2. Nn̄g-lâng hō͘-siong ê liáu-kái bô chē
Yin pêng-iú pháiⁿ-sè pháiⁿ-sè kā khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē, kóng: "Tong-chho͘ góa tō bô eng-kai siūⁿ-kóng lí sī lōng-bān kám-sèng, Alida."
"Hmh, hoān-sè góa hit-chūn sī bô." Slade Tt ba̍k-phôe niauh chi̍t-ē teh hoán-séng; keng-kòe chi̍t-khùn, chit nn̄g-ê chū sè-hàn tō chin chhin ê lú-sū, lóng teh su-khó nn̄g-lâng hō͘-siong ê liáu-kái si̍t-chāi sī bô chē. Nn̄g-lâng su-té-hā lóng ū chi̍t-ê phiau-thâu thang tah tī tùi-hong ê miâ; kí-lē lâi kóng, Delphin Slade Tt ka-tī án-ne siūⁿ, mā kā pa̍t-lâng kóng, Horace Ansley Tt tī 25-nî chêng sī gōa-nī-á bí-lē -- bē, lí bē siong-sìn, lí kám ē! sui-jiân iáu sī bê-lâng, chhut-chiòng... Hmh, gín-á sî, yi chiok súi; pí yin cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ Barbara koh khah súi, sui-bóng, chiàu hiān-tāi piau-chún, Babs tong-jiân khah khiáu -- its lâng kóng ê, khah khiàng-kha. Kî-koài, m̄-chai yi sī ùi tó-ūi tit-tio̍h he, yi ê pē-bú nn̄g-ê lóng sī tūn-tūn. Tio̍h; Horace Ansley sī -- hmh, ē-sái kóng tō sī in bó͘ ê hoan-pán, sī lāu New York Phok-bu̍t-koán ê tián-chông phín, hó-khòaⁿ, bô thang hiâm, sī hó bô͘-hoān. Ū kúi-ā nî, Slade Tt hām Ansley Tt tòa sio tùi-hiòng -- m̄-nā tē-tiám, sū-sū hāng-hāng mā án-ne. Tang 73-Ke 20-hō ê kheh-thiaⁿ thang-á-lî ōaⁿ-sin ê sî, tùi-bīn ê 23-hō hit-hō͘ lóng sûi tō chai. Koh ū, só͘-ū ê hêng-tōng, chhái-bé, lí-hêng, kì-liām-ji̍t, phòa-pēⁿ -- só͘-ū chit-tùi khó-kèng ang-bó͘ ê tiong-si̍t kì-sū, chin chió siám ē-kòe Slade Tt ê chù-ì. Tán yin ang tī Wall Tōa-ke tōa chhia-piàⁿ ê sî, yi í-keng ià-siān che, koh-lâi, tán in tī ko-kip Park Tōa-ke bé chhù ê sî, yi khai-sí án-ne siūⁿ: "Góa kam-goān tòa tī chi̍t-keng tē-hā chiú-pa ê tùi-bīn thang ū chi̍t-ê piàn-hòa; siōng-bô mā ē-tàng khòaⁿ tio̍h i khì hông lîm-kiám." Hit-ê Grace khì hông lîm-kiám ê siūⁿ-hoat chiâⁿ hó-sńg, (bōe poaⁿ-chhù í-chêng) yi tī cha-bó͘-phōaⁿ chia̍h tiong-tàu ê sî kā kóng chhut-lâi. Án-ne soah chin hong-tōng, liû-thoân kúi-ā liàn-tńg -- ū-sî yi hoâi-gî, m̄-chai kám ū thoân kàu ke-lō͘ ê tùi-bīn, kàu Ansley Tt hia. Yi hi-bāng sī bô, m̄-koh yi mā bô kóng kài chāi-ì. Tī hit-ê nî-tāi, siuⁿ hó-lé tian-tò hông khòaⁿ-khin, tùi tiâu-ti̍t tiong-hō͘ ê lâng sió kā chhiò chi̍t-ē mā bô siáⁿ-mih hông-hāi.
Kúi-nî liáu-āu, sio keh bô kúi kò-goe̍h, nn̄g-ūi lú-sū lóng sit-khì yin ê sian-siⁿ. Nn̄g-lâng lóng ū tì-sàng hoe-khian kap ùi-būn, chò kah chiâⁿ sek-tòng, tī song-sū ê ai-chhiû tiong-kan, mā té-chām hôe-ho̍k nn̄g-lâng ê chhin-bi̍t iú-gî; iá taⁿ, iū keng-kòe chi̍t-tōaⁿ bē-té ê sî-tōaⁿ, yin koh tī Roma sio-tú, tòa kāng-keng hotel, sûi-lâng lóng tòe chi̍t-ê pí lāu-bú khah bí-lē chhut-sek ê cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ. Sio-kāng ê miā-ūn koh kā yin khiú chò-hóe, sek-ha̍p tâng-chê phah chhiò-khoe, koh hō͘-siong sêng-jīn, kóng, nā kóng í-chêng ê lâng boeh "tòe ē-tio̍h" cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ chin thiám, iá taⁿ ê lâng, nā bô án-ne chò, ū-sî-chūn sī ē chin bô-liâu neh.
Slade Tt ka-tī án-ne siūⁿ, yi kám-kak ka-tī ê bô-gī-niū tiāⁿ-tio̍h pí khó-liân ê Grace koh khah giâm-tiōng. Ùi Delphin Slade ê thài-thài piàn-chò i ê kóa-hū, ßū chin tōa ê lo̍h-chha. Yi chhiâng-chāi jīn-ûi (tòa tio̍h hun-in ê chū-hô-kám), ka-tī ū kap i kāng-khoán ê siā-kau thian-hūn, mā chò chhut yi hit-hūn ê kòng-hiàn, lâi chiâⁿ-chò siā-kau-khian nih ê chhut-sek hu-chhe: m̄-koh in-ūi án-ne, i ê sí sī bô hoat-tō͘ pó͘-siông ê. Yin ang sī chhut-miâ ê siong-bū lu̍t-su, chhiú tiong put-sî ū chi̍t/nn̄g ê kok-chè-sèng ê àn-kiāⁿ, chò-ûi lu̍t-su ê thài-thài, ta̍k-kang mā ū chhì-kek koh lîm-sî lîm-iāu ê sū-kiāⁿ thang hō͘ yi piáu-hiān: chhin-chhiūⁿ kóng, chek-sî chiau-thāi ùi gōa-kok lâi ê tiōng-iàu tông-sū, kín-piāng-piāng chhut-chhai kàu London, Paris, a̍h Roma, tī hia koh chiap-siū pa̍t-lâng ê chhin-chhiat chiau-thāi; kéng-chhéⁿ ê sî ē thiaⁿ tio̍h chit-lō hó-sńg ê ōe: "Siáⁿ, hit-ê chhēng-chhah ko-ngá, ba̍k-chiu ū-sîn ê bí-lē cha-bó͘ sī Slade Tt -- Slade ê bó͘! Bô kán-tan! It-poaⁿ lâi kóng, chhut-miâ ê lâng ê thài-thài lóng chin làu-chhē."
Sī ah; án-ne liáu-āu, chò-ûi Slade ê kóa-hū sī chin bô-liâu ê tāi-chì. Kòe-khì ūi tio̍h sêng-choân ang, yi iōng-chīn só͘-ū ê pún-léng; taⁿ kan-ta ūi cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ teh oa̍h, in-ūi hit-ê ká-ná ū thoân tio̍h lāu-pē thian-châi ê hau-seⁿ tī gín-á-sî hut-jiân chá-sí. Yi jím kòe hit-tōaⁿ sí kiáⁿ ê thòng-khó͘, in-ūi ū ang tī leh, su-iàu yi kā pang-chān, i mā ē pang-chān yi; taⁿ, lāu-pē mā sí, tùi hit-ê gín-á ê su-liām soah koh khah bē-kam-tit. Siáⁿ lóng bô ah, kan-ta cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ tio̍h chiàu-kò͘; iá chhin-ài ê Jenny sī hiah-nī-á koai-khá, yi mā bô su-iàu kòe-thâu chhau-sim. "Taⁿ tú tio̍h Babs Ansley, góa soah bô siáⁿ ōe-tê thang kóng," Slade Tt ū-sî ē pòaⁿ him-siān án-ne hoán-séng; m̄-koh, Jenny pí yin hit-ê khiáu pêng-iú khah siàu-liân, si̍t-chāi chin lân-tit, sī chi̍t-ê ke̍k súi ê chă-gín-á, yi ê siàu-liân kap bí-lē, ū a̍h bô ká-ná lóng kāng-khoán an-choân. Che lóng hō͘ lâng khùn-he̍k -- tùi Slade Tt lâi kóng, che hō͘ yi kám-kak bô-liâu. Yi hi-bāng Jenny khì loân-ài -- sīm-chì khì ài tio̍h bô sek-tòng ê cha-po͘; án-ne yi tō su-iàu lâng khòaⁿ-kò͘, koán-chè, kái-kiù. M̄-koh, soah sī Jenny teh khòaⁿ-kò͘ lāu-bú, mài hō͘ yi kám tio̍h hóng, khak-tēng yi ū lim pó͘-io̍h-chiú...
Ansley Tt bô chhiūⁿ yin pêng-iú hiah-nī gâu kóng-ōe, yi sim-tiong tùi Slade Tt ê khòaⁿ-hoat khah kán-tan, mā khah bô bêng-khak. "Alida Slade ke̍k chhut-sek; m̄-koh bô kàu yi ka-tī siūⁿ ê hiah lī-hāi," ē-sái án-ne lâi chò chi̍t-ê kiat-lūn; m̄-koh ūi tio̍h hō͘ chheⁿ-hūn-lâng chi̍t-ê khai-phòa, yi ē koh án-ne pó͘-chhiong kóng: Slade Tt kòe-khì it-hiòng chin oa̍h-thiàu; pí yin cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ ke chē-chē, hit-ê cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ súi sī súi, bó͘ chi̍t hong-bīn lâi kóng mā sǹg khiáu, m̄-koh oân-choân bô yin lāu-bú ê "oa̍t-phoat"... hmh, ū-lâng bat án-ne kóng. Bô m̄-tio̍h; Jenny kap yin lāu-bú bô kāng. Ū-sî-chūn, Ansley Tt jīn-ûi Slade Tt it-tēng chin sit-bōng; yi ê chit sì-lâng chí-sī siong-sim, chhiong-móa tio̍h sit-pāi kap chhò-gō͘. Ansley Tt chóng-sī kám-kak tông-chêng, thè yi khó-liân...
Chit nn̄g-ê lú-sū án-ne khòaⁿ-thāi tùi-hong, lóng thàng-kòe the̍h m̄-tio̍h thâu ê tiàu-kiàⁿ teh khòaⁿ tùi-hong.
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2. 兩人互相 ê 了解無濟
Yin 朋友歹勢歹勢 kā 看一下, 講: "當初我 tō 無應該想講你是浪漫感性, Alida."
"Hmh, 凡勢我彼陣是無." Slade Tt 目皮 niauh 一下 teh 反省; 經過一睏, 這兩个自細漢 tō 真親 ê 女士, lóng teh 思考兩人互相 ê 了解實在是無濟. 兩人私底下 lóng 有一个標頭通貼 tī 對方 ê 名; 舉例來講, Delphin Slade Tt ka-tī án-ne 想, mā kā 別人講, Horace Ansley Tt tī 25 年前是 gōa-nī-á 美麗 -- 袂, 你袂相信, 你敢會! 雖然猶是迷人, 出眾... Hmh, 囡仔時, 她足媠; 比姻查某囝 Barbara koh 較媠, 雖罔, 照現代標準, Babs 當然較巧 -- its 人講 ê, 較 khiàng-kha. 奇怪, 毋知她是 ùi 佗位得著 he, 她 ê 爸母兩个 lóng 是 tūn-tūn. 著; Horace Ansley 是 -- hmh, 會使講 tō 是 in 某 ê 翻版, 是老 New York 博物館 ê 典藏品, 好看, 無通嫌, 是好模範. 有幾若年, Slade Tt 和 Ansley Tt 蹛相對向 -- 毋但地點, 事事項項 mā án-ne. 東 73 街 20 號 ê 客廳窗仔簾換新 ê 時, 對面 ê 23 號彼戶 lóng 隨 tō 知. Koh 有, 所有 ê 行動, 採買, 旅行, 紀念日, 破病 -- 所有這對可敬翁某 ê 忠實記事, 真少閃會過 Slade Tt ê 注意. 等姻翁 tī Wall 大街大捙拚 ê 時, 她已經厭僐這, koh 來, 等 in tī 高級 Park 大街買厝 ê 時, 她開始 án-ne 想: "我甘願蹛 tī 一間地下酒吧 ê 對面通有一个變化; 上無 mā 會當看著伊去 hông 臨檢." 彼个 Grace 去 hông 臨檢 ê 想法誠好耍, (未搬厝以前) 她 tī 查某伴食中晝 ê 時 kā 講出來. Án-ne 煞真轟動, 流傳幾若輾轉 -- 有時她懷疑, 毋知敢有傳到街路 ê 對面, 到 Ansley Tt hia. 她希望是無, m̄-koh 她 mā 無講蓋在意. Tī 彼个年代, siuⁿ 好禮顛倒 hông 看輕, 對條直忠厚 ê 人小 kā 笑一下 mā 無啥物妨害.
幾年了後, 相隔無幾個月, 兩位女士 lóng 失去姻 ê 先生. 兩人 lóng 有致送花圈 kap 慰問, 做 kah 誠適當, tī 喪事 ê 哀愁中間, mā 短站回復兩人 ê 親密友誼; iá 今, 又經過一段袂短 ê 時段, 姻 koh tī Roma 相拄, 蹛仝間 hotel, 隨人 lóng 綴一个比老母較美麗出色 ê 查某囝. 相仝 ê 命運 koh kā 姻搝做伙, 適合同齊拍笑詼, koh 互相承認, 講, 若講以前 ê 人欲 "綴會著" 查某囝真忝, iá 今 ê 人, 若無 án-ne 做, 有時陣是會真無聊 neh.
Slade Tt ka-tī án-ne 想, 她感覺 ka-tī ê 無議量定著比可憐 ê Grace koh 較嚴重. Ùi Delphin Slade ê 太太變做伊 ê 寡婦, 有真大 ê 落差. 她常在認為 (帶著婚姻 ê 自豪感), ka-tī 有 kap 伊仝款 ê 社交天份, mā 做出她彼份 ê 貢獻, 來成做社交圈 nih ê 出色夫妻: m̄-koh 因為 án-ne, 伊 ê 死是無法度補償 ê. 姻翁是出名 ê 商務律師, 手中不時有一兩个國際性 ê 案件, 做為律師 ê 太太, 逐工 mā 有刺激 koh 臨時臨曜 ê 事件通予她表現: 親像講, 即時招待 ùi 外國來 ê 重要同事, 緊 piāng-piāng 出差到 London, Paris, a̍h Roma, tī hia koh 接受別人 ê 親切招待; 警醒 ê 時會聽著 chit-lō 好耍 ê 話: "啥, 彼个穿插高雅, 目睭有神 ê 美麗查某是 Slade Tt -- Slade ê 某! 無簡單! 一般來講, 出名 ê 人 ê 太太 lóng 真 làu-chhē."
是 ah; án-ne 了後, 做為 Slade ê 寡婦是真無聊 ê 代誌. 過去為著成全翁, 她用盡所有 ê 本領; 今干焦為查某囝 teh 活, 因為彼个 ká-ná 有傳著老爸天才 ê 後生 tī 囡仔時忽然早死. 她忍過彼段死囝 ê 痛苦, 因為有翁 tī leh, 需要她 kā 幫贊, 伊 mā 會幫贊她; 今, 老爸 mā 死, 對彼个囡仔 ê 思念煞 koh 較袂堪得. 啥 lóng 無 ah, 干焦查某囝著照顧; iá 親愛 ê Jenny 是 hiah-nī-á 乖巧, 她 mā 無需要過頭操心. "今拄著 Babs Ansley, 我煞無啥話題通講," Slade Tt 有時會半欣羨 án-ne 反省; m̄-koh, Jenny 比姻彼个巧朋友較少年, 實在真難得, 是一个極媠 ê chă 囡仔, 她 ê 少年 kap 美麗, 有 a̍h 無 ká-ná lóng 仝款安全. 這 lóng 予人困惑 -- 對 Slade Tt 來講, 這予她感覺無聊. 她希望 Jenny 去戀愛 -- 甚至去愛著無適當 ê 查埔; án-ne 她 tō 需要人看顧, 管制, 解救. M̄-koh, 煞是 Jenny teh 看顧老母, 莫予她感著風, 確定她有啉補藥酒...
Ansley Tt 無像姻朋友 hiah-nī gâu 講話, 她心中對 Slade Tt ê 看法較簡單, mā 較無明確. "Alida Slade 極出色; m̄-koh 無夠她 ka-tī 想 ê hiah 厲害," 會使 án-ne 來做一个結論; m̄-koh 為著予生份人一个開破, 她會 koh án-ne 補充講: Slade Tt 過去一向真活跳; 比姻查某囝加濟濟, 彼个查某囝媠是媠, 某一方面來講 mā 算巧, m̄-koh 完全無姻老母 ê "活潑"... hmh, 有人 bat án-ne 講. 無毋著; Jenny kap 姻老母無仝. 有時陣, Ansley Tt 認為 Slade Tt 一定真失望; 她 ê 這世人只是傷心, 充滿著失敗 kap 錯誤. Ansley Tt 總是感覺同情, 替她可憐...
這兩个女士 án-ne 看待對方, lóng 迵過提毋著頭 ê 召鏡 teh 看對方.
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2.
Her friend gave her a shy glance. "I never should have supposed you were sentimental, Alida."
"Well, perhaps I wasn't." Mrs. Slade drew her lids together in retrospect; and for a few moments the two ladies, who had been intimate since childhood, reflected how little they knew each other. Each one, of course, had a label ready to attach to the other's name; Mrs. Delphin Slade, for instance, would have told herself, or anyone who asked her, that Mrs. Horace Ansley, twenty-five years ago, had been exquisitely lovely--no, you wouldn't believe it, would you! though, of course, still charming, distinguished.... Well, as a girl she had been exquisite; far more beautiful than her daughter, Barbara, though certainly Babs, according to the new standards at any rate, was more effective--had more edge, as they say. Funny where she got it, with those two nullities as parents. Yes; Horace Ansley was--well, just the duplicate of his wife. Museum specimens of old New York. Good-looking, irreproachable, exemplary. Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley had lived opposite each other--actually as well as figuratively--for years. When the drawing-room curtains in No. 20 East Seventy-third Street were renewed, No. 23, across the way, was always aware of it. And of all the movings, buyings, travels, anniversaries, illnesses--the tame chronicle of an estimable pair. Little of it escaped Mrs. Slade. But she had grown bored with it by the time her husband made his big coup in Wall Street, and when they bought in upper Park Avenue had already begun to think: "I'd rather live opposite a speakeasy for a change; at least one might see it raided." The idea of seeing Grace raided was so amusing that (before the move) she launched it at a woman's lunch. It made a hit, and went the rounds--she sometimes wondered if it had crossed the street, and reached Mrs. Ansley. She hoped not, but didn't much mind. Those were the days when respectability was at a discount, and it did the irreproachable no harm to laugh at them a little.
A few years later, and not many months apart, both ladies lost their husbands. There was an appropriate exchange of wreaths and condolences, and a brief renewal of intimacy in the half shadow of their mourning; and now, after another interval, they had run across each other in Rome, at the same hotel, each of them the modest appendage of a salient daughter. The similarity of their lot had again drawn them together, lending itself to mild jokes, and the mutual confession that, if in old days it must have been tiring to "keep up" with daughters, it was now, at times, a little dull not to.
No doubt, Mrs. Slade reflected, she felt her unemployment more than poor Grace ever would. It was a big drop from being the wife of Delphin Slade to being his widow. She had always regarded herself (with a certain conjugal pride) as his equal in social gifts, as contributing her full share to the making of the exceptional couple they were: but the difference after his death was irremediable. As the wife of the famous corporation lawyer, always with an international case or two on hand, every day brought its exciting and unexpected obligation: the impromptu entertaining of eminent colleagues from abroad, the hurried dashes on legal business to London, Paris or Rome, where the entertaining was so handsomely reciprocated; the amusement of hearing in her wakes: "What, that handsome woman with the good clothes and the eyes is Mrs. Slade--the Slade's wife! Really! Generally the wives of celebrities are such frumps."
Yes; being the Slade's widow was a dullish business after that. In living up to such a husband all her faculties had been engaged; now she had only her daughter to live up to, for the son who seemed to have inherited his father's gifts had died suddenly in boyhood. She had fought through that agony because her husband was there, to be helped and to help; now, after the father's death, the thought of the boy had become unbearable. There was nothing left but to mother her daughter; and dear Jenny was such a perfect daughter that she needed no excessive mothering. "Now with Babs Ansley I don't know that I should be so quiet," Mrs. Slade sometimes half-enviously reflected; but Jenny, who was younger than her brilliant friend, was that rare accident, an extremely pretty girl who somehow made youth and prettiness seem as safe as their absence. It was all perplexing--and to Mrs. Slade a little boring. She wished that Jenny would fall in love--with the wrong man, even; that she might have to be watched, out-maneuvered, rescued. And instead, it was Jenny who watched her mother, kept her out of drafts, made sure that she had taken her tonic...
Mrs. Ansley was much less articulate than her friend, and her mental portrait of Mrs. Slade was slighter, and drawn with fainter touches. "Alida Slade's awfully brilliant; but not as brilliant as she thinks," would have summed it up; though she would have added, for the enlightenment of strangers, that Mrs. Slade had been an extremely dashing girl; much more so than her daughrer, who was pretty, of course, and clever in a way, but had none of her mother's--well, "vividness," someone had once called it. Mrs. Ansley would take up current words like this, and cite them in quotation marks, as unheard-of audacities. No; Jenny was not like her mother. Sometimes Mrs. Ansley thought Alida Slade was disappointed; on the whole she had had a sad life. Full of failures and mistakes; Mrs. Ansley had always been rather sorry for her....
So these two ladies visualized each other, each through the wrong end of her little telescope.
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