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第58节

the moon and sixpence(月球和六便士)-第58节

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to say he's been recommended for the Military Cross。〃 

     She went   to   the door   and   called them。          There   entered a   tall   man   in 



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khaki;   with   the   parson's   collar;   handsome   in   a   somewhat   heavy   fashion; 

but   with   the   frank   eyes   that   I   remembered   in   him   as   a   boy。 He   was 

followed   by   his   sister。   She   must   have   been   the   same   age   as   was   her 

mother when first I knew her; and she was very like her。                    She too gave 

one the impression that as a girl she must have been prettier than indeed 

she was。 

     〃I suppose you don't remember them in the least;〃 said Mrs。 Strickland; 

proud and smiling。        〃My daughter is now Mrs。 Ronaldson。 Her husband's 

a Major in the Gunners。〃 

     〃He's    by   way     of  being    a  pukka     soldier;   you   know;〃     said   Mrs。 

Ronaldson gaily。        〃That's why he's only a Major。〃 

     I remembered my anticipation long ago that she would marry a soldier。 

It was inevitable。       She   had all the graces of the soldier's   wife。 She   was 

civil and affable; but she could hardly conceal her intimate conviction that 

she was not quite as others were。 Robert was breezy。 

     〃It's a bit of luck that I should be in London when you turned up;〃 he 

said。    〃I've only got three days' leave。〃 

     〃He's dying to get back;〃 said his mother。 

     〃Well;   I   don't   mind   confessing   it;   I   have   a   rattling   good   time   at   the 

front。    I've made a lot of good pals。          It's a first…rate life。 Of course war's 

terrible; and all that sort of thing; but it does bring out the best qualities in 

a man; there's no denying that。〃 

     Then I told them what I had learned about Charles Strickland in Tahiti。 

I thought it unnecessary to say anything of Ata and her boy; but for the rest 

I was as accurate as I could be。 When I had narrated his lamentable death I 

ceased。     For a minute or two we were all silent。             Then Robert Strickland 

struck a match and lit a cigarette。 

     〃The mills of God grind slowly; but they grind exceeding small;〃 he 

said; somewhat impressively。 

     Mrs。 Strickland and Mrs。 Ronaldson looked down with a slightly pious 

expression which indicated; I felt sure; that they thought the quotation was 

from  Holy  Writ。       Indeed;   I   was   unconvinced   that   Robert   Strickland   did 

not    share   their   illusion。   I  do  not   know     why    I  suddenly     thought    of 

Strickland's son by Ata。         They had told me he was a merry; light…hearted 



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youth。     I   saw   him;   with   my   mind's   eye;   on   the   schooner   on   which   he 

worked; wearing nothing but a pair of dungarees; and at night; when the 

boat sailed along easily before a light breeze; and the sailors were gathered 

on   the   upper   deck;   while   the   captain   and   the   supercargo   lolled   in   deck… 

chairs;   smoking   their   pipes;   I   saw   him   dance   with   another   lad;   dance 

wildly;   to   the   wheezy   music   of   the   concertina。 Above   was   the   blue   sky; 

and the stars; and all about the desert of the Pacific Ocean。 

     A quotation from the Bible came to my lips; but I held my tongue; for I 

know   that   clergymen   think   it   a   little   blasphemous   when   the   laity   poach 

upon   their   preserves。   My   Uncle   Henry;   for   twenty…seven   years   Vicar   of 

Whitstable;   was   on   these   occasions   in   the   habit   of   saying   that   the   devil 

could   always   quote   scripture   to   his   purpose。       He   remembered   the   days 

when you could get thirteen Royal Natives for a shilling。 

       The   end   of   the   Project   Gutenberg   Etext   of   Moon   and   Sixpence   by 

Somerset Maugham 



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