the awakening and selected short stories(苏醒)-第11部分
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hurry。〃
He had soon joined her。 She had never sent for him before。 She had
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never asked for him。 She had never seemed to want him before。 She
did not appear conscious that she had done anything unusual in
commanding his presence。 He was apparently equally unconscious of
anything extraordinary in the situation。 But his face was suffused with a
quiet glow when he met her。
They went together back to the kitchen to drink coffee。 There was no
time to wait for any nicety of service。 They stood outside the window
and the cook passed them their coffee and a roll； which they drank and ate
from the window…sill。 Edna said it tasted good。
She had not thought of coffee nor of anything。 He told her he had
often noticed that she lacked forethought。
〃Wasn't it enough to think of going to the Cheniere and waking you
up？〃 she laughed。 〃Do I have to think of everything？as Leonce says
when he's in a bad humor。 I don't blame him； he'd never be in a bad
humor if it weren't for me。〃
They took a short cut across the sands。 At a distance they could see
the curious procession moving toward the wharfthe lovers； shoulder to
shoulder； creeping； the lady in black； gaining steadily upon them； old
Monsieur Farival； losing ground inch by inch； and a young barefooted
Spanish girl； with a red kerchief on her head and a basket on her arm；
bringing up the rear。
Robert knew the girl； and he talked to her a little in the boat。 No one
present understood what they said。 Her name was Mariequita。 She had a
round； sly； piquant face and pretty black eyes。 Her hands were small； and
she kept them folded over the handle of her basket。 Her feet were broad
and coarse。 She did not strive to hide them。 Edna looked at her feet； and
noticed the sand and slime between her brown toes。
Beaudelet grumbled because Mariequita was there； taking up so much
room。 In reality he was annoyed at having old Monsieur Farival； who
considered himself the better sailor of the two。 But he he would not
quarrel with so old a man as Monsieur Farival； so he quarreled with
Mariequita。 The girl was deprecatory at one moment； appealing to
Robert。 She was saucy the next； moving her head up and down； making
〃eyes〃 at Robert and making 〃mouths〃 at Beaudelet。
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The Awakening and Selected Short Stories
The lovers were all alone。 They saw nothing； they heard nothing。
The lady in black was counting her beads for the third time。 Old
Monsieur Farival talked incessantly of what he knew about handling a
boat； and of what Beaudelet did not know on the same subject。
Edna liked it all。 She looked Mariequita up and down； from her ugly
brown toes to her pretty black eyes； and back again。
〃Why does she look at me like that？〃 inquired the girl of Robert。
〃Maybe she thinks you are pretty。 Shall I ask her？〃
〃No。 Is she your sweetheart？〃
〃She's a married lady； and has two children。〃
〃Oh！ well！ Francisco ran away with Sylvano's wife； who had four
children。 They took all his money and one of the children and stole his
boat。〃
〃Shut up！〃
〃Does she understand？〃
〃Oh； hush！〃
〃Are those two married over thereleaning on each other？〃
〃Of course not；〃 laughed Robert。
〃Of course not；〃 echoed Mariequita； with a serious； confirmatory bob
of the head。
The sun was high up and beginning to bite。 The swift breeze seemed
to Edna to bury the sting of it into the pores of her face and hands。
Robert held his umbrella over her。 As they went cutting sidewise through
the water； the sails bellied taut； with the wind filling and overflowing them。
Old Monsieur Farival laughed sardonically at something as he looked at
the sails； and Beaudelet swore at the old man under his breath。
Sailing across the bay to the Cheniere Caminada； Edna felt as if she
were being borne away from some anchorage which had held her fast；
whose chains had been looseninghad snapped the night before when the
mystic spirit was abroad； leaving her free to drift whithersoever she chose
to set her sails。 Robert spoke to her incessantly； he no longer noticed
Mariequita。 The girl had shrimps in her bamboo basket。 They were
covered with Spanish moss。 She beat the moss down impatiently； and
muttered to herself sullenly。
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〃Let us go to Grande Terre to…morrow？〃 said Robert in a low voice。
〃What shall we do there？〃
〃Climb up the hill to the old fort and look at the little wriggling gold
snakes； and watch the lizards sun themselves。〃
She gazed away toward Grande Terre and thought she would like to be
alone there with Robert； in the sun； listening to the ocean's roar and
watching the slimy lizards writhe in and out among the ruins of the old
fort。
〃And the next day or the next we can sail to the Bayou Brulow；〃 he
went on。
〃What shall we do there？〃
〃Anythingcast bait for fish。〃
〃No； we'll go back to Grande Terre。 Let the fish alone。〃
〃We'll go wherever you like；〃 he said。 〃I'll have Tonie come over and
help me patch and trim my boat。 We shall not need Beaudelet nor any
one。 Are you afraid of the pirogue？〃
〃Oh； no。〃
〃Then I'll take you some night in the pirogue when the moon shines。
Maybe your Gulf spirit will whisper to you in which of these islands the
treasures are hiddendirect you to the very spot； perhaps。〃
〃And in a day we should be rich！〃 she laughed。 〃I'd give it all to you；
the pirate gold and every bit of treasure we could dig up。 I think you
would know how to spend it。 Pirate gold isn't a thing to be hoarded or
utilized。 It is something to squander and throw to the four winds； for the
fun of seeing the golden specks fly。〃
〃We'd share it； and scatter it together；〃 he said。 His face flushed。
They all went together up to the quaint little Gothic church of Our
Lady of Lourdes； gleaming all brown and yellow with paint in the sun's
glare。
Only Beaudelet remained behind； tinkering at his boat； and Mariequita
walked away with her basket of shrimps； casting a look of childish ill
humor and reproach at Robert from the corner of her eye。
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The Awakening and Selected Short Stories
XIII
A feeling of oppression and drowsiness overcame Edna during the
service。 Her head began to ache； and the lights on the altar swayed
before her eyes。 Another time she might have made an effort to regain
her composure； but her one thought was to quit the stifling atmosphere of
the church and reach the open air。 She arose； climbing over Robert's feet
with a muttered apology。 Old Monsieur Farival； flurried； curious； stood
up； but upon seeing that Robert had followed Mrs。 Pontellier； he sank back
into his seat。 He whispered an anxious inquiry of the lady in black； who
did not notice him or reply； but kept her eyes fastened upon the pages of
her velvet prayer…book。
〃I felt giddy and almost overcome；〃 Edna said； lifting her hands
instinctively to her head and pushing her straw hat up from her forehead。
〃I couldn't have stayed through the service。〃 They were outside in the
shadow of the church。 Robert was full of solicitude。
〃It was folly to have thought of going in the first place； let alone
staying。 Come over to Madame Antoine's； you can rest there。〃 He took
her arm and led her away； looking anxiously and continuously down into
her face。
How still it was； with only the voice of the sea whispering through the
reeds that grew in the salt…water pools！ The long line of little gray；
weather…beaten houses nestled peacefully among the orange trees。 It
must always have been God's day on that low； drowsy island； Edna
thought。 They stopped； leaning over a jagged fence made of sea…drift； to
ask for water。 A youth； a mild…faced Acadian； was drawing water from
the cistern； which was nothing more than a rusty buoy； with an opening on
one side； sunk in the ground。 The water which the youth handed to them in
a tin pail was not cold to taste； but it was cool to her heated face； and it
greatly revived and refreshed her。
Madame Antoine's cot was at the far end of the village。 She
welcomed them with all the native
