奥兰多orlando (英文版)作者:弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙-第26部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hint　as　to　their　meaning；　she　threw　her　cheroot　out　of　the　window　and　went　to　bed。

Next　morning；　in　pursuance　of　these　thoughts；　she　had　out　her　pen　and　paper。　and　started　afresh　upon　‘The　Oak　Tree’；　for　to　have　ink　and　paper　in　plenty　when　one　has　made　do　with　berries　and　margins　is　a　delight　not　to　be　conceived。　Thus　she　was　now　striking　out　a　phrase　in　the　depths　of　despair；　now　in　the　heights　of　ecstasy　writing　one　in；　when　a　shadow　darkened　the　page。　She　hastily　hid　her　manuscript。

As　her　window　gave　on　to　the　most　central　of　the　courts；　as　she　had　given　orders　that　she　would　see　no　one；　as　she　knew　no　one　and　was　herself　legally　unknown；　she　was　first　surprised　at　the　shadow；　then　indignant　at　it；　then　（when　she　looked　up　and　saw　what　caused　it）　overe　with　merriment。　For　it　was　a　familiar　shadow；　a　grotesque　shadow；　the　shadow　of　no　less　a　personage　than　the　Archduchess　Harriet　Griselda　of　Finster–Aarhorn　and　Scand–op–Boom　in　the　Roumanian　territory。　She　was　loping　across　the　court　in　her　old　black　riding–habit　and　mantle　as　before。　Not　a　hair　of　her　head　was　changed。　This　then　was　the　woman　who　had　chased　her　from　England！　This　was　the　eyrie　of　that　obscene　vulture—this　the　fatal　fowl　herself！　At　the　thought　that　she　had　fled　all　the　way　to　Turkey　to　avoid　her　seductions　（now　bee　excessively　flat）；　Orlando　laughed　aloud。　There　was　something　inexpressibly　ic　in　the　sight。　She　resembled；　as　Orlando　had　thought　before；　nothing　so　much　as　a　monstrous　hare。　She　had　the　staring　eyes；　the　lank　cheeks；　the　high　headdress　of　that　animal。　She　stopped　now；　much　as　a　hare　sits　erect　in　the　corn　when　thinking　itself　unobserved；　and　stared　at　Orlando；　who　stared　back　at　her　from　the　window。　After　they　had　stared　like　this　for　a　certain　time；　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　ask　her　in；　and　soon　the　two　ladies　were　exchanging　pliments　while　the　Archduchess　struck　the　snow　from　her　mantle。

‘A　plague　on　women；’　said　Orlando　to　herself；　going　to　the　cupboard　to　fetch　a　glass　of　wine；　‘they　never　leave　one　a　moment’s　peace。　A　more　ferreting；　inquisiting；　busybodying　set　of　people　don’t　exist。　It　was　to　escape　this　Maypole　that　I　left　England；　and　now’—here　she　turned　to　present　the　Archduchess　with　the　salver；　and　behold—in　her　place　stood　a　tall　gentleman　in　black。　A　heap　of　clothes　lay　in　the　fender。　She　was　alone　with　a　man。

Recalled　thus　suddenly　to　a　consciousness　of　her　sex；　which　she　had　pletely　forgotten；　and　of　his；　which　was　now　remote　enough　to　be　equally　upsetting；　Orlando　felt　seized　with　faintness。

‘La！’　she　cried；　putting　her　hand　to　her　side；　‘how　you　frighten　me！’

‘Gentle　creature；’　cried　the　Archduchess；　falling　on　one　knee　and　at　the　same　time　pressing　a　cordial　to　Orlando’s　lips；　‘forgive　me　for　the　deceit　I　have　practised　on　you！’

Orlando　sipped　the　wine　and　the　Archduke　knelt　and　kissed　her　hand。

In　short；　they　acted　the　parts　of　man　and　woman　for　ten　minutes　with　great　vigour　and　then　fell　into　natural　discourse。　The　Archduchess　（but　she　must　in　future　be　known　as　the　Archduke）　told　his　story—that　he　was　a　man　and　always　had　been　one；　that　he　had　seen　a　portrait　of　Orlando　and　fallen　hopelessly　in　love　with　him；　that　to　pass　his　ends；　he　had　dressed　as　a　woman　and　lodged　at　the　Baker’s　shop；　that　he　was　desolated　when　he　fled　to　Turkey；　that　he　had　heard　of　her　change　and　hastened　to　offer　his　services　（here　he　teed　and　heed　intolerably）。　For　to　him；　said　the　Archduke　Harry；　she　was　and　would　ever　be　the　Pink；　the　Pearl；　the　Perfection　of　her　sex。　The　three　p’s　would　have　been　more　persuasive　if　they　had　not　been　interspersed　with　tee–hees　and　haw–haws　of　the　strangest　kind。　‘If　this　is　love；’　said　Orlando　to　herself；　looking　at　the　Archduke　on　the　other　side　of　the　fender；　and　now　from　the　woman’s　point　of　view；　‘there　is　something　highly　ridiculous　about　it。’

Falling　on　his　knees；　the　Archduke　Harry　made　the　most　passionate　declaration　of　his　suit。　He　told　her　that　he　had　something　like　twenty　million　ducats　in　a　strong　box　at　his　castle。　He　had　more　acres　than　any　nobleman　in　England。　The　shooting　was　excellent：　he　could　promise　her　a　mixed　bag　of　ptarmigan　and　grouse　such　as　no　English　moor；　or　Scotch　either；　could　rival。　True；　the　pheasants　had　suffered　from　the　gape　in　his　absence；　and　the　does　had　slipped　their　young；　but　that　could　be　put　right；　and　would　be　with　her　help　when　they　lived　in　Roumania　together。

As　he　spoke；　enormous　tears　formed　in　his　rather　prominent　eyes　and　ran　down　the　sandy　tracts　of　his　long　and　lanky　cheeks。

That　men　cry　as　frequently　and　as　unreasonably　as　women；　Orlando　knew　from　her　own　experience　as　a　man；　but　she　was　beginning　to　be　aware　that　women　should　be　shocked　when　men　display　emotion　in　their　presence；　and　so；　shocked　she　was。

The　Archduke　apologized。　He　manded　himself　sufficiently　to　say　that　he　would　leave　her　now；　but　would　return　on　the　following　day　for　his　answer。

That　was　a　Tuesday。　He　came　on　Wednesday；　he　came　on　Thursday；　he　came　on　Friday；　and　he　came　on　Saturday。　It　is　true　that　each　visit　began；　continued；　or　concluded　with　a　declaration　of　love；　but　in　between　there　was　much　room　for　silence。　They　sat　on　either　side　of　the　fireplace　and　sometimes　the　Archduke　knocked　over　the　fire–irons　and　Orlando　picked　them　up　again。　Then　the　Archduke　would　bethink　him　how　he　had　shot　an　elk　in　Sweden；　and　Orlando　would　ask；　was　it　a　very　big　elk；　and　the　Archduke　would　say　that　it　was　not　as　big　as　the　reindeer　which　he　shot　in　Norway；　and　Orlando　would　ask；　had　he　ever　shot　a　tiger；　and　the　Archduke　would　say　he　had　shot　an　albatross；　and　Orlando　would　say　（half　hiding　her　yawn）　was　an　albatross　as　big　as　an　elephant；　and　the　Archduke　would　say—something　very　sensible；　no　doubt；　but　Orlando　heard　it　not；　for　she　was　looking　at　her　writing–table；　out　of　the　window；　at　the　door。　Upon　which　the　Archduke　would　say；　‘I　adore　you’；　at　the　very　same　moment　that　Orlando　said　‘Look；　it’s　beginning　to　rain’；　at　which　they　were　both　much　embarrassed；　and　blushed　scarlet；　and　could　neither　of　them　think　what　to　say　next。　Indeed；　Orlando　was　at　her　wit’s　end　what　to　talk　about　and　had　she　not　bethought　her　of　a　game　called　Fly　Loo；　at　which　great　sums　of　money　can　be　lost　with　very　little　expense　of　spirit；　she　would　have　had　to　marry　him；　she　supposed；　for　how　else　to　get　rid　of　him　she　knew　not。　By　this　device；　however；　and　it　was　a　simple　one；　needing　only　three　lumps　of　sugar　and　a　sufficiency　of　flies；　the　embarrassment　of　conversation　was　overe　and　the　necessity　of　marriage　avoided。　For　now；　the　Archduke　would　bet　her　five　hundred　pounds　to　a　tester　that　a　fly　would　settle　on　this　lump　and　not　on　that。　Thus；　they　would　have　occupation　for　a　whole　morning　watching　the　flies　（who　were　naturally　sluggish　at　this　season　and　often　spent　an　hour　or　so　circling　round　the　ceiling）　until　at　length　some　fine　bluebottle　made　his　choice　and　the　match　was　won。　Many　hundreds　of　pounds　changed　hands　between　them　at　this　game；　which　the　Archduke；　who　was　a　born　gambler；　swore　was　every　bit　as　good　as　horse　racing；　and　vowed　he　could　play　at　for　ever。　But　Orlando　soon　began　to　weary。

What’s　the　good　of　being　a　fine　young　woman　in　the　prime　of　life’；　she　asked；　‘if　I　have　to　pass　all　my　mornings　watching　blue–bottles　with　an　Archduke？’

She　began　to　detest　the　sight　of　sugar；　flies　made　her　dizzy。　Some　way　out　of　the　difficulty　there　must　be；　she　supposed；　but　she　was　still　awkward　in　the　arts　of　her　sex；　and　as　she　could　no　longer　knock　a　man　over　the　head　or　run　him　through　the　body　with　a　rapier；　she　could　think　of　no　better　method　than　this。　She　caught　a　blue–bottle；　gently　pressed　the　life　out　of　it　（it　was　half　dead　already；　or　her　kindness　for　the　dumb　creatures　would　not　have　permitted　it）　and　secured　it　by　a　drop　of　gum　arabic　to　a　lump　of　sugar。　While　the　Archduke　was　gazing　at　the　ceiling；　she　deftly　substituted　this　lump　for　the　one　she　had　laid　her　money　on；　and　crying　‘Loo　Loo！’　declared　that　she　had　won　her　bet。　Her　reckoning　was　that　the　Archduke；　with　all　his　knowledge　of　sport　and　horseracing；　would　detect　the　fraud　and；　as　to　cheat　at　Loo　is　the　most　heinous　of　crimes；　and　men　have　been　banished　from　the　society　of　mankind　to　that　of　apes　in　the　tropics　for　ever　because　of　it；　she　calculated　that　he　would　be　manly　enough　to　refuse　to　have　anything　further　to　do　with　her。　But　she　misjudged　the　simplicity　of　the　amiable　nobleman。　He　was　no　nice　judge　of　flies。　A　dead　fly　looked　to　him　much　the　same　as　a　living　one。　She　played　the　trick　twenty　times　on　him　and　he　paid　her　over　17；250　pounds　（which　is　about　40；885　pounds　6　shillings　and　8　pence　of　our　own　money）　before　Orlando　cheated　so　grossly　that　even　he　could　be　deceived　no　longer。　When　he　realized　the　truth　at　last；　a　painful　scene　ensued。　The　Archduke　rose　to　his　full　height。　He　coloured　scarlet。　Tears　rolled　down　his　cheeks　one　by　one。　That　she　had　won　a　fortune　from　him　was　nothing—she　was　wele　to　it；　that　she　had　deceived　him　was　something—it　hurt　him　to　think　her　capable　of　it；　but　that　she　had　cheated　at　Loo　was　everything。　To　love　a　woman　who　cheated　at　play　was；　he　said；　impossible。　Here　he　broke　down　pletely。　Happily；　he　said；　recove