狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第45章Part2

Edith went out alone that day, and returned home early. It was but a few minutes after ten o'clock, when her carriage rolled along the street in which she lived.
There was the same enforced composure on her face, that there had been when she was dressing; and the wreath upon her head encircled the same cold and steady brow. But it would have been better to have seen its leaves and flowers reft into fragments by her passionate hand, or rendered shapeless by the fitful searches of a throbbing and bewildered brain for any resting-place, than adorning such tranquillity. So obdurate, so unapproachable, so unrelenting, one would have thought that nothing could soften such a woman's nature, and that everything in life had hardened it.
Arrived at her own door, she was alighting, when some one coming quietly from the hall, and standing bareheaded, offered her his arm. The servant being thrust aside, she had no choice but to touch it; and she then knew whose arm it was.
'How is your patient, Sir?' she asked, with a curled lip.
'He is better,' returned Carker. 'He is doing very well. I have left him for the night.'
She bent her head, and was passing up the staircase, when he followed and said, speaking at the bottom:
'Madam! May I beg the favour of a minute's audience?'
She stopped and turned her eyes back 'It is an unseasonable time, Sir, and I am fatigued. Is your business urgent?'
'It is very urgent, returned Carker. 'As I am so fortunate as to have met you, let me press my petition.'
She looked down for a moment at his glistening mouth; and he looked up at her, standing above him in her stately dress, and thought, again, how beautiful she was.
'Where is Miss Dombey?' she asked the servant, aloud.
'In the morning room, Ma'am.'

那天伊迪絲獨自一人出去，回家得早。只不過十點零幾分鐘，她的馬車就往回開進了她所居住的街道。
她的臉上仍然保持着她先前化妝時同樣故意裝出的鎮靜，她頭上的花環依舊環繞在同樣冷靜的、沉着的前額上。可是如果能夠看到這些葉片和花朵被她激動易怒的手撕得粉碎，或者被她顫動的、不知所措的頭在尋找休息的地方時破壞得不成樣子的話，那麼這倒要比它們裝飾這平靜的前額更好一些。這女人是這樣執拗，這樣難以接近，這樣不屈不撓，因此人們會認爲，什麼也不能使她的性格溫柔下來，生活中的一切只是使它變得更爲強硬。
她到達門口，正要從馬車裏下來的時候，有一個人不聲不響地從前廳中走出來，沒有戴帽，站在那裏，向她伸過手來。僕人已被他推開；她沒有別的選擇；只好扶着它，這時候她才知道這是誰的手。
“您的病人怎樣了，先生？”她輕蔑地撇着嘴，問道。
“他好些了，”卡克回答道，”他恢復得很不錯。那天晚上我就離開他了。”
她低下頭，正沿着樓梯往上走去的時候，他跟在後面，在樓梯底下說道：
“夫人！我是否可以請求您接見一分鐘？”
她停下腳步，回過頭來。”現在不是個合適的時間，先生，我也累了。您的事情緊急嗎？”
“很緊急，”卡克回答道，”既然我已很幸運地遇見了您，請允許我重複我的請求吧。”
她向下往他閃閃發光的嘴巴看了一會兒，他則向上望着穿着豪華的服裝、站在上面的她，心裏又想着，她是多麼美麗啊。
“董貝小姐在哪裏？”她大聲地問僕人道。
“在起居室裏，夫人。”