The Moon And Sixpence 51.1

Tiare, when Itold her this story, praised my prudence, and for a few minutes we worked insilence, for we were shelling peas. Then her eyes, always alert for the affairsof her kitchen, fell on some action of the Chinese cook which aroused herviolent disapproval. She turned on him with a torrent of abuse. The Chink wasnot backward to defend himself, and a very lively quarrel ensued. They spoke inthe native language, of which I had learnt but half a dozen words, and itsounded as though the world would shortly come to an end; but presently peacewas restored and Tiare gave the cook a cigarette. They both smoked comfortably."Do youknow, it was I who found him his wife?" said Tiare suddenly, with a smilethat spread all over her immense face."Thecook?""No, Strickland.""But hehad one already. ""That iswhat he said, but I told him she was in England, and England is at the otherend of the world. ""True," I replied."He wouldcome to Papeete every two or three months, when he wanted paints or tobacco or money,and then he would wander about like a lost dog. I was sorry for him. I had agirl here then called Ata to do the rooms; she was some sort of a relation ofmine, and her father and mother were dead, so I had her to live with me.Strickland used to come here now and then to have a square meal or to playchess with one of the boys. I noticed that she looked at him when he came, andI asked her if she liked him. She said she liked him well enough. You know whatthese girls are; they're always pleased to go with a white man. ""Was she anative?" I asked.当我给蒂阿瑞讲完了这个故事，她很称赞我看问题的敏锐。这以后，我们埋头干了几分钟活儿，谁也没有再开口，因为我们当时正在剥豆子。她的眼睛对厨房里发生的事一件也不放过，没过多一会儿，她看到中国厨师做了一件她非常不赞成的事，马上对他骂了一大串话，但是那个中国人也毫不示弱，于是你一言我一语，展开一场极为激烈的舌战。他们对骂时用的是当地土话，我只听得懂五、六个词，给我的印象是，好象世界末日都快要到了。但是没过多久，和平就又恢复了，而且蒂阿瑞居然还递给厨师傅一根纸烟。两个人都舒舒服服地喷起云雾来。“你知道，他的老婆还是我给找的呢，”蒂阿瑞突如其来地说了一句，一张大脸上布满了笑容。“厨师傅的老婆？”“不，思特里克兰德的。”“他已经有了呀。”“他也这么说。可是我告诉他，她的老婆在英国，英国在地球的那一边呢。”“不错，”我回答说。“每隔两三个月，当他需要油彩啊、烟草啊，或者缺钱花的时候，他就到帕皮提来一趟。到了这里，他总是象个没主的野狗似地东游西荡，我看着怪可怜的。我这里雇着一个女孩子，帮我收拾房间。她名字叫爱塔。她是我的一个远房亲戚，父母都死了，所以我只好收留了她。思特里克兰德有时候到我这儿来吃一顿饱饭，或者同我这里的哪个干活儿的下盘棋。我发现每次他来的时候，爱塔都盯着他。我就问她她是不是喜欢这个人。她说她很喜欢他。你知道这些女孩子是怎么样的，都喜欢找个白人。”“爱塔是本地人吗？”我问。