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第53节

the moon and sixpence(月球和六便士)-第53节

小说: the moon and sixpence(月球和六便士) 字数: 每页4000字

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                                 Chapter LV 



       Mr。   Coutras   was   an   old   Frenchman   of   great   stature   and   exceeding 

bulk。    His body was shaped like a huge duck's egg; and his eyes; sharp; 

blue; and good…natured; rested now and then with self…satisfaction on his 

enormous   paunch。        His   complexion   was   florid   and   his   hair   white。  He 

was a man to attract immediate sympathy。              He received us in a room that 

might have been in a house in a provincial town in France; and the one or 

two Polynesian curios had an odd look。             He took my hand in both of his … 

… they were huge  and gave me a hearty look; in which; however; was 

great    shrewdness。      When      he  shook    hands    with   Capitaine    Brunot    he 

enquired   politely   after   。    For   some   minutes 

there was an exchange of courtesies and some local gossip about the island; 

the prospects of copra and the vanilla crop; then we came to the object of 

my visit。 

     I shall not tell what Dr。 Coutras related to me in his words; but in my 

own;   for   I   cannot   hope   to   give   at   second   hand   any   impression   of   his 

vivacious delivery。       He had a deep; resonant voice; fitted to his massive 

frame;   and   a   keen   sense   of   the   dramatic。 To   listen   to   him   was;   as   the 

phrase goes; as good as a play; and much better than most。 

     It appears that Dr。 Coutras had gone one day to Taravao in order to see 

an old chiefess who was ill; and he gave a vivid picture of the obese old 

lady; lying in a huge bed; smoking cigarettes; and surrounded by a crowd 

of dark…skinned retainers。 When he had seen her he was taken into another 

room and given dinner      raw fish;  fried bananas;  and   chicken    ; the typical dinner of the   and while he was eating 

it   he   saw   a   young   girl   being   driven   away   from   the   door   in   tears。 He 

thought nothing of it; but when he went out to get into his trap and drive 

home; he saw her again; standing a little way off; she looked at him with a 

woebegone air; and tears streamed down her cheeks。                 He asked someone 

what was wrong with her; and was told that she had come down from the 

hills to ask him to visit a white man who was sick。             They had told her that 

the doctor could not be disturbed。          He called her; and himself asked what 

she wanted。 She told him that Ata had sent her; she who used to be at the 



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                                     The Moon and Sixpence 



Hotel de la Fleur; and that the Red One was ill。             She thrust into his hand a 

crumpled   piece   of   newspaper;   and   when   he   opened   it   he   found   in   it   a 

hundred…franc note。 

     〃Who is the Red One?〃 he asked of one of the bystanders。 

     He was told that that was what they called the Englishman; a painter; 

who   lived   with Ata   up   in   the   valley   seven   kilometres   from   where   they 

were。      He     recognised     Strickland     by    the   description。     But     it  was 

necessary to walk。         It was impossible for him to go; that was why they 

had sent the girl away。 

     〃I confess;〃 said the doctor; turning to me; 〃that I hesitated。              I did not 

relish   fourteen   kilometres   over   a   bad   pathway;  and   there   was no   chance 

that I could get back to Papeete that night。              Besides; Strickland was not 

sympathetic to me。         He was an idle; useless scoundrel; who preferred to 

live with a native woman rather than work for his living like the rest of us。 

; how was I to know that one day the world would come to 

the   conclusion   that   he   had   genius?   I   asked   the   girl   if   he   was   not   well 

enough to have come down to see me。                I asked her what she thought was 

the    matter   with   him。    She   would     not  answer。     I   pressed    her;  angrily 

perhaps; but she looked down   on the ground and   began to cry。                    Then   I 

shrugged my shoulders; after all; perhaps it was my duty to go; and in a 

very bad temper I bade her lead the way。〃 

     His temper was certainly no better when he arrived; perspiring freely 

and thirsty。     Ata was on the look…out for him; and came a little way along 

the path to meet him。 

     〃Before   I   see   anyone   give   me   something   to   drink   or   I   shall   die   of 

thirst;〃 he cried out。      〃

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