第十八章（第2/17页）

"How do you know?" said her father.

“你怎么知道的？”父亲问。

She smiled.

她微笑着。

"How SHOULD I know?" "But not Clifford's child, of course?” "No! Another man's.” She rather enjoyed tormenting him.

“我怎么会不知道？”“当然不会是克利福德的孩子？”“不是！不是他的骨肉。”惹得父亲心烦意乱，康妮倒感觉颇为有趣。

"Do I know the man?" asked Sir Malcolm.

“我认识那个人吗？”马尔科姆爵士继续追问。

"No! You've never seen him.” There was a long pause.

“不！你从未见过他。”两人沉默良久。

"And what are your plans?" "I don't know. That's the point.” "No patching it up with Clifford?" "I suppose Clifford would take it," said Connie. "He told me, after last time you talked to him, he wouldn't mind if I had a child, so long as I went about it discreetly.” "Only sensible thing he could say, under the circumstances. Then I suppose it'll be all right.” "In what way?" said Connie, looking into her father's eyes. They were big blue eyes rather like her own, but with a certain uneasiness in them, a look sometimes of an uneasy little boy, sometimes a look of sullen selfishness, usually good-humoured and wary.

“你打算怎么办？”“我还没想好。这恰恰是问题的关键。”“没法跟克利福德商量解决此事吗？”“我想克利福德会接受这个孩子。”康妮说。“上次你跟他谈过以后，他对我说过，只要我行事谨慎，他不会介意我怀上别人的孩子。”“他这样说，倒也算明白事理。依我看，这就没什么问题了。”“此话怎讲？”康妮盯着父亲的眼睛问。父亲那双蓝色的明眸与康妮的颇为相近，但眼神却游移不定，有时像个局促不安的男孩，有时则显得闷闷不乐，自私促狭。好在这双眼睛通常透露出愉快与审慎。

"You can present Clifford with an heir to all the Chatterleys, and put another baronet in Wragby." Sir Malcolm's face smiled with a half-sensual smile.

“你可以让克里福德后继有人，使查泰莱家香烟不绝，给拉格比添个小从男爵。”马尔科姆爵士的脸上浮现出笑容，显出几分性感。

"But I don't think I want to," she said.

“可我不想那样。”她说。

"Why not? Feeling entangled with the other man? Well! If you want the truth from me, my child, it's this. The world goes on. Wragby stands and will go on standing. The world is more or less a fixed thing and, externally, we have to adapt ourselves to it. Privately, in my private opinion, we can please ourselves. Emotions change. You may like one man this year and another next. But Wragby still stands. Stick by Wragby as far as Wragby sticks by you. Then please yourself. But you'll get very little out of making a break. You can make a break if you wish. You have an independent income, the only thing that never lets you down. But you won't get much out of it. Put a little baronet in Wragby. It's an amusing thing to do.” And Sir Malcolm sat back and smiled again. Connie did not answer.

“为什么？跟那男人难舍难离？好吧！孩子，你要是想听我明言，我就不妨打开天窗说亮话。世界日新月异。但拉格比现在将来都会始终屹立不摇。这世上总有些东西无法变更，我们必须调整自己，努力适应它，至少做好表面工作。我个人的意见是，私下里我们大可以随心所欲。感情的事常换常新。你即便朝秦暮楚也没问题。可拉格比却将存在下去。只要拉格比愿意接纳你，你就不应背弃它。在此前提下，完全可以及时行乐。可若当真一拍两散，对你没有什么好处。你要是愿意，一刀两断也可以。你有独立的经济来源，完全可以靠此过活。可你这样做实在有些不值。给拉格比生个小从男爵吧。这未尝不是件有趣的事情。”马尔科姆爵士靠向椅背，再度露出微笑。康妮并未作答。