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the hunchback-第3节

小说: the hunchback 字数: 每页4000字

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Julia。  Helen; you know the adage of the tree; …
I've ta'en the bend。  This rural life of mine;
Enjoined me by an unknown father's will;
I've led from infancy。  Debarred from hope
Of change; I ne'er have sighed for change。  The town
To me was like the moon; for any thought
I e'er should visit itnor was I schooled
To think it half so fair!

Helen。  Not half so fair!
The town's the sun; and thou hast dwelt in night
E'er since thy birth; not to have seen the town!
Their women there are queens; and kings their men;
Their houses palaces!

Julia。  And what of that?
Have your town…palaces a hall like this?
Couches so fragrant? walls so high…adorned?
Casements with such festoons; such prospects; Helen;
As these fair vistas have?  Your kings and queens!
See me a May…day queen; and talk of them!

Helen。  Extremes are ever neighbours。  'Tis a step
From one to the other!  Were thy constancy
A reasonable thinga little less
Of constancya woman's constancy …
I should not wonder wert thou ten years hence
The maid I know thee now; but; as it is;
The odds are ten to one; that this day year
Will see our May…day queen a city one!

Julia。  Never!  I'm wedded to a country life:
O; did you hear what Master Walter says!
Nine times in ten the town's a hollow thing;
Where what things are is nought to what they show;
Where merit's name laughs merit's self to scorn!
Where friendship and esteem that ought to be
The tenants of men's hearts; lodge in their looks
And tongues alone。  Where little virtue; with
A costly keeper; passes for a heap;
A heap for none that has a homely one!
Where fashion makes the lawyour umpire which
You bow to; whether it has brains or not!
Where Folly taketh off his cap and bells;
To clap on Wisdom; which must bear the jest!
Where to pass current you must seem the thing;
The passive thing; that others think; and not
Your simple; honest; independent self!

Helen。  Ay:  so says Master Walter。  See I not
What can you find in Master Walter; Julia;
To be so fond of him!

Julia。  He's fond of me!
I've known him since I was a child。  E'en then;
The week I thought a weary; heavy one;
That brought not Master Walter。  I had those
About me then that made a fool of me;
As children oft are fooled; but more I loved
Good Master Walter's lesson than the play
With which they'd surfeit me。  As I grew up;
More frequent Master Walter came; and more
I loved to see him!  I had tutors then;
Men of great skill and learningbut not one
That taught like Master Walter。  What they'd show me;
And I; dull as I was; but doubtful saw; …
A word from Master Walter made as clear
As daylight!  When my schooling days were o'er …
That's now good three years pastthree yearsI vow
I'm twenty; Helen!well; as I was saying;
When I had done with school; and all were gone;
Still Master Walter came! and still he comes;
Summer or winterfrost or rain!  I've seen
The snow upon a level with the hedge;
Yet there was Master Walter!

Helen。  Who comes here?
A carriage; and a gay onewho alights?
Pshaw!  Only Master Walter!  What see you;
Which thus repairs the arch of the fair brow;
A frown was like to spoil?A gentleman!
One of our town kings!  Mark!How say you now?
Wouldst be a town queen; Julia?  Which of us;
I wonder; comes he for?

Julia。  For neither of us;
He's Master Walter's clerk; most like。

Helen。  Most like!
Mark him as he comes up the avenue;
So looks a clerk!  A clerk has such a gait!
So does a clerk dress; Julia!mind his hose …
They're very like a clerk's! a diamond loop
And button; note you; for his clerkship's hat; …
O; certainly a clerk!  A velvet cloak;
Jerkin of silk; and doublet of the same; …
For all the world a clerk!  See; Julia; see;
How Master Walter bows; and yields him place;
That he may first go ina very clerk!
I'll learn of thee; love; when I'd know a clerk!

Julia。  I wonder who he is!

Helen。  Wouldst like to know?
Wouldst for a fancy ride to town with him?
I prophesy he comes to take thee thither!

Julia。  He ne'er takes me to town!  No; Helen; no!
To town who will; a country life for me!

Helen。  We'll see!

'Enter FATHOM。'

Fath。  You're wanted; madam。

Julia。  'Embarrassed。'  Which of us?

Fath。  You; madam。

Helen。  Julia! what's the matter?  Nay;
Mount not the rose so soon!  He must not see it
A month hence。  'Tis loves flower; which once she wears;
The maid is all his own。

Julia。  Go to!

Helen。  Be sure
He comes to woo thee!  He will bear thee hence;
He'll make thee change the country for the town。

Julia。  I'm constancy。  Name he the town to me;
I'll tell what I think on't!

Helen。  Then you guess
He comes a wooing?

Julia。  I guess nought。

Helen。  You do!
At your grave words; your lips; more honest; smile;
And show them to be traitors。  Hie to him。

Julia。  Hie thee to soberness。

'Goes out。'

Helen。  Ay; will I; when;
Thy bridemaid; I shall hie to church with thee。
Well; Fathom; who is come?

Fath。  I know not。

Helen。  What!  Didst thou not hear his name?

Fath。  I did。

Helen。  What is't?

Fath。  I noted not。

Helen。  What hast thou ears for; then?

Fath。  What good were it for me to mind his name?
I do but what I must do。  To do that
Is labour quite enough!

Wal。  'Without。'  What; Fathom!

Fath。  Here。

Wal。  'Entering。'  Here; sirrah!  Wherefore didst not come to me?

Fath。  You did not bid me come。

Wal。  I called thee。

Fath。  Yes。
And I said 〃Here;〃 and waited then to know
Your worship's will with me。

Wal。  We go to town。
Thy mistress; thou; and all the house。

Fath。  Well; sir?

Wal。  Mak'st thou not ready then to go to town?
Hence; knave; despatch!

'FATHOM goes out。'

Helen。  Go we to town?

Wal。  We do;
'Tis now her father's will she sees the town。

Helen。  I'm glad on't。  Goes she to her father?

Wal。  No:
At the desire of thine she for a term shares roof with thee。

Helen。  I'm very glad on't。

Wal。  What!
You like her; then?  I thought you would。  'Tis time
She sees the town。

Helen。  It has been time for that
These six years。

Wal。  By thy wisdom's count。  No doubt
You've told her what a precious place it is。

Helen。  I have。

Wal。  I even guessed as much。  For that
I told thee of her; brought thee here to see her;
And prayed thee to sojourn a space with her;
That its fair space; from thy too fair report;
Might strike a novice lessso less deceive her。
I did not put thee under check。

Helen。  'Twas right; …
Else had I broken loose; and run the wilder!
So knows she not her father yet:  that's strange。
I prithee how does mine?

Wal。  Wellvery well。
News for thee。

Helen。  What?

Wal。  Thy cousin is in town。

Helen。  My cousin Modus?

Wal。  Much do I suspect
That cousin's nearer to thy heart than blood。

Helen。  Pshaw!  Wed me to a musty library!
Love him who nothing loves but Greek and Latin!
But; Master Walter; you forget the main
Surpassing point of all!  Who's come with you?

Wal。  Ay; that's the question!

Helen。  Is he soldier or
Civilian? lord or gentleman?  He's rich;
If that's his chariot!  Where is his estate?
What brings it in?  Six thousand pounds a year?
Twelve thousand; may be!  Is he bachelor;
Or husband?  Bachelor I'm sure he is
Comes he not hither wooing; Master Walter?
Nay; prithee; answer me!

Wal。  Who says thy sex
Are curious?  That they're patient; I'll be sworn;
And reasonablevery reasonable …
To look for twenty answers in a breath!
Come; thou shalt be enlightenedbut propound
Thy questions one by one!  Thou'rt far too apt
A scholar!  My ability to teach
Will ne'er keep pace; I fear; with thine to learn。

'They go out。'


SCENE III。An Apartment in the House。


'Enter JULIA; followed by CLIFFORD。'

Julia。  No more!  I pray you; sir; no more!

Clif。  I love you!

Julia。  You mock me; sir!

Clif。  Then is there no such thing
On earth as reverence; honour filial; the fear
Of kings; the awe of supreme heaven itself;
Are only shows and sounds that stand for nothing。
I love you!

Julia。  You have known me scarce a minute!

Clif。  Say but a moment; still I say I love you!
Love's not a flower that grows on the dull earth;
Springs by the calendar; must wait for the sun …
For rain;matures by parts;must take its time
To stem; to leaf; to bud; to blow。  It owns
A richer soil; and boasts a quicker seed!
You look for it; and see it not; and lo!
E'en while you look; the peerless flower is up。
Consummate in the birth!

Julia。  Is't fear I feel?
Why else should beat my heart?  It can't be fear!
Something I needs must say。  You're from the town;
How comes it; sir; you seek a country wife?
Methinks 'twill tax his wit to answer that。

Clif。  In joining contrasts lieth love's delight。
Complexion; stature; nature; mateth it;
Not with their kinds; but with their opposites。
Hence hands of snow in palms of russet lie;
The form of Hercules affects the sylph's;
And breasts; that case the lion's fear…proof heart;
Find their meet lodge in arms where tremors dwell!
Haply for this; on Afric's swarthy neck;
Hath Europe's priceless pearl been seen to hang;
That makes the orient poor!  So with degrees;
Rank passes by the circlet…graced brow;
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