Wednesday evening Eric went to the orchard again; and again he was disappointed. He went home, determined to solve the mystery by open inquiry. Fortune favoured him, for he found Mrs. Williamson alone, sitting by the west window of her kitchen and knitting at a long gray sock. She hummed softly to herself as she knitted, and Timothy slept blackly at her feet. She looked at Eric with quiet affection in her large, candid eyes. She had liked Mr. West. But Eric had found his way into the inner chamber of her heart, by reason that his eyes were so like those of the little son she had buried in the Lindsay churchyard many years before.

星期三晚上，埃里克再次去了果树园，不过他又一次失望了。他回到家中，决心坦率地问个究竟，解开谜题。很幸运，因为他发现威廉森太太正独自一人坐在厨房西窗下，在织一只长长的灰袜子。她一边织补一边轻柔地哼着曲儿。蒂莫西在她脚边睡得正香。她看着埃里克，一双诚挚的大眼睛流露出沉静的慈爱。她曾经喜欢韦斯特先生。但是埃里克找到了俘获她内心的方法，因为他的眼睛和她那死去的小儿子的眼睛特别像。多年前，她将小儿子埋在林赛教堂的墓地里。

"Mrs. Williamson," said Eric, with an affectation of carelessness, "I chanced on an old deserted orchard back behind the woods over there last week, a charming bit of wilderness. Do you know whose it is?"

“威廉森太太，”埃里克装作漫不经心的样子，“我上周偶然在那边的树林后面发现了一个废弃的老果树园，尽管一片荒芜却很吸引人。您知道那是谁家的吗？”

"I suppose it must be the old Connors orchard," answered Mrs. Williamson after a moment's reflection. "I had forgotten all about it. It must be all of thirty years since Mr. and Mrs. Connors moved away. Their house and barns were burned down and they sold the land to Thomas Gordon and went to live in town. They're both dead now. Mr. Connors used to be very proud of his orchard. There weren't many orchards in Lindsay then, though almost everybody has one now."

“我想那肯定是老康纳斯家的果树园，”威廉森太太想了一会儿回答说，“我都已经把它忘得一干二净了。老康纳斯夫妇搬走肯定都有三十年啦。他们的房子和粮仓被烧毁了，于是就把土地卖给了托马斯·戈登，搬到镇上去住了。两人现在都已去世了。康纳斯先生曾经可为他的果树园骄傲了。虽然现在林赛几乎人人都有果树园，但那时候可没几个。”

"There was a young girl in it, playing on a violin," said Eric, annoyed to find that it cost him an effort to speak of her, and that the blood mounted to his face as he did so. "She ran away in great alarm as soon as she saw me, although I do not think I did or said anything to frighten or vex her. I have no idea who she was. Do you know?"

“园子里有个年轻女孩在拉小提琴，”埃里克说，他发现自己得费一番劲才能提到她，而且一说起她，血就向脸上涌，他对此感到很烦闷。“她一看见我就惊慌失措地逃走了，尽管我觉得自己没有说了或是做了什么令她害怕或恼怒的事。我不知道她是谁。您知道吗？”

Mrs. Williamson did not make an immediate reply. She laid down her knitting and gazed out of the window as if pondering seriously some question in her own mind. Finally she said, with an intonation of keen interest in her voice, "I suppose it must have been Kilmeny Gordon, Master."

威廉森太太没有立即回答。她放下手中的针线活，注视着窗外，心里似乎在认真地思考着某个问题。最终她终于开口了，语气里带着强烈的兴趣：“我想那一定是琦梅妮·戈登，老师。”

"Kilmeny Gordon? Do you mean the niece of Thomas Gordon of whom your husband spoke?"

“琦梅妮·戈登？您是说她是您丈夫说过的托马斯·戈登的外甥女吗？”

"Yes."

“是的。”

"I can hardly believe that the girl I saw can be a member of Thomas Gordon's family."

“真不敢相信，我之前见到的那个女孩居然会是托马斯·戈登家的人。”

"Well, if it wasn't Kilmeny Gordon I don't know who it could have been. There is no other house near that orchard and I've heard she plays the violin. If it was Kilmeny you've seen what very few people in Lindsay have ever seen, Master. And those few have never seen her close by. I have never laid eyes on her myself. It's no wonder she ran away, poor girl. She isn't used to seeing strangers."

“嗯，如果不是琦梅妮·戈登，我不知道还能是谁了。那个果树园周围没有其他人家，而且我听过她拉琴。如果那真的是琦梅妮，那你可是少数几个见过她的人之一呢，林赛没几个人见过她，老师。那少数几个人即使见过她，也从未近距离跟她接触过。我自己也没亲眼见过。难怪她那时跑走了，可怜的姑娘。她不习惯见生人。”

"I'm rather glad if that was the sole reason of her flight," said Eric. "I admit I didn't like to see any girl so frightened of me as she appeared to be. She was as white as paper, and so terrified that she never uttered a word, but fled like a deer to cover."

“如果这就是她逃走的唯一原因，那我就安心了，”埃里克说，“老实说，我不喜欢看到哪个女孩子像她看上去那样怕我。她脸色白得像纸一样，害怕得连一句话也说不出来，像只小鹿似的逃跑了，躲了起来。”

"Well, she couldn't have spoken a word in any case," said Mrs. Williamson quietly. "Kilmeny Gordon is dumb."

“嗯，任何情况下她都不会说一个字的，”威廉森太太轻轻地说，“琦梅妮·戈登是个哑巴。”

Eric sat in dismayed silence for a moment. That beautiful creature afflicted in such a fashion—why, it was horrible! Mingled with his dismay was a strange pang of personal regret and disappointment.

好一段时间，埃里克陷入沮丧，一言不发。那个美丽的女孩竟受此折磨——天哪，太可怕了！他的沮丧中还奇怪地混杂着强烈的后悔和失望。

"It couldn't have been Kilmeny Gordon, then," he protested at last, remembering. "The girl I saw played on the violin exquisitely. I never heard anything like it. It is impossible that a deaf mute could play like that."

“那不可能会是琦梅妮·戈登，”一番回忆过后，他终于反驳道，“我那时见到的女孩小提琴拉得出神入化。我从没听过那么美妙的琴声。一个聋哑人不可能会拉得那么好。”

"Oh, she isn't deaf, Master," responded Mrs. Williamson, looking at Eric keenly through her spectacles. She picked up her knitting and fell to work again. "That is the strange part of it, if anything about her can be stranger than another. She can hear as well as anybody and understands everything that is said to her. But she can't speak a word and never could, at least, so they say. The truth is, nobody knows much about her. Janet and Thomas never speak of her, and Neil won't either. He has been well questioned, too, you can depend on that; but he won't ever say a word about Kilmeny and he gets mad if folks persist."

“噢，她耳朵不聋，老师。”威廉森太太回答说，透过眼镜热切地看着他。她拿起针线，又开始做了起来。“那就是最奇怪的地方，要是她身上没有更奇怪之处的话。她的耳朵和大家的一样好使，能听懂别人跟她说的所有的话。但她就是一句话也不能说，也说不出来，至少大家都这么认为。事实上，没人对她了解多少。珍妮特和托马斯从来不提她，尼尔也不提。相信我，人们也常常跟他打听她，但他从不讲一句有关琦梅妮的事，乡亲们要是执意问他，他会发火。”

"Why isn't she to be spoken of?" queried Eric impatiently. "What is the mystery about her?"

“为什么大家不提她？”埃里克不耐烦地问道，“她身上有什么谜？”

"It's a sad story, Master. I suppose the Gordons look on her existence as a sort of disgrace. For my own part, I think it's terrible, the way she's been brought up. But the Gordons are very strange people, Mr. Marshall. I kind of reproved father for saying so, you remember, but it is true. They have very strange ways. And you've really seen Kilmeny? What does she look like? I've heard that she was handsome. Is it true?"

“这事说来令人伤心啊，老师。我想戈登一家把她的存在视为一种耻辱。在我看来，他们抚养她的方式糟糕透了。但戈登一家都是些非常奇怪的人，马歇尔先生。我曾经有点儿怪孩子他爸这么说，您没忘吧，但这是事实。他们行为非常古怪。您是真看到琦梅妮了吗？她长什么样？听说她很清秀。是真的吗？”

"I thought her very beautiful," said Eric rather curtly. "But how has she been brought up, Mrs. Williamson? And why?"

“我觉得她很美，”埃里克的回答相当简短，“不过她是怎么被抚养大的呢，威廉森太太？为什么会这样？”

"Well, I might as well tell you the whole story, Master. Kilmeny is the niece of Thomas and Janet Gordon. Her mother was Margaret Gordon, their younger sister. Old James Gordon came out from Scotland. Janet and Thomas were born in the Old Country and were small children when they came here. They were never very sociable folks, but still they used to visit out some then, and people used to go there. They were kind and honest people, even if they were a little peculiar.

“好吧，我还是把事情原原本本地告诉你吧，老师。琦梅妮是托马斯·戈登和珍妮特·戈登的外甥女。她妈妈叫玛格丽特·戈登，是他们的妹妹。老詹姆斯·戈登来自苏格兰。珍妮特和托马斯在故国出生，来这里时还是小孩子。他们不大同人来往，不过那时候也曾经常拜访其他人，人们也经常去他们那。虽说有点儿怪，但他们友好诚实。

"Mrs. Gordon died a few years after they came out, and four years later James Gordon went home to Scotland and brought a new wife back with him. She was a great deal younger than he was and a very pretty woman, as my mother often told me. She was friendly and gay and liked social life. The Gordon place was a very different sort of place after she came there, and even Janet and Thomas got thawed out and softened down a good bit. They were real fond of their stepmother, I've heard. Then, six years after she was married, the second Mrs. Gordon died too. She died when Margaret was born. They say James Gordon almost broke his heart over it.

“他们离开苏格兰没几年，戈登太太就去世了。四年后，詹姆斯·戈登回到苏格兰，又带回来一位妻子。我母亲常告诉我说她比他小很多，长得很漂亮。她待人友好，性格欢快，喜欢跟人打交道。她来后，戈登家就变了个样，就连珍妮特和托马斯都友好了好多，脾气柔和了不少。我听说过，他们是真心喜欢这位继母。然后，他们结婚六年后，这第二任戈登太太也去世了。她是因为生玛格丽特去世的。大家都说詹姆斯·戈登为此心都碎了。

"Janet brought Margaret up. She and Thomas just worshipped the child and so did their father. I knew Margaret Gordon well once. We were just the same age and we set together in school. We were always good friends until she turned against all the world.

“是珍妮特将玛格丽特带大的。她和托马斯只好给这个孩子做礼拜，他们的父亲也一样。我有一阵和玛格丽特·戈登很熟。我们恰好是同龄，所以一块上的学。在她与全世界为敌之前，我们一直是好朋友。

"She was a strange girl in some ways even then, but I always liked her, though a great many people didn't. She had some bitter enemies, but she had some devoted friends too. That was her way. She made folks either hate or love her. Those who did love her would have gone through fire and water for her.

“即使那时，在某些方面，她就是个古怪的女孩，但我一直喜欢她，尽管很多人不喜欢她。她有一些势不两立的敌人，但也有一些真心实意的朋友。这就是她的为人之道。她要么让人喜欢，要么让人讨厌。那些真正喜欢她的人会为她赴汤蹈火。

"When she grew up she was very pretty—tall and splendid, like a queen, with great thick braids of black hair and red, red cheeks and lips. Everybody who saw her looked at her a second time. She was a little vain of her beauty, I think, Master. And she was proud, oh, she was very proud. She liked to be first in everything, and she couldn't bear not to show to good advantage. She was dreadful determined, too. You couldn't budge her an inch, Master, when she once had made up her mind on any point. But she was warm-hearted and generous. She could sing like an angel and she was very clever. She could learn anything with just one look at it and she was terrible fond of reading.

“她长大后非常漂亮——高高的个子、出众的相貌，像女王一样，留着黑色的粗辫子，有着红红的脸颊和双唇。谁看到她都会多看一眼的。我想她对自己的美貌是有一点儿自负的，老师。而且她很骄傲，噢，非常骄傲。她凡事都要争第一，她总是展示自己的优点，绝对不甘人后。而且她还固执得要命。一旦打定注意，您就劝不动她一丁点儿，老师。不过她是个热心肠，为人又慷慨大方。她的歌声犹如天籁，而且她聪慧过人。不论什么，她只要看一眼就能学会，而且她酷爱读书。

"When I'm talking about her like this it all comes back to me, just what she was like and how she looked and spoke and acted, and little ways she had of moving her hands and head. I declare it almost seems as if she was right here in this room instead of being over there in the churchyard. I wish you'd light the lamp, Master. I feel kind of nervous."

“这样一说起她，我就好像想起了过去的一切：她长什么样、看上去怎样、怎么说话、怎么做事，还有那些摆手晃头的小动作。我得说仿佛她就在这间屋子里一样，而不是在那边教堂的墓地里。麻烦您把灯点上，老师。我有些紧张了。”

Eric rose and lighted the lamp, rather wondering at Mrs. Williamson's unusual exhibition of nerves. She was generally so calm and composed.

埃里克站起身来，点亮那盏灯，很不明白威廉森太太为何表现得异常紧张。平时她总是那么沉着冷静。

"Thank you, Master. That's better. I won't be fancying now that Margaret Gordon's here listening to what I'm saying. I had the feeling so strong a moment ago.

“谢谢您，老师。这样好多了。这样，我就不会有玛格丽特·戈登在这里听我说话的感觉了。刚刚这种感觉特别强烈。

"I suppose you think I'm a long while getting to Kilmeny, but I'm coming to that. I didn't mean to talk so much about Margaret, but somehow my thoughts got taken up with her.

“我想，你觉得我讲了那么久都没讲到琦梅妮了吧，我这就要说到她了。我本没打算多说玛格丽特，可不知为什么，我满脑子想的都是她。

"Well, Margaret passed the Board and went to Queen's Academy and got a teacher's license. She passed pretty well up when she came out, but Janet told me she cried all night after the pass list came out because there were some ahead of her.

“嗯，玛格丽特考进了女王学院，还获得了教师资格证。她结业考试的成绩很好，不过珍妮特告诉我，合格名单公布的当晚，她哭了整整一夜，因为有人排名在她前面。

"She went to teach school over at Radnor. It was there she met a man named Ronald Fraser. Margaret had never had a beau before. She could have had any young man in Lindsay if she had wanted him, but she wouldn't look at one of them. They said it was because she thought nobody was good enough for her, but that wasn't the way of it at all, Master. I knew, because Margaret and I used to talk of those matters, as girls do. She didn't believe in going with anybody unless it was somebody she thought everything of. And there was nobody in Lindsay she cared that much for.

“她去了拉德诺那边的学校教书。就是在那里，她遇见了一个名叫罗纳德·弗雷泽的男人。玛格丽特之前还从没有过一个求爱者。在林赛，她想要哪个男孩子都没问题，但她从不正眼瞧他们一眼。他们说这是因为她觉得没人配得上她。不过，压根儿不是那么回事，老师。我是知道的，因为和所有女孩们一样，我们俩过去也常常谈论那些事。她不会随便跟人交往，除非是她非常中意的人。但是在林赛，她谁都没看上。

"This Ronald Fraser was a stranger from Nova Scotia and nobody knew much about him. He was a widower, although he was only a young man. He had set up store-keeping in Radnor and was doing well. He was real handsome and had taking ways women like. It was said that all the Radnor girls were in love with him, but I don't think his worst enemy could have said he flirted with them. He never took any notice of them; but the very first time he saw Margaret Gordon he fell in love with her and she with him.

“这个罗纳德·弗雷泽来自加拿大新斯科舍，大家都不怎么了解他。他是个鳏夫，尽管还很年轻。他在拉德诺开了家店，生意不错。他相貌真的很英俊，很讨女人们的欢心。据说拉德诺所有的女孩都爱慕他，但我觉得，即使是他的死敌也不可能指责他与她们调情。他从没对她们留意过，可他对玛格丽特·戈登却是一见钟情。玛格丽特也一样。

"They came over to church in Lindsay together the next Sunday and everybody said it would be a match. Margaret looked lovely that day, so gentle and womanly. She had been used to hold her head pretty high, but that day she held it drooping a little and her black eyes cast down. Ronald Fraser was very tall and fair, with blue eyes. They made as handsome a couple as I ever saw.

“那个周日，他们一起去林赛的教堂，人人都说他们是天造地设的一对。玛格丽特那天看起来非常可爱、温柔、女人味十足。她过去总是习惯高昂着头，不过那天她微低着脑袋，乌黑的眼睛看着地上。罗纳德·弗雷泽个子很高，皮肤白皙，长着一双蓝眼睛。他们是我见过的最好看的一对。

"But old James Gordon and Thomas and Janet didn't much approve of him. I saw that plain enough one time I was there and he brought Margaret home from Radnor Friday night. I guess they wouldn't have liked anybody, though, who come after Margaret. They thought nobody was good enough for her.

“但是老詹姆斯·戈登、托马斯和珍妮特不怎么喜欢他。这一点我在那儿的时候就发现了。周五晚上他就把玛格丽特从拉德诺带回家了。我想他们不会喜欢任何一个玛格丽特的人。他们觉得没人配得上她。

"But Margaret coaxed them all round in time. She could do pretty near anything with them, they were so fond and proud of her. Her father held out the longest, but finally he give in and consented for her to marry Ronald Fraser.

“但是玛格丽特总能及时地哄得他们回心转意的。对着他们，她简直可以为所欲为，因为他们实在是太喜欢她，太为她骄傲了。她父亲坚持得最久，但最终还是投降了，同意她嫁给罗纳德·弗雷泽。

"They had a big wedding, too—all the neighbours were asked. Margaret always liked to make a display. I was her bridesmaid, Master. I helped her dress and nothing would please her; she wanted to look that nice for Ronald's sake. She was a handsome bride; dressed in white, with red roses in her hair and at her breast. She wouldn't wear white flowers; she said they looked too much like funeral flowers. She looked like a picture. I can see her this minute, as plain as plain, just as she was that night, blushing and turning pale by turns, and looking at Ronald with her eyes of love. If ever a girl loved a man with all her heart Margaret Gordon did. It almost made me feel frightened. She gave him the worship it isn't right to give anybody but God, Master, and I think that is always punished.

“他们还办了场盛大的婚礼，邀请了所有的邻居。玛格丽特总是喜欢炫耀。我是她的伴娘，老师。我帮她穿衣打扮，但什么都不能使她满意。她想打扮得非常漂亮给罗纳德看。她真是个美丽的新娘。一袭白色长裙，头上、胸前尽是火红的玫瑰。她不愿意戴白色的花，说它们看起来太像是葬礼上的花了。她美得像幅画。我现在还能清清楚楚地回想起她来，回想起那晚她的样子：脸颊时而绯红、时而苍白，含情脉脉地看着罗纳德。如果说真有哪个女人全心全意地爱着哪个男人的话，那个人就是玛格丽特·戈登了。她的爱几乎使我感到害怕。她把只应给与上帝的崇拜给了他，老师，我想这总是会受天谴的。

"They went to live at Radnor and for a little while everything went well. Margaret had a nice house, and was gay and happy. She dressed beautiful and entertained a good deal. Then—well, Ronald Fraser's first wife turned up looking for him! She wasn't dead after all.

“他们搬去拉德诺小住，一切安好。玛格丽特有栋不错的房子，过得幸福快乐。她穿着美丽，经常宴请宾客。之后，嗯，罗纳德·弗雷泽的第一任妻子回来找他了！毕竟她并没死。

"Oh, there was terrible scandal, Master. The talk and gossip was something dreadful. Every one you met had a different story, and it was hard to get at the truth. Some said Ronald Fraser had known all the time that his wife wasn't dead, and had deceived Margaret. But I don't think he did. He swore he didn't. They hadn't been very happy together, it seems. Her mother made trouble between them. Then she went to visit her mother in Montreal, and died in the hospital there, so the word came to Ronald. Perhaps he believed it a little too readily, but that he did believe it I never had a doubt. Her story was that it was another woman of the same name. When she found out Ronald thought her dead she and her mother agreed to let him think so. But when she heard he had got married again she thought she'd better let him know the truth.

“噢，这可是个大丑闻哪，老师。流言蜚语可怕得要命。大家众口不一，也不知道谁说的才是真的。有人说罗纳德·弗雷泽自始至终都知道他妻子没死，他骗了玛格丽特。不过，我认为不是这样的。他发誓说他不知道。看上去他们过去在一起并不开心。她母亲在他们中间无事生非。后来她去蒙特利尔看她母亲，死在了那里的一家医院。就这样，罗纳德得到消息说她死了。或许他是太轻信这消息了，但他是真的相信他妻子去世了，这一点我毫不怀疑。她的说法则是，死的女人与她同名。当她发现罗纳德以为她死了的时候，她和她母亲都决定顺其自然，让他当自己死了。但是听说他再婚了，她就觉得最好还是让他知道真相。

"It all sounded like a queer story and I suppose you couldn't blame people for not believing it too readily. But I've always felt it was true. Margaret didn't think so, though. She believed that Ronald Fraser had deceived her, knowing all the time that he couldn't make her his lawful wife. She turned against him and hated him just as much as she had loved him before.

“这事听起来太奇怪，我想你也不会怪大家不买账。不过我一直都相信这是真的。但是玛格丽特不信。她认定罗纳德·弗雷泽骗了她，一直都知道他不能与她结为合法夫妻。她跟他反目成仇，恨他恨得一如过去深爱他那样。

"Ronald Fraser went away with his real wife, and in less than a year word came of his death. They said he just died of a broken heart, nothing more nor less.

“罗纳德·弗雷泽和他真正的妻子一起离开了。不到一年，就传来他的死讯。人们说他差不多是因心碎而死，或多或少有这个因素。

"Margaret came home to her father's house. From the day that she went over its threshold, she never came out until she was carried out in her coffin three years ago. Not a soul outside of her own family ever saw her again. I went to see her, but Janet told me she wouldn't see me. It was foolish of Margaret to act so. She hadn't done anything real wrong; and everybody was sorry for her and would have helped her all they could. But I reckon pity cut her as deep as blame could have done, and deeper, because you see, Master, she was so proud she couldn't bear it.

“玛格丽特回到她父亲的家中。从那一天起，她再没迈出过门槛半步，直到三年前躺在棺材里被抬了出来。除了她的家人，谁都没再见过她。我去看她，但珍妮特说她不愿见我。玛格丽特这么做真傻。她并没有做错过什么，而且大家都很同情她，都愿意尽一切努力帮她。不过我猜，对她而言，怜悯和苛责一样可以伤人，甚至更糟。因为您是知道的，老师，她太骄傲了，受不了这些。

"They say her father was hard on her, too; and that was unjust if it was true. Janet and Thomas felt the disgrace, too. The people that had been in the habit of going to the Gordon place soon stopped going, for they could see they were not welcome.

“大家都说她父亲也对她很苛刻。如果真是这样，那就太不公平了。珍妮特和托马斯也感到耻辱。原来爱去戈登家的人很快就不再登门了，因为他们能看出自己不受欢迎。

"Old James Gordon died that winter. He never held his head up again after the scandal. He had been an elder in the church, but he handed in his resignation right away and nobody could persuade him to withdraw it.

“老詹姆斯·戈登那年冬天就过世了。这件丑事之后，他就再也抬不起头来。他曾经是教堂里的长老，但很快就提出辞职了，谁也劝不住。

"Kilmeny was born in the spring, but nobody ever saw her, except the minister who baptized her. She was never taken to church or sent to school. Of course, I suppose there wouldn't have been any use in her going to school when she couldn't speak, and it's likely Margaret taught her all she could be taught herself. But it was dreadful that she was never taken to church, or let go among the children and young folks. And it was a real shame that nothing was ever done to find out why she couldn't talk, or if she could be cured.

“春天，琦梅妮出生了。不过除了为她施洗的牧师，谁也没见过她。没人带她去教堂或是学校。当然了，她不能说话，去学校也没有用。而且有可能玛格丽特会把自己懂的全教给她。但最糟糕的是，她从未去过教堂，也没跟其他孩子和年轻人打过交道。而且，人们从没试着去弄清楚她为什么不能说话，能不能治好，真是太遗憾了。

"Margaret Gordon died three years ago, and everybody in Lindsay went to the funeral. But they didn't see her. The coffin lid was screwed down. And they didn't see Kilmeny either. I would have loved to see her for Margaret's sake, but I didn't want to see poor Margaret. I had never seen her since the night she was a bride, for I had left Lindsay on a visit just after that, and what I came home the scandal had just broken out. I remembered Margaret in all her pride and beauty, and I couldn't have borne to look at her dead face and see the awful changes I knew must be there.

“三年前，玛格丽特·戈登去世，林赛的每个人都参加了葬礼。但都没看到她。棺材盖钉得严严实实。他们也没看到琦梅妮。因为玛格丽特的缘故，我本想看看琦梅妮，但我不想看到可怜的玛格丽特。自她结婚的那晚之后，我就再没见过她，因为就在婚礼结束后，我离开林赛出去了一趟，回来时就已经爆出丑闻了。我记得玛格丽特的骄傲与美丽。我不能够忍受看到她死去的模样，还有我知道死亡必定带给她的可怕变化。

"It was thought perhaps Janet and Thomas would take Kilmeny out after her mother was gone, but they never did, so I suppose they must have agreed with Margaret about the way she had been brought up. I've often felt sorry for the poor girl, and I don't think her people did right by her, even if she was mysteriously afflicted. She must have had a very sad, lonely life.

“人们以为，也许珍妮特和托马斯会在琦梅妮的母亲去世后把她带出来，但他们从来没这么做。所以我想他们一定是和玛格丽特就琦梅妮的抚养方式达成过协议。我常常为那可怜的女孩感到难过，我也不赞同她家人的做法，即便她遭遇的不幸很离奇。她过得一定很悲伤、很孤独。

"That is the story, Master, and I've been a long time telling it, as I dare say you think. But the past just seemed to be living again for me as I talked. If you don't want to be pestered with questions about Kilmeny Gordon, Master, you'd better not let on you've seen her."

“事情就是这样，老师。我讲得太久了，因为我敢说您一定也这么觉得。但是我一说起，过去仿佛就在眼前重现。如果您不想被人缠着问琦梅妮·戈登的事，老师，最好不要跟别人说你见过她。”

Eric was not likely to. He had heard all he wanted to know and more.

埃里克不大可能会跟别人讲。他已经听到了所有他想知道的事，甚至还不止。

"So this girl is at to core of a tragedy," he reflected, as he went to his room. "And she is dumb! The pity of it! Kilmeny! The name suits her. She is as lovely and innocent as the heroine of the old ballad. 'And oh, Kilmeny was fair to see.' But the next line is certainly not so appropriate, for her eyes were anything but 'still and steadfast'—after she had seen me, at all events."

“所以说这个女孩是个彻底的悲剧，”他边想边回屋去，“而且还是个哑巴！太可怜了！琦梅妮！这个名字很适合她。她和古老歌谣中的女主角一样纯洁可爱。‘噢，琦梅妮真美’。但下一句当然就不大适合她了。因为她的眼神一点儿也不‘安静坚定’——反正看到我之后不是那样的。”

He tried to put her out of his thoughts, but he could not. The memory of her beautiful face drew him with a power he could not resist. The next evening he went again to the orchard.

他努力不去想她，但却做不到。有关她美丽容颜的记忆对他有种难以抗拒的力量。次日傍晚，他又去了一趟果树园。 iKIw6Nldj60ffAGDcnZeJC35EHMvLFHZGz2O2n1mnbyD2VtcdS03Aoupm2H1NcVN