Sir Malcolm lit a cigar and said, heartily:
’Well, young man, and what about my daughter?’
The grin flickered on Mellors’ face.
’Well, Sir, and what about her?’
’You’ve got a baby in her all right.’
’I have that honour!’ grinned Mellors.
’Honour, by God!’ Sir Malcolm gave a little squirting laugh, and became Scotch and lewd. ‘Honour! How was the going, eh? Good, my boy, what?’
’Good!’
’I’ll bet it was! Ha-ha! My daughter, chip of the old block, what! I never went back on a good bit of fucking, myself. Though her mother, oh, holy saints!’ He rolled his eyes to heaven. ‘But you warmed her up, oh, you warmed her up, I can see that. Ha-ha! My blood in her! You set fire to her haystack all right. Ha-ha-ha! I was jolly glad of it, I can tell you. She needed it. Oh, she’s a nice girl, she’s a nice girl, and I knew she’d be good going, if only some damned man would set her stack on fire! Ha-ha-ha! A game-keeper, eh, my boy! Bloody good poacher, if you ask me. Ha-ha! But now, look here, speaking seriously, what are we going to do about it? Speaking seriously, you know!’
Speaking seriously, they didn’t get very far. Mellors, though a little tipsy, was much the soberer of the two. He kept the conversation as intelligent as possible: which isn’t saying much.
’So you’re a game-keeper! Oh, you’re quite right! That sort of game is worth a man’s while, eh, what? The test of a woman is when you pinch her bottom. You can tell just by the feel of her bottom if she’s going to come up all right. Ha-ha! I envy you, my boy. How old are you?’
’Thirty-nine.’
The knight lifted his eyebrows.
’As much as that! Well, you’ve another good twenty years, by the look of you. Oh, game-keeper or not, you’re a good cock. I can see that with one eye shut. Not like that blasted Clifford! A lily-livered hound with never a fuck in him, never had. I like you, my boy, I’ll bet you’ve a good cod on you; oh, you’re a bantam, I can see that. You’re a fighter. Game- keeper! Ha-ha, by crikey, I wouldn’t trust my game to you! But look here, seriously, what are we going to do about it? The world’s full of blasted old women.’
Seriously, they didn’t do anything about it, except establish the old free-masonry of male sensuality between them.
’And look here, my boy, if ever I can do anything for you, you can rely on me. Game-keeper! Christ, but it’s rich! I like it! Oh, I like it! Shows the girl’s got spunk. What? After all, you know, she has her own income, moderate, moderate, but above starvation. And I’ll leave her what I’ve got. By God, I will. She deserves it for showing spunk, in a world of old women. I’ve been struggling to get myself clear of the skirts of old women for seventy years, and haven’t managed it yet. But you’re the man, I can see that.’
’I’m glad you think so. They usually tell me, in a sideways fashion, that I’m the monkey.’
’Oh, they would! My dear fellow, what could you be but a monkey, to all the old women?’
--
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