The small, round table, immaculately set, was drawn3 near the open window. There were some tall plants in boxes on the gallery outside; and Pousette, a little, old, intensely black woman, was splashing and dashing buckets of water on the flagging, and talking loud in her Creole patois4 to no one in particular.
A dish piled with delicate river-shrimps and crushed ice was on the table; a caraffe of crystal-clear water, a few hors d’œuvres, beside a small golden-brown crusty loaf of French bread at each plate. A half-bottle of wine and the morning paper were set at the place opposite Athénaïse.
She had almost completed her breakfast when Gouvernail came in and seated himself at table. He felt annoyed at finding his cherished privacy invaded. Sylvie was removing 78the remains5 of a mutton-chop from before Athénaïse, and serving her with a cup of café au lait.
“M’sieur Gouvernail,” offered Sylvie in her most insinuating6 and impressive manner, “you please leave me make you acquaint’ wid Madame Cazeau. Dat’s M’sieur Miché’s sister; you meet ’im two t’ree time’, you rec’lec’, an’ been one day to de race wid ’im. Madame Cazeau, you please leave me make you acquaint’ wid M’sieur Gouvernail.”
Gouvernail expressed himself greatly pleased to meet the sister of Monsieur Miché, of whom he had not the slightest recollection. He inquired after Monsieur Miché’s health, and politely offered Athénaïse a part of his newspaper,—the part which contained the Woman’s Page and the social gossip.
Athénaïse faintly remembered that Sylvie had spoken of a Monsieur Gouvernail occupying the room adjoining hers, living amid luxurious7 surroundings and a multitude of books. She had not thought of him further than to picture him a stout8, middle-aged9 gentleman, with a bushy beard turning gray, wearing large gold-rimmed spectacles, and stooping somewhat 79from much bending over books and writing material. She had confused him in her mind with the likeness10 of some literary celebrity11 that she had run across in the advertising12 pages of a magazine.
Gouvernail’s appearance was, in truth, in no sense striking. He looked older than thirty and younger than forty, was of medium height and weight, with a quiet, unobtrusive manner which seemed to ask that he be let alone. His hair was light brown, brushed carefully and parted in the middle. His mustache was brown, and so were his eyes, which had a mild, penetrating13 quality. He was neatly14 dressed in the fashion of the day; and his hands seemed to Athénaïse remarkably15 white and soft for a man’s.
He had been buried in the contents of his newspaper, when he suddenly realized that some further little attention might be due to Miché’s sister. He started to offer her a glass of wine, when he was surprised and relieved to find that she had quietly slipped away while he was absorbed in his own editorial on Corrupt16 Legislation.
80Gouvernail finished his paper and smoked his cigar out on the gallery. He lounged about, gathered a rose for his buttonhole, and had his regular Sunday-morning confab with Pousette, to whom he paid a weekly stipend17 for brushing his shoes and clothing. He made a great pretense18 of haggling19 over the transaction, only to enjoy her uneasiness and garrulous20 excitement.
He worked or read in his room for a few hours, and when he quitted the house, at three in the afternoon, it was to return no more till late at night. It was his almost invariable custom to spend Sunday evenings out in the American quarter, among a congenial set of men and women,—des esprits forts, all of them, whose lives were irreproachable21, yet whose opinions would startle even the traditional “sapeur,“ for whom “nothing is sacred.” But for all his “advanced” opinions, Gouvernail was a liberal-minded fellow; a man or woman lost nothing of his respect by being married.
When he left the house in the afternoon, Athénaïse had already ensconced herself on the front balcony. He could see her through the jalousies when he passed on his way to the 81front entrance. She had not yet grown lonesome or homesick; the newness of her surroundings made them sufficiently22 entertaining. She found it diverting to sit there on the front balcony watching people pass by, even though there was no one to talk to. And then the comforting, comfortable sense of not being married!
She watched Gouvernail walk down the street, and could find no fault with his bearing. He could hear the sound of her rockers for some little distance. He wondered what the “poor little thing” was doing in the city, and meant to ask Sylvie about her when he should happen to think of it.
点击收听单词发音
1 situated | |
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 glistening | |
adj.闪耀的,反光的v.湿物闪耀,闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 patois | |
n.方言;混合语 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 insinuating | |
adj.曲意巴结的,暗示的v.暗示( insinuate的现在分词 );巧妙或迂回地潜入;(使)缓慢进入;慢慢伸入 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 luxurious | |
adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 middle-aged | |
adj.中年的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 likeness | |
n.相像,相似(之处) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 celebrity | |
n.名人,名流;著名,名声,名望 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 advertising | |
n.广告业;广告活动 a.广告的;广告业务的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 penetrating | |
adj.(声音)响亮的,尖锐的adj.(气味)刺激的adj.(思想)敏锐的,有洞察力的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 neatly | |
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 remarkably | |
ad.不同寻常地,相当地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 corrupt | |
v.贿赂,收买;adj.腐败的,贪污的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 stipend | |
n.薪贴;奖学金;养老金 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 pretense | |
n.矫饰,做作,借口 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 haggling | |
v.讨价还价( haggle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 garrulous | |
adj.唠叨的,多话的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 irreproachable | |
adj.不可指责的,无过失的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |