18.8 Yi bô kòa-ì iōng chit-lō kè-bô͘ hoán-khòng sè-kài
In hoaⁿ-hoaⁿ hí-hí hun-khui, Mellors su-té-hā chhiò kui-ji̍t.
Keh-kang, i hām Connie kap Hilda tī chi̍t-ê phiah-chēng ê só͘-chāi chia̍h-tàu.
"Tāi-chì hut kah chiah pháiⁿ pháng, si̍t-chāi chin hāi," Hilda kóng.
"Góa soah kám-kak chiâⁿ chhù-bī," i kóng.
"Góa siūⁿ, lín nn̄g-lâng tī iáu bô kiat-hun seⁿ-kiáⁿ ê chū-iû chìn-chêng, m̄-thang seⁿ gín-á."
"Sîn siuⁿ chá kā hóe-chheⁿ pûn to̍h," i kóng.
"Góa siūⁿ, he kap Sîn bô koan-hē. Tong-jiân Connie ê chîⁿ ū-kàu lín nn̄g lâng iōng, m̄-koh chit-chióng chêng-hêng chin bē-kham-tit."
"M̄-koh, bô siáⁿ-mih su-iàu lí khì taⁿ, kám ū?" i kóng.
"Lí nā hām yi kāng kai-kip tō hó lah."
"A̍h sī kóng, góa nā sī koaiⁿ tī tōng-bu̍t-hn̂g ê lông-á té tō koh-khah hó lah."
Ta̍k-ê lóng tiām khì.
"Góa siūⁿ," Hilda kóng, "siōng-hó sī, yi chí-tēng pa̍t-lâng chò kiōng-tông pī-kò, iah lí oân-choân mài chhap ji̍p-khì."
"M̄-koh, góa jīn-ûi, góa sī tong-sū-jîn."
"Góa ê ì-sù sī, pān lī-hun sò͘-siōng ê sî-chūn."
I hòⁿ-kî khòaⁿ yi. Connie m̄-káⁿ kā i the̍h-khí Duncan ê kè-ōe.
"Góa thiaⁿ bô lí ê ì-sù," i kóng.
"Goán ū chi̍t-ê pêng-iú, i hoān-sè khéng tī lī-hun àn-kiāⁿ chò kiōng-tông pī-kò, án-ne tō m̄-bián the̍h-khí lí ê miâ," Hilda kóng.
"Lí sī kóng chi̍t-ê cha-po͘-lâng?"
"Tong-jiân!"
"M̄-koh, yi pēng bô lēng-gōa chi̍t-ê?"
I hòⁿ-kî khòaⁿ Connie.
"Bô, bô!" yi kín kóng. "Chí-sī chi̍t-ê lāu pêng-iú, chin tan-sûn, bô ài-chêng."
"Nā án-ne, hit-lâng ná khéng lâi giâ-kê? Nā kóng i kap lí lóng bô khan-liân?"
"Ū-ê lâng chin ū gī-khì, bē kè-kàu sī m̄-sī ē ùi cha-bó͘ hia tit-tio̍h siáⁿ-mih," Hilda kóng.
"Góa sī kî-tiong chi̍t-ê? M̄-koh, hit-lâng sī siáng?"
"Sī chi̍t-ê chū goán chò gín-á tī Scotland tō sio-bat ê hó pêng-iú, chi̍t-ê gē-su̍t-ka."
"Duncan Forbes!" i sûi kóng chhut-lâi, in-ūi Connie bat kā i kóng-kòe. "Lín boeh án-chóaⁿ kiò i taⁿ chit-ê tàⁿ?"
"In ē-tàng chò-hóe khì tòa lí-koán, a̍h-sī sīm-chì yi khì tòa tī in tau."
"Che, góa khòaⁿ ná-chhiūⁿ sī bô kê giâ kau-í," i kóng.
"Nā bô, lí ū siáⁿ ì-kiàn?" Hilda kóng. "Lí ê miâ nā chhut-hiān, lí tō bô hoat-tō͘ hām lín bó͘ pān lī-hun, yi bêng-bêng sī chi̍t-ê chin pháiⁿ tùi-hù ê jîn-bu̍t."
"Só͘ ū chiah-ê!" i būn-būn kóng.
Tiām-tiām thêng chi̍t tōa khùn.
"Lán lóng ē-sái mài chhap i," i kóng.
"Connie bē-sái mài chhap," Hilda kóng. "Clifford siuⁿ-kòe chhut-miâ."
Iū-koh sī ah-ut ê tiām-chēng.
"Sè-kài tō sī án-ne. Lín nā boeh chò-hóe seng-oa̍h koh bē jiá koaⁿ-si, lín tio̍h pān kiat-hun. Boeh kiat-hun, lín nn̄g lâng lóng tio̍h seng pān lī-hun. Án-ne, lín nn̄g-ê boeh án-chóaⁿ an-pâi?"
I tiām-tiām chi̍t tōa khùn.
"Lí boeh án-chóaⁿ kā goán an-pâi?" i kóng.
"Goán ē seng mn̄g Duncan, khòaⁿ i khéng chò kiōng-tông pī-kò bô; koh-lâi, goán tio̍h kiò Clifford hām Connie lī-hun; iah lí tio̍h pān lín hit-thâu ê lī-hun; tī tit-tio̍h chū-iû í-chêng, lín nn̄g lâng tio̍h hun-khui."
"Che bē-su siáu-lâng pēⁿ-īⁿ."
"Ká-ná sī! Sè-kan ē kā lín khòaⁿ-chò siáu-lâng, sīm-chì khah chhám."
"Án-chóaⁿ khah chhám?"
"Chōe-hoān, góa siūⁿ."
"Hi-bāng góa ē-tàng koh ke iōng kúi-kái-á góa ê té-to," i léng-chhiò kóng. Koh-lâi, i tiām-tiām, siū-khì.
"Hm," lo̍h-bóe, i kóng. "Góa tông-ì it-chhè. Sè-kài sī khí-siáu ê gōng-tai, bô lâng ū i hoat: sui-bóng góa goān-ì chīn-la̍t. M̄-koh, lín mā tio̍h. Goán tio̍h chīn-la̍t kiù ka-tī."
I khòaⁿ Connie, kám-kak hiān-sì, hùn-nō͘, ià-siān koh kan-khó͘.
"Óa ê ko͘-niû ah!" i kóng. "Sè-kài berh kā lír ê kha-chhng sīⁿ-iâm loh."
"Lán nā m̄-khéng, i tō bē," yi kóng.
Yi bô i hiah kòa-ì iōng chit-lō kè-bô͘ hoán-khòng sè-kài.
--
18.8 她無掛意用 chit-lō 計謀反抗世界
In 歡歡喜喜分開, Mellors 私底下笑規日.
隔工, 伊和 Connie kap Hilda tī 一个僻靜 ê 所在食晝.
"代誌 hut kah chiah 歹紡, 實在真害," Hilda 講.
"我煞感覺誠趣味," 伊講.
"我想, 恁兩人 tī 猶無結婚生囝 ê 自由進前, 毋通生囡仔."
"神 siuⁿ 早 kā 火星歕 to̍h," 伊講.
"我想, 彼 kap 神無關係. 當然 Connie ê 錢有夠恁兩人用, m̄-koh 這種情形真袂堪得."
"M̄-koh, 無啥物需要你去擔, 敢有?" 伊講.
"你若和她仝階級 tō 好 lah."
"抑是講, 我若是關 tī 動物園 ê 櫳仔底 tō koh 較好 lah."
逐个攏恬去.
"我想," Hilda 講, "上好是, 她指定別人做共同被告, iah 你完全莫 chhap 入去."
"M̄-koh, 我認為, 我是當事人."
"我 ê 意思是, 辦離婚訴訟 ê 時陣."
伊好奇看她. Connie 毋敢 kā 伊提起 Duncan ê 計畫.
"我聽無你 ê 意思," 伊講.
"阮有一个朋友, 伊凡勢肯 tī 離婚案件做共同被告, án-ne tō 毋免提起你 ê 名," Hilda 講.
"你是講一个查埔人?"
"當然!"
"M̄-koh, 她並無另外一个?"
伊好奇看 Connie.
"無, 無!" 她緊講. "只是一个老朋友, 真單純, 無愛情."
"若 án-ne, 彼人那肯來夯枷? 若講伊 kap 你攏無牽連?"
"有 ê 人真有義氣, 袂計較是毋是會 ùi 查某遐得著啥物," Hilda 講.
"我是其中一个? M̄-koh, 彼人是 siáng?"
"是一个自阮做囡仔 tī Scotland tō sio-bat ê 好朋友, 一个藝術家."
"Duncan Forbes!" 伊隨講出來, 因為 Connie bat kā 伊講過. "恁欲按怎叫伊擔這个擔?"
"In 會當做伙去蹛旅館, 抑是甚至她去蹛 tī in 兜."
"這, 我看 ná 像是無枷夯交椅," 伊講.
"若無, 你有啥意見?" Hilda 講. "你 ê 名若出現, 你 tō 無法度和恁某辦離婚, 她明明是一个真歹對付 ê 人物."
"所有 chiah-ê!" 伊悶悶講.
恬恬停一大睏.
"咱攏會使莫 chhap 伊," 伊講.
"Connie 袂使莫 chhap," Hilda 講. "Clifford siuⁿ 過出名."
又 koh 是壓鬱 ê 恬靜.
"世界 tō 是 án-ne. 恁若欲做伙生活 koh 袂惹官司, 恁著辦結婚. 欲結婚, 恁兩人攏著先辦離婚. Án-ne, 恁兩个欲按怎安排?"
伊恬恬一大睏.
"你欲按怎 kā 阮安排?" 伊講.
"阮會先問 Duncan, 看伊肯做共同被告無; koh 來, 阮著叫 Clifford 和 Connie 離婚; iah 你著辦恁彼頭 ê 離婚; tī 得著自由以前, 恁兩人著分開."
"這袂輸痟人病院."
"Ká-ná 是! 世間 ē kā 恁看做痟人, 甚至較慘."
"按怎較慘?"
"罪犯, 我想."
"希望我會當 koh ke 用幾改仔我 ê 短刀," 伊冷笑講. Koh 來, 伊恬恬, 受氣.
"Hm," 落尾, 伊講. "我同意一切. 世界是起痟 ê 戇呆, 無人有伊法: 雖罔我願意盡力. M̄-koh, 恁 mā 著. 阮著盡力救家己."
伊看 Connie, 感覺現世, 憤怒, 厭僐 koh 艱苦.
"Óa ê 姑娘 ah!" 伊講. "世界 berh kā lír ê 尻川豉鹽 loh."
"咱若毋肯, 伊 tō 袂," 她講.
她無伊 hiah 掛意用 chit-lō 計謀反抗世界.
--
18.8
They parted most genially, and Mellors laughed inwardly all the time for the rest of the day.
The following day he had lunch with Connie and Hilda, at some discreet place.
’It’s a very great pity it’s such an ugly situation all round,’ said Hilda.
’I had a lot o’ fun out of it,’ said he.
’I think you might have avoided putting children into the world until you were both free to marry and have children.’
’The Lord blew a bit too soon on the spark,’ said he.
’I think the Lord had nothing to do with it. Of course, Connie has enough money to keep you both, but the situation is unbearable.’
’But then you don’t have to bear more than a small corner of it, do you?’ said he.
’If you’d been in her own class.’
’Or if I’d been in a cage at the Zoo.’
There was silence.
’I think,’ said Hilda, ‘it will be best if she names quite another man as co-respondent and you stay out of it altogether.’
’But I thought I’d put my foot right in.’
’I mean in the divorce proceedings.’
He gazed at her in wonder. Connie had not dared mention the Duncan scheme to him.
’I don’t follow,’ he said.
’We have a friend who would probably agree to be named as co-respondent, so that your name need not appear,’ said Hilda.
’You mean a man?’
’Of course!’
’But she’s got no other?’
He looked in wonder at Connie.
’No, no!’ she said hastily. ‘Only that old friendship, quite simple, no love.’
’Then why should the fellow take the blame? If he’s had nothing out of you?’
’Some men are chivalrous and don’t only count what they get out of a woman,’ said Hilda.
’One for me, eh? But who’s the johnny?’
’A friend whom we’ve known since we were children in Scotland, an artist.’
’Duncan Forbes!’ he said at once, for Connie had talked to him. ‘And how would you shift the blame on to him?’
’They could stay together in some hotel, or she could even stay in his apartment.’
’Seems to me like a lot of fuss for nothing,’ he said.
’What else do you suggest?’ said Hilda. ‘If your name appears, you will get no divorce from your wife, who is apparently quite an impossible person to be mixed up with.’
’All that!’ he said grimly.
There was a long silence.
’We could go right away,’ he said.
’There is no right away for Connie,’ said Hilda. ‘Clifford is too well known.’
Again the silence of pure frustration.
’The world is what it is. If you want to live together without being persecuted, you will have to marry. To marry, you both have to be divorced. So how are you both going about it?’
He was silent for a long time.
’How are you going about it for us?’ he said.
’We will see if Duncan will consent to figure as co-respondent: then we must get Clifford to divorce Connie: and you must go on with your divorce, and you must both keep apart till you are free.’
’Sounds like a lunatic asylum.’
’Possibly! And the world would look on you as lunatics: or worse.’
’What is worse?’
’Criminals, I suppose.’
’Hope I can plunge in the dagger a few more times yet,’ he said, grinning. Then he was silent, and angry.
’Well!’ he said at last. ‘I agree to anything. The world is a raving idiot, and no man can kill it: though I’ll do my best. But you re right. We must rescue ourselves as best we can.’
He looked in humiliation, anger, weariness and misery at Connie.
’Ma lass!’ he said. ‘The world’s goin’ to put salt on thy tail.’
’Not if we don’t let it,’ she said.
She minded this conniving against the world less than he did.
--
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